Moving on Up
Encyclopedia
Moving on Up is the seventh overall single from British band M People
and the second single from their second album Elegant Slumming
(1993). Written by Mike Pickering
and Paul Heard. Produced by M People
. It was released on 13 September 1993. The song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart
and was the biggest selling M People single.
had garnered the band a massive-selling Summer hit single with both sustained radio airplay and critical acclaim. As another precursor to the highly anticipated album Elegant Slumming
, they would release another classic song with a feel good, radio-friendly vibe.
song, and follows in the footstep of previous single One Night in Heaven
although this time with much more a sassier, angry edge. It has a harder edge focusing on the end of a relationship from the perspective of a spurned lover. The song was recorded at The Roundhouse
Studios in Chalk Farm
, London
. The backing vocals during the chorus is sung by vocalist Juliet Roberts
who was featured prominently on the last single.
The song is made up of fewer, and more simplistic, elements than the last single, but the melody line is guided by the insistently looped infectious moog bassline, subtle rhythm guitar, programmed drumming, and underlying blowy synth effect with high hat synths and a four to the floor thumping house beat. This is embodied by the progressive and euphoric chords and additional chords during the choruses. Finally, Shovell’s percussion is more on tambourine and less on bongos.
The middle eight of the song is split between a saxophone break followed by a choral break with the insistent refrain: #“Moving on Up, Moving on Up, Moving on Up, Moving on Up”#. Particular mention goes to the saxophone which provides the songs main instrumental ad-lib comes from the saxophone played quietly throughout and then predominantly during the instrumental break and throughout.
The song is set in the time signature of common time
with a faster tempo of 124 beats per minute and is written in the key of C minor
. Its start of with a keyboard intro on prominent 1st keyboard chord structure to move into a joint 1st and 2nd keyboard (strings) intro looping the same structure leading into Heather vocals.
Lyrically, the song is written from a female perspective towards a useless lover who has let her down again “this time you’ve gone too far” and is written with the perspective of breaking out of a relationship that clearly no longer works. Throughout there is a sax riff reminiscent of Motown classic "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
" by The Temptations
.
" became the third consecutive M People
single chart in the Top 10 and then climb higher. It entered the chart at number 4 following the strongest ever one week sale for the band to date in excess of 118,000 copies. In the second week the single was then to climb once more to the highest chart position of any M People
single, to number 2, selling a further 121,000 copies.
In its fourth week, when the parent album Elegant Slumming
was released shifting 39,000 copies to chart and peak at number two this still had very little effect on the single sales as it remained at number five for two weeks. This provided M People
with a top five single and album for one week for the very first time, which would happen when the fourth single "Renaissance" was released the following February (in 1994).
The single spent a total of five weeks in the top 10, selling a total of over 550,000 copies.
"Moving on Up" proved to be M People's biggest hit worldwide but just reaching #2 on the UK Singles Chart
. The single was also a success in Switzerland, Sweden and Netherlands.
It also topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play
chart in the U.S. in 1994. It is also M People's only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
reaching number 34.
and particularly Radio 1
were major supporters to the song and had quickly added the song to their A-Lists.
It stayed in the Airplay top ten for a total of seven weeks and then took a further eleven weeks to leave the Airplay Top 75. So after a grand total of 22 weeks, it was still being heavily played when its successor, the slower "Don't Look Any Further" was released to radio. This meant that since May 1993, M People
had at least one single continually in the Airplay chart until that December (seven months).
The video is inter-cut with particularly striking shots; there are white-shirted twins who watch the unfolding events from the bar throughout and the barman and barmaid who continually flirt across the bar. During the choral middle eight, a stroked black cat, is first seen walking along the bar and then when the camera cuts away, a Frenchman’s closer inspection while on an old-fashioned phone, looks though his monacle to see the cat has turned white. Additionally, while he is on the phone, a lizard is seen moving across the dialler.
By the final chorus, the girlfriend returns, cup of water in hand, and turns him round from talking with that other girl and pours the water on his head, looks satisfied and he looks shocked. The music then plays out with the final shot of the continually dancing crowd.
" proves itself to be the biggest crowd pleaser and since the Bizarre Fruit
Tour in 1994 has always the final song of the set and the encore. It’s a time for the band to really get in the funky dance groove and turn the song into a highly soaring, hands-in-the-air anthem.
