Playing with Knives

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"Playing with Knives"
Playing With Knives.jpg
Single by Bizarre Inc
from the album Energique
A-side"Playing with Knives" (Quadrant Mix)
B-side"Plutonic"
Released1991
1999 (remixes)
Recorded1991
(Out of the Blue Studios, Manchester)
GenreTechno[1]
Length6:46 (Quadrant Mix)
3:22 (radio edit / video version)
3:19 (1999 version radio edit)
LabelVinyl Solution
Songwriter(s)Andrew Meecham, Dean Meredith, Carl Turner
Producer(s)Bizarre Inc
Bizarre Inc singles chronology
"Bizarre Theme" / "X-Static"
(1991) 		"Playing with Knives"
(1991) 		"I'm Gonna Get You"
(1992)
Music video
"Playing with Knives" on YouTube

"Playing with Knives" is a song by British electronic dance music group Bizarre Inc. It was their second single released through Vinyl Solution (their fourth single overall), as well as their second single to be written and produced as a trio. It is also the first single from their debut full-length album Energique. The song originally reached number 43 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1991.[2] It was re-released later the same year and peaked at number 4 in the UK charts. In 1999, the song was released for a third time, charting at a peak of number 30.

Critical reception[]

Ned Raggett from AllMusic stated that the song "has a wonderful squelching lead hook, leading into the mid-song shift to vocals and piano effortlessly."[3] Larry Flick from Billboard noted that it "spills industrial/acid keyboard noises on top of a fast-paced house groove." He added, "Nice contrast comes via occasional disco strings and diva wailing. Totally wild."[4] British magazine Mixmag placed it at number 24 in its 100 Greatest Dance Singles Of All Time list in 1996.[5] James Hamilton from Music Week described the track as a "frantic exciting rave".[6] Marc Andrews from Smash Hits commented, "Throbbing "basslines" laced with meaningless phrases and there you have it. But just try sitting still when it's played at your next tea dance."[7]

Alexis Petridis, writing for The Guardian in 2020, listed the Quadrant Mix of "Playing with Knives" at number 13 in his list of his 25 best early '90s breakbeat hardcore tracks.[8]

Sampling and covers versions[]

  • "Playing with Knives" uses vocal samples from the 1990 house track "Shelter Me" by Circuit. Later in 1991, Circuit released a remix of "Shelter Me" known as the Retaliation Mix, which itself samples the acid bassline from "Playing with Knives".
  • The American/British act Blue Pearl used the song as their basis for their 1991 single "(Can You) Feel the Passion," which went on to be a bigger hit in the United States, reaching number one on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart in 1992. The group mentions "Playing with Knives" in the chorus.
  • Parts of the song were sampled in the 1994 hit dance single "The Rhythm of the Night" by Corona.
  • In 2006 Big Bass vs Michelle Narine remixed it as "What you do (Playing With Knives)"
  • In 2014 the song's sample was used in the single "Got to Be Good" by Peter Gelderblom and Randy Colle.
  • In 2015 a sample appeared in "Ruffnek" by FineArt.
  • Elements of the song can be heard in the chorus hook of the Pet Shop Boys' 2016 single "The Pop Kids."
  • The piano riffs was sampled in RatPack’s 2017 track “Got To Have Your Love.”

Track listings[]

1991 release (STORM 25) – Playing with Knives
A1. "Playing with Knives" (Quadrant Mix)
B1. "Playing with Dub"
B2. "Strings"
1991 release (STORM 25R) – Playing with Knives (The Climax)
A1. "Playing with Knives" (The Climax)
B1. "Playing with Knives" (Love 91)
B2. "Playing with Knives" (Quadrant Radio Mix)
1991 re-release (STORM 38) – Playing with Knives / Plutonic
A. "Playing with Knives" (Quadrant Mix)
B. "Plutonic"
1999 re-release (VC01) – Playing with Knives
1. "Playing with Knives" (Radio Edit)
2. "Playing with Knives" (Tall Paul Mix)
3. "Playing with Knives" (Dillon and Dickins Mix)
4. "Playing with Knives" (Tarrentella Mix)
5. "Playing with Knives" (Al Scott Mix)

Charts[]

Chart (1991) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Chart Company) 4
UK Dance Singles (Music Week)[9] 1
Chart (1999) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Chart Company) 30

References[]

  1. ^ "Spirit of Ecstasy - Various Artists - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  2. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". UK Singles Chart. 17 March 1991. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  3. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Bizarre Inc. – Energique". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  4. ^ Flick, Larry (1 June 1991). "Dance Trax: Giving 'Peace' A Spin; Irma Sets Up Shop In N.Y." (PDF). Billboard. p. 31. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  5. ^ "The 100 Greatest Dance Singles of All Time". Mixmag. 1996. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Dance" (PDF). Music Week. 16 February 1991. p. 8. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  7. ^ Andrews, Marc (13 November 1991). "Review: Singles". Smash Hits. p. 51. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  8. ^ "The greatest hardcore rave tracks – ranked!". The Guardian. 27 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 16 March 1991. p. 20. Retrieved 27 September 2020.

External links[]

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