"Rockin' for Myself" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Motiv8 | ||||
B-side | "Remix" | |||
Released | 1993 | |||
Recorded | 1993 | |||
Genre | Eurodance | |||
Length | 3:51 | |||
Label |
| |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Steve Rodway | |||
Motiv8singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Rockin' for Myself" on YouTube |
"Rockin' for Myself" is a song by British electronic dance music record producer Motiv8, aka Steve Rodway. Based around a vocal loop originally performed by Anne-Marie Smith on Italian dance act 49ers' 1992 single, "Move Your Feet", it was released in late 1993 and features vocals by British singer Angie Brown. This version reached number 67 on the UK Singles Chart. In the spring of 1994, it was re-mixed and re-released, peaking at number 18 in the UK. But on the UK Dance Singles Chart, it was even more successful, peaking at number-one. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 63. Outside Europe, it was successful in Australia, peaking at number nine. A music video (using the "Ultimate Vocal Mix") was produced to promote the single, featuring a model and dancer lip-syncing the song on a red sofa, wearing yellow sweater and beret.
Before going under the name Motiv8, Steve Rodway released mostly underground tracks under different names in the early 90's. One of these was an early version of "Rockin' for Myself". He thought it sounded much more commercial than the other and when the demand for underground techno began to fall off, he recorded a new version of the track, which would become a massive hit in clubs. Warner Records signed him and a new remix was released, reaching the Top 20 in the UK. From then, Rodway stuck with the name Motiv8. He told in an interview, that because of the song's success, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp approached him, asking for a remix of "Common People". [1] The following success of that remix played a big part in establishing the name Motiv8, according to Rodway.
Gina G's song "Rhythm of My Life" from her 1997 album Fresh! uses the backing track for "Rockin' for Myself (Extended Main Mix)", one of Rodway's 1994 variations. Initial pressings of the CD single included this remix along with a shorter radio edit, but they were omitted from later pressings.
Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "If rave/NRG is your dance flavor of choice, "Rockin' for Myself' by Motiv8 is a must menu addition. Angie Brown, last heard fronting singles by Bizarre Inc., puts forth a respectable performance, while Steve Rodway crafts an instrumental picture that strobes with vibrant keyboard colors and racing beats. Paul Gotel steps in and gives the track a beefier bottom, while Stonebridge comes to the table with a recognizable disco-fried interpretation." [2] Maria Jimenez from Music & Media stated, "Motiv8's happy, positivity track a la Urban Cookie Collective, "Rockin' for Myself", is appealing in its warm Stonebridge Mix, the wide open Well Hung Parliament Adventure and the hi-pumpin' Ultimate Vocal Mix". [3] Andy Beevers from Music Week rated it four out of five, calling it a "irrepressible house tune". [4] James Hamilton from the RM Dance Update described it as a "Angie Brown chanted simple pop raver". [5]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [18] | Gold | 35,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"Don't Stop (Wiggle Wiggle)" is a song by American hip-house duo the Outhere Brothers, released in 1994 as a single from their debut album, 1 Polish, 2 Biscuits & a Fish Sandwich (1994). The song topped the charts in the Republic of Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Although the music video and radio edit of the song featured a remixed, clean version of the song, the original, explicit lyrics were featured on different versions of the track on the CD single.
Steve Rodway, also known under the alias Motiv 8 or Motiv8, is a British electronic dance music producer, songwriter, remixer and sound engineer.
"Open Up" is a song by British electronic duo Leftfield featuring John Lydon. It was released as a single on 1 November 1993 by Hard Hands label. The single reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart, number one on the Music Week Dance Singles chart and number 39 in both Australia and New Zealand. NME reported in their 18 September 1993 issue, "This is the record that people have always wanted Lydon to do." In 2014, the same publication ranked "Open Up" at number 444 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". A black-and-white music video was produced to promote the single, directed by British director Lindy Heymann.
"The Thing I Like" is a song recorded by American singer Aaliyah for her debut studio album Age Ain't Nothing but a Number (1994). It was written and produced by R. Kelly. The song appeared on the soundtrack for the film A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994). It was released as the fifth and final single from Age Ain't Nothing but a Number exclusively in the United Kingdom on August 28, 1995, by Blackground Records and Jive Records.
"He's on the Phone" is a song by British pop group Saint Etienne in collaboration with French singer-songwriter Étienne Daho, released in October 1995 by Heavenly and MCA as a single from their third compilation album, Too Young to Die (1995). A fast-paced dance track, it is one of Saint Etienne's biggest hits, reaching number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, number 31 in Iceland, number 41 in Sweden and number 33 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. The lyrics tell of an "academia girl" trying to escape from a relationship with a married man: He's on the phone / And she wants to go home, / Shoes in hand, / Don't make a sound, / It's time to go. At the centre of the track is a spoken-word section by Daho.
"Two Can Play That Game" is a song by American R&B singer-songwriter Bobby Brown from his third album, Bobby (1992). The single release was remixed by K-Klass and originally reached No. 38 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1994. In April 1995, it re-entered the chart, peaking at No. 3. It received positive reviews from music critics and also reached No. 3 in the Netherlands. Additionally, it became a top-20 hit in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, and Italy. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Two Can Play That Game" peaked at No. 10. This version of the song appeared on Brown's remix album of the same name, released later in 1995.
"Feel Like Makin' Love" is a song by English supergroup Bad Company. The power ballad originally appeared on their second LP, Straight Shooter (1975), and was released as a single in June of the same year by Swan Song Records. It was named the 78th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.
