Put Your Hands Up for Detroit — Fedde Le Grand
A 1999 vocal sample, a nod to Detroit techno and a Dutch DJ’s own label: how Fedde Le Grand’s 2006 single went all the way to No. 1 in the UK.
- Written and produced by Dutch DJ Fedde Le Grand; first released on his label Flamingo Recordings on 26 June 2006.
- Built on a vocal sample from Matthew Dear and Disco D’s 1999 record “Hands Up for Detroit”.
- No. 1 in the UK and Finland; No. 4 on the Dutch Top 40.
In 2006 a DJ from Utrecht took one line from a 1999 record and turned it into a UK No. 1. “Put Your Hands Up for Detroit”, often written “Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit”, is little more than a vocal loop, a gated bassline and a shuffling groove. That was enough.
The DJ and the sample
Fedde Le Grand was born in Utrecht on 7 September 1977 and has been releasing records since 2002. Before this single he was a club DJ in the Netherlands; after it he entered DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs at No. 22 in 2007 and reached a best of No. 14 in 2011. His first album, Output, followed in 2009.
The hook comes from “Hands Up for Detroit”, released in 1999 by Matthew Dear and Disco D. Fedde Le Grand explained the choice as a nod to the city’s electronic history: “It was a reference to the days of Detroit Techno.” He also admitted he had no idea what was coming: “I never knew the track would be so big.”
From Flamingo to Data Records
Le Grand wrote and produced the track and released it on his own label, Flamingo Recordings, in the Netherlands on 26 June 2006. It reached No. 4 on the Dutch Top 40 and No. 5 on the Single Top 100. The rest of Europe got it in August, with Kontor handling Germany, Austria and Switzerland and Spinnin’ Records giving it a wider release. In the UK, Data Records released it on 23 October 2006, and Hussle Recordings followed in Australia a week later.
No. 1 in the UK
Before the physical release, the track had already reached No. 1 on the UK dance chart and No. 53 on the singles chart. After the full release it climbed to No. 2, then to No. 1 the following week, before Westlife’s “The Rose” replaced it. It spent 30 weeks on the UK chart, finished as the country’s 20th best-selling single of 2006 and was later certified platinum. It also went to No. 1 in Finland and Hungary, No. 3 in Ireland and No. 8 in Australia, and reached No. 11 on the US dance airplay chart.
Marcus Adams directed the video, set in a Detroit of 2027 where androids work in a science lab. It was released in two cuts, one of them a longer late-night version.
Remixes and the dance floor
The UK, German and Spanish releases added versions with verses by Bizarre and King Gordy of D12. Remixers included DJ Delicious & Till West, TV Rock and Dirty South, Claude VonStroke and Soul Central. In a set it is a direct peak-time record, built on one vocal line and one bassline. Two years later Le Grand reached the charts again with Ida Corr on “Let Me Think About It”.
FAQ
What does Put Your Hands Up for Detroit sample?
A vocal from “Hands Up for Detroit”, a 1999 record by Matthew Dear and Disco D.
Why did Fedde Le Grand choose Detroit?
He said the vocal was “a reference to the days of Detroit Techno”.
Was Put Your Hands Up for Detroit a UK No. 1?
Yes. After its full UK release on Data Records on 23 October 2006, it climbed to No. 2, then No. 1 for one week.
Who directed the video?
Marcus Adams. It is set in Detroit in 2027 and follows androids in a science lab.
