| "Passionate Kisses" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Lucinda Williams | ||||
| from the album Lucinda Williams | ||||
| B-side | "Side of the Road" | |||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:35 | |||
| Label | Rough Trade | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Lucinda Williams | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Lucinda Williams singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Passionate Kisses" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. It was released in 1989 as the fourth single from her third album, Lucinda Williams (1988).
The song was covered by Mary Chapin Carpenter for her 1992 album Come On Come On, and released as the album's third single.
Hailed as the definitive version,[1][2] Williams's original take has received widespread critical acclaim. Robin Denselow, writing in The Guardian, called the song a "rousing country rocker."[3] Country music website The Boot ranked "Passionate Kisses" No. 1 on their list of the best Lucinda Williams songs, describing it as "a modern-day feminist anthem about having it all — a comfortable bed, food, a rock band and passionate kisses."
In 2021, "Passionate Kisses" ranked No. 437 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[4] The same outlet ranked the song at No. 100 on its list of the 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time in 2024.[5]
Williams filmed and released a music video for the track in August 1989.[6] It would be the last time Williams starred in one of her own music videos until "Rock n Roll Heart" in 2023.[7]
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[9] | 169 |
| "Passionate Kisses" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Mary Chapin Carpenter | ||||
| from the album Come On Come On | ||||
| B-side | "Middle Ground" | |||
| Released | January 19, 1993 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:23 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Lucinda Williams | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Mary Chapin Carpenter singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Released in January 1993, "Passionate Kisses" was the third single from Carpenter's fourth album Come On Come On. The song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in March 1993,[10] and No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100. Carpenter's version adheres closely in tempo, feel, and instrumentation to Williams' original recording, similarly relying on the catchy guitar riff to anchor the record.[11]
The recording enhanced Carpenter's crossover appeal and earned her the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 1994,[12] in addition to securing the Grammy Award for Best Country Song for Williams.[13] Carpenter filmed a music video for the track in Washington, D.C. and it premiered in early 1993.[14]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Grammy Award | Best Female Country Vocal Performance | "Passionate Kisses" | Mary Chapin Carpenter | Won | [12] |
| Best Country Song | Lucinda Williams (songwriter) | Won | [13] |
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Mary Chapin Carpenter's version of "Passionate Kisses" is virtually identical to Williams' Rough Trade take ...
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