Whoomp! (There It Is) Explained

Whoomp! (There It Is)
Cover:Tag Team - Whoomp! (There It Is).jpg
Type:single
Artist:Tag Team
Album:Whoomp! (There It Is)
Released:May 7, 1993
Recorded:October 1992
Genre:Miami bass
Length:3:45
Label:Life
Producer:Tag Team
Next Title:U Go Girl
Next Year:1995

"Whoomp! (There It Is)" is the debut single by American hip-hop/pop-rap duo Tag Team, released in May 1993 by label Life as the first single from their debut album by same name (1993). The song was written by members Cecil "DC the Brain Supreme" Glenn and Steve "Rolln" Gibson, and reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot R&B chart, as well as No. 2 on both the Billboard Hot 100[1] [2] [3] and the Cash Box Top 100. "Whoomp!" reached multi-platinum status and broke records for the number of consecutive weeks in the Billboard top 10.[4] Tag Team is considered a one-hit wonder, as their subsequent singles did not find the same success. "Whoomp!" has remained a pop culture staple with multiple placements in film, television, and advertisements. The song has also endured as a mainstay at sporting and arena events. In 2024, Billboard ranked "Whoomp! (There It Is)" number 14 in their "The 100 Greatest Jock Jams of All Time".[5]

Background

Tag Team recorded "Whoomp! (There It Is)" in October 1992. At that time, Glenn was working as the main DJ at Magic City, an Atlanta gentlemen's club that would later become recognized as a hub for the emerging Atlanta hip-hop and rap music scene.[6] [7] The song sampled a synthesizer line from the 1980 Italo disco hit "I'm Ready" by Kano. Glenn played the track at Magic City on the same day it was mixed and received a positive reaction from the audience. In the following months, people requested the song so often that it became clear to Glenn that he had a potential hit.

Tag Team shopped the single to multiple labels hoping to get a record deal but were constantly rejected because many executives were unfamiliar with southern bass and felt it was too controversial and provocative for the single to have any chance at mainstream success. In a last-ditch effort, Glenn borrowed $2,500 from his parents to press eight hundred records. The singles quickly sold out in Atlanta on word of mouth alone.[6]

A representative from Mercury Records suggested that Tag Team should pitch their song to former Stax Records mogul Al Bell, the founder of struggling independent label Bellmark Records. Glenn reached out to Bell, who agreed to sign Tag Team without even hearing the song. Bell reportedly told Glenn, "I don’t need to hear the record. I hear it in your spirit."[8]

Reception

The song was praised by critics for its positive and uplifting tone at a time when rap music was associated with violence, crime, and political militancy. [9] Within months of its release, "Whoomp!" reached the top position on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart. The record held the #2 spot on the Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks and reached platinum status. In February 1994, it received its fourth platinum certification.[10]

"Whoomp! (There It Is)" received an award in the category for "Best Rap 12-inch" at the 1994 WMC International Dance Music Awards in the US.[11] It was rated #97 in VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders. The song is listed at #58 on "Billboards Greatest Songs of all time".[12] "Whoomp" has been called "da bomb party song" of the 1990s by Atlanta magazine and "among the country's most commercially successful singles of all time."[7] [13] [14] In February 2024, Billboard ranked it number 14 in their "The 100 Greatest Jock Jams of All Time".[5]

Chart performance

The hit song spent one week at #1 on the US Billboard R&B chart in 1993. On the Billboard Hot 100 dated July 10, "Whoomp! (There It Is)" reached a new peak at number two, sandwiched between Janet Jackson's "That's the Way Love Goes" above and UB40's "Can't Help Falling in Love" beneath - all three songs ended up next to each other at the Year-End edition of the chart, occupying exactly the same positions, albeit in slightly different orders. It eventually spent seven weeks at #2 in September through October 1993[15] on the Billboard Hot 100, but was kept out of the top slot by "Can't Help Falling in Love" and Mariah Carey's "Dreamlover". The single is certified 4× Platinum in the US for shipments of over 4,000,000 copies and, despite never reaching number one on the pop chart, the song spent 24 non-consecutive weeks in the top ten becoming the longest running top ten song of all time until Toni Braxton’s “Un-Break My Heart” spent a week longer in 1997. It was ranked the second biggest song of 1993, behind Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". It has sold over 3.5 million copies in the United States.[4]

Controversy

A similar song, "Whoot, There It Is", was released by the Miami-based group 95 South a month prior to Tag Team's "Whoomp!"[16] Both groups' record companies maintained that the similarities were a coincidence, as the phrase, "Whoomp (or whoot), there it is", was a common expression used by dancers in Atlanta and Miami nightclubs that members from both groups frequented. Arsenio Hall hosted both groups on his television show to perform their versions of the songs and let viewers vote on their favorite by calling a 900 number to donate money to the relief effort for the 1993 Midwest floods.[17] The phrase "Whoomp! There it is!" has come to mean something similar to "Look at that!". It is intended to encourage "positive partying".[18] Tag Team has explained that the phrase refers to "anything that one agrees with on a positive level."

