"Fired Up!" is a song by American house music duo Funky Green Dogs, also known as Murk. Written and produced by group members Ralph Falcon and Oscar Gaetan, the track's vocals are performed by Pamela Williams. "Fired Up!" was released on September 2, 1996, as the lead single from Funky Green Dogs' debut album, Get Fired Up (1996). Music critics responded positively to the song, praising its hook and tribal sound. The song became a number-one hit on the US Billboard Maxi-Singles Sales chart, the Canadian RPM Dance chart, and the Ultratop 50 chart of Belgium's Flanders region. It also reached the top 20 in the United Kingdom and in Belgium's Wallonia region.

"Fired Up!"
Single by Funky Green Dogs
from the album Get Fired Up
ReleasedSeptember 2, 1996 (1996-09-02)
StudioHN, Down Low (Miami, Florida)
GenreTribal house[1]
Length7:12
LabelTwisted America
Songwriter(s)
  • Ralph Falcon
  • Oscar Gaetan
Producer(s)
  • Ralph Falcon
  • Oscar Gaetan
Funky Green Dogs singles chronology
"High Up"
(1994)
"Fired Up!"
(1996)
"The Way"
(1997)
Audio
"Fired Up!" on YouTube

Critical reception

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Larry Flick of Billboard magazine called "Fired Up!" a "percussive, tribalistic anthem" and noted that the remixes by Danny Tenaglia are "too hot for mere words".[2] In later reviews for the same publication, he referred to the song's hook as "mind-numbing" and described the track as a "stomper that melds the throaty sass of singer Pamela Williams with infectious tribal drums".[1][3] Music & Media magazine also praised the song's hook, with Marc Pinte of Flemish radio station BRTN Radio Donna calling the track an "absolutely fantastic record" and noting its appeal for both radio and dance clubs.[4]

Commercial performance

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Following its commercial release in the United States, "Fired Up!" appeared on the Billboard Maxi-Singles Sales chart, debuting at number 21 on September 14, 1996.[5] The following week, it jumped to number one, giving Funky Green Dogs their only number-one single on this chart.[6] On the Billboard Dance Club Play chart, the song reached number two in early November 1996 and spent 15 weeks on the ranking, making it their joint-longest-charting single on this listing along with "Body" and "Rise Up".[7] The song also appeared on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart in February 1997, peaking at number 80 that April and charting for 14 weeks; it is the band's only appearance on this ranking.[8] In Canada, the track topped the RPM Dance chart in December 1996 and was the country's 26th-most-successful dance hit of 1997.[9][10]

Outside North America, "Fired Up!" charted in several Western European countries. In the Flanders region of Belgium, the song debuted at number 15 on the Ultratop 50 chart on March 22, 1997. Over the following four weeks, it rose and fell within the top 10, eventually ascending to number one on April 26. It held the top spot for five consecutive weeks and stayed on the chart for 24 weeks in total, ending the year as Flanders' eighth-highest-selling single.[11][12] The song also reached the top 20 in the Wallonia region, where it peaked at number 11, spent 16 weeks within the Ultratop 40, and finished at number 74 on the region's year-end chart.[13][14] The song is certified gold in Belgium for selling over 25,000 copies.[15] In the Netherlands, "Fired Up!" peaked at number 23 on the Dutch Top 40 listing and number 40 on the Single Top 100 chart.[16][17] On the UK Singles Chart, the single debuted and peaked at number 17 in April 1997, making it Funky Green Dogs' only top-40 UK hit.[18] On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Fired Up" reached number 31 the same month.[19]

Track listings

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1996 releases

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1997 releases

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Credits and personnel

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Credits are taken from the Get Fired Up liner notes.[33]

Studios

  • Recorded at HN Studios and Down Low Studios (Miami, Florida)
  • Mastered at Frankford Wayne Mastering Labs (New York City)

