Can't Shake the Feeling

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"Can't Shake the Feeling"
Single by Big Fun
from the album A Pocketful of Dreams
Released13 November 1989 (1989-11-13)
Recorded1989
StudioPWL
VenueThe Borough, London
GenreDance-pop
Length3:57
LabelJive
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Stock Aitken Waterman
Big Fun singles chronology
"Blame It on the Boogie"
(1989)
"Can't Shake the Feeling"
(1989)
"Handful of Promises"
(1990)

"Can't Shake the Feeling" is a pop-dance song written by Stock Aitken Waterman for British boy band Big Fun. It was the second single from their 1990 debut studio album A Pocketful of Dreams on which it is the third track. Released in November 1989 with two different covers, it enjoyed decent chart trajectories in European countries, although it was unable to meet the same success than Big Fun's previous hit "Blame It on the Boogie". It became a top ten hit in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain and Finland, and a top 50 hit in Belgium, France and Germany.

Background and writing

The finished version of "Can't Shake the Feeling" was built around an acid house piano riff originated by Matt Aitken relatively late in the composition process, after the production team initially struggled to make earlier runs work.[1]

Critical reception

A review in Pan-European magazine Music & Media considered "Can't Shake the Feeling" "one of SAW's better releases", adding it was "a punchy dance number with a lot of spirit that recalls stablemate Kylie Minogue's "I Should Be So Lucky".[2] In his 2017 book Europe's Stars of '80s Dance Pop: 32 International Music Legends Discuss Their Careers, James Arena described the song and "Blame It on the Boogie" as "breezy, infectiously catchy and high-energy dance-pop singles".[3]

Chart performance

"Can't Shake the Feeling" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 27 on 25 November 1989, climbed the following two weeks until reaching a peak of number eight, and charted for a total of nine weeks.[4] In Ireland, it ranked from 30 November 1989 and for three weeks, with a peak at number seven.[5] It was also a top ten hit in Finland and was a hit in Spain where it was much aired on radio, which allowed it to top the airplay chart. However, it achieved a moderate success in other European countries, becoming only a top 40 hit in Belgium (Flanders), and a top 50 hit in France and Germany. Similarly, it just entered the top 100 in Australia, stalling at number 97. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it started at number 86 on 2 December 1989, climbed to a peak of number 32 in its fifth week and fell off the top 100 after eight weeks of presence.[6] On the European Airplay Top 50, it peaked at number 36 and remained on the chart for three weeks.[7]

Formats and track listings

  1. "Can't Shake the Feeling" – 3:57
  2. "Don't Say It's Over" – 3:51
  1. "Can't Shake the Feeling" (12" version) – 6:07
  2. "Don't Say It's Over" – 3:51
  3. "Can't Shake the Feeling" (instrumental) – 3:51
  4. "I Feel the Earth Move" (7" version) - 3:29
  1. "Can't Shake the Feeling" (12" version) – 6:07
  2. "Don't Say It's Over" – 3:51
  3. "Can't Shake the Feeling" (instrumental) – 3:51
  1. "Can't Shake the Feeling" (remix) – 5:50
  2. "Don't Say It's Over" – 3:51
  3. "I Feel the Earth Move" (7" version) - 3:29

Credits and personnel

The following people contributed to "Can't Shake the Feeling":

  • Karen Hewitt, Yoyo - Engineer
  • Dave Ford - Mixing

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Can't Shake the Feeling"
Chart (1989-90) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA Charts)[13] 97
Austria (Airplay Top 20)[14] 20
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[15] 38
Europe (European Airplay Top 50)[7] 36
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[6] 32
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[16] 9
France (SNEP)[17] 47
Germany (Official German Charts)[18] 41
Ireland (IRMA)[5] 7
Spain (Airplay Top 20)[19] 1
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[20] 6
UK (Airplay Top 20)[21] 16
UK Dance (Music Week)[22] 25
UK (Official Charts Company)[4] 8

References

  1. ^ "A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman: Ep 51: Never Too Late to When Love Takes Over You on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
  2. ^ "Previews – Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. 21. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 23 October 2021 – via World Radio History.
  3. ^ Arena, James (2017). Europe's Stars of '80s Dance Pop: 32 International Music Legends Discuss Their Careers. McFarland. p. 36. ISBN 9781476671420.
  4. ^ a b "Official Charts > Big Fun". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – All there is to know > Search results for 'Big Fun' (from irishcharts.ie)". Imgur.com (original source published by Fireball Media). Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 2. 13 January 1990. p. IV-V. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 22 June 2022 – via World Radio History.
  7. ^ a b "European Airplay Top 50" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 19. 12 May 1990. p. III. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 19 June 2022 – via World Radio History.
  8. ^ "Can't Shake the Feeling" at Discogs, 7" single (Big Fun – "Can't Shake the Feeling") (accessdate: 22 June 2022).
  9. ^ "Can't Shake the Feeling" at Discogs, Cassette (Big Fun – "Can't Shake the Feeling") (accessdate: 22 June 2022).
  10. ^ "Can't Shake the Feeling" at Discogs, CD maxi (Big Fun – "Can't Shake the Feeling") (accessdate: 22 June 2022).
  11. ^ "Can't Shake the Feeling" at Discogs, 12 maxi (Big Fun – "Can't Shake the Feeling") (accessdate: 22 June 2022).
  12. ^ "Can't Shake the Feeling" at Discogs, 12 maxi (Big Fun – "Can't Shake the Feeling") (accessdate: 22 June 2022).
  13. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 30.
  14. ^ "Playlist records - The most played records in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 3. 23 December 1989. p. II. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 22 June 2022 – via World Radio History.
  15. ^ "Big Fun – Can't Shake the Feeling" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  16. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Big Fun". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 30. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  17. ^ "Big Fun – Can't Shake the Feeling" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  18. ^ "Big Fun – Can't Shake the Feeling" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Playlist records - The most played records in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 16. 21 April 1990. p. II. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 22 June 2022 – via World Radio History.
  20. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  21. ^ "Playlist records - The most played records in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. II. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 22 June 2022 – via World Radio History.
  22. ^ "Top Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 9 December 1989. p. 25. Retrieved 2 August 2023 – via World Radio History.