Buffalo Stance

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"Buffalo Stance"
Neneh Cherry Buffalo Stance cover.jpg
Single by Neneh Cherry
from the album Raw Like Sushi
Released28 November 1988
Recorded1988
StudioHot Nights (London, England)
Genre
Length
  • 5:42 (album version)
  • 4:07 (7-inch edit)
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Neneh Cherry singles chronology
"Buffalo Stance"
(1988) 		"Manchild"
(1989)
Music video
"Buffalo Stance" on YouTube

"Buffalo Stance" is a 1988 single recorded by Swedish singer Neneh Cherry, released from her debut album, Raw Like Sushi. The song peaked at No. 3 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100, and it reached No. 1 in her native Sweden and the Netherlands. An early version of the song appeared as the B-side on the 1986 Stock, Aitken, and Waterman-produced single "Looking Good Diving" by duo Morgan-McVey, which was made up of Jamie Morgan and Cherry's future husband Cameron McVey. The song, titled "Looking Good Diving with the Wild Bunch", was sung by Cherry.[1]

The song title refers to "Buffalo", a group of photographers, models, musicians, hair and makeup artists, etc. formed by fashion stylist Ray Petri, of which group Cherry, Morgan, and McVey were all members.[2] A buffalo stance is, Cherry told The New York Times, "an attitude you have to have in order to get by. It's not about fashion but about survival in inner cities and elsewhere."[3] The song's title is also a reference to the Malcolm McLaren song "Buffalo Gals" (1983), which "Buffalo Stance" samples.[4] Other samples came from Rock Steady Crew's "Hey You", and the saxophone break is from the band Miami's song "Chicken Yellow" (1974).[5]

Cherry performed the song live on Top of the Pops while seven-months pregnant.[5] When asked by a reporter if it were safe for her to go up on stage performing, Cherry answered: "Yes, of course! It's not an illness."[5]

Critical reception[]

Andy Kellman from AllMusic described the song as "at once a personal manifesto and celebration and critique of city-street peacocking".[6] Annie Zaleski from The A.V. Club called it an "unstoppable, electro-hip-hop hybrid". She stated, "With smart samples and swaggering production from Bomb the Bass—not to mention fiercely feminist lyrics that demand respect and assert independence—“Buffalo Stance” remains one of the best singles of the ’80s."[7] Angus Taylor for BBC noted "its undulating synths, You go girl! sentiments and killer hooks is every bit the floor-filler it was ten years ago."[8] Kieran Yates from The Guardian called it a "punchy manifesto".[9] People wrote, that "over a prominent drum-machine beat and minimal synthesized accompaniment, her raw voice half-sings, half-raps, mock-tough lyrics." They added that "when she sticks to that formula, singing about infatuation and seduction on the city's mean sidewalks" as on "Buffalo Stance", "she's fresh and inviting."[10] Pop Rescue commented that "it’s (OMG!) got a female rapper, record scratching, and a fast beat, and this was a fresh sound. Only Salt-N-Pepa could have got close."[11] Lesley Chow from The Quietus said that on the song, "Cherry already comes across as a fully formed artist: powerful and casually multicultural, as we might expect from an African-Swedish singer raised in Yorkshire and Long Island." She added that it is "a song of many moods, as Cherry goes on to alternate between anger and softness, anti-materialism and a high fashion attitude. A rising synth figure bubbles us up to a heavenly chorus ("No money man can win my love/ It's sweetness that I'm thinking of") which shows a rare tenderness in the narrator. Even though the track has been unrelenting up to now, the bubbling and the melody expose an underlying effervescence."[12]

Impact and legacy[]

Q Magazine ranked "Buffalo Stance" at No. 606 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever" in 2003.[13]

The Daily Telegraph placed it at No. 37 in their "Top 50 Dance Songs" list in 2015.[14]

The Guardian put it at No. 8 in their list of "The greatest ever female rap tracks – ranked!" in 2018.[9]

Time Out listed the song at No. 13 in their "The 50 best '80s songs" list in 2018.[15]

"Buffalo Stance" won the People's Pop Poll of Debut Singles in August 2020.[16]

It was used as the theme and background music to the Channel 4 cookery show Jamie's 15-Minute Meals, hosted by British TV chef Jamie Oliver.[citation needed]

Track listing[]

"Buffalo Stance" was released on both 3-inch CD single, and 5-inch CD single.

