Mint Royale is a big beat electronic music act from Manchester, England. It… Read Full Bio ↴Mint Royale is a big beat electronic music act from Manchester, England. It was originally founded by the duo of Neil Claxton and Chris Baker; the latter left the band in 2004, but Claxton continued to produce music using the Mint Royale name. They are widely known for their remixes. Notably "Singin' In The Rain", which made #1 in the UK in 2008 after the song was used by dancer George Sampson on the hit show Britain's Got Talent.

The band originally started in 1997. They first specialized in remixes, and became known after the release of their mix of "Tequila", by Terrorvision. They were championed by British dance guru Norman Cook, whose DJ sets regularly included their work. Their sound was similar to his, to the extent that some people mistakenly believed Mint Royale to be a pseudonym for Cook himself. Their first album, On the Ropes was released in late 1999, and though it was not a big sales hit, some songs from it have achieved recognition. The single "Don't Falter", featuring Lauren Laverne from Kenickie, was a minor hit in the British charts. The song "From Rusholme with Love" has been made recognisable through its extensive use in film and television series soundtracks. Notable examples include the theme tune for the film Kung Pow! Enter The Fist, as well as being present on the soundtrack of the films Vanilla Sky, Get Carter, Serendipity and the television series ALIAS and Spaced. The song "Because I'm Worth It" has also been used as the theme tune for the Jamie Theakston and Zoë Ball chat show The Priory.

The band released their second album, Dancehall Places, in 2002, and afterwards embarked on a series of live shows and a UK tour in 2003

Mint Royale returned to the studio to start writing and recording their third album in the April of 2004. The next few months were a turbulent time for Mint Royale with founding member Chris Baker parting company with the band. However, Neil and the resident vocalists returned to the studio to complete the recording of the third album (January 2005) and the result was ‘See You In The Morning’. In 2005 the group released "Waiting in the Rain" on the "Wait for You" EP - a remix of Singin' in the Rain, which was featured in the January 2005 Volkswagen Golf GTI commercial. It reached initially #20 on the UK Singles Chart after it was released as a single (remixed and renamed as "Singing In the Rain"). This version also features on the album "See You in the Morning".

Neil Claxton ended Mint Royale on March 16, 2016, releasing the single "Time" along with some goodbye messages. until 2016. In 2020, Claxton returned to releasing music under the Mint Royale name.

Dancehall Places
Mint Royale Lyrics

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If you tear down the dancehall places
Where're we gonna see the beautiful faces?
Come in wearing their new dresses
Thick mascara on thin eyelashes

We'll be back to brand new races
And their boyfriends who love the chase us
I don't see why they have to hate us

It's not our fault we make them jealous

If you tear down the dancehall places
Where're we gonna see the beautiful faces?
Come in wearing their new dresses
Thick mascara on thin eyelashes

We'll be back to brand new races
And their boyfriends who love the chase us
I don't see why they have to hate us
It's not our fault we make them jealous

Dancehall places
Beautiful faces

Dancehall places
Beautiful faces

Overall Meaning

In Mint Royale's song "Dancehall Places," the lyrics are a lament about the possibility of losing the dancehall places where beautiful faces can be seen wearing new dresses and thick mascara on thin eyelashes. The singer expresses sadness at the possibility that these dancehall places may be torn down, suggesting that it will lead to a loss of vibrant social interaction and opportunity to see beautiful people. The singer also notes that the dancehall places are where they meet flirtatious boyfriends who love the chase, and bemoans the fact that the beautiful people sometimes hate them for making them jealous.

The lyrics are evocative of a particular cultural space where beauty, fashion, and social interaction are highly valued. At the same time, the lyrics hint at the disjunction between those who are considered to be beautiful and those who are not. The singer notes that the beautiful people are often angry for making them jealous, suggesting that there is a sense of competition and animosity between different groups within this dancehall culture.

Overall, the lyrics of "Dancehall Places" suggest a wistful longing for a place and time where beauty, fashion, and social interaction were valued above all else. The singer expresses sadness at the loss of this cultural space and the people who inhabit it, suggesting that the beauty and sociality of the dancehall places are worth preserving.

Line by Line Meaning

If you tear down the dancehall places
If they remove or destroy the dancehall locations,

Where're we gonna see the beautiful faces?
Where will we go to enjoy the lovely visages of the people who frequent these locales?

Come in wearing their new dresses
Attendees come dressed in their latest attire,

Thick mascara on thin eyelashes
Donning heavy makeup that emphasizes their minimal eyelashes,

We'll be back to brand new races
We'll see new and unfamiliar faces,

And their boyfriends who love the chase us
And their significant others who enjoy competing for our attention,

I don't see why they have to hate us
I don't comprehend why they have hostility towards us,

It's not our fault we make them jealous
It's not our responsibility that we stir up feelings of jealousy within them.

Dancehall places
Locations where music is played and dancing is enjoyed.

Beautiful faces
Attractive and appealing countenances belonging to the venue's visitors.

Dancehall places
Establishments where people gather to dance.

Beautiful faces
Eye-catching and pleasing to look at visages that frequent these locales.

Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christopher Baker, Damien Jurado, Neil Richard Claxton

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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