Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)

Last updated

"Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)"
Cantaloop single.jpg
Single by Us3
from the album Hand On the Torch
Released2 January 1993
Recorded1992
Genre
Length
  • 3:42(single version)
  • 4:41 (album version)
Label Blue Note Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Geoff Wilkinson
  • Mel Simpson
Us3 singles chronology
"Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)"
(1993)		"Tukka Yoot's Riddim"
(1993)
Music video
"Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" on YouTube

"Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" is a song by British jazz-rap group Us3, originally released in October 1992 by Blue Note Records as the lead single from the group's debut album, Hand On the Torch (1993). The song was recorded as a demo a year before the group's first release and features a sample of Herbie Hancock's song "Cantaloupe Island". Another sample, the announcement by Pee Wee Marquette, is taken from the Blue Note album A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1 by The Art Blakey Quintet. [1] "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" did not chart in the group's native UK, but in the US, it reached No. 9 and 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, becoming the group's only top 40 single. It was subsequently re-released in UK where it peaked at No. 23. [2] The song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 25, 1994 for selling over 500,000 copies.

Contents

Critical reception

Ron Wynn from AllMusic stated that "when words and music mesh", as on "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)", "Us3 show how effectively hip-hop and jazz can blend." [3] Another AllMusic editor, Stewart Mason, complimented it as "excellent" and "probably the best acid jazz single ever". [4] Larry Flick from Billboard said, "Tired of the same old urban grind? Here's just what you need: a zesty stew of traditional jazz-fusion, hip-hop, and classic funk. Live horns (with a trumpet solo that works!), imaginative use of samples from Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloop Island", and diggy-diggy-bop rapping render this an essential playlist addition." [5] The Daily Vault's Christopher Thelen noted its "trip-hop mood". [6] David Hajdu from Entertainment Weekly named the song "one of the best singles of the year". [7] Linda Ryan from the Gavin Report commented, "It just doesn't get cooler than this! US3 combine jazz, hip-hop and house grooves for a fresh sound that begs to be discovered in a big way. If you thought Guru's Jazzmatazz was phat and all that, wait 'til you hear US3's "Cantaloop!" I prefer either the Radio Edit or the Groovy Mix. Aw, yeah." [8]

The Irish Independent deemed it as "excellent". [9] Calvin Bush from Melody Maker called it "exultant". [10] Another music critic, Peter Paphides, felt "this new colourful little number is piquant yet sweet, adventurous yet convivial, brusque yet somehow inviting." [11] Alan Jones from Music Week named it Pick of the Week, praising it as a "superb" rap and "funky, spunky, tasty, sample-strewn and cool jazz jam". [12] The magazine's Andy Beevers gave it four out of five, noting that the song "is even more catchy than "Tukka Yoot's Riddim". Rahsaan is the rapper this time and the vibe is funky rather than ragga influenced." [13] Neil Spencer from The Observer declared it the "standout" of the album. [14] Dimitri Ehrlich from Rolling Stone found that "Cantaloop" "is as easily digested as the fruit it's named after." [15] Charles Aaron from Spin wrote, "When this gem popped out of the sound system at Madison Square Garden (Knicks 98, Clippers 77, January 11, 1994), even Woody Allen quit slouching. For the 20-second time-out, I could envision a jazz orchestra doing hip-hop repertory in a racially mixed midtown disco. And it was a really good idea." [16] Troy J. Augusto from Variety described it as "a smooth, midtempo jazz track" that heavily samples the Herbie Hancock track. [17]

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Charles Wittenmeier. It earned an award in the category for Best New Artist Clip at the 1994 Billboard Music Video Awards in Los Angeles. [18] The video was later made available on YouTube's Vevo channel in 2009, and had generated more than 14 million views as of early 2024. [19]

Impact and legacy

"Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" was awarded one of ASCAP's Rhythm & Soul Awards in 1995. [20]

American online publication Slant Magazine listed the song at number 76 in their ranking of "The 100 Best Singles of the 1990s" in 2011, writing, "They got the beats. They got the rhymes. Us3’s sole pop hit, “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)”, is a cheerfully funky fusion of jazz and hip-hop—nothing more, nothing less. What it lacks in social consciousness it makes up for in musical brinkmanship: The production’s exciting explosion of frenetic horn riffs, interrupted only by a sick trumpet solo by Gerard Presencer, samples Herbie Hancock and Lou Donaldson, among others, and grooves in scary synchronicity with the uncannily delivered lyrics by one-time member Rahsaan Kelly. The mood is creative, idealistic, and laidback, suggesting the good vibes of A Tribe Called Quest and Digable Planets. It’s a sweet, slick, funky maelstrom of sound that’s also a time capsule of a gorgeously short-lived musical form. Diddi-diddi bop." [21]

