Mr. Vain

"Mr. Vain"
Single by Culture Beat
from the album Serenity
B-side Remix
Released June 30, 1993
Format CD single, CD maxi
Recorded 1992
Genre Eurodance
Length 5:37
Label Dance Pool (BMG)
Writer(s) Steven Lewis, Nosie Katzmann and Jay Supreme
Producer Torsten Fenslau
Culture Beat singles chronology
"No Deeper Meaning"
(1991)		 "Mr. Vain"
(1993)		 "Got to Get It"
(1993)
Audio sample
file info · help
Alternative cover
CD maxi - Remixes

"Mr. Vain" is the title of a song by German Eurodance group Culture Beat. It was released in June 1993 as the lead single from the album Serenity. The song achieved huge success worldwide, reaching number-one in Australia, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It also spent ten weeks at number-one on the RPM Dance chart in Canada.

Contents

Background and chart performances

Written by Steven Levis, Nosie Katzmann and Jay Supreme and produced by Torsten Fenslau and Peter Zweier, Mr. Vain was 1993's best-selling single across Europe. Typical of the Eurodance style of the time, the song first broke in Germany before breaking more widely through the summer, eventually topping the chart in twelve countries. It reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a gold disc. "Mr. Vain also peaked at number two for two weeks on the American dance charts.[1]

It first entered the UK Singles Chart in late July 1993 at number 24 climbing to number one on the 28 August, at times it was selling twice as much its nearest challenger It Keeps Rainin' by Bitty McLean during its 4 week reign at the top.[2] It spent a total of 15 weeks on the chart and was the 9th biggest selling single in the UK in 1993.

It is notable in the UK as it was the first number one single not to be available as a 7" since the 1950s and heralded the demise of the 7" single as a mass market medium.

Covers and samples

Track listings

  • CD maxi-single (Germany, 1993)
  1. "Mr. Vain" (Vain Mix) – 6:35
  2. "Mr. Vain" (Decent Mix) – 7:06
  3. "Mr. Vain" (Special Radio Edit) – 4:17
  • CD maxi-single - Remix (Germany, 1993)
  1. "Mr. Vain" (Mr. House) – 6:18
    • Remixed By: Doug Laurent
  2. "Mr. Vain" (Mr. Rave) – 6:42
    • Remixed By: Doug Laurent
  3. "Mr. Vain" (Mr. Trance) – 6:20
    • Remixed By: Doug Laurent
  4. "Mr. Vain" (Mr. Hardcore) – 6:37
    • Remixed By: Doug Laurent
  • CD maxi-single (USA, 1993)
  1. "Mr. Vain" (Radio Edit) – 4:17
  2. "Mr. Vain" (Intense Radio Edit) – 3:52
  3. "Mr. Vain" (Vain Mix) – 6:35
  4. "Mr. Vain" (Mr. Intense) – 5:28
  5. "Mr. Vain" (Mr. Hardcore) – 6:38
    • Remixed By: Doug Laurent
  • Vinyl 12" (USA, 1993)
  1. "Mr. Vain" (Vain Mix) – 6:35
  2. "Mr. Vain" (Mr. Club) – 6:39
  3. "Mr. Vain" (Mr. Intense) – 5:28
  4. "Mr. Vain" (Mr. Liebrand) – 5:40
  5. "Mr. Vain" (Mr. Hardcore) – 6:38
  • CD single – Promo (USA, 1993)
  1. "Mr. Vain" (Lone Star Edit) – 3:30
  • CD maxi-single – Remix (Japan, 1996)
  1. "Mr. Vain" (FM 802 Rock Kids 802 Mix) – 4:25
  2. "Mr. Vain" (Hyper Rave Mix) – 5:32
  3. "Mr. Vain" (Tribal Mix) – 4:47
  4. "Anything" – 6:26
  5. "Mr. Vain" (Album Version) – 5:39
  6. "Culture Beat Mega Mix" – 6:38

Charts

Peak positions

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart[5] 1
Austrian Singles Chart[5] 1
Canadian RPM Dance Chart[6] 1
Canadian RPM Top Singles[7] 40
Dutch Top 40[8] 1
French SNEP Singles Chart[5] 3
German Singles Chart[9] 1
Irish Singles Chart[10] 1
Italian Singles Chart[11] 1
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart[5] 10
Norwegian Singles Chart[5] 1
Swedish Singles Chart[5] 2
Swiss Singles Chart[5] 1
Swiss Singles Chart1 [12] 10
UK Singles Chart[13] 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[14] 17
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[14] 2
U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40[14] 20
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream[14] 11

