Elegant Slumming
| Elegant Slumming | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Error creating thumbnail: File missing | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 4 October 1993 | |||
| Recorded | January – May 1993 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 55:04 | |||
| Label | Deconstruction | |||
| Producer | M People | |||
| M People chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Elegant Slumming | ||||
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| Initial reviews (in 1993/1994) | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Billboard | (favorable)[1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A[2] |
| The Independent | (favorable)[3] |
| Music Week |   [4] |
| NME | 7/10[5] |
| The Observer | (favorable)[6] |
| Smash Hits | [7] |
| Spin | (favorable)[8] |
| The Village Voice | A[9] |
| Retrospective reviews (after 1994) | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [10] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [11] |
Elegant Slumming is the second album by the British dance band M People. It was released on 4 October 1993 charting and peaking at number 2 on the UK Album Chart and spent 87 weeks in the Top 75. It re-entered the chart three times in October 1996 and March and September 1997. Its overall sales stand at 759,000 as of September 2020.[12]
The four singles released from the album were all UK Top 10 hits: "One Night in Heaven" (#6) and "Moving On Up" (#2), as well as a cover version of the Dennis Edwards and Siedah Garrett song "Don't Look Any Further", which reached No. 9 in the UK. A fourth hit, "Renaissance", reached No. 5 in the same chart.
The US version was released in 1994 in a separate deal on the Epic label, and replaces 3 tracks with 3 hits from their debut album Northern Soul, which did not have a US release. The album was well received, and "One Night in Heaven" and "Moving On Up" were Billboard No. 1 hits on Hot Dance Club Play.
The original British album won the 1994 UK Mercury Music Prize.
Critical reception
[edit | edit source]The album was met with positive reviews from most music critics. Billboard magazine complimented it as "a sterling collection that is a delicious blend of cutting-edge club rhythms and classic pop/soul hooks." They praised Heather Small as "a formidable front woman who rises above the pack of iron-lunged divas with a well-rounded range and a regal grace. She exudes the ingredients necessary for major stardom on dandy ditties like 'One Night in Heaven', 'Colour My Life', and 'Moving On Up'".[1] Alan Jones from Music Week named the album Pick of the Week, remarking that Small is "in commanding vocal form", while the band provide her "with infectious and real (no sampled) pads over which to strut her impressive stuff."[4]
Iestyn George from NME wrote, "Everything, from the artwork onwards, is presented with flawless precision, blending Italia-house with breakbeats and subtle touches of latin percussion. Pickering's encyclopedic knowledge of music and priceless apprenticeship at the Hacienda are matched by Heather Small's mother-of-all vocals."[5] Pete Stanton from Smash Hits named it Best New Album, adding, "If 'One Night in Heaven' had you wiggling then this album's your baby. 'Moving On Up' is a funky dancefloor filler and 'La Vida Loca' could make your cucumber rumba."[7] Jonathan Bernstein from Spin said, "Don't wrinkle your nose in that unbecoming fashion. That stench to which you're so unused is called class and these U.K. clubland monarchs just reek of it."[8] Music critic of The Village Voice, Robert Christgau gave the album an A.[9]
Track listing
[edit | edit source]All songs written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "One Night in Heaven" | 6:28 | |
| 2. | "Moving On Up" | 5:29 | |
| 3. | "Renaissance" | 5:20 | |
| 4. | "You Just Have to Be There" | 5:26 | |
| 5. | "Love Is in My Soul" | 6:15 | |
| 6. | "Don't Look Any Further" | Franne Golde, Dennis Lambert, Duane Hitchings | 5:28 |
| 7. | "Natural Thing" | 5:04 | |
| 8. | "Little Packet" | 5:19 | |
| 9. | "La Vida Loca" | 4:32 | |
| 10. | "Melody of Life" | 4:44 | |
| Total length: | 55:04 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Don't Look Any Further" (Danny D Mix) | Golde, Lambert, Hitchings | 5:36 |
| 12. | "Renaissance" (John Digweed's Full on Mix) | 7:57 | |
| 13. | "Moving On Up" (Roger S Moving Mix) | 6:28 |
US CD and European cassette version
[edit | edit source]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "One Night in Heaven" | 6:28 | |
| 2. | "Moving On Up" | 5:29 | |
| 3. | "Excited" | 5:04 | |
| 4. | "Renaissance" | 5:20 | |
| 5. | "Colour My Life (Part One)" | Pickering | 5:38 |
| 6. | "How Can I Love You More?" | 3:20 | |
| 7. | "Don't Look Any Further" | Golde, Lambert, Hitchings | 5:28 |
| 8. | "You Just Have to Be There" | 5:26 | |
| 9. | "Little Packet" | 5:19 | |
| 10. | "Love Is in My Soul" | 6:15 |
Note The US vinyl edition contains eight tracks, omitting "Little Packet" & "Love Is in My Soul". In addition to this, "Colour My Life" is placed as track eight.
Charts
[edit | edit source]
Weekly charts[edit | edit source]
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Year-end charts[edit | edit source]
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Certifications
[edit | edit source]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[28] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| Germany (BVMI)[29] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[30] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[31] | 3× Platinum | 900,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
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- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Thompson, Ben (31 October 1993). "Records". The Independent.
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ "Pop Releases". The Observer. 10 October 1993.
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – M People – Elegant Slumming". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – M People – Elegant Slumming" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – M People – Elegant Slumming" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – M People – Elegant Slumming" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1993. 47. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ "Charts.nz – M People – Elegant Slumming". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – M People – Elegant Slumming". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – M People – Elegant Slumming". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
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