"Weekend" is a song by Dutch band Earth and Fire. It was released by Earth and Fire as a single in November 1979 and reached the number one spot in the singles charts in the Netherlands, Switzerland, West Germany, Denmark and Portugal. It was written by keyboard player Gerard Koerts for the album Reality Fills Fantasy.
Track listing
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1979–1980)PeakpositionBelgium (Joepie)1Denmark (IFPI)1Portugal (AFP)1
Year-end charts Chart (1979)PositionBelgium (Ultratop)61Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)66Netherlands (Single Top 100)28 Chart (1980)PositionBelgium (Ultratop)74Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)94Netherlands (Single Top 100)89Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)5West Germany (Media Control)8
Certifications
Chips version
"Weekend" was first covered by the Swedish group Chips on their eponymously titled debut-album. Originally, the version was recorded in 1980, but was only available on the album's first printed issues, as all subsequent releases (now called "Sweets'n Chips") replaced the song with the track "Good Morning". It wasn't until the release of the 1997 Greatest Hits-album "20 bästa låtar" that the song became widely available again. The B-Side on the single was the Instrumental track "Tokyo".
Track listing
Scooter version
"Weekend" was also covered by German techno group Scooter as "Weekend!". It was released on 24 February 2003 as the first single from their ninth studio album, The Stadium Techno Experience (2003). The single reached number two in Germany and was a top-10 hit in Austria, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. In Norway, the song is certified Platinum for sales exceeding 10,000.
Music video The video for the song takes place on an illuminated part of a loam-covered floor encircled by dark. While Scooter are performing the song, there are Buddhist and Christian monks, nuns, Asian martial artists, topless women dancing and making out, traditional Indian female dancers and Ganesha dancing around them. H. P. Baxxter can also be seen wearing a costume resembling those worn by the Roman centurions. The video was censored in the multimedia part of the CD single released in Germany.
On 13 March 2008, British music channel Clubland TV broadcast the uncensored video, featuring female topless dancers, at 7:05pm, almost two hours before the watershed. Two viewers complained to Ofcom, the regulatory body who concluded that this was an isolated incident, as Clubland TV were a new channel and played the unedited version in error over the intended censored version. The channel apologised for the incident.
Track listing
Charts Weekly charts Chart (2003)PeakpositionEurope (Eurochart Hot 100)10Ireland Dance (IRMA)1Romania (Romanian Top 100)97
Year-end charts Chart (2003)PositionAustria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)54Germany (Media Control GfK)44Ireland (IRMA)98Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)96Netherlands (Single Top 100)44Sweden (Hitlistan)53UK Singles (OCC)121
Certifications
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Germany24 February 2003CDSheffield TunesUnited Kingdom24 March 2003Australia14 April 2003CDAddiction
Other versions In 1980, the Belgian band De Strangers released a Dutch-language version of the song under the title "Pluchke".De Strangers - Troef
In 1980, Conny Morin released a German version as "Kein Mädchen für das Wochenende".ZDF-Hitparade (Live - Berliner Union Film Studios) Sendung Nr. 125 This version later was covered by Daniela Dilow.
In 2002, Kid Q released the single "This Feeling", which contains a sample of "Weekend".Kid Q - This Feeling at Discogs.com
In 2008, Bloodhound Gang released a cover version of the Scooter cover, "Weekend!"
In 2012, Belgian electro producer Mickey released a cover version of the original track, featuring Sylvie 'Billie' Kreusch.
In 2017, Dutch artist De Ambassade released a New wave/Synth-pop rendition of the song under the title "Jerney", after the lead singer of Earth and Fire Jerney Kaagman.De Ambassade - Verloren at Discogs.com
In 2019, German DSDS Star Sarah Lombardi released "Weekend", a collaboration with DJ Herzbeat, as Schlager Song.VIP: Sarah Lombardi gibt mit „Weekend“-Cover ihr Schlager-Debüt from 20. March 2019 The Song peaked at Number 93 of the GfK Entertainment Charts, and reached Number 1 on ITunes the week after its release.Sarah Lombardi erobert mit Berliner Club-DJ den Schlagerolymp
In 2019, Cordon Rouge released a cover version, "Le Weekend".
In 2020, German DJ LIZOT released a cover version of "Weekend".
References