This was a fascinating read. I learned so much just by reading your take on why this song managed to break through the way it did. Now I know where the Vengaboys, from your other neighbour, managed to get their inspiration from! PS: For what it's worth, I'll always prefer a Stella over a Heineken. Just sayin' 😎 Have a fab weekend!
WORD! Over here, we jokingly call Heineken “dog’s piss” 😂😂 But credit where it’s due, the Dutch have always been great at taking inspiration and turning it into something new to conquer the world with. Much better at that than we Belgians, I have to admit!
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Andy. Wishing you and your husband a fantastic weekend!
Dog’s piss 🤣🤣🤣 In a way the Belgians remind me of the Swiss a bit, in the sense that they are great at what they do but they tend to understate it (especially when compared with the French, Germans, Dutch, and well, the Brits, although the Brits will make you think they understate it 😅). Enjoy your weekend too!
Absolutely, the root of it lies in our history… but that’s a whole other discussion. I do get a bit worked up about the often overly modest expectations we Belgians have when it comes to competition.
Take the Olympics, for example: our athletes often go with the goal of earning an Olympic diploma (finishing in the top 8). Meanwhile, the Dutch go to win.
Of course, finishing in the top 8 is a huge achievement, but if you’re not aiming for the top, maybe it’s better to train harder, wait, and go next time when you’re truly ready to compete for gold.
The Dutch have shown time and again that even a small country can be a powerhouse, it’s really just a matter of mindset.
I totally see what you mean, and I agree. Mindset is everything. Still, I was a fan of Belle Perez and, calorie allowance permitting, wouldn’t say no to a cone of frites every now and then 😊
Good (In) deep dive Pump up the Jam! It all started arguably with Pump up the Volume vocal line from You Got It/I Know You Got Soul (voice of the great hype man of all time Bobby Byrd) Eric B and Rakim through Paid in Full. That phrase and sample had an extended life of its own and I got every mix of that from Ofra Hazza's Im Nin'alu 7" still in my active vinyl collection and of course Pump up the Volume by MARRS (4th& Broadway/Island) using both to great effect. The days of discos were longer than people know and so many records and so many styles cross-pollinized.
An aside My French wife sang the Dominique Nique Nique to me many times from here childhood. Still creepy after all these years. But gotta love The Singing Nun. Great Firday diversion as always.
Absolutely, Steve, that’s one of the main reasons I started this newsletter. Everything is connected; no genre exists in isolation. Disco (or dance music in general) doesn’t live on an island, and the way different influences shape each other is endlessly fascinating. Dominique is part of our shared cultural memory 😃
Thanks so much for the kind words, your reaction, and for reading! Wishing you and your wife a wonderful weekend!
Re. the replacement of Ya Kid K on the sleeve with Felly. I recently caught up with the much admired 2023 documentary on Milli Vanilli. Even when the "scandal" broke, I remember struggling to understand what all the fuss was about, especially as it was aimed at Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan rather than producer Frank Farian. Seemed to smack of racism. The whole unfortunate business emphasised how little was understood about how the industry worked. I'd like to think it's very different these days, with every potential artist also having to be a small business person, but sometimes I'm not so sure. That's why this Newsletter is so valuable, with its attention to the business dealings behind the glorious but often murky world of dance music. Keep up the good work!
I think you’re right, Paul, things are different today, largely because record companies no longer hold the same power over these kinds of decisions. Otherwise, the same practices would probably still be in place.
I’ve been in many conversations over the years where the focus wasn’t on the artist’s talent or the music itself, but on the marketing strategy, making sure all the elements were there to sell as many records as possible. In some ways, it wasn’t so different from selling a bar of soap.
That kind of mindset can lead to situations like the Milli Vanilli story: real drama.
Thanks so much for your kind words, for reading, and for engaging. Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
😂😂 Please pass on my compliments to your husband for his impeccable taste, Dan! Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts, wishing you both a fantastic weekend!
I knew it was a big hit in the U.S., but what I discovered during my research is that it was truly omnipresent. What’s even more remarkable is that they managed to repeat that success two more times.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Vince! Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
This was fantastic! “Pump Up The Jam” was all over the place back in the day! I loved seeing the evolution of the track from the obscure Chicago House track to the finished product. I never knew Technotronic was Belgian (I did know about frites though!!) and I’m not sure I ever knew that they were behind “Get Up (Before the Night is Over”, another fantastic song. Then there was “This Beat is Technotronic”, another decent track but not quite the caliber of the other two.
This was a fascinating read. I learned so much just by reading your take on why this song managed to break through the way it did. Now I know where the Vengaboys, from your other neighbour, managed to get their inspiration from! PS: For what it's worth, I'll always prefer a Stella over a Heineken. Just sayin' 😎 Have a fab weekend!