Decades later, 95 South has maintained that the similarity of songs was not a coincidence, and that "Whoot, There It Is" was stolen by Tag Team.[19]

Music video

The accompanying music video for the song features a large outdoor party. It was filmed at an Atlanta fairground and shows the duo riding a carousel. Extras were recruited by word-of-mouth and also by an announcement on a local radio station. More than a thousand extras showed up for the shoot.[20]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1993–1994)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[21]
Europe (European Dance Radio)[22]
UK Club Chart (Music Week)[23]
US Billboard Hot 100[24]
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[25]
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[26]
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[27]
US Cash Box Top 100[28]

Year-end charts

Chart (1993)Position
US Billboard Hot 100[29] 2
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[30] 9
Chart (1994)Position
Australia (ARIA)[31] 66
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[32] 73
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[33] 36
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[34] 49
US Billboard Hot 100[35] 42

End of decade charts

Addams Family Values remix

Within a year of the release of "Whoomp! (There It Is)", Tag Team remixed the backing music with a version of the theme song from the original Addams Family television series to create the song "Addams Family (Whoomp!)" for the film Addams Family Values. Actors Christina Ricci and Jimmy Workman reprised their film roles as Wednesday Addams and Pugsley Addams (respectively) for the song's music video. This version appears as the closing track on the soundtrack album. "Addams Family (Whoomp!)" won the 1994 Razzie Award (Worst Original Song) for its writers (Ralph Sall, Stephen Gibson and Cecil Glenn).[37]

Popular culture

"Whoomp! (There It Is)" has been played or referenced in dozens of films, TV shows, and advertisements. Some of the song's most notable placements in film include Elf, , Rio, and Addams Family Values.[38] The song is also referenced in episode titles of Martin, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Regular Show, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager.[39] [40] It is also widely considered one of the top songs of all time for sporting events and has been included among MLB's top walk-up songs and the NBA's biggest arena anthems.[41] [42] [43]

More recently, a variant of the lyric was created by Vancouver Canucks fans to laud the popularity of the (at the time) recently-hired coach Bruce Boudreau, with a "Bruce, there it is!" chant during hockey games, beginning in December 2021.[44]

The Chicago Cubs play the song whenever they hit a home run.

Other versions

Clock version

Whoomph! (There It Is)
Cover:Clock-Whoomph!_(There_It_Is).jpg
Type:single
Artist:Clock
Album:It's Time...
Released:[45]
Genre:Eurodance
Length:3:33
Label:
Producer:Stu Allan
Prev Title:Axel F
Prev Year:1995
Next Title:Oh What a Night
Next Year:1996

In June 1995, British pop/dance act Clock released a Eurodance cover of the song titled "Whoomph! (There It Is)". The single was released by MCA and ZYX Music as their fifth single from the debut album, It's Time... (1995). It was produced by Stu Allan and peaked at No. 5 in Ireland, No. 4 in the United Kingdom, No. 14 in Finland, No. 36 in Sweden, and No. 96 in Australia.

Track listing

  1. "Whoomph! (There It Is)" (Short Stab) – 3:33
  2. "Whoomph! (There It Is)" (Clock GMT mix) – 5:02
  3. "Whoomph! (There It Is)" (Time Gents Please) – 5:03
  4. "Whoomph! (There It Is)" (Clock 10 to 2 mix) – 5:09
  5. "Whoomph! (There It Is)" (GMT dub) – 5:01
  6. "Whoomph! (There It Is)" (The Visa Treatment) – 5:01

Charts

Chart (1995)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[46]
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[47]
UK on a Pop Tip Club Chart (Music Week)[48]

BM Dubs version

In 2001, UK garage producer BM Dubs (Andrew Kirby) released a version credited as BM Dubs presents Mr. Rumble featuring Brasstooth and Kee. It is based on Mr. Rumble's "Whoops.... We'll Be in Trouble!" from 2000, in which this version directly samples the vocals from Tag Team's "Whoomp! (There It Is)", whereas BM Dubs' 2001 version is a cover with vocals by Kee. It samples the Timo Maas remix of "Dooms Night" by Azzido Da Bass and reached No. 32 on the UK Singles Chart[49] and No. 4 on the UK Dance Singles Chart[50] in March 2001.

