Snap!

Snap!
Origin Frankfurt, Germany
Genres Electronic, house, Eurodance
Years active 1989–1996; 2000; 2002–present
Labels Logic Records, Arista, Hard2Beat Records
Associated acts Panjabi MC, 16 Bit, Off
Website Official Website
Members
Michael Münzing
Luca Anzilotti
Loc
Past members
Turbo B
Jackie Harris
Penny Ford
Thea Austin
Niki Haris
Summer (Paula Brown)

Snap! is a German Eurodance project formed in 1989 by Frankfurt-based producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti. The act has been through a number of line-up changes over the years, but was most successful when fronted by rapper Turbo B, who performed on the UK number 1 singles "The Power" and "Rhythm Is a Dancer".

Contents

Career

Formation

Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti formed Snap! in 1989 under the aliases Benito Benites and John "Virgo" Garrett III, as they thought that the public had negative preconceived ideas of German music.[1] Their first hit "The Power", a combination of house and hip hop elements, contained a number of unauthorised samples, taking the drum loop from "King of the Beats" by Mantronix,[2] the rap from "Let the Words Flow" by Chill Rob G and the classic line "I've got the power!" from "Love's Gonna Get You" by Jocelyn Brown. It was initially released in the United States through Wild Pitch Records, but after Chill Rob G threatened legal action, the rap was re-recorded by Turbo B (born Durron Maurice Butler, April 30, 1967 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania[3]), and additional vocals were recorded by Penny Ford (though the woman in the video is Jackie Harris), Jocelyn Brown's vocals were replaced by a female studio singer in 1999. The single rocketed to number 2 in Germany in March 1990, and spent two weeks at number 1 in the United Kingdom, becoming the first rap single to top the chart. It later reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified platinum.

Line-up changes

Jackie left the group shortly afterwards and Penny became its full-time lead singer, recording the second single "Ooops Up", a re-working of "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops!)", a 1980 hit by The Gap Band, with which Penny was a former backing singer. With drum samples from "Paid in Full" by Eric B & Rakim, it was another number 2 hit in Germany and charted at number 5 in the UK. Further hits followed with the oriental-sounding "Cult of Snap", which charted at number 8 in the UK and number 3 in Germany, and "Mary Had a Little Boy", which also charted at number 8 in the UK, and reached number 4 in Germany. It was based on the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb". Their first album World Power reached #10 in the UK where it was certified platinum, #30 in the U.S. where it was also certified platinum, sold in excess of 7 million copies worldwide, and to this day remains one of the best-selling dance albums of all time.

In 1991, Thea Austin joined the line-up and helped to write "Rhythm Is a Dancer", which was planned to be the lead single from the second album. However, Turbo B hated the track (particularly the famous line "I'm as serious as cancer when I say rhythm is a dancer") and protested that "Colour Of Love" should be the first single cut from the album.[4] He got his way and it was released in December 1991. It appeared to get lost in the Christmas rush, limping to number 54 in the UK, though it did fare better in Germany, climbing to number 9, as well as making it to number 6 in France and Sweden. The two producers insisted that they now go with "Rhythm Is a Dancer" and it was released as the second single in July 1992. With a backing-track inspired by "Automan" by early-80s electronic hip-hop band Newcleus, it went on to become their biggest hit yet, spending six weeks at number 1 in the UK, also topping the charts in France, Germany, Netherlands and Italy, and peaking at number 5 in the U.S. in early 1993.

Second album

The second album The Madman's Return was another multi-million seller but Turbo B, who continued arguing with the act's producers, decided to leave the group shortly after its release to pursue a solo career. Both Penny Ford and Thea Austin followed suit, but Snap! was far from over. The third single "Exterminate!", with vocals by Michigan-born Niki Haris, formerly a backing singer for Madonna, soared to number 2 in the UK in January 1993, and "Do You See the Light (Looking For)" reached number 10 in June.

Third album

Now that all former members of the group had moved on, Münzing and Anzilotti recruited Washington DC-born singer Summer to front the act for the third album. Born Paula Brown, she had previously worked as a dancer in the TV series Fame and the Spike Lee movie School Daze.[5] Snap! moved towards a progressive house sound and a new single called "Welcome to Tomorrow (Are You Ready?)" was released in September 1994. After a slow start, it peaked at number 6 in the UK and was followed by the album, also titled Welcome to Tomorrow. The second single "The First The Last Eternity (Till The End)" was a moderate hit but "World in My Hands" and "Rame" (featuring Rukmani and performed in Hindi) struggled to attract airplay due to their less commercial sound.

On New Years Day 1994, Snap! performed the first of 3 essential mixes for UK's BBC Radio 1.

Breakup and return

In 1996 the group was officially disbanded, with a greatest hits compilation called Snap! Attack: The Best of Snap! released, preceded by a new version of their first hit "The Power". However they made a surprise return in 2000 with "Gimme A Thrill", complete with a rap from Turbo B and vocal from the band's newest addition Maxayn. However, it failed to chart and a proposed album called One Day on Earth was never released.

