"First Time" is a song by American singer
Robin Beck
Robin Beck is an American singer. She topped the singles chart in the United Kingdom in 1988, and Austria, Germany, Norway, Netherlands and Switzerland in 1989, with her single " First Time", which had come to the public's attention via its use i ...
from her second album, ''
Trouble or Nothin''' (1989). The song was released as a single in July 1988 and was originally recorded for a
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
in 1987. In the United Kingdom, the
power ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...
climbed to 1 and spent three weeks there in November and December 1988, spending 14 weeks on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in total. The song additionally reached number one in Austria, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and West Germany.
Critical reception
Bill Coleman from ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' wrote, "Fledgling rock vixen takes another shot at radio approval with this well-sung
power ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...
."
Music video
There were two (completely different) professionally filmed
music videos
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for the single. One is almost exclusively performance footage of Beck and her band, shot in a style used by many
hair metal
Hair is a protein filament that grows from hair follicle, follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals.
The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick ter ...
acts of the late 1980s. The other version is a "concept" video: At the beginning, Beck is seen in her bathroom, applying mascara and checking her hair, then makes a quick phone call. She goes through her apartment with scenes of her with her boyfriend. She looks out of a window before watching television (more scenes of her with her boyfriend). She flips through a magazine on the mantelpiece (more scenes), then makes another phone call. At the end of the video, the doorbell rings. Beck turns the television off and answers the door, but the person behind the door cannot be seen.
Track listings
7-inch single
# "First Time" – 3:17
# "First Time" (instrumental) – 3:18
12-inch and CD single
# "First Time" (remix) – 3:18
# "First Time" (7-inch version) – 3:17
# "First Time" (instrumental) – 3:18
Cassette single
# "First Time" – 3:18
# "Sleeping with the Enemy" – 3:35
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Cover versions
The song was covered in a Spanish version for the Latin American
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
campaign by Mexican singer
Rocío Banquells
Rocío Banquells (; born María del Rocío Banquells Nuñez, 22 June 1960 in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico) is a Mexican pop singer and actress, best known for her work on television, the stage and cinema of Mexico and Latin America. Her mezzo v ...
, under the title ''Primera Vez'', released on her album ''En El Alambre''.
In 1999, Polish singer
Kasia Kowalska recorded a Polish-language version of the song for the Polish
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
campaign, under the title "Chcę zatrzymać ten czas". Polish singer
Margaret
Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian.
Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...
also recorded her version of the song titled "Smak radości" for Polish Coca-Cola commercial. It was released for
digital download on April 16, 2015.
Unique version
In 2003, the song was covered by Unique which achieved minor success in Switzerland.
Track listing
CD maxi
# "First Time" (radio edit djs@work RMX) — 3:12
# "First Time" (video mix free power mix) — 3:48
# "First Time" (club mix Patrick Bnton RMX) — 6:38
# "First Time" (Ibiza groove mix zero G RMX) — 5:48
# "First Time" (trance club mix Unique & toxic RMX) — 7:28
# "First Time" (extended mix djs@work RMX) — 6:52
# "First Time" (extended mix free power 4 hypnotic) — 6:35
Charts
Sunblock version
In 2006,
Sunblock
Sunscreen, also known as sunblock or sun cream, is a Photoprotection, photoprotective topical product for the skin that mainly absorbs, or to a much lesser extent reflects, some of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation and thus helps protect ag ...
, an
electronic music
Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
group from Sweden, recorded a cover of the song with
Robin Beck
Robin Beck is an American singer. She topped the singles chart in the United Kingdom in 1988, and Austria, Germany, Norway, Netherlands and Switzerland in 1989, with her single " First Time", which had come to the public's attention via its use i ...
for their second
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
. It became their second top-10 hit, charting at number nine on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
.
Charts
See also
* ''
I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)
"I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" is a pop song that originated as the jingle "True Love and Apple Pie", by British hit songwriters Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, and sung by Susan Shirley.
The lyrics were rewritten ...
'', which also came to prominence via a Coca-Cola TV commercial
References
{{Authority control
1980s ballads
1988 singles
Robin Beck songs
Number-one singles in Austria
European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles
Margaret (singer) songs
Number-one singles in Germany
Number-one singles in Greece
Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
Number-one singles in Norway
Number-one singles in Switzerland
UK Singles Chart number-one singles
1988 songs
Metronome Records singles
Mercury Records singles
Rock ballads
2015 singles
Songs used as jingles