Hey Mr. D.J. (Zhané song)

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For other uses, see Hey Mr. DJ (disambiguation).
"Hey Mr. D.J."
Single by Zhané
from the album Pronounced Jah-Nay
ReleasedAugust 12, 1993
Genre
Length4:11
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • A. Bahr
  • V. Brown
  • A. Criss
  • K. Gist
  • R. Neufville
  • J. Norris
Producer(s)
Zhané singles chronology
"Hey Mr. D.J."
(1993) 		"Groove Thang"
(1994)
Music video
"Hey Mr. D.J." on YouTube

"Hey Mr. D.J." is a song by American R&B group Zhané, recorded for their debut album, Pronounced Jah-Nay (1994). Co-written by group members Renée Neufville and Jean Norris, it was released as their debut single in August 1993 by Flavor Unit and Epic, and also features a rap from Rottin Razkals member Fam. The song was produced by Naughty by Nature and samples "Looking Up to You" by Michael Wycoff. Originally, the track was recorded and released on the 1993 compilation album Roll Wit tha Flava.[7]

"Hey Mr. D.J." received critical acclaim, peaking at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 and receiving a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling 500,000 copies domestically. In Australia, it peaked at number nine, and it reached the top 30 hit in Austria, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The accompanying music video, directed by Peter Allen, features the duo performing at a party. In 2020, Slant Magazine included the song in their list of "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time".

Critical reception[edit]

Upon the release, J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun remarked that the DJ referred to in the song "isn't a radio man but a club jockey", stating that it "perfectly captures the loping bass and infectious groove that characterizes the best club hits."[8] Larry Flick from Billboard felt the female act "earns points for not succumbing to the temptation of being just another bunch of new fill swingers. Instead, they choose to conjure memories of the Emotions by laying pretty vocal into the context of shimmying R&B bassline and subtle disco strings. The song itself is a bit thin, but engaging nonetheless—thanks mostly to a charismatic new act with the potential to lure more than a few DJs to the fold."[1] James Bernard from Entertainment Weekly remarked that "Hey Mr. D.J." "caught fire with its prancing bass line and anthemic chorus."[9] Rod Edwards from the Gavin Report found that their sound "falls between hip hop and R&B".[10] Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote that it's a "jazzy soul laden jam, flexing rhythm and blues muscle. Its warmth harks back to the '70s."[11]

Andy Beevers from Music Week gave it four out of five, complimenting it as an "excellent catchy soul track". He also remarked that it's "already selling like hotcakes on import".[3] John Kilgo from The Network Forty felt that "sultry and smooth, Zhane' brings a fresh tasting low groove that's nicely reminiscent of a relaxing, flavorful '70s summer tune." He added that "their voices blend together like a shake from an ice cream parlor", and "proudly sing their tribute [to] record-spinners the world over. They do so without missing a beat on this exciting debut."[12] A reviewer from People Magazine stated that "with a funky, old-school groove and light-as-air harmonizing", the song "jumps to the joys of getting down and having fun."[13] Jonathan Bernstein from Spin commented, "I remember this," I said, awash in a rosy glow of nostalgia triggered by Zhané's undulating "Hey Mr. D.J." "1982, a year rich in classic soul singles." Then the rap kicked in, signifying that this was no chestnut, rather an irresistible instant standard."[4]

Chart performance[edit]

"I wrote that song in my bedroom while sitting on the floor. I remember presenting it to Kay Gee. I told him I had this song called "Hey Mr. D.J." I told him it reminded me of when I had block parties on my block back in Brooklyn. When I sang it to him, he laughed at me. [laughs] He thought it was a joke. But we recorded it, and everyone seemed to love it. So imagine that "Hey Mr. D.J." was a hit, there’s this group that no one has ever seen before, there’s no video for the song, the album isn’t done, and we hadn’t sign to a record label for a full length album yet. There was a bidding war for us."

