Shut Up And Dance

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This article is about the British hip hop/house group. For the Paula Abdul album, see Shut Up and Dance.

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Shut Up And Dance is a British music duo that fused hip hop, house and hardcore, best known for their single "Raving I'm Raving", which reached No. 2 in the UK singles chart.

The group was formed in 1988 by Philip 'PJ' Johnson and Carl 'Smiley' Hyman. In 1990, they made the lower end of the UK charts with two singles, "£20 To Get In" and "Lamborghini", both released on their own Shut Up And Dance record label.

In 1992, they reached number 43 with double single "Autobiography Of A Crackhead"/"The Green Man", before hitting the headlines in May of that year when they released "Raving I'm Raving", an upbeat breakbeat hardcore tune that is still popular today. The track is based on Marc Cohn's hit single "Walking in Memphis", but the sample had not been given clearance. The single soared to No 2 in the UK singles chart, but was then quickly banned, causing the single to plummet to No 15 the following week, before leaving the chart completely. Proceeds from the single were ordered to be given to charity. The German dance group Scooter reached number 33 in 1996 when they covered the track as "I'm Raving".

Shut Up And Dance released one further single from their "Death Is Not The End" album, "The Art Of Moving Butts". In 1995, they made the charts with two further singles, including the No 25 hit "Save It 'Til The Mourning After", sampling Duran Duran's Save a Prayer whilst retaining its original chorus.

Heiner Kruse, one of the best known German drum and bass producers, took his moniker "The Green Man" from the Shut Up And Dance single of the same name.^[1]