Kiss You All Over

About Kiss You All Over

"Kiss You All Over" is a 1978 song performed by the group Exile, written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn. It was included on the band's album Mixed Emotions, and featured Jimmy Stokley and guitarist J. P. Pennington on lead vocals. On the American Top 40 broadcast of May 26, 1979, Casey Kasem reported that Chapman stated his source of inspiration for "Kiss You All Over" was "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me" by Barry White. The song was a number one single in the United States, but proved to be Exile's only big hit in the pop rock market (they would later have great success on the country music charts). It held the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks (starting September 30), and Billboard ranked it as the No. 5 song for 1978. The song also reached number-one in at least three other nations. In the United Kingdom, the song was released on Mickie Most's RAK Records, and peaked at number 6 in the UK Singles Chart. In this song, a string synthesizer is used. In 2010, Billboard ranked the song ninth on its list of "The 50 Sexiest Songs Of All Time". Lead vocalist on the song Stokley was ousted from the band in 1979, his health declining thereafter until he died at the age of 41 in 1985. The band moved into country music following the synth-pop success of "Kiss You All Over" and the 1979 follow-up hit "You Thrill Me" (reaching #40 (UK No. 67)) and "How Could This Go Wrong", #88 on the charts. "Take Me Down" peaked at #3 on the Euro Hit 40 in the mid-1980s. more »