| "Things That Make You Go Hmmm..." | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by C+C Music Factory | ||||
| from the album Gonna Make You Sweat | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Format | 7", 12", CD single | |||
| Recorded | 1990 | |||
| Genre | Dance-pop | |||
| Length | 5:23 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer(s) | Robert Clivillés, Freedom Williams | |||
| Producer | Robert Clivillés, David Cole, Freedom Williams | |||
| C+C Music Factory singles chronology | ||||
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"Things That Make You Go Hmmm..." is the third single released from the album Gonna Make You Sweat by C+C Music Factory in 1991. The single features Freedom Williams and he is also seen in the song's music video. It was inspired by a running gag on The Arsenio Hall Show. The song was a success in the US, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #31 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It also reached #4 on the UK Singles Chart. The song contains samples from the songs "I'm Shook" by James Brown and "Apache" by the Incredible Bongo Band.[1]
The style of the music video was revolutionary, and was a major trendsetter in the early 1990s. It featured silhouetted animation of dancers jumping and dancing in front of a white background, with the stage visible, but also in a silhouette. The story of the song was also interpreted with black and gold cut-out animation that was a departure from the in-vogue 3D CGI animation of the time; however, these 2-D cut-outs ended up being even more progressive.
In American advertising, Coca-Cola was one of the first to advertise special promotions featuring the group in a special, brief cut of their music video. A version of the song was also used in a series of adverts for McDonalds. It was used in the British television series Brainiac: Science Abuse. The ABC television network was one of the earliest media outlets to jump on the C+C bandwagon, advertising their spring 1992 prime-time programming under the takeoff banner, "Shows that make you go...", using a custom version of the song and running ads with a woman posing in front of a white background. Then, for their 1992-93 network campaign, ABC brought out many their stars to do a complete take-off of the song and video for the It Must Be ABC banner.
The song was certified gold by the RIAA on August 13, 1991 for sales of over 500,000 copies.
Contents |
| Charts | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles | 31 |
| Chart (1991) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[2] | 51 |
| Preceded by "Such a Good Feeling" by Brothers in Rhythm |
Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single August 31, 1991 - September 7, 1991 |
Succeeded by "The Whistle Song" by Frankie Knuckles |
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