"Bad Girls"
Artwork for French release
Single by Donna Summer
from the album Bad Girls
B-side"On My Honor"
ReleasedJune 23, 1979 (1979-06-23)
Recorded1979
StudioRusk Sound Studios (Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length4:55
LabelCasablanca
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Donna Summer singles chronology
"Hot Stuff"
(1979) 		"Bad Girls"
(1979) 		"Dim All the Lights"
(1979)

"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" 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.[3] 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.[4]

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."[5] Record World magazine said that Summer's "sultry reading is perfect for the threatening street theme."[6]

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.[7]

Charts

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[35] Platinum 150,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Silver 250,000^
United States (RIAA)[37] Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ 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. Bad Girls added rock to Summer's dance-oriented palette via the title track...
  2. ^ Breihan, Tom (February 12, 2020). "The Number Ones: Donna Summer's "Bad Girls"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 11, 2023. ...it's a big, funky stomper with riotous horn blasts and whistle-blasts and squelchy guitars.
  3. ^ Summer, Donna; Marc Eliot (2003). Ordinary Girl: The Journey. New York: Villard. p. 172. ISBN 1400060311.
  4. ^ Ducks, David (16 Feb 2010). "Joe Cuba Sextet "Bang Bang"". Exclaim.
  5. ^ "Top Single Picks". Billboard. May 26, 1979. p. 87. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  6. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. May 26, 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  7. ^ "Donna Summer". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  8. ^ Danyel Smith, ed. (1979). "Billboard 8 september 1979". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  9. ^ "Donna Summer – Bad Girls" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  10. ^ "Donna Summer – Bad Girls" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  11. ^ Nanda Lwin (1999). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4497a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 4488." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Bad Girls". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  16. ^ Racca, Guido (2019). M&D Borsa Singoli 1960–2019 (in Italian). Independently Published. ISBN 9781093264906.
  17. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Donna Summer" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  18. ^ "Donna Summer – Bad Girls" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  19. ^ "Donna Summer – Bad Girls". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  20. ^ "Donna Summer – Bad Girls". VG-lista. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  21. ^ a b Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  22. ^ "Donna Summer – Bad Girls". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Donna Summer – Bad Girls". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  24. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  25. ^ "Donna Summer Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  26. ^ "Donna Summer Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  27. ^ "Donna Summer Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  28. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Donna Summer – Bad Girls" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  29. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1979". Ultratop. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  30. ^ "1979 Top 200 Singles". RPM. Vol. 32, no. 13. Library and Archives Canada. December 22, 1979. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  31. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1979". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  32. ^ "1979 Talent in Action – Year End Charts : Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 51. December 22, 1979. p. TIA-10.
  33. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1979". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  34. ^ "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  35. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Donna Summer – Bad Girls". Music Canada.
  36. ^ "British single certifications – Donna Summer – Bad Girls". British Phonographic Industry.
  37. ^ "American single certifications – Donna Summer – Bad Girls". Recording Industry Association of America.


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