Snap! is a German Eurodance group formed in 1989 by producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti.[1] The act has undergone several lineup changes over the years, featuring American singers, songwriters, and rappers such as Thea Austin, Turbo B, Niki Haris, and Penny Ford. Their most popular hits include "The Power" and "Rhythm Is a Dancer", both of which achieved No. 1 status in multiple countries.
History
Previous projects
Luca Anzilotti and Michael Münzing began collaborating in 1985 in the group Off (Organisation for Fun), alongside Sven Väth. They recorded two albums, Organisation for Fun (1988) and Ask Yourself (1989), as well as a series of singles, including "Electrica Salsa", until 1990.[citation needed]
In 1986, the duo created the side project 16 BIT and found success with their first single, "Where Are You?"[2] In 1987, they released the album Inaxycvgtgb for BMG.[3]
Formation and first album
Anzilotti and Münzing officially formed Snap! in 1989, adopting the aliases Benito Benites and John "Virgo" Garrett III, as they believed the public harbored negative preconceived notions about German music.[4] Their debut hit, "The Power", featuring American rapper Turbo B and singer Penny Ford, peaked at No. 2 in Germany in April 1990 and remained in that position for five weeks, eventually earning Gold certification for sales of 250,000 units.[1][5][6] The single topped the charts in the United Kingdom, earning a Silver award for sales of 200,000 units.[7][8] In the U.S., it reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Platinum for 1,000,000 units sold.[9][10]
Jackie Harris was employed to mime Ford's vocals in the "Power" music video and left the group shortly thereafter, leading Ford to become the full-time lead singer. She recorded the second single, "Ooops Up", a reworking of "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Ooops!)", a 1980 hit by the Gap Band, for which Penny had previously been a backing singer.[1] "Oops Up" also reached No. 2 in Germany, spending nine weeks in that position.[11] The single entered the top five in the UK, earning another Silver award, and received Gold certification in the U.S.[8][12] Further hits followed, including the Middle Eastern-influenced "Cult of Snap", which reached No. 3 in Germany and No. 8 in the UK, and "Mary Had a Little Boy", which peaked at No. 4 in Germany and again No. 8 in the UK.[7][13] The band's debut album, World Power, reached No. 7 in Germany, No. 10 in the UK, and No. 30 in the U.S.[7][9][13] It achieved Platinum status in Germany and Gold in the UK and U.S.[8][13][14]
Second album
In 1991, American singer, composer, songwriter, and dancer Thea Austin joined Snap!'s lineup and contributed to the writing of the song "Rhythm Is a Dancer". This track was initially intended to be the lead single from the group's second album but was postponed, resulting in "Colour of Love" being released in its place. This single peaked at No. 9 in Germany but stalled at No. 54 in the UK.[7][13] "Rhythm Is a Dancer", which sampled "Automan" by the early 1980s American electronic hip hop band Newcleus, was eventually issued as the second single in July 1992. The song became Snap!'s biggest hit to date, reaching No. 1 in Germany, the UK, France, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium.[7][13][15] In the U.S., it peaked at No. 5, earning a Gold certification for sales of 500,000 units.[9][16] In Germany, the single achieved Platinum status for 500,000 units sold and received Gold certification in the UK for sales of 400,000 units.[6][8] The third single, "Exterminate", charted at No. 3 in Germany and No. 2 in the UK, also earning a Gold certification in Germany.[6]
The Madman's Return, Snap!'s second album, performed well in the charts, peaking at No. 3 in Germany and entering the top 10 in the UK, the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland. Around the time of its release, Turbo B decided to leave the project due to disagreements with the production duo.[7][13][17] The album was certified Gold in Germany and the UK, with sales of 250,000 units and 100,000 units, respectively.[6][8]
In 1996, the group officially disbanded after releasing a greatest hits compilation titled Snap! Attack: The Best of Snap!. This album included new versions of their two biggest hits, "The Power '96" and "Rhythm Is a Dancer '96".
The act made a comeback in 2000 with a track entitled "Gimme a Thrill", featuring rap lyrics performed by Turbo B and vocals from the band's newest singer, Maxayn. However, it did not garner much attention, peaking only at No. 11 in the German dance charts. A new album, titled One Day on Earth, was planned for release around this time but was ultimately canceled.[citation needed]
In 2002, a new version of "Do You See the Light", remixed by Plaything, was released. The following year, a remix album titled The Cult of Snap! was issued, featuring reworked singles. "Rhythm Is a Dancer 2003" peaked at No. 7 in Germany and No. 17 in the UK, while "The Power (of Bhangra 2003)" achieved moderate success in Austria, Switzerland, and Denmark.[7][13][18] The act also released a reworked version of "Oops Up!", featuring vocals by NG3, which managed to enter the Swedish charts at No. 40 and the German top 100 singles chart at No. 69.[13]
Buoyed by the success of the remixes, Münzing and Anzilotti returned to the studio with singer Damien Behanan, also known as Loc, and released the single "Beauty Queen" in September 2005 through Luma Music. This single peaked within the top 10 of the German dance charts but failed to enter the official charts.[citation needed] The band released another digital download single in 2008, featuring Loc, titled "Jumping!", but this also failed to chart.[19]
On 16 June 2008, a new version of "Rhythm Is a Dancer '08" was released as a CD single in the UK, peaking at No. 23.[7]
In 2018, the rights to all recordings of Snap!, previously owned by Münzing and Anzilotti, were transferred to BMG Rights Management, a current incarnation of BMG.[20]
