Word Up! (song)

"Word Up!"
Single by Cameo
from the album Word Up!
B-side	"Urban Warrior"
Released	1986
Format	7" single, 12" single
Recorded	1986
Genre	Funk, hip hop, R&B
Length	4:20
Label	Atlanta Artists Records
Cameo singles chronology
"She's Strange" (1984) "Word Up" (1986) "Candy" (1986)

"Word Up!" is a funk/hip hop song written and originally recorded by Cameo in 1986. Due to its heavy play on American dance and R&B radio, as well as music video play on MTV (which has LeVar Burton as a police detective trying to arrest the band), the single became the band's most well-known hit.

From the album of the same name, "Word Up!" was Nick's first US Top 40 hit, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and also spent three weeks at number one on the US Hot Black Singles chart. "Word Up!" also spent one week at number one on the US Hot Dance Singles chart, and reached number three in the UK. The song was written by Larry Blackmon & Thomas Michael Jenkins.

Like the band's previous single, Single Life, Word Up! features a sample of the opening notes of Ennio Morricone's theme to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Gun Version

"Word Up!"
Single by Gun
from the album Swagger
Released	July 1, 1994
Format	CD
Recorded	1994
Genre	Hard rock, heavy metal, glam metal
Length	4:21
Label	A&M
Gun singles chronology
"Welcome to the Real World" (1992) "Word Up!" (1994) "Don't Say It's Over" (1994)

In the 1990s, "Word Up!" was first covered by Scottish rock band Gun, whose version carried a harder, more rock-oriented sound, including a guitar solo. Taken from their album Swagger, it was released on July 1, 1994 and reached #8 in the UK singles chart. Two versions of the CD single were released in the UK, each carrying different cover art and different tracks.

Gun's version of the song was featured on the soundtrack to 1996 film Barb Wire, and was also used in the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation season one episode "Who Are You?". The Gun version was also featured on the 2011 series of British television show Dancing on Ice, when Vanilla Ice used it as background music for his dance in the first episode.

Gun chart performance

Chart	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	8

Gun track listing

UK CD 1
(Released: 1 July 1994)

1. "Word Up!"
2. "Stay Forever"
3. "The Man I Used To Be"
4. "Strange"

UK CD 2
(Released: 1 July 1994)

1. "Word Up!"
2. "Word Up!" (Demo Version)
3. "Word Up!" (12" Remix)
4. "Word Up!" (Live)

Melanie B version

"Word Up!"
Single by Melanie B
from the album Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
B-side	"Sophisticated Lady"
Released	June 28, 1999
Format	CD single
Recorded	1999
Genre	R&B, funk, hip hop
Length	3:25 (Radio Edit) 5:23 (Full Length Version)
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Timbaland
Melanie B singles chronology
"I Want You Back" (1998) "Word Up" (1999) "Tell Me" (2000)

"Word Up!" was later covered by Melanie B (known as Melanie G at that time) It was released on June 28, 1999. It peaked at #14 at UK Singles Chart. The single was also on the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack. "Word Up!" sold about 77,996 copies in the UK, which was the lowest selling solo Spice Girls-related single of the 1990s.

Melanie B chart performance

Chart	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	14

Uk Sales: 77,996

Melanie B track listing

UK CD
(VSCDT1735; Released: 28 June 1999)

1. "Word Up" (Radio Edit) - 3:25
2. "Sophisticated Lady" - 2:44
3. "Word Up" (Tim's Dance Mix) - 5:32
4. "Word Up" (Video)

UK 12" Vinyl
(VST1735; Released: 1999)

Side A

1. "Word Up" (Full Version) - 5:29
2. "Sophisticated Lady" - 2:44

Side B

1. "Word Up" (Radio Edit) - 3:25

UK CD Promo
(VSCDJ1735; Released: 1999)

1. "Word Up" (Radio Edit) - 3:25

UK CDr Promo
(Released: 1999)

1. "Word Up" (Radio Edit) - 3:25

UK CDr Promo
(Released: 1999)

1. "Word Up" (Pop Edit) - 3:38
2. "Word Up" (Single Edit) - 3:25
3. "Word Up" (Full Length Version) - 5:21

UK CDr Promo
(Released: 1999)

1. "Word Up" (Radio Edit) - 3:25
2. "Sophisticated Lady" - 2:44
3. "Word Up" (Tim's Dance Mix) - 5:32
4. "Word Up" (Single Version) - 3:55
5. "Word Up" (Full Length Version) - 5:21