All the members of the band get a chance to shine, with the backing vocalists having their section, Shovell gets a chance to wonder around the stage armed with a tambourine, Paul Heard and Paul Birchall on 1st and 2nd keyboards, but particularly outstanding is the sax solo performed by Snake Davis
in the outro as he has almost 90 seconds to ad lib his way through a jazzy, soulful breakdown solo while the audience clap till the end.
During the Bizarre Fruit II tour, Summer M Parties and Fresco tour, they performed a longer version of the song providing the audience with a chance to chant the refrain: “Moving” six times, before the final chorus.
on the uplifting ‘Roger S. Gospel Revival mix’.
A further mix of the single appeared on the Elegantly American (EP) – the ‘MK Movin’ Mix’
looking serious to hint that she’s moving away. The bottom quarter of the single has a purple banner all the way across with the title written on it.
On U.S. Versions of the single, the colour of this banner was red, yellow or blue.
featured on many compilations including Now That’s What I Call Music! 27, Telstar
’s Hits 93: Volume 4 in the UK and many other across the globe. The single has also been featured in many films including the 1997 British blockbuster The Full Monty
, The Next Karate Kid
and the American comedy The First Wives Club
.
CD maxi
12" maxi
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
and the second single from their second album Elegant Slumming
Elegant Slumming
Elegant Slumming is the second album by British house music band M People. It was released on 4 October 1993 charting and peaking at number 2 on the UK Album Chart and spent 87 weeks in the Top 75...
(1993). Written by Mike Pickering
Mike Pickering
Michael "Duncan" Pickering has DJed at The Haçienda's infamous "Nude" and "Hot" nights and later "Shine". He worked for Factory Records where he signed Happy Mondays, To Hell With Burgundy and James amongst others...
and Paul Heard. Produced by M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
. It was released on 13 September 1993. The song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and was the biggest selling M People single.
Background
Previous single One Night in HeavenOne Night in Heaven
One Night in Heaven is the sixth overall single from British band M People and the first single from their second album Elegant Slumming . Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. Produced by M People. It was released on 14 June 1993. The song peaked at number six on the UK Singles...
had garnered the band a massive-selling Summer hit single with both sustained radio airplay and critical acclaim. As another precursor to the highly anticipated album Elegant Slumming
Elegant Slumming
Elegant Slumming is the second album by British house music band M People. It was released on 4 October 1993 charting and peaking at number 2 on the UK Album Chart and spent 87 weeks in the Top 75...
, they would release another classic song with a feel good, radio-friendly vibe.
Composition
"Moving on Up" is an uptempo dance-popDance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
song, and follows in the footstep of previous single One Night in Heaven
One Night in Heaven
One Night in Heaven is the sixth overall single from British band M People and the first single from their second album Elegant Slumming . Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. Produced by M People. It was released on 14 June 1993. The song peaked at number six on the UK Singles...
although this time with much more a sassier, angry edge. It has a harder edge focusing on the end of a relationship from the perspective of a spurned lover. The song was recorded at The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
Studios in Chalk Farm
Chalk Farm
Chalk Farm is an area of north London, England. It lies directly to the north of Camden Town and its underground station is the closest tube station to the nearby, upmarket neighbourhood of Primrose Hill....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The backing vocals during the chorus is sung by vocalist Juliet Roberts
Juliet Roberts
Juliet Roberts is a British jazz, rock and house music singer of Grenadian descent.-Career:She originally recorded as Julie Roberts in 1982, and performed on the 1983 Top 10 hit single, "It's Over" by the Funkmasters...
who was featured prominently on the last single.
The song is made up of fewer, and more simplistic, elements than the last single, but the melody line is guided by the insistently looped infectious moog bassline, subtle rhythm guitar, programmed drumming, and underlying blowy synth effect with high hat synths and a four to the floor thumping house beat. This is embodied by the progressive and euphoric chords and additional chords during the choruses. Finally, Shovell’s percussion is more on tambourine and less on bongos.
The middle eight of the song is split between a saxophone break followed by a choral break with the insistent refrain: #“Moving on Up, Moving on Up, Moving on Up, Moving on Up”#. Particular mention goes to the saxophone which provides the songs main instrumental ad-lib comes from the saxophone played quietly throughout and then predominantly during the instrumental break and throughout.
The song is set in the time signature of common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a faster tempo of 124 beats per minute and is written in the key of C minor
C minor
C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. The harmonic minor raises the B to B. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with naturals and accidentals as necessary.Its key signature consists of three flats...
. Its start of with a keyboard intro on prominent 1st keyboard chord structure to move into a joint 1st and 2nd keyboard (strings) intro looping the same structure leading into Heather vocals.
