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What Are We Gonna Do About It

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1985 song
"What Are We Gonna Do About It"
Song
B-side"What Are We Gonna Do About It? (Dub Mix)"
Released1985
Length3:53 (7" release)
6:40 (12" release)
LabelEnsign ENY 522 (7" release)
Ensign 12ENY 522 (12" release)
Songwriter(s)Young/Tunney
Producer(s)Lukey Tunney & Colin Young
singles chronology
"It Must Be Heaven"
(1984) 		"What Are We Gonna Do About It"
(1985)

"What Are We Gonna Do About It" is a 1985 single for Mercy, Mercy. It became a hit for them that year.

Background

"What Are We Gonna Do About It" was written by Colin Young and Luke Tunny, who co-founded Mercy, Mercy with Young. Young was the lead vocalist in the outfit. Keyboardist Tunny and vocalist Young (aka Colin Hughfield Young) teamed up when Young was working on a solo project in or around September 1984. "What Are We Gonna Do About It", released on Ensign/Island ENY 522 was the follow up to their 1984 release "It Must Be Heaven".

Reception

On 27 July, 1985, James Hamilton noted the building of the mesmeric long breaks on the dub side of the single. He also said it was "slightly like a hot tempo Phil Fearon."

Paul Sexton of Record Mirror have a short review on the single in the magazine's 24 August issue. He said that it had a Phil Fearon / Galaxy sound and "a real creeper if you give it time".

On the week of 6 October, James Hamilton said that Young and Tunney were causing quite a stir with the "98bpm reggae-soul jogger".

Airplay

For the week of 31 August 1985, Music Week confirmed that the record was on ten I.L.R. station playlists, two of them A lists. On the week of 7 September, the record was on ten I.L.R. station playlists, two more than the previous week. Three stations had it on their A list. It was also on the Radio London A list. On the week of 28 September, the single had gone up from nine regional playlists to sixteen. Four of them were A lists and a station in Stockton had it as a hit pick.

Charts

The Mercy Mercy single made its debut at no. 54 on the Music Week Top 75 Disco & Dance Singles chart on the week of 17 August 1985. It also debuted on the Airplay Action Bubbling chart.

It debuted at no. 85 on the Music Week The Next 25 chart on the week of 24 August and it had moved up from no. 28 on the Top 75 Disco & Dance Singles chart.

On the week of 7 September, the single peaked at no. 9 on the Music Week Top 75 Disco & Dance Singles chart.

On the week of 14 September, the single debuted at no. 12 in the UK Club Play Chart.

By the week of 21 September, it had made its debut at no. 59 in the Music Week Top 75 Singles chart. The following week (28 September), it was at no. 64. This was the song's last week in the Top 75. It had also moved up from no. 10 to no. 9 on the UK Club Play Chart.

On 12 October the single had moved down from no. 9 to no. 15 on the UK Club Play Chart.

The song was still in the Music Week Top 75 Disco & Dance Singles chart at no. 69 on the week of 2 November.

The song came no. 48 in the RM (New Record Mirror) Year End Disco chart.

Later versions

Lewis Berry recorded a version, produced by Rod Gammons which was released on Record Shack Records SOHOT 58 in 1986 as "What Am I Gonna Do About It". A 2017 version appeared on an EP along with "You Lied" and "What Gives You The Right".

References

  1. Music Week, August 31, 1985 - Page 13 THE NEXT 25, This Week 81, Last Week 85, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT?
  2. Collins complete UK hit singles 1952-2006, By Graham Betts · 2006 - ISBN:9780007200771, 0007200773 - Page 545 MERCY MERCY
  3. Music Metason - ArtistInfo, Colin Young
  4. Music Week, September 28, 1985 - Page 15 TALENT Edited by CHRIS WHITE Chart newcomers
  5. James Hamilton's Disco Page, July 27, 1985 - July 27, 1985: Dante, Hi Tension, Mercy Mercy, Melba Moore, Videeo, ODDS ‘N’ BODS, MERCY MERCY: ‘What Are We Gonna Do About It?’ (Ensign 12ENY 522)
  6. Record Mirror, August 24, 1985 - Page 10 s i n g l e s reviewed by paul sexton COMMENDATIONS, MERCY MERCY "What Are We Gonna Do About It' (Ensign)
  7. James Hamilton's Disco Page, October 6, 1984 - October 6, 1984: Chaka Khan, Paris, Dazz Band, Hi-Tension, Linda Clifford, ODDS ‘N’ BODS, MERCY MERCY: ‘It Must Be Heaven’ (Ensign 12ENY 515)
  8. Music Week, August 31, 1985 - Page 11 I.L.R. STATIONS, AIRPLAY, 10 Nb MERCY MERCY What Are We Gonna. Ensign/Island
  9. Music Week, September 7, 1985 - Page 16 I.L.R. STATIONS, AIPLAY, 12 10 MERCY MERCY What Are We Gonna . . Ensign/Island
  10. Music Week, September 7, 1985 - Page 44 DISCO and dance Edited by BARRY LAZELL, RADIO London A LIST
  11. Music Week, September 28, 1985 - Page 9 REGIONAL AIPLAY, 16 9 MERCY MERCY What Are We Gonna. . Ensign/Island
  12. Music Week, August 17, 1985 - Page 49 MUSIC WEEK DISCO and dance TOP 75 SINGLES, THIS WEEK 54 NEW WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT
  13. Music Week, August 17, 1985 - Page 10 AIRPLAY action BUBBLING, 5 (-) MERCY MERCY: What Are We Gonna Do About It?
  14. Music Week, August 24, 1985 - Page 13 THE NEXT 25, This Week 85, Last Week -, WHAT ARE WE GONNA 00 ABOUT IT?
  15. Music Week, August 24, 1985 - Page 31 MUSIC WEEK DISCO and dance TOP 75 SINGLES, THIS WEEK 28, LAST WEEK 54, WEEKS ON CHART 2 WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT
  16. Music Week, September 1, 1985 - Page 45 MUSIC WEEK DISCO and dance TOP 75 SINGLES, THIS WEEK 9, LAST WEEK 10, WEEKS ON CHART 4
  17. Music Week, September 14, 1985 - Page 9 MUSIC WEEK DISCO and dance TOP 75 SINGLES, THIS WEEK 17, LAST WEEK 9, WEEKS ON CHART 5
  18. Music Week, September 14, 1985 - Page 8 UK Club Play Chart, 12 (New) MERCY MERCY: What Are We Gonna Do About It?
  19. Music Week, September 21, 1985 - Page 21 TOP 75 SINGLES, This Week 59, NEW, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT?
  20. Music Week, September 28, 1985 - Page 11 TOP 75 SINGLES, This Week 64, Last Week 59, Weeks on Chart 2
  21. Official Charts - WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT? by MERCY MERCY
  22. Music Week, September 28, 1985 - Page 25 UK Club Play Chart 9 10 MERCY MERCY: What Are We Gonna Do About It?
  23. Music Week, October 12, 1985 - Page 33 UK Club Play Chart 15 9 MERCY MERCY: What Are We Gonna Do About It
  24. Music Week, November 2, 1985 - Page 34 MUSIC WEEK DISCO and dance TOP 75 SINGLES, THIS WEEK 69 58 12
  25. RM (New Record Mirror), Jan 4, 1986 - Page 37 YEAR END DISC0, 48 WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT, Mercy Mercy, Ensign 12in
  26. Amazon - Lewis Berry / What Am I Gonna Do About It
  27. Amazon - Lewis Berry EP

External links

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