The Real Thing (Tony Di Bart song) explained

The Real Thing
Cover:The_Real_Thing_(Tony_Di_Bart_song).jpg
Type:single
Artist:Tony Di Bart
Album:Falling for You
Released:1993
Genre:House[1]
Length:3:54
Label:Cleveland City Blues
Producer:The Joy Brothers
Next Title:Do It
Next Year:1994

"The Real Thing" is a song by English singer-songwriter Tony Di Bart, released in 1993 and re-released in March 1994 by Cleveland City Blues. Co-written by Di Bart, the song topped both the UK Singles Chart following its 1994 re-release and became a top-20 hit in Belgium, France, Ireland, and Spain the same year. In 1996, it was included on Di Bart's only album, Falling for You.

Background and release

Di Bart was working as a bathroom salesman in Buckinghamshire when he recorded and released "The Real Thing".[1] [2] It was written by Di Bart, Andy Blissett and Lucinda Drayton.

Originally released in 1993, the song failed to appear on the UK Singles Chart. However, a remixed version was released on 28 March 1994 and spent a week at number one on the UK Singles Chart in May 1994.[3] This remix also found success in countries outside the UK, becoming a top-10 hit in Belgium, Finland and Israel and a top-20 hit in France, Ireland, Italy, and Spain. It also reached the top 30 in the Netherlands and the top 50 in Germany. On the Eurochart Hot 100 and European Dance Radio chart, "The Real Thing" reached numbers eight and two, respectively.[4] [5] In North America, the single peaked at number 35 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number three on the Canadian RPM Dance chart.

Critical reception

Alexis Petridis from The Guardian said that "The Real Thing" "is an authentically fantastic pop record: in a world of euphoria, it sounded strangely wistful and muted, its melancholy chafing against its plasticky bedroom production."[6] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton described the song as "a pleasant, poppy piece of soul".[7] Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "It's the combination of the fast basslinelike Grandmaster Flash's 'White Lines' with Di Bart's slow soulful vocals that does it." Radio Number One FM/Istanbul programmer Alpay Kasicki stated that this type of pop dance happens to be very popular in Turkey, "We try to cover everything, but this is the people's taste. It was played 25 times in its first two weeks on our playlist. I'm sure Di Bart will follow in the footsteps of Haddaway and Culture Beat."[8]

Andy Beevers from Music Weeks RM Dance Update said about the 1994 remix, "They retain the excellent catchy vocals and back them up wlth a more complete club track. It builds from an almospheric piano and synth intro with leasing snatches of beats into a driving epic with blg breakdowns."[9] Another RM editor, James Hamilton, described it as "last autumn's mournfully moaned light floater now faster like its old B-side in blippily swirled plonking fluttery 0-128.8bpm Joy Brothers Remake".[10]

Impact and legacy

The Guardian included "The Real Thing" in their "60 years of No 1 singles – The best No 1 records" in 2012.[11] Tomorrowland featured the song in their official list of "The Ibiza 500" in 2020.[12]

Track listings

1993 release

A1. "The Real Thing"

B1. "The Real Thing" (dance mix)

B2. "The Real Thing" (underground mix)

1994 release

A. "The Real Thing" (new 7-inch dance)

B. "The Real Thing" (new 7-inch radio)

A1. "The Real Thing" (The Joy Brothers remake)

B1. "The Real Thing" (7-inch remake)

B2. "The Real Thing" (original dance mix)

  1. "The Real Thing" (new 7-inch dance)
  2. "The Real Thing" (new 7-inch radio)
  3. "The Real Thing" (new 12-inch dance)
  4. "The Real Thing" (original 12-inch dance)
  5. "The Real Thing" (12-inch dub mix)

A1. "The Real Thing" (house mix) – 6:32

B1. "The Real Thing" (new 12-inch dance mix) – 7:17

B2. "The Real Thing" (dub underground mix) – 5:15

  1. "The Real Thing" (new dance mix) – 3:51
  2. "The Real Thing" (new radio mix) – 3:54
  1. "The Real Thing" (new 7-inch dance)
  2. "The Real Thing" (original 12-inch dance)
  3. "The Real Thing" (12-inch dub mix)
  4. "The Real Thing" (new 12-inch dance)
  5. "The Real Thing" (new 7-inch radio)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1994)Peak
position
scope="row"
scope="row"
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)8
Europe (European Dance Radio)2
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[21] 7
scope="row"
scope="row"
scope="row"
Italy (Musica e dischi)[22] 20
scope="row"
scope="row"
scope="row"
Spain (AFYVE)[23] 13
scope="row"
UK Dance (Music Week)[24] 1
UK Club Chart (Music Week)[25] 6
US Dance Club Play (Billboard)[26] 35

