"Lola's Theme" is the debut single of British house duo

the Shapeshifters The Shapeshifters is the current alias of English house producer Simon Marlin and a former duo comprising Marlin and Swedish producer Max Reich, from Gothenburg. The Shapeshifters have been signed to Defected Records since 2008, and the duo we ...

, featuring

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

singer Cookie on vocals. It was released on 12 July 2004 as the lead single from the Shapeshifters' debut album, ''Sound Advice'' (2004). The song became the duo's biggest hit, peaking atop 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 charting highly in Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. In Australia, it was the most successful

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

hit of 2004.

Background

The name "Lola's Theme" was originally a

working title A working title, which may be abbreviated and styled in trade publications after a putative title as (wt), also called a production title or a tentative title, is the temporary title of a product or project used during its development, usually ...

for this record; Lola is Simon Marlin's wife, and it was while listening to her record collection that the initial idea for the track was conceived. She appears handing out candy floss in the music video. "Lola's Theme" features a sample from the introduction of

Johnnie Taylor Johnnie Harrison Taylor (May 5, 1934 – May 31, 2000) was an American recording artist and songwriter who performed a wide variety of genres, from blues, rhythm and blues, soul, and gospel to pop, doo-wop, and disco. In 2022, Taylor ...

's R&B hit of 1982, "What About My Love", and it was originally released at the end of 2003 on their own Nocturnal Groove label as a mostly instrumental track featuring a vocal sample taken from Anthony White's "Love Me Tonight". Due to its immense popularity, "Lola's Theme" was licensed from Nocturnal Groove to Positiva Records. At the same time, the sample of "What About My Love" was then completely replayed by

Mark Summers Mark Summers is the English CEO, sound engineer and music producer of Scorccio, a music production company founded in the UK in 1996. A London DJ since 1979, he is a guest lecturer and masterclass presenter on sample replay production, sound e ...

at Scorccio Sample Replays, recreating all elements of the sample (strings, brass sections, piano, etc.). The duo then set about finding a vocalist. After a long search they met Cookie, a gospel singer from the

London Community Gospel Choir The London Community Gospel Choir is Britain's first renowned contemporary "performance touring, inspirational gospel choir band", fusing gospel with multi-genres of music, including pop, soul, jazz, R&B, and classical. It was founded in 198 ...

, who recorded the vocals for the full release.

Composition

The song is a dance-pop song, utilising elements of "What About My Love" by Johnnie Taylor and lyrics from "Love Me Tonight" by Anthony White. Lyrically, the song is written from the perspective of someone who for most of their life felt disillusioned and alienated. It is addressed to an unnamed other, presumably a love interest, who helped the singer to develop a more positive outlook on life.

Release and chart performance

In the United Kingdom, "Lola's Theme" was released on 12 July 2004, and upon its release, it topped the

. "Lola's Theme" also topped the American Dance Charts, peaking at number one on the

Hot Dance Airplay Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. History The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic d ...

chart in October 2004. The duo went on to have a further two Top 20 hits in the United Kingdom ("Back to Basics" and "

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") and now have a recording contract with

Defected Records In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state in exchange for allegiance to another, changing sides in a way which is considered illegitimate by the first state. More broadly, defection involves abandoning a person, ca ...

. "Lola's Theme" was nominated for "Best British Single" at the

2005 Brit Awards Brit Awards 2005 was the 25th edition of the Brit Awards, an annual pop music awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, which for this 25th edition was marketed as "Brits 25 - The 25th Show". A Special BRITs 25 Award for the best single from the pa ...

Music video

The music video for "Lola's Theme" was filmed at George Irvin's Funfair in

Kingsbury Kingsbury may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Kingsbury, London, a district of northwest London in the borough of Brent ** Kingsbury tube station, London Underground station * Kingsbury, Warwickshire, a village and civil parish in Warwickshi ...

, London; some of the video was filmed at the Irvin's Hellraiser (or Waltzer), the Top Buzz and other rides. The Shapeshifters and Cookie appear in the video, as does remixer

Norman Jay Norman Jay MBE (born Norman Bernard Joseph on 6 November 1957) is a British club, radio and sound system DJ. He first came to prominence playing unlicensed "warehouse" parties in the early 1980s, and through his involvement with the then-pira ...

Track listings

UK CD single # "Lola's Theme" (radio edit) – 3:25 # "Lola's Theme" (main mix) – 8:11 # "Lola's Theme" (extended vocal mix) – 6:54 # "Lola's Theme" (

Eric Prydz Eric Sheridan Prydz (, ; born 19 July 1976), also known by his many aliases including Pryda () and Cirez D (), is a Swedish DJ and music producer. He rose to fame with his 2004 hit single " Call on Me", and saw continued chart success with " Pr ...

mix) – 8:02 # "Lola's Theme" ( Calderone vocal mix) – 10:26 # "Lola's Theme" (enhanced video) UK 12-inch single (blue cover) :A1. "Lola's Theme" (extended vocal mix) – 6:54 :A2. "Lola's Theme" (

mix) – 8:02 :AA1. "Lola's Theme" (main mix) – 8:11 :AA2. "Lola's Theme" (alternative mix) – 6:48 UK 12-inch single (green cover) :A1. "Lola's Theme" (ATFC's Jive for Jezebel) – 9:48 :AA1. "Lola's Theme" (Lola Does High Society vocal) – 6:58 :AA2. "Lola's Theme" (

's Good Times vocal mix) – 7:18 UK 12-inch single (clear vinyl) :A. "Lola's Theme" (main mix) – 8:11 :AA. "Lola's Theme" (alternative mix) – 6:48 UK 12-inch single (Victor Calderone remixes) :A. "Lola's Theme" (Calderone vocal mix) – 10:26 :B. "Lola's Theme" (Calderone dub mix) – 10:26 UK DVD single # "Lola's Theme" (radio edit audio) – 3:25 # "Route One" (audio) – 6:42 # "Lola's Theme" (alternative mix audio) – 6:54 # DVD video and gallery European CD single # "Lola's Theme" (radio edit) – 3:25 # "Lola's Theme" (main mix) – 8:11 US 12-inch single :A1. "Lola's Theme" (Calderone vocal mix) – 10:26 :B1. "Lola's Theme" (extended vocal mix) – 6:54 :B2. "Lola's Theme" (Eric Prydz mix) – 8:02 Australian CD single # "Lola's Theme" (radio edit) – 3:25 # "Lola's Theme" (main mix) – 8:11 # "Lola's Theme" (extended vocal mix) – 6:54 # "Lola's Theme" (Eric Prydz mix) – 8:02 # "Lola's Theme" (Calderone vocal mix) – 10:26

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2004 debut singles 2004 songs English house music songs Positiva Records singles UK Singles Chart number-one singles Ultra Music singles