"Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" is the debut single released by sister duo

Mel and Kim Mel and Kim (stylized as MӗL & KIM) were an English pop duo, consisting of sisters Melanie and Kim Appleby. Originally managed by Alan Whitehead, they achieved success between 1986 and 1988, before Melanie died of cancer in January 1990 at t ...

in 1986. The single's B-side, "System", was originally intended to be the duo's debut release, but after getting to know the sisters,

Pete Waterman Peter Alan Waterman, (born 15 January 1947) is an English record producer, songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterm ...

felt that the song was too soft for their personalities, and halted the single's pressing. Mike Stock then wrote "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" for the duo, influenced by the Chicago garage house sound. "It became very clear that the tracks were being written around us, for us, and they were feeding off us,"

Kim Appleby Kim Loraine Appleby (born 28 August 1961) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. She participated in the duo Mel and Kim, with her sister Melanie Appleby, until her sister's death from pneumonia following treatment for cancer. Solo mu ...

said of the creative process with

Stock Aitken Waterman Stock Aitken Waterman (abbreviated as SAW) are an English songwriting and record production trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman. The trio had great success from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. SAW is considered ...

after "System" was replaced by "Showing Out". The iconic image that Mel and Kim projected in the song's video and on the second version of the single sleeve was only decided when Kim wore a hat and

harem pants Harem pants or harem trousers are baggy, long pants caught in at the ankle. Early on, the style was also called a harem skirt. The original so-called 'harem pants/skirts' were introduced to Western fashion by designers such as Paul Poiret around 1 ...

to an appearance at London nightclub The Hippodrome. Supreme Records managing director Nick East decided on the spot that her look would be used to define the act. "He looked at me and he said that's the image," Kim said. The single peaked at #3 in the UK in November 1986, and was certified silver by the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...

for sales exceeding 250,000 copies. "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" reached #1 in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Belgium. British magazine ''

Classic Pop Traditional pop (also known as classic pop and pre-rock and roll pop) is Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known as pop standards ...

'' ranked "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" number three in their list of "Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman songs" in 2021.

UK releases

; 7" (SUPE 107) # "Showing Out" # "System" (House mix dit 3:47 ; 12" (SUPE T 107 / RCA PT 40990) # "Showing Out" (Extended mix) # "System" (House mix) 9:00 ; 12" remix (SUPE TX 107) # "Showing Out" (The Mortgage mix) # "System" (House mix) 9:00 ; 12" remix (SUPE TZ 107) # "Showing Out" (The Freehold mix) # "System" (House mix) 9:00

Official mixes

* Album version 5:12 * 7" version 3:33 * Extended mix 7:15 * Extended mix edit 4:51 * The Mortgage mix 6:30 * The Freehold mix 4:36 – Mortgage mix edit * Italo House remix 6:07 – by Alan Coulthard 1990 * Italo House remix edit 3:25 – by Alan Coulthard 1990 * "Struttin' Out" 7:16 – includes samples of

Frantique Frantique was an American disco group signed to Philadelphia International Records. They released their self-titled album in 1979. A track from the album, "Strut Your Funky Stuff" charted on the UK Singles Chart in 1979, peaking at No. 10 in S ...

's " Strut Your Funky Stuff"; by

Ben Liebrand Ben Liebrand () (born 27 September 1960 in Nijmegen, the Netherlands) is a Dutch dance music DJ and remixer. He has produced for artists such as Forrest and MC Miker G & DJ Sven and remixed tracks by artists such as Alexander O'Neal, Salt-N- ...

for the

Disco Mix Club Disco Mix Club is primarily a remix label under (British Phonographic Industry) licence, which is not intended for the mass market but rather exclusively for professional DJs and enthusiasts. The Disco Mix Club sells megamixes and remixes every mo ...

remix service A remix service is a company that provides remixed music to disc jockeys. History In the United States, the disco craze of the late 1970s led to the release of extended "disco" versions of songs, typically released as 12" vinyl singles. Many o ...

1987

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend) 1986 debut singles 1986 songs Dutch Top 40 number-one singles Mel and Kim songs Number-one singles in Germany Number-one singles in Switzerland Song recordings produced by Stock Aitken Waterman Songs written by Pete Waterman Songs written by Matt Aitken Songs written by Mike Stock (musician) Supreme Records singles