"'Movin' On" is a song written and performed by English girl group Bananarama. Released on 17 August 1992, it was the first single from their sixth album, Please Yourself (1993). It was produced by Mike Stock and Pete Waterman, two-thirds of the Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) trio who had produced a number of Bananarama's past hits.
| "Movin' On" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Bananarama | ||||
| from the album Please Yourself | ||||
| B-side | "Treat Me Right" | |||
| Released | 17 August 1992[1] | |||
| Genre | Dance | |||
| Length |
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| Label | London | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Bananarama singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Movin' On" on YouTube | ||||
"Movin' On" is an uptempo dance ballad. The single was met with mixed reviews and moderate success when released, peaking at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was later covered by English band Steps on their second album, Steptacular. In 2012, the song was re-released by Bananarama on their Now or Never EP in a new version.
Composition
editStock used the sound of ABBA as a template, following instruction from the band's A&R man, Pete Tong, to evoke the Swedish supergroup.[2] Sessions for the material were described by Stock as difficult, and although the band initially praised him and his writing process in the press, Keren Woodward later dismissed the Please Yourself material as poor and lacking inspiration.[2]
Critical reception
editQuentin Harrison from Albumism wrote, "Now as a duo, their voices and songwriting perspectives were even more closely aligned and that translated to the music as heard on the uptempo ballad of "Movin' On", a thematically timely tune capturing their post-Pop Life mindset."[3] Larry Flick from Billboard called it a "tasty dance confection", adding that "the group's trademark unison vocals are now more tightly focused and interesting to the ear. And yet, they appear more relaxed and playful".[4] In 2017, Christian Guiltenane of British magazine Attitude stated that the song was "Waterman's first attempt at borrowing ABBA's majestic sound" and described it as a "flamboyant camp-them [which] is pure hiNRG joy and is as silly as it is enjoyable".[5]
Music video
editThe music video for "Movin' On" was directed by Philippe Gautier and begins with the girls performing from behind a wooden cut-out of the image that appears on the cover of the single. They emerge from behind it in red evening gowns and descend a staircase as scantily clad showboys with feathered fans perform around them. Several muscular men pose on podiums as live Grecian statues. As a nod to their trademark silliness, they can be seen tussling in the midst of their choreographed descent down the stairs. At the end, the duo exit down the long runway of a stage, and then reappear behind the wooden cut-outs, to the sound of applause.
Track listings
edit- UK CD 1 single
- "Movin' On" (7-inch mix) – 3:32
- "Movin' On" (Bumpin' mix) – 6:15 (Remixed by CJ Mackintosh)
- "Treat Me Right" – 4:41
- "Movin' On" (Spag-A-Nana dub) – 6:17
- UK CD 2 single
- "Movin' On" (Straight No Chaser)
- "Movin' On" (Bumpin' mix) – 6:15 (remixed by CJ Mackintosh)
- "Movin' On" (Spag-a-Nana dub) – 6:17
- "Treat Me Right" – 4:41
Charts
edit| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[6] | 177 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] | 33 |
| Finland (IFPI)[8] | 6 |
| Germany (GfK)[9] | 52 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] | 32 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] | 34 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[12] | 24 |
| UK Dance (Music Week)[13] | 36 |
Cover versions
edit- The track was covered by Japanese pop duo Wink, on their 1993 album, Brunch.
- The song was later covered by English band Steps on their 1999 album, Steptacular a year after their cover "Last Thing on My Mind" was a hit.
References
edit- ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 15 August 1992. p. 21.
- ^ a b "A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman: Ep 75: Summer Holiday, What Kind Of Fool (Heard All That Before), Higher And Higher and Movin' On on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
- ^ Harrison, Quentin (25 April 2018). "Bananarama's 'Please Yourself' Turns 25: An Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ Flick, Larry (8 May 1993). "Dance Trax: Things Get Better For D:Ream; Junior Boy Jams" (PDF). Billboard. p. 27. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ Guiltenane, Christian (7 September 2017). "The very best hits (and misses) of Stock Aitken Waterman". Attitude. London. ISSN 1353-1875. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 2014-06-17". Retrieved 19 September 2015 – via Imgur.
- ^ "Bananarama – Movin' On" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 39. 26 September 1992. p. 18. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- ^ "Bananarama – Movin' On" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 44, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Bananarama – Movin' On" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 29 August 1992. p. 18. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
