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"'''Ulterior Motives'''" is a pop song by [[Christopher Saint Booth]] and [[Philip Adrian Booth]], recorded sometime before 1986.<ref name=":4" /> It gained popularity online after a seventeen-second snippet of the song, at the time unidentified, was posted online in 2021. Initially, users referred to it as "'''Everyone Knows That'''" (often abbreviated as '''EKT'''),<ref name=":2" /> or "Ulterior Motives", both referring to lyrics from the recovered snippet.
"'''Ulterior Motives'''" is a pop song by twin brothers [[Christopher Saint Booth]] and [[Philip Adrian Booth]], recorded sometime before 1986.<ref name=":4" /> It gained popularity online after a seventeen-second snippet of the song, at the time unidentified, was posted online in 2021. Initially, users referred to it as "'''Everyone Knows That'''" (often abbreviated as '''EKT'''),<ref name=":2" /> or "Ulterior Motives", both referring to lyrics from the recovered snippet.


The snippet of the song was uploaded to the song identification website [[WatZatSong]] in 2021 by Spanish user carl92.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Castro |first=Bárbara |date=24 February 2024 |title=Mistério! Conheça a música "perdida" dos anos 1980 que intriga a internet |url=https://br.ign.com/tech/119914/news/misterio-conheca-a-musica-perdida-dos-anos-1980-que-intriga-a-internet |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429163940/https://br.ign.com/tech/119914/news/misterio-conheca-a-musica-perdida-dos-anos-1980-que-intriga-a-internet |archive-date=29 April 2024 |access-date=25 February 2024 |website=IGN Brasil |language=pt-br}}</ref> The user claimed to have discovered the recording amongst files in an old [[Ripping|DVD backup]] and speculated it was a leftover from when he was learning to record audio.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raymond |first=Stephanie |date=29 February 2024 |title=Internet is trying to solve the mystery behind a 17-second snippet of a pop song |url=https://www.audacy.com/wbbm780/news/national/the-mystery-behind-a-17-second-snippet-of-a-pop-song |access-date=16 March 2024 |website=[[Audacy]]}}</ref> Since being uploaded in 2021, users searched for the full song and information regarding its origin and artist. In February 2024, ''[[The Guardian]]'' called it "one of the biggest and most enduring musical mysteries on the internet".<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=O'Grady |first=Carrie |date=28 February 2024 |title=Everyone Knows That: can you identify the lost 80s hit baffling the internet? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/feb/28/everyone-knows-that-can-you-identify-the-lost-80s-hit-baffling-the-internet |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430024457/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/feb/28/everyone-knows-that-can-you-identify-the-lost-80s-hit-baffling-the-internet |archive-date=30 April 2024 |access-date=16 March 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
The snippet of the song was uploaded to the song identification website [[WatZatSong]] in 2021 by Spanish user carl92.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Castro |first=Bárbara |date=24 February 2024 |title=Mistério! Conheça a música "perdida" dos anos 1980 que intriga a internet |url=https://br.ign.com/tech/119914/news/misterio-conheca-a-musica-perdida-dos-anos-1980-que-intriga-a-internet |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429163940/https://br.ign.com/tech/119914/news/misterio-conheca-a-musica-perdida-dos-anos-1980-que-intriga-a-internet |archive-date=29 April 2024 |access-date=25 February 2024 |website=IGN Brasil |language=pt-br}}</ref> The user claimed to have discovered the recording amongst files in an old [[Ripping|DVD backup]] and speculated it was a leftover from when he was learning to record audio.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raymond |first=Stephanie |date=29 February 2024 |title=Internet is trying to solve the mystery behind a 17-second snippet of a pop song |url=https://www.audacy.com/wbbm780/news/national/the-mystery-behind-a-17-second-snippet-of-a-pop-song |access-date=16 March 2024 |website=[[Audacy]]}}</ref> Since being uploaded in 2021, users searched for the full song and information regarding its origin and artist. In February 2024, ''[[The Guardian]]'' called it "one of the biggest and most enduring musical mysteries on the internet".<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=O'Grady |first=Carrie |date=28 February 2024 |title=Everyone Knows That: can you identify the lost 80s hit baffling the internet? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/feb/28/everyone-knows-that-can-you-identify-the-lost-80s-hit-baffling-the-internet |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430024457/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/feb/28/everyone-knows-that-can-you-identify-the-lost-80s-hit-baffling-the-internet |archive-date=30 April 2024 |access-date=16 March 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
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In late February 2024, users attempted to contact an "obscure" singer named "White Mike Johnny Glove", who has a "strikingly similar voice" to the one in the recording.<ref name=":2" /> The [[LinnDrum]] drum machine and the [[Yamaha DX7]] synthesizer were theorized to have been used throughout the song; thus, the release date was theorized to be after 1983.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Emily |date=28 February 2024 |title=Mystery of lost 80s hit that no one can remember song name or artist for despite everyone recognizing tune |url=https://www.unilad.com/music/news/80s-song-clip-no-one-knows-theories-670718-20240228 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428221915/https://www.unilad.com/music/news/80s-song-clip-no-one-knows-theories-670718-20240228 |archive-date=28 April 2024 |access-date=16 March 2024 |website=[[UNILAD]]}}</ref> Some users created reconstructions from the original snippet to have an idea of what the entire song could be like, and some theorized that the song was a hoax "planted by a troll".<ref name=":3" />
In late February 2024, users attempted to contact an "obscure" singer named "White Mike Johnny Glove", who has a "strikingly similar voice" to the one in the recording.<ref name=":2" /> The [[LinnDrum]] drum machine and the [[Yamaha DX7]] synthesizer were theorized to have been used throughout the song; thus, the release date was theorized to be after 1983.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Emily |date=28 February 2024 |title=Mystery of lost 80s hit that no one can remember song name or artist for despite everyone recognizing tune |url=https://www.unilad.com/music/news/80s-song-clip-no-one-knows-theories-670718-20240228 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240428221915/https://www.unilad.com/music/news/80s-song-clip-no-one-knows-theories-670718-20240228 |archive-date=28 April 2024 |access-date=16 March 2024 |website=[[UNILAD]]}}</ref> Some users created reconstructions from the original snippet to have an idea of what the entire song could be like, and some theorized that the song was a hoax "planted by a troll".<ref name=":3" />