1 Remix

End of year charts

End of year chart (1993) Position
Australian Singles Chart[15] 16
Austrian Singles Chart[16] 10
Dutch Top 40[8] 6
Swiss Singles Chart[17] 11
UK Singles Chart[18] 10
End of year chart (1994) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[19] 76

Certifications

Country Certification Date Dales certified
Austria[20] Gold August 2, 1993 15,000
France[21] Silver 1993 125,000
Germany[22] Platinum 1993 500,000
Norway[23] Platinum 1993 10,000
Sweden[24] Gold November 10, 1993 10,000
UK[25] Gold September 1, 1993 400,000
U.S.[26] Gold January 18, 1994 500,000

Chart successions

Order of precedence
Preceded by
"Informer by Snow		 German number-one single
June 18, 1993 - August 13, 1993 (9 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes
Preceded by
"What Is Love" by Haddaway		 Austrian number-one single
July 11, 1993 (1 week)		 Succeeded by
"(I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You" by UB40
Preceded by
"What Is Love" by Haddaway		 Swiss number-one single
July 18, 1993 - August 8, 1993 (4 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes
Preceded by
"(I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You" by UB40		 Norwegian VG-Lista number-one single
30/1993 - 31/1993 (2 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes
Preceded by
"(I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You" by UB40		 Dutch Top 40 number-one single
July 24, 1993 - July 31, 1993 (2 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes
Preceded by
"Living on My Own" by Freddie Mercury		 UK Singles Chart number-one single
August 28, 1993 - September 18, 1993 (4 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"Boom! Shake the Room" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
Preceded by
"What's Up?"" by 4 Non Blondes		 Eurochart Hot 100 number-one single
August 28, 1993 - September 25, 1993 (5 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"Life" by Haddaway
Preceded by
Tribal Dance by 2 Unlimited		 Canadian RPM Dance/Urban number-one single
August 28, 1993 - October 30, 1993 (10 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"All That She Wants" by Ace of Base
Preceded by
"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meat Loaf		 Australia (ARIA) number-one single
October 30, 1993 (1 week)		 Succeeded by
"All That She Wants" by Ace of Base

References

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 67. 
  2. ^ Music Week, 4th September
  3. ^ http://www.music-db.org/misc/b410a40f.html
  4. ^ Pet shop boys sing CULTURE BEAT
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Mr. Vain", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved February 10, 2008)
  6. ^ Canadian Dance chart peak
  7. ^ Canadian Top Singles peak
  8. ^ a b "Single top 100 over 1993" (in Dutch) (pdf). Top40. http://www.top40.nl/pdf/Top%20100/top%20100%20-%201993.pdf. Retrieved 15 April 2010. 
  9. ^ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  10. ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  11. ^ Italian Single Chart Hit parade Italia (Retrieved May 30, 2008)
  12. ^ "Mr. Vain - Remix", in Swiss Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved February 10, 2008)
  13. ^ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  14. ^ a b c d Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved August 31, 2008)
  15. ^ 1993 Australian Singles Chart aria.com (Retrieved August 31, 2008)
  16. ^ 1993 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at (Retrieved August 31, 2008)
  17. ^ 1993 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved August 31, 2008)
  18. ^ 1993 UK Singles Chart [1] (Retrieved March 3, 2008)
  19. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1994. Retrieved 2010-08-27. 
  20. ^ Austrian certifications, database ifpi.at (Retrieved August 31, 2008)
  21. ^ French certifications, database Infodisc.fr (Retrieved APril 15, 2010)
  22. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('Mr+Vain')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/?action=suche&strTitel=Mr%2BVain&strInterpret=&strTtArt=alle&strAwards=checked. Retrieved March 8, 2010. 
  23. ^ Norwegian certifications Ifpi.no (Retrieved August 31, 2008)
  24. ^ Swedish certifications Ifpi.se (Retrieved September 11, 2008)
  25. ^ UK certifications, database Bpi.co.uk (Retrieved August 31, 2008)
  26. ^ U.S. certifications, database riaa.com (Retrieved August 31, 2008)
Culture Beat
Albums
Singles
"Mr. Vain" · "Got to Get It" · "Anything" · "World in Your Hands" · "Inside Out" · "Take Me Away"