"Dirty Cash (Money Talks)" is a song by British

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...

act

the Adventures of Stevie V The Adventures of Stevie V was a British dance music act from Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, it scored several hits on the UK Singles Chart and the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, most notably with the s ...

. It was first released in December 1989 on the

Mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

record label, then again in 1990 both on 7-inch vinyl. The 1990 release peaked at number two on 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 ...

, number one in the Netherlands, and topped the US and Canadian dance charts. The song features vocals by Melody Washington,Song Facts: Dirty Cash by Adventures of Stevie V
/ref> a music teacher from Georgia living in England and teaching for the U.S. Air Force, who met Stevie while she was playing in a local club near his home. Mick Walsh composed the track while Stevie Vincent produced it. In 1997, "Dirty Cash" was re-released as a remastered '97 remix, and in June 2014, the song was once again remixed, this time by Alan Fitzpatrick.iTunes: Dirty Cash (2014 Remixes Pt1)
/ref>Beatport: DIRTY CASH - ALAN FITZPATRICK JADED VOCAL MIX
/ref> Australian music channel

Max Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...

included it in their list of "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2013.

Critical reception

David Taylor-Wilson from ''

Bay Area Reporter The ''Bay Area Reporter'' is a free weekly newspaper serving the LGBT communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the largest-circulation LGBT newspapers in the United States, and the country's oldest continuously published newspaper ...

'' said the song "has all the ingredients for a solid

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

hit, with a style somewhat reminiscent of

Soul II Soul Soul II Soul are a British musical collective formed in London in 1988. They are best known for their two major hits; 1989's UK number five and US number eleven " Keep On Movin'", and its follow-up, the UK number one and US number four " Back to ...

." Bill Coleman from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' described it as a "seductive

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

track with an underground sensibility sports a tasty vocal hook and top of the chart potential." Another editor,

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

called it "a scathing, house-fueled ode to capitalism". Ernest Hardy from '' Cashbox'' called it "a biting-yet-melancholy melding of dance,

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

, and R&B that contrasts a hard rap with caressing female vocals." He added, "It's one of the year's best singles, and one of the most misunderstood." Dave Sholin from the ''

Gavin Report The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The pu ...

'' wrote that British-based writer/producer Stevie Vincent "spent six weeks Top Ten in the U.K. with this track, selling a quarter million copies in the process—no easy task in that market." He noted it as a "exceptional entry." Pan-European magazine ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...

'' commented: "This is top-rate hiphouse. There is a killer beat, a brilliant chorus, a funky sax, all bound together with a liberal dash of humour. Perhaps more importantly though, it all sounds refreshing and new." A reviewer from ''The Network Forty'' stated that the track is "almost a mood piece", and said that it "has a soulful vocal approach backed by a Euro-dance production somewhat reminiscent of the

Pet Shop Boys The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo i ...

." Pop Rescue said that "Dirty Cash" is "a fantastic slice of 90s music." Miranda Sawyer from ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...

'' labeled the song as "hip-house at its most brilliantly scuzzy. A bump and grind bass and

Adamski Adam Paul Tinley (born 4 December 1967), known professionally as Adamski, as well as Sonny Eriksson, is an English DJ, musician, singer and record producer, prominent at the time of acid house for his tracks " N-R-G" and "Killer", a collaborati ...

-like fiddly bit drives this heavy rap and hookline scudding along. Top." Stewart Walker from ''

Toledo Blade ''The Blade'', also known as the ''Toledo Blade'', is a newspaper in Toledo, Ohio published daily online and printed Thursday and Sunday by Block Communications. The newspaper was first published on December 19, 1835. Overview The first issue o ...

'' noted in his album review, that Stevie V. "blends aspects of both musical forms well ip-hop and house musicto produce a polished sound that is best illustrated" on "Dirty Cash (Money Talks)".

Chart performance

"Dirty Cash (Money Talks)" was successful on the charts of several continents. In Europe, it reached number-one in the Netherlands, and was a top 10 hit also in Belgium and the United Kingdom. In the latter, the single peaked at number two in its eighth week on the

, on May 6, 1990. It was held off the top spot by

's "

Killer A killer is someone or something that kills, such as a murderer or a serial killer. Killer may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Killer (''Home and Away''), a character from ''Home and Away'' * Killer Kane, ...

". "Dirty Cash (Money Talks)" also was a top 20 hit in Austria, West Germany and Switzerland. Outside Europe, it hit number-one on the ''

Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

in the United States. On the ''Billboard''

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

, it reached number 25. In Oceania, the single peaked at number 18 in Australia and number 34 in New Zealand.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Cover versions

A remix of "Dirty Cash (Money Talks)" was released in late 2009, mixed by Funk K called "Dirty Cash 2009". "Dirty Cash" was

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

Liberty X Liberty X (originally called Liberty) are a British-Irish group originally consisting of Michelle Heaton, Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Jessica Taylor and Kelli Young. The group was formed by the five finalists of the 2001 ITV talent show ''Popstars' ...

, and featured on their 2005 album, '' X''. "

Dirtee Cash "Dirtee Cash" is a song recorded by the British rapper Dizzee Rascal and was released as the fourth single from his fourth studio album ''Tongue n' Cheek''. It was released digitally on 21 September 2009 and follows his No. 1 hits "Holiday ...

", a song recorded by the British

grime Grime may refer to: * Dirt, in the form of black, ingrained dust * Grime (music genre), a genre of music * ''Grime'' (album), a 2001 album by Iniquity * ''Grime'' (video game), a 2021 Metroidvania video game * "Grime", a 2022 song by Dallas Wood ...

artist

Dizzee Rascal Dylan Kwabena Mills (born 18 September 1984), better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a British MC and rapper. A pioneer of grime music, his work has also incorporated elements of UK garage, bassline, British hip hop, and R&B. Dizze ...

, based on "Dirty Cash", was released as the fourth single from Dizzee Rascal's fourth studio album, ''

Tongue N' Cheek ''Tongue n' Cheek'' is the fourth studio album by British rapper Dizzee Rascal. The album was released on 20 September 2009 and includes the number one singles, "Dance wiv Me", " Bonkers", "Holiday" and "Dirtee Disco". It has been certified pla ...

'' in 2009 and reached number 10 in the UK chart. At the

2010 BRIT Awards Brit Awards 2010 was the 30th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual Brit Awards. The awards ceremony was held at Earls Court in London for the last time. The ceremony was broadcast live on ITV on Tuesday 16 February 2010. It was ...

Florence Welch Florence Leontine Mary Welch (born 28 August 1986) is an English singer, the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the indie rock band Florence and the Machine. The band's debut studio album, ''Lungs'' (2009), topped the UK Albums Chart and wo ...

, from

Florence and The Machine Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band that formed in London in 2007, consisting of lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, harpist Tom Monger, and ...

was joined by Dizzee Rascal to perform a mash-up of her version of "

You Got the Love "You Got the Love" is a song by British songwriting team The Source featuring American singer-songwriter Candi Staton. Originally released in 1986, the song was remixed and re-released in 1991, 1997, and 2006. It reached number three on the UK S ...

" and his "Dirtee Cash". The mash-up, entitled "

You Got the Dirtee Love "You Got the Love" is a song by British songwriting team The Source featuring American singer-songwriter Candi Staton. Originally released in 1986, the song was remixed and re-released in 1991, 1997, and 2006. It reached number three on the UK ...

", was released on 17 February 2010, one day after the BRITs performance.

References

{{Authority control 1989 songs 1989 debut singles 1990 singles 1997 singles British house music songs Hip house songs Number-one singles in the Netherlands Dutch Top 40 number-one singles Mercury Records singles