Whirly Girl

"Whirly Girl" is a US top 40 pop song[4][5] performed by American dance-rock band OXO. The new wave style[6] song was written and co-produced by singer/guitarist Ish "Angel" Ledesma (former singer and guitarist of Foxy) and included on OXO's 1983 self-titled debut album. The song was about Ish's wife Lori and was originally titled "Worldly Girl", "but adding that 'd' to the mix made the chorus too chunky and difficult to sing. So they abbreviated it to 'Whirly Girl' and pop music history was made with the only song to ever use the phrase 'Whirly Girl'."[7] It was the band's sole hit, peaking at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983.[4][5] The song has since been re-released on a number of 1980s music compilations.[8] It also reached #24 in Canada.[9]

"Whirly Girl"
Single by OXO
from the album OXO
B-side"In the Stars"
ReleasedFebruary 1983
GenrePop rock
Length2:56[1]
LabelGeffen Records[2]
Songwriter(s)Ish "Angel" Ledesma[3]
Producer(s)Ish "Angel" Ledesma, Ken Mansfield[3]
Music video
"Whirly Girl" on YouTube

According to Ken Mansfield and Marshall Terrill, OXO "debut record on Geffen Records was a Top 30 hit called 'Whirly Girl' that died a painful death. The moment the record charted, the group began breaking up. Politics and power struggles erupted between management and Geffen".[10] Following the breakup of OXO, in 1986 Ledesma formed the dance-pop group Company B, at first a trio with his wife among the members, which also had a sole Billboard Hot 100 hit (1987's "Fascinated")[11] penned by Ledesma.[12]

In 2015, G.J. Echternkamp, stepson of Frank Garcia (bassist of OXO), directed the semi-documentary Frank and Cindy, which includes a rearranged version of the song and some excerpts from its video clip.[13]

Chart history
Chart (1983) Peak
position
Canada RPM Top Singles[9] 24
US Radio and Records Contemporary Hit Radio[14] 14
US Billboard Hot 100[15] 28
US Cash Box Top 100[16] 29

References
  1. "Oxo | Whirly Girl". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2000). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (7th ed.). Billboard Books. p. 477. ISBN 0-8230-7690-3.
  3. Oxo album credits, Geffen Records, 1983.
  4. "Oxo | Chart History. Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Eldridge Industries. April 23, 1983. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  5. "Oxo | Awards. Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  6. "Whirly Girl | Styles". AllMusic. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  7. Waterman, Michael (October 9, 2010). "Whirly Girl - OXO". toponehitwonders.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  8. Demalon, Tom. "Oxo | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
  9. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. May 7, 1983. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  10. Mansfield, Ken; Terrill, Marshall (2015). Rock and a Heart Place. A Rock 'n' Roller-coaster Ride from Rebellion to Sweet Salvation. BroadStreet Publishing Group LLC. p. 147. ISBN 978-1-4245-5020-3.
  11. "Company B | Chart History. Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Eldridge Industries. June 13, 1987. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  12. Demalon, Tom. "Company B | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
  13. Harvey, Dennis (February 24, 2016). "Film Review: 'Frank and Cindy'". Variety. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  14. "Radio & Records" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. April 15, 1983. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  15. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  16. "Cash Box Top 100 4/30/83". Tropicalglen.com. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
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