‘Music For The Dancers’ N°307 – Vintage 2000s Music Videos

1 . Mousse T – Right About Now (w/ Emma Lanford)

Mousse T’s “Right About Now,” released in 2004 and featuring Emma Lanford, is an infectious offering that sits comfortably within the producer’s funk-laced house music repertoire. Lanford’s crisp, soulful delivery rides atop a tightly packed instrumental groove, filled with bright horns, rhythmic basslines, and shimmering synth layers—a showcase of unapologetic, polished production.

This track is part of Mousse T’s album *All Nite Madness*, a project that taps into the vibrant energy of early 2000s club culture, blending house, funk, and a splash of disco revivalism. In this context, “Right About Now” feels less like a stand-alone anthem and more like a mood-setting puzzle piece in a broader nightlife soundtrack. The entire record favors cohesion over chart-baiting singles, evidenced by the track’s understated profile despite its infectious energy.

Lanford, a frequent collaborator across the album, brings a dynamic presence to the track. Her vocals add texture and personality, offsetting Mousse T’s meticulously layered production. The chemistry between producer and vocalist is palpable but never indulgent, striking a balanced interplay between precision and improvisational flair.

Commercially, “Right About Now” didn’t achieve significant chart splash, but its value lies in how it reinforces Mousse T’s artistry. Known for injecting house music with funk-driven exuberance, he continues that legacy here. The accompanying music video and its limited rotation on niche networks further solidified the track as an insider’s gem rather than a mainstream sensation.

Overall, the song and its parent album cater primarily to house enthusiasts with an affection for groove-centric energy, tight craftsmanship, and playful vocal hooks. Mousse T’s work here may not redefine the genre, but it carves out space within it—confident, fun, and wildly self-assured. A footnote in his career? Perhaps. A forgettable one? Hardly.

Featured on the 2004 album “All Nite Madness”.

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2 . Boney M – Daddy Cool 2001

The 2001 version of Boney M.’s “Daddy Cool” might not have set charts ablaze like its 1976 predecessor, but it served more as a playful nod to disco nostalgia than any groundbreaking release.

Originally a centerpiece of “Take the Heat Off Me,” the song’s legacy is rooted in its unmistakable bassline and its rhythmic tic-tic intro—crafted by Frank Farian, who, in pure form, even used a pencil tapped on his teeth for effect.

If that anecdote seems bizarre, it’s also perfectly on-brand for a track that once convinced a label to abandon a Bob Marley cover in favor of this oddball disco anthem—with excellent results.

Though the 2001 revisit lacked new collaborations or chart heroics, it found a home in compilation albums aimed at reviving a time when disco shoes ruled the dance floors and music programs like “Musikladen” could catapult songs to fame overnight.

That 1976 moment still glimmers—male vocals that practically growl, interspersed with the effervescent choral lines from Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett, present a hypnotic friction few tracks achieve with such apparent effortlessness.

“Daddy Cool” has a razor-sharp simplicity to its structure that leans as much on nursery-rhyme repetition as on its pulsing rhythm, which turned it into a European juggernaut while leaving the U.S. somewhat indifferent.

By its reissue, the song had been covered, sampled, and infused into so many layers of media that its iconic status felt less tied to its original time and more to its continued usefulness—whether for nostalgia compilations or the odd disco-themed commercial.

True to form, the re-release lacked innovation but remained a bright, unabashed throwback to an untouchable era, where absurdity and brilliance coexisted effortlessly under a mirrorball’s glow.

Featured on the 1976 album “Take the Heat off Me”.

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3 . Alena – Turn It Around

Released in 1998, “Turn It Around” by Alena sits comfortably at the crossroads of late-’90s Eurodance and trance culture, where glitter-heavy electronic music thrived in dimly lit club basements and radio waves alike.

Initially pressed under the Ley Lines Music label, the track soon reached broader audiences through AM:PM Records, a subdivision of A&M, signaling its transition from underground favorite to mainstream contender on the UK Singles Chart, where it claimed the respectable #14 spot by January 1999.

Much of its ascendancy owed itself to an inspired Matt Darey remix, which infused the song with an ethereal yet punchy pulse suited for rave euphoria without losing its melodic core.

The production hits that sweet spot: hypnotic synthetic loops balanced against the warm vibrato of Alena’s vocal delivery, giving the impression that even a repetitive hook can exude an almost meditative charm.

Not tethered to an album, it instead became a lone warrior on numerous compilations of the era—often found rubbing shoulders with other anthems on club-heavy trance or electronic anthologies that defined the time for glowstick-wielding devotees.

