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Tennessee (Arrested Development song)

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"Tennessee"
1993 UK re-release artwork
Single by Arrested Development
from the album 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of...
ReleasedMarch 24, 1992
GenreHip hop
Length4:32
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Speech
Arrested Development singles chronology
"Tennessee"
(1992) 		"People Everyday"
(1992)
Music video
"Tennessee" on YouTube

"Tennessee" is a song by American hip hop group Arrested Development, released in March 1992 by Chrysalis and Cooltempo as the first single from their debut album, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of... (1992). The song was produced by group member Speech and contains a sample of Prince's 1988 hit "Alphabet St.". "Tennessee" peaked at number six in the United States and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1993. The accompanying music video was directed by Milcho Manchevski. A 2007 poll of VH1 viewers placed the song at number 71 on the list of the "Greatest Songs of the 90s" and is listed as one of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was also ranked number 78 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop".

Background

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Group member Speech was inspired to write the song after meeting up with his brother at his grandmother's funeral in Tennessee. Shortly afterward, his brother died suddenly from a bad asthma attack,[1] and Speech wrote the song about the experience of losing two loved ones so close together.[2]

"Tennessee" uses a sample from Prince's "Alphabet St." that was not cleared ahead of time. Prince's lawyers waited until after the song sold well and then charged the group $100,000 for the use of said sample.[2] Speech later said he felt Prince gave him "a break" by demanding a single payment instead of co-writing credit on the song, which would have entitled Prince to a share of all royalties in the future.[3]

Critical reception

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Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Melodic, sing-song rap possesses a modern spiritual quality. Female vocalist Dionne adds heavy, soulful element to the proceedings. Socially relevant, thought-provoking lyrics lead listener into a hook-driven, memorable chorus. Track has a unique appeal and would add a new dimension to the average urban playlist."[4] Clark and DeVancey from Cash Box said that Arrested Development "straight blew up on the scene" with "Tennessee", noting its "rapping-while-singing approach".[5] James Bernard from Entertainment Weekly felt the lyrics of the song "resonate like Speech's most private thoughts, betraying his desperate moments."[6] Robert Hilburn from Los Angeles Times wrote, "Some of pop’s best moments come from groups that seem to arrive from nowhere with a confidence and mature vision--and that’s the case here. The Georgia rap group tries in this graceful, spiritually-tinged song to reconcile life’s blessings with social injustice."[7] Another Los Angeles Times editor, Chris Willman, remarked that it "may go down in the history books as the first major sad rap hit. Not bitter, not raging or recriminatory, just flat-out, soul-and-heaven-searchingly heartsick."[8] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton stated, "The group who seemingly can do no wrong at present notch up their third hit."[9]

Jim Arundel from Melody Maker said, "It's quite brilliant. Another step forward for rap."[10] Andy Beevers from Music Week gave it five out of five and named it Pick of the Week in the category of Dance, complimenting it as "arguably the best track on the LP".[11] Parry Gettelman from Orlando Sentinel felt the album's "killer single", "Tennessee", "has a simple, irresistible melodic hook, a lazy beat that recalls hot afternoons and amazingly complex lyrics."[12] A reviewer from People Magazine found that "the half-sung, half-rapped delivery of the band’s leader, Speech (Todd Thomas), suggests a hayride with Sly Stone and Prince on the buckboard."[13] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update described it as a "familiar jiggly roller".[14] Pete Stanton from Smash Hits also gave the song five out of five, writing, "Slip on some dungarees, chew on a length of straw and groove your groovy bits with the yokels down on the farm. The Development's infectious rap is taking us over and no one is struggling to get free. This track [...] starts with a "Ten-Ten-Ten-Tennessee" and is followed by a bumping, grinding and a dash of groove. They are without doubt the greatest rap outfit about at the mo."[15]

Chart performance

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"Tennessee" topped the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart for one week and peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, the song spent seven weeks on the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 46, but after the top-10 successes of both "People Everyday" and "Mr. Wendal" on the chart, it was re-released in 1993, charting for a further six weeks and peaking at number 18.

