Da Butt – E.U. | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#35) & Rock (#1); 1988
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
“Go-go” – a hybrid mix of jazz, soul, R&B, and just about any other rhythm-based genre – was pioneered by Washington D.C.’s Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers as a way of keeping audience attention between songs. Soon “go-go” was the music itself; a non-stop swirl of interactive percussion and chants between performers and club patrons.
Go-go remained a D.C. underground phenomenon for years before seminal tracks such as Brown’s Bustin’ Loose (1978) brought it some above-ground notice. New go-go bands emerged in a second wave, among them E.U., founded by Greg “Sugar Bear” Elliott and Tino.
When Spike Lee needed something to go with “Da Butt” dance in School Daze, he rang up Marcus Miller who, in turn, called Chaka Khan’s brother, Mark Stevens. Miller then brought in E.U. who threw in some ideas of their own. Come recording time, musicians and film cast partied in the studio, an event captured for posterity on the master tape.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Marcus Miller
Lyrics Written by:
- Marcus Miller
- Mark Stevens
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).