Break My Stride

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For the song which features similar lyrics, see Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream.

"Break My Stride"
Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride.jpg
Single by Matthew Wilder
from the album I Don't Speak the Language
B-side"Break My Stride (instrumental)"
ReleasedAugust 1983[1]
Recorded1983
Genre
Length3:04
LabelPrivate-I
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Peter Bunetta
  • Rick Chudacoff
  • Bill Elliot
Matthew Wilder singles chronology
"Break My Stride"
(1983) 		"The Kid's American"
(1984)

"Break My Stride" is a song performed by American recording artist Matthew Wilder. It was released in 1983 as the lead single from his debut album, I Don't Speak the Language, and became a major hit single for him in 1983 and 1984, reaching number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Cash Box Top 100.

The song has been covered by many artists throughout the years, including Unique II in 1996 and Blue Lagoon in 2004 (whose versions both charted highly in various places) and, in interpolations, Puff Daddy with his 1997 hit "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down". In 2009 it was interpolated by Matisyahu in the song "Jerusalem".

Composition[]

Industry executive Clive Davis signed Wilder to Arista Records in 1981 or 1982, but Wilder was not getting the results he or the producers wanted with finding the style of music that worked for him. Poor and near the end of a frustrating period with the record label, he recorded "Break My Stride" on his own dime in the early hours of the morning at the studio of producer Spencer Proffer. "My relationship with Clive Davis was precisely the impetus for my writing the song. There are lyrics in there that are indirectly referring to the circumstances that were governing my life at that point," said Wilder. They threw a party after the recording, and had the music production team sing the chorus, which can be heard at the end of the song. However, Davis did not see potential in the song or any of the others, and his label let Wilder go. Since Arista hadn't paid Wilder for any of the songs, he was free to shop them around.

Wilder managed to connect with record promoter Joe Isgro, who had a history of doing legally questionable things to promote and chart certain songs. Isgro released "Break My Stride" off his new record label, Private-I, and created the illusion that it was a massive hit, prompting other radio stations to start playing the song, and propelling Wilder's single into the top 5 of the US Billboard charts.[2]

Matthew Wilder version[]

Personnel[]

Track listings[]

7" single
  1. "Break My Stride" — 3:05
  2. "Break My Stride" (instrumental) — 3:05
12" single [3]
  1. "Break My Stride" (Remix / Club Version) — 5:10
  2. "Break My Stride" (Dub Version) — 4:02

Chart performance[]

Included on his 1983 album, I Don't Speak the Language, the single went to number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number four in the UK in January/February 1984. On the US Cash Box chart, Wilder's single reached the number two position, where it remained for two weeks in early February.

A remix version reached the top 20 on the dance chart, and the song additionally hit the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart, staying there for four weeks. Though "Break My Stride" was Matthew Wilder's only UK hit, he also reached the US pop chart with his next two singles, "The Kid's American" (#33) and "Bouncing Off the Walls" (#52), before turning to behind-the-scenes work on other artists' recordings.

Charts and certifications[]

Unique II version[]

"Break My Stride"
Break my stride (Unique II).jpg
Single by Unique II
from the album Level II
B-side"Remixes"
ReleasedAugust 23, 1996
Recorded1995
GenreEurodance
Length3:10
Label
  • Columbia
  • Dance Pool
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Unique II
Unique II singles chronology
"Do What You Please"
(1996) 		"Break My Stride"
(1996) 		"For Tonight"
(1996)
Music video
"Break My Stride" on YouTube

In 1996, Austrian duo Unique II had its most successful hit by covering "Break My Stride". This dance version of the 1983 Matthew Wilder song was the first international success for the band, peaking at number-one in Austria and New Zealand, and at number 2 in Australia. The single also charted in Ireland, Italy, Canada and Scandinavia.

Critical reception[]

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Yep, this is a dance-leaning cover of the Matthew Wilder '80s pop chestnut. It has already saturated radio airwaves throughout Europe, with a number of programmers here already giving it positive feedback. Highly videogenic Viennese songbird Jade Davies chirps her way through the track's Ace of Base-like reggae-inflected groove with engaging energy. She'll have little to no trouble successfully carrying this one into the hearts of folks who prefer familiarity over adventure."[31] Australian music channel Max placed the song at number 903 in their list of 1000 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2013.[32]

Chart performance[]

"Break My Stride" was very successful on the charts on several continents, peaking at number-one in Austria and New Zealand. It managed to climb into the Top 10 also in Australia, where it hit number 2, Czech Republic, Denmark, and Ireland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it went to number 33 in September 1996. "Break My Stride" was also a big hit in Israel, where it peaked at number 6 and in Canada, it reached number 18 on the RPM Singles Chart and number 19 on the RPM Dance Chart. The single was awarded with a platinum record in Australia and Austria, with a sale of 70,000 and 30,000 units. In 2002, a new remix of the song peaked at number 55 in Austria.

Track listings[]

Charts and certifications[]

Blue Lagoon version[]

"Break My Stride"
Break my stride.jpg
Single by Blue Lagoon
from the album Club Lagoon
B-sideExtended + "Love Is the Key"
ReleasedAugust 9, 2004
Length3:04
LabelSME, Universal Music
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Felix J. Gauder
Blue Lagoon singles chronology
"Break My Stride"
(2004) 		"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"
(2005)

In 2004, "Break My Stride" was covered by German band Blue Lagoon and became a hit in several European countries, including Austria, Germany, Sweden and Denmark, where it reached the top ten.

