Deep (East 17 song)

"Deep" is a pop-rap song by British boy band East 17. Written by Tony Mortimer, it was released on 23 January 1993, as the third single from the band's debut album Walthamstow (1993). It was a success, becoming their first top-five hit in the United Kingdom, charting at number five on the UK Singles Chart. Following the lackluster commercial performance of previous single "Gold", "Deep" returned the band to several international music charts, making it to the top 10 in Australia, Ireland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. It is the band's only single to appear on the main Billboard chart in the United States, peaking at number 23 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100.

"Deep"
Single by East 17
from the album Walthamstow
Released	23 January 1993
Genre	Pop-rap, R&B
Length	4:08
Label	London Records
Songwriter(s)	Tony Mortimer
East 17 singles chronology
"Gold" (1992) "Deep" (1993) "Slow It Down" (1993)
Music video
"Deep" on YouTube

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Shuffling, hip-hop-lite beats groove along at a pleasing clip, while harmless rapping and layers of harmony cover the bases of top 40's fave sounds of the moment. It may sound completely formulaic and sugary, but it works incredibly well. Besides, not every song is meant to change the world. Sometimes, a little ear-candy is in order."[1] Music & Media stated that "this slow rap not unlike L.L. Cool J's standard I Need Love is a fairly inventive piece of music."[2] Jeff Silberman from The Network Forty described the song as "a smooth pop/funk ditty with spoken-Rap vocals and sweet harmonies. This song is funky enough for Crossover, yet polished and melodic enough for the Mainstream. An inviting debut from their first album, Walthamstow."[3] Another editor, Wendi Cermak noted that "down-tempo and smooth, this jam comes off fresh. With a sound something like PM Dawn, this tune is sure to please."[4] Johnny Lee from Smash Hits gave it 5 out of 5, commenting that "the tykes from the 'Stow launch into the '93 with a groove so slinky it's almost obscene. Tony purrs his rap - "how much I can touch/How much and where" - in slo-mo mystical fashion. Plus it's got the most squishy chorus ever."[5]

Music video

The music video uses intercut clips of the band performing the track in various locations whilst hanging out and playing pool in their local area.

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (1993) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[6] 7 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7] 13 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 40 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9] 16 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[10] 13 France (SNEP)[11] 30 Germany (Official German Charts)[12] 14 Ireland (IRMA)[13] 7 Israel (Israel Top-30)[14] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] 22 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 31 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 50 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 6 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 32 UK Singles (OCC)[20] 5 US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[21] 23 Zimbabwe (ZIMA)[22] 8

Year-end charts Chart (1993) Position Australia (ARIA)[23] 46 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[24] 62 Germany (Official German Charts)[25] 66 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[26] 39 Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales Australia (ARIA)[23] Gold 35,000^^ United Kingdom (BPI)[27] Silver 200,000^^ ^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Flick, Larry (7 August 1993). "Single Reviews: New & Noteworthy" (PDF). Billboard. p. 53. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
2. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 6 February 1993. p. 9. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
3. "Mainstream: Music Meeting" (PDF). The Network Forty. 30 July 1993. p. 20. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
4. "Crossover: Music Meeting" (PDF). The Network Forty. 30 July 1993. p. 30. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
5. "New Singles: Best New Single". Smash Hits. 20 January 1993. p. 49. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
6. "Australian-charts.com – East 17 – Deep". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
7. "Austriancharts.at – East 17 – Deep" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
8. "Ultratop.be – East 17 – Deep" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
9. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 5 October 2002. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
10. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
11. "Lescharts.com – East 17 – Deep" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
12. "Offiziellecharts.de – East 17 – Deep". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
13. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Deep". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
14. Israel Top-30: 1 week at No. 1 (23.02.1993)
15. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 16, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 14 September 2019.
16. "Dutchcharts.nl – East 17 – Deep" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
17. "Charts.nz – East 17 – Deep". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
18. "Swedishcharts.com – East 17 – Deep". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
19. "Swisscharts.com – East 17 – Deep". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
20. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
21. "East 17 Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
22. • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
23. "1993 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
24. "1993 Year-End Sales Charts" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10 no. 51/52. 18 December 1993. p. 15. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
25. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1993" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
26. "Top 100 Singles 1993". Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 24.
27. "British single certifications – East 17 – Deep". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 June 2020.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics