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Incredible (M-Beat song)

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"Incredible"
Single by M-Beat featuring General Levy
Released1994
Genre
LabelRenk[4]
Songwriter(s)General Levy
Producer(s)M-Beat
M-Beat singles chronology
"Style"
(1994) 		"Incredible"
(1994) 		"Sweet Love"
(1994)
Music video
"Incredible" on YouTube

"Incredible" is a song by British jungle producer M-Beat featuring General Levy on vocals. It was first released as a single in 1994, by Renk Records, and reached number 39 on the UK Singles Chart. A re-release a few months later featuring new mixes was much more successful, peaking at number eight, and remaining on the chart for 12 weeks.[5] "Incredible" was the first jungle track to reach the top 10 in the UK.[6]

General Levy's vocals on "Incredible" were adapted from a song he had previously written, titled "The Wickedest General".[6] "Incredible" uses lyrics from Levy's song "Mad Them" as well as the beat from M-Beat's song "Style". In response to General Levy's remark, following the runaway success of "Incredible", that he was "runnin' jungle", an ad hoc "Committee" of DJs and others influential in the jungle community launched a campaign against the song.[7]

The song was featured in the 2002 British comedy film Ali G Indahouse[8] and appears on the film's soundtrack.

Critical reception

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Upon the release, Andy Beevers from Music Week gave the single a score of four out of five, noting that "this combination of hardcore jungle beats and rapid-fire toasting from UK reggae star General Levy has been generating a huge buzz and could well crossover."[1] Maria Jimenez from Music & Media remarked that "jungle is the energy supplier" to "Incredible".[9] Ben Willmott from NME said, "Poppy and infectious, it's totally uncompromising on the new style jungle beats but has a breathtaking ragga rap from veteran General Levy. A huge hit too".[2] Another NME editor, Dele Fadele, wrote, "This is the first proper sign of an underground music – which rules Pirate Radio in London – going overground. Speed is of the essence as a sampled breakbeat gets sped-up and superimposed over a start/stop ragga rhythm".[3]

Paul Ablett from the Record Mirror Dance Update stated, "From dub plate to a rumoured London Records release, this live voiced cut will undoubtedly go all the way, proving that jungle can be voiced with some confidence by ragga DJs without them tripping over themselves while chasing the breakneck riddim."[10] James Hamilton wrote in his weekly RM dance column, "Eagerly awaited 'jungle' breakthrough smash in frantically ragga rapped 165.5bpm original mix and more, the week's hottest hit, actually reviewed over the 'phone as not sent to me in time!"[11]

Legacy

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"Incredible" received a nomination for Tune of the Year at the 1994 International Dance Awards in London.[12]

Track listing

[edit]
  • UK 12" (first release)
A1. "Incredible" (original mix)
B1. "Incredible" (Booyaka mix)
B2. "Incredible" (instrumental)
  • UK 12" (re-release)
A1. "Incredible" (original mix)
A2. "Incredible" (Rhino mix)
B1. "Incredible" (underground mix – drum & bass)
B2. "Incredible" (underground mix – deep bass)
  • UK CD single
  1. "Incredible" (original mix) – 4:56
  2. "Incredible" (Jungle Steppers mix) – 5:02
  3. "Incredible" (underground mix – deep bass) – 4:54
  4. "Style" (Sweet Girl mix) – 4:23

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[18] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ a b Beevers, Andy (11 June 1994). "Market Preview: Dance" (PDF). Music Week. p. 16. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  2. ^ a b Willmott, Ben (25 June 1994). "Groove Check". NME. p. 15. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b Fadele, Dele (25 June 1994). "Singles". NME. p. 42. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2009). "Renk Records". Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195313734.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-972636-3. OCLC 466821843.
  5. ^ "M-BEAT FEAT. GENERAL LEVY – Official Charts Company". Official Charts.
  6. ^ a b Hucker, Dave (29 October 1994). "Jungle Fever Spreads in U.K." Billboard. pp. 1, 20.
  7. ^ Reynolds, Simon (1 March 2012). Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture. Soft Skull Press. p. 253. ISBN 978-1-59376-477-7.
  8. ^ Ali G Indahouse (2002) - IMDb, retrieved 15 September 2022
  9. ^ Jimenez, Maria (29 October 1994). "A Survey Of The European Dance Landscape" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 44. p. 8. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  10. ^ Ablett, Paul (4 June 1994). "Hot Vinyl" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 7. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  11. ^ Hamilton, James (18 June 1994). "DJ directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 7. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  12. ^ Pride, Dominic (5 November 1994). "Int'l Dance Show Seeks Top Acts, Global Balloting" (PDF). Billboard. p. 22. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  13. ^ "European Dance Radio Top 25" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 49. 3 December 1994. p. 18. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  14. ^ "M-Beat feat. General Levy – Incredible" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Official UK Dance Singles Chart (4 September 1994 – 10 September 1994)". Official Charts Company.
  16. ^ "Indie Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 22 October 1994. p. 28. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  17. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1994" (PDF). Music Week. 14 January 1995. p. 9. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  18. ^ "British single certifications – M-Beat Ft General Levy – Incredible". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
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