{{Lead too short|date=October 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Rockbird | type = studio | artist = [[Debbie Harry]] | cover = Deborah Harry - Rockbird.png | alt = | released = November 15, 1986 | recorded = 1986 | studio = * Mayfair, New York City * [[Unique Recording Studios|Unique]], New York City * [[Electric Lady Studios|Electric Lady]], New York City * Sorcerer Sound, New York City * [[Power Station (recording studio)|Power Station]], New York City * [[A&R Recording|A&R]], New York City * Mission Control, Boston | genre = * [[Rock music|Rock]] * [[New wave music|new wave]] | length = 39:18 | label = [[Geffen Records|Geffen]] | producer = [[Seth Justman]] | prev_title = [[Koo Koo|KooKoo]] | prev_year = 1981 | next_title = [[Once More into the Bleach]] | next_year = 1988 | misc = {{Singles | name = Rockbird | type = studio | single1 = [[French Kissin (song)|French Kissin' in the USA]] | single1date = November 1986 | single2 = [[Free to Fall]] | single2date = February 1987 <ref>{{cite magazine |last=Smith |first=Robin |date=February 14, 1987 |title=Index |magazine=[[Record Mirror]] |page=3 |issn=0144-5804}}</ref> | single3 = [[In Love with Love]] | single3date = April 1987 <ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Debbie+Harry&titel=In+Love+With+Love&cat=s|title=Debbie Harry singles}}</ref> }}}} {{Music ratings | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r9014|first=William|last=Ruhlmann}}</ref> | rev2 = [[Robert Christgau]] | rev2Score = B<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist2.php?id=332|title=Robert Christgau: CG: Artist 332|website=www.robertchristgau.com}}</ref> | rev3 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]'' | rev3score = {{rating|2|5}}<ref name="CL">{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |date=2006 |publisher=MUZE |volume=4 |page=161}}</ref> | rev4 = ''[[MusicHound|MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide]]'' | rev4score = {{rating|2.5|5}}<ref>{{cite book |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |date=1999 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |page=122}}</ref> | rev5 = ''[[The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' | rev5score = {{rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite book |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |date=2004 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |page=368}}</ref> | rev6 = ''[[Smash Hits]]'' | rev6Score = {{Rating|7|10}}<ref>"{{cite journal |last1= Heath|first1= Chris|title= Album Reviews|journal= Smash Hits|volume= 8|issue= 24|pages=92|publisher= EMAP Metro|date=19 November 1986}}</ref> | rev7 = ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'' | rev7Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Murphy |first=Kevin |title=Albums: Feather Wait |magazine=[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]] |date=22 November 1986 |page=25 |issn=0144-5774}}</ref> }}
'''''Rockbird''''' is the second solo studio album by American singer [[Debbie Harry]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1986/11/30/debbie-harry-on-beyond-blondie/2e0a64be-7de6-4ad6-a982-654bf2311752/|title=Debbie Harry, On Beyond Blondie|first=Richard|last=Harrington|date=November 30, 1986|via=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref> It was released in November 1986 by [[Geffen Records]] in the United States and [[Chrysalis Records]] in the United Kingdom.
== Background == ''Rockbird'' was released four years after the split of [[Blondie (band)|Blondie]] in 1982. Harry had largely put her music career on hold during the mid-1980s in order to look after Blondie guitarist and boyfriend [[Chris Stein]], who had been diagnosed with a serious illness. The album was produced by [[Seth Justman]], a key member of [[the J. Geils Band]]. Released in November 1986, there were four variations of the album artwork with the lettering in either green, orange, pink and yellow (with slight variations due to printing techniques).
A stylized version of the album's cover photo appears on the cover of select editions of the book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]''.
== Critical reception == ''[[Trouser Press]]'' wrote that the album "paves a pop path Harry can navigate, but the material is weak."<ref name="TP">{{cite web |title=Debbie Harry |url=https://trouserpress.com/reviews/debbie-harry/ |website=Trouser Press |accessdate=12 October 2020}}</ref> The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' wrote that "the songs--which tend to be about ne’er-do-well boyfriends and romantic escapades--are tethered to jacked-up rhythms that don’t go down so well on the dance floor."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-11-23-ca-12208-story.html|title=FALL ALBUM ROUNDUP : DEBBIE HARRY: CANDY-BOX POP|date=November 23, 1986|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> Chris Heath of ''[[Smash Hits]]'' magazine was more positive, giving the album 7 out of 10 and stating "Nothing else is quite as brilliant as the current single "French Kissin' In The USA", but there's plenty of the aggressive sprightly pop songs that Blondie used to do so well, the odd slightly swoonsome ballad, and a couple of throwaway disco songs. How very nice it is to have her back".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Debbie Harry: Rockbird (album review) |last1=Heath |first1=Chris |magazine=Smash Hits |date=19 November 1986 |page=92 |url=https://archive.org/details/smash-hits-19-november-2-december-1986/page/n93/mode/2up?view=theater}}</ref>
== Commercial performance == ''Rockbird'' peaked at number 31 on the [[UK Albums Chart]], and remained in the charts for 11 weeks. It was certified gold by the [[British Phonographic Industry]] (BPI) in January 1987 for shipments in excess of 100,000 copies. In the United States, the album peaked at number 97 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].
