Body Groove

"Body Groove"
Single by Architechs featuring Nana
Released	25 September 2000 (2000-09-25) [1]
Genre	UK garage [2]
Length	5:13
Label	Go! Beat
Songwriter(s)	Ashley Akabah Paul Akabah
Producer(s)	Architechs
Architechs singles chronology
"Body Groove" (2000) "Show Me the Money" (2001)

"Body Groove" is the debut single of UK garage group Architechs, featuring vocals from Nana. Released on 25 September 2000, the song was a success, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart and becoming a moderate hit in Belgium, Iceland, and the Netherlands.

Background

In an interview with Sound on Sound , Ashley and Paul Akabah explained that much of the track was created in a modest home setup, with producer City programming the beats on an Akai S3000 sampler and recording vocals from Nana in their South London studio. ^[3]

Critical reception

Music Week praised the single as a “standout UKG crossover,” singling out Nana’s vocal as “the element that lifts it beyond the clubs.” ^[4] In Sound on Sound , the production was described as a model of “how little more than an Akai sampler and strong songwriting instincts could deliver a UK Top 5 hit". ^[5] The Guardian ranked “Body Groove” among the best UK garage tracks of all time, calling it “a ridiculously catchy, squelchy tune” that embodied the genre’s commercial peak. ^[6] Resident Advisor wrote that “Body Groove” had become “a time capsule for the optimism of 2000 UKG, still a guaranteed singalong nearly two decades later.” ^[7]

Track listings

UK CD and 12-inch single; European CD single ^{[8] [9] [10]}

1. "Body Groove" (original mix MC version) – 5:13
2. "Body Groove" (Drive Time mix) – 5:35
3. "Body Groove" (Zed Bias dub mix) – 5:52

UK cassette single ^[11]

1. "Body Groove" (original mix MC version) – 5:13
2. "Body Groove" (Zed Bias dub mix) – 5:52

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2000) Peak position Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [12] 15 Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia) [13] 9 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [14] 16 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) [15] 21 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [16] 26 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [17] 44 Scotland (OCC) [18] 27 UK Singles (OCC) [19] 3 UK Dance (OCC) [20] 2

Year-end charts Chart (2000) Position UK Singles (OCC) [21] 56

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [22]	Platinum	600,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Covers and samples

In 2019, DJ Spoony together with Katie Chatburn and the Ignition Orchestra featuring Nay Nay and Ms Banks on vocals recorded an orchestral version of the song for the UK garage covers album Garage Classical . In 2020, Dizzee Rascal sampled the intro of "Body Groove" throughout his song "Body Loose".

References

1. "New Releases – For Week Starting 25, 2000: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 23 September 1999. p. 27. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
2. Lavin, Will (14 February 2020). "'Body Groove' hitmaker Ashley Akabah of garage duo Architechs has died". NME . Retrieved 17 July 2020.
3. "Architechs Recording Body Groove". Sound on Sound. February 2001. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
4. "Single reviews" (PDF). Music Week. 30 September 2000. p. 16. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
5. "Architechs Recording Body Groove". Sound on Sound. February 2001. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
6. "The best UK garage tracks – ranked!". The Guardian. 31 August 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
7. "Rewind: Architechs – Body Groove". Resident Advisor. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
8. Body Groove (UK CD single liner notes). Architechs. Go! Beat. 2000. GOBCD33, 07314 587 776 25.
9. Body Groove (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Architechs. Go! Beat. 2000. GOBX33, 0731458777618.
10. Body Groove (European CD single liner notes). Architechs. Go! Beat. 2000. 5878302.
11. Body Groove (UK cassette single sleeve). Architechs. Go! Beat. 2000. GOMCD33, 07314 587 776 49.
12. "Architechs feat. Nana – Body Groove" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
13. "Architechs feat. Nana – Body Groove" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
14. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 17, no. 42. 14 October 2000. p. 10. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
15. "Íslenski Listinn Sætin 21 til 40 (1.12–7.12 2000)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 1 December 2000. p. 10. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
16. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 49, 2000" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
17. "Architechs feat. Nana – Body Groove" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
18. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
19. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
20. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
21. "Best Sellers of 2000: Singles Top 100". Music Week. 20 January 2001. p. 25.
22. "British single certifications – Architechs ft Nana – Body Groove". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 30 August 2024.