"Rhythm Is a Dancer" is a song recorded by the act Snap!, released as a single in the summer of 1992.
Written by Benito Benitez, John 'Virgo' Garrett III (aliases for German producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti), Thea Austin and Durron Butler and produced by Snap!
The track features a rap from Turbo B, containing the line "I'm serious as cancer when I say rhythm is a dancer". The line has become infamous as it regularly features in polls to find the worst song lyric of all time. However, this line has been used extensively in hip hop since at least 1987 (J.V.C.F.O.R.C.E.'s 1987 release 'Strong Island' features the lyric) - an album of the same name was released in 1989 by Red, Black and Green, and Rakim has used it more than once ("I Ain't No Joke", "Eric B is President").
"Rhythm Is a Dancer" is based on the main melody of the track "Auto-Man" from the early 1980s electronic hip-hop band Newcleus.
According to Miz hit. tubes, a book which analyses the French chart, "this discotheque song alternates the female singing of the chorus with the fluid rap and set back from the verses. These are tinged with a resonant sonority, with astonishment melancholic relents for a hit dance. That gives to the whole a very particular colouring, almost nostalgic
Snap! is an electronic music project created by German producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti formerly known as "16 BIT" . However, due to the general public's preconceived notions of German music, they decided to credit their work as Benito Benites and John "Virgo" Garrett III, and, as Frank Farian had done with Boney M and Milli Vanilli, hired different singers to front the group's live appearances.
Snap!'s first hit, "The Power" (#1 UK (gold), #2 Ger (gold), #2 US (platinum), became instantly popular in both Europe and North America, thanks in part to the combination of house and hip hop elements, but a great deal in part to the unauthorized sampling of a track "Let the Words Flow" by US rapper Chill Rob G. None of the vocals were recorded specifically for the track. On their first album, World Power (#10 UK (gold), #7 Ger (platinum), #30 US (platinum), their vocalists were rapper Turbo B., and model/singer Jackie Harris, who was responsible for stealing the female vocals on the "The Power" From Jocelyn Brown. In 1990 some more hits followed: "Ooops up" (# 5 UK, #2 Ger, # 35 US (gold), "Cult of Snap" (#8 UK, #3 Ger), "Mary had a little boy" (#8 UK, #4 Ger) and in 1991 "Snap - Megamix" (#10 UK, #15 Ger); however, apart from the single, "The Power", (on which Harris sang lead vocals) Penny Ford was the vocalist on the ensuing singles, as well as being the lead vocalist on the majority of the featured album tracks on Snap!'s debut album. Moving back to 1990, Snap! also introduced a new song to the "Rocky V" official movie sountrack entitled "Keep It Up." In 1991, Snap!'s "The Power" was also included in "The Fisher King" official movie soundtrack.
The cover of Snap!'s album "The Madman's Return"Snap! returned to the charts in 1992 with The Madman's Return (#8 UK (gold), #3 Ger (gold) , #121 US (gold), which featured four more hit singles in Europe, "The Colour of Love" (#9 Ger), "Rhythm is a Dancer" (#1 UK (gold), #1 Ger (platinum), #5 US (gold), "Exterminate" (#2 UK (silver), #3 Ger (gold) and the German Top 20 Hit "Do You See The Light?" (#10 UK, #13 Ger). "Rhythm is a dancer" is based on the main melody of the track "Auto-Man" from the early 1980s electronic hip-hop band Newcleus. However, by this stage, some friction had developed between the producers and the vocalists and eventually they would all leave the band. Thea Austin had already replaced Jackie and Penny, but she too had left by the time the third album came along.
Niki Haris, who had sung "Exterminate" and "Do You See The Light?", was retained, alongside newcomer Summer, for Welcome To Tomorrow (#6 UK (silver), #4 Ger (gold) which peaked at number 1 in France in 1994. An album of the same name was released the same year (#10 Ger). But by now, the songs had evolved into a more European progressive house sound, and without the stage presence and raps of Turbo B., Snap! continued receiving airplay, but the project's popularity was decreasing. "The First, The Last, Eternity" (#15 UK, #7 Ger), although a Top 10 hit in Germany, never enjoyed the same level of recognition as "The Power". Two more singles were released "The world in my hands" (#53 Ger) and "Rame" with Rukmani (#34 Ger). Snap! were officially disbanded after the release of the 1996 best-of album, Attack! (#14 Ger). A significant portion of their decline had to do with an informal black-listing of the band in the club scene due to an unfortunate remark from a band member that was perceived to be anti-gay. This issue haunted them up till 2003 when an apology was issued and the club scene welcomed them back aboard. This opened the door for their best of/remix album which was promoted in Germany on several Christopher-street-prides and together with the in Berlin famous drag queen Krylon Superstar who also appeared on Television for Snap!.
Münzing and Anzilotti tried a comeback in 2000, with Turbo B.'s return and a new vocalist, but the proposed album, One Day on Earth, was never released, due to various problems during production. Fortunately for Snap!, a few producers, such as Tom Novy from Germany and Motivo Productions from Italy, started remixing some of their old hits, which lead to the release of a remix/cover album, The Cult of Snap!, in 2003 (#43 Ger). The album included some remix hits in Europe: "See the light" remixed by Plaything in 2002 (#14 UK, #66 Ger), the C.J. Stone remix of "Rhythm is a Dancer" which reached number 7 in Germany and number 17 in the UK in 2003. The track is still commonly played at nightclubs in the UK, often as the last track in a set, and has become somewhat of a dance anthem. And two more remixed hits: "The power of Bhangra" (#21 in Germany and #34 in the UK, the video was filmed in Sri Lanka) and Ooops up! 2003 (feat. NG3) remixed by DJ Tomekk. In 2003, "The Power" was introduced into the trailers and official soundtrack of the movie "Bruce Almighty" starring Jim Carrey.
18 second sample of the CJ Stone club remix of 'Rhythm is a dancer'
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Throughout their career, they scored nine Top 10 singles, including two Number Ones in the United Kingdom ("The Power" and "Rhythm Is A Dancer").
The act returned in 2006 with a brand new single called "Beauty Queen", but the single has never been released outside the clubs.
Updated: Jul 29, 2010
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