Round Round

## **Round Round**Single by Sugababes

**Round Round** is the second single and third track of the Sugababes' sophomore album, Angels with Dirty Faces. Written by group members Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, and Heidi Range, as well as Xenomania members Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Lisa Cowling, and produced by Kevin Bacon and Jonathan Quarmby, the song was the Sugababes second number 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart following its release in 20 June 2002.

In 2003, it became the group's first single to chart in the United States, peaking at number seven on the Billboard Dance Singles Sales chart. Alongside "Sound of the Underground" by Girls Aloud, this song has been credited in reshaping British pop music for the 2000s.

## Background

"Round Round" was written by Brian Higgins, Miranda Cooper, Lisa Cowling, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, and Heidi Range. Due to the inclusion of a sample from "Tango Forte" by German production team Dublex Inc., Florian Pflueger, Felix Stecher, Robin Hofmann, and Rino Spadavecchia are also credited as songwriters. In turn, "Tango Forte" is based around an uncredited sample from "Whatever Lola Wants" performed by American composer Les Baxter. Production on "Round Round" was helmed by Kevin Bacon and Jonathan Quarmby for Manna Productions based on an original track Higgins and Powell had created for Xenomania Records, while Jeremy Wheatley provided additional production and handled the mixing. Guitar recording and programming were overseen by Yoad Nevo for 247 Arists.

Musically, "Round Round" was actually built up of a number of different songs. On the BBC2 series Secrets of the Pop Song, Brian Higgins described the genesis of the song: "We had a drum track which was just stunning and so I sat down with Miranda [Cooper] on the one day we had the Sugababes in the studio and said 'Right, you know, this is a hit, this piece of music is a hit. I haven't got anything on it, we don't have any song attached to it. So what are we gonna do about that? You've got three hours to come up with something'." Subsequently, Cooper went through her catalogue of unused tracks that she had written over the last two or three years and sung the chorus of every single song against Higgins' piece of drumming. Three hours later, she sang the lyrics 'round round baby round round' to Higgins, who said "that's it, that's amazing."

### Performance

Round Round" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart and remained at the top spot for a week, giving the Sugababes their second consecutive UK number one single following "Freak like Me". The song was eventually certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

As of August 2020, the song has sold 277,000 copies in the UK.

"Round Round" was also a success worldwide, reaching number two in Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. The song also reached number three in Denmark and number four in Norway, Romania, and Switzerland. In Australia, "Round Round" debuted at number 21 and rose to a peak of number 13, giving the group their first Australian top-20 hit.

It was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), making it the Sugababes' best-selling Australian single up until the release of their 2005 single "Push the Button", which reached number three and was certified Platinum.

## Track listing

UK CD Single
1. Round Round (Album Version) - 3:59
2. Groove is Going On - 4:04
3. Freak Like Me (Girls On Top Dancehall Mix) - 3:30

Australasia CD Single
1. Round Round (Album Version) - 3:59
2. Round Round (Craigie & Crichton Remix) - 5:02
3. Round Round (Soulwax Remix) - 4:13
4. Freak Like Me (Girls On Top Dancehall Mix) - 3:30
5. Groove Is Going On - 4:04

CD Maxi Single
1. Round Round (Album Version) - 3:55
2. Round Round (M.A.N.D.Y. Radio Mix) - 3:56
3. Round Round (Craigie & Crichton Remix) - 4:59
4. Round Round (Soulwax Remix) - 4:11
5. Round Round (Seani B. Remix) - 4:25

UK and Europe CD Single
1. Round Round (Album Version) - 3:59
2. Round Round (Craigie & Crichton Remix) - 5:-3
3. Round Round (Soulwax Remix) - 4:11
4. Round Round (Seani B. Remix) - 4:28

## Personnel

* Vocals -Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, Heidi Range
* Guitalele, Programmed By – Yoad Nevo
* Producer – Kevin Bacon & Jonathan Quarmby
* Producer ["Tangoforte" Sample Produced By], Written-By ["Tangoforte" Sample Written By] – Felix Stecher, Floria Pflueger, Rino, Spadavecchia, Robin Hoffman
* Producer [Additional Production By], Mixed By – Jeremy Wheatley
* Producer [Original Production By] – Brian Higgins, Tim Powell
* Written-By – Higgins, Range, Buchanan, Cowling, Cooper, Buena, Coler, Spadavecchia, Hofmann, Powell

## Music video

The music video for "Round Round" was directed by Phil Griffin, filmed in May 2002. It has the group performing on a rotating platform, while being surrounded by a tornado with dust and rubble accumulating in it. There is a rusty caged wall with an audience watching, a pair of sunglasses and a ring get sucked into the tornado from them. When Heidi's verse comes up, everything moves in slo-motion, including the tornado, before speeding up again. The girls slowly walk around three male dancers in the middle, and for the end chorus it appears the tornado has dissipated.

## Remixes

Sugababes has officially released four remixes for "Round Round" from M.A.N.D.Y., Craigie & Crichton, Soulwax, and Seani B. respectively.

## Trivia

* Popular electronic DJ group Two Shell played an unofficial "Round Round" remix in one of their DJ sets.
* The song was covered by Hong Kong singer Emme Wong in Cantonese in 2003 and became a hit due to its sexually explicit lyrics and dance moves, as well as the TV-banned video. The song won several awards, including "Best Covered Song", "Best Dance Record", and "Best Stage Performance"

## Gallery

* UK & Europe CD
* France CD

Front coverBack coverLiner notes. Sugababes' bioSugababes postcardKeisha postcardMutya postcardHeidi postcard

*Images from Discogs.  Cover photography by Corinne Day.*

## References

1. ↑ Round Round. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/1292043-Sugababes-Round-Round
2. ↑ Australasia version - Round Round. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/1809442-Sugababes-Round-Round
3. ↑ Maxi-single - Round Round. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/1317930-Sugababes-Round-Round
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 UK & Europe single. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/798874-Sugababes-Round-Round
5. ↑ Angels with Dirty Faces. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/246223-Sugababes-Angels-With-Dirty-Faces
6. ↑ Europe version - Round Round. Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/223823-Sugababes-Round-Round
7. ↑ "Two Shell | Boiler Room x Primavera Sound Barcelona". Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/live/TqV40g90-Ow

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