1994 single by Real McCoy
"Run Away" is a song by German Eurodance and pop music project Real McCoy (also known as M.C. Sar & The Real McCoy) from their album Another Night (1995), which was the US version of their second album, Space Invaders (1994). The song was produced by music producers Juergen Wind (J. Wind) and Frank Hassas (Quickmix) under the producer team name "Freshline". It was first released in Germany in July 1994 by Hansa. "Run Away" reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it was certified gold, and number six in the United Kingdom. A music video was produced to promote the single, made especially for the European market, directed by Swedish-based director Matt Broadley.
Critical reception
AllMusic editor Bryan Buss named "Run Away" one of the standout tracks from Another Night.[1] Larry Flick from Billboard magazine stated that this follow-up to the certified platinum "Another Night" "does not tamper with the European dance act's winning (and much-copied) formula of bouncy hi-NRG rhythms, topped with throaty male rapping and female chirping at the chorus. Single has already begun to gather deserved airplay from a number of crossover and top 40 stations on import—its domestic release almost guarantees instant success."[2] Chuck Eddy from Entertainment Weekly wrote that the Berlin trio "has invaded U.S. radio by tap-dancing space-invader-disco synths beneath soul-diva testifying, "Sprockets"-accented raps, and Martian munchkin chatter. Yet there's an odd paranoid undercurrent flowing through tunes like "Run Away" — the best dance-pop here isn't merely escapist; it's about escaping."[3] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report felt that "the title of this one says it all. Programmers have been playing this import since late last year and now the official release is here. This one should be as big or bigger than their debut release".[4] Howard Cohen from Herald-Journal described it as "tuneful".[5]
Robbie Daw from Idolator declared it as "energetic" and "strobelight-friendly".[6] A reviewer from Liverpool Echo called it a "rousing pop/rap track with an escapist message."[7] Dennis Hunt of Los Angeles Times viewed it as "awfully catchy".[8] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton said, "All the elements that made "Another Night" such a smash are here once again, it may be a standard Eurohit formula but it works so why argue? MC Sar mutters and grumbles to an electronic backing pausing only to let the chorus in at regular intervals."[9] Pan-European magazine Music & Media encouraged, "Take a bit of this smooth slice of Eurodance, which serves as a preview for the forthcoming Space Invaders album. As the title implies ambient influences are present, even in the radio mixes."[10] Alan Jones from Music Week called it "horribly catchy", stating that it "will be another substantial hit."[11] John Kilgo from The Network Forty described it as "dynamite".[12] Stephen Dalton from NME praised "sensual, rollicking beauties" like Corona's "The Rhythm of the Night" and "Run Away".[13] People Magazine felt songs like this "pack so many beats into 4 minutes that just listening to them is thoroughly exhausting."[14] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update deemed it a "less distinctive follow-up" and "Boney M-ish".[15]
Chart performance
In Europe, "Run Away" entered the top 10 in Finland (4),[16] Ireland (5), and the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number six on 29 January 1995,[17] in its second week at the UK Singles Chart. The song was a top-20 hit in Belgium and Sweden, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100 and European Dance Radio Chart, where it reached number twelve[18] and twenty,[19] respectively in February. Outside Europe, "Run Away" peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, and the Cash Box Top 100.[20] On the Billboard Hot 100's year-end chart, the song ended up as number 38. In Canada, it reached number thirteen on The Record singles chart,[21] number 33 on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, and number ten on the RPM Dance/Urban chart. The song additionally reached number four in Australia, number five in Zimbabwe,[22] and number six in New Zealand.
Music video
There were produced two different music videos for "Run Away". The first version, made for the European market and directed by Swedish-based director Matt Broadley,[23]
features singer Patricia "Patsy" Petersen walking in a desert-like setting while miming the vocals of studio singer Karin Kasar. The American version, directed by British music video and film director Nigel Dick, is set in a factory with many exhausted "slave-like" workers, while rapper Olaf "O-Jay" Jeglitza plays the role of "Big Brother", monitoring the workers' progress and demanding maximum productivity from them. It was never released for public broadcasting, since Arista felt that the image of the video was too dark and negative.
Impact and legacy
Idolator included "Run Away" on their list of "The 50 Best Pop Singles of 1995" in 2015.[6] American entertainment company BuzzFeed ranked it number 56 on their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s" in 2017.[24] In 2019, Billboard placed it at number 419 on their ranking of "Billboard's Top Songs of the '90s".[25]
