Doctorin' the House

"Doctorin' the House" is a song by English electronic music duo Coldcut with British singer Yazz, released in February 1988 by Ahead Of Our Time and Virgin as the second single from their debut album, What's That Noise? (1989). The track incorporates samples from various sources, mainly TV and film dialogue. It peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart in March 1988 and spent four weeks in the top 10, making it Coldcut's biggest UK hit single.^[1] It also peaked at number one in Zimbabwe and number three on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

"Doctorin' the House"
Single by Coldcut featuring Yazz and the Plastic Population
from the album What's That Noise?
Released	February 1988 (1988-02)
Genre	Acid house
Length	3:45
Label	Ahead Of Our Time Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Yasmin Evans Winston Riley Matthew Cohn Allan Hedley
Producer(s)	Coldcut
Coldcut singles chronology
"Beats + Pieces" (1987) "Doctorin' the House" (1988) "Stop This Crazy Thing" (1988)
Music video
"Doctorin' the House" on YouTube
Yazz and the Plastic Population singles chronology
"Doctorin' the House" (1988) "The Only Way Is Up" (1988)

Critical reception

Steve Lamacq from NME wrote, "Squelchy bass rummages around in its footwear looking for wildlife, but finds only a sweetly crisp vocal line, looking imploringly destitute. The lush singing creams off the top layer of jaggedness, defusing the critical edge, but not quite making it a safe bet for easy promotion (radio wise and the like). It may gather a brutal dancefloor efficiency, but the appeal is limited. Off stump at the most."^[2]

Formats and track listings

• 7" single

1. "Doctorin' the House" — 3:45
2. "Doctorin' the House" (theftapella) — 4:03

• 12" maxi

1. "Doctorin' the House" (vocal) — 5:38
2. "Doctorin' the House" (speng) — 6:14

• 12" maxi – remixes

1. "Doctorin' the House" (the upset remix) — 6:04
2. "Doctorin' the House" (acid shut up) (dub) — 6:04
3. "Doctorin' the House" (acid shut up) (trak) — 6:04

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1988) Peak position Australia (ARIA)^[3] 45 Belgium (Ultratop 50)^[4] 40 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[5] 19 Ireland (IRMA)^[6] 16 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[7] 26 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[8] 20 New Zealand (RIANZ)^[9] 33 UK Singles (OCC)^[10] 6 US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)^[11] 3 West Germany (Media Control Charts)^[12] 11 Zimbabwe (ZIMA)^[13] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)^[14] 9

References

1. Official Charts Company info OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
2. Lamacq, Steve (13 February 1988). "45". NME. p. 14. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
3. "ARIA singles charts – Coldcut". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
4. "Coldcut – "Doctorin' the House"" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
5. Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Yazz & The Plastic Population". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 286. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
6. Irishcharts.ie June 9, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 18 November 2013)
7. "Coldcut – Doctorin' The House" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
8. "Coldcut – "Doctorin' the House"" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
9. "Coldcut – "Doctorin' the House"". Retrieved 18 November 2013.
10. "Coldcut". The Official Chart Company. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
11. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance Disco 1974-2003. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 285. ISBN 0-89820-156-X.
12. (in German). Media Control Charts. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
13. * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
14. "Top 25 Dance Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. 24 December 1988. p. 10. Retrieved 14 July 2019.