| "Here Come the Girls" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Ernie K-Doe | |
| Released | 1970 |
| Length | 3:05 |
| "Girls" | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Sugababes | |||||||||
| from the album Catfights and Spotlights | |||||||||
| B-side | "Don't Look Back" | ||||||||
| Released | 20 September 2008 | ||||||||
| Format | Download, CD single | ||||||||
| Recorded | 2008 | ||||||||
| Genre | Pop, funk | ||||||||
| Length | 3:12 (radio edit) 3:10 (album version) |
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| Label | Island | ||||||||
| Writer(s) | Anna McDonald, Nicole Jenkinson, Allen Toussaint, Keisha Buchanan[1] | ||||||||
| Producer | Si Hulbert, Melvin Kuiters[2] | ||||||||
| Sugababes singles chronology | |||||||||
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"Here Come the Girls" is a song written by Allen Toussaint and recorded by Ernie K-Doe released in 1970. On its original release, it failed to chart; however in 2007 Boots used the song for two separate television commercials (Christmas 2007 and summer 2008[3]). This led to the song re-charting at #43 for five weeks in the UK and #48 in Ireland[4] in 2007/2008[5][3] and at #89 for two weeks in 2008[6]. It is this latter advertisement which the Sugababes overheard and subsequently sampled extensively[2][3]; nowadays, it is the Sugababes cover which is heard on the advertisements.
Contents |
Here Come the Girls was covered by the English girl group Sugababes under the name "Girls" in 2008. It leaves the choruses intact, but re-writes the verses with verses written by Anna McDonald and Nicole Jenkinson. Girls was produced by Si Hulbert and Melvin Kuiters for the band's sixth studio album Catfights and Spotlights.
"Girls" was released as the album's lead single on 6 October 2008 in the United Kingdom,[7] and features remixes by Fred Falke, Dennis Christopher and Funkerman.[7] A moderate chart success around Europe in comparison with the Sugababes' previous single, the song peaked in the top-three in Estonia, and the United Kingdom, and reached the top-twenty in Ireland and Turkey as well as the top-fifty in several countries including Slovakia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.[8] "Girls" is used as the one of two theme songs of Dagens Mand, the Danish version of Take Me Out.
The music video for "Girls" was filmed on 28 August 2008 and directed by Daniel Wolfe, The video premiered on 4Music and Channel 4 on 6 September 2008.[9] In the clip, band members Amelle Berrabah, Keisha Buchanan and Heidi Range enjoy a girl's night out at a pole-dancing club, embraced by a "1980s disco style."[10] It features the girls dancing and performing, focusing more on the other dancers during the chorus and on the girls while singing their verses. During their verses, Amelle engages sensual dance moves with one of the fellow female dancers and Keisha teases a male dancer.[10]
While Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack contestant Latoya Satnarine is featured in a cameo appearance, Buchanan invited her boyfriend Dean Thomas to star in a supporting role in the video.[11] As reported, Berrabah decided to have pole-dancing lessons before filming the video yesterday so she "wouldn't make a fool out of herself on the pole."[10] After recruiting female fans to star in the video, producers denied accusations they were being unfair by failing to pay those who starred in the video. A spokesman for the band later stated: "No professional dancers are being asked to do anything for free. This is an opportunity for people who don’t dance for a living but who fancy their chances."[11]
The song commences with an ominous repetition of 'here come the girls'; a warning to an unspecified town's inhabitants that the Sugababes are to descend on a night out, before one of the Sugababes states she needs water and not lemonade, following which all decide to sing 'here come the girls'. In the first verse, one describes how she is putting on a black-coloured dress of hers, five inch heels[12] , although this is 'bound to impress'. Precisely who this will impress remains unclear, although the singer does state that upon turning the dress upwards, she will become a 'little temptress'. Such an strong-headed and bold assertion leads the other singers to gasp with elongated 'ooh's. Furthermore, she believes that Marilyn Monroe is no contest for her, and that her physical appearance should be read 'like poetry'. Another warning is issued: the Sugababes are to rule the world that night and they are on their way, following which a military-style drumroll and fanfare plays, with several more calls of 'here come the girls'.
Impressed at what they see before them, an unspecified group whistles as the singer as she walks past them. Her glory is of such a high standard and durability that she will 'shine like a crystal all through the night' and that a single mere glance at a fully-grown man is enough to make him cry. An unknown individual is ordered to move aside because the singer has a starring role, although what the role is and what it is for is not revealed. The singer proceeds with a morale boost for the cameras and action because she and her fellow girls are about to rule the world and have commenced their journey to do so.
In the final verse, the singer confides in the listener that she is 'filled with sexuality'; she does not need a man because with or without one she is 100% complete. The world should stop musing and making assumptions about her, because, as she protests, she is just a regular, i.e. ordinary, girl. An educational fact is then revealed about independent women, all of whom are purported to know that they have the bravery to 'run the show'. The listener is then warned not to take heed of what any boy otherwise says, before being repeatedly told the girls are coming.
In the UK, the song entered two weeks prior to its physical release, on downloads, at number 8. The following week it climbed four more spots to number 4. The week of 13 October, 2008, it climbed one spot to number 3. "Girls" marked their first lead single not to reach number 1 since their debut "Overload" in 2000. In Ireland, the song peaked at number 12.
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 20 September 2008 | Digital download |
| 6 October 2008 | CD single | |
| Netherlands | 27 February 2009 | CD single |
While the song was not officially released in the USA, it was used in commercials to promote American shoe store Payless in 2009. It was also reported that the song would be re-recorded with Jade Ewen's vocals to help promote US department store JC Penny in 2010.[13] The original version featuring the third line up (Keisha, Heidi and Amelle) was already used in several commercials for JC Penny.
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Czech Republic (IFPI)[14] | 47 |
| European Hot 100 Singles[15] | 10 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[16] | 12 |
| Slovakia (IFPI)[17] | 26 |
| Turkey (Turkey Top 20 Chart)[18] | 7 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[19] | 3 |
| UK R&B (The Official Charts Company)[20] | 1 |
| Chart (2008) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[21] | 66 |
These are the official versions and remixes and the release they appear on of "Girls".
| Version | Release appearance |
|---|---|
| Album Version | Catfights and Spotlights |
| Radio Edit | "Girls" single "Girls" single [Digital] |
| Danny Dove & Steve Smart Club Mix | |
| Dennis Christopher Mix | |
| Funkerman Mix | "Girls" single [Digital] |
| Dennis Christopher Secret Club Mix | |
| Dennis Christopher Secret Dub Mix |
| Preceded by "Disturbia" by Rihanna |
UK R&B Chart number-one single 5 October 2008 – 19 October 2008 |
Succeeded by "Miss Independent" by Ne-Yo |
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