"Big Time" is a song by Italian Eurodance project Whigfield, which was fronted by Danish-born singer Sannie Charlotte Carlson. It was released in July 1995 by X-Energy Records as the fifth single from her debut album, Whigfield (1995). The song was written by Annerley Gordon, Alfredo Larry Pignagnoli, Davide Riva and Paul Sears, and produced by Pignagnoli and Riva. For the British market, it was released by Systematic as a double A-side single with "Last Christmas", a cover of the English duo Wham!, and reached number 21 on the UK Singles Chart. In other countries, "Big Time" was a top-10 hit in Canada, and a top-20 hit in Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.
Critical reception British The Guardian complimented the song as "cute".(17 June 1995). "Preview". p. 15. The Guardian. Pan-European magazine Music & Media compared it to Swedish band Ace of Base, writing, "When the cat's away—that's Ace of Base—the mice will play. And they're having a big time with a pop reggae song ready for summer chart domination." Music Week commented, "Hedging her bets, Whiggy releases a drippy cut from her debut album, alongside a corny version of the Wham! festive fave." Johnny Cigarettes from NME said it is "a pitiful stab in the dark at Ace of Base". Gill Whyte from Smash Hits gave "Big Time" a score of four out of five, writing, "Phew! This is more like the old Whiggers! An admirably naff singalong chorus of a hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-ho nature, plenty of kitsch pop and cod reggae. A mindless dance ditty, this is what keeps the nation on its feet."
Chart performance In Europe, "Big Time" became a top-20 hit on the charts in Denmark (12), Italy (11), the Netherlands (20) and Spain (13).Billboard. 17 June 1995. p. 57. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Whigfield". Additionally, it was a top-30 hit in Belgian Flanders (29), Ireland (24), Scotland (21) and the UK. In the latter nation, the song was released as a double single with Whigfield's cover of "Last Christmas" by Wham!. It peaked at number 21 also on the UK Singles Chart on 10 December 1995, during its first week at the chart. It spent a total of five weeks within the chart. In Germany, it reached number 50, while on the Eurochart Hot 100, it peaked at number 54 after three weeks on the chart.
Outside Europe, the single was a top-10 hit in Canada, peaking at number eight on The Record singles chart, while reaching the top 30 on the RPM Dance/Urban chart, peaking at number 22. It also became a top-30 hit in Israel, peaking at number 23 on 10 October 1995 and spent four weeks in the top 30. Search "Big Time" for Israeli chart history.
Music video In the accompanying music video for "Big Time", Whigfield walks in a deserted countryside with a shopping cart with foods. She wears a red dress. A white cabriolet with three girls are passing by and Whigfield goes with them. Other scenes show Whigfield singing while standing on a wrecking ball. She and the girls also stops at a car repair shop to get the car fixed. Then they drive on. At the end the shopping cart is being emptied from a rock crush. The video was later made available by X-Energy on YouTube in 2013.
Track listings
CD maxi, Italy (X-Energy Records) "Big Time" (Album Version) – 3:21 "Big Time" (Summer Zone Remix) – 5:18 "Big Time" (Dancing Divaz Club Mix) – 6:54 "Big Time" (M.B.R.G. Remix) – 4:50 "Saturday Night" (US Classical Vocal Remix) – 9:15
CD maxi, Mexico (Musart) "Big Time" (Version Album) – 3:21 "Big Time" (Summer Zone Remix) – 5:18) "Big Time" (MBRG Remix) – 4:50 "Big Time" (Dancing Divaz Club Mix) – 6:54 "Big Time" (Extended Version) – 4:32
CD maxi, Canada (Quality Records) "Big Time" (Summer Zone Remix) – 5:21 "Big Time" (Extended Version) – 4:35 "Big Time" (MBRG Remix) – 4:52 "Big Time" (Dancing Divaz Mix) – 7:01 "Big Time" (Album Version) – 3:21
EP, Australia "Big Time" (Single Version) "Big Time" (Summer Zone Remix) "Big Time" (Extended Version) "Big Time" (MBRG Mix) "Big Time" (Dancin Divaz Club Mix)
Charts Chart (1995)PeakpositionCanada Retail Singles (The Record) 8Canada Dance/Urban (RPM) 22Denmark (IFPI) 12Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 54Ireland (IRMA)"Think of You", in Irish Singles Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved 11 August 2007) 24Israel (Israeli Singles Chart) 23Italy (Musica e dischi) 11Quebec (ADISQ) 50Scotland (OCC) 21Spain (AFYVE) 13UK Singles (OCC) 21UK Club Chart (Music Week) 44
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Germany31 July 1995CDUnited Kingdom4 December 1995Systematic Misprinted as 3 December on source. The Albums section uses the correct date.
References