Dub Be Good to Me

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"Dub Be Good to Me"
Dubbegoodtome.jpg
Single by Beats International
from the album Let Them Eat Bingo
Released24 January 1990 (1990-01-24)[1]
GenreDub
Length3:59
LabelGo! Beat
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Norman Cook
Beats International singles chronology
"Dub Be Good to Me"
(1990) 		"Won't Talk About It"
(1990)
Music video
"Dub Be Good to Me" on YouTube

"Dub Be Good to Me" is a 1990 single by British dub group Beats International featuring singer Lindy Layton, released on 24 January 1990. It was a number-one hit in the United Kingdom, and hit number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play in the United States. It is generally considered the band's signature song.

"Dub Be Good to Me" was written by Beats International frontman Norman Cook. It interprets The SOS Band's "Just Be Good to Me" (1983), which it is named after. It also samples the songs "The Guns of Brixton" by The Clash, the Once Upon a Time in the West theme by Ennio Morricone, and the song "Jam Hot" by Johnny Dynell.

In November 2011 MTV Dance ranked "Dub Be Good to Me" at number 59 in their list of "The 100 Biggest 90's Dance Anthems Of All Time".[2]

Production[]

Written by Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim), "Dub Be Good to Me" was the sole number one single for Cook's outfit Beats International.

The track started out as an instrumental with the title "The Invasion of the Estate Agents". While also included as the B-side to this single, it originally appeared as the B-side to Cook's 1989 single "For Spacious Lies". This instrumental track is heavily based on the bassline from The Clash's "Guns of Brixton", with a sample of the distinctive "harmonica" theme from the epic western film Once Upon a Time in the West, written by Ennio Morricone. This instrumental, in slightly remixed form, had vocals added from The SOS Band's "Just Be Good to Me" (as re-recorded by Lindy Layton) to form "Dub Be Good to Me". Cook told in an interview:

It was Lindy's idea to do a cover of the S.O.S. Band's 1984 hit 'Just Be Good To Me'. I knew it would go well with other beats because i'd tried it as a DJ. I used the bassline from The Clash song 'Guns Of Brixton', which was me tipping my hat to The Clash as I was such a big fan. I also wanted to do something slower than the current house music, yet something funky you could get into.[3]

The song features the distinctive vocals of David John-Baptiste, more commonly known as DJ Deejay or just DJ. The opening and closing line "tank fly boss walk jam nitty gritty you're listening to the boy from the big bad city, this is jam hot, this is jam hot" was from Johnny Dynell's 1983 hit "Jam Hot", and the drum track is a loop of the oft-sampled break from "God Make Me Funky" by The Headhunters.

Critical reception[]

AllMusic editor Rick Anderson wrote that the bassline from "Guns of Brixton" is "churning underneath an otherwise relatively faithful rendition of the SOS Band's "Just Be Good to Me"".[4] Bill Coleman from Billboard described the song as a "reggae-fled, Soul II Soul-tinged reworking", noting it as "big on import, stateside release sports the new remixes. Only misgiving is absence of fab original."[5] Cash Box wrote that "this brainchild of Norman Cook revamps the old S.O.S. Band hit into a shoulderswaying, hip-swinging groove that never lets up."[6] Writing in Freaky Trigger in 1999, Tom Ewing ranked the song as the 97th best single of the 1990s, and described it as "the Wild Bunch/Massive Attack dub-dance Bristol sound, commercialised before it had even come close to breaking through."[7] Revisiting the single in 2010, he noted "the latent cheekiness of the track – its lifts so flagrant, its components so random – gives it a warmth, a sense of reassurance that despite Layton's desperation everything in Beats International's world is going to be alright."[8] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented, "Chef Norman Cook from The Housemartins takes this 1983 SOS Band track, beats and mixes well, and what emerges is a fresh delicacy for now tastes. Charts #1 in England and there's no reason to doubt it'll have a real good run in the States, too."[9] Music & Media described it as an "appealing mixture of house and reggae" and complimented "good vocals by Lindy and some tasteful blues harmonica."[10] David Giles from Music Week stated, "Possibly Norman Cook's finest moment since leaving the Housemartins."[11] The Smith & Mighty Remix was included in Pitchfork Media's 2010 list of "twenty-five great remixes" of the 1990s.[12]

Chart performance[]

The song was very successful on the charts in Europe, spending four weeks at number-one on the UK Singles Chart in March 1990.[13] It was the seventh best-selling single of 1990 in the UK.[14] The single also managed to climb into the Top 10 in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Additionally, it was a Top 20 hit in France, and Top 30 hit in Italy. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Dub Be Good to Me" reached number 3. In the U.S., it peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100. In New Zealand, the single went to number 6, while reaching number 12 in Australia.

