Saturday Night (Whigfield song)

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“Saturday Night”
“Saturday Night” cover
Single by Whigfield
Released 1994
Format CD single
CD maxi
Recorded 1994
Genre Pop
Length 4:09
Label Systematic (UK)
Writer(s) Larry Pignagnoli
Davide Riva
Producer Larry Pignagnoli
Whigfield singles chronology
"Saturday Night"
(1994)		 "Think of You"
(1995)
Alternate cover
CD maxi
CD maxi

"Saturday Night" was the debut single by Danish singer Whigfield, released to huge success in 1994.

Contents

[edit] Background

Italian producer Larry Pignagnoli had already had success with Spagna in the late 80s before he produced Saturday Night with Danish former model Sannie Carlson aka Whigfield. The track was a huge hit with UK holidaymakers on the continent over the Summer of 1994, leading to a huge demand for the track back in the UK.

[edit] Dance moves

The song famously had its own dance routine:[1]

  • Both arms bent at 90 degrees, elbows held at waist, both pushing to the right then to the left
  • Left arm stationary, supporting right elbow, right upper arm twiddles. Then reversed.
  • Bend over forwards rolling arms around each other
  • Hands on waist, step forwards then backwards
  • Four jumps, whilst rotating body gradually by 90 degrees.

The end of the cycle is marked by a clap, and leaves the body facing 90 degrees from the beginning.

[edit] Chart performances

It was released in the UK on September 5th 1994 and the pent-up demand saw the track sail straight in at number one - dethroning Wet Wet Wet's 15 week chart-topper Love Is All Around, despite that single increasing its sales from 65,000 the previous week to 104,000, when Saturday Night entered at number 1 with sales of 150,000. Whigfield was the first act to debut at number one in the UK charts with their debut single.[2]

It stayed at number one for a total of four weeks selling 680,000 in the process, sold a total of 1,092,250 copies and is currently the 65th best selling single in UK chart history.[3]

[edit] Controversy

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.[2] The melody to the track is also strongly reminiscent of "Spanish Bombs" by The Clash.

[edit] Track listings

CD single - UK [SYSCD3]
  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)
CD single - Australia (Released in 1997 in Australia)
  1. "Saturday Night" (Radio Mix)
  2. "Saturday Night" (Euro Beagle Mix - Radio Edit)
  3. "Saturday Night" (Euro Beagle Mix - Extended)
  4. "Saturday Night" (Classic Vocal Remix - US Remix)
  5. "Saturday Night" (Nite Mix)
  6. "Saturday Night" (Radio Edit)
  7. "Saturday Night" (Beagle MIx)
  8. "Saturday Night" (Deep Nite Mix)
  9. "Saturday Night" (Dida Mix)
  10. "Saturday Night" (Deep Nite Extra Mix)
  11. "Saturday Night" (Fishbone Beat's Trance Beat Mix)
  12. "Saturday Night" (Fishbone Beat's Afternoon Mix)
CD maxi - Remixes
  1. "Saturday Night" (Trance Beat RMX) (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)

[edit] Charts

Chart (1994)[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 19
Austrian Singles Chart 4
Dutch Singles Chart 17
French Singles Chart 2
German Singles Chart 1
Irish Singles Chart 1
Italian Singles Chart 1
Norwegian Singles Chart 2
Swedish Singles Chart 9
Swiss Singles Chart 1
UK Singles Chart 1
Preceded by
"Love is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet		 UK Singles Chart number-one single
September 11, 1994 for 4 weeks		 Succeeded by
"Sure" by Take That
Preceded by
"Guaglione" by Perez Prado		 Irish (IRMA) number-one single
September 23, 1994 - October 14, 1994		 Succeeded by
"Love Me For A Reason" by Boyzone
Preceded by
"Eins, Zwei, Polizei" by Mo-Do		 German number-one single
October 21, 1994 - October 28, 1994		 Succeeded by
"Cotton-Eyed Joe" by Rednex
Preceded by
"Let the Dream Come True" by DJ Bobo		 Swiss number-one single
November 6, 1994		 Succeeded by
"Always" by Bon Jovi

[edit] References

  1. ^ Top of the Pops
  2. ^ a b 1000 UK Number One Singles by Jon Kutner & Spencer Leigh, page 400
  3. ^ NME Top 100 Singles by Martin Roach, page 204
  4. ^ "Saturday Night", in various Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  5. ^ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  6. ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  7. ^ Italian Single Chart Hit parade Italia (Retrieved May 30, 2008)
  8. ^ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  9. ^ Billboard Billboard.com (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
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