The Shamen were preceded by Alone Again Or, the Love-inspired name under which they recorded their first singles. After their name change, further singles picked up airplay from John Peel. Released in June 1987, The Shamen's first album Drop illustrated their love of 60s psychedelia, with influences such as Love, Pink Floyd and the 13th Floor Elevators.
By mid-1987, frontman Colin Angus was discovering the sounds of early house music pioneers such as S-Express and M/A/R/R/S and increasing his knowledge of the latest studio gadgetry. By September 1987, the Shamen were applying these techniques to their own music, mixing rock guitars, techno and hip-hop rhythms and sampled radio voices to create the prototype rock-dance sound which was to prove so influential to other indie dance groups like Pop Will Eat Itself, Jesus Jones and EMF. However, the newfound sound proved too radical for co-founder and vocalist Derek McKenzie, who the left the band in late 1987 to study at university. The Shamen were suddenly one crucial player short. Help was at hand in the charismatic form of Will Sinnott (23 December, 1960 - 23 May, 1991), who joined the group in October 1987, on bass and keyboards, freeing up Colin Angus to handle vocal and guitar chores.
Knature of a Girl was the first record by the Shamen to feature Sinnott, but it wasn't until June's Jesus Loves Amerika single that the techno influence began to show. By this stage, Angus and Sinnott had become hooked on the acid house movement taking place in London, and its music and clubs were to exert a massive influence on the pair. Keith McKenzie and Peter Stephenson were less impressed by these new developments, and left the group the following summer, after the January 1989 release of the In Gorbachev We Trust album, which saw the group further enhancing their sound.
Angus and Sinnott relocated to London, allowing them to start afresh, and plunge headfirst into the emerging rave scene. 1989 was to be a busy year. They set out on their legendary Synergy tour, a nightclub experience combined with live music from The Shamen and others and DJing from the likes of Mixmaster Morris. The tour was to last nearly two years. They also released the Phorward mini album, a genre-defining release in the history of the acid house movement.
Their third album, En-Tact, was released in 1990, and it spawned the hit singles Move Any Mountain, Hyperreal and Make It Mine. Also notable was the appearance of rapper and DJ Mr.C (real name Richard West). The transformation into a successful rave act was complete.
In May 1991, The Shamen headed to Tenerife to film a video for Move Any Mountain. On May 23, Sinnott drowned in an accident off coast of La Gomera. However, with the Sinnott family's encouragement, the group decided to continue.
With Mr C now a full member of The Shamen, and Jhelisa Anderson providing guest vocals, the Boss Drum album followed in 1992. The LP featured a noted spoken-word collaboration, Re:Evolution with Terence McKenna, and The Shamen's biggest and most controversial hit: Ebeneezer Goode. Ebeneezer Goode was accused of promoting drug use owing to the refrain "Ezer Goode, Ezer Goode" - homophonic with "E's are good" ("E" being slang for the dance drug ecstasy) - and to double entendre drug references throughout the song. This echoed similar references in previous songs such as Synergy's "M D M A-zing... we are together in ecstasy". Despite - or maybe because of - the subsequent storm of publicity, the song stayed at the top of the UK charts for 4 weeks.
Although the single was a commercial hit, it was considered a 'novelty record' and severely impacted on the 'underground' credibility of the band. Subsequent singles such as Boss Drum and Phorever People were chart hits, but some long term fans believed they paled in comparison to earlier singles.
However, The Shamen's new mainstream popularity enabled them to release an unusually large number of remix singles, EPs, and LPs during the Boss Drum era, including the Face EP, the S.O.S. EP, and the On Air and Different Drum albums. On Air featured a series of popular tracks from En-Tact and Boss Drum as performed live on BBC radio; Different Drum was a remix album containing alternate versions of every track from Boss Drum. The tracks Boss Drum, LSI (Love Sex Intelligence), Phorever People, Ebeneezer Goode, and Re:Evolution were all released as singles in their own right.
Axis Mutatis in 1995, with new vocalist Victoria Wilson James replacing Jhelisa Anderson, did not make as much of an impact. Early special editions of this album featured a bonus disk, Arbor Bona Arbor Mala, a bizarre ambient album. The Shamen continued recording into the late 1990s, releasing two additional LPs with an increasingly experimental bent. Their penultimate studio album, the instrumental Hempton Manor, followed an acrimonious split with their label One Little Indian. It is alleged to have been recorded in seven days to conclude the recording contract with One Little Indian, and the first letter of each track spell out F**k Birket, referring to label founder Derek Birket, who wanted the group to move back into more commercial territory. UV, in 1998, was their last album. UV was released independently and marked a return to form with both modern techno production and classic Shamen song structures. Mr C. has since continued as an inspiring house DJ and become a successful night-club owner.
