Saturday Night (Whigfield song) explained

Saturday Night
Cover:Whigfieldsaturdaynight.jpg
Caption:1994 European CD single
Type:single
Artist:Whigfield
Album:Whigfield
Released:1992
Studio:Labelle
Genre:
Length:3:40
Label:Extreme
Producer:Larry Pignagnoli
Next Title:Another Day
Next Year:1994

"Saturday Night" is a song by Italian Eurodance project Whigfield, fronted by Danish-born Sannie Charlotte Carlson.[1] [2] It was first released in 1992 in Italy and 1993 in Spain through Prodisc. Throughout 1994, it was released across the rest of Europe and experienced worldwide success. The song was written by Italian producers Larry Pignagnoli and Davide Riva and produced by Pignagnoli. In 1995, the song was included on Whigfield's debut album, Whigfield.

The single entered at number one on the UK Singles Chart, making Whigfield the first artist to enter at the top in the UK with their debut single, dethroning Wet Wet Wet's 15-week chart-topper "Love Is All Around". As of October 2015, "Saturday Night" has sold a total of 1.18 million copies in the UK.[3] It also reached number one in Germany, Ireland, Spain and Switzerland, and it became a top-10 hit in Austria, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. In Spain the single spent 11 weeks at the top position. Outside Europe, it peaked at number three in Zimbabwe, number 19 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number 78 in Australia.

NME magazine ranked "Saturday Night" at number 15 in their list of the 50 best songs of 1994.[4] It was also nominated for Best Single, while Whigfield was nominated for Best New Act on the 7th annual Smash Hits Awards in 1995.[5]

Background and composition

Whigfield (AKA Sannie Charlotte Carlson) studied fashion design in Copenhagen and went to Bologna in Italy where she worked as a model by day and as a PR girl for clubs at night. One of the club DJs, Davide Riva, was part of a music production duo. He persuaded her to work for them. She then visited Italian producer Larry Pignagnoli in his studio, he hired her to perform "Saturday Night" and they chose the name Whigfield. Larry Pignagnoli already had success with Spagna in the late 1980s and early 1990s before he produced "Saturday Night" with Whigfield. With lyrics written by Pignagnoli in three days, the duo did over 20 takes, then they spliced the best bits together.

Reviews categorized "Saturday Night" as a melodic bubblegum-influenced pop-dance and Euro-pop track.[6] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update compared it to "Do Wah Diddy Diddy". "Saturday Night" includes a rave-tinted rhythm section, and a house piano at its fade-out. According to Whigfield, "Saturday Night" is "like a nursery rhyme, with lyrics about what girls do when they're getting ready to go out, and about getting hot when they’re out dancing." The "Dee dee na na na" was initially done as a joke, before they incorporated it as an initial hook.[7] They chose to release the song for its simple, upbeat and club-ready nature, titling it "Saturday Night" to reflect that.[7] The lyrical subject led Simon Cowell to compare it to Rebecca Black's "Friday", stating that they are "what we call a 'hair-dryer song'; a song girls sing into their hair dryers as they're getting ready to go out".[8]

Release and commercial performance

Initially, no record companies were interested in publishing "Saturday Night". After it was played frequently in the Spanish radio show World Dance Music, interest in the song began to increase.[9] The first label to pick up the song was a small label, Prodisc in Valencia. It was first released in Italy in 1992,[10] then became a number-one hit in Spain at the end of 1993.[11] In the summer of 1994, it became a hit with British holidaymakers on the continent, leading to a huge demand for the track in the United Kingdom. Whigfield was signed for the UK in February 1994 by Christian Tattersfield and Ben Kahn who run London offshoot Systematic. The label decided to delay the release in order to capitalise on the inevitable buzz built up among British tourists returning from summer holidays in mainland Europe.[12] The single was not released in North America until February 1995.

"Saturday Night" was released in the UK on 5 September 1994, and went straight to number one - dethroning Wet Wet Wet's 15 week chart-topper "Love Is All Around" on 11 September,[13] despite that single increasing its sales from 65,000 the previous week to 104,000, when "Saturday Night" entered at number one with sales of 150,000. Whigfield was the first act to enter at number one in the United Kingdom chart with her debut single.[14] It stayed at number one for a total of four weeks selling 680,000 in the process, went on to become the second best selling single of the year, and has sold a total of 1.18 million copies.[3] "Saturday Night" is also the 15th biggest-selling single by a female artist in the United Kingdom.[15] It also was a No. 1 hit in Germany, Ireland, Spain and Switzerland, and a No. 2 hit in Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy and Norway. In Spain, the single spent a total of 11 weeks at number-one.[16] Additionally, it reached the top 10 also in Austria (4), the Netherlands (7) and Sweden (9), while it was a top-20 hit in Belgian Flanders (14). Outside Europe, it peaked at number-one on the RPM Dance/Urban chart in Canada, No. 3 in Israel and Zimbabwe, No. 19 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the United States and No. 78 in Australia.

