"Ecuador" is a song produced by German DJ and record production team Sash! featuring fellow German DJ Rodriguez. It was released in April 1997 by labels X-It, Mighty and Multiply Records as the third single from their debut album, It's My Life – The Album (1997). The song became an international hit, peaking at number one in Flanders, Romania and Scotland, as well as on the American and Canadian dance charts. It reached the top 20 in more than ten other countries worldwide. The song's music video was directed by Oliver Sommer and filmed in Spain.

"Ecuador"
Single by Sash! featuring Rodriguez
from the album It's My Life – The Album
LanguageSpanish
Released22 April 1997
GenreDance
Length3:34
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Ralf Kappmeier
  • Sascha Lappessen
  • Thomas Lüdke
Producer(s)
  • Tokapi
  • Sash!
Sash! singles chronology
"Encore une fois"
(1996)
"Ecuador"
(1997)
"Stay"
(1997)
Rodriguez singles chronology
"Ecuador"
(1997)
"Adelante"
(1999)
Music video
"Ecuador" on YouTube

Critical reception

edit

Scottish Daily Record complimented "Ecuador" as an "intelligent dance hit"[1] and a "catchy number".[2] Daisy & Havoc from Music Week's RM rated it three out of five, adding that it's "more listenable in our opinion than the mega success 'Encore'".[3]

Chart performance

edit

In the United Kingdom, "Ecuador" reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, earning Sash! a platinum certification for sales and streams in excess of 600,000 units.[4][5] "Ecuador" reached number one in the Flanders region of Belgium, Romania and Scotland and the top 10 in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.[6][7][8][9] It also reached the top 20 in Austria, France and Iceland.[6][10] On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Ecuador" peaked at number three.[11] In the United States, the song was the second number-one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart for Sash!.[12] It was a more successful dance hit in Canada, becoming Sash!'s first number one on the RPM Dance Chart, staying at the top position for four weeks and ending the year as Canada's second-most successful dance single, behind Stars on 54's version of "If You Could Read My Mind".[13][14]

Music video

edit

The accompanying music video for "Ecuador" was directed by Oliver Sommer,[15] who had previously directed the videos for "Encore une fois" and "Stay", and was shot in Lanzarote and Tenerife, Spain.[citation needed] It features female models appearing like bird-like creatures in a desert landscape.[16]

Impact and legacy

edit

In 1998, DJ Magazine ranked "Ecuador" number 69 in their list of "Top 100 Club Tunes".[17] In 2020, RedBull.com ranked it number two in their "10 Underrated Dance Songs from the 1990s That Still Sound Amazing", writing, "Yeah, yeah – we know that "Encore Une Fois" is Sash!'s most iconic song, but this follow-up – also released in the German duo's breakthrough year of 1997 – is every bit as good. Like its mega-selling predecessor, it didn't matter that you hadn't a clue what the lyrics were: that dinky little trance-pop riff was all you needed."[18]

Track listings

edit

Charts

edit

Certifications

edit
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Belgium (BEA)[47] Gold 25,000*
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[48]
Sash
Gold 45,000
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[49]
Sash vs. Olly James
Gold 45,000
France (SNEP)[50] Gold 250,000*
Sweden (GLF)[51] Gold 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[5]
Digital sales since 2007
Platinum 600,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[52]
Physical sales
Gold 400,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Covers and samples

edit

On 15 March 2013, ItaloBrothers released the single "This Is Nightlife", which interpolates "Ecuador". On 28 April 2023, in collaboration with Dutch-Moroccan DJ and producer R3hab and Romanian singer Inna, Sash! released the single "Rock My Body".[53][54] The single also heavily interpolates "Ecuador".[55]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Chart Slot". Daily Record. 4 July 1997. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Chart Slot". Daily Record. 25 July 1997.
  3. ^ Daisy & Havoc (24 May 1997). "Hot Vinyl" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 8. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  5. ^ a b "British single certifications – Sash ft Rodriguez – Ecuador". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "Sash! feat. Rodriguez – Ecuador" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  7. ^ a b c "Romanian Top 100 – Topul anului 1997" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 22 January 2005. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  9. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Ecuador". Irish Singles Chart.
  10. ^ a b "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (24.07.1997 – 30.07.1997)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 25 July 1997. p. 22. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  11. ^ a b Eurochart peak
  12. ^ a b "Dance Club Songs". Billboard. 13 December 1997. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 3514." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  14. ^ a b "RPM's Top 50 Dance Tracks of '98". RPM. Retrieved 12 May 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  15. ^ "Ecuador (1997) by Sash! feat. Rodriguez". IMVDb.com. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  16. ^ "Sash! - Ecuador (Official Video)". YouTube. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  17. ^ "For those of you that thought good music died in the 90s, this is for you… part one [April 1998]". 909originals.com. 15 April 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  18. ^ Murphy, Lauren (4 March 2020). "10 Underrated Dance Songs from the 1990s That Still Sound Amazing". Red Bull. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  19. ^ Ecuador (UK CD1 liner notes). Sash!. Multiply Records. 1997. CDMULTY23.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ^ Ecuador (UK CD2 liner notes). Sash!. Multiply Records. 1997. CXMULTY23.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 243.
  22. ^ "Sash! feat. Rodriguez – Ecuador" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  23. ^ "Sash! feat. Rodriguez – Ecuador" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  24. ^ "Sash! feat. Rodriguez – Ecuador" (in Dutch). Ultratop Dance. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  25. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 32. 9 August 1997. p. 14. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  26. ^ "Sash! feat. Rodriguez: Ecuador" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  27. ^ "Sash! feat. Rodriguez – Ecuador" (in French). Les classement single.
  28. ^ "Sash! feat. Rodriguez – Ecuador" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  29. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 25, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  30. ^ "Sash! feat. Rodriguez – Ecuador" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  31. ^ "Sash! feat. Rodriguez – Ecuador". Top 40 Singles.
  32. ^ "Sash! feat. Rodriguez – Ecuador". VG-lista.
  33. ^ "Sash! feat. Rodriguez – Ecuador". Singles Top 100.
  34. ^ "Sash! feat. Rodriguez – Ecuador". Swiss Singles Chart.
  35. ^ "Ukraine Airplay Chart for 2023-08-04." TopHit. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  36. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1997" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  37. ^ "Rapports annuels 1997" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  38. ^ "1997 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 52. 27 December 1997. p. 7. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  39. ^ "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 1997" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  40. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1997" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  41. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1997". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  42. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1997" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  43. ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1997" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  44. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1997" (in German). Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  45. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1997". Music Week. 17 January 1998. p. 27.
  46. ^ "The Club Top 100 of 1997" (PDF). Music Week, in RM (Dance Update Supplemental insert). 10 January 1998. p. 5. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  47. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 1997". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  48. ^ "Danish single certifications – Sash – Ecuador". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  49. ^ "Danish single certifications – Sash – Ecuador". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  50. ^ "French single certifications – Sash – Ecuador" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  51. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  52. ^ "British single certifications – Sash – Ecuador". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  53. ^ "Rock My Body - Inna, Sash & R3hab". Apple Music. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  54. ^ Griffiths, George (28 April 2023). "New Releases". Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  55. ^ Bhanawat, Akshay (28 April 2023). "Multi-Platinum Artists R3HAB And INNA Team Up On New Dance-Pop Smash 'Rock My Body' – Remake Of Sash!'s Iconic 90s Hit 'Ecuador'". The Music Essentials. Retrieved 29 April 2023.