"Bad Girls" is a song by American singer and songwriter Donna Summer from her 1979 seventh studio album of the same name. Casablanca Records released it as the album's second single on June 23, 1979. 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, Joe "Bean" Esposito and Edward "Eddie" Hokenson.
| "Bad Girls" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) French picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by Donna Summer | ||||
| from the album Bad Girls | ||||
| B-side | "On My Honor" | |||
| Released | June 23, 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Studio | Rusk Sound Studios (Los Angeles, California) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:55 | |||
| Label | Casablanca | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | ||||
| Donna Summer singles chronology | ||||
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"Bad Girls" was a massive success, peaking within the Top 10 of the charts in seven countries, including New Zealand and Spain. 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. It helped the Bad Girls album to reach multi-platinum status in the United States.
Background and recording
The inspiration for Summer to write "Bad Girls" came after one of her assistants was offended by a police officer who thought she was a 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. Summer refused and put it away for a couple of years.
Composition
"Toot toot, hey, beep beep", the chanted vocal hook in "Bad Girls" originates from the 1966 Latin boogaloo song "Bang Bang" by the Joe Cuba Sextet. The chant in "Bang Bang" was incorporated into "Bad Girls" after a gig Joe Cuba's sextet played for a black audience that wasn't particularly receptive to mambo or cha-cha-chá; the audience started chanting as the pianist in the group played a riff.
A 12-inch version of "Bad Girls" was released as a medley with "Hot Stuff". Although "Hot Stuff" was extended for the release, "Bad Girls" remained in the original full-length album version. A demo version of "Bad Girls" was released on the deluxe edition of the Bad Girls album.
Critical reception
Billboard magazine called "Bad Girls" a "brassy disco track, which features party sounding production embellishments like hems and whistles." Record World magazine said that Summer's "sultry reading is perfect for the threatening street theme."
Awards and nominations
"Bad Girls" was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Single, and won for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist, at the American Music Awards of 1980. Summer was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording at the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards.
Charts
Year-end charts
| Chart (1979) | Rank position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders) | 37 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 10 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) | 58 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) | 16 |
All-time charts
| Chart (1958—2018) | Rank position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 212 |
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada) | Platinum | 150,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Silver | 250,000^ |
| United States (RIAA) | Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References