Baby Talks Dirty
Encyclopedia
"Baby Talks Dirty" is a 1980 Top 40 single written by Doug Fieger
and Berton Averre
from The Knack
's second album, ...But the Little Girls Understand
. Like the album it was taken from, "Baby Talks Dirty" fell short of the success of its predecessors. Whereas The Knack's first single, "My Sharona
" reached #1 in the U.S., and its follow-up from their debut album Get the Knack
, "Good Girls Don't
" reached #11, "Baby Talks Dirty" only reached #38, spending just 2 weeks in the Top 40. The song also reached #40 in New Zealand.
Part of the song's lack of success has been attributed to its similarity to "My Sharona
". The 1983 edition of The New Rolling Stone Record Guide referred to the song as a "'Sharona carbon copy." Allmusic's Chris Woodstra noted that the entire ...But the Little Girls Understand album is a "rewrite" of the band's first album, stating that this is "especially evident on the lead-off single 'Baby Talks Dirty.'" "Baby Talks Dirty" was also given by critics as a prime example of the group's misogyny
, where the girl in the song wants the singer to hurt her and "loves a real neat beating." In his review of ...But the Little Girls Understand, Rolling Stone Magazine critic Dave Marsh
referred to the protagonist as "a foul-mouthed windup doll."
Another factor in the song's, and its album's, lack of chart success was its timing, being released a mere eight months after "My Sharona" and Get The Knack. This made the similarity between "My Sharona" and "Baby Talks Dirty" more jarring. Theodore Cateforis notes that "In this context, 'Baby Talks Dirty,' with its syncopated, bouncing octave eighth-note hook cut from the same mold as 'My Sharona,' sounded most of all as if the band had plagiarized itself." Fieger has stated that "We got a lot of criticism for 'Baby Talks Dirty.' Had that song come out on our fifth album, I think people would have said 'oh, they've gone back to their roots. They take the 'My Sharona' riff to another place.' But as it was, people were gunning for us."
Fieger has acknowledged that, like many songs on The Knack's first two albums, "Baby Talks Dirty" was written about the same Sharona Alperin who inspired "My Sharona".
The Knack's follow up single to "Baby Talks Dirty" was "Can't Put a Price on Love
," also from ...But the Little Girls Understand. That song peaked lower on the Billboard charts
than "Baby Talks Dirty," peaking at #62. Subsequent to its appearance on ...But the Little Girls Understand, "Baby Talks Dirty" was released on a number of Knack compilation albums, including The Retrospective: The Best of the Knack (1992), Very Best of The Knack (1998) and Best of The Knack (1999). It also appeared on the 2002 live album and DVD Live From the Rock 'N' Roll Funhouse and the 2007 live DVD On Stage at World Cafe Live. It also appeared on the multiartist compilation album Rock of the 80's Vol. 5.
Doug Fieger
Douglas Lars "Doug" Fieger was an American singer-songwriter-musician. He was the lead singer of the power pop band The Knack, and co-wrote "My Sharona", the biggest hit song of 1979 in the USA, with lead guitarist, Berton Averre.-Life and career:Fieger's father was Jewish, and his mother of...
and Berton Averre
Berton Averre
Berton Averre is the guitarist with the Los Angeles rock band The Knack. They had a #6 UK/#1 US hit with "My Sharona", which sold 10 million copies in the US...
from The Knack
The Knack
The Knack was an American New Wave rock quartet based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international number one hit in 1979.-Founding :...
's second album, ...But the Little Girls Understand
...But the Little Girls Understand
...But the Little Girls Understand is an album by power pop/new wave group The Knack released by Capitol Records in February 1980. The album reached the number 15 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart in 1980. The singles "Baby Talks Dirty" and "Can't Put a Price on Love" both charted on the...
. Like the album it was taken from, "Baby Talks Dirty" fell short of the success of its predecessors. Whereas The Knack's first single, "My Sharona
My Sharona
"My Sharona" is the debut single by The Knack, released in 1979 from their album Get the Knack. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it remained for six weeks and was #1 on Billboards Top Pop Singles of 1979 year-end chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry...
