Peak
13
Weeks
23
Score
2,612
Chart Year
1988
This song is made up of about 250 samples. The line, "Pump Up The Volume" came from "I Know You Got Soul" by Eric B. & Rakim, which was released earlier in 1987. Other samples include Coldcut's 1987 song "Say, Kids What Time Is This" and James Brown's "Funky Drummer." It also contains three seconds of Stock Aitken & Waterman's song "Roadblock," but the group didn't get official clearance and Peter Waterman placed an injunction for five days while the copyright issues were worked out. This was the first ever #1 UK hit on an independent record label: 4AD. It also reached #1 in Holland and New Zealand. The song was so popular it was re-issued over 10 times internationally. In Europe, it was released at a slower tempo than the popular Chicago house sound so it would appeal to the London club crowd who were currently into soul sounds. M/A/R/R/S was a one-off collaboration between members of A.R. Kane (Alex and Rudi Kane) and Colourbox (Martin and Steve Young), both veteran 4AD artists. They took their name from the four collaborator's initials plus that of label boss Ivo Watts-Russell, who suggested they get together. Those four are the credited songwriters on the track. DJs Chris "CJ" Mackintosh and Dave Dorrell were recruited by M/A/R/R/S to take care of the sampling. CJ recalls, "It was all done very quickly. They called me in the morning, we went to Blackwing Studios at London Bridge and stuck all the samples on that day and I got a £200 fee." Dave Dorrell said, "Pump Up The Volume provided a link between the retro sound of rare groove and the sample-heavy nature of much of the new US dance music." Dorrell has another claim to fame: He managed the band Bush and helped them break through in America. This was featured in the films My Stepmother Is An Alien (1988), Bright Lights, Big City (1988) and The Replacements (2000). In 1988 a parody of this by Starturn On 45 (Pints) called "Pump Up The Bitter" reached #12 in the UK.
Pump up the volume Pump up the volume Pump up the volume Pump up the volume Brothers and sisters Pump up the volume We're gonna need you Brothers and sisters Pump up the volume Pump that baby Brothers and sisters Pump up the volume We're gonna need you Brothers and sisters Pump up the volume Pump pump it ay Rock the house Rock the house Ah yea Ah yea Do it Do it do it Yea yea Yea yea Boogie down bo bo boogie down Boogie down Here we go, see'mon Do it Do it Do it Pump up the volume Pump up the volume Pump up the volume Dance dance Rythmic, systemic and world control Magnetic, genetic, dement your soul Rythmic, systemic and world control Magnetic, genetic, dement your soul Rythmic, systemic and world control Magnetic, genetic, dement your soul Rythmic, systemic and world control Magnetic, genetic, dement your soul Put the needle on the record Put the needle on the record Put the needle on the record Put the needle on the record Put the needle on the record When the song beats go like this Pump up the volume Pump up the volume Pump up the volume Dance dance Mars Needs Women Mars Needs Women
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 28, 1987 | 96 | 30 |
| 2 | Dec 5, 1987 | 83 | 43 |
| 3 | Dec 12, 1987 | 66 | 60 |
| 4 | Dec 19, 1987 | 59 | 67 |
| 5 | Dec 26, 1987 | 46 | 80 |
| 6 | Jan 2, 1988 | 46 | 80 |
| 7 | Jan 9, 1988 | 44 | 82 |
| 8 | Jan 16, 1988 | 37 | 89 |
| 9 | Jan 23, 1988 | 30 | 96 |
| 10 | Jan 30, 1988 | 25 | 101 |
| 11 | Feb 6, 1988 | 20 | 106 |
| 12 | Feb 13, 1988 | 17 | 109 |
| 13 | Feb 20, 1988 | 13 | 113 |
| 14 | Feb 27, 1988 | 13 | 113 |
| 15 | Mar 5, 1988 | 13 | 113 |
| 16 | Mar 12, 1988 | 21 | 105 |
| 17 | Mar 19, 1988 | 27 | 99 |
| 18 | Mar 26, 1988 | 37 | 89 |
| 19 | Apr 2, 1988 | 47 | 79 |
| 20 | Apr 9, 1988 | 54 | 72 |