Curiously, the music video played it safe with kinetic visuals, almost apologetic in their simplicity, serving the rhythm rather than reinvesting in the song’s inherent drama.

“Turn It Around” is less about innovation than it is about determination—it captures an era’s insistence on the persistence of optimism through insistent beats and unshakable resolve, layering resilience into its steady build-up of energy.

For club-goers trudging through dreary weeks at the millennium’s edge, this wasn’t just a track; it was an escape hatch, a communal nod to the idea that change—even if repetitive in execution—can still pulse with hope.

Featured on the 2002 album “Turn It Around”.

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4 . Uniting Nations – Out Of Touch

“Out of Touch” by Uniting Nations brings a dance-floor-centric renaissance to Hall & Oates’ classic, injecting pulsing beats and glossy production into the 1984 smash hit.

Released in late 2004, this iteration found its groove across Europe, flirting with the top tiers of multiple charts while playing cat-and-mouse with pop trends of the mid-2000s.

The track’s anonymous vocal line—delivered by session singer Jinian Wilde—keeps the spotlight on the beats rather than the face, a move that pairs well with its effervescent but faceless nightclub aesthetic.

The accompanying music video substitutes personality for pulsating spectacle, headlined by actor-dancer Craig Powell twirling through a hyper-sanitized rave fantasy.

Its nomination for Best Dance Single at the UK DanceStar Awards feels earned, though perhaps more for its relentless ubiquity than its inventiveness.

For all its glossy trappings, Uniting Nations’ take is more frosting than cake—delightful but fleeting.

In contrast, Daryl Hall and John Oates’ “Out of Touch” remains a monument to the elastic pop music of the ’80s, blending disco-tinged rhythms with synth-pop’s neon aspirations.

This Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper had a knack for fusing heartbreak and energy, coaxing bittersweet nostalgia into an auditory celebration.

John Oates’ experimentation with synthesizers—an accidental flirtation that resulted in the iconic chorus—adds an odd charm to the track.

The intro, “Dance on Your Knees,” serves as both prelude and exclamation point, unifying two distinct soundscapes into a pre-millennial groove.

Credits roll like a ‘who’s who’ of expert session musicians, from G.E. Smith’s tightly-wound guitar licks to Tom Wolk’s jazzy basslines, all working in sonic harmony with the duo.

The massive, surreal drum kit in the video screams excessive ’80s, juxtaposing human vulnerability against larger-than-life scale.

Unlike its remix-drenched descendant, the original carries a deeper emotional resonance, giving it legs to stride through decades of playlists without missing a beat.

Featured on the 2004 album “One World”.

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5 . Warp Brothers vs Aquagen – Phatt Bass

“Phatt Bass” by Warp Brothers arrives with the kind of raw intensity that could ignite any turn-of-the-century dancefloor.

Borrowing heavily from DJ Misjah & DJ Tim’s “Access” and channeling the pulsating energy of the iconic “Blade” soundtrack, this track isn’t shy about its influences, yet it morphs them into something both infectious and unrelenting.

The bassline—a throbbing monster of repetition—carries the song into the realm of hard house and hard trance, genres that thrived on their brutal simplicity and unbridled energy during the time.

Released in 2000, it punched its way into European charts, securing No. 9 in the UK and faring even better in Ireland at No. 6, proving that rave culture still had commercial legs at the dawn of the millennium.

The accompanying video, with its jolting visuals, perfectly mirrors the music: chaotic yet hypnotic, a neon fever dream of sweat and strobe lights.

Critics might argue it leans more on style than substance, but dismissing its impact would be an error.

If one track could encapsulate the aggressive euphoria of its era’s club scene, “Phatt Bass” is a strong contender.

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6 . B*Witched – Jesse Hold On

“Jesse Hold On” by B*Witched saunters into the late ’90s pop landscape armed with a fishing rod and a fiddle, metaphorically speaking.

The track, a curious blend of polished pop production and country twang, finds the Irish quartet grasping for their boy-band-adjacent appeal while adding a playful, almost kitschy layer of Americana.

The lyrics revolve around longing and devotion, but honestly, who’s tuning in for poetic depth when the hook is this sticky?

Commercially, it landed comfortably at number four on the UK Singles Chart, though it marked their descent from the number-one streak they had basked in previously—a trend not entirely surprising for a group often bottled into the “gimmicky” end of the pop spectrum.

