"Horny '98" is a house song by Turkish-German producer Mousse T. featuring British pop duo Hot 'n' Juicy with vocals provided by Inaya Day. It was released as a standalone single in May 1998 and reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart the following month, staying on the chart for 17 weeks. The song also reached No. 1 in Italy, No. 2 in New Zealand, and No. 5 in Ireland. It was later included on the South Park soundtrack album Chef Aid: The South Park Album (1998). Two different music videos were produced for the song.
In 2006, a mash-up of the song with "Bohemian Like You" by the Dandy Warhols, titled "Horny as a Dandy", reached No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 14 in Austria, and No. 10 in Italy.
Hot 'n' Juicy Hot 'n' Juicy were initially a duo of singers, Emma Lanford and Nadine Richardson.Connell, Claudia (1998) "Club hit Nikki is one hot potato", News of the World, 16 August 1998, p. 26 They appeared on the 1998 version of "Horny" and the 2006 mash-up "Horny as a Dandy". They were residents of a tower block on the former Lee Bank estate in Birmingham. They became a trio in late 1998 when they were joined by Nikki Belle, who remained in the group until 1999."Singer in career switch", Birmingham Mail, 8 February 1999, p. 13 After the group split up, Belle went on to provide vocals on a version of Womack & Womack's "Teardrops" for Whelan & Di Scala, a British EDM duo.Kelly, Dan (2007) "Hip, hip hooray! Spin City", Birmingham Mail, 15 March 2007, p. 52
Release Originally called "Horny Track", which was produced with a trumpet sample from Earth, Wind & Fire's 1983 song "Something Special", the single was actually first released as an instrumental in 1997 on a limited edition 12-inch vinyl as a little "present" for fellow club DJs. The 1998 release, titled "Horny '98", was given a commercial edge after adding vocals by duo Emma Lanford and Nadine Richardson, with Inaya Day, working under the name Hot 'n' Juicy (although only Emma Southam and Nadine Richardson appear in the music video and on the sleeve). Italian house music fans were the first to pick up on the record.
Critical reception Chuck Taylor from Billboard wrote, "As one of many highlights on the new South Park collection, 'Horny' has the potential to be the novelty smash of the season." He added further, "With lyrics that are ultra-self-explanatory, 'Horny' will either bring a giddy smile or a look of disdain. While it has been wholly embraced by club pundits who tend to appreciate anything cheeky and suggestive, those at radio may find themselves more comfortable distancing themselves from it. Of course, carefree, adventurous types will see 'Horny' as the best thing to come down the pike since Rice Krispies treats. Better yet, perhaps they will simply look to European radio—which treated this as a full-fledged pop record—and turn it into a major hit."
An editor from Daily Record praised it as a "raunchy R&B hit","Chartslot". Daily Record. 3 July 1998. and "this year's catchiest summer anthem so far.""Chart Slot". Daily Record. 5 June 1998. Pan-European magazine Music & Media opined that the music is "tough and sexy with a tight disco beat, screeching horns and an appropriately smouldering vocal. The shadow of Gloria Gaynor looms very, very large over this tune but that's no bad thing..." They also declared the song as a "perfect dance/pop crossover". Mike Goldsmith from NME described it as "such screamingly familiar ear candy". Ziad from the Record Mirror Dance Update gave "Horny '98" five out of five and named it Tune of the Week, writing, "At the heart of it are some very catchy, distinctive string/brass disco stabs, which provide the main hook, and this '98 version sees the addition of a female vocal, basically singing that she's feeling horny. All these are strong ingredients indeed, for what should be a huge record."
Chart performance The single reached No. 1 on the singles chart in Italy and became a massive summer hit. The track then reached the top position on the German dance chart after some seven weeks. It also peaked at No. 2 in the UK, No. 3 in Scotland, No. 5 in Ireland, No. 9 in Norway, No. 11 in Switzerland and No. 12 in Iceland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Horny '98" reached No. 6 in June 1998. Outside Europe, it peaked at No. 2 in New Zealand, No. 12 on the Billboard Maxi-Singles Sales chart in the U.S. and No. 13 in Australia.
Impact and legacy In 2018, Dave Fawbert from ShortList said, "Completing 1998's sexy one-two, this is the sound of Jumpin' Jaks in Romford in the summer of 1998: the sound of carefree youth, shots for a pound, dancing on the tables and fights outside McDonald's. Wonderful." Tomorrowland featured "Horny '98" in their official list of "The Ibiza 500" in 2020.
