Anthem (N-Joi song)

"Anthem", is a song by the British electronic music group N-Joi. The piano-driven track, which also served as part of their debut EP, has gone on to become one of the most famous signature songs in the act's career, as well as seeing it chart numerous times since its 1990 release.

"Anthem"
Single by N-Joi
from the album Adrenalin EP
Released
  • 1990 ("Anthem")
  • 1996 ("The New Anthem")
Recorded
  • 1990 (original)
  • 1996 (new recordings)
GenreHouse
Length4:05 (original recording)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Mark Franklin
  • Nigel Champion
  • Mark Ryder
N-Joi singles chronology
"Bad Things"
(1995)		 "Anthem"
(1990)		 "Malfunction"
(1990)
Bad Things
(1995)
The New Anthem
(1996)
Screeem! (Anthem '98)
(1998)
Music video
"Anthem" on YouTube

Background

The song Anthem has charted on both the UK and US charts. It was originally released in 1990 as a 6 track promo on white label, before being sold on to Deconstruction, where it was released on the EP, 'Music From A State Of Mind', reaching number 45 on the UK Top 75 in November 1990. Following much club play, Anthem was reissued in April 1991 reaching number 8 on the UK Singles Chart, but in the United States it had better success on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, where it made two trips to the top 5, reaching number 4 in 1991 with the original mixes, and again in 1996, where it was re-released with new remixes as "The New Anthem" (under the expanded credited "N-Joi featuring Mark Franklin and Nigel Champion"). The updated version would be their second number one in the US, following "Mindflux".

Although the single and the video (Filmed in Shelleys Laserdome , Longton,Stoke-on-Trent) also features singer Saffron, who did the live performances for the act (and whose career would take off after this track with `Republica`), "Anthem" actually features samples of three songs: "Peanut Butter" by Gwen Guthrie (using the lyrics "I'm in love with you / Want you to love me too..."; Saffron performs the same lyrics in the duo's live shows), "I Found Love" by Darlene Davis (using the lyrics "True love can be hard to find...") and "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" by Soul II Soul. Because of this, the artists (and their writers) also receive credits on the single.[1]

The original version of "Anthem" is featured in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V and its accompanying soundtrack.

The song was featured in iconic clubbing movie Beats in 2019.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from American magazine Billboard wrote, "After receiving attention stateside as an import, duo offers frenetic, sample-happy houser in mixes that should have been lengthened slightly, but will be warmly welcomed at numerous clubs regardless. Also of note are "Manic" and "Techno Gangsters," a pair of contagious instrumentals on the flip side."[2]

Track listings

1990 version
12" CD (UK)[3]
  • "Anthem" (The Original Mix) – (4:05)
  • "Anthem" (The Mafia Mix) – (4:50)
  • "Anthem" (The Six Day Nightmare Mix) – (4:28)
  • "Malfunction" – (4:20)
12" CD (US)[4]
  • A1 "Anthem" (N-Joi R Dub Mix) – (5:11)
  • A2 "Anthem" (N-Joi R Dance Mix) – (5:20)
  • A3 "Anthem" (N-Joi R Deepstrumental) – (4:07)
  • B1 "Anthem" (Distant Run Mix) – (4:15)
  • B2 "Anthem" (Original Mix Edit) – (4:20)
12" EP (US)
  • A1 "Anthem" (The Six Day Nightmare Mix) – (4:30)
  • A2 "Anthem" (The Mafia Mix) – (5:02)
  • B1 "Anthem" – (4:03)
  • B2 "Manic" – (2:37)
  • B3 "Techno Gangsters" – (3:33)

1996 version
12" MCD (US)[5]
  • 1 "Anthem" (Spike Club Mix) – (7:55)
  • 2 "Anthem" (Original Mix) – (4:03)
  • 3 "Anthem" (Vission/Pete Lorimer Love Acid!) – (7:21)
  • 4 "Anthem" (The Mafia Mix) – (5:02)
  • 5 "Anthem" (The Six Day Nightmare Mix) – (4:30)

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (1990–91) Peak
position
Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg)[6] 10
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[7] 8
UK Music Week Dance Singles[8] 2
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 4

"The New Anthem"
Chart (1996) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 1

References
  1. "Anthem" from WhoSampled
  2. Flick, Larry (26 January 1991). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 95. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  3. UK track listing from Discogs
  4. US promo listing from Discogs
  5. Track listing at discogs.com
  6. Radio Luxembourg Singles, 14 April 1991
  7. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 386. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  8. "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 13 April 1991. p. 20. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
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