French Kiss (Bob Welch album)
French Kiss is the solo debut by former Fleetwood Mac singer/guitarist Bob Welch. The songs, with the exception of "Sentimental Lady", were intended for a projected third album by Welch's previous band, Paris. However, the group fell apart in 1977 before recording could begin. So instead, Welch used these songs for his debut solo album.
| French Kiss | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 September 1977 | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Studio | Sunset Sound, Village Recorders, Cherokee Studios and Producer's Workshop, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Rock, power pop, disco | |||
| Length | 35:45 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer | Carter (except track 1, which was produced by Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie) | |||
| Bob Welch chronology | ||||
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| Singles from French Kiss | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+[2] |
For the most part, French Kiss presents a mix of hard rock guitar, disco-ish rhythms and sweeping strings. The big hits were "Ebony Eyes" (with backing vocals by Juice Newton), which peaked at number 14 in the US; and a revised version of "Sentimental Lady", a song that Welch had originally recorded with Fleetwood Mac in 1972 for the album Bare Trees, which peaked at number 8. "Hot Love, Cold World" also became a minor hit, which peaked at number 31.[3]
The album itself peaked at number 12 in the US and later went platinum. It is Welch's best-selling album.
Track listing
All songs written by Bob Welch, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sentimental Lady" | 2:52 | |
| 2. | "Easy to Fall" | 3:31 | |
| 3. | "Hot Love, Cold World" | Bob Welch, John Henning | 3:39 |
| 4. | "Mystery Train" | 3:07 | |
| 5. | "Lose My Heart" | 1:55 | |
| 6. | "Outskirts" | Bob Welch, John Carter | 3:19 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ebony Eyes" (backing vocals by Juice Newton) | 3:33 |
| 2. | "Lose Your..." | 0:45 |
| 3. | "Carolene" | 3:13 |
| 4. | "Dancin' Eyes" | 3:20 |
| 5. | "Danchiva" | 3:51 |
| 6. | "Lose Your Heart" | 3:16 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Bob Welch – vocals, guitar, bass guitar
- Alvin Taylor – drums (except "Sentimental Lady")
- Mick Fleetwood – drums on "Sentimental Lady"
- Christine McVie – background vocals on "Sentimental Lady", "Easy To Fall" and "Lose Your Heart"
- Lindsey Buckingham – guitar and background vocals on "Sentimental Lady"
- Gene Page – string arrangements
- Juice Newton – background vocals on "Ebony Eyes"
Technical
- John Carter – producer, all tracks except "Sentimental Lady"
- Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie – producer, "Sentimental Lady"
- Warren Dewy – engineer, all tracks except "Sentimental Lady"
- Richard Dashut, Ken Caillat – engineers, "Sentimental Lady"
- Art Sims – design
- Daniel Catherine – photography
- Olivier Ferrand – photography
Charts
| Chart (1977–78) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 8 |
| US Billboard 200[5] | 12 |
| Canadian RPM Albums Chart[6] | 13 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[7] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- French Kiss at AllMusic
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: W". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 22, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- "Billboard Hot 100 - Bob Welch". Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 335. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- https://www.billboard.com/music/bob-welch/chart-history/billboard-200/song/315780%7C Retrieved 11 February 2018
- http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5472a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5472a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5472a%7C Retrieved 5 May 2018
- "American album certifications – Bob Welch – French Kiss". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 11 February 2018. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