South Park version The song was later included on the South Park soundtrack album Chef Aid: The South Park Album. On Chef Aid, the song opens with a mock phone call between Sid Greenfield (voiced by Trey Parker) and South Park creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, talking about putting the song on the album. In the mock phone call (which begins on the previous track, and continues throughout "Horny") Matt and Trey repeatedly voice their dislike for the song, and Sid Greenfield finally agrees not to include it (this being after the song has already finished playing in its entirety).
Track listings
German CD single "Horny '98" (radio edit) – 3:57 "Horny '98" (Boris Gets Horny radio edit) – 2:55 "Horny '98" (extended mix) – 6:21 "Horny '98" (Boris Gets Horny extended mix) – 9:11 "Horny" (original mix) – 5:14
German 12-inch single A1. "Horny '98" (extended mix) – 6:21 A2. "Horny" (original mix) – 5:14 B1. "Horny '98" (Boris Gets Horny extended mix) – 9:11 B2. "Horny '98" (radio edit) – 3:57
European CD single "Horny '98" (radio edit) – 3:57 "Horny '98" (extended mix) – 6:21
UK, Australian, and New Zealand CD single "Horny" (Boris Gets Edited) "Horny '98" (radio edit) "Horny '98" (extended mix) "Horny" (Boris Gets Horny mix) "Horny" (original mix) "Horny" (Elusive dub 1)
UK 12-inch single A1. "Horny" (Boris Gets Horny mix) A2. "Horny" (original mix) AA1. "Horny '98" (extended mix) AA2. "Horny" (Elusive dub 1)
UK cassette single A1. "Horny '98" (radio edit) A2. "Horny" (Boris Gets Edited) B1. "Horny '98" (extended mix)
US CD and cassette single "Horny" – 3:47 "Horny" (Tiefschwarz Gets Horny instrumental mix) – 7:12 "Mentally Dull" by Vitro featuring the cast of South Park (Think Tank remix) – 3:45
US maxi-CD single "Horny" – 3:47 "Horny" (Mousse T.'s extended mix) – 6:15 "Horny" (Hamburg Gets Horny mix) – 9:11 "Horny" (D.Y.M.K. dub) – 7:38 "Horny" (Tiefschwarz Gets Horny mix) – 7:12 "Horny" (Fused mix) – 5:32 "Horny" (a cappella) – 3:47
US 12-inch single A1. "Horny" (Mousse T.'s extended mix) – 6:15 A2. "Horny" (Hamburg Gets Horny mix) – 9:11 B1. "Horny" (Tiefschwarz Gets Horny mix) – 7:12 B2. "Horny" (Fused mix) – 5:32 B3. "Horny" (a cappella) – 3:47
Charts
Weekly charts +Chart (1998–1999)PeakpositionEurope (Eurochart Hot 100)6Iceland (Íslenski listinn Topp 40)12Italy (Musica e dischi)1Italy Airplay (Music & Media)2US Dance Club Play (Billboard)23US Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)12
Year-end charts +Chart (1998)PositionAustralia (ARIA)34Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)57Europe Border Breakers (Music & Media) 5New Zealand (RIANZ)23UK Singles (OCC)23US Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)47
Certifications
Release history +RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Germany11 May 1998CDUnited Kingdom25 May 1998AM:PM
"Horny as a Dandy"
In 2006, a mash-up between "Horny" and the Dandy Warhols' song "Bohemian Like You" was released as "Horny as a Dandy", featuring vocals from Hot 'n' Juicy. The mash-up was released in Germany on 17 March 2006 and was issued throughout the world in mid-2006. The song peaked at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart, number 13 in Austria, and number 10 in Italy. Two versions of the song appear on the first CD single: the original mash-up version produced by Loo & Placido and a new version produced by Mousse T. featuring a re-recorded sample of "Bohemian Like You" with the Dandy Warhols providing the vocals and instrumentation.
In 2019, Dandy Warhols lead singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor told VICE that he really liked the mashup. "It was exciting, particularly the timing, because the momentum of “Bohemian” had kinda faded and music was more into the new wave thing," he said. "We had no record at the time and it gave us new life. It was fun when it came out and hearing a chick sing “Horny” was campy and fun. If we did that we would’ve been poo-pooed for being misogynist."
Charts +Chart (2006)Peakposition
Release history +RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Germany17 March 2006CDPeppermint JamAustralia12 June 2006United Kingdom7 August 2006Feverpitch
Cover versions In 2016, Australian band the Potbelleez featuring Zoë Badwi released a cover version of the song, known simply as "Horny".
References