29 June 1985
We can take our guidance on ‘Frankie’ from its producer, long-time Sister Sledge svengali Nile Rodgers. Apparently he hated the song at first, then a week later found he couldn’t stop singing it.
The writer of ‘Frankie’ proved to have more turbulent instincts. Denise Rich, who also wrote songs for Diana Ross and Celine Dion, was at one time the wife of Marc Rich, a disgraced American financier who was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List and who fled the US to avoid arrest. He was alleged, inter alia, to have traded with Iran in defiance of embargoes, avoided tax, and spied for Mossad. Madame Rich was a generous donor to the US Democratic Party; on Bill Clinton’s last day in office he issued a controversial presidential pardon to Marc Rich, and critics were not slow to speculate on a connection. At a subsequent congressional hearing, Denise Rich pleaded the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution to avoid answering questions that could incriminate her, though it’s unclear if those questions included “Did you write ‘Frankie’?”
‘Frankie’ was a number one smash in the UK and Ireland. However, unlike Mr Rich it didn’t crack the US top ten; it barely scraped into the US Billboard charts at all. Maybe the change in style—a ’60s girl-group throwback rather than the smart disco sound of the Sledges’ classic ’70s hits—confused long-time Sister Sledge audiences or (more likely) radio programmers.
I must admit, I like it. Yes, it’s twee and corny, but it’s also sweet, catchy, charming, and essentially a pleasant bit of radio-friendly pop. The video, though, is truly dreadful. Can we pin this on the Riches too?
