"Ooops Up" is a song by German

Eurodance Eurodance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of Hip-hop, rap, techno and Eurodisco. This genre of music is heavily influenced by the use ...

group Snap!, released in June 1990 as the second single from their debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

, ''

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'' (1990). The song is a re-working of " I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Ooops!)"; a 1980 hit by

the Gap Band The Gap Band was an American Contemporary R&B, R&B and funk band that rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. The band consisted of three brothers: Charlie Wilson (musician), Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson, along with other members; it wa ...

, with whom band member Penny Ford was a former backing singer. It also samples "

Maldòn "Maldòn" is a 1989 song recorded by the Guadeloupean band Zouk Machine. Written and produced by Guy Houllier and Yves Honoré, the song is the first single from the album of the same name, and was released in May 1990. In France, it achieved a h ...

", a 1989 hit recorded by the Guadeloupean band

Zouk Machine Zouk Machine is an all-female Zouk (musical movement), zouk group from Guadeloupe which had several hits, particularly in France, such as the summer number-one single on French SNEP, SNEP Singles Chart "Maldòn (la musique dans la peau)", in 1990 ...

. The single was a worldwide hit and reached number one in Greece. Its music video was directed by Liam Kan.

Critical reception

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editor Andrew Hamilton noted that the song is a "remake/takeoff" of the Gap Band's nonsensical

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

riff " Oops Upside Your Head". Bill Coleman from ''

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'' commented, "Sizzling

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jam should help act maintain " the power" over club and radio jocks." Dave Sholin from the '' Gavin Report'' wrote that "reaching into The Gap Band songbook, this powerhouse outfit comes up with the perfect remake, giving it a glowing nineties treatment." Push from ''

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'' remarked that the song "was an attempt at something a little different" than sticking around with the same formula as " The Power". Another editor, Andrew Smith, called it "juddery funk". David Giles from ''

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'' felt it has "a shuffling rhythm distinctive enough to earn them another big success." Gene Sandbloom from ''The Network Forty'' described it as a "powerful bass busting track combining rap and song. Already one of the most danced to songs in the country." A reviewer from '' Newcastle Evening Chronicle'' named "Ooops Up" one of the best songs of the ''

'' album. Tom Doyle from '' Smash Hits'' declared it as "one of the best attempts" in matching the brilliance of their debut, "The Power". He called it "a sort of cover of the Gap Band's "Ooops Upside Your Head" mixed with a dodgy reinterpretation of " Little Miss Muffet"." The closing lines about Little Miss Muffet were actually an ad-lib by singer Penny Ford when recording the song. Ford was unhappy with her vocal performance in the previous part of the track so began messing around so that recording wouldn’t be used. However, the producers loved it and kept Ford’s ad-lib in the track. The Little Miss Muffet lines are loosely based on lyrics from the George Clinton track ''Let’s Take it to the Stage''.

Chart performance

"Ooops Up" peaked at number-one in Greece and it reached number two in Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and West Germany. It also entered the top 10 in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. In the latter country, the single peaked at number five during its third week on the UK Singles Chart, on 24 June 1990. It stayed at that position for two weeks. Outside Europe, "Ooops Up" reached number one on the '' RPM'' Dance chart in Canada, number four in Australia, number five in Zimbabwe, number eight in New Zealand and number 35 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. On the ''Billboard'' Dance Club Play chart, it peaked at number four. The song was awarded with a

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in Australia, Austria, Sweden and the US and a silver record in the United Kingdom.

Music video

The accompanying

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

for "Ooops Up" was directed by Liam Kan and is in both black-and-white and colours. He would also direct the video for the group's next song, "Cult of Snap".

Track listings

* 12-inch maxi # "Ooops Up" (Vocal) – 6:17 # "Ooops Up" (Other Mix) – 6:40 # "Ooops Up" (Instrumental) – 5:33 * 7-inch single # "Ooops Up" (Vocal Edit) – 3:57 # "Ooops Up" (Instrumental Edit) – 3:57 * CD single # "Ooops Up" (Edit) – 3:59 # "Ooops Up" (Vocal Version) – 6:17 # "Ooops Up" (Other Mix) – 6:40 * CD maxi version # "Ooops Up" (Vocal Edit) – 3:57 # "Ooops Up" (Vocal 12-inch Mix) – 6:17 # "Ooops Up" (Other Mix) – 6:40 * 2003 version (Snap feat. NG3) # "Ooops Up!" (Radio Edit) – 3:20 # "Ooops Up!" (Extended Club Mix) – 4:03 # "Ooops Up!" (Oops Up 90) – 4:00

Charts

Weekly charts

Original version

"Ooops Up 2003"

Year-end charts

Original version

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control Snap! songs 1990 songs 1990 singles Arista Records singles English-language German songs Logic Records singles Ministry of Sound singles Music videos directed by Liam Kan Number-one singles in Greece Songs written by Charlie Wilson (singer) Songs written by Lonnie Simmons Songs written by Rudy Taylor