UK 7" Vinyl Promo
(VSLH1735; Released: 1999)

Side A

1. "Word Up" (Radio Edit) - 3:25

Side B

1. "Word Up" (Tim's Dance Mix) - 5:32

EUR CD
(VSCDE1735; Released: 28 June 1999)

1. "Word Up" (Single Version) - 3:55
2. "Sophisticated Lady" - 2:44

US CD Promo
(PRO-CD-9852; Released: 1999)

1. "Word Up" (Album Version) - 3:40

US CDr Promo
(Released: 1999)

1. "Word Up" (LP Version) - 3:40

US CDr Promo
(Released: 1999)

1. "Word Up" (Full Version) - 5:21

US CDr Promo
(Released: 1999)

1. "Word Up" (Pop Edit) - 3:38
2. "Word Up" (UK Short Edit) - 3:38
3. "Word Up" (UK Short Intro) - 3:55
4. "Word Up" (UK Short Outro) - 3:55

AUS CD
(8960540; Released: 28 June 1999)

1. "Word Up" (Radio Edit) - 3:25
2. "Sophisticated Lady" - 2:44
3. "Word Up" (Tim's Dance Mix) - 5:32
4. "Word Up" (Video)

ESP CDr Promo
(Released: 1999)

1. "Word Up" (Single Edit) - 3:55

JPN CD
(VJCP-12126; Released; 16 June 1999)

1. "Word Up" (Radio Edit) - 3:25
2. "Sophisticated Lady" - 2:44
3. "Word Up" (Tim's Dance Mix) - 5:32
4. "Word Up" (Video)

ZAF CD
(CDVIS(WS)145; Released: 28 June 1999)

1. "Word Up" (Radio Edit) - 3:25
2. "Sophisticated Lady" - 2:44
3. "Word Up" (Tim's Dance Mix) - 5:32
4. "Word Up" (Video)

TWN CD
(8960540; Released: 28 June 1999)

1. "Word Up" (Radio Edit) - 3:25
2. "Sophisticated Lady" - 2:44
3. "Word Up" (Tim's Dance Mix) - 5:32
4. "Word Up" (Video)

Korn version

"Word Up!"
Single by Korn
from the album Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
Released	16 November 2004
Format	7", CD
Recorded	2004
Genre	Funk metal, nu metal
Length	2:53
Label	Epic
Producer	Jonathan Davis, Korn, and Toby Wright
Korn singles chronology
"Everything I've Known" (2003) "Word Up" (2004) "Another Brick in the Wall, Pts. 1-3" (2004)

"Word Up!" by American nu metal band Korn is a cover of the song by R&B group, Cameo. Its musical arrangements are similar to that of the cover version by Gun, except it is played in a lower sounding 7 string guitar tuning instead of the standard E. "Word Up!" was the first track featured on Korn's 2004 retrospective album, Greatest Hits, Volume 1, and was one of three new tracks along with Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" that was exclusive to the album (the "Word Up!" CD single also featured a live performance of the latter).

It was released as the album's first single in July 2004, and received heavy airplay on alternative radio at its time of release, peaking in the top twenty of both Billboard charts, whilst making a respectable impression on the mainstream charts of other countries, including Australia (where it debuted at number 28), and Germany (number 46). It is the only Korn single to be sent out to Top 40 radio stations, notably receiving airplay on New York City's Z-100, the largest Top 40 station in the US. Lead singer Jonathan Davis has said of the band's decision to include the song on their greatest hits, "We've been doing 'Word Up' for years as a sound-check song - not the full version, just messing around with the riff" [1].

The music video for the song, directed by Antti Jokinen, featured the band-member's faces digitally edited onto dogs in a club scene with women dancing topless. The track is featured in the video game Lego Rock Band.

Korn chart performance

Chart (2004)	Peak position
US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100	23
US Billboard Alternative Songs	17
US Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs	16
German Singles Chart	46
Australian Singles Chart	28
Swiss Singles Chart	47
Norwegian Singles Chart	15
Austrian Singles Chart	58

Korn track listing

DVD:

1. "Word Up" (Music Video)
2. Photo Gallery
3. "Word Up" (Cameo Version)(Music Video)

Muiltimedia Enhanced CD Extra DualDisc

CD Side:

1. "Word Up" (Radio Edit) - 2:55
2. "Word Up" (Atticlus Clark Remix) - 3:55
3. "Word Up" (Damizza Ree Mix) - 6:37

