Sing It Back

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1999 single by Moloko

title: "Sing It Back" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1998-songs", "1999-singles", "moloko-songs", "the-echo-label-singles", "sire-records-singles", "warner-records-singles", "songs-written-by-róisín-murphy", "uk-independent-singles-chart-number-one-singles", "songs-written-by-mark-brydon"] description: "1999 single by Moloko" topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sing_It_Back" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1999 single by Moloko ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

FieldValue
nameSing It Back
coverMoloko singitback.jpg
typesingle
artistMoloko
albumI Am Not a Doctor and Things to Make and Do
released
genreHouse
labelEcho
prev_titleThe Flipside
prev_year1998
next_titleThe Time Is Now
next_year2000
misc
::

| name = Sing It Back | cover = Moloko singitback.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Moloko | album = I Am Not a Doctor and Things to Make and Do | released = | recorded = | studio = | genre = House | length =

"Sing It Back" is a song written and performed by Irish-English electronic music duo Moloko (Róisín Murphy and Mark Brydon). It first appeared in its original version on Moloko's second album, I Am Not a Doctor (1998); it was released as a single on 8 March 1999, reaching number 45 on the UK Singles Chart. The song experienced chart success after it was remixed by DJ Boris Dlugosch, peaking at number four in the UK in September 1999. Murphy had started writing the lyrics while clubbing in New York City, and knew the song was at heart a dance track, but the group wanted to record it in a different artistic fashion for its album version.

Together with their record company they commissioned mixes by Todd Terry (who had turned Everything But the Girl's "Missing" into an international hit). Moloko was not satisfied with the Terry mix and had to convince their label Echo Records to put out the Dlugosch version instead. The remixed version was eventually featured on over 100 compilations. It was later added on Moloko's third album, Things to Make and Do, after hitting the top ten on the UK Singles Chart. In 1999, it reached number one on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart. Its music video was directed by Dawn Shadforth. As a form of barter for the remix, Moloko vocalist Róisín Murphy later co-wrote and appeared on Dlugosch's "Never Enough" single, starring in the video for that release as well.

Critical reception

Scottish Aberdeen Press and Journal viewed "Sing It Back" as a "Balearic hit". In her review of the I Am Not a Doctor album, Heather Phares from AllMusic described it as a "techno torch song". Daily Record named it their best single since 1996's "Fun for Me". Stevie Chick from NME wrote, "Róisín Murphy, it must be said, has a remarkable voice, a chalky, skewed howl which can twist into a purr, a cry or a sexy growl. On 'Sing It Back', she's cast as Eartha Kitt, all unquenchable lust, sly, coquettish snarls, a luxuriant, lingering sigh. What a shame it's wasted on some of the limpest, radio-friendly handbag tedium ever put on wax."

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Dawn Shadforth. It features Moloko vocalist Róisín Murphy dancing alone in a metallic flapper dress, accompanied by psychedelic lighting effects. The video is featured on the DVD of Moloko's special edition of the Statues album. It was later made available on Moloko's official YouTube channel in 2016 and by late 2024, the video had generated more than 38 million views.

Several live videos also exist, including one in the group's live concert movie 11,000 Clicks, a similar concert version from the Dutch Pinkpop broadcast and a samba version featured on MTV Brasil. On 20 June 2003 the band appeared on BBC's Later... with Jools Holland, and performed a version where Murphy finished head-first inside Brydon's Hammond organ.

Impact and legacy

In 2002, Q Magazine ranked "Sing It Back" number 905 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever" and in 2004, the magazine featured it in their "The 1010 Songs You Must Own". In 2012, Australian music channel Max ranked it number 887 in their list of "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2014, German Musikexpress ranked the song number 449 in their list of the "700 Best Songs of All-Time". In 2018, Mixmag featured "Sing It Back" in their list of "Vocal House: The 30 All-Time Biggest Anthems". In 2019, Defected Records featured it in their list of "17 Best Remixes Ever". In 2021, Tomorrowland featured the song in their "Official The Ibiza 500" at number 55. Rolling Stone ranked the song at 152 in its 2022 list of the "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time".

