"Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)"
Single by Mel and Kim
from the album F.L.M.
B-side"System"
Released4 September 1986 (1986-09-04)[1]
GenreHouse
Length3:33
LabelSupreme
Songwriter(s)Stock Aitken Waterman
Producer(s)Stock Aitken Waterman
Mel and Kim singles chronology
"Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)"
(1986) 		"Respectable"
(1987)
Music video
"Showing Out (Get Fresh At the Weekend)" on YouTube
Alternative cover

"Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" is the debut single of English pop duo Mel and Kim, released in September 1986. The song became a chart hit in the UK, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart and reaching number one in four European countries.

Background

The single's B-side, "System", was originally intended to be the duo's debut release, but after getting to know the sisters, Pete Waterman felt that the song was too soft for their personalities and halted the single's pressing.[2] Mike Stock then wrote "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" for the duo, influenced by the Chicago garage house sound.[3] "It became very clear that the tracks were being written around us, for us, and they were feeding off us," Kim Appleby said of the creative process with Stock Aitken Waterman after "System" was replaced by "Showing Out".[4]

The image that Mel and Kim projected in the song's video and on the second version of the single sleeve was decided when Kim wore a hat and harem pants to an appearance at London nightclub The Hippodrome. Supreme Records managing director Nick East decided on the spot that her look would be used to define the act. "He looked at me and he said that's the image," Kim said.[4]

The synthesised male voice performing middle 8 bridge section of "Showing Out" was revealed to be Mike Stock by Kim Appleby, during a series she presented with Midge Ure for BBC Four called, Smashing Hits! The 80s Pop Map of Britain and Ireland.

Critical reception

In a review published in Record Mirror, James Hamilton complimented "the tightly chanted "house"-tempoed 0-119+3⁄4 bpm topside [which] has a catchy "get fresh at the week-end" hookline".[5]

Impact and legacy

Retrospectively, in 2021, British magazine Classic Pop ranked "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" at number three on their list of the "Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman Songs".[6] In 2023, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian listed the song at number three in his "Stock Aitken Waterman's 20 greatest songs – ranked!", adding: "A pop-facing response to early house music, minimal and slightly disjointed, it's more a series of hooks strung together than a song, but it really works."[7]

Chart performance

The song experienced minor success on the US Hot 100. However, it peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart in November 1986 and was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales exceeding 250,000 copies.[1][8][9] "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)" reached number one in Belgium,[10] the Netherlands,[11][12] Switzerland,[13] and West Germany.[14]

Track listings

UK 7-inch (SUPE 107)

  1. "Showing Out"
  2. "System" (House mix [edit]) 3:47

UK 12-inch (SUPE T 107 / RCA PT 40990)

  1. "Showing Out" (Extended mix)
  2. "System" (House mix) 9:00

UK 12-inch remix (SUPE TX 107)

  1. "Showing Out" (The Mortgage mix)
  2. "System" (House mix) 9:00

UK 12-inch remix (SUPE TZ 107)

  1. "Showing Out" (The Freehold mix)
  2. "System" (House mix) 9:00

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Netherlands (NVPI)[43] Gold 75,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] Silver 250,000[9]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b "BPI > Certified Awards > Search results for Mel & Kim (page 2)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  2. ^ "melandkim.com > Discography > System". melandkim.com. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  3. ^ "melandkim.com > Interviews > The Pete Waterman OBE Interview". melandkim.com. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  4. ^ a b "A Journey Through Stock Aitken Waterman: Ep 15: Showing Out (Get Fresh At The Weekend) on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  5. ^ Hamilton, James (9 August 1986). "BPM by James Hamilton" (PDF). Record Mirror. London: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 56. ISSN 0144-5804. Retrieved 6 November 2023 – via World Radio History.
  6. ^ "Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman songs". Classic Pop. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  7. ^ Petridis, Alexis (23 November 2023). "Stock Aitken Waterman's 20 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Mel and Kim: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  9. ^ a b "Gallup UK Singles W/E Nov 22, 1986". Record Mirror. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Mel & Kim – Showing Out" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Mel & Kim – Showing Out" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  12. ^ a b "Mel & Kim – Showing Out". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  13. ^ a b "Mel & Kim – Showing Out". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  14. ^ a b "Offiziellecharts.de – Mel & Kim – Showing Out" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  15. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 197. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  16. ^ "Australian Top 50 Singles Chart – Week Ending 19th July, 1987". ARIA – via Imgur.
  17. ^ "Mel & Kim – Showing Out" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  18. ^ "Top 3 Singles in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 4. 31 January 1987. p. 18. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 28 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
  19. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 50. 20 December 1986. p. 16. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  20. ^ "European Airplay Top 50" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 7. 21 February 1987. p. 4. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 28 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
  21. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  22. ^ "Mel & Kim – Showing Out" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  23. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 29 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Mel & Kim".
  24. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Mel Kim" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  25. ^ "Top Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 22 November 1986. p. 17. Retrieved 8 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
  26. ^ "Mel Kim Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  27. ^ "Mel Kim Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  28. ^ "Mel Kim Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  29. ^ "Mel Kim Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  30. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending March 14, 1987". Cash Box. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  31. ^ "Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London. 24 January 1987. p. 24. ISSN 0265-1548.
  32. ^ "Top Dance Singles – Year-end 1986" (PDF). Music Week. 10 January 1987. p. 19. Retrieved 8 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
  33. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1987". Australian Music Report (701). 28 December 1987 – via Imgur.
  34. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1987 – Singles" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  35. ^ "European Charts of the Year 1987 – Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 51/52. 26 December 1987. p. 34. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  36. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  37. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  38. ^ "END OF YEAR CHARTS 1987". Official New Zealand Music Chart. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  39. ^ "Scweizer Jahrehitparade 1987". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  40. ^ "Dance Club Songs – Year-End 1987". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  41. ^ "1987 The Year in Music & Video – Top Dance Sales 12-Inch Singles". Billboard. Vol. 99, no. 52. 26 December 1987. p. Y-30. ISSN 0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  42. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1987" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  43. ^ "Dutch single certifications – Mel & Kim – Showing Out" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 7 January 2021. Enter Showing Out in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1987 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  44. ^ "British single certifications – Mel & Kim – Showing Out (Get Fresh at the Weekend)". British Phonographic Industry. 22 November 1986. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
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