Track listings[]

CD single
  1. "Break My Stride" (radio edit) — 3:04
  2. "Break My Stride" (extended version) — 5:10
  3. "Love Is the Key" — 3:27
CD maxi
  1. "Break My Stride" (radio edit) — 3:01
  2. "Break My Stride" (extended version) — 5:08
  3. "Love Is the Key" — 3:26
  4. "Break My Stride" (a capella reprise) — 1:05
  5. "Break My Stride" (video)

Charts and certifications[]

In popular culture[]

The song was featured in the closing credits of the 2011 film Cedar Rapids.[60] It was featured in a 2012 television commercial for State Insurance of New Zealand.[61] In 2019, it was featured in a U.S. television commercial for Santander Bank.[62] The song gained more notoriety in 2020 on TikTok, as it was frequently used in TikTok videos - where users would text their friends the lyrics of the song. Matthew Wilder was thrilled at these memes, saying that the results are often bizarre but hilarious.[63] Afterwards, Wilder posted an official lyric video that featured text messages of the song's lyrics.[64]

References[]

  1. ^ "Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride" – via 45cat.com.
  2. ^ "Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"". Songfacts. October 19, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  3. ^ "Discogs.com - Matthew Wilder "Break My Stride" 12"". Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  4. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 Singles 1984". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
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  6. ^ "Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride". ultratop.be.
  7. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 39, No. 24". ). February 18, 1984. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  8. ^ "Break My Stride", Dutch Singles Chart "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) (Retrieved July 27, 2011)
  9. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ "Break My Stride", New Zealand Singles Chart "Archived copy". Retrieved July 27, 2011. (Retrieved July 27, 2011)
  11. ^ "Break My Stride", Norwegian Singles Chart "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) (Retrieved July 20, 2008)
  12. ^ "Notowanie nr 99" (in Polish). March 10, 1984. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  13. ^ "Break My Stride", Swedish Singles Chart [1] (Retrieved July 20, 2008)
  14. ^ "Break My Stride", Swiss Singles Chart "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) (Retrieved July 20, 2008)
  15. ^ "Break My Stride", UK Singles Chart "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved June 25, 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) (Retrieved July 20, 2008)
  16. ^ "Matthew Wilder - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  17. ^ "Break My Stride", US Hot AC [2] (Retrieved July 20, 2008)
  18. ^ "Break My Stride", US Hot Black Singles [3] Archived April 22, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved July 20, 2008)
  19. ^ "Break My Stride", US Hot Dance [4] Archived April 22, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved July 20, 2008)
  20. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending January 28, 1984". Cash Box. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012.
  21. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Matt Wilder – Break My Stride". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  22. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202005 into search. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
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  27. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1984/Top 100 Songs of 1984". musicoutfitters.com.
  28. ^ "Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles". Cash Box. December 31, 1984. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  29. ^ "ARIA Accreditations 2020". ARIA. January 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  30. ^ "Break My Stride", BPI certification [5] (Retrieved July 20, 2008)
  31. ^ "Billboard: Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  32. ^ "THE TOP 1,000 GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME – 2013". Max. 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  33. ^ "Australian-charts.com – Unique II – Break My Stride". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  34. ^ Jump up to: a b "Austriancharts.at – Unique II – Break My Stride" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  35. ^ "Canada AC peak". Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  36. ^ "Canada Dance peak". Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  37. ^ "Canada Top Singles peak".
  38. ^ "Top 10 Czech Republic" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  39. ^ "Top 10 Denmark" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  40. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  41. ^ Israel Top-30 19.11.1996
  42. ^ "Charts.nz – Unique II – Break My Stride". Top 40 Singles.
  43. ^ 1997 Australian Singles Chart Aria.com Archived September 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved June 21, 2009)
  44. ^ 1996 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at (Retrieved June 21, 2009)
  45. ^ "End of Year Charts 1997". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  46. ^ Australian certifications aria.com Archived June 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved June 21, 2009)
  47. ^ Austrian certifications ifpi.at Archived June 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved June 21, 2009)
  48. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Blue Lagoon – Break My Stride" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  49. ^ "Ultratop.be – Blue Lagoon – Break My Stride" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  50. ^ "Ultratop.be – Blue Lagoon – Break My Stride" (in French). Ultratip.
  51. ^ "Danishcharts.com – Blue Lagoon – Break My Stride". Tracklisten.
  52. ^ "Lescharts.com – Blue Lagoon – Break My Stride" (in French). Les classement single.
  53. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bluelagoon – Break My Stride" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  54. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Blue Lagoon – Break My Stride" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  55. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Blue Lagoon – Break My Stride". Singles Top 100.
  56. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Blue Lagoon – Break My Stride". Swiss Singles Chart.
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  58. ^ "Single Jahrescharts 2004" (in German). MTV. Retrieved January 16, 2010.
  59. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('Break My Stride')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  60. ^ "Cedar Rapids (2011) Soundtrack". 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  61. ^ "State Insurance -- Ain't Nothing Gonna Break My Stride". The Coopers - Sound Design. 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2019 – via YouTube.
  62. ^ "The Marathon: Santander Bank :60". Santander Bank. 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2019 – via YouTube.
  63. ^ Savage, Mark (January 30, 2020). "Break My Stride singer 'thrilled' by TikTok revival". BBC News. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  64. ^ Deville, Chris (January 29, 2020). ""Break My Stride" Singer Matthew Wilder Is Making The Most His Surprise TikTok Celebrity". Stereogum. Retrieved February 11, 2020.

External links[]

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