Coming On Strong
The Shamen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, hey
Hey, hey yeah
Hey, hey
Hey, hey
Hey, hey yeah
Definitely Shamanic business every time
To each and every man woman and child
No matter if you're black, white, yellow, brown
And no matter where you're coming from
This is a message of unity for you all to keep comin on
And comin on strong
Hey hey yeah
With shamanic magic mystical music
So strong we keep comin on
Hey hey yeah
With shamanic magic mystical music
So strong we keep comin on
Keep comin on you know we keep comin on
With a vibe that is laced with consciousness
Inspiration, love, dedication
Keep coming yes we have revolution in progress
Reality changing, moving shifting us higher
To a connection with Gaia
Running out of rhythm,
You know that we're coming on strong
Because we keep comin on
Hey hey yeah
With shamanic magic mystical music
So strong we keep comin on
Hey hey yeah
With shamanic magic mystical music
So strong we keep comin on
Spreading good word to each and every nation
And when we're done it's like the sun has just shone
No matter what tribe you might want to learn
This is the word coming from The Shamen
Oh whether African or whether European
Or whether American or whether you are Asian
No matter if you're black, white, yellow or brown
Keep comin on, you know, we keep comin on
Hey hey yeah
With shamanic magic mystical music
So strong we keep comin on
Hey hey yeah
With shamanic magic mystical music
Bass line
Hey hey, hey hey, hey hey, yeah
Hey hey, hey hey, hey hey, yeah
Comin on strong, coming on, coming on strong
Hey hey
Comin on strong, comin on, comin on
Hey hey
Comin on strong, comin, comin on strong
Hey hey yeah
Comin on strong
Keep comin on you know we keep comin on
With a vibe that is laced with consciousness
Inspiration, love, dedication
Keep coming yes we have revolution in progress
Reality changing, moving shifting us higher
To a connection with Gaia
Running out of rhythm,
You know that we're coming on strong
Because we keep comin on
Hey hey yeah
With shamanic magic mystical music
So strong we keep comin on
Hey hey yeah
With shamanic magic mystical music
So strong we keep comin on
Hey hey yeah
With shamanic magic mystical music
So strong we keep comin on
Hey hey yeah
With shamanic magic mystical music
So strong we keep comin on
The Shamen's song "Coming On Strong" is a message of unity to people of all races and backgrounds. The lyrics state that no matter where you come from, it's a message of unity for everyone to keep coming on strong. The song is full of positive energy, with shamanic magic and mystical music that keeps everyone in high spirits. It's a song meant to inspire transformation and change, urging people to keep coming on strong with a vibe that is laced with consciousness, inspiration, love, and dedication.
The Shamen's "Coming On Strong" is a well-known song that is celebrated for its positive message, revolutionary references, and catchy bassline. The song has been the subject of many remixes, including a popular one done by the Dutch trance duo Tiësto and Montana. The song has also been used in various movies, TV series, and video games. The Shamen's frontman, Colin Angus, has said that the song is about the band's philosophy and how they wanted to embrace the musical underground and inspire people to make changes in society through their music. The song's legacy continues to inspire people to come together, no matter what differences divide them.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, hey
An enthusiastic greeting to the listener
Hey, hey yeah
A continuation of the greeting, with added energy and excitement
Definitely Shamanic business every time
This song is rooted in shamanic traditions and should be taken seriously
This here track a special message going out
The song is not just music, but a message for the listeners
To each and every man woman and child
The message is intended for all people, regardless of gender or age
No matter if you're black, white, yellow, brown
The message is meant for all people, regardless of race or ethnicity
And no matter where you're coming from
The message is meant for all people, regardless of their background or origins
This is a message of unity for you all to keep comin on
The message is intended to unite people and encourage them to persevere
Hey hey yeah
A repeated greeting, emphasizing the energy and enthusiasm of the message
With shamanic magic mystical music
The music is an integral part of the shamanic message being conveyed
So strong we keep comin on
The message is powerful and unyielding, and will persist even against difficult odds
Keep comin on you know we keep comin on
The song encourages the listener to persevere with the same energy and passion
With a vibe that is laced with consciousness
The music is imbued with an awareness and spirituality that make it especially profound
Inspiration, love, dedication
The message being conveyed includes these positive and uplifting qualities
Keep coming yes we have revolution in progress
The message is a call for change, progress, and perhaps even revolution
Reality changing, moving shifting us higher
The desired change is one that will elevate people and move them towards a better reality
To a connection with Gaia
This better reality is one that emphasizes our connection to nature and the earth (Gaia)
Running out of rhythm,
To lose rhythm or momentum
You know that we're coming on strong
Despite this risk, the message and the music will continue with equal strength and tenacity
Spreading good word to each and every nation
The message is intended to reach people all over the world
And when we're done it's like the sun has just shone
The impact of the message will be like the warmth and light of the sun
No matter what tribe you might want to learn
The message is not exclusive to any particular culture or group
This is the word coming from The Shamen
The message is being conveyed by the musicians known as The Shamen
Oh whether African or whether European
The message is intended for people of all continents and cultures
Or whether American or whether you are Asian
The message is intended for people of all nationalities
Keep comin on, you know, we keep comin on
Reiteration of the song's main message of perseverance and persistence
Bass line
A musical interlude featuring the bass guitar
Comin on strong, coming on, coming on strong
Repeated emphasis on the song's message of strength and resilience
Comin on strong, comin on, comin on
Further repetition for emphasis
Comin on strong, comin, comin on strong
A slight variation of the song's repeating message
Hey hey yeah
Final repetition of the song's energetic greeting
With shamanic magic mystical music
Final reminder of the song's shamanic roots and connection to spirituality
So strong we keep comin on
Reiteration of the song's main message, encouraging the listener to persist with strength and energy
Contributed by Addison F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ZuluRomeo
It's not just having two gigantic Jasons Statham in the background dancing the same choreographed moves, but to have one of them edited to start EXACTLY one beat ahead of the other is simply a genius move. GENIUS.
@natepoodle9132
Never even noticed before, well spotted!
@Architekt909
omg I can't believe I never noticed this until just now. Of course it happened when I was in the same mental state as the video. A magical moment. I salute you.
@croweater78
Left Statham is best Statham.
@cleanliving1612
We're really proud of you Jason
@Dermacrosis
It beats his diving.
@ZuluRomeo
We all really are.
@0x777
Hey, everybody has done some "I was young and needed money" things we ain't really putting in our resume...
@ericmoddo1567
It is simply amazing!
@hardbodykb
That Ranker article on movie stars first gigs brought me here to see Jason 😁