Theme from S-Express explained

Theme from S-Express
Cover:S-Express Theme.jpg
Type:single
Artist:S'Express
Album:Original Soundtrack
Released:April 1988
Recorded:1988
Genre:Acid house, Eurodisco[1]
Length:3:55
Label:
Producer:
  • Mark Moore
  • Pascal Gabriel
Next Title:Superfly Guy
Next Year:1988

"Theme from S-Express" is an acid house song by British electronic dance music group S'Express, from their debut studio album, Original Soundtrack (1989), written and produced by Mark Moore and Pascal Gabriel. One of the landmarks of early acid house and late 1980s sampling culture, the single was released by Rhythm King and Capitol, and became an instant hit upon its release in April 1988, peaking at number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks. It fared less well in the United States, only reaching number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 but reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. It additionally peaked at number 11 in Australia and number two in West Germany, France and the Netherlands.

Production

The song samples liberally from many other works, including heavy usage of Rose Royce's "Is It Love You're After", and TZ's "I Got the Hots for You", which provided the song's campy hook.[2] The song used the line "Drop that ghetto blaster" prominently from the song "Tales of Taboo" by Karen Finley. The hi-hat is sampled from an aerosol spray. The track's "S express" refrain makes reference to the 42nd Street Shuttle, a line on the New York City Subway. The train sample used is of an InterCity 125. The cover artwork features a cutaway drawing of a British Rail Class 56, a contemporary freight locomotive. For the North American release, some spoken word samples had to be removed due to licensing issues, and were recreated by unnamed voice artists. The female vocalist is Michel'le.[3]

Samples used

This is a list of samples used in "Theme from S-Express".[4]

Critical reception

Ben Thompson from NME wrote, "A mad disco travelogue hosted by a spaced-out Michael Rodd, this is probably in the top five already. The cinematic horny bit from Shaft (I think), lots of train noises. 'Uno Dos Tres Quatros' and they're off. All stations to Dartford via Woolwich Arsenal and Slade Green and No Messing; a synthesiser thump catchy enough to be 'AE IOU' by Freeeze says this one cannot fail. If you were down and out and had only one leg this record wouldn't buy you a cup of tea, but I suppose that's not a factor in this day and age."[5] Nancy Culp from Record Mirror named "Theme from S-Express" Single of the Week, adding, "Coming on all Seventies and Cerrone (who could forget 'Supernature'?) Mark Moore's S'Express follows on in fine Rhythm King tradition (can the label do no wrong, I ask myself?). You see, the reason these DJs are making such great dancefloor records is that they know what gets you in the groove, man! With this one, you can have a giggle while you dance, too! It has just the right amount of tack/trendy quota to make sure it follows 'Beat Dis' straight to the top."[6] The magazine's James Hamilton wrote in his dance column, "London DJ Mark Moore leads the Seventies flares fashion with a Rose Royce/BT Express-type buzzing bass synth and hissing hi-hat drive 117-0bpm semi-instrumental, full of samples, quotes and sound effects in current Eighties style, a likely hit."[7]

Impact and legacy

In 1999, Spex included "Theme from S-Express" in their "The Best Singles of the Century" list.[8]

In 2020, The Guardian ranked the song at number 51 in their list of "The 100 greatest UK No 1s".[9] They added,

"To watch Top of the Pops as 1987 gives way to 1988 is to watch the freaks taking over the asylum: after MARRS and Bomb the Bass’s earlier acid house hits, S-Express’s sample-heavy track affirmed the sound’s chart coronation, making the Stock Aitken Waterman stable look even more square, and stuck one in the eye of London’s throttlingly cool club scene with its euphoric, queer collage."

