How Rickie Lee Jones Mined a Friend Leaving Town for a Huge Hit in 1979

Rickie Lee Jones has spent much of her career releasing wonderful music that doesn’t get nearly enough mainstream attention. Which is an odd turn of events, considering that she burst onto the scene in a wave of praise and commercial success.

Her debut single, “Chuck E.’s In Love”, sent her right to the Top 10. As it turned out, it would be by far and away the biggest hit of her career.

A Unique Talent

The music scene of the late 70s was dominated by extremes and excess. Flavor-of-the-month genres like disco, punk, and New Wave competed for attention. Into that somewhat unruly scenario, Rickie Lee Jones strode with a debut album that was wonderfully uncategorizable and wholly original.

Jones had been performing locally in California for a few years by that time. She honed her interpretive skills singing jazz songs. But she also showed off songwriting chops, meaning that she didn’t have to rely on outside material for her 1979 self-titled debut album.

Considering she was a new artist, the list of performers on the record says something about the way Jones’ music captivated folks. Michael McDonald, Dr. John, and Randy Newman dotted the instrumental credits. West Coast bigwigs Lenny Waronker and Russ Titelman co-produced, while jazz legend Johnny Mandel helped out with orchestration. And Jones bolted right out of the gate with a smash in the first single “Chuck E.’s In Love”, a song partially based on a true story.

A Striking Debut

For a few years in the late 70s, Jones dated Tom Waits. They spent time hanging out with a fellow named Chuck E. Weiss. At least until Weiss up and disappeared without a word about his reason for leaving.

Then one day, the phone rang at Jones’ apartment. Waits answered. It was Weiss, who explained that he’d left because he’d met someone and fallen in love. Waits, hanging up the phone, deadpanned to Jones, “Chuck E.’s in love.” Jones lit up with inspiration.

“Chuck E.’s In Love” made it to No. 4 in the US upon its release in 1979. Jones basked in the initial acclaim, which included winning Best New Artist at the Grammys and appearing twice on the cover of Rolling Stone in a three-year stretch. But she went on to conduct most of her career under the radar as a critical darling.

Behind the Lyrics of “Chuck E.’s In Love”

Jones introduced her lingo-heavy lyrics. The “P.L.P” mentioned in the first line is short for Public Leaning Post, meaning a place that folks could hang out without being accused of loitering. The narrator is stunned by the turnabout in her friend. “He sure has acquired/This kind of cool and inspired sort of jazz when he walks.”

Unable to find him at all the usual hangouts, she humorously worries about his behavior. “And whatever it is,” Jones sings. “That he’s got up his sleeve/Well I hope it isn’t contagious.” She’s suggesting that she’s not ready to give up the freewheeling way of life that Chuck E. has abandoned.

Jones adds a twist at the song’s end by revealing that the narrator herself is the object of his affection. That wasn’t the truth in real life. But it made for a clever ending to this song that put Rickie Lee Jones on the map.

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