Snap! is a German Eurodance group formed in 1989 by record producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti. The act has undergone several lineup changes over the years, featuring American singers, songwriters, and rappers such as Thea Austin, Turbo B, Niki Haris, and Penny Ford. Their most popular hits include "The Power" (1990) and "Rhythm Is a Dancer" (1992), both of which achieved no. 1 in the charts of multiple countries.

History

Previous projects

Luca Anzilotti and Michael Münzing began collaborating in 1985 in the group Off (Organisation for Fun), alongside Sven Väth. They recorded two albums, Organisation for Fun (1988) and Ask Yourself (1989), as well as a series of singles, including "Electrica Salsa", until 1990.

In 1986, the duo created the side project 16 BIT and found success with their first single, "Where Are You?" In 1987, they released the album Inaxycvgtgb for BMG.

Formation and first album: World Power

Anzilotti and Münzing officially formed Snap! in 1989, adopting the aliases Benito Benites and John "Virgo" Garrett III, as they believed the public harbored negative preconceived notions about German music. Their debut hit, "The Power", featuring the American rapper Turbo B and singer Penny Ford, peaked at No. 2 in Germany in April 1990 and remained in that position for five weeks, eventually earning Gold certification for sales of 250,000 units. The single topped the charts in the United Kingdom, earning a Silver award for sales of 200,000 units. In the U.S., it reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Platinum for 1,000,000 units sold.

Jackie Harris was employed to mime Ford's vocals in "The Power" music video and left the group shortly thereafter, leading Ford to become the full-time lead singer. She recorded the second single, "Ooops Up", a reworking of "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Ooops!)", a 1980 hit by the Gap Band, for which Penny had previously been a backing singer. The single entered the top five in the UK, earning another Silver award, and received Gold certification in the U.S. Further hits followed, including the Middle Eastern-influenced "Cult of Snap", which reached No. 3 in Germany and No. 8 in the UK, and "Mary Had a Little Boy", which peaked at No. 4 in Germany and again No. 8 in the UK. The band's debut album, World Power, reached No. 7 in Germany, No. 10 in the UK, and No. 30 in the U.S.

Second album: The Madman's Return

In 1991, American singer, composer, songwriter, and dancer Thea Austin joined Snap!'s lineup and contributed to the writing of the song "Rhythm Is a Dancer". This track was initially intended to be the lead single from the group's second album but was postponed, resulting in "Colour of Love" being released in its place. This single peaked at No. 9 in Germany but stalled at No. 54 in the UK. In the U.S., it peaked at No. 5, earning a Gold certification for sales of 500,000 units. In Germany, the single achieved Platinum status for 500,000 units sold and received Gold certification in the UK for sales of 400,000 units. The album was certified Gold in Germany and the UK, with sales of 250,000 units and 100,000 units, respectively.

In 2002, a new version of "Do You See the Light", remixed by Plaything, was released. The following year, a remix album titled The Cult of Snap! was issued, featuring reworked singles. "Rhythm Is a Dancer 2003" peaked at No. 7 in Germany and No. 17 in the UK, while "The Power (of Bhangra 2003)" achieved moderate success in Austria, Switzerland, and Denmark. The act also released a reworked version of "Oops Up!", featuring vocals by NG3, which managed to enter the Swedish charts at No. 40 and the German top 100 singles chart at No. 69.

On 16 June 2008, a new version of "Rhythm Is a Dancer '08" was released as a CD single in the UK, peaking at No. 23.

Discography

  • World Power (1990)
  • The Madman's Return (1992)
  • Welcome to Tomorrow (1994)

See also

  • List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
  • Centory

References

  • Snap! discography at discogs
  • 16 Bit discography at discogs