Ride On Time

Music and lyrics

The song was written and produced by the Italian production team Groove Groove Melody, consisting of DJ Daniele Davoli, programmer Mirko Limoni and musician Valerio Semplici. The team worked with French model Katrin Quinol, who was the face and image for the group Black Box. In the video and in live performances Quinol lip-synced to the original vocals.

The song sampled Loleatta Holloway's 1980 disco hit "Love Sensation" (written by Dan Hartman) and attracted some controversy for the uncredited use of Holloway's vocals from that song. Holloway's counsel engaged in a press attack on Black Box, successfully securing a settlement that paid the singer an undisclosed sum; the group had legally cleared the samples with Salsoul Records, who had released the original track, but Holloway was in arrears for advances from the label and thus was not recompensed by Salsoul.

A re-recording of the song with uncredited vocals by Heather Small was released in the second week of September 1989, and the original Holloway version was discontinued from distribution. This version was released as the "UK Remix" and contained the same three mixes as the original, but with Heather Small's vocals in place of Loleatta Holloway. The Original Mix, Garage Trip Mix and Pianopella Mix became Massive Mix, Epsom Mix and Ascot Mix respectively.

The song's title derives from a sample of Holloway singing the lyrics "Thank you baby, 'cause you're right on time". Daniele Davoli explained in Channel 4 documentary Pump Up The Volume that, owing to his limited knowledge of English and the song being sung in an American English accent, with t-flapping so that "t"s sound like "d"s, he thought that Loleatta Holloway sang "ride on time" instead of "right on time".

Music video

The music video of "Ride On Time" was directed by Greg Copeland and Judith Briant.

Impact and legacy

In 2011, The Guardian featured "Ride On Time" on their A history of modern music: Dance.

Chart performances

"Ride On Time" became a massive hit in Italy and then worldwide, after legal rights were obtained in all territories. The song spent six weeks at No. 1 in the United Kingdom, ultimately becoming the biggest selling single of the year. It fared less well in the United States, where it failed to chart as a pop record, although it did reach No. 39 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. It was the first high-profile example of an Italo house record. The genre is noteworthy for extreme amounts of "borrowing", usually in single phrases, sometimes in couplets, the lyrical "hooks" from other compositions.

Track listings

1. "Ride On Time" (massive mix) – 6:37
2. "Ride On Time" (Epsom mix) – 5:25
3. "Ride On Time" (Ascot mix) – 2:57

1. "Ride On Time" (the original) – 6:27
2. "Ride On Time" (garage trip) – 6:05
3. "Ride On Time" (piano version) – 2:53

1. "Ride On Time" (massive mix) – 4:10
2. "Ride On Time" (Epsom mix) – 2:57

1. "Ride On Time" (the original) – 3:55
2. "Ride On Time" (piano version) – 2:53

1. "Ride On Time" (radio cut) – 3:06
2. "Ride On Time" (extended club mix) – 5:54
3. "Ride On Time" (Voltaxx dub remix) – 5:57
4. "Ride On Time" (original version) – 6:27
5. "Ride On Time" (exacto mix) – 6:38
6. "Ride On Time" (Snapshot remix) – 6:38
7. "Ride On Time" (Jay Jay radio cold mix) – 3:45