The Power (Snap! song)

"The Power" is an electronic pop hit song for the group Snap!. It was released as a single in 1990.

Background

Written by Michael Muenzing and Luca Anzilotti under the pseudonyms Benito Benites and John "Virgo" Garrett III and produced by Snap!, the third single by the Frankfurt-based dance rap group was their biggest hit. Featuring a rap by Turbo B and vocals by Penny Ford (Jackie Harris in the video). The single became a massive international hit.

The song opens with the somewhat enigmatic line in Russian: “Американская фирма Transceptor Technologies приступила к производству компьютеров «Персонaльный спутник»” (meaning “The American company Transceptor Technologies has started production of the ‘Personal Companion’ computer”). “Personal Companion” was a computer-like device for the blind and visually impaired released in 1990, it was controlled by voice and could, among other functions, automatically download articles from USA Today by a built-in modem. It was made by Transceptor Technologies of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Benites and Garrett III first released the song in 1990 on the Wild Pitch Records label in the United States calling themselves "Power Jam (featuring Chill Rob G)". However, they failed to legally clear samples in the song. The song contained samples from "Let the Words Flow" by Chill Rob G, "Love's Gonna Get You" by Jocelyn Brown, and "King Of The Beats" by Mantronix. The song was re-recorded in the U.S. in response to the unlicensed samples with Durron Butler (Turbo B.) replacing the acapella vocal of Chill Rob G, and for this new version they adopted the name Snap!.

The song was covered in 2002 by the German crossover band, H-Blockx.

Chart performances

It became a hit first in Germany where it peaked at #2 and was certified platinum, then in the UK where it peaked at #1 on the UK singles chart for two weeks in March 1990 and where it was also certified platinum. It then crossed over to the USA, by entering the charts just based on import sales. After being released regularly in the U.S. it peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on both the Billboard Hot Rap and Hot Dance Club Play charts, as well as peaking at #4 on the U.S. R&B chart. Finally it was certified platinum in the U.S. There has been some controversy that the line "I've got the power" vocal was was sampled from the song Love's Gonna Get You, a dance single recorded by Jocelyn Brown in 1985. SNAP! could prove that the line was resung by Penny Ford.

Media appearances

The song has made many appearances in film, television and other media. It is also popular as a sporting event anthem. For example, it is played at times at hockey games throughout North America as home teams go on a power-play.

• Coyote Ugly (film)
• Underdog Movie DVD Commercial
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie soundtrack.
• Bruce Almighty soundtrack
• The Fisher King as DJ Jack Lucas' show's theme music
• Sung in the second episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and used later in a scene when Will goes to a pool hall.
• The Perfect Weapon (1991) soundtrack.
• Pampers training pants commercial
• Hotels.com commercial
• Energizer batteries commercial
• Toyota power steering commercial ('90s)
• I Love The 90s
• A scene in Hudson Hawk
• A striptease scene in Brigada.
• T-Mobile commercial
• Neuf Telecom commercial (France, 2006)
• Jet's Theme in UK Gladiators
• Darts player Phil Taylor's Entrance Theme
• Three Kings (film)
• Marock (film)
• Turkcell commercial (Turkey, 2007)
• Terri Powers's entrance theme in Ladies Professional Wrestling Association.
• Le Sancy commercial (India, 1992).
• The Simpsons in the chapter Homerphobia

Track listings

1990 version; 12" maxi

1. "The Power" (ful mix) (6:00)
2. "The Power" (switch mix) (6:21)
3. "The Power" (potential mix) (5:42)

; 7" single

1. "The Power" (3:47)
2. "The Power" (dub) (5:35)

1996 version

1. "The Power '96" (silk 7") (3:53)
2. "The Power '96" (E=mc2 12") (6:44)
3. "The Power '96" (original dub 12") (4:57)
4. "Ex-Terminator" (from the class 'X) (5:21)

Charts

Chart (1990)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	2
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs	4
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	13
Austrian Singles Chart	3
French Singles Chart	15
German Singles Chart	2
Irish Singles Chart	5
Italian Singles Chart	4
Norwegian Singles Chart	3
Swedish Singles Chart	3
Swiss Singles Chart	1
UK Singles Chart	1
Chart (1990)1	Peak position
Finnish Singles Chart	12
Swedish Singles Chart	40

¹ "The Power '96"

See also

List of number-one dance hits (United States)

References