No Tengo Dinero (Los Umbrellos song) explained

No Tengo Dinero
Cover:Umbrellos - Dinero single.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Los Umbrellos
Album:Flamenco Funk
Genre:
Length:3:36
Label:
Producer:
Next Title:Drive
Next Year:1998

"No Tengo Dinero" (English: "I Have No Money") is the debut single of Danish musical group Los Umbrellos, considered to be their signature song. It was released by FLEX Records (now part of EMI) on 14 May 1997. Based on the theme of 1960 film Never on Sunday by Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis, the lyrics were written by Jay and Richie Balmorian and group member Al Agami. It was produced by Kenneth Bager, Michael Pfundheller and Jan Elhøj, with additional production handled by Cutfather & Joe.

The song became a top-five hit in Denmark, Italy, New Zealand and Switzerland. In Austria, the song reached number one for 10 weeks, received a platinum certification from IFPI, and was the highest-selling single of 1998. The song also peaked at number 31 on Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart and number 42 on the US Billboard Hot 100; it stayed on the latter chart for 27 weeks without entering the top 40.[1] As of August 2003, the single had sold 800,000 copies worldwide.[2] Unlike the band's following releases, "No Tengo Dinero" enjoyed chart success, thus Los Umbrellos were named a one hit wonder.

Background

In 1995, Jan Elhøj and Anders Hansen, of rap-comedy duo Angry Ass, made a song called "Frikadeller og krebinetter" (Danish for "Meatballs and pork patties") which incorporated the theme of 1960 film Never on Sunday, composed by Manos Hadjidakis.[3] [4] The song was presented to Kenneth Bager, owner of FLEX Records, who immediately saw its potential.[2] Bager sought to find the right people to work on the track. He enlisted Ugandan rapper Al Agami to write the rap lyrics, while songwriters Richie and Jay Balmorian wrote the Spanish and English chorus.[4] Danish singer Shirley arranged the backing vocals for the chorus. Finally, Kenneth Bager, Jan Elhøj, and Michael Pfundheller produced the track.[2] Bager then presented "No Tengo Dinero" to FLEX Records' parent label, EMI, but they were not interested in the song. It was then re-produced by the Danish producers Cutfather and Joe Belmaati (of Cutfather & Joe), and finally EMI agreed to release the song.[2] Before the release of the song, Kenneth Bager wanted to find two female backing singers for the Los Umbrellos project. Michael Pfundheller personally knew dancer Grith Højfeldt, while Mai-Britt Vingsøe was contacted through modelling agency Scandinavian Models.[2] [3] All three members of Los Umbrellos finally met at the cover shooting for the single.[3]

Chart performance

In Denmark, "No Tengo Dinero" peaked at number two on the Danish Singles Chart. It went on to sell 10,000 copies there.[2] [3] It reached number one on the Ö3 Austria Top 40, number two on the New Zealand Singles Chart, number four on the Swiss Singles Chart and number five on the Italian Singles Chart. The song also reached number 33 on the UK Singles Chart and appeared on three US Billboard charts—number 42 on the Hot 100, number 40 on the Mainstream Top 40 and number 27 on the Rhythmic Top 40. As of May 1998, the song had sold 412,000 copies in the United States.[2] As the next Los Umbrellos single, "Easy Come, Easy Go", did not follow the success of "No Tengo Dinero", the band was considered to be a one-hit wonder, and "No Tengo Dinero" their signature song.

Music video

The music video was recorded at the Safari Inn motel in Burbank, California. The video featured a guest appearance of adult film actor Ron Jeremy.[5]

Track listings

Danish CD single[6]

  1. "No Tengo Dinero" (C & J radio mix)
  2. "No Tengo Dinero" (club mix)
  3. "No Tengo Dinero" (Pumpin Dolls remix)
  4. "No Tengo Dinero" (Pumpin Fiesta Loca)

European and Japanese CD single[7] [8]

  1. "No Tengo Dinero" (Flex Mucho mix) – 3:36
  2. "Theme from Los Umbrellos" – 3:20
  3. "No Tengo Dinero" (extended Mucho mix) – 4:13

European maxi-CD single[9]

  1. "No Tengo Dinero" (C & J radio mix) – 3:36
  2. "No Tengo Dinero" (club mix) – 6:59
  3. "No Tengo Dinero" (C & J extended mix) – 4:13

UK CD and cassette single[10] [11]

  1. "No Tengo Dinero" (C & J radio mix) – 3:36
  2. "No Tengo Dinero" (club mix) – 6:59
  3. "No Tengo Dinero" (Pumpin Dolls mix) – 4:03

US maxi-CD single[12]

  1. "No Tengo Dinero" (C & J mix) – 3:36
  2. "Road to Carlos" – 4:30
  3. "Femme Fatale" – 5:23
  4. "Hasta La Fuego" – 3:03

US CD and cassette single[13] [14]

  1. "No Tengo Dinero" (Flex Mucho mix) – 3:36
  2. "No Tengo Dinero" (extended Mucho mix) – 4:13
  3. "Theme from Los Umbrellos" – 3:20

US 7-inch single[15]

A. "No Tengo Dinero" (Flex Mucho mix) – 3:36

B. "Hasta La Fuego" – 3:03

Australian CD single[16]

