The Real Thing (Tony Di Bart song)

Di Bart was working as a bathroom salesman in Buckinghamshire when he recorded and released "The Real Thing".{{cite web|url=http://freakytrigger.co.uk/popular/2013/01/tony-di-bart-the-real-thing/comment-page-1/|title=Tony Di Bart – "The Real Thing"|last=Ewing|first=Tom|publisher=Freaky Trigger|date=January 2013|access-date=18 July 2020}} It was written by Di Bart, Andy Blissett and Lucinda Drayton.

Originally released in 1993, the song failed to appear on the UK Singles Chart. However, a remixed version was released on 28 March 1994 and spent a week at number one on the UK Singles Chart in May 1994.{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-03-26.pdf|title=Single Releases|magazine=Music Week|page=23|date=26 March 1994|access-date=21 June 2021}} This remix also found success in countries outside the UK, becoming a top-10 hit in Belgium, Finland and Israel, and a top-20 hit in France, Ireland, Italy, and Spain. It also reached the top 30 in the Netherlands and the top 50 in Germany. On the Eurochart Hot 100 and European Dance Radio chart, "The Real Thing" reached numbers eight and two, respectively.{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-05-14.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=11|issue=20|page=14|date=14 May 1994|access-date=1 February 2020}}{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-06-04.pdf|title=European Dance Radio Top 25|magazine=Music & Media|volume=11|issue=23|date=4 June 1994|page=21|access-date=23 May 2023}} In North America, the single peaked at number 35 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number three on the Canadian RPM Dance/Urban chart.

Alexis Petridis from The Guardian said that "The Real Thing" "is an authentically fantastic pop record: in a world of euphoria, it sounded strangely wistful and muted, its melancholy chafing against its plasticky bedroom production."{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/may/31/tony-di-bart-the-real-thing|title=The best No 1 records: Tony di Bart – The Real Thing|last=Petridis|first=Alexis|author-link=Alexis Petridis|newspaper=The Guardian|date=31 May 2012|access-date=18 July 2020}} In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton described the song as "a pleasant, poppy piece of soul".{{cite web|last=Masterton|first=James|title=Week Ending April 9th 1994|url=https://chart-watch.uk/archives/1994/week-ending-april-9th-1994|website=Chart Watch UK|date=3 April 1994|accessdate=6 September 2021|author-link=James Masterton}} Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "It's the combination of the fast bassline like Grandmaster Flash's 'White Lines' with Di Bart's slow soulful vocals that does it." Radio Number One FM/Istanbul programmer Alpay Kasicki stated that this type of pop dance happens to be very popular in Turkey, "We try to cover everything, but this is the people's taste. It was played 25 times in its first two weeks on our playlist. I'm sure Di Bart will follow in the footsteps of Haddaway and Culture Beat."

Andy Beevers from Music Week's RM Dance Update noted that "it has now become a permanent fixture in many DJs' boxes". He said about the 1994 remix, "They retain the excellent catchy vocals and back them up wlth a more complete club track. It builds from an almospheric piano and synth intro with leasing snatches of beats into a driving epic with blg breakdowns."{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-03-26.pdf|title=Hot Vinyl|last=Beeevers|first=Andy|magazine=Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert)|page=4|date=26 March 1994|access-date=15 April 2021}} In his weekly RM dance column, James Hamilton, described it as "last autumn's mournfully moaned light floater now faster like its old B-side in blippily swirled plonking fluttery 0-128.8bpm Joy Brothers Remake".{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-04-02.pdf|title=Dj directory|last=Hamilton|first=James|magazine=Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert)|page=7|date=2 April 1994|access-date=16 April 2021|author-link=James Hamilton (DJ and journalist)}}

The Guardian included "The Real Thing" in their "60 years of No 1 singles – The best No 1 records" in 2012.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/may/31/tony-di-bart-the-real-thing|title=The best No 1 records: Tony di Bart – The Real Thing|last=Petridis|first=Alexis|author-link=Alexis Petridis|newspaper=The Guardian|date=31 May 2012|access-date=18 July 2020}} Tomorrowland featured the song in their official list of "The Ibiza 500" in 2020.{{Cite web|date=2020|title=Tomorrowland Ibiza Top 500 (2020)|url=https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6RrALk1ve62YYLcyrForW0|publisher=Spotify|access-date=28 April 2022}}

• UK 12-inch blue vinyl single{{cite AV media notes|title=The Real Thing|others=Tony Di Bart|year=1993|type=UK 12-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Cleveland City Blues|id=CCB 15001}}

:A1. "The Real Thing"

:B1. "The Real Thing" (dance mix)

:B2. "The Real Thing" (underground mix)

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• UK 7-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title=The Real Thing|others=Tony Di Bart|year=1994|type=UK 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Cleveland City Blues|id=CCB 715001(R)}}

:A. "The Real Thing" (new 7-inch dance)

:B. "The Real Thing" (new 7-inch radio)

• UK 12-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title=The Real Thing|others=Tony Di Bart|year=1994|type=UK 12-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Cleveland City Blues|id=CCB 15001(R)}}

:A1. "The Real Thing" (The Joy Brothers remake)

:B1. "The Real Thing" (7-inch remake)

:B2. "The Real Thing" (original dance mix)

• UK CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=The Real Thing|others=Tony Di Bart|year=1994|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=Cleveland City Blues|id=CCBCD 15001 (R)}}

1. "The Real Thing" (new 7-inch dance)
2. "The Real Thing" (new 7-inch radio)
3. "The Real Thing" (new 12-inch dance)
4. "The Real Thing" (original 12-inch dance)
5. "The Real Thing" (12-inch dub mix)

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• Dutch 12-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title=The Real Thing|others=Tony Di Bart|year=1994|type=Dutch 12-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=

Freaky Records|id=Freaky 1038-5}}

:A1. "The Real Thing" (house mix) – 6:32

:B1. "The Real Thing" (new 12-inch dance mix) – 7:17

:B2. "The Real Thing" (dub underground mix) – 5:15

• French CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=The Real Thing|others=Tony Di Bart|year=1994|type=French CD single liner notes|publisher=NN'B, Bertelsmann Music Group|id=74321215012}}

1. "The Real Thing" (new dance mix) – 3:51
2. "The Real Thing" (new radio mix) – 3:54

• Spanish maxi-CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=The Real Thing|others=Tony Di Bart|year=1994|type=Spanish maxi-CD single liner notes|publisher=Max Music|id=NM 865 CDMX}}

1. "The Real Thing" (new 7-inch dance)
2. "The Real Thing" (original 12-inch dance)
3. "The Real Thing" (12-inch dub mix)
4. "The Real Thing" (new 12-inch dance)
5. "The Real Thing" (new 7-inch radio)

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{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Tony Di-Bart|title=The Real Thing|award=Silver|relyear=1994|certyear=1994|id=7244-3034-1|access-date=30 June 2019}}

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Category:1993 songs

Category:1993 debut singles

Category:1994 singles

Category:Music Week number-one dance singles

Category:Number-one singles in Scotland

Category:Tony Di Bart songs

Category:UK singles chart number-one singles