"Hold My Body Tight" is a song by English boyband East 17, released in June 1995 as the fifth single from their second album, Steam (1994). It was the only single from the album to miss the UK top 10, peaking at No. 12. Outside the UK, it did enter the top 10 hit in Ireland, Israel, Japan, and Lithuania.
"A Red Letter Day" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 17 March 1997 as the fourth single from their sixth studio album, Bilingual (1996). The single peaked at number 9 on the UK Singles Chart, making it another top 10 single for the group. However, it then fell straight out of the UK top 40 the following week. At the time, this was a record as the biggest such fall to ever occur in UK chart history, but it was then beaten the following year by Embrace with their single "My Weakness Is None of Your Business".
"Anything" is a song recorded by German Eurodance group Culture Beat, released in December 1993 by Dance Pool as the third single from the group's second album, Serenity (1993). Written by Nosie Katzmann with Jay Supreme, Torsten Fenslau and Peter Zweie, the song was very successful on the charts in Europe. It reached the top five in at least nine countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. The song's music video was directed by Matt Broadley and filmed in London.
"Push the Feeling On" is a house song by the Scottish music group Nightcrawlers and American DJ Marc Kinchen (MK). The original version released in 1992 was also partially disco and acid jazz-influenced and was a minor chart hit in the United Kingdom. The song was later remixed extensively by Kinchen, creating a series of additional remixes for the song. One remix known as "Push the Feeling On (MK Dub Revisited Edit)" became an international chart hit in 1995, reaching the top 10 in various European countries, including the UK, where it peaked at number three.
"Crazy" is a song by British R&B girl group Eternal. Written and produced by BeBe Winans, the song was released in December 1994 as the sixth and final single to be released from their debut album, Always & Forever (1993). It entered and peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, staying on the charts for seven weeks. This would be the last single to feature member Louise Nurding, who left the group to pursue a solo career. Due to other commitments, Eternal were unable to record a promotional video for the song.
"Listen to the Music" is a song by American rock band the Doobie Brothers, released on their second album, Toulouse Street (1972). The song was their first major hit. It was written by Tom Johnston. In 1994, it received a remix by Steve Rodway a.k.a. Motiv8 in 1994, which eventually peaked at #37 UK.
"Right Here" is the debut single of American R&B girl group SWV, released on August 20, 1992 by RCA Records, as the lead single from their debut album, It's About Time (1992). The song was written by Brian Alexander Morgan, who also produced it. A remixed version, referred to as "Right Here (Human Nature Remix)" and based around a feature of Michael Jackson's 1982 song "Human Nature", was released in July 1993, and charted on the US Billboard charts as a double-A-side with "Downtown". This version, produced by Teddy Riley, became a number-one R&B single, selling 1,000,000 copies and earning a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was also a number-one hit in Zimbabwe. The music video for the song was directed by Lionel C. Martin, featuring SWV riding horses and fishing.
"The Key the Secret" is the debut single by British group Urban Cookie Collective, released in June 1993 by Pulse 8 from the group's debut album, High on a Happy Vibe (1994). The song features vocals by British singer Diane Charlemagne and peaked at number one in the Netherlands. It was a top-5 hit also in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, and the UK, where it reached number two. Its music video was directed by Lindy Heymann, featuring the group in an indoor botanical garden.
"Son of a Gun" is the debut single of British dance music DJ Jake Williams, released under the name JX. It was released in March 1994, reaching number six in the United Kingdom and Australia and number 35 in the Netherlands. The song contains samples from the 1976 song "Touch and Go" by Ecstasy, Passion & Pain featuring Barbara Roy. Two different music videos were made to promote the single. The Top Ten chart success of "Son Of A Gun" in Australia was very much, almost solely, due to a community radio station in Melbourne, 98.9 North West FM. The station instantly identified the hit quality of the song and immediately added the song to the station's playlist on high rotation, and also incorporated grabs of the song in station IDs, "cue to call" promotions and other program elements. This almost saturation exposure of the song not only brought the song to the attention of the station's listeners, but also forced the hand of other Melbourne radio stations to add the song to their own playlists, some taking a full three months after North West FM's debut.
"U R the Best Thing" is the debut single of Northern Irish musical group D:Ream, included on their first album, D:Ream On Volume 1 (1993). Originally a club hit released in 1992, the song has been remixed and re-released twice: in 1993 and in 1994. The 1994 version, also known as the Perfecto mix, was most successful peaking at number three in Scotland, number four on the UK Singles Chart and number six in Ireland. It also peaked at number 13 on the Eurochart Hot 100. The 1993 version reached number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the US. There were made three different music videos to promote the single; the 1994 version was directed by Marcus Nispel.
"Open Your Mind" is a song by Italian electronic music group U.S.U.R.A., released as the debut single and title track from the group's only album, Open Your Mind (1993). Released in 1993 through Italian Style in Italy and through Deconstruction Records across the rest of Europe and Australia, it samples the song "New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)" by Scottish band Simple Minds.
"Shine On" is a song by American house music project Degrees of Motion, featuring vocals by Biti Strauchn and Kit West. It was originally released in July 1992 as a single from their album, Degrees Of Motion (1991), peaking at number 43 on the UK Singles Chart. Following a re-release in March 1994, it charted higher, peaking at number eight on the same listing. It also reached number one on the UK Dance Singles Chart same year.
"Gotta Get It Right" is a song by British pop-soul singer-songwriter Lena Fiagbe, released in 1993 by Mother Records as the second single from her debut album, Visions (1994). The song was written by Fiagbe with Steve Byrd and she also co-produced it with Martyn Ware. It became her biggest hit in the UK, peaking at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as reaching number one on the Record Mirror Club Chart.