Move Me No Mountain
"Move Me No Mountain" is a song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Aaron Schroeder. It was originally recorded in 1974 by Love Unlimited, a group organized and produced by Barry White. In 1975, Ragovoy arranged and produced a recording of the song by Dionne Warwick. Warwick's version used a slightly different melody in the song's chorus than the melody sung by Love Unlimited, and this variation has been used on subsequent recordings of the song. In 1980, Chaka Khan recorded a version of the song with production by Arif Mardin.
Soul II Soul version (1992)
"Move Me No Mountain" | ||||
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Single by Soul II Soul featuring Kofi | ||||
from the album Volume III Just Right | ||||
Released | 1992 | |||
Format | ||||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:25 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Producer(s) | ||||
Soul II Soul singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Move Me No Mountain" on YouTube |
"Move Me No Mountain" was recorded in 1992 by British R&B band Soul II Soul. It was released as the second single from their third album, Volume III Just Right and features British singer Kofi (aka Carol Simms). It was a moderate hit in Europe, peaking at number 7 in Greece, number 10 in Portugal, number 31 in the United Kingdom and number 62 in the Netherlands. Outside Europe, "Move Me No Mountain" peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in the US, number 40 in New Zealand and number 96 in Australia. A black-and-white music video was made to accompany the song. It features Kofi performing the song behind or in front of a waterfall.
Critical reception
Larry Flick from Billboard commented that "empowered with the silky tones of new vocalist Kofi, second single from "Just Right" is a hearty mix of the act's signature nouveau soul and state-of-the-charts house beats." He also noted Joey Negro's "chipper remixes."[1] Orla Swift from Record-Journal described the song as "gospel-inflected" and said that it is "one of the album's strongest cuts".[2] Miranda Sawyer from Select wrote that the song "skips along very nicely — sweet lovers' rock vocals (from reggae star Kofi) soaring over Soul II Soul's effortlessly clubby beat."[3] Another editor, David Lubich commented in his review of Just Right, that the song shows "a glimpse of vocal talent".[4]
Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Move Me No Mountain" (Club Mix) | |
2. | "Move Me No Mountain" (Hackney E9 Mix) | |
3. | "Move Me No Mountain" (Dub) | |
4. | "Move Me No Mountain" (Removed Club Mix) | |
5. | "Move Me No Mountain" (Dum Dum Dub) |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Move Me No Mountain" (Album Edit) | 3:25 |
2. | "Move Me No Mountain" (Club Mix) | 4:22 |
3. | "Move Me No Mountain" (Radio Mix) | 2:56 |
4. | "Move Me No Mountain" (Hackney E9 Mix) | 4:06 |
5. | "Move Me No Mountain" (Dub) | 3:38 |
6. | "Move Me No Mountain" (Removed Club Mix) | 6:23 |
7. | "Move Me No Mountain" (Dum Dum Dub) | 5:18 |
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (1992) | Peak position |
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Greece (Virgin)[5] | 7 |
Netherlands (Tipparade)[6] | 13 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] | 62 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] | 40 |
Portugal (AFP)[9] | 10 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) | 31 |
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[10] | 29 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[11] | 33 |
References
- "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. 4 July 1992. p. 68. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- "Soul II Soul's 'Just Right' just fine". Record-Journal. 8 May 1992. p. 25. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- "Reviews: New Singles". Select. 1 July 1992. p. 89. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- "Reviews: New Albums". Select. 1 May 1992. p. 73. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9 no. 27. 4 July 1992. p. 24. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- "Soul II Soul - Move Me No Mountain" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Soul II Soul – Move Me No Mountain" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- "Charts.nz – Soul II Soul – Move Me No Mountain". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9 no. 30. 25 July 1992. p. 12. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- "Soul II Soul Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- "Soul II Soul Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 February 2020.