Critical reception

"Saturday Night" was well-received by professional critics, both contemporaneous and retrospective pieces labeling the track as "irresistible", "catchy", and "infectious".[17] [18] [19] [20] [21] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that it "is a giddy pop/dance ditty that has already saturated radio airwaves throughout Europe. It also has gotten early spins on crossover stations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Nashville—and rightly so. The tune has a simple, but killer hook that is matched by a jumpy, rave-coated rhythm section and chirpy female vocals."[22] Another Billboard editor, Mark Dezzani, declared it a "teen anthem".[23] Chris Heath from The Daily Telegraph felt it's "pleasantly annoying", saying, "It's pop music. Don't be too cool to enjoy it."[24] David Balls from Digital Spy noted its "feelgood Euro beats and memorable dance routine".[25] Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger complimented it for being "one of those iconically simple pop hits" and for its "resistibility". He also added that the song is "charmingly unassuming, thanks mainly to Whigfield's matter-of-fact performance. If you do stick around, your reward is a lovely bit of house piano heading for the fade. But this song is never pushy. It's Saturday night. Whigfield is having a great time."[26] A reviewer from Music Week called it "delightful frothy pop",[27] and Stephen Meade from The Network Forty considered it as "exciting".[28] NME named "Saturday Night" a "much misunderstood dancefloor classic",[29] while Gavin Hills from The Observer praised it as "wonderful".[30]

Music video

The official music video for "Saturday Night" was directed by La La Land[31] and filmed in London. It features numerous different scenes of Whigfield standing in front of a mirror, getting ready to go out on Saturday night. She's blow-drying her wet hair, before she braids it and puts on make-up. In some scenes, she flips through pictures of different men and selects one of them, which she kisses and attaches to the mirror. In the video for her next single, "Another Day", the same image appears, this time in a frame. Other scenes also show the singer trying to decide which clothes to wear, before she goes for a black singlet. The video was A-listed on Germany's VIVA in September 1994.[32]

Associated dance routine

There is a dance routine which is commonly performed to the song (particularly at parties and nightclubs in the United Kingdom),[33] the origins of which are uncertain.[34] Some suggest that it began as an aerobic routine created by a gym instructor to accompany the song at a holiday resort, and followed the song back to the UK.[34] The dance does not appear in the music video for the song, however it was performed by backing dancers during Whigfield's performance on Top of the Pops on 15 September 1994.[35]

Whigfield stated in an interview with Justin Myers for the Official Charts Company, "I remember I did some promotion in this place north of Madrid and when I was doing the track [I] saw everybody doing this thing and they all jumped at the same time. I hadn’t even known about the dance until then... I still remember the dance, but I didn’t do it. I thought it was kind of nice that it was just the people doing it."[34]

Allegations of plagiarism

Two claims of plagiarism were made. It was alleged that the track ripped off both "Rub a Dub Dub" by the Equals and "Fog on the Tyne" by Lindisfarne. Both claims were dismissed.[14] [7]

Impact and legacy

The Guardian ranked "Saturday Night" number 91 in their list of "The 100 greatest UK No. 1s" in 2020.[36] NME ranked it number 15 in their list of the "50 best songs of 1994".[37] Smash Hits nominated the song and act in the categories for Best New Single and Best New Act on the 7th annual Smash Hits Awards in 1995.[38] The song was played in the British TV series Everything I Know About Love (2022–present).[39]

Track listings

  1. "Saturday Night" (radio mix)
  2. "Saturday Night" (extended nite mix)
  3. "Saturday Night" (nite mix)
  4. "Saturday Night" (beagle mix)
  5. "Saturday Night" (dida mix)
  6. "Saturday Night" (deep nite mix)
  7. "Saturday Night" (trance beat mix)
  1. "Saturday Night" (radio mix) – 4:06
  2. "Saturday Night" (Nite Mix) – 5:29
  3. "Saturday Night" (Extended Nite Mix) – 5:54
  4. "Saturday Night" (classic vocal remix - US remix) – 9:15
  5. "Mega Pix Mix" 4:28
  1. "Saturday Night" (trance beat remix) – 4:44
  2. "Saturday Night" (afternoon) – 4:40
  3. "Saturday Night" (deep night remix) – 5:45
  4. "Saturday Night" (extended nite remix) – 5:55
  5. "Saturday Night" (radio mix) – 4:07
  1. "Saturday Night" (Remix) – 5:55
  2. "Saturday Night" (Deep Nite Mix) – 5:45
  3. "Saturday Night" (Beagle Mix) – 4:55
  4. "Saturday Night" (Classic Vocal Mix - remixed by Darrin Friedman & Hex Hector) – 9:15
  5. "Saturday Night" (Spike Vocal Mix - remixed by Darrin Friedman & Hex Hector) – 7:28
  6. "Saturday Night" (Dida Mix) – 4:36