Year-end charts

Chart (1994)Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[27] 28
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[28] 34
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[29] 79
Europe (European Dance Radio)[30] 21
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[31] 180
UK Singles (OCC)[32] 32

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The best No 1 records: Tony di Bart – The Real Thing. Petridis. Alexis. Alexis Petridis. The Guardian. 31 May 2012. 18 July 2020.
  2. Web site: Tony Di Bart – "The Real Thing". Ewing. Tom. Freaky Trigger. January 2013. 18 July 2020.
  3. Single Releases. Music Week. 23. 26 March 1994. 21 June 2021.
  4. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 11. 20. 14. 14 May 1994. 1 February 2020.
  5. European Dance Radio Top 25. Music & Media. 11. 23. 4 June 1994. 21. 23 May 2023.
  6. Web site: The best No 1 records: Tony di Bart – The Real Thing. Petridis. Alexis. Alexis Petridis. The Guardian. 31 May 2012. 18 July 2020.
  7. Web site: Masterton. James. Week Ending April 9th 1994. Chart Watch UK. 3 April 1994. 6 September 2021. James Masterton.
  8. New Releases. Music & Media. 11. 18. 11. 30 April 1994. 21 November 2017.
  9. Hot Vinyl. Beeevers. Andy. Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 4. 26 March 1994. 15 April 2021.
  10. Dj directory. Hamilton. James. Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 7. 2 April 1994. 16 April 2021. James Hamilton (DJ and journalist).
  11. Web site: The best No 1 records: Tony di Bart – The Real Thing. Petridis. Alexis. Alexis Petridis. The Guardian. 31 May 2012. 18 July 2020.
  12. Web site: 2020. Tomorrowland Ibiza Top 500 (2020). Spotify. 28 April 2022.
  13. The Real Thing. Tony Di Bart. 1993. UK 12-inch single vinyl disc. Cleveland City Blues. CCB 15001.
  14. The Real Thing. Tony Di Bart. 1994. UK 7-inch single vinyl disc. Cleveland City Blues. CCB 715001(R).
  15. The Real Thing. Tony Di Bart. 1994. UK 12-inch single vinyl disc. Cleveland City Blues. CCB 15001(R).
  16. The Real Thing. Tony Di Bart. 1994. UK CD single liner notes. Cleveland City Blues. CCBCD 15001 (R).
  17. The Real Thing. Tony Di Bart. 1994. Dutch 12-inch single vinyl disc. Freaky Records. Freaky 1038-5.
  18. The Real Thing. Tony Di Bart. 1994. French CD single liner notes. NN'B, Bertelsmann Music Group. 74321215012.
  19. The Real Thing. Tony Di Bart. 1994. Spanish maxi-CD single liner notes. Max Music. NM 865 CDMX.
  20. The RM Club Chart. Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 25 September 1993. 4. 11 May 2023.
  21. Book: Pennanen, Timo . Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 . 2021 . Tony Di Bart. 62. Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava . Helsinki. 21 June 2022.
  22. Web site: Classifiche. Musica e dischi. it. 4 June 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Toni Di Bart".
  23. Book: Salaverri, Fernando. Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. 1st. September 2005. Fundación Autor-SGAE. Spain. 84-8048-639-2.
  24. Dance Singles. Music Week. 24. 9 April 1994. 23 April 2021.
  25. The RM Club Chart. Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 9 April 1994. 4. 15 May 2023.
  26. Dance Club Songs. Billboard. 26 November 1994. subscription. 27 July 2023.
  27. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1994. Ultratop. nl. 7 December 2019.
  28. Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1994. RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 30 June 2019.
  29. 1994 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 11. 52. 12. 24 December 1994. 28 November 2019.
  30. 1994 in Review: European Dance Radio. Music & Media. 11. 52. 8. 24 December 1994. 5 March 2024.
  31. Web site: Jaarlijsten 1994. Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. nl. 29 November 2019.
  32. Top 100 Singles 1994. Music Week. 9. 14 January 1995.