"Captain Jack" is a song by the German Eurodance group Captain Jack, consisting of producer and vocalist Franky Gee, actor Sharky Durban and singer Liza da Costa. It was released in July 1995 as the lead single from their debut album, The Mission (1996). The song was produced by Udo Niebergall and Eric Schnecko, and is based on an old US Army military cadence known as "Hey, Hey Captain Jack".
"Captain Jack" was successful in Europe, particularly in Hungary, Latvia and the Netherlands, where it topped the charts. It was certified platinum in Germany and gold in the Netherlands and Norway. The accompanying music video was directed by Mark Glaeser. "Captain Jack" was nominated to the 1997 Echo Awards for the most successful national dance single.
Critical reception Alan Jones from Music Week wrote, "Captain Jack is a ludicrous creation, already fearsomely popular on the continent. The first Captain Jack single to escape into the UK is a self-titled effort combining a banging techno backing track with some deep-throated singing/rapping. The good captain reels off dance instructions in a frenetic manner which recalls 'sounding off' in the style of the US military drill. A bit of a novelty, but one that shouldn't be underestimated."
Chart performance "Captain Jack" peaked at number one in Hungary and the Netherlands. It entered the top 10 in Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Flanders, Germany, Norway and Switzerland. Additionally, it was a top-20 hit in Ireland, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it peaked at number 14 in February 1996. In the UK, it reached number 104 on the UK Singles Chart. "Captain Jack" earned a gold record in the Netherlands and Norway, with a sale of 40,000 and 15,000 singles. In Germany, it was awarded with a platinum record, when 500,000 units were sold there.
Music video The music video for "Captain Jack" was directed by Mark Glaeser for Neue Sentimental Film and filmed in Frankfurt, Germany. It was A-listed on German music television channel VIVA in January 1996.
Track listings European CD single "Captain Jack" (short mix) – 4:06 "Captain Jack" (Peacecamp mix) – 5:23
European CD maxi "Captain Jack" (short mix) – 4:06 "Captain Jack" (Peacecamp mix) – 5:23 "Captain Jack" (House mix) – 5:04 "Captain Jack" (club mix) – 5:19 "Captain Jack" (Analog mix) – 3:15
European CD maxi (Remixes) "Captain Jack" (Dancefloor Syndroma Success mix) – 6:05 "Captain Jack" (Dancefloor Syndroma radio remix) – 3:29 "Captain Jack" (Dancefloor Syndroma House mix) – 6:36 "Captain Jack" (Captain Jack Is in da House mix) – 4:28
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1995–1996)PeakpositionDenmark (IFPI) 5Estonia (Eesti Top 20) 4Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 14Hungary (Mahasz) See LW column. 1Latvia (Latvijas Top 50) 1Quebec (ADISQ) 40UK Singles (OCC) 104
Year-end charts Chart (1996)PositionBelgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) 20Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 40Germany (Media Control) 17Latvia (Latvijas Top 50) 14Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 3Netherlands (Single Top 100) 6Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 40
Certifications
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Europe27 July 1995CDCDL – Cologne Dance LabelJapan3 July 1996United Kingdom12 August 1996
References