Comments on: SISTER SLEDGE – “Frankie”

By: Brooksie

Brooksie — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:54:24 +0000

The chorus of this song is so simple and instantly memorable that there was never any doubt it would be a big hit. It appeals to the twelve year-old girls skipping in the playground mentality. It’s light and frothy and about love. Worth noting that in a year dominated by ‘high’ intentioned music and ‘adult’ (read: ‘turgid’) ballads, this song was a perfect counterweight. Seriously; Elaine Paige / Jennifer Rush? ‘Frankie’ was a necessary hit.

I like it just fine. But I’m not crazy about it because it sounds like candyfloss.

By: DV

DV — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:28:21 +0000

This song cancels out all the Chic Organisation produced stuff. Sigh.

By: Andy Pandy

Andy Pandy — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:26:14 +0000

This was vaguely notable at the time for its ommission from the “Blues and Soul” UK chart at the time as up to this all kinds of completely unsuitable (ie not an earthly of being played in the clubs or appealing to the ‘Blues and Soul’ demographic had been included in the chart merely by virtue of them being black ie Prince’s rockier stuff and Tina Turner’s 80s stuff, )had featured in the chart but this went too far and despite Sister Sledge having being responsible for definte classics it was announced that this track would be omitted from the chart…due to it being the worst kind of pop rubbish.

Slightly different from ‘Thinking of You’ the previous hit from Sister Sledge which had only ever been released as a single (4 years after it appearing on their Chic produced album) due to its club plays by London/South East soul/funk mafia djs in 1983 and which therefore featured heavily in the Blues and Soul Club charts before release as a single.

By: Kat but logged out innit

Kat but logged out innit — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:54:22 +0000

They were excellent at Glasto 2004 (or was it 2003?) despite one of them having a sore throat.

By: crag

crag — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:48:25 +0000

i saw Sister Sledge live in about 1995- i remember being a smartarse beforehand and saying sarcastically “oh i wonder if they’ll do We Are Family or Lost in Music?”I soon felt a bit daft since for some reason they didnt do Lost in Music at all!They did do Frankie though unfortunately as well as a lengthy gospel medley. Bit of an odd night all told really…

By: pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør

pˆnk s lord sükråt cunctør — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:11:50 +0000

They are! Though if memory serves we don’t see them perform on-stage, it’s more like an impromptu thing in the dressing room? They are hardly more than kids…

By: Mark M

Mark M — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:08:45 +0000

Sister Sledge, then ten years younger than by the time of Frankie, are rather good in the Soul Power movie, which I think Lord Sukrat mentioned in the We Are The World discussion.

By: Snif

Snif — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:13:18 +0000

Sister Sledge was also the name of a character in one of the 1983 Rogue Trooper stories in 1983′s run of 2000AD.

By: wichita lineman

wichita lineman — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:59:05 +0000

Re 49: Wasn’t Spacer given to Sheila (B Devotion) for similar reasons of justifiable high confidence? Possibly the French 60s gal with the least charisma and international appeal, but the only one to have the cheek to contact Chic.

Where the heck is the unreleased Johnny Mathis/Chic album? I heard clips from an imminent re-issue about 3 years ago and it sounded gorgeous.

By: Steve Mannion

Steve Mannion — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:07:31 +0000

‘I am depressed to realise there are no real Chic #1s for us to discuss. I never cared for this at all’

altho they have been sampled on at least one #1 – small consolation?

By: Kat but logged out innit

Kat but logged out innit — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:23:36 +0000

#47 – he also did Budgie The Little Helicopter.

By: Martin Skidmore

Martin Skidmore — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:12:07 +0000

It’s worth mentioning how Sister Sledge became stars. When Chic first found success, Rodgers and Edwards apparently went to the record label boss and boasted they could make anyone into stars, and asked who their biggest flops were. The lowest sellers were Sister Sledge, which is how Chic got tied up with them.

I am depressed to realise there are no real Chic #1s for us to discuss. I never cared for this at all.

By: Steve Mannion

Steve Mannion — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:01:08 +0000

SPILLER composed ‘Juniper Jungle’?! arf

By: mike

mike — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:45:44 +0000

Bobby Ball also sang the theme tune to a kids’ TV show called Juniper Jungle. The tune was comped, arred and prodded by the composer of the UK’s best selling single of 2000 – of which more in due course. It all connects, if you look hard enough!

