"Watchin' U" is a song by New Zealand music group Ardijah, released through WEA in 1988.[1][2] It served as the lead single from Take A Chance (1988), the group's reissue of their self-titled 1987 debut album, and became a No. 3 hit in New Zealand.
| "Watchin' U" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Ardijah | ||||
| from the album Take A Chance | ||||
| B-side | "Which Way Is Up" | |||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Studio | Mascot (Auckland) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:53 | |||
| Label | WEA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ryan Monga | |||
| Producer(s) | Ryan Monga | |||
| Ardijah singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background and development
editIn the aftermath of the release of Ardijah, their 1987 debut album, Ardijah experienced internal tensions that culminated in the departure of keyboardist Simon Lynch and guitarist Tony Nogotautama.[3] Following this, the group's musical director Ryan Monga made the decision to reissue the album with a new cover, the title Take A Chance, and the inclusion of three bonus tracks: "Watchin' U," its B-side "Which Way Is Up" (a Stargard cover), and the reissue's title track.[3][4][5]
"Watchin' U" was recorded at Mascot Studios in Auckland.[2] Though Ardijah is primarily a funk group, the song was described by New Zealand journalists upon its release as a pop song with some underlying funk elements,[5][6] with The Press referring to the track as the group's "most commercial release yet."[5]
Track listing
edit7-inch New Zealand single[1][2]
- "Watchin' U" (Ryan Monga)
- "Which Way Is Up" (Norman Whitfield)
Personnel
editCredits adapted from single sleeve.[2]
- Trevor Collings – backing vocals, guitar
- Victor Grbic – engineering
- Betty-Anne Monga – lead vocals
- Ryan Monga – arrangements, backing vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, production, programming
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[7] | 3 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1988) | Position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] | 7 |
References
edit- ^ a b "Watchin' u [i.e. Watching you] [sound recording] / R. Monga ; [performed by] Ardijah. Which way is up / N. Whitfield ; [performed by] Ardijah". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d Watchin' U (7-inch single sleeve). Ardijah. New Zealand: WEA Records. 1988. 7257942.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b Perrott, Alan (8 November 2018). "Ardijah - part two". AudioCulture. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- ^ "The New Music Report". Rip It Up. 1 September 1988. Retrieved 8 November 2024 – via Papers Past.
- ^ a b c Cartwright, Garth (14 September 1988). "Ardijah are Watching U". The Press. Christchurch, New Zealand. Retrieved 8 November 2024 – via Papers Past.
- ^ Buchanan, Kerry (1 August 1988). "Singles Bar". Rip It Up. Retrieved 8 November 2024 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Ardijah – Watching U". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- ^ "Annual Top 50 Singles (1988)". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 8 November 2024.