U Sure Do

"U Sure Do"
Single by Strike
from the album I Saw the Future
B-side"Remix"
ReleasedDecember 1994
Genre
Length
  • 3:50 (Strike's 7” mix)
  • 4:59 (album version)
  • 7:25 (extended club mix)
LabelFresh Records
Songwriter(s)
  • Andy Gardner
  • Matt Cantor
  • Coffers
Strike singles chronology
"Formula One"
(1994) 		"U Sure Do"
(1994) 		"My Love is for Real"
(1996)
Music video
"U Sure Do" on YouTube

"U Sure Do" is a song by British dance music group Strike. Released in December 1994 by Fresh Records, it was their second single and reached number 31 in the UK charts. The song was a big UK club hit and after receiving regular play in clubs throughout 1994/1995 it was re-released and re-entered the chart in April 1995, reaching number four. It also peaked at number-one on the UK Dance Singles Chart. In 1997, it was featured on the group's only album, I Saw the Future.

The track samples Donna Allen's 1986 song "Serious" for the vocals, and Cubic 22's 1991 song "Night in Motion" for the main synth.

In 1999, it was remixed and released as "U Sure Do '99". This version peaked at number 53 in the UK. In 2006, it was remixed a third time and released to a handful of DJs solely for club use. MTV Dance ranked the song number 45 in their list of 'The 100 Biggest 90's Dance Anthems of All Time' in 2011.[1]

Chart performance

[edit]

"U Sure Do" was quite successful on the charts in both Australia and Europe. In Europe, it reached the top 10 in the UK, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it hit number ten. In the UK, the single stayed on the UK Singles Chart for seven weeks, before peaking at number four in its second run on the chart, on April 9, 1995.[2] On the UK Dance Chart, it was an even bigger hit, peaking at number-one. It also topped the club charts in DJ and Mixmag. Additionally, "U Sure Do" was a top 20 hit in Ireland (20), Italy (18) and the Netherlands (13), and a top 30 hit in Iceland (22). Outside Europe, it was a top 10 hit in Australia, peaking at number nine, and a top 20 hit in Israel.

The single earned a gold record in the UK, with a sale of 400,000 units.

Critical reception

[edit]

Vicki Petrovska from The Age noted the "hypnotic, pumping beat" of the song, adding, "Check it out."[3] Larry Flick from Billboard described it as "instantly memorable".[4] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote upon the 1994 release, "More dance and more recycling of past riffs and hooks. "U Sure Do" is based around Donna Allen's 1987 Top 10 hit "Serious". The original is a dancefloor classic. This one isn't."[5] Simon Price from Melody Maker named it "Strike's titanium/titanic 'U Sure Do'".[6] Electronic dance and clubbing magazine Mixmag remarked, "Very large handbag appeal indeed."[7] A reviewer from Music & Media commented, "The keyboard intro could've been Todd Rundgren's "Can We Still Be Friends" at double speed. But then the enthusiastic ladies start singing their ready-to-use-on-air pop dance one liner."[8] Alan Jones from Music Week wrote, "A powerful house track propelled by its Donna Allen sample, it's now in new mixes, but it's the original that brings home the bacon."[9] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update called it a "useful if somewhat sparse Madonna pastiche featuring plaintive Victoria Newton in 'let's do it' prodded" tune[10] and a "disco bounder".[11]

MTV Dance ranked "U Sure Do" number 45 in their list of "The 100 Biggest 90's Dance Anthems of All Time" in 2011.[12] Attitude ranked it number four in their list of "The Top 10 Dance Tunes Of The '90s" in 2016.[13] Robert Dimery included it in his book 1001 Songs: You Must Hear Before You Die.[14]

Track listing

[edit]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] Platinum 600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ MTV Dance. 2011-12-27.
  2. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 09 April 1995 - 15 April 1995". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  3. ^ Petrovska, Vicki (1995-08-18). "Singles". p. 8. The Age.
  4. ^ Flick, Larry (1995-09-02). "Dance Trax: Moorish Crosses Gender Barriers With 'I'm Your Man'" (PDF). Billboard. p. 30. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  5. ^ Masterton, James (1994-12-18). "Week Ending December 24th 1994". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  6. ^ Price, Simon (1996-01-13). "Albums: In Praise Of Handbag". Melody Maker. p. 30. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  7. ^ "STRIKE 'U Sure Do'" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 1994-12-24. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
  8. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 50. 1994-12-10. p. 9. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
  9. ^ Jones, Alan (1995-03-25). "Talking Music" (PDF). Music Week. p. 14. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  10. ^ Hamilton, James (1994-12-10). "Dj directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 7. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
  11. ^ Hamilton, James (1995-03-25). "Dj directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 11. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  12. ^ MTV Dance. 2011-12-27.
  13. ^ Fussell, Glyn (2016-06-09). "The Top 10 Dance Tunes Of The '90s". Attitude. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  14. ^ Dimery, Robert (5 December 2011). 1001 Songs: You Must Hear Before You Die. ISBN 9781844037179. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  15. ^ "Australian Singles". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  16. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 14. 1995-04-08. p. 22. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  17. ^ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 21. 1995-05-27. p. 35. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  18. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (27.05.1995 - 02.06.1995)" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir - Tónlist. Retrieved 2018-02-01.
  19. ^ "Irish Singles". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  20. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 2022-05-30. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Strike".
  21. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 22, 1995" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  22. ^ "Netherlands Singles". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  23. ^ "Scottish Singles Chart 02 April 1995 - 08 April 1995". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  24. ^ "UK Singles". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  25. ^ "UK Dance Singles". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  26. ^ "Fresh" (PDF). Music Week. 1995-03-11. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  27. ^ "Fresh" (PDF). Music Week. 1995-03-11. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  28. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 1994-11-26. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  29. ^ "The RM on a Pop Tip Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 1995-04-15. p. 8. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  30. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
  31. ^ "UK Singles". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
  32. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  33. ^ "The RM Club Chart of the Year" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 1994-12-24. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
  34. ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1995". ARIA. Retrieved 2017-04-11 – via Imgur.
  35. ^ "Jaarlijsten 1995" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  36. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1995". Music Week. 1996-01-13. p. 9.
  37. ^ "The RM Club Chart of the Year 96" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 1997-01-11. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  38. ^ "British single certifications – Strike – U Sure Do". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
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