Sometimes (Brand New Heavies song)

"Sometimes"
Single by the Brand New Heavies
from the album Shelter
Released26 March 1997 (1997-03-26)
Genre
Length4:04
LabelFFRR
Songwriters
ProducerThe Brand New Heavies
The Brand New Heavies singles chronology
"Midnight at the Oasis"
(1994) 		"Sometimes"
(1997) 		"You Are the Universe"
(1997)
Music video
"Sometimes" on YouTube

"Sometimes" is a song by British acid jazz group the Brand New Heavies, released in March 1997 by FFRR Records as the lead single from their fourth album, Shelter (1997). The lead vocals are performed by American singer Siedah Garrett, who also co-wrote it. The song charted at number 11 in the United Kingdom and number 88 in the United States. The accompanying music video is a spoof of US TV-shows like Playboy's Penthouse and Playboy After Dark, and shows the band with Garrett performing at one of these TV-shows. It also features some small clips of Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard magazine named the song "a slinky sliver of soul that demands the immediate attention". He also complimented Garrett's performance and commented that "besides offering a performance that will give jeep kiddies a swift kick in the pants, she can craft solid hooks that add dimension to the band's acclaimed knack for weaving body-invading funk rhythms."[1] Dominic Pride from Music & Media described it as "hooky" and "refreshingly downbeat".[2][3] Music Week gave "Sometimes" a score of four out of five, declaring it as "laid down soul funk from the band that helped create the term acid jazz." The reviewer added, "Now with Siedah Garrett on vocals, they sound as if they're back to form."[4] Ezra Gale of Salon opined that it "starts out with a promising bass and drums vamp, [and] instead turns into an overblown sing-along by the time it reaches the first chorus."[5]

Track listings

  • 12-inch single, Italy (1997)
  1. "Sometimes" (Brixton radio 12-inch mix)
  2. "Sometimes" (Brixton rap mix)
  3. "Sometimes" (Ditti's French Touch)
  • CD single, UK and Europe (1997)
  1. "Sometimes" (radio edit) – 4:04
  2. "Sometimes" (MAW Smooth mix) – 7:28
  3. "Sometimes" (Ummah remix) – 4:31
  4. "Sometimes" (Nuyoricans Meet the Heavies) – 5:13
  • CD single, US (1997)
  1. "Sometimes" (radio edit) – 4:15
  2. "Sometimes" (The Ummah remix) – 4:30

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Silver 200,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Japan 26 March 1997 CD FFRR [23]
United Kingdom 31 March 1997
  • CD
  • cassette
 [24]
United States 1 April 1997 Rhythmic contemporary radio
[25]
15 April 1997 Contemporary hit radio [26]

References

  1. ^ Flick, Larry (22 March 1997). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 82. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  2. ^ Pride, Dominic (19 April 1997). "Album spotlight" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 16. p. 18. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  3. ^ Pride, Dominic (22 March 1997). "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 12. p. 10. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  4. ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 22 March 1997. p. 8. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  5. ^ Gale, Ezra (May 1997). "Sharps and Flats". Salon. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Image 3328". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  7. ^ "Top 20". Pärnu Postimees (in Estonian). 29 April 1997. p. 8. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  8. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 17. 26 April 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  9. ^ "Classement du 13 juillet 1997" (in French). SNEP. 13 July 1997. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  10. ^ "Íslenski Listinn NR. 223 vikuna 29.5. '97 - 4.6. '97". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 29 May 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  11. ^ "The Brand New Heavies - Sometimes" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  12. ^ "The Brand New Heavies – Sometimes" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  13. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 12/4/1997 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  14. ^ "The Brand New Heavies – Sometimes". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  15. ^ "The Brand New Heavies – Sometimes". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  16. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 12/4/1997 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  17. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart on 12/4/1997 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  18. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. 7 June 1997. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  19. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. 7 June 1997. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  20. ^ "Najlepsze single na UK Top 40–1997" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  21. ^ "The Club Top 100 of 1997" (PDF). Music Week, in RM (Dance Update Supplemental insert). 10 January 1998. p. 5. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  22. ^ "British single certifications – Brand New Heavies – Sometimes". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 January 2026. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Sometimes Brand New Heavies in the "Search:" field.
  23. ^ "ブラン・ニュー・ヘビーズ | サムタイムズ" [Brand New Heavies | Sometimes] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  24. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 29 March 1997. p. 41. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  25. ^ "New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1190. 28 March 1997. p. 40.
  26. ^ "New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1192. 11 April 1997. p. 33.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sometimes_(Brand_New_Heavies_song)