"Sing It Back" is a song written and performed by Irish-English

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

duo

Moloko Moloko () were an Irish-English electronic music duo formed in Sheffield, England, consisting of vocalist Róisín Murphy and producer Mark Brydon. Blending elements of electronica and dance music, they are best known for their UK top 10 sin ...

(

Róisín Murphy Róisín Marie Murphy ( , ; born 5 July 1973) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and record producer. She first became known in the 1990s as one half of the pop duo Moloko alongside English musician Mark Brydon. After the breakup of Moloko, she em ...

and

Mark Brydon Mark Errington Brydon is an English bassist, guitarist, composer, arranger, recording engineer, remix artist and producer best known as a member of the group Moloko. Previous work He comes from Sunderland, England, but established himself in ...

). It first appeared in its original version on Moloko's second album, ''

I Am Not a Doctor ''I Am Not a Doctor'' is the second album by the English/Irish electronic dance music duo Moloko, released in 1998. The album received critical praise, although it was not a big seller. ''I Am Not a Doctor'' was issued in the UK by Echo Records ...

'' (1998); it was released as a single on 8 March 1999, reaching number 45 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 ...

. The song experienced chart success after it was

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

ed by DJ

Boris Dlugosch Boris Dlugosch (; born 2 August 1968) is a German house music producer from Hamburg. Boris is usually known for funky/deep house tracks, mostly produced in conjunction with Mousse T. and Michi Lange, his partners in the Peppermint Jam Records l ...

, peaking at number four in the UK in September 1999. Murphy had started writing the lyrics while clubbing in New York City, 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. Together with their record company they had commissioned mixes by

Todd Terry Todd Norton Terry (born April 18, 1967) is an American DJ, record producer and remixer in the genre of house music. Musical career Todd Terry was influential in moving House music beyond the early Chicago house sound of 1984–86. He crossed ...

(who had turned

Everything But the Girl Everything but the Girl (occasionally referred to as EBTG) are an English musical duo formed in Kingston upon Hull in 1982, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, producer and singer Ben Watt ...

's "

Missing Missing or The Missing may refer to: Film * ''Missing'' (1918 film), an American silent drama directed by James Young * ''Missing'' (1982 film), an American historical drama directed by Costa-Gavras * ''Missing'' (2007 film) (''Vermist''), a Bel ...

" into an international club anthem). Moloko were not satisfied with the Terry mix and had to convince their label

Echo Records The Echo Label was a British record label started by Chrysalis Group in 1994, and linked with Pony Canyon in Japan. The Chrysalis Group were the original owners of Chrysalis Records, which they sold to EMI. In 2005, The Echo Label recorded a ...

to put out the Dlugosch 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 ''Things to Make and Do'' is the third album by the electronic/ dance duo Moloko, released in the UK by Echo Records in 2000. It was a sonic departure for Moloko, with tracks less reliant on electronics and more on live musicians. In addition to ...

'', after hitting the top ten on the UK Singles Chart. In 1999 it reached number one on the

US dance chart 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 ...

. As a form of

barter In trade, barter (derived from ''baretor'') is a system of exchange in which participants in a transaction directly exchange goods or services for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money. Economists distingu ...

for the remix, Moloko vocalist Róisín Murphy later co-wrote and appeared on Dlugosch's " Never Enough" single, starring in the video for that release as well.

Critical reception

Scottish newspaper ''

Aberdeen Press and Journal ''The Press and Journal'' is a daily regional newspaper serving northern and highland Scotland including the cities of Aberdeen and Inverness. Established in 1747, it is Scotland's oldest daily newspaper, and one of the longest-running newspap ...

'' viewed "Sing It Back" as a " Balearic hit". In her review of the ''

'' album, Heather Phares 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 databas ...

described it as a "

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...

torch song". A reviewer from '' Daily Record'' said it is "their best single since 1996's Fun For Me". Stevie Chick from ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' wrote, "

, 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 Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Ba ...

, 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."

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

was produced to promote the single, directed by

Dawn Shadforth Dawn Shadforth is a British director of music videos, TV, and film and a visual artist. She was originally a fine artist making work with objects, light, video and sound. She won the Whitworth Young Contemporaries Award for the installation "Swe ...

. It features Moloko vocalist

dancing alone in a metallic

flapper Flappers were a subculture of young Western women in the 1920s who wore short skirts (knee height was considered short during that period), bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptab ...

dress, accompanied by

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...

lighting effects. The video is featured on the DVD of Moloko's special edition for the ''

Statues A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

'' album. 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 The Pinkpop Festival is an annual music festival held at Landgraaf, Netherlands. It is usually held on the Pentecost weekend (''Pinksteren'' in Dutch, hence the name). If Pentecost falls on an early date in May, the festival is held later in June. ...

