“French Kissin'” – Single by Debbie Harry from the album Rockbird
B-side “Rockbird”
Released November 3, 1986
Songwriter Chuck Lorre
Producer Seth Justman
Charted No.44 in US; No.8 in UK; No.28 in West Germany; No.4 in Australia; No.8 in Ireland
In the United Kingdom, the song was released as the album’s lead single on November 3, 1986, and became Harry’s biggest chart hit, reaching number eight on the UK Singles Chart and becoming her only solo top-10 single there. In the United States, the song peaked at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It is a cover version of the 1985 song originally recorded by Carol Chapman, written by Chuck Lorre before he started creating sitcoms.
A music video (featuring several women including a few short sequences by actress Katey Sagal) was also made and subsequently played on music video channels. Besides the regular 7-inch and 12-inch formats, the single was also released as a limited-edition 12-inch picture disc in the UK.
Harry also recorded a French-language version of the track which was released as the B-side of other Rockbird singles and was also included on the 1988 Blondie/Debbie Harry remix compilation Once More into the Bleach.
In addition to a French version, Harry recorded three English versions of this song: The radio edit, which runs 4:09; the 7:25 dance mix; and the dub version that goes 8:02. The B-side of the single was “Rockbird,” written by Chris Stein.
“French Kissin'” is a playful song, on brand for Harry. The titular kiss was a big part of the American lexicon in the ’80s, meaning to kiss with tongues intertwined. The phrase “embrasser see’est Francais” that Harry repeats in the lyric is French for “French kissing.”