The accompanying music video, directed by Andy Morahan, feels almost like a whimsical fever dream, with the band commandeering a rainbow bus through enough playful chaos to match the track’s buoyancy.

A closer listen reveals a rich instrumental arrangement—shoutout to the fiddle section—but the production can feel slightly overcooked, like candy floss that’s been left out in the rain.

Even though it charted internationally, with fair receptions in Australia and New Zealand, the song isn’t exactly a symbol of longevity in the annals of pop history.

Instead, it’s more like a snapshot of a moment when pop wasn’t afraid to trade wit for whimsy or sincerity for spectacle, resulting in a track that’s as divisive as it is instantaneously memorable.

Sure, it didn’t break barriers, but it doesn’t have to when its sole ambition is to make you tap your foot and maybe crack a smile. Mission accomplished, however fleeting.

Featured on the 1999 album “Awake & Breathe”.

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7 . Delerium – Silence (w/ Sarah McLachlan)

“Silence,” a standout from Delerium’s 1999 album “Karma,” gained an enduring place in electronic music, due in equal parts to Sarah McLachlan’s evocative vocal delivery and its immersive production.

The original version leaned heavily into ambient soundscapes, weaving a meditative thread that contrasted sharply with the pulse of its later trance remixes.

DJ Tiësto’s 2000 rework catalyzed the track’s rise as a club anthem, infusing it with relentless energy that secured chart placements across the U.K. and Europe.

Ahead of its time, “Silence” thrived both in late-night circuits and on mainstream music channels, even making its way into the film “Brokedown Palace.”

This track’s longevity owes much to its ability to shapeshift—Above & Beyond’s 2004 remix further stretched its reach, maintaining its relevance for a new wave of listeners.

McLachlan’s introspective lyrics provided the emotional scaffolding for an otherwise beat-driven genre, merging vulnerability with euphoric crescendos.

Though born from an atmospheric niche, “Silence” remains a paradox: intimate yet electrifying, tranquil yet exhilarating, a bridge between introspection and escapism.

The track continues to demand attention, less for its staying power in a market of transient hits and more for its uncanny ability to evoke both stillness and motion.

Featured on the 1999 album “Karma”.

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8 . Melanie B – Tell Me

Melanie B’s “Tell Me” bursts out of the gate with a brash confidence, revealing a snapshot of the artist’s life during a turbulent time.

Released on September 25, 2000, as the lead single from her debut album, “Hot,” the song leans into gritty R&B, loaded with slinky beats and keyboard textures that ooze defiance.

It’s hard not to feel the weight of its pointed lyrics, widely considered a jab at her ex-husband, Jimmy Gulzar, which gives the track its raw, unapologetic personality.

The production, helmed by Fred Jerkins III and LaShawn Daniels, aligns perfectly with Melanie’s sharp delivery, reinforcing the message of independence and resilience.

The accompanying music video, directed by Mike Lipscombe, matches this vibe, blending assertive choreography with striking imagery, adding an extra dimension to the song’s confrontational tone.

Commercially, the single held its ground, peaking at a respectable number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and spending 11 weeks on the list, a solid performance amid Spice Girls fans’ divided loyalties.

While some questioned the timing of its release so close to the group’s ongoing projects, Melanie’s choice makes a bold statement about using a mainstream platform for personal expression.

Critics found themselves comparing her vocal approach to Janet Jackson’s, praising her ability to balance directness with a hint of playful self-awareness.

What sets “Tell Me” apart isn’t just its catchy arrangement but the layers of emotional transparency woven into the lyrics, making it a standout in her solo ventures.

For Melanie B, this track wasn’t just a song but a declarative moment—less an air-clearing diatribe and more an artist staking a claim to her individuality amid the noise of public scrutiny.

Featured on the 2000 album “Hot”.

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9 . DJ Sammy – Boys of Summer

DJ Sammy’s rendition of “The Boys of Summer” is a fluorescent time capsule of early 2000s club culture, where trance beats took on the wistful nostalgia of Don Henley’s 1984 classic and dressed it in glowstick-ready energy. The track, featuring airy vocals from Loona, manages to transport the original’s meditations on fleeting youth onto the sweaty dance floors of Ibiza. Its chart success across the UK, Ireland, Germany, and beyond underscores its role as a turn-of-the-millennium anthem rather than a reinvention of Henley’s brooding Americana. Peaking at number two in the UK, the remix’s repetitive synth pulses and steady kick drum serve as both a backdrop for summer flings and a reminder that time marches on, even for DJs.

