Ring My Bell

This article is about the song by Anita Ward. For other uses, see Ring My Bell (disambiguation).
"Ring My Bell"
Single by Anita Ward
from the album Songs of Love
B-side
  • "If I Could Feel That Old Feeling Again"
  • "Make Believe Lovers" (alternate B-side)
Released May 17, 1979
Format
Genre Disco[1]
Length
  • 4:28 (album)
  • 3:30 (7" single)
Label Juana Records
Writer(s) Frederick Knight
Producer(s) Frederick Knight
Anita Ward singles chronology
"Ring My Bell"
(1979)		 "Make Believe Lovers"
(1979)

"Ring My Bell" is a 1979 disco song written by Frederick Knight. The song was originally written for then eleven-year-old Stacy Lattisaw, as a teenybopper song about kids talking on the telephone.[2] When Lattisaw signed with a different label, Anita Ward was asked to sing it instead, and it became her only major hit.[3]

Ward's single hit number one on the disco charts.[4] "Ring My Bell" went to number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Soul Singles chart.[4] It also reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.[5][6]

Composition

The song is noted for its innovative use of the Synare electronic drum, playing a decaying high-pitched tom tone on every fourth beat. It also uses chimes. The lyrics concern a woman encouraging her partner to relax with her after a hard day at work.[7]

The lyric "You can ring my bell" was seen as sexually suggestive according to the The Slanguage of Sex (1984), "'You can ring my bell any time you want to' would be regarded as a 'come-on' phrase in the US if used by a female," and "Songs like 'Ring My Bell' by Anita Ward caused scarcely a raised eyebrow in the 70s."[8] Billboard magazine included the song on its list of the 50 sexiest songs of all time.[7] Knight, however, said that he deliberately avoided any overly suggestive lyrics, wanting to project a clean-cut image for Ward.[9]

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1979) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] 3
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 4
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[13] 5
Canada (CHUM)[14] 5
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[15] 1
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[16] 1
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[17] 1
France (IFOP)[18] 2
Germany (Official German Charts)[19] 3
Ireland (IRMA)[20] 2
Italy (FIMI)[21] 9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[22] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[23] 8
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[24] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[25] 1
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[26] 3
Spain (AFE)[27] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[28] 2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[29] 5
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[5] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[4] 1
US Billboard Hot Disco Singles[4] 1
US Billboard Hot Soul Singles[4] 1
US Cash Box[30] 1
US Record World[31] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1979) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[32] 31
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[33] 15
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[34] 19
Canada (RPM Top 200 Singles)[35] 17
France (IFOP)[36] 22
Italy (FIMI)[21] 39
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[37] 16
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[38] 95
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[39] 27
US Billboard Hot 100[40] 9
US Billboard Hot Soul Singles[41] 2
US Cash Box[42] 6

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[43] Platinum 150,000^
France 354,000[44]
United Kingdom (BPI)[45] Gold 500,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Anita Ward – Artist Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  2. ↑ ""Ring My Bell" – Anita Ward". Super Seventies. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Ring My Bell by Anita Ward". Songfacts. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Songs of Love – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Archive Chart: 1979-06-16" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  6. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 591. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  7. 1 2 "The 50 Sexiest Songs Of All Time". Billboard. February 11, 2010. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  8. ↑ McConville, Brigid; Shearlaw, John (1984). The Slanguage of Sex. Macdonald. p. 31.
  9. ↑ Grein, Paul (June 9, 1979). "Memphis Teacher's Disk Cracks Top 10". Billboard. p. 9. ISSN 0006-2510.
  10. ↑ "Billboard – Hits Of The World". Billboard. 91 (35): 57. September 1, 1979. ISSN 0006-2510.
  11. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Anita Ward – Ring My Bell" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Anita Ward – Ring My Bell" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Radio 2 Top 30 : 4 augustus 1979" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  14. ↑ CHART NUMBER 1176 – Saturday, July 28, 1979 at the Wayback Machine (archived February 12, 2006). CHUM.
  15. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 4491." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 4538." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4549a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  18. ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "Anita Ward" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Anita Ward – Ring My Bell". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  20. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Ring My Bell". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  21. 1 2 "I singoli più venduti del 1979" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Anita Ward - Ring My Bell search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Anita Ward – Ring My Bell" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Anita Ward – Ring My Bell". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  25. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Anita Ward – Ring My Bell". VG-lista. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  26. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (W)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  27. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  28. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Anita Ward – Ring My Bell". Singles Top 100. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  29. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Anita Ward – Ring My Bell". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  30. ↑ CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JUNE 30, 1979 at the Wayback Machine (archived February 5, 2011). Cash Box magazine.
  31. ↑ RECORD WORLD 1979 at the Wayback Machine (archived May 11, 2005). Record World. Geocities.com.
  32. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1970s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  33. ↑ "Jahreshitparade 1979" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  34. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1979" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Top Singles – Volume 32, No. 13, December 22, 1979". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  36. ↑ "TOP – 1979" (in French). Top-france.fr. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  37. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1979" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  38. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1995" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  39. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1979". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved October 30, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Top 100 Hits for 1979". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  41. ↑ Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – 1979 at the Wayback Machine (archived June 18, 2009). Billboard.
  42. ↑ The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1979 at the Wayback Machine (archived August 25, 2012). Cash Box magazine.
  43. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Anita Ward – Ring My Bell". Music Canada.
  44. ↑ "Les Meilleures Ventes Tout Temps de 45 T. / Singles" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  45. ↑ "British single certifications – Anita Ward – Ring My Bell". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Ring My Bell in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
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