Personnel

  • Ralph Falcon – writing, production, mixing
  • Oscar Gaetan – writing, production, mixing
  • Pamela Williams – vocals
  • Carlos Santos – engineering
  • Rick Essig – mastering

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Belgium (BEA)[15] Gold 25,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom September 2, 1996
  • 2×12-inch vinyl
  • CD
Twisted United Kingdom [38]
United States 1996
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • maxi-CD
Twisted America
1997
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
United Kingdom (re-release) March 31, 1997 Twisted United Kingdom [39]

References

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  1. ^ a b Flick, Larry (September 14, 1996). "Funky Green Dogs Find Themselves 'All Fired Up!'". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 37. p. 36. ...'Fired Up,' a hot item on test pressing, thanks to its urgent tribal beat...
  2. ^ Flick, Larry (August 17, 1996). "Getting Reinvigorated by the Insinuating Beat". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 33. p. 23.
  3. ^ Flick, Larry (December 28, 1996). "Kristine W. Shows Extent of Dance's Inroads in '96". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. p. 34.
  4. ^ "Airborne". Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 19. May 10, 1997. p. 21.
  5. ^ "Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. September 14, 1996. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Funky Green Dogs Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Funky Green Dogs Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Funky Green Dogs Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 9726." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  10. ^ a b "RPM '97 Year End Top 50 Dance Tracks". RPM. Retrieved August 11, 2023 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  11. ^ a b "Funky Green Dogs – Fired Up!" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Jaaroverzichten 1997" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Funky Green Dogs – Fired Up!" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Rapports annuels 1997" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 1997". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 24, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Funky Green Dogs – Fired Up!" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  18. ^ a b "Funky Green Dogs: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  19. ^ a b "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 16. April 19, 1997. p. 20.
  20. ^ a b Fired Up! (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Funky Green Dogs. Twisted America Records. 1996. TWDM-55221.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ^ Fired Up! (European & Australian maxi-CD single liner notes). Funky Green Dogs. Twisted World, Murk Records, MCA Records. 1996. MCD 49021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ^ Fired Up! (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Funky Green Dogs. Twisted America Records. 1996. TW12-55221.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. ^ Fired Up! (US 2×12-inch single vinyl discs). Funky Green Dogs. Twisted America Records. 1996. TW12-55221.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. ^ Fired Up! (UK 2×12-inch single vinyl discs). Funky Green Dogs. Twisted America Records. 1996. TWUK12-10001.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ^ Fired Up! (UK CD single liner notes). Funky Green Dogs. Twisted America Records. 1996. TWUKCD-10001.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  26. ^ Fired Up! (US CD single liner notes). Funky Green Dogs. Twisted America Records. 1997. TWDS-55324.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  27. ^ Fired Up! (US cassette single sleeve). Funky Green Dogs. Twisted America Records. 1997. TWCS 55324.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  28. ^ Fired Up! (US 12-inch remix single vinyl disc). Funky Green Dogs. Twisted America Records. 1997. TW12-55414.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  29. ^ Fired Up! (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Funky Green Dogs. Twisted America Records. 1997. TWDM-55414.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  30. ^ Fired Up! (UK CD single liner notes). Funky Green Dogs. Twisted United Kingdom. 1997. TWCD-10016.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  31. ^ Fired Up! (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Funky Green Dogs. Twisted United Kingdom. 1997. TW12 10016.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  32. ^ Fired Up! (UK cassette single sleeve). Funky Green Dogs. Twisted United Kingdom. 1997. TWMC 10016.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  33. ^ Get Fired Up (US CD album liner notes). Funky Green Dogs. Twisted America Records, Murky Records, MCA Records. 1997. TWD11511.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  34. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  35. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  36. ^ "The Year in Music: Hot Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. December 28, 1996. p. YE-45.
  37. ^ "The Year in Music 1997: Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Sales". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. December 27, 1997. p. YE-45.
  38. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. August 31, 1996. p. 31.
  39. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. March 29, 1997. p. 41.