Sing It Back

"Sing It Back" is a song written and performed by Moloko (Róisín Murphy and Mark Brydon). It first appeared in its original version on Moloko's second album, I Am Not a Doctor; it was released as a single on 15 March 1999, reaching number 45 on the UK Singles Chart. The song experienced chart success after it was remixed by DJ Boris Dlugosch, peaking at number four in the UK in September 1999. Murphy had started writing the lyrics while clubbing in New York City,[3] and knew the song was at heart a dance track, but the group wanted to record it in a different artistic fashion for its album version.

"Sing It Back (Boris Musical Mix)"
Single by Moloko
from the album I Am Not a Doctor
Released	15 March 1999[1]
Genre	Funky house[2]
Length	4:40 (single version) 4:23 (album version)
Label	Echo Sire/Warner Bros. (US)
Songwriter(s)	Róisín Murphy Mark Brydon
Producer(s)	Moloko and remix production by Boris Dlugosch
Moloko singles chronology
"The Flipside" (1998) "Sing It Back (Boris Musical Mix)" (1999) "The Time Is Now" (2000)
Music video
"Sing It Back" on YouTube
Audio sample
Moloko – "Sing It Back" (single version) file help

Together with their record company they had commissioned mixes by Todd Terry (who had turned Everything But the Girl's "Missing" into an international club anthem). Moloko were not satisfied with the Terry mix and had to convince their label Echo Records to put out the Boris D. version instead. The remixed version was eventually featured on over 100 compilations, and was later added on Moloko's third album, Things to Make and Do, after hitting the top ten on the UK Singles Chart. In 1999 it reached number one on the US dance chart. As a form of barter for the remix, Moloko vocalist Róisín Murphy later co-wrote and appeared on Boris D.'s "Never Enough" single, starring in the video for that release as well.

Critical reception

Aberdeen Press and Journal called it a "Balearic hit".[4] In her review of the I Am Not a Doctor album, Heather Phares from AllMusic described it as a "techno torch song".[5] Daily Record said it is "their best single since 1996's Fun For Me".[6] Stevie Chick from NME wrote, "Roisin Murphy, it must be said, has a remarkable voice, a chalky, skewed howl which can twist into a purr, a cry or a sexy growl. On 'Sing It Back', she's cast as Eartha Kitt, all unquenchable lust, sly, coquettish snarls, a luxuriant, lingering sigh. What a shame it's wasted on some of the limpest, radio-friendly handbag tedium ever put on wax."[7]

Music video

The music video for the song features Moloko vocalist Róisín Murphy dancing alone in a metallic flapper dress, accompanied by psychedelic lighting effects. The video was directed by Dawn Shadforth. The video is featured on the DVD of Moloko's special edition for the Statues album. It was published on YouTube in October 2016. By November 2020, the video has been viewed over 11,3 million times.[8] Several live videos exist as well, including one in the group's live concert movie 11,000 Clicks, a similar concert version from the Dutch Pinkpop broadcast, a televised version from the TV show Later... with Jools Holland, and a samba version featured on MTV Brasil.

Impact and legacy

Q Magazine ranked "Sing It Back" at number 905 in their list of the 1001 Best Songs Ever in 2002.[9]

Australian music channel Max placed it at number 887 in their list of 1000 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2012.[10]

German magazine Musikexpress listed the song as number 449 in their ranking of the 700 Best Songs of All-Time in 2014.[11]

Mixmag put the song in their list of Vocal House: The 30 All-Time Biggest Anthems in 2018.[12]

Track listings

UK CD1

1. "Sing It Back" (Tee's Radio) – 3:25
2. "Sing It Back" (Booker T Loco Mix) – 5:22
3. "Sing It Back" (DJ Plankton's Dub) – 8:32

UK CD2

1. "Sing It Back (Boris Musical Mix Edit) – 4:38
2. "Sing It Back (Herbert's Tasteful Dub) – 5:38
3. "Sing It Back (Tee's Freeze Mix) – 9:02

Remixes

Boris Dlugosch mixes "Sing It Back" (Boris Musical Mix) – 9:15 "Sing It Back" (Boris Musical Mix Edit) – 4:37 "Sing It Back" (Boris Main Instrumental) – 9:19 "Sing It Back" (Boris Funk Dub) – 6:53 "Sing It Back" (Boris Reprise) – 8:14 "Sing It Back" (BMR Club Mix) – 7:12 Levent Canseven mixes "Sing It Back" (Levent's Funk-O-Rama Mix) – 7:40 "Sing It Back" (Levent's Funk-O-Rama Dub) – 7:42 "Sing It Back" (Can 7 Supermarket Mix) – 8:20 "Sing It Back" (Can 7 Supermarket Radio) – 4:04 Mousse T. mixes "Sing It Back" (Mousse T.'s Bootleg Dub) – 7:37 "Sing It Back" (Mousse T.'s Feel Love Mix) – 7:09 "Sing It Back" (Mousse T.'s Feelluvdub) – 7:09