GEICO spot

In December 2020, the GEICO insurance company used a parody of "Whoomp! (There It Is)" and the members of Tag Team as the punchline to a joke in a commercial. It featured Glenn and Gibson replacing the lyrics of the song with lyrics about ice cream, turning the lyric to "Scoop! (There It Is)". While the song had been used in advertisements previously, this was the first time the members appeared in a spot.[51] [52]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Billboard. Google Books. September 4, 1995. March 29, 2011. January 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126122019/https://books.google.com/books?id=-BEEAAAAMBAJ. live. Billboard.
  2. Web site: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Week of July 17, 1993. Billboard. October 27, 2020. November 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101120936/https://www.billboard.com/charts/r-b-hip-hop-songs/1993-07-17. live.
  3. The Hot 100 Chart. April 3, 2021. Billboard.
  4. Hot 100 Singles Spotlight. Sandiford-Waller. Theda. Billboard. BPI Communications Inc.. November 9, 1996. February 26, 2015. 83. 0006-2510. 108. 45. November 1, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151101193338/https://books.google.com/books?id=ygkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA83. live.
  5. Billboard Staff. The 100 Greatest Jock Jams of All Time. Billboard. February 8, 2024. May 25, 2024.
  6. News: A Rap Hit Without Violence, Sex or Profanity? There It Is : Pop music: Tag Team breaks the rules with the No. 3 single 'Whoomp!' The duo's first album is released this week . . Dennis . Hunt . July 21, 1993 . June 4, 2019 . October 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201023231015/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-07-21-ca-15308-story.html . live .
  7. Web site: Tag Team. Colorado Music Experience. October 29, 2018. June 5, 2019. January 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210118140224/https://colomusic.org/profile/tag-team/. live.
  8. News: A Soul Man From the '60s Is Back in the Groove Again : Pop music: With the success of Bellmark Records' young rappers, founder Al Bell returns to the record biz big leagues.. Los Angeles Times. Bruce. Haring. September 21, 1993. June 5, 2019. January 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126014318/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-09-21-ca-37603-story.html. live.
  9. News: In America; There It Is!. The New York Times. Bob. Herbert. July 25, 1993. June 4, 2019. October 23, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201023084916/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/25/opinion/in-america-there-it-is.html. live.
  10. Web site: The 11 top-selling music singles from one-hit wonders of all time, from Gotye to the 'Macarena'. McAlone. Nathan. Business Insider. June 25, 2019. June 28, 2019. January 30, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210130202110/https://www.businessinsider.com/top-selling-music-singles-from-one-hit-wonders-all-time-2019-6. live.
  11. Maria. Jimenez. Groovemix: Short Grooves. Music & Media. 11. 13. March 26, 1994. 11. October 10, 2022.
  12. Billboard Hot 100 Chart 50th Anniversary . Billboard.com . March 29, 2011 . September 13, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080913210012/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/specials/hot100/charts/top100-titles-60.shtml . dead .
  13. Web site: Da bomb party song: "Whoomp! (There It Is)". Rebecca. Burns. Atlanta Magazine. March 18, 2015. June 4, 2019. October 24, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201024143401/https://www.atlantamagazine.com/90s/tag-team-and-whoomp-there-it-is/. live.
  14. Whoomp! (There It Was). 5280. Robert. Sanchez. June 2013. June 7, 2019. January 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126122020/https://www.5280.com/2013/05/whoomp-there-it-was/. live.
  15. Top 100 Music Hits, Top 100 Music Charts, Top 100 Songs & The Hot 100 . Billboard.com . October 4, 2011 . September 15, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130915233936/http://www.billboard.com/charts/1993-09-18/hot-100 . live .
  16. News: Due . Tananarive . September 8, 1993 . Whoomp of Whoot, There It Is- Both Are Equally Cool . . live . June 7, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201111214855/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1993-09-08-9309080144-story.html . November 11, 2020.
  17. August 16, 1993 . Dueling Rappers . live . . https://web.archive.org/web/20210117232923/https://people.com/archive/dueling-rappers-vol-40-no-7/ . January 17, 2021 . June 17, 2019.
  18. Pemberton . Pat . June 12, 2012 . Whoomp! (There It Is) . live . . https://web.archive.org/web/20201023113811/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/whoomp-there-it-is-180856/ . October 23, 2020 . June 7, 2019.
  19. Web site: 95 South Speaks Creation of "Woot There It Is" Song (TOTT Exclusive Interview) . 2024-01-01.
  20. Web site: Whoomp! There he ain't! - No, that's not Obama in video . Christina Silva . June 8, 2010 . . July 15, 2011 . July 7, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110707032346/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/jun/08/blog-posting/obama-rumored-be-video-whoomp-there-it/ . live .
  21. Eurochart Hot 100. Music & Media. 11. 13. March 26, 1994. 20. November 12, 2021.
  22. European Dance Radio. Music & Media. 10. 49. December 4, 1993. 18. November 7, 2021.
  23. The RM Club Chart 17.1.94. Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). January 17, 1994. 4. September 27, 2022.
  24. The Hot 100 week of July 31, 1993. Billboard. January 16, 2021. January 22, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210122221001/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1993-07-31?rank=2. live.
  25. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The week of July 17, 1993. Billboard. January 16, 2021. November 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101120936/https://www.billboard.com/charts/r-b-hip-hop-songs/1993-07-17. live.
  26. Hot Rap Songs The week of December 4, 1993. Billboard. January 16, 2021. January 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210124084512/https://www.billboard.com/charts/rap-song/1993-12-04. live.
  27. Rhythmic Airplay The week of August 14, 1993. Billboard. January 16, 2021. January 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210124084613/https://www.billboard.com/charts/rhythmic-40/1993-08-14. live.
  28. Top 100 Pop Singles. Cash Box. LVI. 45. July 17, 1993. 10. April 20, 2024.
  29. 1993: Year-End USA Charts (Singles) . July 31, 2010 . . June 21, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120621222041/http://top40-charts.com/features/YearEnd/yearend1993.php . live . (archived by Top40-Charts.com)
  30. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1993. Billboard. January 2, 2013. April 30, 2021.
  31. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20151025122130/http://i.imgur.com/LHigR9p.jpg. The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1994. Australian Record Industry Association Ltd.. October 25, 2015. November 2, 2015.
  32. Web site: Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1994. Dutch Top 40. May 2, 2020. August 3, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200803170246/https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1994. live.
  33. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 1994. dutchcharts.nl. May 2, 2020. April 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200418112532/https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1994&cat=s. live.
  34. Web site: End of Year Charts 1994. Recorded Music NZ. December 3, 2017. December 4, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171204120041/https://nztop40.co.nz/index.php/chart/?chart=3883. live.
  35. Web site: Billboard Top 100 - 1994. August 27, 2010. March 1, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090301121519/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1994. live.
  36. Book: Geoff Mayfield . 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s . . December 25, 1999 . October 15, 2010.
  37. Web site: Awards for Ralph Sall. IMDb.com. August 10, 2013. April 22, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150422070209/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0758518/awards. live.
  38. Web site: The Best Uses of "Whoomp There it Is" in Movies. TV Over Mind. July 21, 2017. October 27, 2020. October 31, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201031015238/https://www.tvovermind.com/best-uses-whoomp-movies/. live.
  39. Web site: "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" I, Whoops, There It Is (TV Episode, 1996) - Trivia. IMDb. October 27, 2020.
  40. Web site: Whoomp! (There It Is) The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Season 1: Episode 21. Metacritic. October 27, 2020. November 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101175411/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-secret-life-of-the-american-teenager/season-1/episode-21-whoomp!-there-it-is. live.
  41. News: The 73 best walk-up songs in Major League Baseball, ranked. Berg. Ted. USA Today. April 14, 2017. October 27, 2020. October 30, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201030233259/https://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/04/mlb-walk-up-songs-list-best-nelly. live.
  42. Web site: The 25 biggest NBA arena anthems of all time. Morgan. Chris. Yardbarker. November 29, 2019. October 27, 2020. November 2, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201102183733/https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/the_25_biggest_nba_arena_anthems_of_all_time/s1__30638201#slide_1. live.
  43. News: The 10 Best Jock Jams of the Moment. Rolling Stone. March 15, 2011. October 27, 2020. November 1, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201101131453/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/the-10-best-jock-jams-of-the-moment-11116/soulja-boy-tell-em-turn-my-swag-on-18337/. live.
  44. News: "Bruce, there it is!" chant breaks out in Boudreau's victorious debut. NHL.com. December 7, 2021.
  45. New Releases: Singles. Music Week. 31. June 17, 1995.
  46. Web site: The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 27 Aug 1995. ARIA. Imgur.
  47. Week 28, 1995
  48. The RM on a Pop Tip Club Chart . Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) . June 24, 1995 . 8 . September 6, 2021.
  49. Web site: BM DUBS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company. Officialcharts.com.
  50. Web site: Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company. Officialcharts.com.
  51. Web site: Geico Brings Back Tag Team and their hit 'Whoomp! (There It Is)'. Muse by Clio. January 23, 2021. January 22, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210122220208/https://musebycl.io/music/geico-brings-back-tag-team-and-their-hit-whoomp-there. live.
  52. Web site: Behind the delightful success of Tag Team's hit commercial with Geico . March 19, 2021 . March 21, 2021 . March 20, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210320194839/https://theundefeated.com/features/behind-the-delightful-success-of-tag-team-hit-commercial-with-geico/ . live .

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