Charts

Appearances in other media

"Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" is played in the films Super Mario Bros. (1993), Jimmy Hollywood (1994), Renaissance Man (1994), It Takes Two (1995), [50] Sisters (2015), [51] and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), and in the TV shows New York Undercover , Hindsight , the Baywatch episode "Someone to Baywatch Over You" (1994) and the Australian news satire Frontline. It is also featured in the PlayStation 4 video game Knack II (2017), during the end credits showing Knack in his various sizes dancing to the song, [52] and was used as the theme song for The Connection radio program on WBUR. [53] In 2024, the song was used as background music in U.S. TV commercials for Johnsonville Sausage's "Keep It Juicy" campaign.

Related Research Articles

Jazz rap is a fusion of jazz and hip hop music, as well as an alternative hip hop subgenre, that developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. AllMusic writes that the genre "was an attempt to fuse African-American music of the past with a newly dominant form of the present, paying tribute to and reinvigorating the former while expanding the horizons of the latter." The rhythm was rooted in hip hop over which were placed repetitive phrases of jazz instrumentation: trumpet, double bass, etc. Groups involved in the formation of jazz rap included A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, De La Soul, Gang Starr, and Jungle Brothers.

Us3 were a British jazz rap group founded by London-based producer Geoff Wilkinson in 1992.

<i>Hand On the Torch</i> 1993 studio album by Us3

Hand on the Torch is the debut studio album by British jazz rap group Us3. It received widespread attention due to its mixture of jazz with hip-hop music, with material from popular jazz musicians of the 20th century being reimagined. The samples used on the album are from old Blue Note Records classics: the most famous was Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island", which Us3 used on the track "Cantaloop ". It came out as a single having two different music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thieves in the Temple</span> 1990 single by Prince

"Thieves in the Temple" is a song by American musician Prince from the 1990 soundtrack album Graffiti Bridge. Added at the last minute, it was the final song recorded for the album. "Thieves in the Temple" topped the US R&B chart and became a number six hit in the US, and a number seven hit in the UK. The single also peaked at number nine on the dance chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang</span> 1993 single by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg

"Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" is a song by American rapper Dr. Dre, featuring fellow American rapper Snoop Dogg, on Dre's debut solo album, The Chronic (1992). As the album's first single it reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 20, 1993, behind "Informer" by Snow, outperforming The Chronic's other singles, "Fuck wit Dre Day ", which peaked at number 8, and "Let Me Ride", which peaked at number 34. The single also reached number 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, and was a number 31 hit in the UK. Its music video was directed by Dr. Dre himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)</span> 1992 single by En Vogue

"My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" is a song by American pop/R&B group En Vogue, released in March 1992 by Eastwest Records as the lead single from their multi-platinum second album, Funky Divas (1992).

"Cantaloupe Island" is a jazz standard composed by Herbie Hancock and recorded for his 1964 album Empyrean Isles during his early years as one of the members of Miles Davis' 1960s quintet. Hancock later recorded a jazz-funk fusion version of the track, as Cantelope Island, on his 1976 album Secrets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Go Home (song)</span> 1985 single by Stevie Wonder

"Go Home" is a song by Stevie Wonder, released as the second single from his twentieth studio album, In Square Circle (1985). The song showcased the narrator's plea to a young woman to go home, though the girl tries to get the narrator to stay with her. In the US, the song peaked at #2 on the Billboard R&B chart and #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and, to date, is Wonder's last song to reach the US top ten on the Hot 100. "Go Home" also topped both the Billboard dance chart and the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insane in the Brain</span> 1993 single by Cypress Hill

"Insane in the Brain" is a song by American hip hop group Cypress Hill, released in June 1993 by Ruffhouse and Columbia as the first single from the group's second album, Black Sunday (1993). The song was written by group members Louis Freese, Lawrence Muggerud and Senen Reyes, and produced by Muggerud. In addition to hitting number one on the US rap chart, it also was a mainstream hit, reaching number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1993. "Insane in the Brain" earned a 3× platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America and sold 3,000,000 copies domestically. The accompanying music video was directed by Josh Taft, featuring the group performing at a rave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Don't Love You</span> 1993 single by En Vogue

"Love Don't Love You" is a song by American R&B/pop vocal group En Vogue, released in February 1993 by Eastwest Records as the final single from their second album, Funky Divas (1992). The song was both written and produced by Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster, and became the group's fifth consecutive top-40 single from the album in the United States. It peaked at numbers 36 and 31 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. The song is led by group members Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If You Love Somebody Set Them Free</span> 1985 single by Sting

