Song:French Kissin' (In The USA)
Album:French Kissin': The Collection
Of course Deborah Harry is best known as the lead singer of the very successful 70s group Blondie. But she had some solo success in the 80s especially with the 1986 hit French Kissin' (In The USA). I think she would have been more successful if her personal life hadn't got in the way. Deborah recorded her debut solo album KooKoo while Blondie was on hiatus in 1981. The album was produced by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers of Chic. The album cover was an H.R. Giger illustration of Deborah with skewers going through her face. Some retailers were offended by the cover and refused to carry the album. The album was certified Gold based on Deborah's notoriety due to Blondie. But there was no hit single. Chrysalis Records probably should have pulled the album and reissued it with a new cover but they didn't. After Blondie released the 1981 album The Hunter and it didn't sell, they went on a more permanent hiatus. It was also at this time that Blondie leader and Deborah's partner Chris Stein got sick with an auto immune disease. So Deborah was busy taking care of him and she didn't record again until the 1986 album Rockbird. Rockbird was produced by J. Geils Band keyboard player Seth Justman. The music on Rockbird was more mainstream pop and French Kissin' (In The USA) did well in the dance market and it was a top ten hit in England. And the video was in heavy rotation on MTV. French Kissin' was written by future sitcom producer Chuck Lorre. The sax solo is by Crispin Cioe of The Uptown Horns. She switched to Sire Records for her 1989 album Def, Dumb and Blonde. It did well in England. But by this time she seemed to be forgotten and after a 1993 solo album, she reunited Blondie in the late 90s. You can get Deborah's 80s hits on this comp from the Dutch label Simply The Best. Deborah's last solo CD was released in 2007. But Blondie is still active and they released a new CD in 2014. Here's the video for French Kissin' (In The USA) by Deborah Harry.
I liked her song "Heart of Glass". I still remember watching on MTV the video Rapture. One of my favorites. Really far out video with a black women in a Scottish Kilt with a goat in the background. Really wild back in the day.
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