By: CarsmileSteve

CarsmileSteve — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:35:17 +0000

it was called “rock on, tommy” wasn’t it? i have vague very dim memories of it, but am in no way going to sully them by doing anything as sordid as a google…

or maybe i just can’t help myself…

http://www.comedykings.co.uk/index.php/music/rock-on-tommy-single

By: a tanned rested and unlogged lørd sükråt wötsît

a tanned rested and unlogged lørd sükråt wötsît — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:42:28 +0000

*strong urge to claim and defend “cannon and ball disco pastiche” as a radical artistic triumph of some kind*
*resists urge manfully*

By: Steve Mannion

Steve Mannion — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:33:37 +0000

There’s a Canon & Ball disco pastiche out there somewhere…not sure what it’s called and I’ve misplaced my mp3 since a friend sent it years ago but worth a hunt.

By: Steve Mannion

Steve Mannion — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:30:08 +0000

I keep defending Later/Jools at every turn! I tend to watch with no real expectations and usually really enjoy at least one performance, usually from an artist I hadn’t heard much if anything about before. As much as I couldn’t care less about the likes of Mika or Noah & The Whale I think it’s been doing its job well enough for years and years. Obviously you’re right that it shouldn’t prevent other music programming on the BBC, certainly not that which may provide a platform for artists that don’t fit Jools/producers ideas of who fits the Later bill tho it has been reasonably diverse.

By: MikeMCSG

MikeMCSG — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:27:33 +0000

I have great affection for Jools as early Squeeze were my favourite band for a time but he is over-indulged on that show.

By: wichita lineman

wichita lineman — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:10:51 +0000

Of course this would entail a “jam” between Guy Mitchell, Sister Sledge and Big Country. I can hear the bagpipe guitars applied to She Wears Red Feathers without straining too hard.

I wish Later with Jools Holland would go away. The idea that on its own it fulfils the music remit for license payers (along with festival coverage – pffft – and one song at the end of Jonathan Ross) is baffling. Maybe it could be C86-ised: Later with Trevor & Simon.

By: Pete Baran

Pete Baran — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:58:55 +0000

I think I would prefer Later….with Cannon & Ball over Jools now. Instead of boogie woogie piano over this weeks landfill indie, we could get Bobby Ball twanging his braces and singing “Rock On Tommy”. (I was trying to construct a complex Who joke here, but its not worth it really).

But then I am of the opinion that Later is the worst thing that happened to British music in the last twenty years so anything would be an improvement.

By: MichaelH

MichaelH — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:34:47 +0000

re: 38
Wow! at the idea of someone like William Shawcross appearing on a chat show now.
And wow! at Guy Mitchell, Big Country and Sister Sledge together on Cannon & Ball. That’s your proto Later With … line up right there.

By: Billy Smart

Billy Smart — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:00:31 +0000

Light entertainment watch: Most of Sister Sledge’s UK TV performances have been comebacks to promote various rereleases and remixes of their 4 peerless 1979 singles;

THE (NOEL EDMONDS) LATE LATE BREAKFAST SHOW: with Mike Smith (Reporter), Sister Sledge (1984)

CANNON AND BALL: with Guy Mitchell, Sister Sledge, Big Country (1984)

THE GIRLIE SHOW: with Clare Gorham, Sister Sledge (1996)

THE LITTLE AND LARGE SHOW: with Sister Sledge (1980)

THE O ZONE: with East 17, Jesus Jones, Sister Sledge (1993)

THE OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST: with Bob Harris, Sister Sledge, Detroit Spinners (1975)

WOGAN: with Marielle & Katia Labeque, Marilyn Luscombe, Esther Rantzen, William Shawcross, Sister Sledge, Pete Townsend (1985)

THE WORD: with Zsa Zsa Gabor, Russell Crauc, Sunscreem, Sister Sledge (1993)

By: mike

mike — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:59:23 +0000

“Frankie” also marked the end point of a curious Sister Sledge revival, that had begun with the success of “Thinking Of You”, just over 12 months earlier. “Thinking Of You” was a 1979 album track that hadn’t been released as a single before, and I presume its delayed success was something to do with the Essex soul mafia and the weekender circuit – perhaps Andy or Lee could confirm or deny? Anyhow, this led to remixed re-releases of “Lost In Music” – an under-performer from 1979 that fared much better in 1984 – and, less successfully, “We Are Family”. (Oh, and for what it’s worth: Weller’s protege Tracie Young used to open her live set with a cover of “Mama Never Told Me”.) So there must have been a general appetite for fresh Sledge product – which made the selection of a wholly unrepresentative track such as “Frankie” all the more baffling/brave/daft/whatever!

By: Billy Smart

Billy Smart — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:57:08 +0000

TOTPWatch: Sister Sledge twice performed ‘Frankie’ on Top Of The Pops;

13 June 1985. Also in the studio that week were; Scritti Politti, Billy Ocean and Marillion. Mike Read and the little-remembered Dixie Peach were the hosts.

27 June 1985. Also in the studio that week were; Paul Young, The Commentators and Marti Webb. Mike Smith and Peter Powell were the hosts.