The Rockafeller Skank

"The Rockafeller Skank" is a song by English big beat musician and DJ Fatboy Slim. It was a single released from the 1998 album, You've Come a Long Way, Baby. The single peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart in June 1998 and topped the Icelandic Singles Chart for a week the same month. It was the second Fatboy Slim single (after "Praise You") to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 76.

"The Rockafeller Skank"
Single by Fatboy Slim
from the album You've Come a Long Way, Baby
Released
  • 8 June 1998 (1998-06-08) (UK)
  • 22 September 1998 (1998-09-22) (US)
Genre
Length
  • 3:27 (radio edit)
  • 6:53 (album version)
  • 4:03 (short and video version)
LabelSkint
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim singles chronology
"Going Out of My Head"
(1997)		 "The Rockafeller Skank"
(1998)		 "Gangster Tripping"
(1998)
Music video
"The Rockafeller Skank" on YouTube

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Using self-consciously old-school DJ techniques (scratching and repetition of a spoken phrase, dramatic tempo changes), Fatboy Slim has created an organically simple masterpiece. With the accessibility of Beck, the danceability of ska, and the sunny quality of the Beach Boys, the track has a sparse, magnetic beginning that builds in depth and intensity (with the addition of jangly guitar riffs and more complex beats) to a meticulous, frenetic climax. And the wind-down is no less danceable."[1] Music & Media commented, "Norman Cook's latest outing easily matches the extremely high quality one would expect from a chart veteran with such names as the Housemartins, Beats International, The Mighty Dubcats and Pizzaman on his CV. (...) This time around, he's somehow managed to fuse big beat and dance with surf—seasoned with a slight pinch of punk—and has come up with what is probably the single most infectious sound around on the airwaves right now."[2]

Samples

The song features the repeated line "Right about now, the funk soul brother / Check it out now, the funk soul brother", which is a truncated vocal sample of rapper Lord Finesse on the track "Vinyl Dogs Vibe" by Vinyl Dogs, the original line being "Check it out right about now, it's no other than the funk soul brother, the Lord Finesse".[3]

The song also features four other samples, including a sample of the song "Sliced Tomatoes" by the band Just Brothers (a popular Northern Soul track), The Bobby Fuller Four's "I Fought the Law" (featuring DeWayne Quirico's drum intro), and a sample of "Beat Girl" by John Barry and his Orchestra. A guitar line from the song "Peter Gunn" by Art of Noise featuring Duane Eddy is also sampled.[4]

Fatboy Slim has stated that to clear the samples and release the song he had to release 100% of the track's royalties, 25% to each artist, meaning he receives no royalties himself.[5]

Track listing
CD
  1. "The Rockafeller Skank" (short edit)
  2. "The Rockafeller Skank"
  3. "Always Read the Label"
  4. "Tweakers Delight"

Note: Some mainland European editions omit the album version (track 2)

The edited version is notable at the beginning, as there is a scat effect on the first word of the song. This is removed on the edit featured on the 2006 compilation The Greatest Hits – Why Try Harder.

12"
  1. "The Rockafeller Skank"
  2. "Always Read the Label"
  3. "Tweakers Delight"

Charts

Usage in media

The song has been featured in the media on numerous occasions:

References
  1. Flick, Larry (1998-06-27). "Reviews & Previews: Singles" (PDF). Billboard. p. 25. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
  2. "Airborne" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 17. Retrieved 2019-12-23.
  3. "Fatboy Slim's The Rockafeller Skank sample of Vinyl Dogs feat. Lord Finesse's Vinyl Dogs Vibe". WhoSampled. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  4. "Fatboy Slim's The Rockafeller Skank sample of Art of Noise feat. Duane Eddy's Peter Gunn". WhoSampled. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  5. Nick Lawrence (2007-05-07). "Fatboy Slim Interview (May 2006) « HigherFrequency". Higherfrequency.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
  6. "Australian-charts.com – Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  7. "Austriancharts.at – Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  8. "Ultratop.be – Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  9. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 10000." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  10. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 7028." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  11. Danish Singles Chart 24 July 1998
  12. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15 no. 29. 18 July 1998. p. 10. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  13. "Lescharts.com – Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank" (in French). Les classement single.
  14. "Offiziellecharts.de – Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  15. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (4.6. – 11.6. 1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 5 June 1998. p. 30. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  16. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rockafeller Skank". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  17. "Hits of the World – Italy" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 110 no. 28. 11 July 1998. p. 46. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  18. "Dutchcharts.nl – Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  19. "Charts.nz – Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank". Top 40 Singles.
  20. "Norwegiancharts.com – Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank". VG-lista.
  21. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  22. "Swedishcharts.com – Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank". Singles Top 100.
  23. "Swisscharts.com – Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank". Swiss Singles Chart.
  24. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  25. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  26. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  27. "Fatboy Slim Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  28. "Fatboy Slim Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  29. "Fatboy Slim Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  30. "Fatboy Slim Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  31. "RPM's Top 50 Dance Tracks of '98". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  32. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 100 – Vinsælustu Lögin '98". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1999. p. 34. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  33. "Årslista Singlar – År 1998" (in Swedish). Hitlistan. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  34. "Best Sellers of 1998 – Singles Top 100". Music Week. 16 January 1999. p. 7.
  35. "Najlepsze single na UK Top 40–1998 wg sprzedaży" (in Polish). Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  36. "British single certifications – Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 November 2018. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type The Rockafeller Skank in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  37. "Dancefloor Ground Swell" (PDF). Billboard. 9 October 1999. p. 52. Retrieved 29 January 2020 – via American Radio History.
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  39. "Daria" It Happened One Nut (TV Episode 1999), retrieved 2018-11-23
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  42. "Sex and the City" Evolution (TV Episode 1999), retrieved 2018-11-23
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  45. FIFA 99 (Video Game 1998), retrieved 2018-11-23
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  48. Charlie J (2014-09-16), Surge- Life's a scream (Funk Soul Brother) - Commercial, retrieved 2018-11-23
  49. "Various - Gekido". Discogs. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  50. "Trailer Music: Office Space (1999)". www.soundtrack.net. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  51. "Where Are They Now? The 'She's All That' Prom Edition". MTV News. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  52. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163651/soundtrack
  53. "Digimon [Warner Bros.] - Original Soundtrack | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-03-04. as well as a surprisingly hip mix of modern rock songs, including the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' "The Impression That I Get," Fatboy Slim's ever-present "The Rockafeller Skank," and Smashmouth's equally ubiquitous "Allstar."
  54. "Various - Bruce Almighty (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Discogs. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  55. "Trailer Music: Osmosis Jones (2001)". www.soundtrack.net. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  56. "So You Think You Can Dance" The Finale (TV Episode 2007), retrieved 2018-11-23
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  59. http://ca.ign.com/faqs/2010/just-dance-2-song-list-1114456 Just Dance 2 Song List- IGN
  60. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9vNZ-t65nw
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