On 28 April 2024, [[Reddit]] user u/south_pole_ball identified the song, including its name and artists.<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/south_pole_ball |first= |date=2024-04-28 |title=EKT IS FOUND (HEAVY NSFW WARNING) |url=http://www.reddit.com/r/everyoneknowsthat/comments/1cf7fxd/ekt_is_found_heavy_nsfw_warning/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430162607/https://www.reddit.com/r/everyoneknowsthat/comments/1cf7fxd/ekt_is_found_heavy_nsfw_warning/ |archive-date=30 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=r/everyoneknowsthat |via=Reddit}}</ref> The song's source was discovered to be the obscure 1986 [[pornographic film]] ''Angels of Passion''.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{cite news |author=Beaumont-Thomas |first=Ben |date=29 April 2024 |title=Everyone Knows That: internet music mystery solved via 1986 adult movie |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/29/everyone-knows-that-internet-music-mystery-solved-via-1986-adult-movie |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430024231/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/29/everyone-knows-that-internet-music-mystery-solved-via-1986-adult-movie |archive-date=30 April 2024 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> On 29 April 2024, one of the artists, Christopher Saint Booth, publicly posted an [[Instagram]] post regarding the discovery of the song's source and the artists.<ref>From {{Cite Instagram |postid=C6UrYurJtqu |user=christophersaintbooth |title=Well today, my mind has officially been blown:) WOW! #ulteriormotives #ekt #christophersaint |first=Christopher |last=Saint Booth |author=[[Christopher Saint Booth]] |date=29 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429192556/https://www.instagram.com/p/C6UrYurJtqu/ |archive-date=29 April 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> He later uploaded a reel showcasing the original lyrics for the song within his recording studio.<ref>From {{Cite Instagram |postid=C6YxHMIOp8s |user=christophersaintbooth |title=We hear you and we love you…thank you from the bottom of our hearts. #ulteriormotives #ekt #christophersaintbooth #philipadrianbooth #theboothbrothers #christophersaint |first=Christopher |last=Saint Booth |author=[[Christopher Saint Booth]] |date=30 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430182714/https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6YxHMIOp8s |archive-date=30 April 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>
On 28 April 2024, [[Reddit]] user u/south_pole_ball identified the song, including its name and artists.<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/south_pole_ball |first= |date=2024-04-28 |title=EKT IS FOUND (HEAVY NSFW WARNING) |url=http://www.reddit.com/r/everyoneknowsthat/comments/1cf7fxd/ekt_is_found_heavy_nsfw_warning/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430162607/https://www.reddit.com/r/everyoneknowsthat/comments/1cf7fxd/ekt_is_found_heavy_nsfw_warning/ |archive-date=30 April 2024 |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=r/everyoneknowsthat |via=Reddit}}</ref> The song's source was discovered to be the obscure 1986 [[pornographic film]] ''Angels of Passion''.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{cite news |author=Beaumont-Thomas |first=Ben |date=29 April 2024 |title=Everyone Knows That: internet music mystery solved via 1986 adult movie |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/29/everyone-knows-that-internet-music-mystery-solved-via-1986-adult-movie |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430024231/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/29/everyone-knows-that-internet-music-mystery-solved-via-1986-adult-movie |archive-date=30 April 2024 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> It had come to the user's attention that the Booth brothers had an entry in a copyright database for a song called "Ulterior Motives".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/29/everyone-knows-that-internet-music-mystery-solved-via-1986-adult-movie|title= Everyone Knows That: internet music mystery solved via 1986 adult movie
|last= Beaumont-Thomas|first= Ben|date= 29 April 2024|website= The Guardian|publisher= Guardian News & Media Limited|access-date= 30 April 2024|quote=}}</ref> From there, they discovered that Christopher Booth was a prolific songwriter for pornographic films, and they proceeded to comb through Booth's entire repertoire in this area until they found the song. On 29 April 2024, one of the artists, Christopher Saint Booth, publicly posted an [[Instagram]] post regarding the discovery of the song's source and the artists.<ref>From {{Cite Instagram |postid=C6UrYurJtqu |user=christophersaintbooth |title=Well today, my mind has officially been blown:) WOW! #ulteriormotives #ekt #christophersaint |first=Christopher |last=Saint Booth |author=[[Christopher Saint Booth]] |date=29 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429192556/https://www.instagram.com/p/C6UrYurJtqu/ |archive-date=29 April 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> He later uploaded a reel showcasing the original lyrics for the song within his recording studio.<ref>From {{Cite Instagram |postid=C6YxHMIOp8s |user=christophersaintbooth |title=We hear you and we love you…thank you from the bottom of our hearts. #ulteriormotives #ekt #christophersaintbooth #philipadrianbooth #theboothbrothers #christophersaint |first=Christopher |last=Saint Booth |author=[[Christopher Saint Booth]] |date=30 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430182714/https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6YxHMIOp8s |archive-date=30 April 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==

