Trisha Shetty (Editor)

The Rockafeller Skank

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Format
  
12" CD

Producer(s)
  
Fatboy Slim

Label
  
Skint

Released
  
June 8, 1998 (1998-06-08) (UK) September 22, 1998 (1998-09-22) (US)

Genre
  
Big beat dance-rock surf rock

Length
  
3:27 (radio edit) 6:53 (album version) 4:03 (short version)

"The Rockafeller Skank" (sometimes titled Funk Soul Brother) is a song by English big beat musician and DJ Fatboy Slim. It was a hit single released from the 1998 album You've Come a Long Way, Baby.

Contents

The single peaked at number six in the UK Singles Chart in June 1998. The song was the second Fatboy Slim single (after "Praise You") to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 76.

Samples

The song features the repeated line "Right about now, the funk soul brother / Check it out now, the funk soul brother", which is a truncated vocal sample of rapper Lord Finesse on the track "Vinyl Dog Vibe" by Vinyl Dogs, the original line being "Check it out right about now, it's no other than the funk soul brother, the Lord Finesse".

The song also features four other samples, including a sample of the song "Sliced Tomatoes" by the band Just Brothers (a popular Northern Soul track), Bobby Fuller Four's "I Fought the Law" (featuring DeWayne Quirico's drum intro), and a sample of "Beat Girl" by John Barry and his Orchestra. A guitar line from the song "Peter Gunn" by Art of Noise featuring Duane Eddy is also sampled.

Fatboy Slim has stated that to clear the samples and release the song he had to release 100% of the track's royalties, 25% to each artist, meaning he receives no royalties himself.

Usage in media

  • The radio version of the song was featured on the 1999 compilation album Now That's What I Call Music! 3.
  • The song is featured in She's All That in a choreographed dance number.
  • The song was also used in the films Digimon: The Movie and Bruce Almighty.
  • The song was used in the video game FIFA 99.
  • The song was used in the 1999 Surge Cola commercial with The Sandlot cast member Patrick Renna.
  • The song was used in the PlayStation video game Gekido.
  • The song was used during the trailer for the 1999 film, Office Space.
  • The song was played during the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.
  • The song is featured in the episode 15 of the 5th season of the American sitcom Friends ("The One With The Girl Who Hits Joey"), during the party staged by Ross to his neighbors.
  • The song was also used in the TV series Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, Being Erica, Daria, Saturday Night Live, 20 to 1, Sex and the City, and Streetmate.
  • The song was featured on the third soundtrack to Packed to the Rafters.
  • The song was used in the film American Pie, but did not appear on the soundtrack.
  • The song was used in the promo trailer for Osmosis Jones.
  • The song was used in trailers for Connie and Carla and Corporate Affairs.
  • The song was featured in the 3rd episode of the 2nd Series of The Catherine Tate Show.
  • The song was used in a promo for Sex Tape on FX.
  • The song was used in the PlayStation 2 video game Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova 2.
  • The song was used in the 2010 Ubisoft video game Just Dance 2

    • Track listing

    CD
    1. "The Rockafeller Skank" (short edit)
    2. "The Rockafeller Skank"
    3. "Always Read the Label"
    4. "Tweakers Delight"

    Note: Some mainland European editions omit the album version (track 2)

    The edited version is notable at the beginning, as there is a scat effect on the first word of the song. This is removed on the edit featured on the 2006 compilation The Greatest Hits – Why Try Harder.

    12"
    1. "The Rockafeller Skank"
    2. "Always Read the Label"
    3. "Tweakers Delight"

    References

    The Rockafeller Skank Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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