| "The Only Way Is Up" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Yazz and the Plastic Population | ||||
| from the album Wanted | ||||
| B-side | "Bad House Music" Remix |
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| Released | July 1988 | |||
| Format | 7" single, 12" maxi, CD maxi, cassette single | |||
| Genre | Dance, funk, acid house | |||
| Length | 4:27 (album version) 4:02 (7" edit) |
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| Label | Big Life | |||
| Writer(s) | George Jackson, Johnny Henderson | |||
| Producer | Coldcut | |||
| Yazz and the Plastic Population singles chronology | ||||
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"The Only Way Is Up" is a song written by George Jackson and Johnny Henderson and originally released 1980 as single by soul singer Otis Clay.[1] In 1988, it became a chart-topping single for Yazz and the Plastic Population.
Contents |
The Yazz version was produced by Jonathan Moore and Matt Black (better known as dance duo Coldcut who had worked with Yazz on their hit single "Doctorin' the House"). Released as a single in July 1988, "The Only Way Is Up" became an instant smash, spending five weeks at #1 in the UK, and ultimately became the second biggest selling single of the year. In the United States, however, it fared less well, peaking at #96 on the Billboard Hot 100, though it did reach #2 on the Billboard dance chart.[2] The song's opening horn blast is a sample from Sharon Redd's 1982 dance classic "Beat the Street". The opening lyrics of the song tell of the degradation at being at the bottom of the social class ladder. They are soon followed by a reference of the threat of eviction. Yet, despite the dire nature of the lyrics, the song is still in a major key and has quite an up-beat rhythm.
During her Showgirl Homecoming Tour Kylie Minogue sang a line from the song as an introduction to "I Should Be So Lucky".
The Australian punk band The Drugs covered the song as a hidden track on their 2001 EP The Only Way Is Up.
A remix of the song was used in the 2008 Malta parliament elections by the Malta Labour Party (MLP) in their electoral campaign with a slight modification of the lyrics: 'The only way is up, Labour'. A Labour spokesperson said the song was chosen to reflect the positive attitude of Labour, and will blend in perfectly with message they are passing on. While there is no indication whether this remix was made with respect to copyright laws, the song was distributed freely on the internet through the party's website.
It was also used in the heyday of the multi-level marketing company National Safety Associates as an audience rouser and intro to recruitment meetings held in the UK and elsewhere in the 1990s.
A 2009 remix was released in the UK on 7 September 2009.[3]
Peak positions
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Year-end charts
Certifications
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| Preceded by "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You" by Glenn Medeiros |
UK number-one single August 6, 1988 - September 3, 1988 |
Succeeded by "A Groovy Kind of Love" by Phil Collins |
| Preceded by "The Locomotion" by Kylie Minogue |
Irish IRMA number-one single August 20, 1988 - August 27, 1988 |
Succeeded by "The Harder I Try" by Brother Beyond |
| Preceded by "Superstitious" by Europe |
Swedish number-one single September 21, 1988 |
Succeeded by "Hand in Hand" by Koreana |
| Preceded by "Stop!" by Sam Brown |
Dutch Top 40 number-one single October 1, 1988 - October 8, 1988 |
Succeeded by "A Groovy Kind of Love" by Phil Collins |
| Preceded by "Desire" by U2 |
New Zealand RIANZ number-one single November 18, 1988 - December 2, 1988 |
Succeeded by "Melting Pot" by When The Cats Away |