Music video

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The accompanying music video for the song was directed by New York-based Macedonian film director, photographer and artist Milcho Manchevski. It was shot in Georgia, with friends of the group and people from the local area appearing in the clip.[16]

Impact and legacy

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Slant Magazine listed "Tennessee" at number 98 in their ranking of "The 100 Best Singles of the 1990s" in 2011, writing, "Perhaps no other track from the early ‘90s provided better (or catchier) proof that hip-hop was more versatile and capable than prevailing gangster-rap themes than Arrested Development’s "Tennessee", its stuttering drumline ably providing a clean backdrop for expositions on civil rights, genealogical discovery, Southern culture, the devastating legacy of slavery, and the nature of God. A pained but uplifting narrative struggles at times to catch up with the song's driving gait, but "Tennessee" satisfies nonetheless, mixing raw, percussive power, quirky sampling, and inspirational imagery into one cerebral whole."[17]

Bob Dylan played the song on the "Tennessee" episode of the first season of his Theme Time Radio Hour show in 2006, noting that Arrested Development had "kind of updated the Sly and the Family Stone sound for the hip-hop generation”.[18]

A 2007 poll of VH1 viewers placed it at number 71 on the "Greatest Songs of the 90s" list and was also ranked as one of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was also listed at number 78 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop". The song served as the theme to the short-lived Malcolm-Jamal Warner 1992 sitcom Here and Now.

Track listings

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  • UK CD
  1. "Tennessee" (edit)
  2. "Tennessee" (remix)
  3. "Fishin 4 Religion" (live)
  4. "Mama's Always on Stage"
  • Australia maxi-CD
  1. "Tennessee" (remix) – 4:48
  2. "Tennessee" (For DJs Only) – 2:18
  3. "Tennessee" (Dubb mix) – 4:45
  4. "Natural" – 4:19
  • US maxi-CD
  1. "Tennessee" (The Mix) – 4:33
  2. "Tennessee" (remix) – 4:40
  3. "Tennessee" (For DJs Only) – 2:15
  4. "Tennessee" (Dubb mix) – 4:40
  5. "Natural" – 4:19

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[44] Gold 500,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States March 24, 1992
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • cassette
 Chrysalis [citation needed]
United Kingdom April 27, 1992
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
 Cooltempo [45]
June 8, 1992 Cassette [46]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Unsung musical documentary program on TV One cable channel, airdate Monday August 13, 2012
  2. ^ a b "Speech of Arrested Development Interview". Songfacts.com. Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  3. ^ "Why Arrested Development wouldn't exist without Prince". Retrieved April 21, 2016.
  4. ^ Flick, Larry (February 15, 1992). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 78. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  5. ^ Clark, Randy; DeVancy, Bryan (May 2, 1992). "Music Reviews: Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 5. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  6. ^ Bernard, James (May 22, 1992). "3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of..." Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  7. ^ Hilburn, Robert (December 31, 1992). "Dance Energy Saves Dreary '92: Year-End Review". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  8. ^ Willman, Chris (January 17, 1993). "A Reason to Celebrate". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  9. ^ Masterton, James (March 28, 1993). "Week Ending April 3rd 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  10. ^ Arundel, Jim (May 2, 1992). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 31. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  11. ^ Beevers, Andy (March 20, 1993). "Market Preview: Dance - Pick of the Week" (PDF). Music Week. p. 6. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  12. ^ Gettelman, Parry (April 24, 1992). "Arrested Development". Orlando Sentinel.
  13. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of..." People Magazine. August 17, 1992. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  14. ^ Hamilton, James (April 3, 1993). "Djdirectory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 2. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  15. ^ Stanton, Pete (March 31, 1993). "New Singles". Smash Hits. p. 51. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  16. ^ "Arrested Development - Tennessee". YouTube. March 12, 2009. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  17. ^ "The 100 Best Singles of the 1990s". Slant Magazine. January 9, 2011. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  18. ^ "Episode 31: Tennessee". Theme Time Radio Hour Archive. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  19. ^ "Arrested Development – Tennessee". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  20. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2014." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  21. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 34. August 22, 1992. p. 23. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  22. ^ "Arrested Development – Tennessee" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  23. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 34, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  24. ^ "Arrested Development – Tennessee" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  25. ^ "Arrested Development – Tennessee". Top 40 Singles.
  26. ^ "Arrested Development – Tennessee". Singles Top 100.
  27. ^ "Arrested Development – Tennessee". Swiss Singles Chart.
  28. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  29. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. May 23, 1992. p. 20. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  30. ^ "Arrested Development Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  31. ^ "Arrested Development Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  32. ^ "Arrested Development Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  33. ^ "Arrested Development Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  34. ^ "Arrested Development Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard.
  35. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 16. April 17, 1993. p. 27. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  36. ^ "European Dance Radio Top 25" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 19. May 8, 1993. p. 17. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  37. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Tennessee". Irish Singles Chart.
  38. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  39. ^ "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. April 17, 1993. p. 24. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  40. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). April 3, 1993. p. 4. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  41. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  42. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1992". Retrieved February 11, 2013.
  43. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  44. ^ "American single certifications – Arrested Development – Tennessee". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  45. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. April 25, 1992. p. 21.
  46. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. June 6, 1992. p. 17.
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