  1. "Buffalo Stance" (Extended Mix) – 5:43
  2. "Buffalo Stance" (Scratchapella) – 1:38
  3. "Buffalo Stance" (Electro Ski) – 3:38
  4. "Give Me a Muthufucking Break Beat" (Sukka Mix) – 5:19

Charts and certifications[]

Original versions[]

  • 7" mix (Mark Saunders, Tim Simenon) – 4:07
  • 12" mix – 5:43

Remixes and covers[]

  • Give Me a Muthufucking Break Beat/Sukka Mix – 5:19
  • There's Nothing Wrong Mix/ Sukka Mix II (The Dynamik Duo & DJ Mushroom) – 5:30
  • Electro Ski Mix (Mark Saunders, Tim Simenon) – 3:35
  • Extended Mix
  • Funky Remix – 11:02
  • Scratchapella – 1:41
  • 1/2 Way 2 House Mix (Arthur Baker) – 7:44
  • Nearly Neuebeat (Arthur Baker) – 7:06
  • Kevin Saunderson's Techno Stance Mix I (Kevin Saunderson) – 6:41
  • Kevin Saunderson's Techno Stance Mix II (Kevin Saunderson) – 5:17
  • Instrumental – 5:41
  • Fast Pop Mix (Arthur Baker) – 5:41
  • Cosmic Re-Edit 2004 – 3:35
  • Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See N. Cherry vs Busta Rhymes (Pop Chop) – 4:26
  • Buffalo Stance vs Brimful of Asha N. Cherry vs Cornershop (Soulwax)
  • DJ Rock Your Buffalo Body N. Cherry vs Justin Timberlake (DJ Jonny Moiree)

[54]

The song was also featured on the soundtrack of the videogame Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City.[citation needed]

References[]

  1. ^ Elan, Priya (11 April 2012). "The Greatest Pop Songs In History – No 12: Neneh Cherry, 'Buffalo Stance'". NME. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  2. ^ Flett, Kathryn (17 September 2000). "Style: Ray Petri". The Observer. London. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  3. ^ Holden, Stephen (28 June 1989). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Neneh Cherry's 'Buffalo Stance' - Discover the Sample Source". WhoSampled. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
  5. ^ a b c Hitlåtens historia, "Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance", Sveriges Television, 3 January 2012.
  6. ^ Kellman, Andy. "Neneh Cherry – Raw Like Sushi". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  7. ^ Zaleski, Annie (12 October 2018). "Fembots, dancing queens, and love fools: 60 minutes of Swedish pop". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Neneh Cherry Raw Like Sushi Review". BBC. 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  9. ^ a b Yates, Kieran (5 April 2018). "The greatest ever female rap tracks – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  10. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Raw Like Sushi". People. 17 July 1989. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  11. ^ "REVIEW: "RAW LIKE SUSHI" BY NENEH CHERRY (CD, 1989)". Pop Rescue. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  12. ^ Chow, Lesley (12 May 2014). "Disorientating Eclecticism: Neneh Cherry's Raw Like Sushi Revisited". The Quietus. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  13. ^ "Q - 1001 best songs ever (2003)".
  14. ^ "Top 50 dance songs". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  15. ^ "The 50 best '80s songs". Time Out. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  16. ^ "The People's Pop Polls". freakytrigger.co.uk.
  17. ^ "Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  18. ^ "Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  19. ^ "Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  20. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6377." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  21. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 6837." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  22. ^ Danish Singles Chart 2 June 1989
  23. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 8. 25 February 1989. p. 18. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  24. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  25. ^ "Top 3 Greece" (PDF). Music & Media. 4 March 1989. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  26. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Buffalo Stance". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  27. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 8, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  28. ^ "Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  29. ^ "Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance". Top 40 Singles.
  30. ^ "Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance". VG-lista.
  31. ^ "Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance". Singles Top 100.
  32. ^ "Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance". Swiss Singles Chart.
  33. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  34. ^ "Neneh Cherry Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  35. ^ "Neneh Cherry Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  36. ^ "Neneh Cherry Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  37. ^ "Neneh Cherry Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  38. ^ "Neneh Cherry Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  39. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance". GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  40. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 56.
  41. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1989" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  42. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles of '89". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  43. ^ "Top 25 Dance Singles of '89". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  44. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 – 1989" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6 no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. 6. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  45. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1989". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  46. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1989" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  47. ^ "End of Year Charts 1989". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  48. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1989". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  49. ^ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1989" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  50. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance". Music Canada.
  51. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17.
  52. ^ "British single certifications – Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance". British Phonographic Industry.
  53. ^ "American single certifications – Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance". Recording Industry Association of America.
  54. ^ Neneh Cherry Online retrieved 4 April 2008

External links[]

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