I Want That Man
"I Want That Man" is a 1989 song recorded by the American singer Deborah Harry. The song was released as the lead single from her third solo album, Def, Dumb & Blonde and was the first record Harry released in which she reverted to using Deborah as her name instead of Debbie. It became a hit in several territories, reaching number two in Australia and on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The single also became a top-twenty hit in Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
"I Want That Man" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Deborah Harry | ||||
from the album Def, Dumb & Blonde | ||||
Released | September 25, 1989 | |||
Recorded | 1989 | |||
Genre | Pop rock, new wave, dance-rock | |||
Label | Sire Records (U.S.) Chrysalis Records (UK) | |||
Songwriter(s) | Alannah Currie and Tom Bailey | |||
Deborah Harry singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Audio sample | ||||
I Want That Man
| ||||
Deborah Harry singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
UK single sleeve. |
Song information
The track was written and produced by Thompson Twins members Alannah Currie and Tom Bailey. It became one of the most successful singles in Harry's solo career, peaking at number two in Australia, number seven in Ireland, number eight in New Zealand, number 13 in the United Kingdom, and number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in the United States. The video was directed by Mary Lambert.
The song commences with the lyric, "I want to dance with Harry Dean," a reference to the actor Harry Dean Stanton, about whom Currie and Harry "shared a long-standing fascination." [1] Harry and Currie subsequently met Stanton backstage after "both swooning like teenage girls" watching him sit in with Ry Cooder singing "Across the Borderline" and resulting in Harry and Stanton entering into a short-term relationship.[2]
A disco version of the song was used in the Australian film Strange Bedfellows. In late 1999, the song was included on the EMI compilation Most of All: The Best of Deborah Harry and also reissued as a remix single which charted on the Australian Singles Chart at number 86 in February 2000.
The B-side "Bike Boy" appeared as a bonus track on the CD and cassette editions of Def, Dumb & Blonde.
Track listing
All tracks (Tom Bailey/Alannah Currie) unless otherwise noted.
US 7" & Cassette
- "I Want That Man" (LP Version) - 3:41
- "Bike Boy" (Deborah Harry/Chris Stein) - 2:45
US 12"
- "I Want That Man" (12" Remix) - 6:26
- "I Want That Man" (Instrumental) - 6:54
- "Bike Boy" (Deborah Harry/Chris Stein) - 2:45
- "I Want That Man" (Remix / Edit) - 4:03
US CD
- "I Want That Man" (12" Remix) - 6:26
- "I Want That Man" (Remix / Edit) - 4:03
- "Bike Boy" (Deborah Harry/Chris Stein) - 2:45
- "I Want That Man" (Instrumental) - 6:54
UK 7", Poster Sleeve 7" & Cassette
- "I Want That Man" - 3:41
- "Bike Boy" (Deborah Harry/Chris Stein) - 2:45
UK 12", 12" Picture Disc & CD
- "I Want That Man" (12" Remix) - 6:26
- "I Want That Man" (7" Version) - 3:41
- "I Want That Man" (Instrumental) - 6:54
- "Bike Boy" (Deborah Harry/Chris Stein) - 2:45
Official versions
- "I Want That Man" (LP Version) / (7" Version) - 3:41
- "I Want That Man" (12" Remix) - 6:26
- "I Want That Man" (Instrumental) - 6:54
- "I Want That Man" (Remix / Edit) - 4:03
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[11] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
External links
References
- Bergman, Ronald (September 16, 2017). "Harry Dean Stanton obituary". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
- Harry, Debbie (2019). Face it. London: HarperCollinsPublishers. pp. 277–8. ISBN 9780008229429.
- "Australian-charts.com – Deborah Harry – I Want That Man". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- "Ultratop.be – Deborah Harry – I Want That Man" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 45. November 11, 1989. p. IV. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Want That Man". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- "Charts.nz – Deborah Harry – I Want That Man". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- "Debbie Harry: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
- "Deborah Harry Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- "1990 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved October 23, 2019.