THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

717-Oceanic-Insanity.

1991-Number 3 single.

Best Bit-At 1.56. Many Dance tracks, especially the popular ones, are given several remixes. The mix I used to play was on the 7 inch vinyl, for me the defining version. Unfortunately my copy has long gone, and when I come to think of it, so have my turntables.

Oceanic were formed in the late 1980’s, in Wallasey, Merseyside, England, by David Harry, Frank Crofts, Jorinde Williams, (vocals) and Andy Lea, together they produced Electronic Dance Music, (EDM) in the sub-genre’s of ‘Pop,’ ‘House,’and ‘Techno.’ In total they issued six singles between 1991-1999, of which three reached the UK top 40, with ‘Insanity’ charting the highest at Number 3 in 1991, the song was also a hit in Australia, where it peaked at Number 31. Their other two top 40 hits in the UK were ‘Wicked Love,’ which was released as the follow up to ‘Insanity,’ reaching Number 25, also in 1991, and ‘Controlling Me,’ which was their third UK single release, and made Number 14, that track was also their only other song to chart overseas, where it reached Number 19 in Ireland in 1992. Oceanic also issued a fourth single from their only Album, the track was ‘Ignorance,’ which featured the vocals of Siobhan Maher Kennedy, who had previously been the lead vocalist of the English ‘Folk/Rock’ group River City People, that song stalled at Number 72 in 1992. A stand alone single called ‘Celebration’ failed to chart in 1993, as did the 1999 remix of ‘Insanity,’ called ‘Insanity 99.’ They released one studio Album in 1992, which was called ‘That Compact Disc By Oceanic,’ The Album was also released on cassette, and called ‘That Cassette By Oceanic,’ it was also issued on vinyl, I bet you can’t guess what it was called?

‘Insanity’ was the first of four singles released from ‘That (CD/Cassette/Album’) by Oceanic from 1991, the writing of the song is credited to all four band members at that time. ‘Insanity’ spent three consecutive weeks at Number 3 on the UK top 40, and finished the year as the ninth best selling song of 1991 in the UK, the track was also the best selling ‘Dance Music’ single of that year in that country.

Electronic dance music (EDM) is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres, originally made for nightclubs, raves, and festivals. In the late 1980’s, and the early 1990’s, following the emergence of ‘raving,’ and ‘pirate radio,’ and ‘underground festivals,’ and an upsurge of interest in club culture, ‘EDM’ achieved mainstream popularity in Europe. However, rave culture was not as broadly popular in the United States, where it was not typically seen outside of the regional scenes in New York City, Florida, the Midwest, and California. Although both ‘Electro,’ and ‘Chicago House Music’ were influential both in Europe and the United States, mainstream media outlets, and the record industry remained openly hostile to it.There was also a perceived association between ‘EDM’ and drug culture, which led governments at state and city levels to enact laws and policies intended to halt the spread of rave culture.

David Harry who was one of the four members of Oceanic has described his feelings on first hearing ‘Insanity’ being enthusiastically received in a Warrington, England, nightclub. ‘We finally went to ‘Legends’ to witness it all. The DJ played ‘Rhythm Is A Mystery’ by K-Klass, and the crowd reaction was so big that I started to feel pissed off, but the DJ then cut in with an a cappella to lower everyone down, and then kicked in with the beginning of the re-mix to ‘Insanity’ which is very different to the original version that the clubbers were used to. As soon as the first chords of the tune came in the whole place just went completely mad, and when the chorus hit in, the roof nearly came off! It was the biggest buzz that we got, the hairs on the back of your spine were up — unbelievable. It was like multiple orgasms all round, amazing — it was unreal to hear something that you created and see what it did to people. It brought home to us exactly what we were doing, and made us realise that we were writing music that other people did like.’

‘Dream tripper, teach me how to fly, oooh come on baby, take me so high. Imagination, emotions running wild, give me innocence, but don’t treat me like a child. It’s magic, baby, you make me feel so good, I wanna do things I thought I never could. Crazy baby, it’s just the way I feel, dream baby, come on make my dreaming real.’