Home · Songs · Neneh Cherry · Buffalo Stance
From album
Raw Like Sushi
Neneh Cherry
Details
TonalidadAb major
Compás4/4
Tempo108 BPM
Duración5:42
ÁlbumRaw Like Sushi
ISRCGBAAA8800048
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The story behind
When you hear *Buffalo Stance*, the first thing that grabs your attention is that attitude, that way of standing in front of the microphone that tells you 'here I am and this is what I have to give'. The song, released in November 1988, was the first single from Neneh Cherry's debut album, *Raw Like Sushi*, and marked her grand entrance onto the scene. It's not just a catchy tune; it's a statement. The title itself, *Buffalo Stance*, refers to an attitude of survival, of having the grit needed to get ahead, something that Cherry, along with other members of the group of photographers and artists called "Buffalo", understood very well. It's interesting to note that this attitude connects with an earlier musical reference, Malcolm McLaren's track *Buffalo Gals*, from which it borrows some sounds.
The story behind *Buffalo Stance* has several layers. An early version of the track appeared in 1986 as the B-side of a Morgan-McVey single, titled *Looking Good Diving with the Wild Bunch*, where Neneh Cherry sang. At that time, no one imagined the potential of that melody. It was a chance encounter in a nightclub that revived the idea: Tim Simenon, known as Bomb the Bass, became interested in giving it a new form. Thus, with the production of Simenon and Mark Saunders, the track was transformed and became a global hit. It reached number three in the UK and the US, and hit number one in the Netherlands and her native Sweden. The music video, directed by John Maybury, also received recognition, being nominated at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. And to top it off, Neneh Cherry performed it live while seven months pregnant, demonstrating that attitude the song talks about.
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