90's FLASHBACK

SNAP!

«The Power» is a song by German Eurodance group Snap!. It was released on 3 January 1990 as the lead single from their debut studio album, World Power. The song reached number one in Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and Zimbabwe, as well as on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Rap charts. On the Billboard Hot 100, «The Power» managed to reach number two for one week, behind «Vision of Love» by Mariah Carey.

Track information

  • Released: 3 January 1990
  • Genre: Eurodance, hip house
  • Label: AriolaArista
  • Songwriter(s): Benito BenitesJohn «Virgo» Garrett IIIToni C.
  • Producer(s): Snap!

Chart performance

«The Power» proved to be very successful on the charts worldwide. It peaked at number-one on both the RPM Dance/Urban chart in Canada and the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play in the US. In Europe, the single peaked at number-one in Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the UK, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100. In the UK, it hit the top spot in its second week at the UK Singles Chart, on March 25, 1990. It spent two weeks at the top of the chart. Additionally, «The Power» made it into the Top 10 also in Austria, Belgium, Finland, West Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal and Sweden. Outside Europe, it peaked at number-one in Zimbabwe, number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Cash Box Pop Singles chart in the US, number six in New Zealand and number thirteen in Australia. The single earned a gold record in Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, and a silver record in the UK. In Spain and the US, it was awarded with a platinum record.

The controversy

The first version of this song used Chill Rob G’s vocals from an a cappella version of «Let The Words Flow,» but the producers replaced him with a rapper named Turbo B (Durron Maurice Butler), who they found at an American army base in Germany. Turbo recreated Chill’s rhymes and added some of his own, including the «I will attack» part and, ironically, the «copywritten lyrics so they can’t be stolen» line.

If you’ve noticed that some people got screwed along the way, you’re right. Chill Rob G has said that he never got paid for the use of his words in the song, and because Jocelyn Brown didn’t write «I’m Gonna Get You,» she didn’t get paid for her vocal sample. Penny Ford, however, did get paid and earned a songwriting credit for her improvised lyrics. That’s because they needed her for appearances and because Penny is very astute when it comes to the business of music, something she learned from her family: Her father produced James Brown, her brother founded Kool & the Gang, and her sister was the popular singer Sharon Redd.

The original Chill Rob G version

Featured events

0%