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Saturday Night"!Chart (1993–1997)!Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[40] 78
Canada Retail Singles (The Record)[41] 11
Denmark (IFPI)[42] 2
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[43] 1
Europe (MTV European Top 20)[44] 4
Europe (European Dance Radio)[45] 1
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[46] 2
Italy (Musica e dischi)[47] 2
Scotland (OCC)[48] 1
Spain (AFYVE)[49] 1
UK Dance (OCC)[50] 2
UK Dance (Music Week)[51] 2
UK Club Chart (Music Week)[52] 12
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)[53] 19
Zimbabwe (ZIMA)[54] 3

Year-end charts

1994 year-end chart performance for "Saturday Night"!Chart (1994)!Position
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[55] 23
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[56] 8
Europe (European Dance Radio)[57] 20
France (SNEP)[58] 30
Germany (Official German Charts)[59] 16
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[60] 28
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[61] 37
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[62] 91
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[63] 23
UK Singles (OCC)[64] 2
1995 year-end chart performance for "Saturday Night"!Chart (1995)!Position
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[65] 44
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[66] 79
France (SNEP)[67] 52
Norway (VG-lista) (Winter Period)[68] 19

Release history

Region!scope="col"
DateFormat(s)Label(s)
Italy199212-inch vinylExtreme
SpainNovember 1993Prodisc
Germany24 January 1994CDZYX Music
United Kingdom5 September 1994Systematic[69]
Japan21 January 1995CDAvex Trax[70]

