"A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays""
Single by De La Soul
from the album De La Soul Is Dead
B-side"What Yo Life Can Truly Be"
ReleasedMarch 5, 1991 (1991-03-05)
GenreHip hop
Length4:02 (album version)
3:59 (radio edit)
LabelTommy Boy
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Prince Paul
De La Soul singles chronology
"The Magic Number"
(1990)		 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays""
(1991)		 "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)"
(1991)

"A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" is a song by American hip hop trio De La Soul, released in March 1991 as the first single from their second studio album, De La Soul Is Dead (1991). The track includes vocal contributions from rapper Q-Tip, R&B singer Vinia Mojica and entrepreneur Russell Simmons. The track's composition is built around many samples. The song was generally well-received by critics. The song peaked at number twenty-two on the UK Singles Chart and at numbers six and forty three on the United States Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs charts respectively.

Conception and composition

The song's lyrics were written by Paul "Prince Paul" Huston, Kelvin "Posdnuos" Mercer, David "Dave" Jude Jolicoeur, Vincent "Maseo" Mason and Jonathan "Q-Tip" Davis,[1] and produced by Prince Paul.[1] The title of the song derives from the roller skating fad of the 1970s, as well as a prominent sample of "Saturday in the Park" originally recorded by American rock band Chicago.[2]

Posdnuos and Dave of the group rap verses on the track, and other musical contributions are made by rapper Q-Tip, who raps the first verse of the track and vocalist Vinia Mojica, who sings the chorus.[3] The intro of the song features Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons - in non-musical capacity - as a DJ from fictional radio station "WRMS". The song is considered a collaboration from the Native Tongues posse, as De La Soul, Q-Tip and Mojica are all members.

The themes of the song's lyrics revolve around roller skating and the joy of weekends, compared to darker themes explored throughout De La Soul Is Dead to try to debunk their "daisy-age" image caused by the themes of their previous album 3 Feet High and Rising.[4] Because of this, the track has been described as one of the more light-hearted tracks on the album.[4]

The song's main beat is based around a sample of a riff from soul group The Mighty Ryeders' "Evil Vibrations" (1978);[5] because of this, the group's frontman, Rodney Matthews, is given songwriting credit on the song. Aside from this the song samples:

All of these samples except the latter three are credited in the liner notes.

Critical reception

Sally Margaret Joy from Melody Maker named "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" Single of the Week, writing, "De La Soul return to their natural home, Cartoonland, on this homage to disco pubescence. Here, everything is temperate, smooth and depthless. All is visible, the trees and houses are all regular, the lawns all manicured and theres are no snags in the road to ruin your skating, which is cool. This is the sunniest track on De La Soul Is Dead and though there's the occasional jagged tear in the strip—Erection brings bad boys joys—it's safe to roam in its world, where even the washing up sings to you."[8] Pan-European magazine Music & Media felt it has "a relaxing lazy beat", adding, "Guest singer Vinija Mojica plays the leading role. "Grease" by Frankie Valli is the most prominent sample they use this time."[9] Love LX Paterson from NME said, "Try it on roller skates with skunk at the weekend."[10]

Track listing

  • 12" single/cassette single

A1 "What Yo Life Can Truly Be" (featuring A Tribe Called Quest, Chosen Few, and Dres) - 4:58

A2 "Who's Skatin' Promo" (featuring Big Daddy Kane, Dres and Russell Simmons) - 2:48
A3 "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" (Ladies Nite Decision) (featuring Q-Tip) - 4:11
A4 "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" (LP Version) (featuring Q-Tip) - 4:02
B1 "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" (Radio Home Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 3:42
B2 "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" (Dave's Home Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:23
B3 "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" (6:00 AM Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:07
B4 "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" (Mo Mo Dub) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:03

  • 7" single

A "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" (Disco Fever Edit) - 4:04
B "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" (Radio Home Mix) 3:42

  • CD single
  1. "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" (LP Version) (featuring Q-Tip) - 4:02
  2. "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" (Radio Home Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 3:42
  3. "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" (Ladies Nite Decision) (featuring Q-Tip) - 4:11
  4. "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" (6:00 AM Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:07
  5. "Who's Skatin' Promo" (featuring Big Daddy Kane, Dres and Russell Simmons) - 2:48
  6. "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" (Dave's Home Mix) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:23
  7. "What Yo Life Can Truly Be" (featuring A Tribe Called Quest and Dres) - 4:58
  8. "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" (Mo Mo Dub) (featuring Q-Tip) - 6:03

Charts

Chart (1991) Peak
Position
Australia (ARIA)[11] 54
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 25
Denmark (IFPI)[13] 6
Europe (European Dance Radio)[14] 3
Germany (Official German Charts)[15] 37
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 22
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] 23
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18] 4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 17
UK Singles (OCC)[20] 22
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[21] 43
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)[22] 6

References

  1. 1 2 "Images for De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead) at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 2010-06-04. - Liner notes for the album
  2. ↑ "De La Soul feat. Q-Tip and Vinia Mojica's A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" sample of Chicago's Saturday in the Park". Whosampled.com. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  3. ↑ "De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead (Cassette, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-08-20.
  4. 1 2 Huey, Steve. "allmusic ((( De La Soul Is Dead > Overview )))".
  5. 1 2 3 4 "De La Soul's Sample-Based Music". Whosampled.com. Archived from the original on 28 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  6. ↑ "De La Soul feat. Q-Tip and Vinia Mojica's A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" sample of Frankie Valli's Grease". Whosampled.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  7. 1 2 "De La Soul's Sample-Based Music". Whosampled.com. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  8. ↑ Joy, Sally Margaret (1991-07-20). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 32. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  9. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 1991-08-10. p. 10. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  10. ↑ Love LX Paterson (1991-07-13). "Groove Check". Melody Maker. p. 25. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  11. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  12. ↑ ""Saturdays"&cat=s De La Soul – A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  13. ↑ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. 1991-09-17. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  14. ↑ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. 1991-09-28. p. 13. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  15. ↑ "De La Soul – A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  16. ↑ ""Saturdays"&cat=s De La Soul – A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  17. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – De La Soul" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  18. ↑ ""Saturdays"&cat=s De La Soul – A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"". Top 40 Singles.
  19. ↑ ""Saturdays"&cat=s De La Soul – A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"". Swiss Singles Chart.
  20. ↑ "The Official Charts Company - De La Soul - A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  21. ↑ "De La Soul - Artist Chart History - R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  22. ↑ "De La Soul - Artist Chart History - Dance/Club Play Songs". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
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