Compliments on Your Kiss

"Compliments on Your Kiss"
International cover artwork
Single by Red Dragon featuring Brian and Tony Gold
B-side"Beat Up" (by Taxi Gang)
Released18 July 1994 (1994-07-18)
Genre
Length
  • 4:09
  • 3:30 (radio edit)
LabelMango
Songwriters
Producers
Audio
"Compliments on Your Kiss" on YouTube

"Compliments on Your Kiss" is a jazz-reggae song by Jamaican deejay Red Dragon featuring Jamaican reggae duo Brian and Tony Gold. The song was written by Sly Dunbar, Winston Harris, and Red Dragon (under his real name, Leroy May), and it was produced by Sly and Robbie and Taxi. One of the song's B-sides, "Beat Up", is performed by Sly and Robbie under the name Taxi Gang.

The single was released on 18 July 1994 by Taxi and Mango Records and became Red Dragon's most successful international hit. It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart on 28 August 1994 and ended the year as the 27th-most-successful single in the UK. It also experienced success outside the UK, reaching the top 20 in Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Several reviewers have attributed the song's success to the popularity of other radio-friendly reggae musicians at the time, including Dawn Penn and Chaka Demus & Pliers.[2]

Critical reception

In a review of the song, Music & Media magazine called "Compliments on Your Kiss" "as harmless as Puff the magic dragon" and complimented the song's Caribbean ambiance.[1] A spokesman of British radio station Capital FM said of the song, "It's a good, fun, catchy pop tune".[2] Record Mirror editor James Hamilton named it a "Sly & Robbie produced delightful doo-wop style summery 137.8/68.9bpm reggae crossover using the uncredited tune of Elvis Presley's 'Lover Doll' (which could prove expensive!)" in his weekly dance column.[3]

Track listings

  • Jamaican 7-inch single[4]
A. "Compliment on Your Kiss"
B. "Beat Up" (performed by Taxi Gang)
  • Standard international single[5]
  1. "Compliments on Your Kiss" – 3:30
  2. "Compliments on Your Kiss" (instrumental) – 4:09
  3. "Compliments on Your Kiss" (Straight mix) – 4:09
  4. "Compliments on Your Kiss" (acapella) – 4:09

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[18] Gold 35,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[19] Silver 200,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United Kingdom 18 July 1994
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
Mango [19][20]
25 July 1994 7-inch vinyl [21]
Australia 15 August 1994 [22]
7 November 1994 Cassette [23]

References

  1. ^ a b c "New Releases – Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 36. 3 September 1994. p. 8. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b Clark-Meads, Jeff (3 September 1994). "Jamaican Mix" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 36. p. 20. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  3. ^ Hamilton, James (30 July 1994). "DJ directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 6. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  4. ^ Compliment on Your Kiss (Jamaican 7-inch single vinyl disc). Taxi. 1994. TAX 034.
  5. ^ a b "Red Dragon with Brian & Tony Gold – Compliments on Your Kiss". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Red Dragon with Brian & Tony Gold – Compliments on Your Kiss" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 37. 10 September 1994. p. 13. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (29.9.–5.10. '94)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 29 September 1994. p. 16. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  9. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Compliments on Your Kiss". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  10. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 42, 1994" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  11. ^ "Red Dragon with Brian & Tony Gold – Compliments on Your Kiss" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Red Dragon with Brian & Tony Gold – Compliments on Your Kiss". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  15. ^ "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 10 September 1994. p. 26. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  16. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1994". Music Week. 14 January 1995. p. 9.
  17. ^ "Airplay Top 50 of 1994" (PDF). Music Week. 14 January 1995. p. 12. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  18. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 230.
  19. ^ a b "British single certifications – Red Dragon with Brian & Tony Gold – Compliments on Your Kiss". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  20. ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. 16 July 1994. p. 23.
  21. ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. 23 July 1994. p. 29.
  22. ^ "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 15/08/94: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 235. 14 August 1994. p. 19.
  23. ^ "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 07/11/94: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 247. 6 November 1994. p. 21.