Track listings

  1. "Theme from S-Express" – (3:55)
  2. "The Trip" (Microdot House Mix) – (5:41)
  3. "Theme from S-Express" (Herbal Tea Casualty Mix) – (8:05)
  1. "Theme from S-Express" – (3:55)
  2. "The Trip" (Microdot House Mix) – (4:18)
  1. "Theme from S-Express" – (5:58)
  2. "The Trip" (Microdot House Mix) – (5:40)
  3. "Theme from S-Express" – (3:55)
  1. "Theme from S-Express" (Herbal Tea Casualty Mix)
  2. "The Trip" (Microdot House Mix) – (5:40)
  3. "Theme from S'Express" – (3:55)
  1. "Theme from S-Express" (12" U.S.A. Mix) – (5:53)
  2. "Theme from S-Express" (7" U.S.A. Mix) – (3:53)
  3. "The Trip" (Microdot House Mix) – (5:53)
  1. "Theme from S-Express" (7" U.S.A. Mix)
  2. "Theme from S-Express" (12" U.S.A. Mix)
  3. "The Trip"
  4. "Theme from S-Express" (7" U.S.A. Mix)
  5. "Theme from S-Express" (12" U.S.A. Mix)
  6. "The Trip"
  1. "Theme from S-Express" (Tony De Vit 7" Mix) – (4:04)
  2. "Theme from S-Express" (Aquarius 7" Mix) – (4:12)
  3. "Theme from S-Express" (Original Theme 7" Mix Plus-8) – (3:36)
  4. "Theme from S-Express" (Tony De Vit 12" Mix) – (8:51)
  5. "Theme from S-Express" (Aquarius 'Party On The Orient Express' Mix) – (7:36)
  6. "Theme from S-Express" (Carl Craig's Edited Birthday Surprise Mix) – (7:36)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1988)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[10] 1
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[11] 2
Greece (IFPI)[12] 1
Italy (Musica e dischi)[13] 5
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 91
US 12-inch Singles Sales (Billboard)[15] 4
US Dance Club Play (Billboard)[16] 1
Chart (1996)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[17] 54
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18] 24

Year-end charts

Chart (1988)Position
Belgium (Ultratop)[19] 14
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[20] 13
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[21] 6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[22] 11
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] 9
UK Singles (OCC)[24] 19
West Germany (Official German Charts)[25] 22

Notes and References

  1. Book: 1989: Bob Dylan Didn't Have This to Sing About. Joshua . Clover. 3 October 2023. University of California Press. 9780520944640. Google Books. "Theme from S'Express" begins with a Eurodisco synthesizer line of the sort pioneered in the seventies by Giorgio Moroder and Jean-Marc Cerrone; member Chilo Harlo intones "Enjoy this trip... enjoy this trip... and it is a trip," like the world's squarest tour guide, and the song is off and racing over a sampled Rose Royce bass line and house's standard four-on-the-floor drums..
  2. Reynolds, S., (2013), Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture, Faber & Faber,, Chapter Two.
  3. Web site: Theme from S-Express. Songfacts.com. 14 March 2022.
  4. Web site: Les samples de S express . Du-bruit.com . 2014-03-30.
  5. Ben. Thompson. Singles. NME. 16 April 1988. 21. 29 October 2023.
  6. Nancy. Culp. 45. Record Mirror. 9 April 1988. 29. 8 March 2023.
  7. James. Hamilton. BPM. Record Mirror. 16 January 1988. 18. 8 March 2023. James Hamilton (DJ and journalist).
  8. Web site: Die besten Singles aller Zeiten at home.rhein-zeitung.de. 7 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20120706022353/http://home.rhein-zeitung.de/~tommi.s/spex20jh.htm#singles. 6 July 2012. dead.
  9. News: Beaumont-Thomas. Ben. Petridis. Alexis. Snapes. Laura. 2020-06-05. The 100 greatest UK No 1s: 100-1. en-GB. The Guardian. 27 July 2020. 0261-3077.
  10. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 5. 24. 11. 11 June 1988. 11 March 2020.
  11. Book: Nyman, Jake. 2005. Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja. 1st. Tammi. Helsinki. 951-31-2503-3. Finnish.
  12. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 5. 19. 16. 16 July 1988. 14 March 2022.
  13. Web site: Classifiche. Musica e dischi. it. 7 June 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "S. Express".
  14. Billboard Hot 100. Billboard. 2 July 1988. 23 July 2023.
  15. Dance Singles Sales. Billboard. 23 July 1988. subscription. 23 July 2023.
  16. Dance Club Songs. Billboard. 2 July 1988. 23 July 2023.
  17. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 13. 21. 16. 25 May 1996. 25 June 2018.
  18. Web site: S-Express – Theme from S-Express (The Return Trip). MegaCharts. nl. 22 July 2021.
  19. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1988. Ultratop. nl. 14 July 2019.
  20. Top 25 Dance Singles of '88. RPM. 49. 10. 10. 24 December 1988. 14 July 2019.
  21. 1988 Year End Eurocharts. Music & Media. 6. 52/1. 30. 1 January 1988. 14 January 2020.
  22. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 1988. nl. 4 April 2018.
  23. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1988. de. 4 April 2018.
  24. Book: Peter. Scaping. BPI YearBook 1989/90. Top 100 Singles: 1988. British Phonographic Industry. London, England. 64–65. 1991. 978-0-9061-5410-6.
  25. Web site: Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1988. GfK Entertainment. de. 4 April 2018.
  26. The RM Club Chart of the Year 96. Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 8. 11 January 1997. 4 May 2022.

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