I Saw You Dancing

"I Saw You Dancing" is a song by Swedish group Yaki-Da. It was released in 1994, as the lead single from their first studio album, Pride.[1] The song is written and produced by Jonas Berggren from Ace of Base. It was a Top 10 hit in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Israel, Malaysia[2] and Norway.

"I Saw You Dancing"
Single by Yaki-Da
from the album Pride
Released1994
Recorded1994
StudioTuff Studios
Genre
Length3:41
Label
Songwriter(s)Jonas Berggren
Producer(s)Jonas Berggren
Yaki-Da singles chronology
"Show Me Love"
(1994)		 "I Saw You Dancing"
(1994)		 "Pride of Africa"
(1995)
Music video
"I Saw You Dancing" on YouTube

Critical reception

The song received favorable reviews from most music critics. John Bush from AllMusic said the group "pursue the same bubblegum dance-pop route" as Ace of Base on the song.[3] Larry Flick from Billboard called it "a sunny li'l confection".[4] He wrote that the "chirpy Swedish female duo makes an excellent first impression with a bright and shuffling pop confection that proudly wears the fingerprints of mentor Jonas Berggren from Ace of Base. The track wins with a simple but memorable melody that blossoms into a swirling, thickly harmonious chorus..."[5] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented that "it's easy to get hooked on this plaintive melody line. One hundred percent pure pop is exactly what one would expect from Ace of Base's Jonas "Joker" Berggren, who produced this song. It's easy to hear that mission has been accomplished."[6] Music & Media noted, "Bookers, here's the one to put all your money on. Penned by Ace Of Base's Joker, it is in the famed pop reggae mould with a touch of ABBA and other past Eurovision winners."[7] Chuck Campbell from Scripps Howard News Service noted it as a "very ABBA-like single".[8] Vibe described the song as "latinesque pop disco".[9]

Chart performance

"I Saw You Dancing" was very successful on the charts in several continents and remains the group's biggest hit to date. It peaked within the Top 10 in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Israel, Malaysia[10] and Norway. In Greece, it hit number-one on the Radio Star FM. In their homecountry Sweden, "I Saw You Dancing" reached number 32 and on the Eurochart Hot 100, it went to number 97. In the US, the single managed to peak at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 11 on the Billboard Dance Charts and number 41 on the Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles Chart. In Canada, the song climbed to number 10 on the RPM Dance Chart and number 62 on the RPM Singles Chart.

Music video

Right at the beginning of the music video, a male dancer walks along the beach. He finds a medallion with the letter "y" engraved on it. As the music starts, two women, Linda and Marie, in black dresses are walking ashore by a lighthouse. On the beach, a group of circus artists and musicians are having a party. The dancer is there, dancing with the medallion on his chest. Other scenes show the two women singing at the top of the lighthouse. Sometimes they are also standing out in the water, wearing glittery dresses. The man with the medallion are seen going into the tent of a fortune teller. He puts the medallion on the table to her and she traces him with tarot cards. Then she looks at him with an astonished mine. Linda and Marie stays the night, standing in the dark, illuminated only by the fire from the beach party. They watch the party and the people there from a distance. As it dawns, the women return to the sea. The male dancer stands and watches them walk into the sea. They look back at him, as he hesitantly steps forward. The video was uploaded to YouTube in December 2011. As of August 2020, it has got more than 28,4 million views.[11]

Covers

In 1995, Roberts Gobziņš made a nonsensical phonetical cover titled "Man saujā benzīns".

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."I Saw You Dancing" (Radio)3:41
2."I Saw You Dancing" (Extended)4:49

Credits
  • Written-By – Jonas "Joker" Berggren
  • Vocals – Linda Schonberg & Marie Knutsen
  • Recorded and Mixed-By – John Ballard & Joker in Tuff Studios, Gothenburg
  • Guitars – Kenneth Svensson
  • Choir – John B

℗ 1994 Metronome Musik GmbH © 1994 Mega Records

Charts

References
  1. "Yaki-Da: I Saw You Dancing". discogs.com. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  2. "Cheers to a Swede duo". New Straits Times. 7 July 1995. p. 25. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  3. Bush, John. "Yaki-Da – I Saw You Dancing". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  4. Flick, Larry (29 April 1995). "Dance Trax: Hälsa Gets Into Our Hair With 'Number One'" (PDF). Billboard. p. 22. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  5. "Billboard: NEW & NOTEWORTHY" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  6. Sholin, Dave (5 May 1995). "Gavin Picks > Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. No. 2053. p. 70. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  7. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 28 January 1995. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  8. Campbell, Chuck (28 November 1995). "NEW RELEASES: ACE OF BASE, THE AMPS, OZZY OSBOURNE". Scripps Howard News Service. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  9. "Single File". Vibe. September 1993. p. 182. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  10. "Cheers to a Swede duo". New Straits Times. 7 July 1995. p. 25. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  11. "Yaki-Da - I Saw You Dancing". YouTube. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  12. "RPM (Aug 14, 1995)". RPM. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  13. "RPM Dance (Jul 24, 1995)". RPM. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  14. "Danishcharts.com – Yaki-Da – I Saw You Dancing". Tracklisten.
  15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  16. "Yaki-Da: I Saw You Dancing" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  17. "Offiziellecharts.de – Yaki-Da – I Saw You Dancing". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  18. "Yaki-Da - I Saw You Dancing" (PDF). Music & Media (1 April 1995, page 14). Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  19. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 01.04.1995-07.04.1995" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir - Tónlist. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  20. Israel Top-30 05.12.1994
  21. "Norwegiancharts.com – Yaki-Da – I Saw You Dancing". VG-lista.
  22. "Swedishcharts.com – Yaki-Da – I Saw You Dancing". Singles Top 100.
  23. "Yaki-Da Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  24. "Yaki-Da Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  25. "Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box (22 July 1995). Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  26. "VG-lista Topp 20 Single Vinter 1995" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
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