Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance

About "Buffalo Stance"

"Buffalo Stance" is a song by Swedish singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry, released in November 1988 by Circa and Virgin as the first single from the singer's debut album, Raw Like Sushi (1989). The song peaked at No. 3 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100, and it reached No. 1 in the Netherlands and in Cherry's native Sweden. An early version of the song appeared as the B-side on the 1986 Stock, Aitken, and Waterman-produced single "Looking Good Diving" by duo Morgan-McVey, which was made up of Jamie Morgan and Cherry's future husband Cameron McVey. The song, titled "Looking Good Diving with the Wild Bunch", was sung by Cherry.

Morgan says the B-side was written using elements from the single's A-side, most notably Phil Ramacon's distinctive ascending keyboard hook, with Cherry writing the rap, while he supplied lyrics for the sung chorus. He says that no one working on the track recognised its hit potential, which was only reconsidered after his chance encounter at The Wag nightclub with DJ Tim Simenon, who expressed interest in reworking the song.

The song title refers to "Buffalo", a group of photographers, models, musicians, hair and makeup artists, etc. formed by fashion stylist Ray Petri, of which group Cherry, Morgan, and McVey were all members. A buffalo stance is, Cherry told The New York Times, "an attitude you have to have in order to get by. It's not about fashion but about survival in inner cities and elsewhere." The song's title is also a reference to the Malcolm McLaren song "Buffalo Gals" (1982), which "Buffalo Stance" samples. Other samples came from Rock Steady Crew's "Hey You", and the saxophone break is from the band Miami's song "Chicken Yellow" (1974).

Cherry performed the song live on Top of the Pops whilst seven months pregnant. When asked by a reporter if it was safe for her to go on stage and perform, Cherry answered: "Yes, of course! It's not an illness."