Revision as of 21:53, 30 April 2024

"Ulterior Motives"
Song by Christopher Saint Booth and Philip Adrian Booth
Published1986
RecordedBefore 1986
Genre
Original snippet
The original 17-second snippet of the song that was uploaded to WatZatSong by carl92 in 2021

"Ulterior Motives" is a pop song by twin brothers Christopher Saint Booth and Philip Adrian Booth, recorded sometime before 1986.[3] It gained popularity online after a seventeen-second snippet of the song, at the time unidentified, was posted online in 2021. Initially, users referred to it as "Everyone Knows That" (often abbreviated as EKT),[4] or "Ulterior Motives", both referring to lyrics from the recovered snippet.

The snippet of the song was uploaded to the song identification website WatZatSong in 2021 by Spanish user carl92.[1][5] The user claimed to have discovered the recording amongst files in an old DVD backup and speculated it was a leftover from when he was learning to record audio.[6] Since being uploaded in 2021, users searched for the full song and information regarding its origin and artist. In February 2024, The Guardian called it "one of the biggest and most enduring musical mysteries on the internet".[4]

In April 2024, Reddit users identified the song, including its name and creators. The song's source was discovered as the obscure pornographic film Angels of Passion, released in 1986.[3]

History

On 7 October 2021, user carl92 uploaded a 17-second snippet of the song to WatZatSong to ask for help identifying the song. He labelled it "Mid 80s, Bad quality."[7] and claimed that he "rediscover[ed] this sample between a bunch of very old files in a DVD backup. Probably I was simply learning how to capture audio and this was a left over."[8] Although the song was initially unknown when the snippet was published, it was theorized to have been recorded in the 1980s due to its 'stylistic similarities' to the pop music of that time. It has since become WatZatSong's "most infamous and enduring submission", receiving the most comments since WatZatSong launched in 2006.[8]

The song gained popularity online in late 2022 and 2023, with a subreddit dedicated to finding the song and its artist being launched in June 2023.[1] On 7 January 2024, two members of the subreddit were interviewed by French commercial TV network TF1.[9]

