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"Ready to Go"
Single by Republica
from the album Republica
Released15 April 1996 (1996-04-15)
Genre
(original version)
Length5:01
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Republica singles chronology
"Bloke"
(1995) 		"Ready to Go"
(1996) 		"Drop Dead Gorgeous"
(1997)
Music video
"Ready to Go" on YouTube

"Ready to Go" is a song by English alternative rock band Republica, released as a single on 15 April 1996 from the band's debut album, Republica (1996). Two versions of the song, the US mix[3] and the original mix, were included. This version was later featured on a greatest hits collection, Ready to Go: The Best Of.

The single originally reached number 43 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1996. Later in the year, a remix of the song began to gain popularity outside the United Kingdom, charting in Australia, Canada, and the United States. The remix was released in the United Kingdom in February 1997, when it reached a new peak of number 13. This rerelease also saw the song chart for the first time in western Europe, reaching number 19 in the Netherlands and number 26 in Ireland.

German DJ Tomcraft released a cover of the song in 2007, and another version was released on 7 June 2010. It continues to be successful in the UK, where it is still frequently featured in advertisements and on TV.[4]

Background

Lyrically, the song is inspired by 1970s and 1980s avant-punk singers who sang about everyday, real-life happenings "that weren't existential or just a love song."[5] Singer Saffron said,

For me, "Ready To Go" is about my life. This is what happened to me and this is how I felt, but in an empowering way - someone said this to me, but I don't allow that. I will not allow that to affect me, because I'm strong. I have a voice. Make it a positive. The energy behind it is about independence and confidence.[5]

She added, "It was a broader sense, a collective sense of young women and girls growing up in the '90s, because radio would not even listen to any female-fronted band that wrote their own songs. You had to fight so hard in a business that's very cutthroat and is predominantly male dominated. So it was like a battle cry."[5]

Main versions

"Ready to Go" (unreleased)
Also known as "Ready to Go [1996]", "Ready to Go (original)" or incorrectly as "Ready to Go (album version)", it was not included in any of the band's albums. It is an unreleased song or probably[citation needed] an early demo with slightly different vocal (but lyrics remain the same). This version is softer than both the US and original mixes of the song. It does not have the piano bridge of the original mix, nor the guitar bridge of the US mix. The bridge is similar to that of the original mix, except it lacks a piano.

"Ready to Go" (original mix)
This version has a more techno-pop sound while the later version contains electric guitars. It charted at number 43 in the United Kingdom and number 40 in Australia.[citation needed]

"Ready to Go"
A mix was included in the Republica album as the opening track. It was remixed by Ben Grosse and released as a single in 1997. This version is the most well-known.[citation needed] It sounds faster and its beat is stronger, making it heavier in terms of tones. On the UK and American issues of the Republica album, this mix of the song was credited just as "Ready to Go", and on the European issue of the album it is sometimes marked as "Ready to Go (US mix)".[3] A defining difference between this mix and earlier recordings is the inclusion of a guitar bridge in the place of a piano bridge.

"Ready to Go" (Tomcraft version)
German DJ Tomcraft released a Eurodance version of the track in 2007.

"Ready to Go 2010"
A new version of the track was released in June 2010. A preview of the track was made available on the band's official Myspace page. The new version has a more aggressive sound than its two predecessors.

Critical reception

Scottish Aberdeen Evening Express stated that "this classic bit of punk-fuelled dance could well do the business."[6] Daina Darzin from Cash Box felt the song "has monster radio hit written all over it." She added, "An intense, percolating, anthemic dance/rock thing that begs to boom out of the radios of convertibles nationwide, "Ready To Go" has been the Modern Rock #1 most added two weeks in a row, with consecutive double digit adds, including 99X in Atlanta, The Edge in Dallas, WBCN in Boston and Q101 in Chicago."[7] The Daily Vault's Alfredo Narvaez declared it as "one of the best examples of pop mixing with techno. The song throws in acoustic guitars, electric guitars and every other noise you can think of and it sounds great."[8] Tracey Pepper from Entertainment Weekly noted that it "erupts with a blast of fuzzed-out power chords, driving dance rhythms, and a rallying sing-along chorus."[9]

