Rockbird
Encyclopedia
Rockbird is the second solo album by the American
singer Debbie Harry
, released in November 1986.
in 1982. Harry had largely put her music career on hold during the mid-1980s in order to look after boyfriend Chris Stein
who had been diagnosed with a serious illness. The album was produced by Seth Justman
, a key member of The J. Geils Band. Released in November 1986, there were five variations of the album artwork with the lettering in either green, orange, purple, pink and yellow.
The album peaked at #32 in the UK
, and remained in the charts for 11 weeks. Although one of her lowest charting solo albums in the UK to date, it was ironically the highest selling and was certified "Gold" by the BPI
in January 1987 for sales in excess of 100,000 copies. The album was less successful in the US and peaked at #97.
", which reached #45, and "Free To Fall
", which reached #46. "French Kissin'" also reached #57 on the US Billboard Hot 100
.
Side B:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry
Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers...
, released in November 1986.
Album information
Rockbird was Harry's second solo album, and came four years after the split of BlondieBlondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
in 1982. Harry had largely put her music career on hold during the mid-1980s in order to look after boyfriend Chris Stein
Chris Stein
Christopher "Chris" Stein is co-founder and guitarist in the New Wave band, Blondie. He is also a producer and performer for the classic soundtrack of the hip hop film Wild Style....
who had been diagnosed with a serious illness. The album was produced by Seth Justman
Seth Justman
Seth Justman was the keyboard player for the U.S. rock band, The J. Geils Band. He co-wrote many of the band's songs with singer Peter Wolf, and took sole songwriting credits for the band's biggest international hit, "Centerfold" . Justman became the band's main vocalist once Wolf left the J...
, a key member of The J. Geils Band. Released in November 1986, there were five variations of the album artwork with the lettering in either green, orange, purple, pink and yellow.
The album peaked at #32 in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and remained in the charts for 11 weeks. Although one of her lowest charting solo albums in the UK to date, it was ironically the highest selling and was certified "Gold" by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
in January 1987 for sales in excess of 100,000 copies. The album was less successful in the US and peaked at #97.
Singles
Three singles were released from the album, "French Kissin' In The USA", which reached #8 in the UK and is Harry's only solo top 10 single in that territory, "In Love With LoveIn Love With Love
"In Love with Love" is the fourth track from the 1986 album Rockbird, and second single to be released from the album by Debbie Harry.-Song information:...
", which reached #45, and "Free To Fall
Free To Fall
"Free to Fall" is a song by the American vocalist Debbie Harry, taken from her second solo album Rockbird . It was released as a single in the U.S. and the UK. The single failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 or any other significant U.S. chart, and peaked at no.46 in the UK. The B-side to the...
", which reached #46. "French Kissin'" also reached #57 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Track listing
Side A:- "I Want You" (Deborah Harry, Toni C.) - 4:28
- "French KissinFrench Kissin (song)"French Kissin" a.k.a. "French Kissin' in the USA" is the second song from the 1986 album Rockbird by Debbie Harry. It was written by Chuck Lorre, who would later create the hit television sitcoms Dharma & Greg and Two and a Half Men among others....
" (Chuck LorreChuck LorreChuck Lorre is a writer, director, producer and composer who has created many American sitcoms, including Grace Under Fire, Cybill, Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory...
) - 5:14 - "Buckle Up" (Deborah Harry, Seth Justman) - 3:46
- "In Love With LoveIn Love With Love"In Love with Love" is the fourth track from the 1986 album Rockbird, and second single to be released from the album by Debbie Harry.-Song information:...
" (Deborah Harry, Chris SteinChris SteinChristopher "Chris" Stein is co-founder and guitarist in the New Wave band, Blondie. He is also a producer and performer for the classic soundtrack of the hip hop film Wild Style....
) - 4:34
Side B:
- "You Got Me In Trouble" (Deborah Harry, Seth Justman) - 4:18
- "Free to FallFree To Fall"Free to Fall" is a song by the American vocalist Debbie Harry, taken from her second solo album Rockbird . It was released as a single in the U.S. and the UK. The single failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 or any other significant U.S. chart, and peaked at no.46 in the UK. The B-side to the...
" (Deborah Harry, Seth Justman) - 5:31 - "Rockbird" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) - 3:09
- "Secret Life" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) - 3:46
- "Beyond the Limit" (Deborah Harry, Nile RodgersNile RodgersNile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
) - 4:37
Personnel
- Deborah Harry - lead vocals, backing vocals all tracks except "French Kissin'"
- Jimmy RippJimmy RippJimmy Rip is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer, who is known for his work with Jerry Lee Lewis, Mick Jagger, Michael Monroe and the former Television band leader Tom Verlaine.Rip began playing guitar at the age of six....
