I Can't Wait (Nu Shooz song)

"I Can't Wait"
Front cover of 1986 US reissue (Atlantic)
Single by Nu Shooz
from the album Tha's Right and Poolside
B-side	"Make Your Mind Up"
Released	February 1986
Genre	Freestyle[1][2] pop[2] R&B[2]
Length	5:25 (album version) 3:40 (single version)
Label	Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	John Smith
Producer(s)	John Smith Rick Waritz
Nu Shooz singles chronology
"I Can't Wait" (1986) "Point of No Return" (1986)
Music video
"I Can't Wait" on YouTube
Back cover
Back cover of 1986 US reissue (Atlantic)

"I Can't Wait" is a song by American group Nu Shooz, included on the band's second album, Tha's Right (1985).[3] The song was remixed by Dutch DJ and producer Peter Slaghuis: this remixed version is the one that appears on the group's 1986 album, Poolside.

In the United States, the remixed version of the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number three on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom and West Germany, the song reached number two, while in Canada, it peaked at number one. The single returned to the Billboard charts in 2015, where it peaked at number 17 on the Dance/Electronic Digital Songs chart.[4]

Background

Instrumentalist John Smith would try to write songs in batches of 10 and have two a week ready for rehearsals in Portland, Oregon. He bought a new Teac-3440 4-track recorder in 1983, and "I Can't Wait" was one of the first songs he recorded on it. He scribbled out the lyrics in fifteen minutes as the band was loading up gear to go to rehearse it, and his wife, singer Valerie Day, approved.[5]

Critical reception

John Leland's writeup in a Spin magazine column wrote about the single, saying: "You can listen to this record as many times as you want and still not have any strong impressions that human beings actually made it. In other words, it's the perfect disco record."[6]

Music video

The music video was directed by Jim Blashfield. It contains animations and has a hint of the very surreal. The plot has Valerie Day singing the song sitting at a desk, repairing a coffeepot, while tools and other oddities pass into the frame and out again. Her dog sits nearby, wearing sunglasses.

Personnel

According to the liner notes for the Tha's Right album:[3]

• Valerie Day- lead vocals, congas, percussion
• John Smith- guitars
• Mark Bosnian- keyboards, vocals
• Danny Schauffler- tenor saxophone
• Lewis Livermore- trumpet
• Gary Fountaine- bass guitar
• Peter K. Williams- drums
• Shannon Day, Lori Lamphear-Rosenfeld- backing vocals
• Nate Phillips- Moog bass

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1986) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 11 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 16 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 9 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] 1 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[11] 6 France (SNEP)[12] 24 Ireland (IRMA)[13] 10 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 11 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 9 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 3 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 4 UK Singles (OCC)[18] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[19] 3 US 12-inch Singles Sales (Billboard)[20] 2 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[21] 38 US Dance/Disco Club Play (Billboard)[22] 1 US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)[23] 2 West Germany (GfK)[24] 2

Year-end charts Chart (1986) Rank Australia (Kent Music Report)[25] 66 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[26] 9 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[27] 29 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[28] 95 New Zealand (RIANZ)[29] 17 UK Singles (OCC)[30] 38 US Billboard Hot 100[31] 26 West Germany (Official German Charts)[32] 23

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[33]	Gold	50,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[34]	Silver	250,000^^
United States (RIAA)[35]	Gold	500,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Cover version and samples

• The song was covered in 2002 by the UK garage girl group Ladies First. It was a UK top 20 hit, reaching number 19.[36]
• The song was sampled by American singer Vanessa Williams for her 1997 song "Happiness".[37]
• The song was sampled by American rapper Mann for his 2010 song "Buzzin".[38]

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)

References

1. "Nu Shooz 'Can't Wait' for Super Freestyle Explosion in Ontario". dailybulletin.com. June 20, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
2. Molanphy, Chris (July 16, 2022). "Point of No Return Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
3. Nu Shooz- Tha's Right @ the band's website Archived November 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved March 12, 2011.
4. Dance/Electronic Digital Songs (October 24, 2015) from Billboard (October 14, 2015)
5. "Interview with Valerie Day and John Smith of Nu Shooz". Kickin' it Old School. June 22, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
6. John Leland (May 1986). Singles - Nu Shooz "I Can't Wait". Spin.
7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 220. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and June 12, 1988.
8. "Nu Shooz – I Can't Wait" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
9. "Nu Shooz – I Can't Wait" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
10. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0698." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
11. "European Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 30/31. August 2, 1986. p. 12.
12. "Nu Shooz – I Can't Wait" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
13. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Can't Wait". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
14. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 32, 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
15. "Nu Shooz – I Can't Wait" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
16. "Nu Shooz – I Can't Wait". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
17. "Nu Shooz – I Can't Wait". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
18. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
19. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. June 14, 1986. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
20. "Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. April 26, 1986. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
21. "Adult Contemporary". Billboard. June 28, 1986. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
22. "Dance Club Songs". Billboard. March 29, 1986. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
23. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. April 19, 1986. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
24. "Offiziellecharts.de – Nu Shooz – I Can't Wait" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
25. "Kent Music Report No 650 – 29 December 1986 > National Top 100 Singles for 1986". Kent Music Report. Retrieved December 10, 2019 – via Imgur.
26. "Top 100 Singles of '86". RPM. Retrieved March 6, 2023 – via Library and Archives Canada.
27. "European Hot 100 Singles: Hot 100 of the Year 1986". Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 51/52. August 2, 1986. p. 29.
28. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
29. "End of Year Charts 1986". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
30. "Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England. January 24, 1987. p. 24.
31. "1986 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 52. December 27, 1986. p. Y-21.
32. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1986" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
33. "Canadian single certifications – Nu Shooz – I Can't Wait". Music Canada. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
34. "British single certifications – Nu Shooz – I Can't Wait". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
35. "American single certifications – Nu Shooz – I Can't Wait". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
36. "LADIES FIRST | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts.
37. Elias, Jason. Happiness at AllMusic. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
38. O'Brien, Jon. Mann's World at AllMusic. Retrieved May 11, 2024.