Track listings

  • UK CD1
  1. "Sing It Back" (Tee's radio) – 3:25
  2. "Sing It Back" (Booker T Loco mix) – 5:21
  3. "Sing It Back" (DJ Plankton's Dub featuring Maurice) – 8:33
  • UK CD2
  1. "Sing It Back" (Boris Musical mix edit) – 4:38
  2. "Sing It Back" (Herbert's Tasteful dub) – 5:38
  3. "Sing It Back" (Tee's Freeze mix) – 9:02

  • UK 12-inch single :A. "Sing It Back" (Tee's Freeze mix) – 9:02 :B. "Sing It Back" (Boris Musical mix) – 9:19

  • UK cassette single

  1. "Sing It Back" (Boris Musical mix edit) – 4:38
  2. "Sing It Back" (Can 7 Supermarket mix edit) – 4:03
  3. "Sing It Back" (Tee's radio mix) – 4:23
  • French CD single
  1. "Sing It Back" (Boris Musical mix edit) – 4:38
  2. "Sing It Back" (Tee's radio) – 3:25
  • German CD single
  1. "Sing It Back" (Boris radio edit) – 3:35
  2. "Sing It Back" (Boris Musical mix) – 9:15
  • Australian CD single
  1. "Sing It Back" (Boris Dlugosch Musical mix edit) – 4:38
  2. "Sing It Back" (Can 7 Supermarket mix edit) – 4:03
  3. "Sing It Back" (Boris Dlugosch Musical mix) – 9:17
  4. "Sing It Back" (Tee's Freeze mix) – 9:02
  5. "Sing It Back" (Can 7 Supermarket mix) – 8:19

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1999) | Peak position | |---|---| | Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | 15 | | Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) | 14 | | Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) | 28 | | Italy (Musica e dischi) | 32 | | US Dance Club Play (Billboard) | 1 | | US Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard) | 44 | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (1999)Position
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)16
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)100
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)93
UK Singles (OCC)92
UK Airplay (Music Week)21
UK Club Chart (Music Week)13
US Dance Club Play (Billboard)15
::

Certifications

Covers

References

References

  1. (6 March 1999). "New Releases – For Week Starting 8 March, 1999: Singles".
  2. "everyHit.com Note".
  3. ''[[Aberdeen Press and Journal]]''. 30 August 1999. p. 13.
  4. Phares, Heather. "Moloko – ''I Am Not a Doctor''". [[AllMusic]].
  5. "Chartslot". ''[[Daily Record (Scotland). Daily Record]]''. 3 September 1999.
  6. Chick, Stevie. "This Week's Singles March 20 1999". [[NME]].
  7. (21 October 2016). "Moloko - Sing It Back (Official HD Video)". [[YouTube]].
  8. {{YouTube. qZrijS1SR1E. Moloko - Sing it Back (Later Archive 2003)
  9. "Q - 1001 best songs ever (2003)".
  10. (2012). "Top 1000 Greatest Songs Of All Time – 2012". [[Max (Australian TV channel).
  11. (21 March 2014). "Die 700 besten Songs aller Zeiten".
  12. "The 30 best vocal house anthems ever".
  13. (12 June 2019). "17 Best Remixes Ever: Defected HQ Picks". [[Defected Records]].
  14. (6 Aug 2021). "Relive this year's Ibiza 500!".
  15. (22 July 2022). "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time".
  16. (1999). "Sing It Back". [[Echo Records]].
  17. (1999). "Sing It Back". Echo Records.
  18. (1999). "Sing It Back". Echo Records.
  19. (1999). "Sing It Back". Echo Records.
  20. (1999). "Sing It Back". [[Scorpio Music]].
  21. (1999). "Sing It Back". Peppermint Jam.
  22. (1999). "Sing It Back". [[Mushroom Records]], Echo Records.
  23. (11 September 1998). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
  24. Pennanen, Timo. (2021). "Sisältää hitin – 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021". Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava.
  25. (3 September 1999). "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 339 Vikuna 2.8.–9.9. 1999)". [[Dagblaðið Vísir]].
  26. "Classifiche". [[Musica e dischi]].
  27. (3 July 1999). "Dance Club Songs".
  28. (18 September 1999). "Dance Singles Sales".
  29. "RPM 1999 Top 50 Dance Tracks".
  30. (1 January 2000). "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1999".
  31. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1999". Dutch Top 40.
  32. (22 January 2000). "Best Sellers of 1999: Singles Top 100".
  33. (22 January 2000). "Most Broadcast of 1999: Airplay Top 50".
  34. (22 January 2000). "Club Chart Top 50 of 1999".
  35. (25 December 1999). "1999 The Year in Music: Hot Dance Club-Play Singles".
  36. "Uno Recordings: Music".
  37. "Sing it Back (Swingrowers Remix)". MTV.
  38. {{YouTube. ydOAGxiFvnI. Pete Tong - Sing It Back Feat. Becky Hill (Official Audio)

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1998-songs1999-singlesmoloko-songsthe-echo-label-singlessire-records-singleswarner-records-singlessongs-written-by-róisín-murphyuk-independent-singles-chart-number-one-singlessongs-written-by-mark-brydon