| Flavour of the Old School | |
| Cover: | FlavouroftheOldSchool.JPG |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Beverley Knight |
| Album: | The B-Funk |
| Released: | 27 March 1995 9 October 1995 (re-release) |
| Recorded: | 1994 |
| Genre: | Swingbeat[1] |
| Length: | 4:06 (radio/video version) 4:45 (album/rap version) |
| Label: | Dome Records |
| Producer: | Neville Thomas, Pule Pheto |
| Next Title: | Down for the One |
| Next Year: | 1995 |
'"Flavour of the Old School"' is a song by British R&B recording artist Beverley Knight, released as her debut single from her first album, The B-Funk (1995). The track, which peaked at number fifty on the UK Singles Chart when it was released in March 1995, was accompanied by a low budget music video that saw Knight in the recording studio singing directly into the camera. It was re-released however in October 1995, supported by a new video and strong support from urban radio. The song went on to become Knight's first top 40 single, peaking at number thirty-three in the official UK Singles Chart. The song later reappeared on the b-side of Knight's 1999 single "Made it Back". The video is frequently shown in rotation on MTV Base.
In his weekly UK chart commentary for Dotmusic, James Masterton described the song as "an interesting if unexciting piece of R&B."[2] Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian felt that "floor-fillers", like the "deliriously retronuevo single [...] pump up the hip-hop-based grooves while retaining the gospel-boogie feel of modern UK soul."[3] A reviewer from Music & Media wrote, "Everything sho' is funky here. Knight knows her classics from Rose Royce to Chaka Khan, but despite the title she isn't deaf for the latest developments in new jill swing. Have a taste of it."[4] Ralph Tee from Music Weeks RM Dance Update said, "Every now and again the UK soul scene comes up with something that blows everyone away, and this time it's Beverly Knight with this amazing vocal debut on a chunky, full-on swing cut good enough to rival any US production."[5] Another editor, James Hamilton, declared it as a "plaintive Janet Jackson-ish sweetly cooed jiggling funky hip hop soul jogger".[6]
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| Chart (1995) | Peak positions |
|---|---|
| France (SNEP) | 40 |
| Scotland (OCC)[7] | 92 |
| UK Singles (OCC) (original release) | 50 |
| UK Singles (OCC) (re-release) | 33 |
| UK Dance (OCC) | 13 |
| UK R&B (OCC)[8] | 5 |
| UK Club Chart (Music Week)[9] | 40 |