Bad Girls (Donna Summer song)
"Bad Girls" | ||||
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![]() Artwork for French release | ||||
Single by Donna Summer | ||||
from the album Bad Girls | ||||
B-side | "On My Honor" | |||
Released | June 23, 1979 | |||
Recorded | 1979 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:55 (7" Single) 4:55 (12" Single) | |||
Label | Casablanca | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | ||||
Donna Summer singles chronology | ||||
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"Bad Girls" is a song by American singer Donna Summer from her 1979 seventh studio album of the same name. It was released as the album's second single on June 23, 1979, by Casablanca Records. The song was produced by Summer's regular collaborators Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, and co-written by Summer and the members of Brooklyn Dreams, Bruce Sudano, Edward "Eddie" Hokenson and Joe "Bean" Esposito.
"Bad Girls" became a worldwide success, peaking within the top-ten in seven countries, including Spain and New Zealand. In the United States, it spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, from the weeks of July 14 to August 11, 1979; and sold over two million copies, simultaneously becoming, alongside "Hot Stuff", her most successful single. The single helped the Bad Girls album to reach multi-platinum status in the United States. Summer placed three songs in the top 12 of the Billboard 1979 Year-End chart, "Bad Girls" at number 2, "Hot Stuff" at #7, and "MacArthur Park" at #12. Additionally,"Heaven Knows". Summer had 3 additional songs released in 1979 and they all made the Billboard 1980 Year-End chart, "Dim All the Lights", "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" with Barbra Streisand and "On the Radio".
Background[edit]
The inspiration for Summer to write the song came after one of her assistants was offended by a police officer who thought she was a street prostitute. A rough version of the song had originally been written a couple of years before its release. Casablanca Records' founder Neil Bogart, upon hearing it, wanted Summer to give it to Cher for her upcoming album.[2] Summer refused and put it away for a couple of years.
"Toot Toot! Ah! Beep Beep!," the chanted vocal refrain in the song originates from the Latin boogaloo track "Bang Bang" by the Joe Cuba Sextet (1966). The chant in "Bang Bang" was incorporated into the song after a gig Joe Cuba's sextet played for a black audience that wasn't particularly receptive to mambo or cha cha cha; the audience started chanting as the pianist in the group played a riff.[3]
Record World said that Summers' "sultry reading is perfect for the threatening street theme."[4]
A 12" version of the song was released as a medley with "Hot Stuff". Although "Hot Stuff" was extended for the 12" version, "Bad Girls" remained in the four minutes, fifty-five seconds album version. A demo version of the song was released on the "deluxe edition" of Bad Girls.
Awards and nominations[edit]
The song was nominated and won the award for "Favorite Pop/Rock Single" and "Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist" at the American Music Awards in 1980. Summer was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording at the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1980.[5]
Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
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Year-end charts[edit]
All-time charts[edit]
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Certifications and sales[edit]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Canada (Music Canada)[33] | Platinum | 150,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] | Silver | 250,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[35] | Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Cover versions[edit]
Jamiroquai regularly performed this during live sets.[citation needed] Jay Kay also performed a live version with Anastasia.[citation needed]
British singer Juliet Roberts also did a cover version in 1998.[citation needed]
American rapper Lil' Kim and American singer and drag queen RuPaul recorded a track titled "Bad Girls" for Kim's album The Notorious K.I.M. (2000), interpolating Summer's song; it was, however, leaked before the album release and consequently scrapped.[citation needed]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Graff, Gary (January 1, 1998). "Donna Summer". In Graff, Gary; du Lac, Josh; McFarlin, Jim (eds.). MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. p. 544.
- ^ Summer, Donna; Marc Eliot (2003). Ordinary Girl: The Journey. New York: Villard. p. 172. ISBN 1400060311.
- ^ Ducks, David (16 Feb 2010). "Joe Cuba Sextet "Bang Bang"". Exclaim.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. May 26, 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
- ^ "Donna Summer". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ Danyel Smith, ed. (1979). "Billboard 8 september 1979". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
- ^ "Donna Summer – Bad Girls" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Donna Summer – Bad Girls" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ Nanda Lwin (1999). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4497a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 4488." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Donna Summer". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 250. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Bad Girls". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ Racca, Guido (2019). M&D Borsa Singoli 1960–2019 (in Italian). ISBN 9781093264906.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Donna Summer" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Donna Summer – Bad Girls" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Donna Summer – Bad Girls". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Donna Summer – Bad Girls". VG-lista. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ a b Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "Donna Summer – Bad Girls". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Donna Summer – Bad Girls". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Donna Summer Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Donna Summer Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Donna Summer Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Donna Summer – Bad Girls". GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1979". Ultratop. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ "1979 Top 200 Singles". RPM. Vol. 32, no. 13. Library and Archives Canada. December 22, 1979. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
- ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1979". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ "1979 Talent in Action – Year End Charts : Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 51. December 22, 1979. p. TIA-10.
- ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1979". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Donna Summer – Bad Girls". Music Canada.
- ^ "British single certifications – Donna Summer – Bad Girls". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "American single certifications – Donna Summer – Bad Girls". Recording Industry Association of America.
- 1979 singles
- 1979 songs
- Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
- Cashbox number-one singles
- Donna Summer songs
- Songs written by Donna Summer
- Casablanca Records singles
- Song recordings produced by Giorgio Moroder
- Song recordings produced by Pete Bellotte
- Songs written by Bruce Sudano
- Songs about prostitutes
- Disco songs