| "Island Girl" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sleeve for UK single | ||||
| Single byElton John | ||||
| from the albumRock of the Westies | ||||
| B-side | "Sugar on the Floor" | |||
| Released | 29 September 1975 (1975-09-29) | |||
| Recorded | June–July 1975 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:42 | |||
| Label | MCA (US) DJM (UK) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Gus Dudgeon | |||
| Elton John singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Island Girl" onYouTube | ||||
"Island Girl" is a 1975 song by English musicianElton John. It was written by John and his songwriting collaboratorBernie Taupin and released as the first single from the albumRock of the Westies (1975). It reached number one for three weeks on theBillboard Hot 100 in the U.S. (John's final No. 1 single as a solo artist for 22 years),[2] selling over one million copies. It also reached the top five in Canada and New Zealand, as well as the top twenty in Australia and the UK.
John has not performed the song since 1990. While no official reason has been given, Andy Greene ofRolling Stone surmises it is due in part to controversial lyrics about a Jamaican prostitute inNew York City and a Jamaican man who wants to take her back toJamaica.[3]
The single's B-side was "Sugar on the Floor", written byKiki Dee, who would go on to duet with John on a number of occasions, most notably on their chart-topping 1976 single, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart".
The song entered theBillboard Hot 100 on 11 October 1975 at number 49, and reaching the top in four weeks.[4]
The week of 4 October 1975, the week before the "Island Girl" entered the charts, marked the first week in over two years in which Elton John did not have a single on theBillboard Hot 100.Billboard's "Inside Track" column reported it as follows: "This week is the first time since August 1973 that Elton John hasn't had a single on theBillboard Hot 100. IfRocket had shipped the upcoming 'Island Girl' a few days earlier, Elton would still be in the running to beatPat Boone's all-time record of just over four years on the charts."[5]
The song which "Island Girl" replaced at number one was "Bad Blood", byNeil Sedaka. Elton had provided uncredited backing and duetting vocals on this collaboration.[6]
Upon the single release,Record World said "Tropically splendid Elton and Bernie entering the RW charts at 42 this week...need we say more?"[7]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[18] | Gold | 75,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[19] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
"Island Girl," with its steel drums and its chunky beat, sounds a bit like a reggae song...
