A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"

"A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" is the first single by hip hop trio De La Soul from their second studio album De La Soul Is Dead. The track includes vocal contributions from rapper Q-Tip, R&B singer Vinia Mojica and entrepreneur Russell Simmons. The track's composition is built around many samples.

"A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays""
Single by De La Soul
from the album De La Soul Is Dead
B-side"What Yo Life Can Truly Be"
ReleasedMarch 5, 1991 (1991-03-05)
GenreHip hop
Length4:02 (album version)
3:59 (radio edit)
LabelTommy Boy
Songwriter(s)Kelvin Mercer, Paul Huston, Vincent Mason, Kamal Fareed Rodney Mathews
Producer(s)Prince Paul
De La Soul singles chronology
"The Magic Number"
(1990)		 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays""
(1991)		 "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)"
(1991)

The song was generally well-received by critics. The song peaked at number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart and at numbers six and forty three on the United States Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs charts respectively.

Conception and composition

The song's lyrics were written by Paul "Prince Paul" Huston, Kelvin "Posdnuos" Mercer, David "Dave" Jude Jolicoeur, Vincent "Maseo" Mason and Jonathan "Q-Tip" Davis,[1] and produced by Prince Paul.[1] The title of the song derives from the roller skating fad of the 1970s, as well as a prominent sample of "Saturday in the Park" originally recorded by American rock band Chicago.[2]

Posdnuos and Dave of the group rap verses on the track, and other musical contributions are made by rapper Q-Tip, who raps the first verse of the track and vocalist Vinia Mojica, who sings between verses.[3] The intro of the song features Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons - in non-musical capacity - as a DJ from fictional radio station "WRMS". The song is considered a collaboration from the Native Tongues posse, as both De La Soul, Q-Tip and Mojica are members.

The themes of the song's lyrics revolve around roller skating and the joy of weekends, compared to darker themes explored throughout De La Soul Is Dead to try to debunk their "daisy-age" image caused by the themes of their previous album 3 Feet High and Rising.[4] Because of this, the track has been described as one of the more light-hearted tracks on the album.[4]

The song's main beat is based around a sample of a riff from soul group The Mighty Ryeders' "Evil Vibrations" (1978);[5] because of this, the group's frontman, Rodney Matthews, is given songwriting credit on the song. Aside from this the song samples:

All of these samples except the latter three are credited in the liner notes.

Track listing
12" single/cassette single

A1 "What Yo Life Can Truly Be" (featuring A Tribe Called Quest and Dres) - 4:58

A2 "Who's Skatin' Promo" (featuring Big Daddy Kane, Dres and Russell Simmons) - 2:48
A3 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (Ladies Nite Decision) (featuring Q-Tip) - 4:11
A4 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (LP Version) (featuring Q-Tip) - 4:02
B1 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (Radio Home Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 3:42
B2 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (Dave's Home Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:23
B3 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (6:00 AM Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:07
B4 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" (Mo Mo Dub) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:03

7" single

A "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (Disco Fever Edit) - 4:04
B "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (Radio Home Mix) 3:42

CD single
  1. "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (LP Version) (featuring Q-Tip) - 4:02
  2. "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (Radio Home Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 3:42
  3. "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" (Ladies Nite Decision) (featuring Q-Tip) - 4:11
  4. "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (6:00 AM Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:07
  5. "Who's Skatin' Promo" (featuring Big Daddy Kane, Dres and Russell Simmons) - 2:48
  6. "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (Dave's Home Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:23
  7. "What Yo Life Can Truly Be" (featuring A Tribe Called Quest and Dres) - 4:58
  8. "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" (Mo Mo Dub) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:03

Charts
Chart (1991) Peak
Position
Australian Singles Chart[8] 54
Denmark (IFPI)[9] 6
UK Singles Chart[10] 22
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[11] 43
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[12] 6
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References
  1. "Images for De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead) at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 2010-06-04. - Liner notes for the album
  2. "De La Soul feat. Q-Tip and Vinia Mojica's A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" sample of Chicago's Saturday in the Park". Whosampled.com. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  3. "De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead (Cassette, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-08-20.
  4. Huey, Steve. "allmusic ((( De La Soul Is Dead > Overview )))".
  5. "De La Soul's Sample-Based Music". Whosampled.com. Archived from the original on 28 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  6. "De La Soul feat. Q-Tip and Vinia Mojica's A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" sample of Frankie Valli's Grease". Whosampled.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  7. "De La Soul's Sample-Based Music". Whosampled.com. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  8. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  9. "Top 10 Denmark" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  10. "The Official Charts Company - De La Soul - A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  11. "De La Soul - Artist Chart History - R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  12. "De La Soul - Artist Chart History - Dance/Club Play Songs". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
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