"Girlfriend"
Single by Pebbles
from the album Pebbles
B-side"Girlfriend" (instrumental)
ReleasedOctober 26, 1987
Length
  • 6:43 (album version)
  • 4:16 (single version)
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • L.A. Reid
  • Babyface
Pebbles singles chronology
"Love/Hate"
(1987)		 "Girlfriend"
(1987)		 "Mercedes Boy"
(1988)

"Girlfriend" is a song by American singer Pebbles from her 1987 self-titled debut studio album. Written and produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, "Girlfriend" was released as the album's lead single on October 26, 1987, by record label MCA. The song charted in several countries, peaking at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the top 10 in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Background

The song was originally intended for Vanessa Williams' debut album The Right Stuff.[1] According to L.A. Reid, Williams' record label Wing showed interest in Williams' recording "Girlfriend", which Reid played for her alone in his apartment. However, Pebbles heard the song and offered Reid more money and two cars for the chance to record it.[2] As a result, the production team were not asked to work on more songs on Williams' debut. Reid said due to that incident, Williams never spoke to him again.[3]

Chart performance

"Girlfriend" became Pebbles' first top-five hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and her first number one song on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[4] The single also peaked at number eight in the United Kingdom and at number nine in Ireland, becoming Pebbles' only top-10 hit in both countries, reached the top 20 in Switzerland, Canada, and West Germany, and was a Top 40 hit in New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Awards and accolades

"Girlfriend" earned Pebbles her first nomination for the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 1989 Grammy Awards, losing to "Giving You the Best That I Got" by Anita Baker.[5]

Track listings

Charts

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States October 26, 1987
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
 MCA
United Kingdom March 7, 1988 [30]
March 14, 1988 12-inch remix vinyl [31]
April 4, 1988 CD [32]

Covers

Caramel version

"Girlfriend"
Single by Caramel
Released1999
GenreUK garage
Length4:06
LabelBrothers
Songwriter(s)Kenneth Edmonds, Antonio Reid
Producer(s)Andy Lee, Pete Lee

UK garage duo Caramel released their version as a single in 1999, featuring Paule van Wijngaarden on vocals. It reached No. 9 on the UK Dance Singles Chart.

Track listing

UK CD single

  1. "Girlfriend" (Radio Mix) - 4:06
  2. "Voodoo Man" (Radio Mix) - 3:35
  3. "Girlfriend" (Master Mix) - 6:57
Charts
Chart (1999) Peak
position
UK Dance (OCC)[33] 9

Other versions

  • British band the Beautiful South also covered the song for their 1989 debut album Welcome to the Beautiful South.
  • Japanese singer Takako Ohta released her version from the 1989 album Thanks, sung in Japanese and English.
  • Girl group Rísquée recorded a version for their only album Risquing It All in 1999.
  • British singer Sinitta covered the song in 2016.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Harris, Mark. "Vanessa Williams talks about her success". ew.com. Time Inc. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  2. ↑ Hunt, Dennis. "Pebbles Is Leaving No Stone Unturned". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  3. ↑ Portwood, Jerry (February 10, 2016). "10 Things We Learned From L.A. Reid's Juicy Tell-All". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 454.
  5. ↑ "Pebbles". November 23, 2020.
  6. ↑ Girlfriend (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Pebbles. MCA Records. 1987. MCA-53185.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ↑ Girlfriend (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Pebbles. MCA Records. 1987. 10SW-31.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ↑ Girlfriend (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Pebbles. MCA Records. 1987. MCA-23794.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ↑ Girlfriend (European 12-inch single vinyl disc). Pebbles. MCA Records. 1987. 258 083-0.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ↑ Girlfriend (Australian 12-inch single vinyl disc). Pebbles. MCA Records. 1987. 0-23794.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ↑ Girlfriend (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Pebbles. MCA Records. 1987. MCAT 1233.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ Girlfriend (UK 12-inch remix single vinyl disc). Pebbles. MCA Records. 1987. MCAX 1233.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ↑ Girlfriend (UK CD single liner notes). Pebbles. MCA Records. 1987. DMCA 1233.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  15. ↑ "Pebbles – Girlfriend" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8939." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 5, no. 18. April 30, 1988. p. 23.
  18. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Girlfriend". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 9, 1988" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Pebbles – Girlfriend" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Pebbles – Girlfriend". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Pebbles – Girlfriend". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. April 23, 1988. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. March 19, 1988. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Dance Club Songs". Billboard. March 19, 1988. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. February 20, 1988. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Pebbles – Girlfriend" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 1988". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  30. ↑ "New Singles". Music Week. March 5, 1988. p. 11.
  31. ↑ "New Singles". Music Week. March 12, 1988. p. 39.
  32. ↑ "New Singles". Music Week. April 2, 1988. p. 27.
  33. ↑ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
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