Notes and References

  1. Italian Acts (page 75). Billboard. 19 March 2020. 1 July 1995.
  2. Italy: Nuova Musica (page 68). Billboard. 19 March 2020. 2 July 1994.
  3. Web site: EU referendum special: The biggest selling singles by European acts. Myers. Justin. 23 June 2016. Official Charts Company. 9 March 2017.
  4. News: Albums and Tracks of the Year. NME. 4 May 2021.
  5. The 7th Annual Smash Hits . . 10 December 1994 . 2 . 26 April 2021.
  6. Music & Media: Regional Crossovers . . 17 September 1994 . 26 . 15 March 2021 .
  7. Web site: Whigfield: how we made Saturday Night. Simpson. Dave. theguardian.com. 24 October 2016. 15 February 2018.
  8. Simon Cowell scoop: The 'X Factor' star talks L.A. Reid, Paula Abdul...and Rebecca Black . 21 March 2011 . Karger, Dave . 18 March 2011 . Entertainment Weekly.
  9. Web site: Vi elsker 90'erne: Solskin og had over Whigfield. 19 August 2017. stiften.dk. 15 February 2018. da.
  10. Web site: Whigfield Biography. OLDIES.com. 31 March 2014.
  11. Web site: Balls. David. Whatever happened to... Whigfield?. Digital Spy. 8 March 2014. 30 March 2009.
  12. Whigfield was set to make her UK chart debut at number one this week... . . 17 September 1994 . 1 . 22 April 2021.
  13. Web site: Official Singles Chart Top 100 11 September 1994 - 17 September 1994. Official Charts Company. 16 September 2020.
  14. 1000 UK Number One Singles by Jon Kutner & Spencer Leigh, page 400
  15. Web site: Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles Of All Time By Female Artists . Officialcharts.com . 31 March 2014.
  16. Whigfield was set to make her UK chart debut at number one this week... . . 17 September 1994 . 1 . 22 April 2021.
  17. James . Hamilton . Dj directory . Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) . 10 September 1994 . 10 . 22 April 2021 . James Hamilton (DJ and journalist).
  18. Web site: 50 best-selling tracks of the '90s. NME. 21 May 2012. 2 April 2020.
  19. Mark . Dezzani . Machgiel . Bakker . Whigfield Triumphs In The '94 Summer Hit Stakes . . 1 October 1994 . 1 . 15 March 2021 .
  20. "Whiggy's all set for another hot summer". Evening Herald. 20 May 1995. page 16.
  21. Web site: William. Cooper. Whigfield - Whigfield. AllMusic. 17 February 2020.
  22. Larry. Flick. Single Reviews: New & Noteworthy. Billboard. 11 February 1995. 23 January 2018. Larry Flick.
  23. Dezzani, Mark (1 July 1995). "Italian acts to follow". Billboard. Vol. 107. Issue 26.
  24. [Chris Heath|Heath, Chris]
  25. Web site: Balls. David. Whatever happened to... Whigfield?. Digital Spy. 8 March 2014. 30 March 2009.
  26. Web site: Tom. Ewing. Whigfield – "Saturday Night". Freaky Trigger. 24 February 2013. 6 March 2020.
  27. Reviews: Singles . . 19 August 1995 . 29 . 11 May 2021 .
  28. Stephen. Meade. Crossover. The Network Forty. 13 January 1995. 26. 2 April 2020.
  29. Groove Check. NME. 1 April 1995. 18. 25 December 2023.
  30. Hills, Gavin (4 February 1996). "Rave New World". p. 7. The Observer.
  31. Web site: Whigfield Videography. 23 August 2020. The Eurodance Encyclopaedia.
  32. Station Reports > VIVA TV/Cologne. Music & Media. 24 September 1994. 24. 24 December 2022.
  33. Web site: BBC - Top of the Pops - Bust-A-Move!.
  34. Web site: Number 1 today in 1994: We interview chart record-breaker Whigfield. Official Charts.
  35. Web site: Whigfield - Saturday Night (TOTP). https://web.archive.org/web/20110930143702/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S-qpHo7H7s&gl=US&hl=en&has_verified=1 . 30 September 2011 . dead. countzorg. 23 July 2010. YouTube.
  36. Web site: The 100 greatest UK No 1s: 100-1. The Guardian. 5 June 2020. 27 July 2020.
  37. News: Albums and Tracks of the Year. NME. 4 May 2021.
  38. The 7th Annual Smash Hits . . 10 December 1994 . 2 . 26 April 2021.
  39. Web site: Thompson. Rachel. 6 June 2022. 'Everything I Know About Love' review: Sex, drugs, and a millennial girl gang you'll want to join. Mashable. 14 June 2022.
  40. 300.
  41. Hits of the World: Canada. Billboard. 8 April 1995. 60. 20 November 2022.
  42. Billboard 1994-10-29. 29 October 1994. Billboard. 1 December 2010.
  43. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 11. 44. 18. 29 October 1994. 1 October 2020.
  44. http://www.charts-surfer.de/musiksuche.php Musik-Charts durchsuchen
  45. European Dance Radio Top 25. Music & Media. 11. 44. 29 October 1994. 26. 18 December 2019.
  46. Web site: Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (06.10.1994 – 12.10.1994). Dagblaðið Vísir – Tónlist. 1 February 2018.
  47. Top 10 Sales in Europe. Music & Media. 11. 46. 26. 12 November 1994. 25 November 2019.
  48. Web site: Scottish Singles Chart 11 September 1994 - 17 September 1994. Official Charts Company. 16 January 2018.
  49. Web site: Billboard. google.ca. 15 January 1994.
  50. Web site: Official UK Dance Singles Chart (11 September 1994-17 September 1994). Official Charts Company. 9 February 2018.
  51. Dance Singles . . 17 September 1994 . 28 . 26 April 2021.
  52. The RM Club Chart. Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 17 September 1994. 4. 19 May 2023.
  53. Dance Club Songs. Billboard. 15 April 1995. subscription. 28 July 2023.
    • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  54. Top 50 Dance tracks of 1994. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 25 September 2018.
  55. 1994 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 11. 52. 12. 24 December 1994. 28 November 2019.
  56. 1994 in Review: European Dance Radio. Music & Media. 11. 52. 8. 24 December 1994. 4 March 2024.
  57. Web site: Tops de L'année Top Singles 1994. SNEP. fr. 20 June 2021.
  58. Web site: Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1994. GfK Entertainment. de. 27 November 2019.
  59. News: Árslistinn 1994. Dagblaðið Vísir. is. 16. 2 January 1995. 30 May 2020.
  60. Web site: Single top 100 over 1994. Top40. nl. 17 April 2010.
  61. Web site: Årslista Singlar, 1994. Sverigetopplistan. sv. 23 November 2019.
  62. Web site: Swiss Year-End Charts 1994. de. 20 June 2021.
  63. Top 100 Singles 1994. Music Week. 9. 14 January 1995.
  64. RPM Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1995. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 25 September 2018.
  65. 1995 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 12. 51/52. 14. 23 December 1995. 2 December 2019.
  66. Web site: Tops de L'année Top Singles 1995. SNEP. fr. 20 June 2021.
  67. Web site: VG-lista Topp 20 Single Vinter 1995. 1 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20170831042156/http://lista.vg.no/liste/topp-20-single/1/dato/1995/periode/vinter. 31 August 2017. dead. no.
  68. Single Releases. Music Week. 27. 3 September 1994.
  69. Web site: サタデイ・ナイト~ビー・マイ・ベイビー ウィッグフィールド. Saturday Night ~ Be My Baby Whigfield. Oricon. ja. 2 September 2023.