Lyrically, the song is written from a female perspective towards a useless lover who has let her down again “this time you’ve gone too far” and is written with the perspective of breaking out of a relationship that clearly no longer works. Throughout there is a sax riff reminiscent of Motown classic "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" is a soul song, written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong as a single for Motown act The Undisputed Truth in 1971...
" by The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
.
Chart performance
"Moving On UpMoving on Up
Moving on Up is the seventh overall single from British band M People and the second single from their second album Elegant Slumming . Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. Produced by M People. It was released on 13 September 1993...
" became the third consecutive M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
single chart in the Top 10 and then climb higher. It entered the chart at number 4 following the strongest ever one week sale for the band to date in excess of 118,000 copies. In the second week the single was then to climb once more to the highest chart position of any M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
single, to number 2, selling a further 121,000 copies.
In its fourth week, when the parent album Elegant Slumming
Elegant Slumming
Elegant Slumming is the second album by British house music band M People. It was released on 4 October 1993 charting and peaking at number 2 on the UK Album Chart and spent 87 weeks in the Top 75...
was released shifting 39,000 copies to chart and peak at number two this still had very little effect on the single sales as it remained at number five for two weeks. This provided M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
with a top five single and album for one week for the very first time, which would happen when the fourth single "Renaissance" was released the following February (in 1994).
The single spent a total of five weeks in the top 10, selling a total of over 550,000 copies.
"Moving on Up" proved to be M People's biggest hit worldwide but just reaching #2 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The single was also a success in Switzerland, Sweden and Netherlands.
It also topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart in the U.S. in 1994. It is also M People's only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
reaching number 34.
Airplay
"Moving on Up" was serviced to radio five weeks before physical release on Monday 9th August 1993 while "One Night in Heaven" was still being very heavily rotated on UK Radio spending its second month in the Top 15. After the first week on airplay, the single landed at number 61 being played over 300 times on UK Radio. In a direct switch as soon as station played "Moving on Up" more and "One Night in Heaven" less causing the single to glide from 61 32 to 21 to soar to 9 and then to 5 in the week of physical release. Once again, most UK Independent Local Radio stations BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
and particularly Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
were major supporters to the song and had quickly added the song to their A-Lists.
It stayed in the Airplay top ten for a total of seven weeks and then took a further eleven weeks to leave the Airplay Top 75. So after a grand total of 22 weeks, it was still being heavily played when its successor, the slower "Don't Look Any Further" was released to radio. This meant that since May 1993, M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
had at least one single continually in the Airplay chart until that December (seven months).
Music video
The video was filmed in at a studio in Shepperton, London on the 7th August 1993 and sees the band performing on stage within a club/bar scene. Heather starts the video in the first shot as she enters and walks down the steps in an elegant black dress and wearing sparkly jewellery. As the video progresses it becomes clear that a literal interpretation of the song is being played out as the packed bar is visited by a couple whose relationship is on the rocks. Heather walks through the club of dancing people singing and looking directly at the camera while Paul Heard plays the bass guitar, Shovell on drums and Mike Pickering on the sax in the background. Before the first verse is finished, the couple are already seen arguing and remonstrating with each other and then, by the end of the chorus, the male part of the couple has already been pulled away and is seen dancing with another girl much to the annoyance of his girlfriend who looks on. By the bridge of the second verse, the girlfriend has clearly had enough and pulls him off the other girl and they are arguing seems more pronounced. He then ignores her and still persists with dancing with the other girl.The video is inter-cut with particularly striking shots; there are white-shirted twins who watch the unfolding events from the bar throughout and the barman and barmaid who continually flirt across the bar. During the choral middle eight, a stroked black cat, is first seen walking along the bar and then when the camera cuts away, a Frenchman’s closer inspection while on an old-fashioned phone, looks though his monacle to see the cat has turned white. Additionally, while he is on the phone, a lizard is seen moving across the dialler.
By the final chorus, the girlfriend returns, cup of water in hand, and turns him round from talking with that other girl and pours the water on his head, looks satisfied and he looks shocked. The music then plays out with the final shot of the continually dancing crowd.
Live performances
When performed live, "Moving on UpMoving on Up
Moving on Up is the seventh overall single from British band M People and the second single from their second album Elegant Slumming . Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. Produced by M People. It was released on 13 September 1993...
" proves itself to be the biggest crowd pleaser and since the Bizarre Fruit
Bizarre Fruit
- Release history :...
