Frankie (Sister Sledge song)

"Frankie" is a song by American vocal group Sister Sledge, released as a single in 1985. It is taken from their eighth studio album, When the Boys Meet the Girls (1985).

"Frankie"
Single by Sister Sledge
from the album When the Boys Meet the Girls
B-side	"Hold Out Poppy"
Released	May 1985
Genre	Pop, R&B
Label	Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Denise Rich[1][2]
Producer(s)	Nile Rodgers
Sister Sledge singles chronology
"We Are Family (Bernard Edwards Remix)" (1984) "Frankie" (1985) "Dancing on the Jagged Edge" (1985)

Overview

The song was written by Denise Rich (under the pseudonym "Joy Denny") after dreaming while on a flight from the United States to Switzerland.^[2] According to the Now 5 album (on which the song appears), the song was written about Frank Sinatra.

The song was produced by Chic's Nile Rodgers, who had co-produced the sisters' earlier hits such as "He's the Greatest Dancer" and "We Are Family". The sisters suggested the song to him, but he hated it on first hearing. A week later, he went back to them saying he could not stop singing it, and so he insisted that the band recorded it.^[3]

A marked contrast to the disco cuts which had made them internationally famous in the late 1970s, this girl-pop number became a hit in the UK Singles Chart, spending four weeks at number one in June and July 1985.^[4] It fared much less well in the US where it peaked at number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 32 R&B^[5] and No. 15 Adult Contemporary.^[6]

"Frankie" was fifth best selling single of 1985 with 698,000 sold copies in the United Kingdom.^[7]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1985) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 10 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[9] 27 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 4 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[11] 15 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[12] 8 Ireland (IRMA)[13] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 9 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 10 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 3 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17] 14 UK Singles (OCC)[18] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[19] 75 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[20] 15 US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)[21] 32 West Germany (GfK)[22] 13

Year-end charts Chart (1985) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)[23] 81 Belgium (Ultratop)[24] 36 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[25] 62 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[26] 59

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[27]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.