French Kiss (Bob Welch album)
| French Kiss | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 September 1977 | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Studio | Sunset Sound, Village Recorders, Cherokee Studios and Producer's Workshop, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Rock, power pop, disco | |||
| Length | 35:45 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer | Carter (except track 1, which was produced by Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie) | |||
| Bob Welch chronology | ||||
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| Singles from French Kiss | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+[2] |
French Kiss is the solo debut by former Fleetwood Mac singer/guitarist Bob Welch. The songs, with the exception of "Sentimental Lady", were intended for a projected third album by Welch's previous band, Paris. However, the group fell apart in 1977 before recording could begin. So instead, Welch used these songs for his debut solo album.
For the most part, French Kiss presents a mix of hard rock guitar, disco-ish rhythms and sweeping strings. The big hits were "Ebony Eyes" (with backing vocals by Juice Newton), which peaked at number 14 in the US; and a revised version of "Sentimental Lady", a song that Welch had originally recorded with Fleetwood Mac in 1972 for the album Bare Trees, which peaked at number 8. "Hot Love, Cold World" also became a minor hit, which peaked at number 31.[3]
The album itself peaked at number 12 in the US and later went platinum. It is Welch's best-selling album.
Track listing
All songs written by Bob Welch, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sentimental Lady" | 2:52 | |
| 2. | "Easy to Fall" | 3:31 | |
| 3. | "Hot Love, Cold World" | Bob Welch, John Henning | 3:39 |
| 4. | "Mystery Train" | 3:07 | |
| 5. | "Lose My Heart" | 1:55 | |
| 6. | "Outskirts" | Bob Welch, John Carter | 3:19 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ebony Eyes" (backing vocals by Juice Newton) | 3:33 |
| 2. | "Lose Your..." | 0:45 |
| 3. | "Carolene" | 3:13 |
| 4. | "Dancin' Eyes" | 3:20 |
| 5. | "Danchiva" | 3:51 |
| 6. | "Lose Your Heart" | 3:16 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Bob Welch – vocals, guitar, bass guitar
- Alvin Taylor – drums (except "Sentimental Lady")
- Mick Fleetwood – drums on "Sentimental Lady"
- Christine McVie – background vocals on "Sentimental Lady", "Easy To Fall" and "Lose Your Heart"
- Lindsey Buckingham – guitar and background vocals on "Sentimental Lady"
- Gene Page – string arrangements
- Juice Newton – background vocals on "Ebony Eyes"
Technical
- John Carter – producer, all tracks except "Sentimental Lady"
- Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie – producer, "Sentimental Lady"
- Warren Dewy – engineer, all tracks except "Sentimental Lady"
- Richard Dashut, Ken Caillat – engineers, "Sentimental Lady"
- Art Sims – design
- Daniel Catherine – photography
- Olivier Ferrand – photography
Charts
| Chart (1977–78) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 8 |
| US Billboard 200[5] | 12 |
| Canadian RPM Albums Chart[6] | 13 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[7] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ French Kiss at AllMusic
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: W". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 22, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100 - Bob Welch". Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 335. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ https://www.billboard.com/music/bob-welch/chart-history/billboard-200/song/315780%7C Retrieved 11 February 2018
- ^ http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5472a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5472a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5472a%7C Retrieved 5 May 2018
- ^ "American album certifications – Bob Welch – French Kiss". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
