I Want That Man

"I Want That Man"
Single by Deborah Harry
from the album Def, Dumb & Blonde
B-side	"Bike Boy"
Released	September 25, 1989 (1989-09-25)[1]
Length	3:41
Label	Sire, Reprise, Red Eye (US) Chrysalis (UK)
Songwriter(s)	Alannah Currie Tom Bailey
Producer(s)	Tom Bailey Eric "E.T." Thorngren
Deborah Harry singles chronology
"Liar, Liar" (1988) "I Want That Man" (1989) "Kiss It Better" (1989)
"Strike Me Pink" (1993) "I Want That Man (Remix)" (1999) "New York, New York" (2006)
Audio sample
I Want That Man file help
Alternative cover
UK and Australian single sleeve.

"I Want That Man" is a song by American singer Deborah Harry. The song was released as the lead single from her third solo album, Def, Dumb & Blonde, and was the first record Harry released in which she reverted to using Deborah as her name instead of Debbie. "I Want That Man" became a hit in several territories, reaching number two in Australia and on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. It also became a top-20 hit in Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Song information

The track was written and produced by Thompson Twins members Alannah Currie and Tom Bailey. It became one of the most successful singles in Deborah Harry's solo career, peaking at number two in Australia, number seven in Ireland, number eight in New Zealand, number 13 in the United Kingdom, and number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in the United States. The video was directed by Mary Lambert.

The song commences with the lyric, "I want to dance with Harry Dean," a reference to the actor Harry Dean Stanton, about whom Currie and Harry "shared a long-standing fascination."[2] Harry and Currie subsequently met Stanton backstage after "both swooning like teenage girls" watching him sit in with Ry Cooder singing "Across the Borderline" and resulting in Harry and Stanton entering into a short-term relationship.[3]

A disco version of the song was used in the Australian film Strange Bedfellows. In late 1999, the song was included on the EMI compilation Most of All: The Best of Deborah Harry and also reissued as a remix single that charted on the Australian Singles Chart at number 86 in February 2000. The single's B-side, "Bike Boy", appears as a bonus track on the CD and cassette editions of Def, Dumb & Blonde.

Track listings

"I Want That Man" was written by Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie. "Bike Boy" was written by Deborah Harry and Chris Stein.

Original version

US and Australian 7-inch and cassette single[4][5][6][7] "I Want That Man" (LP version) – 3:41 "Bike Boy" (CD/cassette version) – 2:45 US 12-inch single[8] A1. "I Want That Man" (12-inch remix) – 6:26 A2. "I Want That Man" (instrumental) – 6:54 B1. "Bike Boy" – 2:45 B2. "I Want That Man" (remix / edit) – 4:03 US CD single[9] "I Want That Man" (12-inch remix) – 6:26 "I Want That Man" (remix / edit) – 4:03 "Bike Boy" – 2:45 "I Want That Man" (instrumental) – 6:54

UK 7-inch and cassette single[10][11] "I Want That Man" (remix) "Bike Boy" A 7-inch poster bag sleeve with the same track listing was also issued.[12] UK and Australian 12-inch single, UK CD single[13][14][15] A1. "I Want That Man" (12-inch remix) A2. "I Want That Man" (7-inch version) B1. "I Want That Man" (instrumental) B2. "Bike Boy" A 12-inch picture disc with the same track listing was also issued.[16]

1999 remix

UK and Australian CD single[17]

1. "I Want That Man" (Almighty Definitive mix radio edit)
2. "I Want That Man" (Almighty Definitive mix)
3. "I Want That Man" (D-Bop 11.59 vocal mix)

European CD single[18]

1. "I Want That Man" (Almighty Definitive mix radio edit)
2. "I Want That Man" (Almighty Definitive mix)

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "I Want That Man" Chart (1989–1990) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[19] 2 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[20] 48 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)[21] 35 Ireland (IRMA)[22] 7 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[23] 8 UK Singles (OCC)[24] 13 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[25] 2 Chart (2000) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[26] 86

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "I Want That Man" Chart (1990) Position Australia (ARIA)[27] 37

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "I Want That Man"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[28]	Platinum	70,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "This Week – Releases". Record Mirror. 23 September 1989. p. 41.
2. Bergman, Ronald (September 16, 2017). "Harry Dean Stanton obituary". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
3. Harry, Debbie (2019). Face it. London: HarperCollinsPublishers. pp. 277–8. ISBN 9780008229429.
4. I Want That Man (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Deborah Harry. Sire Records, Reprise Records, Red Eye. 1989. 9 22816-7.
5. I Want That Man (US cassette single cassette notes). Deborah Harry. Sire Records, Reprise Records, Red Eye. 1989. 9 22816-4.
6. I Want That Man (Australian 7-inch single sleeve). Deborah Harry. Chrysalis Records. 1989. CHS 2299.
7. I Want That Man (Australian cassette single sleeve). Deborah Harry. Chrysalis Records. 1989. TCCHS 2299.
8. I Want That Man (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Deborah Harry. Sire Records, Reprise Records, Red Eye. 1989. 9 21322-0.
9. I Want That Man (US CD single disc notes). Deborah Harry. Sire Records, Reprise Records, Red Eye. 1989. 9 21322-2.
10. I Want That Man (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Deborah Harry. Chrysalis Records. 1989. CHS 3369.
11. I Want That Man (UK cassette single sleeve). Deborah Harry. Chrysalis Records. 1989. CHSMC 3369.
12. I Want That Man (UK 7-inch picture bag single sleeve). Deborah Harry. Chrysalis Records. 1989. CHSPB 3369.
13. I Want That Man (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Deborah Harry. Chrysalis Records. 1989. CHS12 3369.
14. I Want That Man (Australian 12-inch single sleeve). Deborah Harry. Chrysalis Records. 1989. ED 445.
15. I Want That Man (UK CD single liner notes). Deborah Harry. Chrysalis Records. 1989. CHSCD 3369.
16. I Want That Man (UK 12-inch picture disc sleeve). Deborah Harry. Chrysalis Records. 1989. CHSP 12 3369.
17. I Want That Man (UK & Australian CD single liner notes). Deborah Harry. Chrysalis Records. 1999. CDMANX 2000.
18. I Want That Man (European CD single liner notes). Deborah Harry. EMI Records. 1999. 7243 8 88260 2 0.
19. "Deborah Harry – I Want That Man". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
20. "Deborah Harry – I Want That Man" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
21. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 45. November 11, 1989. p. IV. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
22. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Want That Man". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
23. "Deborah Harry – I Want That Man". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
24. "Debbie Harry: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
25. "Debbie Harry Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
26. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
27. "ARIA Top 50 Singles for 1990". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
28. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1990 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 8, 2022.