WORD! Over here, we jokingly call Heineken “dog’s piss” 😂😂 But credit where it’s due, the Dutch have always been great at taking inspiration and turning it into something new to conquer the world with. Much better at that than we Belgians, I have to admit!
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Andy. Wishing you and your husband a fantastic weekend!
Dog’s piss 🤣🤣🤣 In a way the Belgians remind me of the Swiss a bit, in the sense that they are great at what they do but they tend to understate it (especially when compared with the French, Germans, Dutch, and well, the Brits, although the Brits will make you think they understate it 😅). Enjoy your weekend too!
And thanks for sharing Andy!
Absolutely, the root of it lies in our history… but that’s a whole other discussion. I do get a bit worked up about the often overly modest expectations we Belgians have when it comes to competition.
Take the Olympics, for example: our athletes often go with the goal of earning an Olympic diploma (finishing in the top 8). Meanwhile, the Dutch go to win.
Of course, finishing in the top 8 is a huge achievement, but if you’re not aiming for the top, maybe it’s better to train harder, wait, and go next time when you’re truly ready to compete for gold.
The Dutch have shown time and again that even a small country can be a powerhouse, it’s really just a matter of mindset.
I totally see what you mean, and I agree. Mindset is everything. Still, I was a fan of Belle Perez and, calorie allowance permitting, wouldn’t say no to a cone of frites every now and then 😊
Sometimes you’ve just got to forget about the calories, Andy, and as track 2 from this week’s mix says, ‘Just let go’ 😃
Lol. I’m insufferable I know. I do make exceptions every now and then, though, especially on weekends 😊
Good (In) deep dive Pump up the Jam! It all started arguably with Pump up the Volume vocal line from You Got It/I Know You Got Soul (voice of the great hype man of all time Bobby Byrd) Eric B and Rakim through Paid in Full. That phrase and sample had an extended life of its own and I got every mix of that from Ofra Hazza's Im Nin'alu 7" still in my active vinyl collection and of course Pump up the Volume by MARRS (4th& Broadway/Island) using both to great effect. The days of discos were longer than people know and so many records and so many styles cross-pollinized.
An aside My French wife sang the Dominique Nique Nique to me many times from here childhood. Still creepy after all these years. But gotta love The Singing Nun. Great Firday diversion as always.
Absolutely, Steve, that’s one of the main reasons I started this newsletter. Everything is connected; no genre exists in isolation. Disco (or dance music in general) doesn’t live on an island, and the way different influences shape each other is endlessly fascinating. Dominique is part of our shared cultural memory 😃
Thanks so much for the kind words, your reaction, and for reading! Wishing you and your wife a wonderful weekend!
Re. the replacement of Ya Kid K on the sleeve with Felly. I recently caught up with the much admired 2023 documentary on Milli Vanilli. Even when the "scandal" broke, I remember struggling to understand what all the fuss was about, especially as it was aimed at Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan rather than producer Frank Farian. Seemed to smack of racism. The whole unfortunate business emphasised how little was understood about how the industry worked. I'd like to think it's very different these days, with every potential artist also having to be a small business person, but sometimes I'm not so sure. That's why this Newsletter is so valuable, with its attention to the business dealings behind the glorious but often murky world of dance music. Keep up the good work!
I think you’re right, Paul, things are different today, largely because record companies no longer hold the same power over these kinds of decisions. Otherwise, the same practices would probably still be in place.
I’ve been in many conversations over the years where the focus wasn’t on the artist’s talent or the music itself, but on the marketing strategy, making sure all the elements were there to sell as many records as possible. In some ways, it wasn’t so different from selling a bar of soap.
That kind of mindset can lead to situations like the Milli Vanilli story: real drama.
Thanks so much for your kind words, for reading, and for engaging. Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
My husband played this song to death in '89! Whenever something else liked it popped up I'd say, "Is this Pump Up the Jam?"
😂😂 Please pass on my compliments to your husband for his impeccable taste, Dan! Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts, wishing you both a fantastic weekend!
This song was huge in the US. As a nine year old, it was all over MTV, the radio stations and basketball arenas.
I knew it was a big hit in the U.S., but what I discovered during my research is that it was truly omnipresent. What’s even more remarkable is that they managed to repeat that success two more times.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Vince! Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Viewers of "Cunk on Earth," a comedy history series will be delighted by the "Pump up the Jam" seques in each episode. lol
https://www.netflix.com/title/81516751
This was fantastic! “Pump Up The Jam” was all over the place back in the day! I loved seeing the evolution of the track from the obscure Chicago House track to the finished product. I never knew Technotronic was Belgian (I did know about frites though!!) and I’m not sure I ever knew that they were behind “Get Up (Before the Night is Over”, another fantastic song. Then there was “This Beat is Technotronic”, another decent track but not quite the caliber of the other two.