Rockin' Over the Beat
Encyclopedia
"Rockin' Over the Beat" is a song by dance act
Technotronic
. It first appeared on their debut album Pump Up the Jam
in 1989 and was released as a single
the following year. It is accredited to "Technotronic featuring Ya Kid K
", who co-wrote the track with Jo Bogaert (aka Thomas de Quincey).
The song is an upbeat house
tune espousing the pleasures of dancing
. It is representative of the positive and melodic feel of the Pump Up the Jam album. "Rockin' Over the Beat" was a respectable hit for Technotronic; it reached #9 in the UK
, #11 in Ireland
and breached the Billboard Hot 100
at #95.
. In the UK the 7" edition comprised an edit of the LP version together with an album track, "Raw". In Belgium
the "Rockin' Over Manchester 7" Remix" by Bernard Sumner
of New Order
was the A-side
, again with "Raw" as the B-side, while in France
the Sumner mix appeared as the B-side with a single edit as the first track.
Most 12" releases featured three remixes
by Bernard Sumner: the "Piccadilly
", "Hacienda
" and "Instrumental
" mixes, all of which were prefixed with "Rockin' Over Manchester
" (where Sumner is from), with the album version included as the first track in France and Britain.
A European CD maxi-single collected the edited and full LP versions together with the "7" Remix" and "Dub Version" mixes by Sumner.
were made for the song. One featured the LP edit over black and white footage of people dancing, with brightly coloured words superimposed. The other was a more contemporary film with dancers in front of a white background and Ya Kid K miming in a large room.
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
Technotronic
Technotronic
Technotronic is a Belgian studio-based music project formed in 1988 by Jo Bogaert , who had already made his musical mark in the beginning of the 1980s as a part of a cover band and as a solo artist under various New Beat projects, including The Acts of Madmen and Nux Nemo...
. It first appeared on their debut album Pump Up the Jam
Pump Up the Jam: The Album
Pump Up the Jam: The Album is Technotronic's first album on a major label. It was released on November 28, 1989. When it was discovered that model Felly lip-synched to vocals actually performed by Belgian hip-house emcee Ya Kid K, the artwork was changed....
in 1989 and was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
the following year. It is accredited to "Technotronic featuring Ya Kid K
Ya Kid K
Ya Kid K. is a Congolese-Belgian hip hop artist. Her sister, Karoline 'Leki' Kamosi, is an R&B singer.-Biography:...
", who co-wrote the track with Jo Bogaert (aka Thomas de Quincey).
The song is an upbeat house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
tune espousing the pleasures of dancing
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
. It is representative of the positive and melodic feel of the Pump Up the Jam album. "Rockin' Over the Beat" was a respectable hit for Technotronic; it reached #9 in the UK
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 ...
, #11 in Ireland
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...
and breached 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...
at #95.
Releases
The single was released on vinyl and Compact DiscCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
. In the UK the 7" edition comprised an edit of the LP version together with an album track, "Raw". In Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
the "Rockin' Over Manchester 7" Remix" by Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner , also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken and Bernard Albrecht is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player and producer....
of New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
was the A-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, again with "Raw" as the B-side, while in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
the Sumner mix appeared as the B-side with a single edit as the first track.
Most 12" releases featured three remixes
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
by Bernard Sumner: the "Piccadilly
Piccadilly (disambiguation)
Piccadilly is a major street in London, England.Piccadilly may also refer to:- Commerce :*Piccadilly , a Bulgarian supermarket chain*Piccadilly Restaurants, an American cafeteria-style restaurant chain- Entertainment :...
", "Hacienda
The Haçienda
Fac 51 Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England. It became most famous during the "Madchester" years of the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the 1990s it was labelled the most famous club in the world by Newsweek magazine...
" and "Instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
" mixes, all of which were prefixed with "Rockin' Over Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
" (where Sumner is from), with the album version included as the first track in France and Britain.
A European CD maxi-single collected the edited and full LP versions together with the "7" Remix" and "Dub Version" mixes by Sumner.
Music videos
At least two videosMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
were made for the song. One featured the LP edit over black and white footage of people dancing, with brightly coloured words superimposed. The other was a more contemporary film with dancers in front of a white background and Ya Kid K miming in a large room.
Charts
| Chart (1990-1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 20 |
| German Singles Chart | 18 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 11 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 10 |
| UK Singles Chart | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 95 |