Don Henley’s original “The Boys of Summer,” in contrast, remains rooted in the understated melancholy of the 1980s. Crafted from Mike Campbell’s slow-burn demo, the track juxtaposes the drum machine precision of the LinnDrum and Oberheim OB-X synthesizer with lyrics dripping in existential malaise. Henley’s sharp critique of his generation’s compromises shines brightest in the “Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac” line—imagery that resonates more deeply than any nightclub strobe. Its accompanying video, a monochromatic fever dream of coastal solitude, earned accolades for its starkness and innovation, defining an MTV-era mise-en-scène. While DJ Sammy’s version is all flash and tricks, Henley’s original lingers like a Polaroid, dog-eared and fading but never forgotten.

Featured on the 2002 album “Heaven”.

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10 . Ian Van Dahl – I Can’t Let You Go

The 2004 track “I Can’t Let You Go” by Ian Van Dahl is a slice of Eurodance nostalgia that revels in its glossy, pulsing beats and bittersweet hooks.

Composed by Peter Luts, David Vervoort, and Michael Molina, the song captures the essence of mid-2000s club anthems—unapologetically melodramatic and engineered for strobe-lit nights.

Its opening synth line hooks the listener with an insistent rhythm, while Annemie Coenen’s ethereal vocals glide atop like an ice skater tracing heartbreak into the frozen surface of a dance floor.

Though the lyrics lean into generic themes of emotional entanglement, what stands out is its hypnotic production—a clean, efficient layering of sound that was trademark for producer Peter Luts at the time.

Commercially, the song managed a respectable showing, peaking at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart and resonating more fervently in dance-driven markets like Belgium and the Netherlands.

Its music video, featuring predictable but effective visuals of longing and glamour, did its job of situating the track firmly in the sleek pantheon of its genre.

While it never strays far from the Eurodance formula, the track’s remixes, particularly those from Push and The Thrillseekers, added club-ready depth, extending its life among DJs and late-night revelers.

In essence, “I Can’t Let You Go” is less about groundbreaking artistry and more about providing a short-lived yet satisfying audio escape to a more fluorescent world.

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11 . Girls Aloud – I Think We’re Alone Now

Girls Aloud’s take on “I Think We’re Alone Now” injects a polished, electronic flair into a track that already boasts a turbulent history of reinvention.

Originally penned by Ritchie Cordell and first brought to life by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967, it earned its initial stripes as a chart-climber on the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached #4.

Fast-forward two decades, and the song underwent a dramatic reinvention by Tiffany, who catapulted it to global fame in 1987 with a version brimming with bubblegum pop sensibilities, landing at #1 across several countries, including the US and UK.

Enter Girls Aloud in 2006, riding high during their mid-2000s peak.

Collaborating once again with the highly inventive Xenomania production team, their version would rear its glossy head on their “The Sound of Girls Aloud” compilation, peaking at #4 in the UK Singles Chart.

The group leaned heavily into a futuristic aesthetic for the accompanying music video, featuring lab-coat chic and CGI elements that felt more campy sci-fi than intergalactic chic.

While the track didn’t win awards, its production boosted the album’s chart presence, assisting in its multi-platinum sales certification by the British Phonographic Industry.

Musically, their rendition stretches the song’s structure into sleek, synth-driven territory, distinguishing it from both the rock-leaning original and the sugary pop remake that preceded this version.

It’s an homage to escapism, youth, and rebellion, fitting its lineage yet modernized enough to claim a distinctive place within the band’s catalog.

Featured on the 2006 album “The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest”.

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12 . Filo and Peri – Anthem (w/ Eric Lumiere)

Back in 2007, “Anthem” by Filo & Peri featuring Eric Lumiere hit the electronic music scene like a well-timed ignition, propelling trance into uncharted commercial territory.

Its most glaring accolade? Climbing to the summit of the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay chart—a first for any trance single—and refusing to budge for over two weeks that December.

Under the Vandit Records banner, with ties to trance heavyweight Paul van Dyk, its impact extended far beyond its genre borders.

The track offers a masterclass in euphoria, with uplifting melodies and Lumiere’s heartfelt vocals steering the emotional ship.

From the laser-lit cathedrals of Europe’s dance festivals to the packed clubs of North America, the song commanded live settings with a palpable electricity.

Its promotional music video, circulated through platforms like YouTube and MTV Dance, brought high-energy visuals to an already soaring production, further amplifying its resonance among EDM enthusiasts.

Call it an anthem for those seeking elation, or perhaps a moment of unity on the dancefloor set to melody and rhythm.

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