Are You Ready to Fly explained

Are You Ready to Fly
Cover:Are_you_ready_to_fly.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Rozalla
Album:Everybody's Free
Released:[1]
Genre:
Length:3:55
Label:Pulse 8
Producer:Band of Gypsies
Prev Title:Faith (In the Power of Love)
Prev Year:1990
Next Title:I Love Music
Next Year:1993

"Are You Ready to Fly" is a song by Zambian-born singer Rozalla, released in February 1992 by Pulse 8 as a single from her second album, Everybody's Free (1992). The song was written by Nigel Swanston and Tim Cox, and produced by Band of Gypsies. It achieved a certain success in many countries, including the United States, where it topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. The single reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart and was also a hit across continental Europe, peaking within the top five in Belgium, Denmark and Spain. New York City-based director Ed Steinberg directed its music video.[2] [3] The song won an award in the category "Best Single of the Year" on the 1993 Hi-NRG Music Awards in New York.[4]

In 1995, the song was covered by German happy hardcore band Dune with reasonable success in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "The furor surrounding Rozalla's No. 1 hit, "Everybody's Free", has hardly started to subside, and she launches into an equally delightful trip into the realm between rave and hi-NRG." He noted further that the song "benefits from a plethora of strong remixes that work just about every format angle imaginable. An instant club smash."[5] Amy Linden from Entertainment Weekly described it as "incandescent".[6] A reviewer from Music & Media commented that "the Zimbabwean singer takes off for another flight to the top. This third single in her bouncing pop/dance style completes her hat trick."[7]

Andy Beevers from Music Week stated that the song "is in much the same vein" as "Faith (In the Power of Love)" and "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)".[8] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update deemed it "another Yazz-style smoothly soaring and shuffling galloper".[9] Charles Aaron from Spin found that "the beats are really, really fast and the synths occasionally sinister, so this is technicially techno, but it's more like soul salvation raving in the wilderness."[10] Sylvia Patterson from Smash Hits called it a "hugely merrily Italo-House piano-filled frollicker not unlike "Everybody's Free" except slightly less manic and even more singable."[11]

Track listings

  1. "Are You Ready to Fly" (rainbow mix) — 3:55
  2. "Are You Ready to Fly" (marauder a cappella edit) — 3:57
  1. "Are You Ready to Fly" (rainbow mix) — 6:55
  2. "Are You Ready to Fly" (marauder a cappella mix) — 6:10
  3. "Are You Ready to Fly" (tekno mix) — 6:49
  4. "Are You Ready to Fly" (marauder mix) — 7:24
  1. "Are You Ready to Fly" (rainbow mix) — 3:55
  2. "Are You Ready to Fly" (marauder a cappella edit) — 3:57
  1. "Are You Ready to Fly" (rainbox mix radio edit) — 3:55
  2. "Are You Ready to Fly" (marauder a cappella) — 6:10
  3. "Are You Ready to Fly" (kaleidoscope mix) — 6:40
  4. "Are You Ready to Fly" (kalimba mix) — 7:05

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1992)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[12] 88
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[13] 2
Denmark (IFPI)[14] 5
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[15] 17
Europe (European Dance Radio)[16] 4
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[17] 9
Ireland (IRMA)[18] 16
Italy (Musica e dischi)[19] 9
Spain (AFYVE)[20] accessdate=January 26, 2011--> 4
UK Singles (OCC)[21] 14
UK Dance (Music Week)[22] 17
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)[23] 1
US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)[24] 1
US Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard)63
Zimbabwe (ZIMA)[25] 6

Year-end charts

Chart (1992)Position
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 40
Europe (European Dance Radio)[27] 10
Germany (Official German Charts)[28] 100
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[29] 29

Appearance in other media

The song was used in the TV commercial of the NBA in 1993, featuring Michael Jordan, Harold Miner, Shawn Kemp, Clyde Drexler and others.

Cover versions

The song was covered by German happy hardcore band Dune in 1995 with reasonable success in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

American songwriter, record producer and remixer Jason Nevins remixed the song for his 2003 album.

Notes and References

  1. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 17. 8 February 1992.
  2. Web site: Rozalla: Are You Ready to Fly. IMDb. 25 February 2024.
  3. Web site: Rozalla - Are You Ready to Fly. Eurokdj.com. 25 February 2024.
  4. Hit Machine Wins With NRG: Boy Krazy, Rozalla Score Trophies . . 30 October 1993 . 31 . 8 October 2020 .
  5. Larry. Flick. Single Reviews. Billboard. 10 October 1992. 25 January 2018. Larry Flick.
  6. Amy. Linden. Everybody's Free. Entertainment Weekly. 21 August 1992. 25 February 2020.
  7. New Releases: Singles. Music & Media. 7 March 1992. 12. 26 February 2018.
  8. Andy . Beevers . Dance . . 1 February 1992 . 8 . 1 October 2020.
  9. James . Hamilton . DJ Directory: Hot Vinyl . Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert) . 15 February 1992 . 7 . 2 October 2020 . James Hamilton (DJ and journalist).
  10. Singles Review. Aaron. Charles. Feb 1993. 15 March 2018. Spin. 86. Charles Aaron.
  11. Sylvia . Patterson . New Singles . . 5 February 1992 . 54 . 6 October 2020 . Sylvia Patterson.
  12. 240.
  13. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.1847&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=j86d3uqb5jajlou8j8ag1r4lv4 Canada dance peak
  14. Top 10 Sales in Europe. Music & Media. 9. 14. 4 April 1992. 14. 21 March 2018.
  15. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 9. 11. 14 March 1992. 23. 21 March 2018.
  16. European Dance Radio. Music & Media. 9. 11. 14 March 1992. 24. 31 October 2021.
  17. Book: Pennanen, Timo. Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021. 2021. Rozalla. 220. Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. Helsinki. 4 July 2022. fi.
  18. Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved 10 April 2008)
  19. Web site: Classifiche. Musica e Dischi. it. 30 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Rozalla".
  20. Book: Salaverri, Fernando. Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. 1st . September 2005. Fundación Autor-SGAE. Spain. 84-8048-639-2.
  21. UK Singles Chart OfficialCharts.com (Retrieved 10 April 2008)
  22. Top 60 Dance Singles . . 22 February 1992 . 24 . 29 September 2020.
  23. Billboard [{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p22204/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}} allmusic.com] (Retrieved 10 April 2008)
  24. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales. 38. Billboard. 26 December 1993. 21 November 2019.
    • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  25. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1992. Ultratop. 14 May 2020.
  26. 1992 Year-End Airplay Charts: European Dance Radio. Music & Media. 9. 51/52. 20. 19 December 1992. 25 February 2024.
  27. Web site: Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts. de. GfK Entertainment. offiziellecharts.de. 14 May 2020.
  28. 1992 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved 26 July 2008)
  29. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.2328&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=j86d3uqb5jajlou8j8ag1r4lv4 Canada end-of-year dance peak