File:EKT Boombox.jpg
The pink Nextplay Glitz and Glitter NP400GB boombox, which has become associated with the song after being featured in videos showcasing the original song snippet

The search for the song was initially slow to gain traction, but it gained a dedicated following over time.[1] Possible theorized sources for the song included a 1990s MTV broadcast, a piece of production music, or a commercial jingle;[1] theorized artists included Roxette, Savage Garden, and Jason Paige.[4] In August 2023, searchers found a registered song by the name "Ulterior Motives" in the Canadian music database SOCAN under the shareholders' names "Booth Christopher David" and "Booth Philip".[3][10]

In late February 2024, users attempted to contact an "obscure" singer named "White Mike Johnny Glove", who has a "strikingly similar voice" to the one in the recording.[4] The LinnDrum drum machine and the Yamaha DX7 synthesizer were theorized to have been used throughout the song; thus, the release date was theorized to be after 1983.[4][11] Some users created reconstructions from the original snippet to have an idea of what the entire song could be like, and some theorized that the song was a hoax "planted by a troll".[8]

On 28 April 2024, Reddit user u/south_pole_ball identified the song, including its name and artists.[12] The song's source was discovered to be the obscure 1986 pornographic film Angels of Passion.[3][13] It had come to the user's attention that the Booth brothers had an entry in a copyright database for a song called "Ulterior Motives".[14] From there, they discovered that Christopher Booth was a prolific songwriter for pornographic films, and they proceeded to comb through Booth's entire repertoire in this area until they found the song. On 29 April 2024, one of the artists, Christopher Saint Booth, publicly posted an Instagram post regarding the discovery of the song's source and the artists.[15] He later uploaded a reel showcasing the original lyrics for the song within his recording studio.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Klee, Miles (12 November 2023). "Internet Sleuths Want to Track Down This Mystery Pop Song. They Only Have 17 Seconds of It". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  2. ^ Partridge, Ken (29 April 2024). "Why An Obscure Synth-Pop Song from a 1986 Adult Film Is Trending on Genius". Genius News. Genius. Archived from the original on 30 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Robinson, Ellie (29 April 2024). "Viral Lost Song 'Ulterior Motives' Found In Obscure '80s Porn Flick". The Music (Australia). Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e O'Grady, Carrie (28 February 2024). "Everyone Knows That: can you identify the lost 80s hit baffling the internet?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 30 April 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  5. ^ Castro, Bárbara (24 February 2024). "Mistério! Conheça a música "perdida" dos anos 1980 que intriga a internet". IGN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  6. ^ Raymond, Stephanie (29 February 2024). "Internet is trying to solve the mystery behind a 17-second snippet of a pop song". Audacy. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  7. ^ S, S (7 October 2021). "Can you help me name this tune?". WatZatSong. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Carey, Gina (25 November 2023). "Can You Help Solve the Origin of This Mystery '80s Pop Song?". Newser. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Musique cherche compositeur : ce morceau dont même Internet ne parvient pas à identifier l'auteur". TF1 (in French). 7 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Ulterior Motives". SOCAN's Public Repertoire. SOCAN Work Number 13022623, ISWC T0705632310.
  11. ^ Brown, Emily (28 February 2024). "Mystery of lost 80s hit that no one can remember song name or artist for despite everyone recognizing tune". UNILAD. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  12. ^ u/south_pole_ball (28 April 2024). "EKT IS FOUND (HEAVY NSFW WARNING)". r/everyoneknowsthat. Archived from the original on 30 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024 – via Reddit.
  13. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (29 April 2024). "Everyone Knows That: internet music mystery solved via 1986 adult movie". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 April 2024.
  14. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (29 April 2024). "Everyone Knows That: internet music mystery solved via 1986 adult movie". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  15. ^ From Saint Booth, Christopher [@christophersaintbooth] (29 April 2024). "Well today, my mind has officially been blown:) WOW! #ulteriormotives #ekt #christophersaint". Archived from the original on 29 April 2024 – via Instagram.
  16. ^ From Saint Booth, Christopher [@christophersaintbooth] (30 April 2024). "We hear you and we love you…thank you from the bottom of our hearts. #ulteriormotives #ekt #christophersaintbooth #philipadrianbooth #theboothbrothers #christophersaint". Archived from the original on 30 April 2024 – via Instagram.
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