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
all tracks - Toni C. - additional guitar "I Want You"
- Phil Ashley - drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
and bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
programming & keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
"I Want You", "French Kissin'", "In Love With Love", "Rockbird" & "Secret Life", keyboards "You Got Me In Trouble" & "Free To Fall" - Seth JustmanSeth JustmanSeth Justman was the keyboard player for the U.S. rock band, The J. Geils Band. He co-wrote many of the band's songs with singer Peter Wolf, and took sole songwriting credits for the band's biggest international hit, "Centerfold" . Justman became the band's main vocalist once Wolf left the J...
- drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
and bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
programming & keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
"I Want You", "French Kissin'", "In Love With Love", "Rockbird" & "Secret Life", keyboards "Buckle Up", "You Got Me In Trouble", "Free To Fall" & "Beyond The Limit", backing vocals all tracks except "French Kissin'" - Magic DickMagic DickRichard "Magic Dick" Salwitz was the harmonica player for The J. Geils Band. In addition to the harmonica, Salwitz plays the trumpet and saxophone. He attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he met John "J" Geils and Danny Klein and became a founding member of...
- harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
"I Want You" - James White - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
solo "I Want You" - Jocelyn BrownJocelyn BrownJocelyn Lorette Brown is an American R&B and dance music singer...
- backing vocals "I Want You", "French Kissin'", "You Got Me In Trouble" & "Free To Fall" - Connie Harvey - backing vocals "I Want You", "French Kissin'", "You Got Me In Trouble", & "Free To Fall"
- La Rita Gaskins - backing vocals "I Want You", "French Kissin'", "You Got Me In Trouble", & "Free To Fall"
- Crispin Cloe - alto saxophoneAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
solo "French Kissin'" - Gordon Gottlieb - percussion "French Kissin'", "Buckle Up", "In Love With Love", "Secret Life" & "Beyond The Limit"
- Neil Jason - bass "Buckle Up", "You Got Me In Trouble", "Free To Fall", "Secret Life" & "Beyond The Limit"
- Yogi Horton - drums "Buckle Up", "You Got Me In Trouble", "Free To Fall" & "Beyond The Limit"
- The Uptown Horns - "Buckle Up", "You Got Me In Trouble" & "Beyond The Limit"
- Cripsin Cloe - alto sax, baritone sax
- Paul Litterel - trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Arne Hecht - tenor sax
- Robert Funk - tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Cookie Watkins - backing vocals "Buckle Up"
- Judith Spears - backing vocals "Buckle Up"
- Fonda Rae - backing vocals "Buckle Up"
- Jay Siegel - backing vocals "In Love With Love"
- Chris SteinChris SteinChristopher "Chris" Stein is co-founder and guitarist in the New Wave band, Blondie. He is also a producer and performer for the classic soundtrack of the hip hop film Wild Style....
- additional guitar "In Love With Love", "Free To Fall" & "Rockbird", bass and drum programming "In Love With Love", "Rockbird" & "Secret Life" - Mickey CurryMickey CurryMichael Timothy Curry is an American drummer. He is best known for his long-term collaboration with the singer-songwriter Bryan Adams, although he has also worked with Hall & Oates, Cher, Tina Turner, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Sam Phillips, Tom Waits, The Cult, Steve Jones and...
- drums "You Got Me In Trouble" - Bill Scheniman - additional percussion and backing vocals
Production
- Seth Justman - producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
& arrangerArrangerIn investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the... - Chris SteinChris SteinChristopher "Chris" Stein is co-founder and guitarist in the New Wave band, Blondie. He is also a producer and performer for the classic soundtrack of the hip hop film Wild Style....
- additional arrangement "In Love With Love", "Rockbird", "Secret Life" - Bill Scheniman - recordingRecordingRecording is the process of capturing data or translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, which is often referred to as a record or, if an auditory medium, a recording....
, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Kyle Davis - production coordinator
- Jack Kennedy - assistant sound engineer
- Rick Slater - assistant engineer
- Ken Collins - assistant engineer
- Ken Steiger - assistant engineer
- Jon Goldderger - assistant engineer
- Kent Wagner - assistant engineer
- John Alters - assistant engineer
- Dave Avidor - assistant engineer
- Michael O'Haro -assistant engineer
- Greg Calbi - sound
- Stephen SprouseStephen SprouseStephen Sprouse was a fashion designer and artist credited with pioneering the 1980s mix of "uptown sophistication in clothing with a downtown punk and pop sensibility" .-Career:...
- cover design - Andy WarholAndy WarholAndrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
- background painting - Paula Greif - art direction
- Christiaan - hair
- Linda Mason - make-up
- Guzman - photography
- Recorded at Mayfair Recording, Unique Recording, Electric Lady Studios, Sorcerer Sound, Power Station, A & R Recording, AMC Mission Control, Boston Mass.
- Mixed at Counterpoint Studios, NYC