Centipede (Rebbie Jackson song)

"Centipede" is a song by American singer Rebbie Jackson. Written and produced by her younger brother Michael, the title track serves as her debut single from her debut album of the same name.

"Centipede"
Single by Rebbie Jackson
from the album Centipede
ReleasedSeptember 10, 1984 (1984-09-10)
Recorded1984[1]
StudioYamaha International Recording (Glendale, California)
Widetrack Recording Studio (Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length4:13 (single version)
4:25 (album version)
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Michael Jackson
Producer(s)Michael Jackson[1]
Music video
"Centipede" on YouTube

Background

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The song was written and produced by Jackson's younger brother Michael Jackson. He, and the Weather Girls, also sang backing vocals on the song. The 12-inch single includes an extended mix and an instrumental version. On the back of the single, Michael Jackson dedicated the song "to my mannequin friends".

The song was later re-released on The Rebbie Jackson Collection and the original 12-inch version was included on her 1998 comeback album Yours Faithfully.

Release and reception

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Released in the late summer of 1984, the single climbed high on the Billboard R&B charts, peaking at number 4 there and at number 24 in the main Billboard Hot 100 chart in late December 1984. It was Jackson's highest-charting single and her only single to enter the Hot 100, though she had several more hits on the R&B chart throughout the decade. The single was Gold-certified by the RIAA, selling 500,000 copies in the US.[3]

Charts

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Chart (1984–1985) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 97
US Cashbox (magazine)[5] 15
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 24
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[7] 29
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[8] 4

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ a b Allard, François; Lecocq, Richard (2018). "Rockwell: Somebody's Watching Me". Michael Jackson: All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Octopus Books. ISBN 9781788401234.
  2. ^ "Billboard Charts". Billboard. 11 September 1984.
  3. ^ "RIAA Gold & Platinum certification". BMI. 5 October 2004. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  4. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 152. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2014). Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996. Sheridan Books, Inc. ISBN 978-0-898202-09-0.
  6. ^ "Rebbie Jackson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  7. ^ "Rebbie Jackson Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  8. ^ "Rebbie Jackson Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  9. ^ "American single certifications – Rebbie Jackson – Centipede". Recording Industry Association of America.