Genre Hip hop | Label Tommy Boy | |
B-side "What Yo Life Can Truly Be" Released March 5, 1991 (1991-03-05) Format CD single, vinyl record Length 4:02 (album version)
3:59 (radio edit) | ||
"A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" is the first single by American hip hop trio De La Soul from their second studio album De La Soul Is Dead. The track also includes vocal contributions from American rapper Q-Tip, American R&B singer Vinia Mojica and American entrepreneur Russell Simmons. The track's composition is built around many samples.
Contents
The song was generally well-received by critics. The song peaked at number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart and at numbers six and forty three on the United States Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs charts respectively.
Conception and composition
The song's lyrics were written by Paul "Prince Paul" Huston, Kelvin "Posdnuos" Mercer, David "Dave" Jude Jolicoeur, Vincent "Maseo" Mason and Jonathan "Q-Tip" Davis, and produced by Prince Paul. The title of the song derives from the roller skate fad of the 1970s, as well as a prominent sample of "Saturday in the Park" originally recorded by American rock band Chicago.
Posdnuos and Dave of the group rap verses on the track, and other musical contributions are also made by American rapper Q-Tip, who raps the first verse of the track and vocalist Vinia Mojica, who sings between verses. The intro of the song also features Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons - in non-musical capacity - as a DJ from fictional radio station "WRMS". The song is considered another collaboration from the Native Tongues posse, as both De La Soul, Q-Tip and Mojica are members; however, it would become among the last of these collaborations to appear on a De La Soul album.
The themes of the song's lyrics revolve around more simple themes, including roller skating and the joy of weekends, compared to darker themes explored throughout De La Soul Is Dead to try to debunk their "daisy-age" image caused by the themes of their previous album 3 Feet High and Rising. Because of this, the track has been described as one of the more light-hearted tracks on the album.
The song's main beat is based around a sample of a riff from American soul group The Mighty Ryeders' "Evil Vibrations" (1978); because of this, the group's frontman, Rodney Matthews, is given songwriting credit on the song. Aside from this the song also samples vocals and a horn riff from American disco singer Frankie Valli's "Grease"; vocals from American rock band Chicago's "Saturday in the Park" (1972); American funk band Young-Holt Unlimited's "Light My Fire" (1969); horns from "I Got My Mind Made Up" by American funk band Instant Funk; a drum break from American funk band Tower of Power's "Ebony Jam" (1975), and a vocal sample from American disco band Chic's "Good Times" (1979); all of these samples except the latter three are credited in the liner notes.
Track listing
A1 "What Yo Life Can Truly Be" (featuring A Tribe Called Quest and Dres) - 4:58
A2 "Who's Skatin' Promo" (featuring Big Daddy Kane, Dres and Russell Simmons) - 2:48
A3 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (Ladies Nite Decision) (featuring Q-Tip) - 4:11
A4 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (LP Version) (featuring Q-Tip) - 4:02
B1 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (Radio Home Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 3:42
B2 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (Dave's Home Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:23
B3 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (6:00 AM Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:07
B4 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" (Mo Mo Dub) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:03
A "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (Disco Fever Edit) - 4:04
B "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (Radio Home Mix) 3:42
- "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (LP Version) (featuring Q-Tip) - 4:02
- "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (Radio Home Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 3:42
- "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" (Ladies Nite Decision) (featuring Q-Tip) - 4:11
- "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (6:00 AM Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:07
- "Who's Skatin' Promo" (featuring Big Daddy Kane, Dres and Russell Simmons) - 2:48
- "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (Dave's Home Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:23
- "What Yo Life Can Truly Be" (featuring A Tribe Called Quest and Dres) - 4:58
- "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" (Mo Mo Dub) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:03