—Renee Neufville talking to WaxPoetics about how the song was made.[14]

"Hey Mr. D.J." was a moderate success on the charts on several continents, peaking at number two on both the RPM Dance/Urban chart in Canada and the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in the United States.[15][16] In Europe, it made it to the top 30 in Austria, Germany, and the United Kingdom, where it peaked at numbers 27, 29, and 26, respectively.[17][18] On the German Singles Chart, the song spent a total of 13 weeks. In the UK, it reached its peak in its first week at the UK Singles Chart, on September 5, 1993.[19]

On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Hey Mr. D.J." peaked at number 62 in the final week of December 1993,[20] after debuting on the chart at number 95 on 18 September when it charted in the UK.[21] On the European Dance Radio Chart, it peaked at number 11 in October 1993.[22] In North America, the song was a huge hit, peaking at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the Cash Box Top 100.[23][24] In Oceania, "Hey Mr. D.J." reached numbers nine and 20 in Australia and New Zealand, respectively.[25][26] The single earned a gold record in the US, after a sale of 500,000 units.

Music video[edit]

A music video was produced to promote "Hey Mr. D.J.". It was directed by Peter Allen,[27] and features Zhané performing the song at a club party with a D.J. playing the music for a dancing crowd. In between, the group is also seen performing the song in a park. The opening and ending of the video shows group members Renée Neufville and Jean Norris arriving or leaving the party. Rottin Razkals member Fam is also featured.

Impact and legacy[edit]

Retrospectively, AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis complimented the song as a "sleek slice of earthy, sophisticated soul that stands as one of the best R&B hits of the '90s."[28] "Hey Mr. D.J." was voted number nine on website Slant Magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Dance Songs" in 2006.[29] Five years later, in 2011, it was voted number 86 in their list of "The 100 Best Singles of the 1990s". They wrote, "Straight-up, no-bullshit dance music. The duo pronounced "Jah-Nay" let the slack groove thang take you away to a place where the DJ will keep playing that song all night."[5] Complex featured it in their list of "The Best 90s R&B Songs" in 2012. An Complex editor, Brendan Frederick, called it "a simple ode to dancing the night away to your favorite song", and a "summertime party anthem".[30]

American entertainment company BuzzFeed ranked it number 45 in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s" in 2017. They added, "Great harmonies, chill vibe, rap bridge; all the things you needed to make a perfect early-‘90s R&B dance song."[31] In an 2019 retrospective review, Daryl McIntosh from Albumism wrote that Kay Gee's beat on the track "provided a sound reminiscent of late '70s disco band Chic, that, together with the perfectly complementary vocals, created a euphoria of modern funk".[32] Slant Magazine ranked it number 22 in their list of "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time" in 2020. An editor said, "Still, no one nailed the formula quite like Zhané did with this velvet midnight blue floor-filler."[6]

Accolades[edit]

Year Publisher Country Accolade Rank
1995 BMI United States "BMI Pop Awards"[33] *
2005 Süddeutsche Zeitung Germany "1020 Songs 1955-2005"[citation needed] *
2006 Slant Magazine United States "100 Greatest Dance Songs" 9
2011 Slant Magazine United States "The 100 Best Singles of the 1990s" 86
2012 Complex United States "The Best 90s R&B Songs"[34] 44
2017 BuzzFeed United States "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s"[35] 45
2019 Billboard United States "Billboard's Top Songs of the '90s"[36] 489
2020 Slant Magazine United States "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time" 22

(*) indicates the list is unordered.

