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The song that first introduced Seal to a grateful nation (he's not billed on the front cover, but this was a big launchpad for him)and perhaps the best argument for his career. Although he's undoubtedly a talented man, a lot of his music is too bland for my liking, whilst Adamski was prone to novelties and not much of a singer. Between the two of them, though, they had one outstanding moment of creativity, and one of the few songs associated with rave that really seems to mean something. I'm not sure what, admittedly, but there's more to think about in here than the rather inane rebellion of a lot of that music. Apparently that section at the end which I found utterly incomprehensible at the time says "Racism in among future kings can only lead to no good", which suggests a reading of the song as a lament for predjudice and the human tendency to divide ourselves.
Of course, it loses a lot of this credibility with that rather silly bit in the middle that goes "the way you wanna bi-bi-bi-bi-bi-bi-bi..." but perhaps that helps to make it more memorable, along with the distinctive and slightly off-the-wall sounding bassline. Seal obviously became the bigger star of the pair, but the relative dullness of his later solo version (one of four Top 10 readings of the song in ten years) proves how genuine a team effort this was. Maybe if it were widely available as a download it would sell quite well.
Seal also appears on: Now 19, 28, 31, 53 (with Jakatta)
Available on: Killer - The Best Of
This remains the best #1 single of the 1990s.
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