Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)

"Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)"
Single by Scatman John
from the album Scatman's World
Released November 29, 1994
Format 12" maxi, CD single, CD maxi
Genre Eurodance, Electro-hop
Length 5:03
3:30 (radio edit)
Label RCA Records
Writer(s) John Larkin, Antonio Nunzio Catania
Producer(s) Antonio Nunzio Catania, Ingo Kays
Scatman John singles chronology
"Scatman
(Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)"
(1994)		 "Scatman's World"
(1995)

"Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)" is a song by American Eurodance artist Scatman John (real name John Paul Larkin). The song was released in November 1994 as the lead single from his second album Scatman's World. Sales were slow at first, but the song was picked up by many radio stations and eventually became very successful internationally, reaching number one in many parts of Europe and charting in Australia, New Zealand and in Japan. Counter to standard practice, Larkin performed the song live on Top of the Pops. It was also used in the popular Good Humor ice cream advertising campaign of 1995/96, sung as "I'm a Good Humor Man".

Content

The lyrics detail how Scatman John overcame his difficulties with stuttering by turning them into the ability to scat-sing, and encourages listeners who stutter not to give up:

Everybody stutters one way or the other,
So check out my message to you.
As a matter of fact, don't let nothin' hold you back.
If the Scatman can do it, so can you.[1]

Track listings

CD maxi
  1. "Scatman" (Basic-Radio) – 3:30
  2. "Scatman" (Jazz-Level) – 3:41
  3. "Scatman" (Second-Level) – 5:40
  4. "Scatman" (Third-Level) – 5:46
  5. "Scatman" (Game-Over-Jazz) – 5:03
CD maxi 2
  1. "Scatman" (new radio edit) – 3:21
  2. "Scatman" (Pech Remix) – 4:55
    • Remixed by Pech
  3. "Scatman" (Arena di Verona Mix) – 6:04
  4. "Scatman" (extended radio version) – 5:11

Charts and sales

Peak positions

Chart (1995) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[2] 8
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[2] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[2] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[2] 1
Canada (RPM)[3] 84
Canada Dance (RPM)[4] 1
Denmark (Tracklisten)[5] 1
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 1
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[6] 1
France (SNEP)[2] 1
Germany (Media Control Charts)[7] 2
Ireland (IRMA)[8] 1
Italy (FIMI) 1
Japan (Oricon) 36
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 2
New Zealand (RIANZ)[2] 39
Norway (VG-lista)[2] 1
Spain (AFYVE)[10] 1
Spain (Los 40 Principales) 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[2] 2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[2] 1
United Kingdom (The Official Charts Company)[11] 3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[12] 60
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[12] 10
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[12] 15
U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40[12] 40
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream[12] 40

Year-end charts

Chart (1995) Position
Australian Singles Chart[13] 38
Austrian Singles Chart[14] 8
Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart[15] 7
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[16] 3
Canada Dance (RPM)[17] 1
Dutch Top 40[9] 11
French Singles Chart[18] 3
Swiss Singles Chart[19] 4

Certifications

Country Certification Date Sales certified
Austria[20] Gold April 13, 1995 15,000
France[21] Platinum November 16, 1995 500,000
Germany[22] Platinum 1995 500,000
Norway[23] Gold 1995 20,000
Switzerland[24] Gold 1995 25,000

Chart successions

Preceded by
"Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Ini Kamoze		 Danish Singles Chart number-one single
March 4, 1995 – April 1, 1995 (5 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Sarajevo's børn - Gi dem et håb" by Various
Preceded by
"Old Pop in an Oak" by Rednex
"Think Twice" by Céline Dion		 Norwegian VG-Lista number-one single
9/1995 (1 week)
12/1995 (1 week) 		Succeeded by
"Think Twice" by Céline Dion
Preceded by
"Old Pop in an Oak" by Rednex		 Austrian number-one single
April 9, 1995 – May 14, 1995 (6 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Shut Up (and Sleep with Me)" by Sin with Sebastian
Preceded by
"Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Ini Kamoze
"Back for Good" by Take That		 Eurochart Hot 100 number-one single
April 15, 1995 (1 week)
May 27, 1995 – June 17, 1995 (4 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Back for Good" by Take That
"Scream/Childhood" by Michael and Janet Jackson
Preceded by
"Conquest of Paradise" by Vangelis		 Swiss number-one single
April 30, 1995 – June 25, 1995 (9 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" by Bryan Adams
Preceded by
"Respect" by Alliance Ethnik		 Belgian (Wallonia) number-one single
May 6, 1995 (1 week) 		Succeeded by
"Pour que tu m'aimes encore" by Céline Dion
Preceded by
"Key to My Life" by Boyzone		 Irish IRMA number-one single
May 20, 1995 – May 27, 1995 (2 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" by U2
Preceded by
"Think Twice" by Céline Dion		 Belgian (Flanders) number-one single
May 20, 1995 – May 27, 1995 (2 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Think Twice" by Céline Dion
Preceded by
"Pour que tu m'aimes encore" by Céline Dion		 French SNEP number one single
July 1, 1995 (1 week) 		Succeeded by
"Pour que tu m'aimes encore" by Céline Dion
Preceded by
"Be My Lover" by La Bouche		 Canadian RPM Dance chart number-one single
August 28, 1995 – September 18, 1995 (4 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Fat Boy" by Max-A-Million

In film

Soundtrack was featured as background for some of the scenes in 1997 film Nothing to Lose.[25] It was also featured in the 1998 film BASEketball.[26]

References

  1. ↑ "Scatman Lyric Meaning". Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved February 6, 2008)
  3. ↑ RPM: issue date November 6, 1995
  4. ↑ RPM: issue date September 4, 1995
  5. ↑ Billboard 25 March 1995. Billboard. 1995-03-25. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
  6. ↑ Finnish peak
  7. ↑ "Scatman John singles, German Singles Chart" (in German). musicline. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  8. ↑ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Single top 100 over 1995" (pdf) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  10. ↑ Billboard: Hits of the World, May 13, 1995
  11. ↑ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved April 7, 2008)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved July 24, 2008)
  13. ↑ 1995 Australian Singles Chart aria.com (Retrieved July 24, 2008)
  14. ↑ 1995 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at (Retrieved July 24, 2008)
  15. ↑ 1995 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart Ultratop.be (Retrieved July 24, 2008)
  16. ↑ 1995 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop.be (Retrieved July 24, 2008)
  17. ↑ Canada Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1995
  18. ↑ 1995 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com (Retrieved January 30, 2009)
  19. ↑ 1995 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved July 24, 2008)
  20. ↑ Austrian certifications ifpi.at (Retrieved July 24, 2008)
  21. ↑ French certifications Disqueenfrance.com (Retrieved July 24, 2008)
  22. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('Scatman')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
  23. ↑ Norwegian certifications Ifpi.no (Retrieved July 10, 2008)
  24. ↑ Swiss certifications Swisscharts.com (Retrieved July 24, 2008)
  25. ↑ "Nothing to Lose (1997)- Soundtracks - IMDb".
  26. ↑ "BASEketball (1998) - Soundtracks - IMDb".