"The Rockafeller Skank" is a song by English big beat musician and DJ Fatboy Slim. It was a single released from the 1998 album, You've Come a Long Way, Baby. The single peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart in June 1998 and topped the Icelandic Singles Chart for a week the same month. It was the second Fatboy Slim single to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 76.
Critical reception
Music & Media wrote about the song: "Norman Cook's latest outing easily matches the extremely high quality one would expect from a chart veteran with such names as the Housemartins, Beats International, The Mighty Dubcats and Pizzaman on his CV. This time around, he's somehow managed to fuse big beat and dance with surf—seasoned with a slight pinch of punk—and has come up with what is probably the single most infectious sound around on the airwaves right now."
Samples
The song features the repeated line "Right about now, the funk soul brother / Check it out now, the funk soul brother", which is a truncated vocal sample of rapper Lord Finesseon the track "Vinyl Dog Vibe" by Vinyl Dogs, the original line being "Check it out right about now, it's no other than the funk soul brother, the Lord Finesse". The song also features four other samples, including a sample of the song "Sliced Tomatoes" by the band Just Brothers, The Bobby Fuller Four's "I Fought the Law", and a sample of "Beat Girl" by John Barry and his Orchestra. A guitar line from the song "Peter Gunn" by Art of Noise featuring Duane Eddy is also sampled. Fatboy Slim has stated that to clear the samples and release the song he had to release 100% of the track's royalties, 25% to each artist, meaning he receives no royalties himself.
Usage in media
The song has been featured in the media on numerous occasions:
In the TV series Being Erica, Daria, Saturday Night Live, and Sex and the City.
In the 20th episode of the 1st season of Speechless.
In the episode 15 of the 5th season of the American sitcom Friends, during the party staged by Ross to his neighbors.
In a 2020 European TV ad for an electric Mini model.
In the announcement trailer for the 2020 video game .
Track listing
; CD
"The Rockafeller Skank"
"The Rockafeller Skank"
"Always Read the Label"
"Tweakers Delight"
Note: Some mainland European editions omit the album version The edited version is notable at the beginning, as there is a scat effect on the first word of the song. This is removed on the edit featured on the 2006 compilation The Greatest Hits – Why Try Harder. ; 12"
