Denise (song)

"Denise" is a song written by Neil Levenson that was inspired by his childhood friend, Denise Lefrak.[2] In 1963, it became a popular top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, when recorded by the American doo-wop group Randy & the Rainbows. A cover version by the American new wave group Blondie, re-titled "Denis", hit number 2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1978. Dutch actress and singer Georgina Verbaan covered "Denis" in 2002 and reached number 30 on the Dutch Singles Chart.

For other uses, see Denise (disambiguation).
"Denise"
One of side-A labels of the US vinyl release
Single by Randy & the Rainbows
B-side"Come Back"
Released1963
GenreDoo-wop[1]
Length1:57
Label
Songwriter(s)Neil Levenson
Producer(s)Bright Tunes Productions
Randy & the Rainbows singles chronology
"Denise"
(1963)		 "Why Do Kids Grow Up"
(1963)

Randy & the Rainbows version

The American doo-wop group Randy & the Rainbows recorded "Denise" with the producers of The Tokens, releasing it as a single in 1963.[3] The group's name "Randy & the Rainbows" was chosen by the owners of Laurie Records after the group recorded "Denise". Previously, the band had been called "Junior & the Counts" and "The Encores".[3] "Denise" spent seventeen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, settling at number 10,[4][5] while peaking at number 18 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart,[6] and number 5 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade.[7]

The song was ranked number 27 on Billboard's end of year ranking "Top Records of 1963"[8] and number 60 on Cash Box's "Top 100 Chart Hits of 1963".[9]

Track listings
  1. "Denise" (Levenson) – 1:57
  2. "Come Back" 2:17

Chart performance
Chart (1963) Peak
position
Canada (CHUM)[7] 5
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 10
US Billboard Hot R&B Singles[6] 18
US Cash Box Top 100[10] 13

Blondie version
"Denis"
Artwork for UK vinyl single
Single by Blondie
from the album Plastic Letters
B-side
  • "I'm on E" (US)
  • "Contact in Red Square" / "Kung-Fu Girls" (UK)
Released
  • February 1978 (UK)
  • May 1978 (US)
Recorded1977
Genre
Length2:18
LabelChrysalis
Songwriter(s)Neil Levenson
Producer(s)Richard Gottehrer
Blondie singles chronology
"Rip Her to Shreds"
(1976)		 "Denis"
(1978)		 "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear"
(1978)

"Denis" (using the masculine form of the name in French, with a silent "s") is a 1978 cover of the song by the American new wave band Blondie. This effort helped the band break into the international market. It was featured on the band's second studio album, Plastic Letters (1978),[13] and was the second UK single release by Blondie on Chrysalis Records. Cash Box said it has "recognizable thrashing guitar licks, kick drumming and Deborah [Harry's] bright vocals."[14] Record World said that "The effect is faithful to the original but more than slightly ironic as well."[15]

The initial Blondie version contained a verse with partly improvised lyrics in French by the group's vocalist Debbie Harry. The second, re-recorded version had its debut as a bonus track on EMI UK's 1994 re-issue of Plastic Letters.

"Denis" was released in February 1978 and scored a number 2 in the UK and broke into the Top 20 in most European countries, including number 1 in Netherlands. In the UK, the song was kept at number 2 for three weeks, first by Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights"[16][17] and then by Brian and Michael's "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs".[18] Just like "Rip Her to Shreds", the single was issued on both 7" and 12" formats in the UK, and both feature two B-sides, "Contact in Red Square" from Plastic Letters and "Kung-Fu Girls" from Blondie. "Denis" was the only single released in the US from Plastic Letters (with "I'm on E" as the B-side) though it never charted. In 1988, a remixed version of the track was issued as a single from the Blondie/Debbie Harry remix compilation Once More into the Bleach.[19] This time the single reached number 50 in the UK.[20]

