United (Prince Ital Joe and Marky Mark song)
{{Infobox song
| name = United
| cover = MarkyMarkPrinceItal_-_United_single.jpg
| alt =
| caption = One of cover arts mainly for German releases
| type = single
| artist = Prince Ital Joe and Marky Mark
| album = Life in the Streets
| released = March 1994
| recorded = 1993
| studio = Nemo Studios, Hamburg
| venue =
| genre = Eurodance
| length = 4:02
| label = Ultraphonic / EastWest Records GmbH
| writer =
- Alex Christensen
- Frank Peterson
- Joseph Paquette
- Mark Wahlberg
| producer =
- Alex Christensen
- Frank Peterson
| prev_title = Happy People
| prev_year = 1993
| next_title = Babylon
| next_year = 1995
}}
"United" is a song recorded by Dominican-American reggae/ragga recording artist Prince Ital Joe and American rapper Marky Mark. It was released in March 1994 as the third single from their debut album, Life in the Streets (1994). The song was co-written and produced by Alex Christensen and Frank Peterson. It reached number one in Germany and the top 10 in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Critical reception
Alan Jones from Music Week gave the song four out of five, writing, "Number one in Germany, this catchy confection combines Ital Joe's Haddaway and Dr. Alban influences with Marky Mark's streetwise rapping. A substantial hit."{{cite magazine|first= Alan |last= Jones |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-06-25.pdf |title= Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= June 25, 1994 |page= 18 |accessdate= April 17, 2021}} He later added, "This is an anthemic German production pairing the patois of Prince Ital and a more conventional Marky Mark rap with a big chorus. Don't underestimate the potential of a record which has now been huge all over Europe, and consequently exposed to million of British holidaymakers."{{cite magazine|first= Alan |last= Jones |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-09-10.pdf |title= Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= September 10, 1994 |page= 20 |accessdate= April 19, 2021}} Dele Fadele from NME noted "a hi-NRG stomp, a ridiculously overblown chorus, Marky Mark's hardman rap and Prince Ital Joe's namechecking toast".{{cite magazine|first=Dele|last=Fadele|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/nothingelseon/53382483149/|title=Singles|work=NME|date=February 11, 1995|page=45|access-date=December 14, 2023|author-link=Dele Fadele}} James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update deemed it a "Boney M-ish chant-along cheesy German smash".{{cite magazine|first= James |last= Hamilton |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-07-02.pdf |title= Dj directory |magazine= Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert) |date= July 2, 1994 |page= 7 |accessdate= April 19, 2021 |author-link= James Hamilton (DJ and journalist)}} Emma Cochrane from Smash Hits complimented "United" as a "great dance track".{{cite magazine|first=Emma|last=Cochrane|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/57779449@N02/53988645542/in/album-72177720320283974/|title=New Albums|work=Smash Hits|date=August 3, 1994|page=55|access-date=October 8, 2024}}
Music video
The accompanying music video for the song features Prince Ital Joe and Marky Mark being chauffeured around predominantly rough neighborhoods of New York City in a Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullmann limousine. This footage is interspersed with a second storyline showing a mixed-race couple reuniting after the female partner has apparently moved out of their apartment. The video was A-listed on Germany's VIVA.{{cite magazine|first=|last=|title=Station Reports > VIVA TV/Cologne|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-05-21.pdf|magazine=Music & Media|volume=11|issue=21|date=May 21, 1994|page=30|accessdate=December 20, 2022}}
Track listings
- CD maxi - Europe (1994)
- "United" (Radio Edit) - 4:02
- "United" (Extended Version) - 5:59
- "United" (United Mix) - 5:29
- "In The 90's" - 3:17
Charts
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References
{{Reflist}}
{{Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Number-one singles in Germany
Category:Number-one singles in Israel
Category:Prince Ital Joe songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Alex Christensen
Category:Song recordings produced by Frank Peterson
Category:Songs written by Alex Christensen