Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)

"Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" is a song by Italian electronic music producer Spiller featuring vocals from British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor.[2] Various versions of the single were later featured on the German reissue and some UK editions of Ellis-Bextor's debut solo album, Read My Lips.

"Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)"
Single by Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Released14 August 2000[1]
Recorded2000
GenreHandbag house[2]
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Spiller singles chronology
"Mighty Miami EP"
(2000)
"Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)"
(2000)
"Cry Baby"
(2002)
Sophie Ellis-Bextor singles chronology
"Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)"
(2000)
"Take Me Home"
(2001)
Alternative covers
French CD single cover

The single was released on 14 August 2000 by Positiva Records. In addition to receiving critical acclaim, it became a hit in Europe and Australia, peaking at number one in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Ireland, and Australia, and it reached number three on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. On 22 July 2013, the song was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), and it has sold 642,000 copies in the UK as of March 2019.

Background

The track was originally created by Spiller in early 1999 as an instrumental, with no singing, and was included on the Mighty Miami EP. It is mainly built upon samples from "Love Is You", a disco song originally performed by Carol Williams with the Salsoul Orchestra. The origin of the song title is taken from the name of South Beach, Miami nightclub 'Groovejet', where the song was first played (as an instrumental) in 1999.[3]

In order to make the track more palatable for airplay, as the instrumental is somewhat repetitive, Positiva asked British singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, formerly with indie rock band theaudience, to provide lyrics and vocals for the song. Before recording, Ellis-Bextor's lyric was partly reworked by Rob Davis, who replaced her hook "And so it goes... how does it feel so good?" with "If this ain't love... why does it feel so good?", thereby providing the song with its subtitle.[4] Boris Dlugosch produced the vocal portions added to the track. Sharon Scott is the back-up vocalist.

The track has been remixed by Boris Dlugosch and Michi Lange, Todd Terry, Solar, Ramon "Ray Roc" Checo and Ernest St. Laurent. "Groovejet" was the first song ever to be played on an iPod, specifically on a prototype unit in August 2001.[5] It was declared by Apple's former designer Jony Ive on an interview with journalist Steven Levy for Wired magazine and on Leander Kahney's book about Jony Ive's career at Apple. Upon its inclusion on Now That's What I Call Music! 46 in the UK, released a month before the single, the booklet write-up correctly predicted it to be a hit.[6]

Critical reception

"Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" has received critical acclaim from critics. Piers Martin of NME was favourable, saying "this is a slip of irresistible ice-filtered summer funk. This year's 'Sing It Back' and 'Music Sounds Better with You', if you will."[7] Stylus Magazine's Dom Passantino rated the single 8/10, describing the song as "handbag house's last hurrah, except we'd stopped drinking Hooch by then and it was all about sambucca..."[2]

Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger rated the single 9/10, saying: "There's a beautiful tension in 'Groovejet', an apt flirtation between Bextor’s languid, cut-glass vocals and the delightful indulgence of Spiller's music. It’s not just any disco he's reviving, after all. No Chic for Spiller, none of that poise or aspirational elegance. The sounds 'Groovejet' loots are the syn-drums and ray-gun synths of disco's overripe peak and decline, when it was corny, wonderful, mass-market pop music: you can hear hints of Kelly Marie or Amii Stewart in the song, before that sweetness falls back into the dreamy groove. 'Groovejet' is a fond tour of disco when it ruled the world, and proof that it still could."[8] He described the music's sophistication as coming from Ellis-Bextor, who "offsets the track's bubbly repetition, adds a bittersweet note without ever sounding like she's above it. In fact she sounds carried along by it."[8]

The song was ranked at number 486 in Pitchfork Media's list of the Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s.[9] Mixmag included "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" in their list of "The 30 best vocal house anthems ever" in 2018.[10] In 2003, Q Magazine ranked "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" at number 782 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".[11]

Commercial performance

In the United Kingdom, the single was first released in the same week as "Out of Your Mind", Victoria Beckham's first solo single. "Out of Your Mind" held the midweek number one in the UK singles chart until Saturday, when "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" overtook it in sales; it was hyped by the media as a personal battle between the two artists.[12][13] The song was the eighth best-selling song of 2000 in the UK.[14] A live version of the track appeared as a B-side to Ellis-Bextor's single Music Gets The Best of Me, and in 2003, "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" was re-released as part of Positiva Records 'Remixed' series. In April 2015, the Official Charts Company announced that "Groovejet" was the biggest-selling vinyl single of the millennium in the UK.[15]