Three singles were released from the album, "[[French Kissin (song)|French Kissin' in the USA]]", which reached #8 in the UK, and is Harry's only solo top-10 single in that country, as well as "[[In Love with Love]]" and "[[Free to Fall]]", which reached #45 and #46, respectively. "French Kissin'" also reached #57 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], and #3 in Australia. "In Love with Love" was remixed by [[Stock Aitken Waterman]] and reached #1 on the ''Billboard'' [[Hot Dance Club Play]] chart.
== Track listing == All tracks produced by Seth Justman. Side A runs from tracks 1–4 and side B from tracks 5–9 in cassette and vinyl versions. {{Track listing | headline = CD track listing | title1 = I Want You | writer1 = Deborah Harry, Toni C. | length1 = 4:28 | title2 = [[French Kissin (song)|French Kissin' in the USA]] | writer2 = [[Chuck Lorre]] | length2 = 5:14 | title3 = Buckle Up | writer3 = Harry, Seth Justman | length3 = 3:46 | title4 = [[In Love with Love]] | writer4 = Harry, Chris Stein | length4 = 4:34 | title5 = You Got Me in Trouble | writer5= Harry, Justman | length5 = 4:18 | title6 = [[Free to Fall]] | writer6 = Harry, Justman | length6 = 5:31 | title7 = Rockbird | writer7 = Harry, Stein | length7 = 3:09 | title8 = Secret Life | writer8 = Harry, Stein | length8 = 3:46 | title9 = Beyond the Limit | writer9 = Harry, [[Nile Rodgers]] | length9 = 4:37 }}
== Personnel ==
'''Musicians''' * Deborah Harry – lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 3–9) * [[Seth Justman]] – keyboards, arrangements, bass and drum programming (1, 2, 4, 6–8), backing vocals (1, 3–9) * Phil Ashley – synthesizer programming, keyboards (1, 2, 4–8), bass and drum programming (1, 2, 4, 6–8) * [[Jimmy Rip]] – guitars * Toni C. (Antoinette Colandero) – additional guitars (1) * [[Chris Stein]] – additional guitars (4, 7, 8), bass and drum programming (4, 7, 8), additional arrangements (4, 7, 8) * [[Neil Jason]] – bass (3, 5, 6, 9) * [[Yogi Horton]] – drums (3, 6, 9) * [[Mickey Curry]] – drums (5) * Gordon Gottlieb – percussion (2–4, 8, 9) * [[Magic Dick]] – [[harmonica]] (1) * [[James Chance|James White]] – saxophone solo (1) * Crispin Cioe – alto sax solo (2), alto saxophone (3, 5, 9), baritone saxophone (3, 5, 9) * Arno Hecht – tenor saxophone (3, 5, 9) * Bob Funk – trombone (3, 5, 9) * Paul Litteral – trumpet (3, 5, 9) * [[Jocelyn Brown]] – backing vocals (1, 2, 5, 6) * Connie Harvey – backing vocals (1, 2, 5, 6) * La-Rita Gaskins – backing vocals (1, 2, 5, 6) * Fonda Rae – backing vocals (3) * Judith Spears – backing vocals (3) * Cookie Watkins – backing vocals (3) * Jay Siegel – backing vocals (4)
'''Production and artwork''' * Seth Justman – producer * Bill Scheniman – recording, mixing * John Alters – assistant engineer * David Avidor – assistant engineer * Ken Collins – assistant engineer * Jon Goldberger – assistant engineer * Jack Kennedy – assistant engineer * Michael O'Haro – assistant engineer * Rick Slater – assistant engineer * Ken Steiger – assistant engineer * Kent Wagner – assistant engineer * [[Greg Calbi]] – mastering * Kyle Davis – production coordinator * [[Stephen Sprouse]] – cover design * [[Andy Warhol]] – background painting * Paula Greif – art direction * Guzman (Constance Hansen and Russell Peacock) – photography * Mixed at Counterpoint Studios (New York, NY). * Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York, NY).
== Charts == {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1986–1987) ! scope="col"| Peak<br>position |- ! scope="row"| Australian ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|publisher=Australian Chart Book|year=1993|page=134|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref> | 18 |- ! scope="row"| [[European Top 100 Albums|European Albums]] (''[[Music & Media]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M&M-1986-12-13.pdf |title=European Hot 100 Albums |magazine=[[Music & Media]] |volume=3 |issue=49 |date=December 13, 1986 |page=21<!-- 11 in PDF file --> |oclc=29800226 |via=World Radio History}}</ref> | 78 |- ! scope="row"| Finnish Albums ([[The Official Finnish Charts|Suomen virallinen lista]])<ref>{{cite book |last=Pennanen |first=Timo |title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 |language=Finnish |edition=1st |location=Helsinki |publisher=[[Otava (publisher)|Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-951-1-21053-5}}</ref> | 40 |- {{album chart|New Zealand|22|artist=Debbie Harry|album=Rockbird|rowheader=true|access-date=August 25, 2020}} |- {{album chart|Sweden|30|artist=Debbie Harry|album=Rockbird|rowheader=true|access-date=August 25, 2020}} |- {{album chart|UK2|31|date=19861123|rowheader=true|access-date=December 24, 2020}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|97|artist=Debbie Harry|rowheader=true|access-date=December 24, 2020}} |}
== Certifications == {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Debbie Harry|title=Rockbird|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1986|certyear=1987|id=5590-2585-2|date=January 12, 1987|access-date=December 24, 2020}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{discogs master|102547}}
{{Deborah Harry}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rockbird}} [[Category:1986 albums]] [[Category:Albums produced by Seth Justman]] [[Category:Chrysalis Records albums]] [[Category:Debbie Harry albums]] [[Category:Geffen Records albums]]