Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)

"Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)"
Single by De La Soul
from the album De La Soul Is Dead
B-side Remix
Released May 27, 1991 (1991-05-27)
Format CD single, CD maxi, 7" single,
12" single
Recorded 1991
Genre Hip hop
Length 5:15
Label Tommy Boy
Writer(s) P. Huston, K. Mercer,
D. Jolicoeur, V. Mason, G. Skinner
Producer(s) Paul Huston, De La Soul
De La Soul singles chronology
"A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays""
(1991)
"Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)"
(1991)
"Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa/Keepin' the Faith"
(1991)

"Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" is the second single released by De La Soul from their second album De La Soul Is Dead, in 1991. The song is a party jam about overzealous fans who pursue the group with demo tapes in their efforts to obtain an endorsement from the group. It was inspired by one overzealous fan in particular, Breakestra frontman Miles Tackett, who was shopping demo tapes to the group (note "demo tapes by the miles" in the song's subtitle).

Composition

"Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" is credited as sampling the 1982 Fat Larry's Band song "Act Like You Know", but in fact it samples the 1981 The Whatnauts song "Help Is on the Way", which is sampled on "Act Like You Know". The song also includes a sample from "Pass the Peas" by The J.B.'s, written by J. Brown, C. Bobbit & J. Skarks. The chorus of "Ring Ring Ring" uses lyrics and melody from the Curiosity Killed the Cat song "Name and Number". The bass in the introduction comes from Lou Johnson's "Beat" and the drum comes from The Honey Drippers' "Impeach the President".

Music video

A black-and-white music video was filmed for the song, directed by Mark Romanek, featuring the members of De La Soul and producer Prince Paul in a cameo as an artist trying to hand them his tapes.

Influence

This song was interpolated on Jaheim's 2009 single, "Ain't Leavin Without You".

The 2013 Little Mix single "How Ya Doin'?" similarly samples "Help Is on the Way" and "Impeach the President," and interpolates "Name and Number" in its chorus.

Track listings

12" maxi
Europe
  1. "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" (party line mix) (6:56)
  2. "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" (extended decision U.S. mix) (5:15)
  3. "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" (piles and piles of demo taped bi-da miles - Conley's decision) (4:05)
U.S.
  1. "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" (extended decision) (5:15)
  2. "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" (radio decision) (3:59)
  3. "Piles And Piles of demo Tapes Bi-Da Miles (Conley's Decision)" (4:05)
  4. "Afro Connection At A Hi 5 (In The Eyes Of The Hoodlum)" (3:42)
7" single
  1. "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" (Party Line Edit) (4:05)
  2. "Ring Ring Ring (piles and piles of demo taped bi-da miles - Conley's decision) (4:05)
CD maxi
  1. "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" (party line edit) (4:05)
  2. "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" (party line mix) (6:56)
  3. "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" (extended U.S. mix) (5:15)
  4. "Ring Ring Ring" (piles and piles of demo taped bi-da miles) (3:35)
CD maxi / 12" maxi - Remixes
  1. "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" (CJ's alternative mix) (5:10)
  2. "Afro Connection At A Hi 5" (3:42)
  3. "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" (sax mix) (5:10)

Official Versions


Charts

Chart (1991) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart[1] 4
Austrian Singles Chart[1] 10
Dutch Top 40[2] 2
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[3] 1
French SNEP Singles Chart[1] 19
German Singles Chart[4] 8
Irish Singles Chart[5] 12
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart[1] 5
Swedish Singles Chart[1] 15
Swiss Singles Chart[1] 1
UK Singles Chart[6] 10
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[7] 16
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs[7] 22

End of year chart (1991) Position
Australian Singles Chart[8] 37
Dutch Top 40[2] 29
Swiss Singles Chart[9] 10

Preceded by
"Wind of Change" by Scorpions
Swiss number-one single
June 16, 1991 (1 week)
June 30, 1991 (1 week)
Succeeded by
"Wind of Change" by Scorpions

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  2. 1 2 "Single top 100 over 1991" (pdf) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  3. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  4. German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  5. Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  6. UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  7. 1 2 Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved September 8, 2008)
  8. 1991 Australian Singles Chart aria.com (Retrieved September 8, 2008)
  9. 1991 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved September 8, 2008)
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