A new version of "Do You See the Light" remixed by Plaything was released in 2002, peaking at number 14 in the UK. The following year, a new remix album called The Cult of Snap! was released and further singles were issued, updating them for a new generation of clubbers. "Rhythm Is a Dancer" was another UK top 20 hit with a new mix by CJ Stone, a new bhangra mix by Motivo of "The Power" also sold well, and a collaboration of Swedish girlgroup NG3 on "Ooops Up" rounded the project up at the end of 2003. "The Power", which had already been used in countless commercials and movie soundtracks over the years, was also introduced into trailers and the soundtrack of the Jim Carrey film "Bruce Almighty" in this year.

Buoyed by the success of the remixes, Münzing and Anzilotti went back into the studio with male singer Damien Behanan, also known as Loc, and released the single "Beauty Queen" in September 2005 through Luma Music, but once again it failed to make the charts. "Excited" and "We Want Your Soul" were both released on vinyl in July 2006.[6]

In May 2008, Brains from the programme Thunderbirds appeared in a TV commercial in the UK for Drench spring water. He is shown dancing around a room to "Rhythm Is a Dancer". Its regular TV airings prompted thousands of downloads of the original album mix of the song, and it has so far peaked at number 23 in the official UK singles chart. A brand new version of the song with added vocals from Loc was released as a CD single in the UK on June 16, 2008.

In August 2008, they released a new single called "Jumping". Recently the group have signed to Hard2Beat records.[7]

On Sunday 27 June 2010 Snap! performed at Glastonbury Festival, UK, in the WOW! tent. Original lead vocalist Penny Ford was joined by rapper Benjamin Lowe to do a 30mins Live PA show. Festival-goers flocked to see Snap! and numbers far outstretched the tent's capacity. Some were left disappointed when the famous rap 'I'm serious as cancer when I say rhythm is a dancer' was omitted from the track.

Snap! headlined the first evening of the inaugural Penn Festival along with Dodgy, held at the Big Park on the Penn Estate.

The latest performance by Snap! was at Bamboo Club in Brasov - Romania on 24 December 2011.

[8]

Discography

Albums

Year Title Chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
GER
[9][10]
[11]		 AUS
[12]		 AUT
[13]		 NDL
[14]		 NOR
[15]		 SWE
[16]		 SWI
[17]		 UK
[18]		 US
[19]
1990 World Power 7 25 4 - - 20 4 10 30
1992 The Madman's Return 3 - 3 32 12 21 7 8 121
1995 Welcome to Tomorrow 10 - 15 12 - - 10 69 -
1996 Snap! Attack: The Best of Snap! 14 - 43 6 - 55 37 47 -
2003 The Cult of Snap! 43 - 59 - 5 47 2 - -
2009 The Power Greatest Hits - - - - - - - 76 -

Singles

Year Title Chart positions Performers
GER
[30]		 AUS
[31]		 AUT
[32]		 FRA
[33]		 NDL
[34]		 SWE
[35]		 SWI
[36]		 UK
[18]		 U.S.
[37]
1990 "The Power" 2 13 3 15 1 3 1 1 2 Turbo B, Penny Ford, Jackie Harris
"Ooops Up" 2 4 2 34 2 2 2 5 35 Turbo B, Penny Ford
"Cult of Snap" 3 27 2 — 6 12 5 8 —
"Mary Had a Little Boy" 4 18 9 — 3 7 4 8 —
1991 "Mega Mix" 15 28 22 — 5 17 5 10 —
"Colour of Love" 9 — 4 — 6 6 4 54 —
1992 "Rhythm Is a Dancer" 1 3 1 1 1 2 1 1 5 Turbo B, Thea Austin
1993 "Exterminate!" 3 50 9 18 5 7 2 2 — Niki Haris
"Do You See The Light (Looking For)" 13 — 8 40 9 20 10 10 —
1994 "Welcome to Tomorrow (Are You Ready?)" 4 — 11 — 9 3 — 6 — Paula "Summer" Brown
1995 "The First The Last Eternity (Till the End)" 7 — 3 — 2 — — 15 —
"The World in My Hands" 53 - - - 39 - - 44 -
1996 "Rame" 34 - 34 - 28 40 - 50 - Rukmani
"The Power '96" - - - - - 40 - 42 - Einstein
"Rhythm is a Dancer '96" - - - - - 58 - - - Turbo B, Thea Austin
2000 "Gimme a Thrill" - - - - - - - - - Turbo B, Maxayn
2002 "Do You See the Light 2002" 66 - - - - - - 14 - Niki Haris
2003 "Rhythm is a Dancer 2003" 7 32 10 - 46 - 35 17 - Turbo B, Thea Austin
"The Power (Of Bhangra)" 21 - 36 - 76 - - 34 - Turbo B
"Ooops Up 2003" 68 - - - - 36 - - - Penny Ford, NG3
2005 "Beauty Queen" - - - - - - - - - Loc
2008 "Rhythm Is a Dancer 2008" 84 - - - - - - 23 - Thea Austin, Loc

