"'Playin' Hard to Get'" is a song written by John Thompson, and recorded by American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
artist
Janie Fricke
Jane Marie Fricke ( ; born December 19, 1947), known professionally as Janie Fricke, is an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and clothing designer. She has placed seventeen Single (music), singles in the top ten of the ...
. It was released as in October 1978 as the first single from the album ''
Love Notes''. The song was her fourth solo single release and made chart positions in both the United States and Canada.
Background, recording and release
Janie Fricke signed with Columbia Records in 1977 and released her first single the same year called "
What're You Doing Tonight". The song would be followed a series of top 40 charting songs in the late 1970s, including "Playin' Hard to Get". The track was composed by John Thompson. It was produced by
Billy Sherrill
Billy Norris Sherrill (November 5, 1936 – August 4, 2015) was an American record producer, songwriter, and arranger best known for his association with country artists, notably Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Sherrill and business partner Gl ...
at the Columbia Studio in August 1978.
"Playin' Hard to Get" was released as a single on Columbia Records in October 1978. It was backed on the
B-side by "Let Me Love You Goodbye". It was issued as a
seven inch vinyl single and was the fourth solo single released in Fricke's career.
The song climbed to number 22 on the America's ''
Billboard''
Hot Country Songs chart in January 1979 after 12 weeks on the list.
On Canada's ''
RPM
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
'' Country Songs chart, the single reached the top 30.
The song was later included on Fricke's second studio album ''Love Notes'' (1979).
Track listing
7" vinyl single
* "Playin' Hard to Get" – 3:27
* "Let Me Love You Goodbye" – 3:02
Charts
References
{{Janie Fricke singles
1978 songs
1978 singles
Columbia Records singles
Janie Fricke songs
Song recordings produced by Billy Sherrill