"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" is the first single by English musician Sting from his solo debut album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles (1985). It is also the opening track of the album, and is featured on Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984–1994 as well as The Very Best of Sting & The Police.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoop</span> 1993 single by Salt-n-Pepa

"Shoop" is the lead single released from American hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa's fourth studio album, Very Necessary (1993). The song was produced by group members Sandra "Pepa" Denton and Cheryl "Salt" James with Mark Sparks. Released in September 1993 by Next Plateau, the song became one of the group's more successful singles, reaching numbers four and five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, and topping the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart at number one. Two months after its release, "Shoop" was certified gold by the RIAA; it went on to sell 1.2 million copies. Its accompanying music video was directed by Scott Kalvert. The success of both this single and the follow-up single "Whatta Man" propelled Very Necessary to sell over 5 million copies in the US, becoming the group's best-selling album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herbie Hancock discography</span>

The discography of the American jazz artist Herbie Hancock consists of forty-one studio albums, twelve live albums, sixty-two compilation albums, five soundtrack albums, thirty-eight physical singles, nine promo singles and four songs not released as singles, but that charted due to downloads. This article does not include re-issues, unless they are counted separately from the original works in the charts, furthermore because of the enormous amount of material published, this discography omits less notable appearances in compilations and live albums. The discography shows the peak weekly main chart positions of eight selected countries: United States, France,[a] Germany, Japan,[b] Netherlands, Sweden,[c] Switzerland and United Kingdom. Positions also listed on United States are R&B / hip hop, dance / club, jazz[d] and bubbling under charts.[e] The peaks do not refer necessarily to the position that a record reached when it was first released. Also included are certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)[f] and the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI).[g]

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)</span> 1992 single by Digable Planets

"Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" is a song by American hip hop trio Digable Planets, released as the first single from their debut album, Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space), in November 1992. The black-and-white music video was directed by Morgan Lawley. The song contains a sample from "Stretching" by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Give Me the Night (song)</span> 1980 single by George Benson

"Give Me the Night" is a song recorded by American jazz and R&B musician George Benson, which he released from his 1980 studio album of the same title. It was written by Heatwave's keyboard player Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones. Patti Austin provides the backing and scat vocals that are heard throughout, and one of Benson's fellow jazz guitarists, Lee Ritenour, also performs on the track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hi-Jack</span> 1974 R&B and funk disco based song

"Hi-Jack" is a 1974 r&b and funk disco based song written by Spanish musician Fernando Arbex and originally recorded by his group Barrabás for their album ¡Soltad a Barrabás!. While their version of the song was a huge success in their native Spain, going all the way to Number one over there, the song flopped in America, stalling at just number No. 104 on the Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in July 1975. It was later a hit single for jazz flautist Herbie Mann.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's On</span> 1993 single by Naughty by Nature

"It's On" is a song by American hip hop trio Naughty by Nature, released on June 8, 1993 by Tommy Boy as the second single from the trio's third album, 19 Naughty III (1993). The song was produced and written by the three members of the group, and found decent success on the US Billboard charts, making it to number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 48 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It samples jazz artist Donald Byrd's "French Spice", for which he received writing credits. The official remix was produced by the production duo The Beatnuts and featured on the B-Side of the single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Looking for the One (To Be with Me)</span> 1993 single by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

"I'm Looking for the One (To Be with Me)" is a song by American hip hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, released in November 1993 by Jive Records as the third single from the duo's fifth studio album, Code Red (1993). The song was the follow-up to their highly successful hit single "Boom! Shake the Room" and peaked at number 79 on the US Billboard Hot 100. On the UK Singles Chart, it peaked at number 24. It samples "Tell Me If You Still Care", a song sung by the S.O.S. Band, and is written by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, while Teddy Riley produced it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do You Wanna Get Funky</span> 1994 single by C+C Music Factory

"Do You Wanna Get Funky" is a song by American dance music group C+C Music Factory featuring vocals from Martha Wash, Zelma Davis, and Trilogy. Released in July 1994 by Columbia as the lead single from the group's second album, Anything Goes! (1994), it reached number 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped both the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and the Canadian RPM Dance chart. In Europe and Oceania, it was a hit in several countries, peaking at number two in New Zealand, number five in Finland, number 11 in Australia, and number 18 in the Netherlands. Keir McFarlane directed the song's music video, featuring the artists performing in a nightclub. "Do You Wanna Get Funky" was awarded one of ASCAP's Rhythm & Soul Awards in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Just Keep Me Moving</span> 1993 single performed by k.d. lang

"Just Keep Me Moving" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter k.d. lang, co-written with Ben Mink. It was featured in the 1993 film Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, starring Uma Thurman, as well as the soundtrack album. The single was released in November 1993 by Warner Bros. and Sire, and reached number six on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number seven on the Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary chart. In Europe, it peaked at number 59 on the UK Singles Chart, but was more successful on the Music Week Airplay and Dance Singles charts, peaking at numbers 26 and 35. A music video was also produced to promote the single.