Tour in 1994 has always the final song of the set and the encore. It’s a time for the band to really get in the funky dance groove and turn the song into a highly soaring, hands-in-the-air anthem.
All the members of the band get a chance to shine, with the backing vocalists having their section, Shovell gets a chance to wonder around the stage armed with a tambourine, Paul Heard and Paul Birchall on 1st and 2nd keyboards, but particularly outstanding is the sax solo performed by Snake Davis
Snake Davis
Snake Davis is a session musician who has played with some of the worlds biggest artists. In the 1980s he fronted York band Zoot and the Roots....
in the outro as he has almost 90 seconds to ad lib his way through a jazzy, soulful breakdown solo while the audience clap till the end.
During the Bizarre Fruit II tour, Summer M Parties and Fresco tour, they performed a longer version of the song providing the audience with a chance to chant the refrain: “Moving” six times, before the final chorus.
Remixes
The first two tracks on the CD single were the radio edit and album version. M People themselves created a dub of the original radio edit as the third track, which was the only time this was done on one of their singles. Finally, the fourth track was an actual remix by the American House Music DJ Roger SanchezRoger Sanchez
Roger Sanchez, also known as Roger S. and The S Man, is a Grammy award-winning American House music DJ who has scored many hits in the European and World Charts...
on the uplifting ‘Roger S. Gospel Revival mix’.
A further mix of the single appeared on the Elegantly American (EP) – the ‘MK Movin’ Mix’
Artwork
On UK and European versions of the single the cover appeared with three quarters of the cover featuring a side profile of lead singer Heather SmallHeather Small
Heather Small is a British soul singer, best known for being the lead singer in the Manchester based band M People. Her debut solo album was Proud in 2000...
looking serious to hint that she’s moving away. The bottom quarter of the single has a purple banner all the way across with the title written on it.
On U.S. Versions of the single, the colour of this banner was red, yellow or blue.
Compilations/Soundtracks
Moving on UpMoving on Up
Moving on Up is the seventh overall single from British band M People and the second single from their second album Elegant Slumming . Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. Produced by M People. It was released on 13 September 1993...
featured on many compilations including Now That’s What I Call Music! 27, Telstar
Telstar
Telstar is the name of various communications satellites, including the first such satellite to relay television signals.The first two Telstar satellites were experimental and nearly identical. Telstar 1 was launched on top of a Thor-Delta rocket on July 10, 1962...
’s Hits 93: Volume 4 in the UK and many other across the globe. The single has also been featured in many films including the 1997 British blockbuster The Full Monty
The Full Monty
The Full Monty is a 1997 British comedy film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber, and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy...
, The Next Karate Kid
The Next Karate Kid
The Next Karate Kid is a 1994 American martial arts drama film starring Hilary Swank and Pat Morita. It is the fourth and final film in the original The Karate Kid series. It was directed by Christopher Cain, written by Mark Lee with music by Bill Conti. This is the only film in the original...
and the American comedy The First Wives Club
The First Wives Club
The First Wives Club is a 1996 comedy film, based on the best-selling 1992 novel of the same name by Olivia Goldsmith. Narrated by Diane Keaton, it stars Keaton, Goldie Hawn, and Bette Midler as three divorced women who seek revenge on their husbands who left them for younger women...
.
Track listings
CD single / 12" maxi - Promo- "Moving on Up" (M People master edit) – 3:34
- "Moving on Up" (M People dub) – 4:35
CD maxi
- "Moving on Up" (M People master edit) – 3:34
- "Moving on Up" (M People master mix) – 5:29
- "Moving on Up" (M People dub) – 4:35
- "Moving on Up" (Roger S.Roger SanchezRoger Sanchez, also known as Roger S. and The S Man, is a Grammy award-winning American House music DJ who has scored many hits in the European and World Charts...
gospel revival mix) – 5:55
12" maxi
- "Moving on Up" (M People master mix)
- "Moving on Up" (M People dub)
- "Moving on Up" (Roger S.Roger SanchezRoger Sanchez, also known as Roger S. and The S Man, is a Grammy award-winning American House music DJ who has scored many hits in the European and World Charts...
gospel revival mix) - "Moving on Up" (Roger S.Roger SanchezRoger Sanchez, also known as Roger S. and The S Man, is a Grammy award-winning American House music DJ who has scored many hits in the European and World Charts...
moving mix)
Charts
| Chart (1993/94) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Singles Chart |
4 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 17 |
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... 100 |
23 |
| Dutch Mega Top 100 | 11 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 3 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
4 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 20 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 19 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
34 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 | 33 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 14 |