Rockin' Over the Beat

"Rockin' Over the Beat" is a song by Belgian 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).

"Rockin' Over the Beat"
Single by Technotronic
from the album Pump Up the Jam
Released20 April 1990
GenreEurodance
Label Swanyard Records
On the Beat
Musart
Songwriter(s)M. Kamosi,
J. Bogaert
Producer(s)Jo Bogaert
Technotronic singles chronology
"Spin That Wheel"
(1990)		 "Rockin' Over the Beat"
(1990)		 "Megamix"
(1990)
Music video
"Rockin' Over the Beat" on YouTube

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.[1]

Releases

The single was released on vinyl and Compact Disc. 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.[2]

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.

Critical reception

Gene Sandbloom from The Network Forty wrote that "the heavy house sounds you've come to know from this Belgian dance phenomenon take a back seat to former model Felly's vocals this time out. The results are the first single with actually more radio than dance floor appeal from this group that brought a whole new wave to the clubs a year ago. Expressing her words through her trademark blue lipstick, Felly's attitude filled vocals float over this African/New York beat, and the song becomes more hypnotic with each listen."[3] Pop Rescue noted the "catchy formulaic sound" that the act found great success with, on the track, adding that it "bounces along nicely".[4] William Shaw from Smash Hits noted that Ya Kid K "has a brilliant rap voice". He wrote that she is "on form here, piping out another bubbly rap about rolling under the mel-o-dee, and rockin' under the beat, but she does it swingingly."[5]

Music videos

At least two videos were made for the song. The UK video, which used the LP edit over black-and-white footage of people dancing, with brightly coloured words and animations superimposed. The US video, which used the Rockin' Over Manchester 7" Remix was a more contemporary film with dancers in front of a white background and slowed-down clips from the Pump Up The Jam (live version) and Get Up videos.

Charts
Chart (1990–1991) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[6] 53
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 16
France (SNEP)[8] 20
Germany (Official German Charts)[9] 18
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 11
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] 10
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[12] 9
scope="row"US Billboard Hot 100[13] 95
scope="row"US Radio Songs (Billboard)[14] 61

References
  1. billboard.com archive (link)
  2. Discogs entries (link)
  3. "Top 40: Music Meeting" (PDF). The Network Forty. September 21, 1990. p. 28. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  4. "REVIEW: "PUMP UP THE JAM" BY TECHNOTRONIC (CD, 1989)". Pop Rescue. November 30, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  5. "Review: Singles". Smash Hits. No. 303. July 11, 1990. p. 45. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  6. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  7. "Ultratop.be – Technotronic feat. Ya Kid K – Rockin' Over The Beat" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  8. "Lescharts.com – Technotronic feat. Ya Kid K – Rockin' Over The Beat" (in French). Les classement single.
  9. "Offiziellecharts.de – Technotronic feat. Ya Kid K – Rockin' Over The Beat". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  10. Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved January 12, 2009)
  11. "Swisscharts.com – Technotronic feat. Ya Kid K – Rockin' Over The Beat". Swiss Singles Chart.
  12. UK Singles Chart Official Charts Company (Retrieved January 12, 2009)
  13. "Technotronic Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  14. "Technotronic Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
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