"What Are We Gonna Do About It" is a 1985 single for Mercy, Mercy. It became a hit for them that year.
Background "What Are We Gonna Do About It" was written by Colin Young and Luke Tunny,Music Week, August 31, 1985 - Page 13 THE NEXT 25, This Week 81, Last Week 85, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT? who co-founded Mercy, Mercy with Young.Collins complete UK hit singles 1952-2006, By Graham Betts · 2006 - - Page 545 MERCY MERCY Young was the lead vocalist in the outfit.Music Metason - ArtistInfo, Colin Young Keyboardist Tunny and vocalist Young (aka Colin Hughfield Young) teamed up when Young was working on a solo project in or around September 1984. "What Are We Gonna Do About It", released on Ensign/Island ENY 522 was the follow up to their 1984 release "It Must Be Heaven".Music Week, September 28, 1985 - Page 15 TALENT Edited by CHRIS WHITE Chart newcomers
Reception On 27 July 1985, James Hamilton noted the building of the mesmeric long breaks on the dub side of the single. He also said it was "slightly like a hot tempo Phil Fearon."James Hamilton's Disco Page, July 27, 1985 - July 27, 1985: Dante, Hi Tension, Mercy Mercy, Melba Moore, Videeo, ODDS ‘N’ BODS, MERCY MERCY: ‘What Are We Gonna Do About It?’ (Ensign 12ENY 522)
Paul Sexton of Record Mirror have a short review on the single in the magazine's 24 August issue. He said that it had a Phil Fearon / Galaxy sound and "a real creeper if you give it time".Record Mirror, August 24, 1985 - Page 10 s i n g l e s reviewed by paul sexton COMMENDATIONS, MERCY MERCY "What Are We Gonna Do About It' (Ensign)
On the week of 6 October, James Hamilton said that Young and Tunney were causing quite a stir with the "98bpm reggae-soul jogger".James Hamilton's Disco Page, October 6, 1984 - October 6, 1984: Chaka Khan, Paris, Dazz Band, Hi-Tension, Linda Clifford, ODDS ‘N’ BODS, MERCY MERCY: ‘It Must Be Heaven’ (Ensign 12ENY 515)
Airplay For the week of 31 August 1985, Music Week confirmed that the record was on ten I.L.R. station playlists, two of them A lists.Music Week, August 31, 1985 - Page 11 I.L.R. STATIONS, AIRPLAY, 10 Nb MERCY MERCY What Are We Gonna. Ensign/Island On the week of 7 September, the record was on ten I.L.R. station playlists, two more than the previous week. Three stations had it on their A list.Music Week, September 7, 1985 - Page 16 I.L.R. STATIONS, AIPLAY, 12 10 MERCY MERCY What Are We Gonna . . Ensign/Island It was also on the Radio London A list.Music Week, September 7, 1985 - Page 44 DISCO and dance Edited by BARRY LAZELL, RADIO London A LIST On the week of 28 September, the single had gone up from nine regional playlists to sixteen. Four of them were A lists and a station in Stockton had it as a hit pick.Music Week, September 28, 1985 - Page 9 REGIONAL AIPLAY, 16 9 MERCY MERCY What Are We Gonna. . Ensign/Island
Charts The Mercy Mercy single made its debut at no. 54 on the Music Week Top 75 Disco & Dance Singles chart on the week of 17 August 1985.Music Week, August 17, 1985 - Page 49 MUSIC WEEK DISCO and dance TOP 75 SINGLES, THIS WEEK 54 NEW WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT It also debuted on the Airplay Action Bubbling chart.Music Week, August 17, 1985 - Page 10 AIRPLAY action BUBBLING, 5 (-) MERCY MERCY: What Are We Gonna Do About It?
It debuted at no. 85 on the Music Week The Next 25 chart on the week of 24 AugustMusic Week, August 24, 1985 - Page 13 THE NEXT 25, This Week 85, Last Week -, WHAT ARE WE GONNA 00 ABOUT IT? and it had moved up from no. 28 on the Top 75 Disco & Dance Singles chart.Music Week, August 24, 1985 - Page 31 MUSIC WEEK DISCO and dance TOP 75 SINGLES, THIS WEEK 28, LAST WEEK 54, WEEKS ON CHART 2 WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT
On the week of 7 September, the single peaked at no. 9 on the Music Week Top 75 Disco & Dance Singles chart.Music Week, September 1, 1985 - Page 45 MUSIC WEEK DISCO and dance TOP 75 SINGLES, THIS WEEK 9, LAST WEEK 10, WEEKS ON CHART 4Music Week, September 14, 1985 - Page 9 MUSIC WEEK DISCO and dance TOP 75 SINGLES, THIS WEEK 17, LAST WEEK 9, WEEKS ON CHART 5
On the week of 14 September, the single debuted at no. 12 in the UK Club Play Chart.Music Week, September 14, 1985 - Page 8 UK Club Play Chart, 12 (New) MERCY MERCY: What Are We Gonna Do About It?
By the week of 21 September, it had made its debut at no. 59 in the Music Week Top 75 Singles chart.Music Week, September 21, 1985 - Page 21 TOP 75 SINGLES, This Week 59, NEW, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT? The following week (28 September), it was at no. 64. This was the song's last week in the Top 75.Music Week, September 28, 1985 - Page 11 TOP 75 SINGLES, This Week 64, Last Week 59, Weeks on Chart 2Official Charts - WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT? by MERCY MERCY It had also moved up from no. 10 to no. 9 on the UK Club Play Chart.Music Week, September 28, 1985 - Page 25 UK Club Play Chart 9 10 MERCY MERCY: What Are We Gonna Do About It?
On 12 October the single had moved down from no. 9 to no. 15 on the UK Club Play Chart.Music Week, October 12, 1985 - Page 33 UK Club Play Chart 15 9 MERCY MERCY: What Are We Gonna Do About It
The song was still in the Music Week Top 75 Disco & Dance Singles chart at no. 69 on the week of 2 November.Music Week, November 2, 1985 - Page 34 MUSIC WEEK DISCO and dance TOP 75 SINGLES, THIS WEEK 69 58 12
The song came no. 48 in the RM (New Record Mirror) Year End Disco chart.RM (New Record Mirror), Jan 4, 1986 - Page 37 YEAR END DISC0, 48 WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT, Mercy Mercy, Ensign 12in
Later versions Lewis Berry recorded a version, produced by Rod Gammons which was released on Record Shack Records SOHOT 58 in 1986 as "What Am I Gonna Do About It".Amazon - Lewis Berry / What Am I Gonna Do About It A 2017 version appeared on an EP along with "You Lied" and "What Gives You The Right".Amazon - Lewis Berry EP
References
External links Discogs - Mercy, Mercy – What Are We Gonna Do About It chambers of hourrors channel, Apr 24, 2023 - Mercy Mercy - What Are We Gonna Do About It? (UK TV) Performance 1985 Dj Kingstone - Leeds - UK channel, May 23, 2021 - Mercy Mercy - What Are We Gonna Do About It (1985 Extended Version) (in High Quality) Chart Surfer - What Are We Gonna Do About It, Song by Mercy Mercy Hpets channel, Sep 13, 2021 - Lewis Berry 1986 What Am I Gonna Do About It Lewis Berry - Topic channel, Jul 13, 2017 - What Am I Gonna Do About It