Accolades[]

Year Publisher Country Accolade Rank
1990 Melody Maker United Kingdom "End Of Year Critic Lists: Singles"[15] 11
2011 Max Australia "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time"[16] 372
2011 MTV Dance United Kingdom "The 100 Biggest 90's Dance Anthems of All Time"[17] 59
2015 Robert Dimery United States "1,001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die, and 10,001 You Must Download (2015 Update)"[18] *
2019 Max Australia "1000 Greatest Songs Of All Time"[19] 630

(*) indicates the list is unordered.

Track listings[]

7-inch single

  1. "Dub Be Good to Me" (edit)
  2. "Invasion of the Estate Agents"

12-inch single

  1. "Dub Be Good to Me" (featuring Lindy Layton) (full length)
  2. "Just Be Good To Me (a cappella)"
  3. "Invasion of the Freestyle: Discuss" (featuring RPM)
  4. "Invasion of the Estate Agents"

Charts and certifications[]

Cover versions[]

"Dub Be Good to Me" was covered in 2002 by Faithless and Dido for the album NME & Warchild Presents 1 Love.

Jack Peñate covered "Dub Be Good to Me" as a B-side to his re-released single "Second, Minute or Hour" in September 2007.

Rapper Professor Green and Lily Allen released their version of the song, titled "Just Be Good to Green".[49]

British band The Ting Tings covered "Dub Be Good to Me" on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.

British Urban duo MK1 performed the song during the judges' houses stage of the ninth series of The X Factor.

See also[]

  • List of number-one dance hits (United States)

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "British single certifications – Beats International – Dub Be Good to Me". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  2. ^ MTV Dance - Tuesday 27.12.2011
  3. ^ Kutner, Jon; Leigh, Spencer (26 May 2010). 1,000 UK Number One Hits. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-360-2.
  4. ^ "Beats International - Let Them Eat Bingo". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  5. ^ "Billboard: Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. 31 March 1990. p. 78. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  6. ^ "On the dancefloor" (PDF). Cash Box. 7 April 1990. p. 14. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  7. ^ Ewing, Tom (20 August 1999). "97. BEATS INTERNATIONAL – "Dub Be Good To Me"". Freaky Trigger. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  8. ^ Ewing, Tom (2 November 2010). "BEATS INTERNATIONAL ft LINDY LAYTON – "Dub Be Good To Me"". Freaky Trigger. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  9. ^ Sholin, Dave (16 March 1990). "Gavin Picks > Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. No. 1798. p. 56. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  10. ^ "Music & Media: Previews" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  11. ^ Giles, David (3 February 1990). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 25. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Staff Lists". Pitchfork.
  13. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 511–2. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b "1990s Singles Chart Archive". everyHit.com. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  15. ^ http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mmlists_p2.htm
  16. ^ "TOP 1000 GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME – 2011". Max. 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  17. ^ MTV Dance. December 27, 2011.
  18. ^ "Beats International - Dub B Good to Me". Acclaimedmusic. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  19. ^ "The 2019 Results: 1000 Greatest Songs Of All Time". Max. 2 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Australian-charts.com – Beats International – Dub Be Good to Me". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  21. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Beats International – Dub Be Good to Me" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  22. ^ "Ultratop.be – Beats International – Dub Be Good to Me" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  23. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 7930." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  24. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7 no. 9. 3 March 1990. p. IV. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  25. ^ "Lescharts.com – Beats International – Dub Be Good to Me" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  26. ^ "Top 3 Singles in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7 no. 19. 12 May 1990. p. VII. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  27. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Dub Be Good to Me". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  28. ^ Israel Top-30 25.03.1990
  29. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 16, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  30. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Beats International – Dub Be Good to Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  31. ^ "Charts.nz – Beats International – Dub Be Good to Me". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  32. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Beats International – Dub Be Good to Me". VG-lista. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  33. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  34. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Beats International – Dub Be Good to Me". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  35. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Beats International – Dub Be Good to Me". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  36. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  37. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Beats International Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  38. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Beats International – Dub Be Good to Me". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  39. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  40. ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1990" (in German). Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  41. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1990" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  42. ^ "Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1990". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  43. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 of 1990" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7 no. 51. 22 December 1990. p. 60. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 15 January 2020 – via World Radio History.
  44. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1990" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  45. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1990". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  46. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  47. ^ "End of Year Charts 1990". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  48. ^ "1990 Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 2 March 1991. p. 41.
  49. ^ "Professor Green releasing single with Lily Allen after 'Facebook chat' - NME". NME. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
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