| "Sidewalk Talk" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byJellybean | ||||
| from the album Wotupski!?! | ||||
| B-side | "The Mexican" | |||
| Released | October 21, 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Genre | Synth-pop | |||
| Length | 3:57 (single) 6:06 (album version) | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Songwriter | Madonna | |||
| Producer | John "Jellybean" Benitez | |||
| Jellybean singles chronology | ||||
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"Sidewalk Talk" is a song by American record producerJohn "Jellybean" Benitez from his firstextended play,Wotupski!?! (1984). It was released on October 21, 1984, byEMI Records as the first single from the EP. The song was written byMadonna and produced by Benitez. They had initially met in 1983 and Benitez worked as a producer on Madonna'sself-titled debut album. When he started work on his debut EP,Wotupski!?!, Madonna wrote "Sidewalk Talk" for him. The song featuresbass andelectric guitars,synthesizers,piano, anddrums. Lead vocals are by Catherine Buchanan with additional chorus vocals by Madonna.
"Sidewalk Talk" received mixed reviews from critics, with David Nick Ybarra questioning Buchanan'scredit as lead vocalist, instead of the better-known Madonna. The song was released initially in 12-inch promotional format to club DJs, and reached the top of theBillboardHot Dance Club Songs chart. It was later released commercially in 7-inch and 12-inch formats, and charted on theBillboard Hot 100. The song also had minor chart placements in the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
In 1983, Madonna metJohn "Jellybean" Benitez, who worked as a DJ at the Funhouse club in lowerManhattan. Soon, they started dating and working on herself-titled debut album.[1][2] When Benitez started work on his debut EP,Wotupski!?!, he asked Madonna to write a song for him.[3] Within two days Madonna wrote "Sidewalk Talk", whose idea she had initially thought of using on her debut album.[4] According to Benitez,Wotupski!?! was aconcept album: "It's a street slang in the Bronx. It means 'what's up, what's new?'"[5] The artist credit of the song was simply Jellybean, with lead vocals credited to Catherine Buchanan. Madonna provided background vocals for the track with Audrey Wheeler and Cindy Mizelle. Benitezproduced the track as well asarranging andmixing it. Michael Hutchinson assisted onengineering,recording, and mixing. ProducerStephen Bray also arranged "Sidewalk Talk" with Benitez. Instrumentation featured in the track includedbass guitar byMarcus Miller,synthesizer byBoyd Jarvis,Fred Zarr, and Bray,electric guitar by Ira Siegel,percussion byBashiri Johnson and Trevor Gale, anddrum programming by Benitez and Bray.[6]
"Sidewalk Talk" was first released as a 12-inch promotional single to US DJs and clubs on October 21, 1984.[7] Rikky Rooksby, author ofThe Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, said that thesynthpop song "sounded like it was a leftover from [Madonna's] debut album" because of its sonic similarity.[8] Chuck Eddy, author ofThe Accidental Evolution of Rock'n'roll: A Misguided Tour Through Popular Music, compared the track to the sound of Americannew wave band,Tom Tom Club.[9]Billboard magazine's dance music reviewer Brian Chin said that the song "touched base" with theTop-40 mainstream radio audience.[10] For author Ira Robins, "Sidewalk Talk" was the "best track" on the EP, because of its "lucidness".[11]
In 2011, the EP was re-released by Gold Legion Records, and four remixes of "Sidewalk Talk" were included. The CD booklet consisted of an essay by David Nick Ybarra, editor and founder ofDaeida magazine. In the essay, Ybarra noted that "Sidewalk Talk" was never promoted in the press kits forWotupski!?! Instead another song, "The Mexican", was noted on the album cover's hype sticker. Nevertheless, Ybarra said that it was the inclusion of "Sidewalk Talk" which became the most critical aspect of the public's interest in the release.[12] In September 2014,Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 71 on their list of the "100 Best Singles of 1984".Maura Johnston from the magazine noted that the song was similar in composition to other production work of Benitez, like Madonna's "Holiday" (1983), and described it as distilling "the essence of New York—full of fast-moving possibility and flash, but to be handled with caution in order to be survived."[13]
Regarding the song's credits, Ybarra also found it mysterious that a relatively unknown singer like Buchanan received lead vocal billing, while Madonna was relegated to backing vocalist. Wheeler, one of the backing vocalists, confirmed to Ybarra that she did not remember Buchanan being present in the recording studio. Ybarra theorized that Benitez might have intended "Sidewalk Talk" for Madonna's first album, but since it was not included, he replaced Madonna's vocals on the track with Buchanan since she was unknown. Thereby Benitez could use the track for his EP and it would not be mistaken as a vehicle for another artist other than Jellybean.[12] In 1986,Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song fortheir TV series episode "Chipmunk Vice".[14] "Sidewalk Talk" appeared in the 1999 filmFlawless and on its soundtrack album.[15]
"Sidewalk Talk" debuted at number 48 on theBillboardHot Dance Club Songs chart for the issue dated December 22, 1984.[16] After five weeks, it reached the top of the chart, replacingNuance's song, "Loveride".[17] In an article published inBillboard, Chin noted that "Sidewalk Talk" was an unusual song to reach the top of the dance chart, since it was not released till then in commercially available 7-inch or 12-inch forms. The song was only serviced in remix form to the clubs. Chin added that the song's "emergence without a hard copy, so to speak, is highly uncharacteristic of a market, in which the 'commercial twelve' is a given for a long-show pop record." The song harkened back to the time when remix forms were not available except for club promotions.[18] "Sidewalk Talk" ranked at number 20 on the year end tabulation of the Top Dance Club Songs for 1985.[19] The song was released in 7-inch and 12-inch formats after eight months and entered theBillboard Hot 100 chart at number 80 on the issue dated November 16, 1985.[20] After twelve weeks, it reached a peak of number 18 on the chart.[21] Its final appearance on the chart was on the week ending March 15, 1986.[22] On theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, "Sidewalk Talk" reached a peak of number 51, and was present for a total of nine weeks.[23]
"Sidewalk Talk" also charted in the United Kingdom, where it was credited as "Jellybean featuring Catherine Buchanan". It reached a peak of number 47 on theUK Singles Chart on the issue dated February 1, 1986, and was present for a total of four weeks.[24] On the NetherlandsSingle Top 100, it reached a peak of No. 31, while it did not chart on theTop 40 comprehensive chart (it only made the promotional Tip Parade).[25][26] "Sidewalk Talk" also peaked at number 34 on theOfficial New Zealand Music Chart.[27]
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Credits and personnel adapted from US 12-inch single liner notes.[6]
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