Legal Tender (song)
"Legal Tender" is the first single released by the B-52's from their third studio album Whammy! (1983).
| "Legal Tender" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the B-52's | ||||
| from the album Whammy! | ||||
| B-side | "Moon 83" | |||
| Released | 1983 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Studio | Compass Point (Nassau) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:40 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Robert Waldrop | |||
| Producer(s) | Steven Stanley | |||
| The B-52's singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Legal Tender" on YouTube | ||||
Description
The lyrics of "Legal Tender" tell a story about counterfeiting American dollars by outfitting a basement with "heavy equipment" and learning to print bills because of rising prices. A companion music video was produced featuring Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson in wigs of many shapes and colors.
"Legal Tender" is an upbeat synthesizer-based track with a drum machine and hand-clap rhythm. The lead vocals are shared by Pierson and Wilson. The song appears as the opening track on the band's third studio album Whammy!, signifying that the band had altered their sound quite significantly for the album.
"Legal Tender" was performed live during the Whammy! tour, with Keith Strickland on synthesizer and with horn parts added.
Chart performance
The single was the band's third Billboard Hot 100 chart entry, peaking at #81. The song also reached #9 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart, along with album tracks "Whammy Kiss" and "Song for a Future Generation."
The song was an airplay and club hit in Brazil in 1984, and was performed during the band's set at the 1985 Rock in Rio music festival. When the band toured Brazil in 2009 and omitted the song from their live set, fans chanted for them to play it.[3] Because of the song's popularity in Brazil, it appeared on the Brazilian version of Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation, on which it replaced "52 Girls." It was also included on the Nude on the Moon compilation some years later.
Chart positions
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[4] | 81 |
| U.S.Cash Box Top 100 | 81 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[5] | 9 |
References
- Molanphy, Chris (June 29, 2018). "The Deadbeat Club Edition, Part 1". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
- Sheffield, Rob (February 24, 2023). "The 100 Best Songs of 1983, the Year Pop Went Crazy". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
Pierson and Wilson sing about counterfeiting cash in the basement, using it as a feminist metaphor for outsmarting the patriarchy. (New Wave girls love to sing about stealing.)
- "B-52s - Shiny Happy People", SameSame, Interview with Kate Pierson, by Christian Taylor. July 27, 2009 Archived July 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 79.
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 34.
External links
- Legal Tender at Discogs (list of releases)