   Bonus Track: "Another Brick In The Wall" (Live Version From MTV Unplugged Live) - 8:22

DVD Side:

1. "Word Up" (Korn Version) (Music Video)
2. Bonus Video: "Word Up" (Cameo Version) (Music Video)
3. Photo Gallery

CD5:

1. "Word Up!" – 2:54
2. "Word Up!" (Atticus Clark remix) – 3:54
3. "Word Up!" (Damizza Ree mix) – 6:36
4. "Word Up!" (radio edit) – 2:54
5. "Another Brick in the Wall" (live) – 8:21
6. "Word Up!" video (multimedia)

12" Vinyl LP

Side A:

1. "Word Up" - 2:55

Side B:

1. "Word Up" (Cameo Version)
2. "Another Brick In The Wall" (Live From MTV Unplugged Live!)
3. "Another Brick In The Wall"

2004 EP: The Remixes

1. "Word Up" (Original Version) - 2:55
2. "Word Up" (Radio Edit) - 2:55
3. "Word Up" (Damizza Ree Mix) - 6:37
4. "Word Up" (Atticus Clak Remix) - 3:55
5. "Another Brick In The Wall" (MTV Unplugged Version) - 8:22
6. "Word Up" (Video, Korn Version)
7. "Word Up" (Video, Cameo Version)

Other cover versions

• Covered by Cochino for the soundtrack of Party Monster
• Covered by the band The BossHoss in 2005 for the album Internashville Urban Hymns
• Country-soul singer Willis covered the song as a B-side for her 2004 single "Take You High". Her version was featured on the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation seventh season episode "Post Mortem".
• Finnish humppa band Eläkeläiset recorded a cover for their 2006 album Humppasirkus
• The song was covered by German artist Jan Delay.
• Belarussian ska-punk band Zatoczka in 2009 (album Zatoczka)
• Greek electronic musician Digital Alkemist (Costas C) covered the song on his 2009 EP Um Novo Dia, featuring Heather Brooks on vocals.
• Covered by Bentley Jones in his album TRANS//LATION 2.

Live cover performances

• American artist Keller Williams included the song in a medley following his infamous "Freaker by the Speaker".
• Covered by Australian group Taxiride for the "Musical Challenge" segment of the Andrew Denton Breakfast Show on Australian radio station Triple M in the early 2000s
• The Yonder Mountain String Band covered the song in their live performance at the Melkweg in Amsterdam on March 20, 2007
• That 1 Guy performs the song as part of his encore at almost every show since the mid 90's, averaging 200 shows per year.

Appearances in other media

• The song is featured in 10 Things I Hate About You at Bogey Lowenstien's party.
• The song is featured in the Euromix version of the arcade game Dance Dance Revolution
• The song is featured in a mix with Bell Biv Devoe's song "Poison", and in a mix with Indeep's song "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" in the game DJ Hero
• The Korn version is featured in the video game Lego Rock Band.
• The Korn version is featured in the background in a scene in the House episode Daddy's Boy.
• The Korn version features in two episodes of Monk. First it appears in the season 3 episode Mr. Monk Gets Stuck in Traffic (which also guest stars the members of Korn as themselves) as the song that is playing during a tailgate party during the traffic stop on U.S. Highway 101. It is also the song that is played in the background in the season 5 episode Mr. Monk Goes to a Rock Concert when Adrian Monk, Natalie Teeger and Captain Stottlemeyer first arrive at the San Francisco Band Jam.
• Steve Carell is shown briefly singing the song in The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
• The song is featured in The Simpsons episode "Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words"
• The song's title is the catchphrase that WordGirl uses in the American television cartoon of the same name when she changes costumes by touching her symbol on the suit.
• The song is played by HBCU marching bands like Southern University's Human Jukebox and Central State University's Invincible Marching Marauders.
• Often used by ABC to promote the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
• The song is played in a scene in Johnny English Reborn where Johnny is under the influence of a mind-control drug and dances along to the words of the song (which, conveniently, include phrases like "do your dance" etc.)
• The song is used in a commercial for Mars candy bars. [2]

References

Preceded by "The Rain" by Oran "Juice" Jones	Billboard's Hot R&B Songs number one single October 4, 1986 - October 18, 1986	Succeeded by "Shake You Down" by Gregory Abbott
Preceded by "Human" by The Human League	Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single November 15, 1986	Succeeded by "Don't Leave Me This Way" by The Communards with Sarah Jane Morris