Track listings
1978 Release
UK 7" and 12" (CHS 2204)
  1. "Denis" (Levenson) – 2:18
  2. "Contact in Red Square" (Destri) – 2:01
  3. "Kung-Fu Girls" (Destri, Harry, Valentine) – 2:33
US 7" (CHS 2220)
  1. "Denis" (Levenson) – 2:18
  2. "I'm on E" (Harry, Stein) – 2:13
1988 Release
UK 7" (CHS 3328)
  1. "Denis '88" – 5:26
  2. "Rapture" (The Teddy Riley Remix) – 7:02
UK 12" (CHS 12 3328)
  1. "Denis" (The Danny D Remix) – 5:26
  2. "Rapture" (The Teddy Riley Remix) – 7:02
  3. "Rapture" (The Teddy Riley Dub Version) – ?:??
UK CD (CHS CD 3328)
  1. "Denis '88" – 5:26
  2. "Rapture (The Teddy Riley Remix) – 7:02
  3. "Heart Of Glass" – 4:00
  4. "Atomic" – 3:32

Weekly charts

Georgina Verbaan version
"Denis"
Single by Georgina
from the album Sugar Spider
B-side"No More Lies"
Released2002
LabelJive
Songwriter(s)Neil Levenson
Georgina singles chronology
"This Christmas"
(2001)		 "Denis"
(2002)

In 2002, Dutch actress and singer Georgina Verbaan recorded a cover version of "Denis" for her debut studio album Sugar Spider. Her version of the song was issued on the Jive Records label as a single and it reached number 30 on the Dutch Singles Chart.

Track listings
  1. "Denis"
  2. "No More Lies"

Chart performance
Chart (2002) Peak
position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[36] 30
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[37] 30

See also

References
  1. Seida, Linda. "Randy & the Rainbows – Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  2. Tunzi, Kristina (February 2, 2008). "Mileposts" (PDF). Billboard. p. 60.
  3. Warner, Jay (2006). American Singing Groups: A History from 1940s to Today. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 433. ISBN 9780634099786. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  4. "Randy & the Rainbows Denise Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  5. "Randy & the Rainbows – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015.
  6. "Hot R&B Singles". Billboard. Vol. 75, no. 39. September 28, 1963. p. 20. ISSN 0006-2510.
  7. "CHART NUMBER 336 – Monday, August 19, 1963". CHUM. Archived from the original on November 7, 2006.
  8. "Hot 100 – 1963" (PDF). Billboard. December 28, 1963. p. 30. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  9. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1963". Cash Box. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012.
  10. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending AUGUST 24, 1963". Cash Box. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012.
  11. "The goddess still rocks". The Advocate. No. 780. Here. March 2, 1999. p. 57. ISSN 0001-8996.
  12. Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "A Shark in Jet's Clothing: America After Punk". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 506. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  13. Ruhlmann, William. "Blondie – Plastic Letters". AllMusic. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  14. "Singles Reviews > Feature Picks" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XXXIX, no. 46. April 1, 1978. p. 22. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  15. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. April 1, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  16. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  17. "Official Singles Chart Top 50: 26 March 1978 – 01 April 1978". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  18. "Official Singles Chart Top 50: 02 April 1978 – 08 April 1978". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  19. Henderson, Alex. "Debbie Harry – Once More into the Bleach". AllMusic. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  20. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  21. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. pp. 37–38. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  22. "Blondie – Denis" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  23. "Blondie – Denis" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  24. "UK, Eurochart, Billboard & Cashbox No.1 Hits". MusicSeek.info. Archived from the original on June 14, 2006.
  25. "Blondie – Denis" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  26. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Denis". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  27. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 11, 1978" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  28. "Blondie – Denis" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  29. "Blondie – Denis". Singles Top 100. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  30. "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received May 24, 2016". Retrieved May 25, 2016 – via Imgur.
  31. "Blondie – Denis". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  32. "Jaaroverzichten 1978" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  33. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1978" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  34. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1978" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  35. Scaping, Peter, ed. (1979). "Top 200 Singles in 1978". BPI Year Book 1979 (4th ed.). London, England: The British Phonographic Industry Ltd. pp. 186–89. ISBN 0-906154-02-2.
  36. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 46, 2002" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  37. "Georgina – Denis" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
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