'' broadcast, a televised version from the TV show '' Later... with Jools Holland'', and a

samba Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...

version featured on

MTV Brasil MTV Brasil was a Brazilian over-the-air television network owned by Grupo Abril focused on the youth. The network was launched on 20 October 1990, as the first specialty television network to broadcast over-the-air, becoming the local version ...

Impact and legacy

Q Magazine ''Q'' was a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1986 by broadcast journalists Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were presenters of the BBC television music series ''The Old Grey Whistle Test''. '' ...

'' ranked "Sing It Back" at number 905 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever" in 2002. Australian music channel Max placed it at number 887 in their list of "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2012. German magazine ''

Musikexpress The ''Musikexpress'' is a monthly German magazine that mainly writes about the rock and pop music. In addition to detailed interviews and articles about important rock, electro, hip-hop, pop, and independent musicians, the magazine offers reviews ...

'' listed the song as number 449 in their ranking of the "700 Best Songs of All-Time" in 2014. ''

Mixmag ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was prin ...

'' put the song in their list of "Vocal House: The 30 All-Time Biggest Anthems" in 2018.

Tomorrowland Tomorrowland is one of the many themed lands featured at all of the Magic Kingdom styled Disney theme parks around the world owned or licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Each version of the land is different and features numerous attractions t ...

featured the song in their "Official The Ibiza 500" at number 55.

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

ranked the song at 152 in their 2022 list of the 200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time.

Track listings

* UK CD1 # "Sing It Back" (

Tee A tee is a stand used in sport to support and elevate a stationary ball prior to striking with a foot, club or bat. Tees are used extensively in golf, tee-ball, baseball, American football, and rugby. Etymology The word tee is derived from the ...

's radio) – 3:25 # "Sing It Back" (Booker T Loco Mix) – 5:21 # "Sing It Back" (DJ Plankton's Dub featuring Maurice) – 8:33 * UK CD2 # "Sing It Back" ( Boris Musical Mix edit) – 4:38 # "Sing It Back" (

Herbert Herbert may refer to: People Individuals * Herbert (musician), a pseudonym of Matthew Herbert Name * Herbert (given name) * Herbert (surname) Places Antarctica * Herbert Mountains, Coats Land * Herbert Sound, Graham Land Australia * Herbert ...

's Tasteful Dub) – 5:38 # "Sing It Back" (Tee's Freeze Mix) – 9:02 * UK 12-inch single :A. "Sing It Back" (Tee's Freeze Mix) – 9:02 :B. "Sing It Back" (Boris Musical Mix) – 9:19 * UK cassette single # "Sing It Back" (Boris Musical Mix edit) – 4:38 # "Sing It Back" (Can 7 Supermarket Mix edit) – 4:03 # "Sing It Back" (Tee's radio mix) – 4:23 * French CD single # "Sing It Back" (Boris Musical Mix edit) – 4:38 # "Sing It Back" (Tee's radio) – 3:25 * German CD single # "Sing It Back" (Boris radio edit) – 3:35 # "Sing It Back" (Boris Musical Mix) – 9:15 * Australian CD single # "Sing It Back" (Boris Dlugosch Musical Mix edit) – 4:38 # "Sing It Back" (Can 7 Supermarket Mix edit) – 4:03 # "Sing It Back" (Boris Dlugosch Musical Mix) – 9:17 # "Sing It Back" (Tee's Freeze Mix) – 9:02 # "Sing It Back" (Can 7 Supermarket Mix) – 8:19

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Covers

* In 2012

Andy Caldwell Andy Caldwell is an American electronic house music DJ and producer. Caldwell became known through the San Francisco House scene in the early part of the 2000s; first as a member of the live House act Soulstice, and later as a solo artist. Ca ...

and Michael Teixeira collaborated on a cover, featuring vocals by Lisa Donnelly. * In 2015 the Swingrowers released an

electro swing Electro swing, or swing house, is an electronic dance music genre that combines the influence of vintage or modern swing and jazz mixed with house and hip hop. Successful examples of the genre create a modern and dance-floor focused sound tha ...

cover of the original. * In December 2017,

Pete Tong Peter Michael Tong, (born 30 July 1960) is an English disc jockey who works for BBC Radio 1. He is the host of programmes such as ''Essential Mix'' and ''Essential Selection'' on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio stre ...

released a version, featuring

Becky Hill Rebecca Claire Hill (born 14 February 1994) is a British singer from Bewdley, England. She rose to prominence after appearing on the first series of the then BBC (now ITV) talent contest ''The Voice UK'', auditioning with John Legend's "Ordin ...

, on his album ''

Ibiza Classics ''Ibiza Classics'' is a compilation album by Pete Tong with Jules Buckley and the Heritage Orchestra. The follow-up to '' Classic House'' (2016), it was released through Universal Music on 1 December 2017. It has sold 97,663 copies as of March 201 ...

''.

References

{{Authority control 1999 singles Moloko songs 1998 songs The Echo Label singles Sire Records singles Warner Records singles Songs written by Róisín Murphy UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles Songs written by Mark Brydon