See also

References

  1. ^ Snap!
  2. ^ MUSIC BLOG OF SALTYKA AND HIS FRIENDS: SNAP - World Power (1990) for Anvilscepe
  3. ^ allmusic
  4. ^ http://groups.google.com/group/rec.music.misc/browse_thread/thread/9fa4a10d24891bf/df7e1f2eae37718a?lnk=st&q=snap+exterminate#df7e1f2eae37718a
  5. ^ The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music, 2000
  6. ^ Luma Music
  7. ^ http://www.hard2beat.com
  8. ^ http://www.efestivals.co.uk
  9. ^ "Chartverfolgung/ SNAP!/ Album" (in German). Musicline.de. http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/SNAP%21/?type=longplay. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  10. ^ "Chartverfolgung/ SNAP/ Album" (in German). Musicline.de. http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/SNAP/?type=longplay. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  11. ^ "Top 100 Longplay Official Media Control (10-9-1990)" (in German). charts.de. http://www.charts.de/charts.asp?cat=a&country=de&year=1990&date=19900910&x=18&y=14. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  12. ^ "Interpret: Snap!". Hung Medien. http://www.australian-charts.com/search.asp?cat=a&artist=Snap%21&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  13. ^ "Artist: Snap!" (in German). Hung Medien. http://www.austriancharts.at/search.asp?cat=a&artist=Snap%21&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  14. ^ "Artiest: SNap!" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. http://www.dutchcharts.nl/search.asp?cat=a&artist=SNap%21&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  15. ^ "Artist: Snap!". Hung Medien. http://www.norwegiancharts.com/search.asp?cat=a&artist=Snap%21&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  16. ^ "Artist: Snap". Hung Medien. http://www.swedishcharts.com/search.asp?cat=a&artist=Snap&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  17. ^ "Artist: Snap". Hung Medien. http://www.swisscharts.com/search.asp?cat=a&artist=Snap&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  18. ^ a b "UK's Singles/Albums Positions to Snap!". Chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=5771. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  19. ^ "US Albums Positions to Snap!". Billboard Magazine. http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100#/artist/snap/chart-history/5704?f=305&g=Albums. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  20. ^ a b AT LEAST ONE OF artist or title MUST BE PROVIDED for GERMAN CERTIFICATION.
  21. ^ "Search Results: Snap!". RIAA. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=SNap&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2010&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  22. ^ a b "Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  23. ^ "Snap - World power". NVPI. http://www.nvpi.nl/nvpi/pagina.asp?pagkey=61112&documentid=1236444&zoekform=60463&formposted=yes. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  24. ^ "Certified Awards Search". IFPI Sweden. http://www.ifpi.se/wp/wp-content/uploads/guld-platina-1987-1998.pdf. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  25. ^ "AWARDS 1991". IFPI Switzerland. http://www.swisscharts.com/awards.asp?year=1991. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  26. ^ a b "Gold & Platin". IFPI Austria. http://www.ifpi.at/?section=goldplatin. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  27. ^ "Snap - The madman's return". NVPI. http://www.nvpi.nl/nvpi/pagina.asp?pagkey=61112&documentid=1235028&zoekform=60463&formposted=yes. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  28. ^ "AWARDS 1992". IFPI Switzerland. http://www.swisscharts.com/awards.asp?year=1992. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  29. ^ "Snap! Attack - Best Of - The Remixes". NVPI. http://www.nvpi.nl/nvpi/pagina.asp?pagkey=61112&documentid=1235212&zoekform=60463&formposted=yes. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  30. ^ "Chartverfolgung/ SNAP!/ Single" (in German). Musicline.de. http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/SNAP%21/single. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  31. ^ "Interpret: Snap!". Hung Medien. http://www.austriancharts.at/search.asp?cat=s&artist=Snap%21&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  32. ^ "Artist: Snap!" (in German). Hung Medien. http://www.australian-charts.com/search.asp?cat=s&artist=Snap%21&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  33. ^ "Artiste: Snap!" (in French). Hung Medien. http://lescharts.com/search.asp?cat=s&artist=SNap%21&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  34. ^ "Artiest: SNap!" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. http://www.dutchcharts.nl/search.asp?cat=s&artist=SNap%21&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  35. ^ "Artist: Snap". Hung Medien. http://www.swedishcharts.com/search.asp?cat=s&artist=Snap&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  36. ^ "Artist: Snap". Hung Medien. http://www.swisscharts.com/search.asp?cat=s&artist=Snap&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 
  37. ^ "US Singles Positions to Snap!". Billboard Magazine. http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100#/artist/snap/chart-history/5704. Retrieved 2010-07-27. 

External links

Snap!
Turbo B · Penny Ford · Thea Austin · Niki Haris
Main albums
Hit singles
"The Power" (1990) · "Rhythm Is a Dancer" (1992) · "Exterminate!" (1993) · "Do You See the Light" (1993)
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