" reached #1 in the U.S., and its follow-up from their debut album Get the Knack
Get the Knack
Get Knack is the debut album by The Knack, released in June 1979. The album was the fasting-selling debut album on Capitol Records since Meet the Beatles in 1964. It went platinum in just two months and spent five weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
, "Good Girls Don't
Good Girls Don't (song)
"Good Girls Don't" is a 1979 hit single written by Doug Fieger and released by the rock band The Knack, off their album Get the Knack. It was the follow-up to the group's No. 1 single, "My Sharona." It reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #66 on the British charts. It also reached #20...
" reached #11, "Baby Talks Dirty" only reached #38, spending just 2 weeks in the Top 40. The song also reached #40 in New Zealand.
Part of the song's lack of success has been attributed to its similarity to "My Sharona
My Sharona
"My Sharona" is the debut single by The Knack, released in 1979 from their album Get the Knack. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart where it remained for six weeks and was #1 on Billboards Top Pop Singles of 1979 year-end chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry...
". The 1983 edition of The New Rolling Stone Record Guide referred to the song as a "'Sharona carbon copy." Allmusic's Chris Woodstra noted that the entire ...But the Little Girls Understand album is a "rewrite" of the band's first album, stating that this is "especially evident on the lead-off single 'Baby Talks Dirty.'" "Baby Talks Dirty" was also given by critics as a prime example of the group's misogyny
Misogyny
Misogyny is the hatred or dislike of women or girls. Philogyny, meaning fondness, love or admiration towards women, is the antonym of misogyny. The term misandry is the term for men that is parallel to misogyny...
, where the girl in the song wants the singer to hurt her and "loves a real neat beating." In his review of ...But the Little Girls Understand, Rolling Stone Magazine critic Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh is an American music critic, author, editor and radio talk show host. He was a formative editor of Creem magazine, has written for various publications such as Newsday, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone, and has published numerous books about music and musicians, mostly focused on...
referred to the protagonist as "a foul-mouthed windup doll."
Another factor in the song's, and its album's, lack of chart success was its timing, being released a mere eight months after "My Sharona" and Get The Knack. This made the similarity between "My Sharona" and "Baby Talks Dirty" more jarring. Theodore Cateforis notes that "In this context, 'Baby Talks Dirty,' with its syncopated, bouncing octave eighth-note hook cut from the same mold as 'My Sharona,' sounded most of all as if the band had plagiarized itself." Fieger has stated that "We got a lot of criticism for 'Baby Talks Dirty.' Had that song come out on our fifth album, I think people would have said 'oh, they've gone back to their roots. They take the 'My Sharona' riff to another place.' But as it was, people were gunning for us."
Fieger has acknowledged that, like many songs on The Knack's first two albums, "Baby Talks Dirty" was written about the same Sharona Alperin who inspired "My Sharona".
The Knack's follow up single to "Baby Talks Dirty" was "Can't Put a Price on Love
Can't Put a Price on Love
"Can't Put a Price on Love" is a 1980 song written by Doug Fieger and originally released by The Knack on the group's second album, ...But the Little Girls Understand. It was the second song released from that album that was released as a single, reaching #62 on the Billboard Hot 100, falling...
," also from ...But the Little Girls Understand. That song peaked lower on the Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
than "Baby Talks Dirty," peaking at #62. Subsequent to its appearance on ...But the Little Girls Understand, "Baby Talks Dirty" was released on a number of Knack compilation albums, including The Retrospective: The Best of the Knack (1992), Very Best of The Knack (1998) and Best of The Knack (1999). It also appeared on the 2002 live album and DVD Live From the Rock 'N' Roll Funhouse and the 2007 live DVD On Stage at World Cafe Live. It also appeared on the multiartist compilation album Rock of the 80's Vol. 5.