"Buffalo Stance" is a song by Swedish singer
Neneh Cherry, released from her debut album, ''
Raw Like Sushi'' (1989), in November 1988. The song peaked at 3 on both the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and it reached No. 1 in her native Sweden and the Netherlands. An early version of the song appeared as the
B-side on the 1986
Stock, Aitken, and Waterman-produced single "
Looking Good Diving" by duo
Morgan-McVey
"Looking Good Diving" is a 1987 song performed by Morgan-McVey, who were vocalists Jamie Morgan and Cameron McVey. It was their only single. The single was released through Sony Records in 1987, produced by SAW and mixed by Phil Harding. The B- ...
, which was made up of
Jamie Morgan and Cherry's future husband
Cameron McVey
Cameron Andrew McVey (born 11 March 1957) is an English singer, songwriter and music producer. He worked with the bands Massive Attack, Portishead, All Saints, Sugababes/ Mutya Keisha Siobhan and his wife Neneh Cherry. He is the father of ...
.
The song, titled "Looking Good Diving with the Wild Bunch", was sung by Cherry.
Morgan says the B-side was written using elements from the single's A-side, most notably Phil Ramacon's distinctive ascending keyboard hook, with Cherry writing the rap, while he supplied lyrics for the sung chorus.
He says that no one working on the track recognised its hit potential, which was only reconsidered after his chance encounter at The Wag nightclub with DJ
Tim Simenon, who expressed interest in reworking the song.
The song title refers to "Buffalo", a group of photographers, models, musicians, hair and makeup artists, etc. formed by fashion stylist
Ray Petri, of which group Cherry, Morgan, and McVey were all members. A buffalo stance is, Cherry told ''The New York Times'', "an attitude you have to have in order to get by. It's not about fashion but about survival in inner cities and elsewhere." The song's title is also a reference to the
Malcolm McLaren song "
Buffalo Gals
"Buffalo Gals" is a traditional American song, written and published as "Lubly Fan" in 1844 by the blackface minstrel John Hodges, who performed as "Cool White". The song was widely popular throughout the United States, where minstrels often ...
" (1982), which "Buffalo Stance" samples. Other samples came from
Rock Steady Crew
Rock Steady Crew is an American breaking and hip hop group which has become a franchise name for multiple groups in other locations. The group's 1983 international hit song " (Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew" (from the group's first studio album ...
's "Hey You", and the saxophone break is from the band Miami's song "Chicken Yellow" (1974).
[''Hitlåtens historia'', "Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance", Sveriges Television, 3 January 2012.]
Cherry performed the song live on ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
'' while seven-months pregnant.
When asked by a reporter if it were safe for her to go up on stage performing, Cherry answered: "Yes, of course! It's not an illness."
Critical reception
Andy Kellman from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
described the song as "at once a personal manifesto and celebration and critique of city-street peacocking".
Annie Zaleski
Annie Zaleski is an American music journalist and author.
Career
Zaleski is a regular writer for mainstream media outlets such as The A.V. Club and NPR Music, and a columnist at ''Salon''. She is based in Cleveland, Ohio where she has won fir ...
from ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' called it an "unstoppable, electro-
hip-hop hybrid". She stated, "With smart samples and swaggering production from
Bomb the Bass—not to mention fiercely feminist lyrics that demand respect and assert independence—“Buffalo Stance” remains one of the best singles of the ’80s." Angus Taylor for
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
noted "its undulating synths, ''You go girl!'' sentiments and killer hooks is every bit the floor-filler it was ten years ago." Kieran Yates from ''
'' called it a "punchy manifesto".
'' wrote, that "over a prominent drum-machine beat and minimal synthesized accompaniment, her raw voice half-sings, half-raps, mock-tough lyrics." The reviewer added that "when she sticks to that formula, singing about infatuation and seduction on the city's mean sidewalks" as on "Buffalo Stance", "she's fresh and inviting."
Pop Rescue commented that "it’s (OMG!) got a female rapper, record scratching, and a fast beat, and this was a fresh sound. Only
already comes across as a fully formed artist: powerful and casually multicultural, as we might expect from an African-Swedish singer raised in
." She added that it is "a song of many moods, as Cherry goes on to alternate between anger and softness, anti-materialism and a high fashion attitude. A rising synth figure bubbles us up to a heavenly chorus ("No money man can win my love/ It's sweetness that I'm thinking of") which shows a rare tenderness in the narrator. Even though the track has been unrelenting up to now, the bubbling and the melody expose an underlying effervescence."
'' ranked "Buffalo Stance" No. 606 in their list of the ''1001 Best Songs Ever'' in 2003. ''
'' placed it at No. 37 in their ''Top 50 Dance Songs'' list in 2015.
''
'' put it at No. 8 in their list of ''The greatest ever female rap tracks – ranked!'' in 2018,
'' listed the song at No. 13 in their ''The 50 best '80s songs'' list same year.
''
'' ranked "Buffalo Stance" No. 412 in their list of ''500 Best Songs of All Time'' in 2021 and No. 71 in their ''200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time'' in 2022.
, and 5-inch CD single.
# "Buffalo Stance" (extended mix) – 5:43
# "Buffalo Stance" (Scratchapella) – 1:38
# "Buffalo Stance" (Electro Ski) – 3:38
# "Give Me a Muthufucking Break Beat" (Sukka Mix) – 5:19