  1. "No Tengo Dinero" (radio edit)
  2. "No Tengo Dinero" (C & J mix)
  3. "No Tengo Dinero" (club mix)
  4. "No Tengo Dinero" (C & J extended mix)

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from CD single liner notes.[9]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1997–1998)Peak
position
Denmark (Tracklisten)[17] 2
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[18] 14
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[19] 24
Italy (Musica e dischi)[20] 5
US Billboard Hot 100[21] 42
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[22] 40
US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard)[23] 27

Year-end charts

Chart (1998)Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[25] 1
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[26] 58
Germany (Official German Charts)[27] 86
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[28] 8
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[29] 30
US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard)[30] 85

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
Denmark14 May 1997CDFLEX
United States24 June 1997[31]
Japan9 July 1997CDEMI Japan[32]
United Kingdom14 September 1998[33]

Notes and References

  1. Smith Gets 'Jiggy' Atop Hot 100. Bronson. Fred. Billboard. 110. 11. 146. 14 March 1998. 0006-2510.
  2. News: Bag om et sommerhit 9: Flæskesteg og frikadeller – og en Bager. Behind a summer hit 9: Roast pork and meatballs – and a Bager. Poulsen. Mikkel Rytter. Politiken. JP/Politikens Hus A/S. da. Copenhagen. 22 August 2003.
  3. News: Det hemmelige hit. The secret hit. Pedersen. Niels. Jyllands-Posten. JP/Politikens Hus A/S. da. Copenhagen. 26 December 1997.
  4. News: Danskeren fra Uganda. Drejer. Dennis. B.T.. da. 12 December 2005. 1 June 2014.
  5. News: LOS U M B R E L L O S a la Gami. Eriksen. Jan. B.T.. Berlingske Media A/S. da. Copenhagen. 10 May 1997.
  6. No Tengo Dinero. Los Umbrellos. 1998. Danish CD single liner notes. FLEX Records. 7243 8 95091 2 0.
  7. No Tengo Dinero. Los Umbrellos. 1997. European CD single liner notes. FLEX Records. EMI 8682362.
  8. No Tengo Dinero. Los Umbrellos. 1997. Japanese CD single liner notes. EMI Music Japan. TOCP-40046.
  9. No Tengo Dinero. Los Umbrellos. 1998. European maxi-CD single liner notes. Virgin Records, FLEX Records. VUSCD 135, 7243 8 85353 2 8.
  10. No Tengo Dinero. Los Umbrellos. 1998. UK CD single liner notes. FLEX Records, Virgin Records. VUSCD 139, 7243 8 95320 2 9.
  11. No Tengo Dinero. Los Umbrellos. 1998. UK cassette single sleeve. FLEX Records, Virgin Records. VUSC 139, 7243 8 95320 4 3.
  12. No Tengo Dinero. Los Umbrellos. 1997. US maxi-CD single liner notes. FLEX Records, EMI Records. V25H-38619, 7243 8 38619 2 7.
  13. No Tengo Dinero. Los Umbrellos. 1997. US CD single liner notes. FLEX Records, EMI Records. E25D-58663, 7243 8 58663 2 6.
  14. No Tengo Dinero. Los Umbrellos. 1997. US cassette single sleeve. FLEX Records, EMI Records. 4KM-58663, 7243-8-58663-4-0.
  15. No Tengo Dinero. Los Umbrellos. 1997. US 7-inch single vinyl disc. FLEX Records, EMI Records. S7-724381973172.
  16. No Tengo Dinero. Los Umbrellos. 1997. Australian CD single liner notes. EMI Music Australia. 7243 8 85428 2 1.
  17. Hits of the World: Denmark (IFPI/Nielsen Marketing Research) 06/19/97. Billboard. 109. 27. 41. 5 July 1997. 0006-2510.
  18. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 15. 32. 9. 8 August 1998. 20 June 2018.
  19. News: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 234 Vikuna 14.8. '97 – 21.8. '97). Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 22. 15 August 1997. 12 July 2018.
  20. Top National Sellers. Music & Media. 15. 27. 12. 4 July 1998. 27 November 2019.
  21. Billboard Hot 100. Billboard. 27 December 1997. 2 August 2023.
  22. Pop Airplay. Billboard. 7 February 1998. subscription. 2 August 2023.
  23. Rhythmic Airplay. Billboard. 15 November 1997. subscription. 2 August 2023.
  24. Web site: Romanian Top 100: Top of the Year 1997. Romanian Top 100. ro. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20050922001105/http://www.rt100.ro/topul-anului-1997.html. 22 September 2005.
  25. Web site: Jahreshitparade Singles 1998. de. 4 November 2018.
  26. Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1998. Music & Media. 15. 51. 8. 19 December 1998. 6 February 2020.
  27. Web site: Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1998. GfK Entertainment. de. 18 April 2018.
  28. Web site: End of Year Charts 1998. Recorded Music NZ. 6 February 2020.
  29. Web site: Swiss Year-End Charts 1998. de. 4 November 2018.
  30. Most Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 1998. Airplay Monitor. 6. 52. 46. 25 December 1998.
  31. New Releases. Radio & Records. 1202. 110, 116. 20 June 1997.
  32. Web site: No Money ロス・アンブレロス. No Money Los Umbrellos. Oricon. ja. 31 August 2023.
  33. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 45. 12 September 1998.