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Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)

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"Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)" is a song by American musician Scatman John. It was released in November 1994 by RCA Records as his debut single, and was later re-released in July 1995 for his second album, Scatman's World (1995). The song was co-written by John and has been described as "a blend of jazz scatting, rap, and house beats". It reached number-one on the charts in at least ten countries and also won the March 1996 Echo Award in Germany for the best Rock/Pop single.[2] The music video for the song was directed by Kerstin Mueller and received heavy rotation on music channels.

"Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)"
Cover for the single
Single by Scatman John
from the album Scatman's World
Released30 November 1994
Recorded1994–95
Genre
Length
  • 5:03
  • 3:30 (radio edit)
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Antonio Nunzio Catania
  • Tony Catania
  • Catania Music Studios
Scatman John singles chronology
"Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)"
(1994) 		"Scatman's World"
(1995)
Music video
"Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)" on YouTube

Background and release

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Born in El Monte, California, Scatman John (a.k.a. John Paul Larkin) suffered from a severe stutter by the time he learned to speak which led to an emotionally traumatic childhood. At age twelve, he began to learn piano and was introduced to the art of scat singing two years later, through records by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, among others. Larkin became a professional jazz pianist in the 1970s and 1980s, playing many engagements in jazz clubs around Los Angeles. His first known performance on a studio album was in 1981 on the album Animal Sounds by Sam Phipps. In 1986, he released the self titled album John Larkin on the Transition label. This album was produced by John himself, along with Marcia Larkin.

"In my opinion that song has a really strong message, I and John Larkin wrote the lyrics for old and young generation. Also, I think the track will go on to be an evergreen, because it's so catchy and original. On top of that, with old man singing dance music was not typical for the scene. I think this is such a positive song, that encourages people to do something out of their life and the message is AGE DOESN'T MATTER."

—Producer Tony Catania talking about the song.[3]

To advance his career in 1990, Larkin moved to Berlin, Germany. From there, he discovered the appreciative jazz culture and started playing jazz gigs.[4] This was when he first decided to take a monumental step away from his insecurities and add singing to his act for the first time. His agent Manfred Zähringer from Iceberg Records (Denmark) thought of combining scat singing with modern dance music and hip hop effects. Larkin was resistant at first, terrified of being laughed at and criticized once again, but BMG Hamburg was open. Larkin was worried that listeners would realise he stuttered, and his wife, Judy, suggested that he talk about it directly in his music.

Producer Tony Catania then received a VHS from Zähringer. On the tape, he observed Larkin playing piano songs from Fitzgerald, Armstrong etc. He told in an interview, "The sound was a little crazy but at the end of this tape, I remember it like yesterday, he starts his scat singing improvisation. I was thinking at the moment that this is a great idea. I say to his management to bring John Larkin from L.A. to my studio and in this moment, Scatman John was born!!!" In two days, working with producers Ingo Kays and Catania, the new single, "Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)" was created. Catania added, "Those days, the sounds were always the same, and I was coming up with an old jazz guy that had the talent to scat, something like that would shock the scene. I was right, Scatman John was a huge success worldwide."[5] After the success of his first single, Larkin adopted the new name and persona of "Scatman" John.

Some lyrics from the song are reused from "The Misfit", a song from Larkin's 1986 debut album John Larkin.

Critical reception

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Larry Flick from Billboard described "Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)" as a "novelty dance tune", noting that it "has a giddy Euro-NRG tone" and that Scatman John "bends his tongue to rapid, ear-popping effect."[1] Dimitri Ehrlich from Entertainment Weekly wrote that "this synth-pop hit defines novelty: A chintzy drum machine pitter patters at a frantic pace while John, a Los Angeles jazz vocalist who has stuttered since childhood, frees himself from his speech impediment by scatting for three minutes and twenty seconds."[6] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton viewed it as "a bizarre part-rapped, part spoken, part-scatted dance hit performed by the enigmatic Scatman John who is almost as old as my father and really should know better. Still, a culpable hit it is and destined apparently for the Top 3."[7] Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Try to say that title in one go without choking on your words. Impossible! But Scatman has no problems scatting his nonsensical rhyme, a serious candidate for a novelty dance hit."[8] James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update described it as "John Larkin's jaunty ragga scatted and 'I'm a Scatman' chanted Italian galloper".[9] Debby Peterson from The Network Forty named it a "hellacious techno-dance groove".[10]

Chart performance

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The song was very successful on the charts all over the world, reaching number-one in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100 and the Canadian RPM Dance/Urban chart.[11][12] Additionally, it also entered the top 10 in Australia (#8), Germany (#2), Italy (#3), the Netherlands (#2), Scotland (#3), Sweden (#2) and the UK. In the latter, the single reached number three in its third week at the UK Singles Chart, on May 21, 1995.[13] It climbed into the top 20 in Iceland (#20) and Poland, and the top 40 in Japan (#36) and New Zealand (#39). In the US, the single peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100, number ten on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number 62 on the Cash Box Top 100.

Scatman John was awarded the March 1996 Echo Award in Germany for the best Rock/Pop single with "Scatman".[2] The single was also awarded with a gold record in Australia, Austria, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and a platinum record in France and Germany.

Music video

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The accompanying music video for "Scatman" was released in 1994 and directed by Kerstin Mueller. It was also produced by Ariola Records.[14] It was shot in black and white, and features a fractured screen with several boxe shots (almost in the style of Cubism), showing John singing, along with various people dancing, miming and playing the drums, bass and trumpet. The video was played in heavy rotation on music channels in 1995. It was later made available on Scatman John's official YouTube channel in 2013,[15] having generated more than 232 million views as of late 2024.