References

  1. ↑ A Night At Birdland vol.1 , retrieved August 9, 2022
  2. ↑ "Official Charts Company: Us3". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  3. ↑ Wynn, Ron. "Us3 – Hand On the Torch". AllMusic . Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  4. ↑ Mason, Stewart. "Us3 – Flip Fantasia: Hits & Remixes". AllMusic . Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  5. ↑ Flick, Larry (March 13, 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard . p. 118. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  6. ↑ Thelen, Christopher (December 31, 1998). "Hand On The Torch – Us3". The Daily Vault. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  7. ↑ Hajdu, David (January 14, 1994). "Hand On the Torch". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  8. ↑ Ryan, Linda (October 8, 1993). "Alternative: New Releases" (PDF). Gavin Report . p. 54. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  9. ↑ Irish Independent . 5 October 1993. p. 22.
  10. ↑ Bush, Calvin (July 24, 1993). "Albums". Melody Maker . p. 35. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  11. ↑ Paphides, Peter (September 18, 1993). "Singles". Melody Maker . p. 36. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  12. ↑ Jones, Alan (September 18, 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles - Pick of the Week" (PDF). Music Week . p. 16. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  13. ↑ Beevers, Andy (September 11, 1993). "Market Preview: Dance" (PDF). Music Week . p. 14. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  14. ↑ Spencer, Neil (11 July 1993). "Pop Releases". The Observer .
  15. ↑ "Us3: Hand on the Torch". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  16. ↑ Aaron, Charles (April 1994). "Singles". Spin . p. 96. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  17. ↑ Augusto, Troy J. (April 5, 1994). "Us3". Variety . Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  18. ↑ Flick, Larry (November 19, 1994). "Dance Trax: M People's 3rd deConstruction Set To Bear 'Fruit'" (PDF). Billboard . p. 33. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  19. ↑ "US3 - Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) [Official Video]". YouTube. March 12, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Congratulations To Our Winners" (PDF). Billboard . July 1, 1995. p. 16. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  21. ↑ "The 100 Best Singles of the 1990s". Slant Magazine . January 9, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  22. ↑ "US 3 – Cantaloop". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  23. ↑ "US 3 – Cantaloop" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  24. ↑ "US 3 – Cantaloop" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  25. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1606." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  26. ↑ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 6256." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 11. March 13, 1993. p. 23. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  28. ↑ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 10. March 6, 1993. p. 17. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  29. ↑ "US 3 – Cantaloop" (in French). Les classement single.
  30. ↑ "US 3 – Cantaloop" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 18. May 1, 1993. p. 24. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  32. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – US 3" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  33. ↑ "US 3 – Cantaloop" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  34. ↑ "US 3 – Cantaloop". Top 40 Singles.
  35. ↑ "US 3 – Cantaloop". Swiss Singles Chart.
  36. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  37. ↑ "Airplay 100" (PDF). Hit Music . October 23, 1993. p. 23. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  38. ↑ "Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week . September 25, 1993. p. 26. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  39. ↑ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). September 18, 1993. p. 4. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Us3 - Chart history | Billboard Hot 100". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  41. ↑ "Us3 - Chart history | Billboard Hot R&B Hip Hop Songs". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  42. ↑ "Us3 Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  43. ↑ "Top 100 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. LVII, no. 29. April 2, 1994. p. 10. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  44. ↑ "JAHRESHITPARADE 1993" (in German). austriancharts.at. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  45. ↑ "1993 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 51/52. December 18, 1993. p. 15. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  46. ↑ "Top 100 Singles – Jahrescharts 1993" (in German). GfK Entertainment . Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  47. ↑ "SWISS YEAR-END CHARTS 1993". swisscharts.com. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  48. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  49. ↑ "The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1994". Cash Box . Archived from the original on October 10, 2012.
  50. ↑ "It Takes Two (1995)". imdb.
  51. ↑ "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) [Goldfish Remix] Goldfish & Us3 in Sisters Movie". InSoundtrack.
  52. ↑ "Knack 2". Playstation. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  53. ↑ The Connection. WBUR.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.