Elysa Gardner from Los Angeles Times complimented its "yummy hooks and breathless dance beats", that are "as irresistible as singer Saffron's Debbie Harry-meets-Siouxsie Sioux moxie. Pure, exhilarating fun."[10] Pan-European magazine Music & Media found that here, "techno meets rock guitar with strident vocals from singer Saffron, all adding up to a fresh, gritty pop sound which Europe simply can't afford to miss."[11] A reviewer from Music Week gave the song four out of five, adding that "this techno pop rock outfit, bursting with potential, lay down a mean, radio friendly single."[12] Dave Fawbert from ShortList called it a "bloody good tune".[13] Ben Knowles from Smash Hits said in his review of Republica, that the song is a "good taster from their cocktail of shouty pop, mad bouncy dance and fun guitars."[14] David Sinclair from The Times viewed it as a "rock/dance hybrid featuring the imposing vocals of Saffron".[15]

Music videos

Two different music videos were released, each for the different versions of the song. In the video for the original single release, lead singer Saffron is jumping on the roof of a building. The video was released in 1996, and the shots took place somewhere in East London. This video is very sunny and upbeat. The video also features lead singer Saffron playing the Sega Saturn video games Virtua Fighter 2 and Hang-On GP. The second music video, produced by Ben Grosse for the remix of the track, was released in early 1997. Saffron is shown singing in a warehouse with the band, then she is jumping, dancing and doing humorous mimics in front of the camera, often singing into a large megaphone. The video features rapid edit cuts, fast frame rates and zooming, and artificial colourisation.

Impact and legacy

American entertainment company BuzzFeed ranked "Ready to Go" number 37 in their list of The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s in 2017.[16]

It is also used as the song that Sunderland A.F.C. walk out to upon entering the pitch before a match begins.

"Ready to Go" was featured as the theme song for Cedar Point's Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster, until its closure in 2021.[17]

Track listing

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Ready to Go"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Fleischer, Joe (November 1998). "Hush Hush: The Monthly Dish on the Music Business". Spin. Vol. 14, no. 11. p. 50. ISSN 0886-3032.
  2. ^ Brian Galindo, Alex Naidus & Ryan Creed (5 November 2023). "37 Alt Rock Songs You Haven't Thought About Since The Late '90s". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  3. ^ a b "READY TO GO (US REMIX)". ACE Title Search. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 27 February 2010.
  4. ^ "20 classic hits turning 20 years old in 2017". Official Charts. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Wiser, Carl (24 May 2023). "Saffron of Republica : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  6. ^ Aberdeen Evening Express. 19 March 1996. p. 26.
  7. ^ Darzin, Daina (3 August 1996). "Pop Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. p. 15. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  8. ^ Narvaez, Alfredo (20 June 1998). "Republica – Republica". The Daily Vault. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  9. ^ Pepper, Tracey (23 August 1996). "Ready to Go". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  10. ^ Gardner, Elysa (29 September 1996). "In Brief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  11. ^ "Music & Media: New Releases" (PDF). Music & Media. 25 January 1997. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  12. ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Music Week. 23 March 1996. p. 12. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  13. ^ Fawbert, Dave (19 July 2017). "29 classic songs that are somehow 20 years old this year". ShortList. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  14. ^ Knowles, Ben (12 March 1997). "Albums". Smash Hits. No. 477. p. 58. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  15. ^ Sinclair, David (15 February 1997). "The week's top pop releases; Pop". The Times.
  16. ^ Stopera, Matt; Galindo, Brian (11 March 2017). "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  17. ^ "Republica - Republica". MusicOnVinyl. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  18. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 18. 4 May 1996. p. 28. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  19. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  20. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  21. ^ "Republica – Ready to Go". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  22. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9720." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  23. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 9918." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  24. ^ "Republica Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  25. ^ "Republica Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  26. ^ "Republica Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  27. ^ "Republica – Ready to Go" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  28. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 11. 15 March 1997. p. 13. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  29. ^ "Republica – Ready to Go" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  30. ^ "Íslenski Listinn NR. 218 Vikuna 24.4. '97 – 30.4. '97". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 25 April 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  31. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Ready to Go". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  32. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 19, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  33. ^ "Republica – Ready to Go" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  34. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  35. ^ "Republica – Ready to Go". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  36. ^ "Republica – Ready to Go". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  37. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  38. ^ "The Year in Music: Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 52. 28 December 1996. p. YE-78.
  39. ^ "Najlepsze single na UK Top 40–1997" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  40. ^ "British single certifications – Republica – Ready to Go". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
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