Legacy

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In 2013, Vibe ranked "Scatman" number 28 in their list of "Before EDM: 30 Dance Tracks from the '90s That Changed The Game"[16] In 2017, BuzzFeed ranked it number 94 in their "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s"[17] In 2024, MTV 90s ranked "Scatman" number seven in their list of "Top 50 Rhythms of Eurodance".[18][19]

Sampling

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In 2021, music producers Alan Walker and Imanbek sampled the song and additionally used wording from the title of the song in their hit "Sweet Dreams".

Track listings

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Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[39] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[53] Gold 25,000*
Belgium (BEA)[54] Platinum 50,000*
France (SNEP)[55] Platinum 500,000*
Germany (BVMI)[56] Platinum 500,000^
Italy (FIMI)[57]
sales since 2009 		Gold 50,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway)[58] Gold  
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[59] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[60] Gold 400,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ a b Flick, Larry (July 22, 1995). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 57. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Echo 1996 - The Winners" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 10. March 9, 1996. p. 15. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  3. ^ Soininen, Juha (August 26, 2020). Move Your Body (2 The 90's): Unlimited Eurodance. BoD - Books on Demand. p. 276. ISBN 9789528026303. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  4. ^ Scatman John’s Interview with Ira Zimmerman, mnsu.edu.
  5. ^ Soininen, Juha (August 26, 2020). Move Your Body (2 The 90's): Unlimited Eurodance. BoD - Books on Demand. p. 276. ISBN 9789528026303. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  6. ^ Ehrlich, Dimitri. "Music Single Review: Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  7. ^ Masterton, James (May 7, 1995). "Week Ending May 13th 1995". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  8. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 1. January 7, 1995. p. 7. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  9. ^ Hamilton, James (April 29, 1995). "Dj directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 11. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  10. ^ Peterson, Debby (June 30, 1995). "Crossover" (PDF). The Network Forty. p. 40. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  11. ^ a b "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 15. April 15, 1995. p. 28. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2738." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  13. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 21 May 1995 - 27 May 1995". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  14. ^ "Scatman John Music Videos". IMVDb. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  15. ^ "Scatman (ski-ba-bop-ba-dop-bop) Official Video HD -Scatman John". YouTube. November 20, 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  16. ^ "Before EDM: 30 Dance Tracks From The '90s That Changed The Game". Vibe. October 9, 2018.
  17. ^ "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s". BuzzFeed. March 11, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  18. ^ "50 Rhythms of Eurodance". MTV 90s via YouTube. July 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  19. ^ "MTV 90s - Top 50 Rhythms of Eurodance". IMDb. 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved February 6, 2008)
  21. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2794." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  22. ^ Billboard 25 March 1995. Billboard. March 25, 1995. Retrieved December 1, 2010. hits of the world.
  23. ^ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 21. May 27, 1995. p. 35. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  24. ^ Finnish peak
  25. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Scatman John - Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop) Single" (in German). BVMI Bundesverband Musikindustrie; GfK Entertainment GmbH. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  26. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 04.02.1995 – 10.02.1995" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir – Tónlist. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  27. ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know - Scatman John". IRMA. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  28. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 24. June 17, 1995. p. 30. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  29. ^ "Japan #1 IMPORT DISKS by Oricon Hot Singles". Hbr3.sakura.ne.jp. Archived from the original on September 11, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  30. ^ "Single top 100 over 1995" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  31. ^ "Scatman John – Scatman" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  32. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 21 May 1995 - 27 May 1995". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  33. ^ Billboard: Hits of the World, May 13, 1995
  34. ^ Official UK Singles Chart Top 100 (21 May 1995-27 May 1995) (Retrieved October 23, 2018)]
  35. ^ "Official UK Dance Singles Chart (07 May 1995-20 May 1995)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  36. ^ "The RM on a Pop Tip Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). June 3, 1995. p. 10. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  37. ^ a b c d e Billboard AllMusic (Retrieved July 24, 2008)
  38. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. October 14, 1995. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  39. ^ a b "1995 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  40. ^ 1995 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at Archived September 24, 2010, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved July 24, 2008)
  41. ^ 1995 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart Ultratop.be (Retrieved July 24, 2008)
  42. ^ 1995 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop.be (Retrieved July 24, 2008)
  43. ^ Canada Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1995
  44. ^ "1995 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 51/52. December 23, 1995. p. 14. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  45. ^ 1995 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com Archived February 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved January 30, 2009)
  46. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  47. ^ "Jaarlijsten 1995" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  48. ^ 1995 Dutch Singles Top 100 (then Mega Top 50) Dutch Charts.nl (Retrieved August 29, 2019)
  49. ^ "VG-lista Topp 20 Single Vinter 1995" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  50. ^ 1995 Swedish Singles Chart
  51. ^ 1995 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch Archived March 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved July 24, 2008)
  52. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1995". Music Week. January 13, 1996. p. 9.
  53. ^ "Austrian single certifications – John Scatman – Scatman" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  54. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 1995". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  55. ^ "French single certifications – Scatman John – Scatman" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  56. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Scatman John; 'Scatman')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  57. ^ "Italian single certifications – Scatman John – Scatman" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved October 30, 2023. Select "2023" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Scatman" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  58. ^ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  59. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Scatman')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  60. ^ "British single certifications – Scatman John – Scatman". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
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