Moving On Up (M People song)

Moving on Up is the seventh overall single from British band M People, and the second single from their second album, Elegant Slumming (1993). Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard and produced by M People, it was released on 13 September 1993.

"Moving on Up"
Single by M People
from the album Elegant Slumming
B-side"Remix"
Released13 September 1993
Format
Genre
Length
  • 5:29 (Album Version)
  • 3:34 (Single Edit)
LabelDeconstruction
Songwriter(s)
  • Mike Pickering
  • Paul Heard
Producer(s)M People
M People singles chronology
"One Night in Heaven"
(1993)		 "Moving on Up"
(1993)		 "Don't Look Any Further"
(1993)
Music video
"Moving on Up" on YouTube

The song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, and was the biggest selling M People single. The song also became a Top 40 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number one on the Billboard dance chart.

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Keith Farley described the song as a "nu-disco slant" in his review of Elegant Slumming.[3] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that frontwoman Heather Small and the band "deftly blends state-of-the-charts club trends with a reverence for classic Motown and R&B sounds. After one spin, you'll be humming the chorus for a week, which is the mark of a true smash."[4] In 2017, BuzzFeed listed the song at number 63 in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s".[5] Anderson Jones from Entertainment Weekly called it a number "that has set disco balls spinning across Europe".[6] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented that "excitement about this uptempo winner is spreading fast and one listen should explain why."[7] John Hamilton from Idolator noted the song as "a confident pop-soul kiss-off", adding that "its funky sax and Small’s pissed-off vocals combined to create nothing short of a club classic, one that provided ample opportunity for gay and straight clubbers alike to bust a move on dancefloors across the nation."[8] Australian music channel Max placed "Moving On Up" at number 565 in their list of "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2011.[9] Music & Media wrote that "the '90s will be type-cast as the age of retro, both in rock and in dance. These people restore Funky Town as the capital of good old disco. A floor filler annex airplay hit is born!"[10] The Network Forty called it a "perfect uptempo fun springtime" song.[11] Newcastle Journal said the single "was one of the best releases of the year."[12] Reading Evening Post described it as "funky",[13] while Mark-Leon Thorne from Woroni called it a "classic anthem".[14]

Chart performance
M People's frontwoman Heather Small in the music video of "Moving On Up".

"Moving on Up" proved to be M People's biggest hit worldwide, but just reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart. The single was also a success in Australia (#4), Finland (#6), France (#3), Ireland (#4) and New Zealand (#4). It also topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the United States in 1994. It is also M People's only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 34.

Artwork

On United Kingdom and European versions of the single, the cover appeared with three quarters of the cover featuring a side profile of lead singer Heather Small, looking serious to hint that she's moving away. The bottom quarter of the single has a purple banner all the way across with the title written on it. On other versions of the single, the colour of this banner was red, yellow or blue.

Compilations/soundtracks

"Moving on Up" featured on many compilations including Now That's What I Call Music! 27, Telstar's Hits 93: Volume 4 in the United Kingdom, and many other across the globe. The single has also been featured in many films, including the British blockbuster The Full Monty, The Next Karate Kid and the American comedy The First Wives Club.

In February 1998, the song was featured in an episode of Top Gear, during the reviews of the Citroën Xantia, Vauxhall Vectra, Peugeot 406, Subaru Legacy and the Volkswagen Passat, with a voice over by presenter Jeremy Clarkson.[15][16][17]

Track listings
CD single / 12" maxi — Promo
  1. "Moving on Up" (M People master edit) — 3:34
  2. "Moving on Up" (M People dub) — 4:35
CD maxi
  1. "Moving on Up" (M People master edit) — 3:34
  2. "Moving on Up" (M People master mix) — 5:29
  3. "Moving on Up" (M People dub) — 4:35
  4. "Moving on Up" (Roger S. gospel revival mix) — 5:55
12" maxi
  1. "Moving on Up" (M People master mix)
  2. "Moving on Up" (M People dub)
  3. "Moving on Up" (Roger S. gospel revival mix)
  4. "Moving on Up" (Roger S. moving mix)

Other versions

Moving on Up was also a dance hit for Belgian singer Roselle in 1995.

The chorus is interpolated in the song "Gloves" by Australian comedy group Thanks Pet, Next, a hidden track on their EP Frogstamp, which satirises invasive body searching. In that concext, the phrase "moving on up" becomes a double entendre.

Charts and certifications

References
  1. "Disc O Tech". Vibe. 2 (10). December 1994 – January 1995. ISSN 1070-4701.
  2. "Elegant Slumming - M People - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic.
  3. "M People - Elegant Slumming". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  4. Flick, Larry. "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard: 63. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  5. Stopera, Matt; Galindo, Brian (11 March 2017). "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  6. "Elegant Slumming". Entertainment Weekly. 15 July 1994. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  7. Sholin, Dave. "Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  8. Hamilton, John (20 November 2014). "The 50 Best Pop Singles Of 1994 (Featuring New Interviews With Ace Of Base, TLC, Lisa Loeb, Real McCoy & Haddaway)". Idolator. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  9. "TOP 1000 GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME – 2011". Max. 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  10. "Music & Media: New Releases" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  11. "Mainstream: Music Meeting" (PDF). The Network Forty. 29 April 1994. p. 22. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  12. "M People". Newcastle Journal. 29 October 1993. page 27. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  13. "M PEOPLE Elegant Slumming". Reading Evening Post. 29 October 1993. page 44. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  14. Thorne, Mark-Leon (14 February 1998). "Fresco - M People". Woroni. p. 26. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  15. "Old Top Gear Saloons 1/2". 2 April 2017.
  16. "Old Top Gear Saloons 1/2". 3 April 2017.
  17. "Old Top Gear Saloons 2/2". 3 April 2017.
  18. "Australian-charts.com – M People – Moving on Up". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  19. "Austriancharts.at – M People – Moving on Up" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  20. "Ultratop.be – M People – Moving on Up" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  21. "Moving On Up – M. PEOPLE" (in Dutch). Top 30. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2014. Hoogste notering in de top 30 : 17
  22. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2529." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  23. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2512." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  24. Danish Singles Chart 22 October 1993
  25. "Music & Media: Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  26. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
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  28. "Offiziellecharts.de – M People – Moving on Up". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  29. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (25.11.1993 – 01.12.1993)" (PDF) (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið Vísir – Tónlist. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  30. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Moving on Up". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  31. "Nederlandse Top 40 – M People – Moving on Up" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  32. "Dutchcharts.nl – M People – Moving on Up" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
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  35. "Swisscharts.com – M People – Moving on Up". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  36. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
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  38. "M People Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  39. "M People Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  40. "M People Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  41. "M People Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  42. "CASH BOX Top 100 Pop Singles – Week ending JULY 9, 1994". Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2014.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link). Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  43. "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
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  45. "Jaarlijsten 1993" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  46. "Top 100 Singles 1993". Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 24.
  47. "1994 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
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