Pump Up The Jam by Technotronic

Album: Pump Up the Jam: The Album (1989)

Charted: 2 2

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"Pump Up The Jam" was the first Eurodance hit in America. It's the work of Technotronic, a Belgian group assembled by producer and DJ Jo Bogaert. The idea was to mix European house music with hip-hop, and it worked very well for a few years. "Pump Up The Jam" was released in 1989 and reached #2 in the US in January 1990, fended off by Michael Bolton's "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You." Soon after, Eurodance songs like "Everybody Everybody" by Black Box, "Get Ready For This" by 2 Unlimited and "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" by C+C Music Factory were on the charts along with two more hits from Technotronic: "Get Up (Before The Night Is Over)" (#7 US) and "Move This" (#6 US).
Manuella "Ya Kid K" Komosi was the lead vocalist on this and most other Technotronic songs, but she was not in the video or on the album cover, which instead featured Zairean-born fashion model Felly lip-synching the lyrics. Felly had nothing to do with recording the song, and didn't speak English. Bogaert used her to establish an image for the group, even if it meant some awkward miming in the video. Around the same time, C&C Music factory did something similar when they had a model pretend to sing the parts of Martha Wash on hits like "Gonna Make You Sweat." Snap! also used a fake singer in their video for "The Power." When Technotronic toured with DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Felly didn't come along - they were fronted by their real vocalists Ya Kid K and MC Eric.
In 2005, DONS (the German production duo Ollie Goedicke and Frank Sieben) remixed this song. The new version became a dance hit and charted in the UK.
When "Pump Up The Jam" became popular among DJs, and the DONS version became a hit, demand for the original 12" single got so high that copies were changing hands on the Internet for over $100.
This song is featured in the 1996 movie Space Jam in a scene where Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes cast prepare for a basketball game against "The Monstars," a group of transformed NBA players.

Lil Uzi Vert recorded a new version for the 2021 sequel: Space Jam: A New Legacy.

Comments: 3

Scott A from FloridaPump Up The Jam was first played in the 1990 movie, "Repossessed", starring Leslie Nielsen (it's played when his character is at the gym). This was the first movie to play the tune.
Deborah B Pendleton from Sarasota FlaTo Define I was around in the Disco days and I really love technotronic Pump Up the Volume I used to go to a club in Tampa when they perform their and I thought they for the greatest dance group
Eric from Bend, OrI was 9 years old when this song came out, and I had the "Pump Up The Jam" album on tape then too. I have it on CD now, and I like the song "Get Up (Before the Night is Over)" better. There are other good songs on the CD too.

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