Watchin' U
| "Watchin' U" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Ardijah | ||||
| from the album Take A Chance | ||||
| B-side | "Which Way Is Up" | |||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Studio | Mascot (Auckland) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:53 | |||
| Label | WEA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ryan Monga | |||
| Producer(s) | Ryan Monga | |||
| Ardijah singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Watchin' U" is a song by New Zealand music group Ardijah, released through WEA in 1988.[1][2] It served as the lead single from Take A Chance (1988), the group's reissue of their self-titled 1987 debut album, and became a No. 3 hit in New Zealand.
Background and development
[edit]In the aftermath of the release of Ardijah, their 1987 debut album, Ardijah experienced internal tensions that culminated in the departure of keyboardist Simon Lynch and guitarist Tony Nogotautama.[3] Following this, the group's musical director Ryan Monga made the decision to reissue the album with a new cover, the title Take A Chance, and the inclusion of three bonus tracks: "Watchin' U," its B-side "Which Way Is Up" (a Stargard cover), and the reissue's title track.[3][4][5]
"Watchin' U" was recorded at Mascot Studios in Auckland.[2] Though Ardijah is primarily a funk group, the song was described by New Zealand journalists upon its release as a pop song with some underlying funk elements,[5][6] with The Press referring to the track as the group's "most commercial release yet."[5]
Track listing
[edit]7-inch New Zealand single[1][2]
- "Watchin' U" (Ryan Monga)
- "Which Way Is Up" (Norman Whitfield)
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from single sleeve.[2]
- Trevor Collings – backing vocals, guitar
- Victor Grbic – engineering
- Betty-Anne Monga – lead vocals
- Ryan Monga – arrangements, backing vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, production, programming
Charts
[edit]Weekly charts
[edit]| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[7] | 3 |
Year-end charts
[edit]| Chart (1988) | Position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] | 7 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Watchin' u [i.e. Watching you] [sound recording] / R. Monga ; [performed by] Ardijah. Which way is up / N. Whitfield ; [performed by] Ardijah". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d Watchin' U (7-inch single sleeve). Ardijah. New Zealand: WEA Records. 1988. 7257942.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b Perrott, Alan (8 November 2018). "Ardijah - part two". AudioCulture. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- ^ "The New Music Report". Rip It Up. 1 September 1988. Retrieved 8 November 2024 – via Papers Past.
- ^ a b c Cartwright, Garth (14 September 1988). "Ardijah are Watching U". The Press. Christchurch, New Zealand. Retrieved 8 November 2024 – via Papers Past.
- ^ Buchanan, Kerry (1 August 1988). "Singles Bar". Rip It Up. Retrieved 8 November 2024 – via Papers Past.
- ^ "Ardijah – Watching U". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- ^ "Annual Top 50 Singles (1988)". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 8 November 2024.