The single also found success worldwide. It reached number one in Ireland (two weeks),[16] Australia (three weeks),[17] and New Zealand (seven weeks).[18] In mainland Europe, it charted within the top five in Iceland,[19] Norway,[20] and Switzerland[21] while becoming a top-ten hit in Denmark,[22] Finland,[17] Hungary,[23] Italy,[24] the Netherlands,[25] and Portugal.[26] On the Eurochart Hot 100, it peaked at number 12 on 21 October 2000.[27] In the United States, "Groovejet" peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart and number three on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.[28][29] The track has earned platinum certifications in Australia,[30] New Zealand,[31] and the UK.[32]

Music video

The video for the song shows Spiller and Sophie making their way separately around Bangkok. Spiller meets people and signs autographs, while finding his height makes life there difficult; Sophie sings wistfully at various tables in bars. Spiller takes a taxicab while Sophie takes a tuk-tuk, and eventually they meet at a nightclub.

Track listings

Charts and certifications

References

  1. NME (14 August 2000). "Posh Spices Up Chart Battle". NME. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  2. ""Gotta Get Thru This": Dom Passantino's Survey of the New Millenium's UK #1 Singles". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 24 June 2006. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  3. Aubrey, Elizabeth (8 September 2020). "Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Spiller: How We Made Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  4. "SPILLER – "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" – FreakyTrigger". freakytrigger.co.uk.
  5. "Wired 14.11: The Perfect Thing". Wired.com. 4 January 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  6. Now That's What I Call Music! 46 (Liner notes). Virgin Records. 2000. CD NOW 46, 7243 5 27822 2 2.
  7. Martin, Piers (2000). "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". NME. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  8. Ewing, Tom (22 April 2015). "SPILLER – "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)"". Freaky Trigger. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  9. "The 200 Best Songs of the 2000s – Pitchfork". pitchfork.com.
  10. "The 30 best vocal house anthems ever". Mixmag. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  11. "Q – 1001 best songs ever (2003)".
  12. "Spiller star slams Posh campaign". BBC News. 18 August 2000. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  13. "Posh suffers chart failure". BBC News. 20 August 2000. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  14. "Yearly Best Selling Singles" (PDF). British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  15. Copsey, Rob (16 April 2015). "The Biggest Selling Vinyl Singles and Albums of the Millennium". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  16. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  17. "Australian-charts.com – Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  18. "Charts.nz – Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". Top 40 Singles.
  19. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (Vikuna 14.10. – 21.10. 2000 41. Vika)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 13 October 2000. p. 12. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  20. "Norwegiancharts.com – Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". VG-lista.
  21. "Swisscharts.com – Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". Swiss Singles Chart.
  22. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17 no. 41. 7 October 2000. p. 15. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  23. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17 no. 48. 25 November 2000. p. 17. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  24. "Italiancharts.com – Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". Top Digital Download.
  25. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 39, 2000" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
  26. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17 no. 50. 9 December 2000. p. 17. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  27. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17 no. 43. 21 October 2000. p. 15. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  28. "Spiller Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  29. "DJ Spiller Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  30. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  31. "New Zealand single certifications – Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  32. "British single certifications – Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  33. Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) (European CD single liner notes). Spiller. Edel Records. 2000. 0113585 ERE.CS1 maint: others (link)
  34. Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) (UK CD single liner notes). Spiller. Positiva Records. 2000. CDTIV-137, 7243 8 89119 2 4.CS1 maint: others (link)
  35. Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Spiller. Positiva Records. 2000. 12TIV-137, 7243 8 89119 6 2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  36. "Offiziellecharts.de – Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  37. "Austriancharts.at – Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  38. "Ultratop.be – Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  39. "Ultratop.be – Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  40. "Spiller: Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  41. "Lescharts.com – Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" (in French). Les classement single.
  42. "Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 17 August 2000". GfK Chart-Track. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  43. "Dutchcharts.nl – Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  44. "Polish Airplay Charts – Lista krajowa 46/2000". PiF PaF Production. Archived from the original on 5 March 2001. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  45. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  46. "Swedishcharts.com – Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)". Singles Top 100.
  47. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  48. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  49. "2000 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  50. "Rapports annuels 2000" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  51. "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2000" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17 no. 52. 23 December 2000. p. 9. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  52. "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 2000" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  53. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 100". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 5 January 2001. p. 10. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  54. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2000". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  55. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2000" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  56. "End of Year Charts 2000". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  57. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2000" (in German). Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  58. "2009 ARIA End of Decade Singles Chart". ARIA. January 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  59. Copsey, Rob (13 March 2019). "Sophie Ellis-Bextor's biggest singles revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.