Who Wants Jessie's Girl? Now 18, Top 40 Radio, and Two Decades Later, Rick Springfield

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) February 16, 2005

With a faithful update of Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl,” which hit #1 the first week in August 1981, Cincinnati-based pop/rock band Frickin’ A is gunning for a repeat 24 years later. The second single from the band’s album Big Egos…No Ideas on Toucan Cove/Alert Entertainment has been causing a commotion since December.

Rick Springfield himself is such a fan of the remake, he signed on to perform in the video, shooting in Los Angeles on February 27. Spoiler Alert: Frickin’ A lead singer Jason Phelps is Jessie’s envious friend and Springfield his shrink in this production, directed by Bill Fishman (Jessica Simpson, Eminem, Good Charlotte), and with tongue-in-cheek references to the original Springfield video, the Girl is an 80s-style hottie with big hair and leg warmers. This time, however, says Springfield, “I get the girl.”

Additionally, this fresh remake of “Jessie’s Girl” caught the attention of Universal Music Group which was in the midst of putting the final tracks from U2, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, and Nelly on the 18th installment of its blockbuster ‘Now That’s What I Call Music!,’ a series which has sold over 40 million units. “Jessie’s Girl” becomes the first song (among 360 total to date) chosen from an independent label. Robert Evanoff, VP of Artist Development & Relations for Toucan Cove Entertainment muses, “We’re absolutely thrilled to have one of our artists on NOW 18. It’s an incredible statement for Universal to make to choose an indie artist for inclusion on their mega-seller series that chronicles pop culture.”

Excitement began to percolate back last Thanksgiving when Toucan Cove released a CD single that included “Jessie’s Girl” and a holiday song entitled “Merry Merry Merry Frickin’ Christmas”. Demand from early airplay was swift, leaving stores scrambling for more copies. The single eventually sold nearly 20,000 copies, debuting on the Billboard Single Sales chart at #9 and rising up to #2 where it stayed for the entire month of December, just out of reach of Destiny’s Child.

Next up was the release of the single to radio mid-January, where it was the #2 Most Added song at Top 40 Radio in its first week, and within two weeks landed in Billboard Magazine as a ‘Future Hit’ on Mainstream Radio with a higher rating than new songs by Kelly Clarkson, The Killers and Maroon 5.

Frickin’ A and Rick Springfield are available for interviews, and the video set is open – reservation required. Please request media kit and/or interview time from Deborah on 323.467.7633 or brosseaupr@aol.com.

About Toucan Cove Entertainment

Toucan Cove Entertainment, a full service company with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Boca Raton, Montreal and Zurich, opened its doors with a singular mission: to release diverse, quality material, creative in both content and packaging, in full partnership with its artists. Delivery of this premiere content to the modern marketplace is accomplished through a North American distribution agreement with Montreal-based Madacy Label Group, the #1 independent distributor for the past eight years (according to SoundScan).

###