Matthew Herbert mixes "Sing It Back" (Herbert's Evangelista Albertini Acid House Mix) – 6:44 "Sing It Back" (Herbert's Tasteful Dub) – 5:58 Todd Terry mixes "Sing It Back" (Mike Penfold paranoia ice Mix) – 9:02 "Sing It Back" (Tee's Radio) – 3:26 Booker T mixes "Sing It Back" (Booker T Loco Mix) – 5:23 "Sing It Back" (Booker T Loco Dub) – 5:36 Dope Smugglaz mix "Sing It Back" (House of Lords Wig Out Mix) – 8:43 Mark Brydon mix "Sing It Back" (Chez Maurice Mix) – 9:06 DJ Plankton mix "Sing It Back" (DJ Plankton's Dub Featuring Maurice) – 8:33

Covers

• In 2012 Andy Caldwell and Michael Teixeira collaborated on a cover, featuring vocals by Lisa Donnelly.[13]
• In 2015 the Swingrowers released an electro swing cover of the original.[14]
• In December 2017, Pete Tong released a version, featuring Becky Hill, on his album Ibiza Classics.[15]

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (1999) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[16] 20 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[17] 31 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[18] 26 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[19] 2 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[20] 15 France (SNEP)[21] 35 Germany (Official German Charts)[22] 47 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[23] 28 Ireland (IRMA)[24] 12 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[25] 11 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[26] 24 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[27] 27 Scotland (OCC)[28] 5 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[29] 5 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[30] 50 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[31] 18 UK Singles (OCC)[32] 4 UK Dance (OCC)[33] 1 UK Indie (OCC)[34] 1 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[35] 1 US Hot Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[36] 44

Year-end charts Chart (1999) Position Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[37] 16 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[38] 100 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[39] 93 Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales United Kingdom (BPI)[40] Gold 400,000 Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of number-one dance singles of 1999 (U.S.)

References

1. "Sing It Back". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
2. "I Am Not a Doctor - Moloko - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
3. "everyHit.com Note". everyhit.com. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
4. Aberdeen Press and Journal. 30 August 1999. p. 13. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
5. Phares, Heather. "Moloko – I Am Not a Doctor". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
6. "Chartslot". Daily Record. 3 September 1999. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
7. Chick, Stevie. "This Week's Singles March 20 1999". NME. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
8. "Moloko - Sing It Back (Official HD Video)". YouTube. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
9. "Q - 1001 best songs ever (2003)".
10. "TOP 1000 GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME – 2012". Max. 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
11. "Die 700 besten Songs aller Zeiten". Musikexpress (in German). 21 March 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
12. "The 30 best vocal house anthems ever". Mixmag. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
13. "Uno Recordings: Music". Archived from the original on 26 November 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
14. "Sing it Back (Swingrowers Remix)". testicanzoni. MTV. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
15. Pete Tong - Sing It Back Feat. Becky Hill (Official Audio) on YouTube
16. "Australian-charts.com – Moloko – Sing It Back". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
17. "Ultratop.be – Moloko – Sing It Back" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
18. "Ultratop.be – Moloko – Sing It Back" (in French). Ultratop 50.
19. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 8432." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
20. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16 no. 37. 11 September 1998. p. 12. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
21. "Lescharts.com – Moloko – Sing It Back" (in French). Les classement single.
22. "Offiziellecharts.de – Moloko – Sing It Back". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
23. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 339 Vikuna 2.8. – 9.9. 1999)" (PDF) (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið Vísir. Retrieved 13 July 2018. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
24. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Sing It Back". Irish Singles Chart.
25. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Moloko" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
26. "Dutchcharts.nl – Moloko – Sing It Back" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
27. "Charts.nz – Moloko – Sing It Back". Top 40 Singles.
28. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
29. "Spanishcharts.com – Moloko – Sing It Back" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
30. "Swedishcharts.com – Moloko – Sing It Back". Singles Top 100.
31. "Swisscharts.com – Moloko – Sing It Back". Swiss Singles Chart.
32. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
33. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
34. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
35. "Moloko Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
36. "Moloko Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
37. "RPM 1999 Top 50 Dance Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
38. "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1999" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17 no. 1. 1 January 2000. p. 11. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
39. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1999". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
40. "British single certifications – Moloko – Sing It Back". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 June 2020.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics