Old Pop in an Oak
{{Short description|1994 single by Rednex}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Old Pop in an Oak
| cover = Old pop in an oak.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Rednex
| album = Sex & Violins
| released = 1994
| recorded =
| studio = Future Crew (Stockholm, Sweden){{cite AV media notes|title=Old Pop in an Oak|year=1995|type=European maxi-single liner notes|publisher=Jive, Zomba|id=7 43212 41152 2}}
| genre =
- C&W/dance{{cite magazine|first= Pieter |last= Kops |title= Regional Crossovers |magazine= Music & Media |volume= 11 |issue= 52 |page= 22 |date= 24 December 1994 |accessdate= 16 March 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-12-24.pdf}}
- techno-pop{{cite news|first= Isah |last= Vasquez Red |title= Michelle's tales from the heart |newspaper= Manila Standard |page= 22 |date= 17 August 1995 |access-date= 27 March 2020 |url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mY0mAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zwoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6388%2C2387898}}
| length = 3:30
| label =
| writer = Pat Reiniz
| producer = Pat Reiniz
| prev_title = Cotton Eye Joe
| prev_year = 1994
| next_title = Wish You Were Here
| next_year = 1995
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|_YuJZzuHDf8|"Old Pop in an Oak"}}}}
}}
"Old Pop in an Oak" is a song recorded by Swedish band Rednex, released in 1994 by Jive and Zomba as the second single from their debut album, Sex & Violins (1995). Lead vocals are by Göran Danielsson and Annika Ljungberg, and it was both written and produced by Pat Reiniz (a.k.a. Patrick Edenberg). The song reached number-one in many countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. In the UK, it peaked at number 12.
Composition
When asked about the similarities between the band's first single "Cotton Eye Joe" and "Old Pop in an Oak", singer Annika Ljungberg (a.k.a. Mary Joe in Rednex) told in an 1995 interview, "The two melodies are completely different! The only thing that is similar is that techno beat but if you took that away and played it acoustically with violins and a banjo, then you can hear there's a very big difference. They are totally different songs, different stories. 'Cotton Eye Joe' was an old, trad song. But 'Old Pop in an Oak' is a whole new, original song that we dedicated to an old man in our village."{{cite magazine|first=Mark|last=Sutherland|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/57779449@N02/54283761110/in/album-72177720323357062|title=Can You Handle It?|work=Smash Hits|date=12 April 1995|page=63|access-date=17 February 2025}}
Chart performance
Like its predecessor, "Old Pop in an Oak" was very successful on the charts in Europe, remaining one of the group's biggest hits to date. It peaked at number-one in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Additionally, the single entered the top 10 also in Belgium (2), Germany (2), Iceland (6), the Netherlands (6), Scotland (8) and Switzerland (2), as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it reached number two. In the United Kingdom, "Old Pop in an Oak" debuted and peaked at number 12 in its first week at the UK Singles Chart, on March 19, 1995. In France, it was a top 50 hit. Outside Europe, the single peaked at number seven in New Zealand, number 17 on the RPM Dance/Urban chart and number 53 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada, and number 70 in Australia.
"Old Pop in an Oak" earned a gold record in Switzerland (25,000) and a platinum record in Austria (50,000), Germany (500,000) and Norway.
Critical reception
British Lennox Herald noted that "Old Pop in an Oak" is a "similar sounding song" to their previous single, 'Cotton Eye Joe'.{{cite news|title= Rednex – Old Pop in an Oak |newspaper= Lennox Herald |page= 28 |date= 3 March 1995}} A reviewer from Manila Standard described it as "techno-pop fun". Pieter Kops from Music & Media viewed it as a "C&W/dance mixture". Music Week constated that "Rednex regurgitate 'Cotton Eye Joe' – give or take the odd twang – and set out to prove that successfully following up a novelty number one isn't impossible."{{cite magazine|title= Reviews > Singles |magazine= Music Week |page= 26 |date= 18 February 1995 |access-date= 5 May 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1995/Music-Week-1995-02-18.pdf}} James Hamilton from the magazine's RM Dance Update declared it as a "speak of the devil, another thumbs in braces, boot stompin', high steppin' moonshine swiggin' gingham swirling Swedish disco hoedown much too much like their last one".{{cite magazine|first= James |last= Hamilton |author-link= James Hamilton (DJ and journalist) |title= DJ directory |magazine= Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) |page= 15 |date= 11 March 1995 |access-date= 6 May 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1995/Music-Week-1995-03-11.pdf}}
Also Chuck Campbell from Scripps Howard News Service deemed the song as a "very similar re-take" on the band's first hit.{{cite news|first= Chuck |last= Campbell |title= Sex & Violins, Rednex |newspaper= Kenosha News |date= 18 May 1995 |page= 4}} Pete Stanton from Smash Hits wrote, "The only difference between this song and 'Cotton Eye Joe' is that this one is called 'Old Pop in an Oak'. Anyway, what or who is old pop in an oak? Have they hidden Grandad in a tree? It sounds like they're singing Pop in my nose, one chicken here looks like Emmy Joe."{{cite magazine|first=Pete|last=Stanton|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/57779449@N02/54270186774/in/album-72177720323207180|title=New Singles|work=Smash Hits|date=1 March 1995|page=53|access-date=17 February 2025}}
Track listing
Personnel
Personnel are taken from the European maxi-single liner notes.
- Göran Danielsson – lead vocals
- Mary Joe (Annika Ljungberg) – lead vocals
- Christopher Sylvan Stewart, Cool James – backing vocals
- Ken Tacky – vocals, banjo
- Mup – bass drum
- Billy Ray – violin
- Bosse Nilsson – violin (additional)
- Bobby Sue – violin, harp
- Pat Reiniz – producer, engineer, writer
- John Wayne – recorder, mixer
Charts
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=Weekly charts=
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=Year-end charts=
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Certifications and sales
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Austria|type=single|artist=Rednex|title=Old Pop in an Oak|award=Platinum|relyear=1994|certyear=1995}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|type=single|artist=Rednex|title=Old Pop in an Oak|award=Platinum|relyear=1994|certyear=1995}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Norway|type=single|artist=Rednex|title= Old Pop in an Oak|award=Platinum|relyear=1995|certyear=1995|nosales=true|access-date=November 22, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|type=single|artist=Rednex|title=Old Pop in an Oak|award=Gold|relyear=1994|certyear=1995}}
{{Certification Table Bottom}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Rednex}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Pat Reiniz
Category:Number-one singles in Austria
Category:Number-one singles in Belgium
Category:Number-one singles in Denmark
Category:Number-one singles in Finland
Category:Number-one singles in Norway
Category:Number-one singles in Sweden