"Strike Me Pink" is a song by American singer-songwriter Debbie Harry, released in 1993 as the second single from her fourth solo album, ''

Debravation ''Debravation'' is the fourth solo album by American singer Deborah Harry, released in July 19, 1993. It was the final album Harry made whilst signed to the Chrysalis label, thus ending a successful partnership that began with her time as a mem ...

'' (1993). The song was written by Harry,

Anne Dudley Anne Jennifer Dudley (née Beckingham; born 7 May 1956) is an English composer, keyboardist, conductor and pop musician. She was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in the classical and pop genr ...

and Jonathan Bernstein, and produced by Dudley.

Song information

"Strike Me Pink" peaked at #46 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in September 1993, and #136 on the Australian

ARIA In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...

singles chart. The accompanying promo video for the single was controversial because it depicted Harry watching a man drown in a tank. The video was banned from several music television channels. The single also marked Harry's final release with Chrysalis Records and the end of her long tenure with the company (she had originally signed with Chrysalis in the mid 1970s as part of Blondie). This would also be Harry's last solo single for fourteen years until she released " Two Times Blue" in 2007.

Critical reception

Upon release, '' The Advocate'' selected "Strike Me Pink" as "the best cut by far" on ''

'', adding that it evokes

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

's " Time After Time". ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

'' picked the song as one of the album's "gems", while the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

'' highlighted it as an example of one of the album's "light and airy" tracks. Alan Jones from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' gave it three out of five, writing, "Strangely redolent of Liza Minnelli's "

So Sorry, I Said "So Sorry, I Said" is a song by American singer and actress Liza Minnelli, released as the third single from her ninth album, ''Results'' (1989). The song was released on Epic Records on 13 November 1989. It stalled in the charts just outside the ...

", "Strike Me Pink" is all muted horns, swirly synths and dreamy vocals. Melodic, with a pleasing lilt of a chorus repeated at regular intervals. How can it miss?" Kris Needs of ''

Record Collector ''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide. History The early years The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches ba ...

'' felt it was "haunting", with Dudley "lending her cinematic sheen" to the song. In the 1997 book ''The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock'', author Ira A. Robbins described the song as "mushy elegance". In their 2012 book ''Blondie: Parallel Lives'', authors Dick Porter and

Kris Needs Kris Needs (born 3 July 1954) is a British journalist and author, known for writings on music from the 1970s onwards. He became editor of proto-punk and early punk rock ''ZigZag'' magazine in August 1977 at 23 and has since written biographi ...

described the song as an "emotive keyboard and sax-infused ballad". JT Griffith of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

criticized the song for being "bland" and "not a strong track from arry'sweak solo effort".

Track listing

* UK CD #1 #"Strike Me Pink" (Bernstein, Dudley, Harry) - 4:02 #"On A Breath" (Leigh Foxx) - 4:31 #* Non-album track. Produced by Chris Stein. #"Sweet and Low" (Phil Harding 7" Mix) (Deborah Harry, Toni. C) - 3:46 #* Original version appears on 1989 album ''

Def, Dumb and Blonde ''Def, Dumb & Blonde'' is the third solo studio album by the American singer Deborah Harry. Released in October 1989 on Sire Records in the US and Chrysalis Records in the UK, the album saw Harry reverting from "Debbie" to "Deborah" as her profe ...

''. * UK CD #2 #"Strike Me Pink" (Bernstein, Dudley, Harry) - 4:02 #"8 Rhumba" (

Nino Rota Giovanni Rota Rinaldi (; 3 December 1911 – 10 April 1979), better known as Nino Rota (), was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor and academic who is best known for his film scores, notably for the films of Federico Fellini and Luchino Visco ...

) - 2:46 #* Non-album track. Arranged and produced by Chris Stein. #"Dreaming" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) - 3:22 #* Blondie: original 1979 version from ''

Eat to the Beat ''Eat to the Beat'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band Blondie, released on September 28, 1979, by Chrysalis Records. The album was certified Platinum in the United States, where it spent a year on the ''Billboard'' 200. Peakin ...

''. * UK Cassette #"Strike Me Pink" (Bernstein, Dudley, Harry) - 4:02 #"8 Rhumba" (

) - 2:46 * UK 12" Picture Disc #"Strike Me Pink" (Bernstein, Dudley, Harry) - 4:02 #"8 Rhumba" (

) - 2:46 #"Dreaming" (Deborah Harry, Chris Stein) - 3:22 #"Sweet and Low" (Phil Harding 7" Mix) (Deborah Harry, Toni. C) - 3:46

Charts

References

{{Deborah Harry 1993 singles Debbie Harry songs Songs written by Debbie Harry Songs written by Anne Dudley 1993 songs Chrysalis Records singles