Inner Circle’s Sweat certified gold in America
Two months after it was certified gold in the United Kingdom, Inner Circle’s 1992 hit single Sweat (A La La La La Long) has now been certified digital gold in the United States for sales exceeding 500,000 units.
The announcement was made by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on its website on Monday, July 24.
Christoffer Schlarb, head of DubShot Records, which released the song digitally more than 10 years ago, is upbeat about the achievement.
In a statement sent to the Jamaica Observer on Monday, Schlarb said: “DubShot Records would like to congratulate Inner Circle and our label partner Soundbwoy Entertainment on this tremendous achievement.”
It continued: “Inner Circle have continued to solidify their legacy by joining an elite group of reggae artistes with multiple gold or platinum records in the USA, UK, and around the world. As the premier distributor in reggae and dancehall, success is our mission, and we have to take a moment to acknowledge and celebrate Inner Circle and Soundbwoy Ent for all their hard work and great music through the years.”
He indicated that his team is coordinating with the band, which is on tour in Europe, and Soundbwoy Entertainment in Miami for an official announcement and presentation ceremony.
Schlarb has had years of experience working reggae projects at labels including VP Records. His DubShot Records has released several reggae projects since its inception.
In an interview with the Jamaica Observer in May, Ian Lewis, bass player and founding member of veteran reggae band Inner Circle, cited Sweat (A La La La La Long) as a good song that will always stand the test of time.
“Good songs never die. We see the smile on people’s faces whenever we play this song all over the world,” said Lewis.
Sweat was recorded at Inner Circle’s Circle South Florida studio, House Da Box, and co-produced by Lewis and Bernard “Touter” Harvey, Inner Circle’s keyboardist.
Lewis recalled the recording session for Sweat.
“We played three to four takes before we kept the right one. It was just a good vibe song and we had no idea that it was going to be a massive hit,” he disclosed.
The song was released as the lead single from Inner Circle ‘s 12th studio album, Bad to The Bone, which was later re-issued as Bad Boys in 1993. It has been certified platinum in the United Kingdom and won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1994.
Bad Boys spent more than 150 weeks on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart and peaked at #2.
On the Billboard Hot 100, Sweat peaked at #16, while in the United Kingdom it went to #3. It was #1 in Belgium, Germany, Israel, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Switzerland, and Zimbabwe.
The song has been certified gold in Austria and The Netherlands, and platinum in Germany.
Lewis said Sweat helped pave the way for Inner Circle’s rebirth. They had tremendous success in the 1970s with lead singer Jacob Miller, who died in a motor accident in 1980.
Inner Circle was formed in 1968 by Lewis and his older brother Roger, who plays guitar. Harvey, a member since 1973, and drummer Lancelot Hall, who joined in 1986, are other long-term members. The band’s line-up is completed by singer Trevor “Skatta” Bonnick and lead guitarist Andre Philips.