Track listings[edit]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[53] Gold 35,000^
United States (RIAA)[56] Gold 500,000[55]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States August 12, 1993
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • cassette
[citation needed]
United Kingdom August 30, 1993
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [57]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Flick, Larry (July 10, 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  2. ^ Bush, John. "Zhané > Biography & History > AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved March 28, 2021. one of the R&B party anthems of the '90s, "Hey, Mr. DJ."
  3. ^ a b Beevers, Andy (August 28, 1993). "Market Preview: Dance" (PDF). Music Week. p. 19. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Bernstein, Jonathan (May 1994). "Heavy Rotation". Spin. p. 24. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "The 100 Best Singles of the 1990s". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
  6. ^ a b "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  7. ^ Bush, John. "AllMusic ((( Zhané > Overview )))". AllMusic. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
  8. ^ Considine, J.D. (June 10, 1994). "Books & Music: Album Reviews". The Baltimore Sun. p. G3. Retrieved January 7, 2023 – via Bangor Daily News.
  9. ^ Bernard, James (February 11, 1994). "Pronounced Jah-Nay". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  10. ^ Edwards, Rod (July 16, 1993). "Urban: New Releases" (PDF). Gavin Report. p. 22. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  11. ^ "New Grooves" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 35. August 28, 1993. p. 17. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  12. ^ Kilgo, John (September 17, 1992). "Mainstream: Music Meeting" (PDF). The Network Forty. p. 20. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  13. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Pronounced Jah-Nay". People. March 21, 1994. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  14. ^ "Nineties R&B group Zhané celebrates twentieth anniversary of debut album, Pronounced Jah-nay". WaxPoetics. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  15. ^ a b "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2293." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  16. ^ a b "Dance Club Songs". Billboard. October 9, 1993. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Zhané – Hey Mr. D.J." (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  18. ^ a b "Zhane: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  19. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 75 05 September 1993 - 11 September 1993". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  20. ^ a b "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 51/52. December 18, 1993. p. 31. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  21. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 38. September 18, 1993. p. 12. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  22. ^ a b "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 41. October 9, 1993. p. 20. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  23. ^ a b "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. October 30, 1993. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  24. ^ a b "US Cash Box Charts" (PDF). popmusichistory. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  25. ^ a b "Zhané – Hey Mr. D.J.". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  26. ^ a b "Zhané – Hey Mr. D.J.". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  27. ^ "Zhané: Hey Mr. D.J. (1993)". IMDb. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  28. ^ Promis, Jose F. "AllMusic ((( Pronounced Jah-Nay > Review )))". AllMusic. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
  29. ^ "100 Greatest Dance Songs – Music – Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
  30. ^ Frederick, Brendan (October 8, 2019). "The Best 90s R&B Songs". Complex. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  31. ^ "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s". BuzzFeed. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  32. ^ McIntosh, Daryl (January 13, 2019). "Zhané's Debut Album 'Pronounced Jah-Nay' Turns 25: Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  33. ^ "BMI Pop Awards" (PDF). Billboard. May 27, 1995. p. 16. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  34. ^ "The Best 90s R&B Songs". Complex. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  35. ^ Stopera, Matt; Galindo, Brian (March 11, 2017). "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s". BuzzFeed. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  36. ^ "Greatest of All Time: Billboard's Top Songs of the '90s". Billboard. 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  37. ^ "Zhané – Hey Mr. D.J." (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  38. ^ "Zhané – Hey Mr. D.J." (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  39. ^ "Zhané – Hey Mr. D.J." (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  40. ^ "Zhané – Hey Mr. D.J." (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  41. ^ "Zhané – Hey Mr. D.J.". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  42. ^ "Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. September 18, 1993. p. 26. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  43. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). August 28, 1993. p. 4. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  44. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. October 16, 1993. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  45. ^ "Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. September 4, 1993. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  46. ^ "Pop Airplay". Billboard. December 11, 1993. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  47. ^ "Rhythmic Airplay". Billboard. November 6, 1993. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  48. ^ "Canada Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1993". RPM. Retrieved December 12, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  49. ^ "The RM Club Chart 93" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). December 25, 1993. p. 4. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  50. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1993". Archived from the original on November 10, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  51. ^ "The Year in Music: Hot R&B Singles". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 52. December 25, 1993. p. YE-29.
  52. ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1994". Australian Record Industry Association Ltd. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  53. ^ a b Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 309.
  54. ^ "The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1994". Cash Box. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012.
  55. ^ "Best-Selling Records of 1993". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 3. January 15, 1994. p. 73. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  56. ^ "American single certifications – Zhane – Hey Mr. D.J." Recording Industry Association of America.
  57. ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. August 28, 1993. p. 27.
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