"Where Do You Go" is a song written by Peter Bischof and Franz Reuther. It was first recorded by German Eurodance band La Bouche in 1995 as an album-only song from their Sweet Dreams album. A cover version of the song was recorded by Europop group No Mercy, taken from their debut album, My Promise. On May 13, 1996, it was released as their first single and became a worldwide hit entering the top 5 not only in Germany, where the trio was based, but also in Australia, Austria, France, Switzerland, UK and US. In 2017, BuzzFeed ranked the song at number 8 in their list ofThe 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s.
Background and release
Singer Marty Cintron was discovered by German music producer Frank Farian when he played at a club in Ocean Drive, Miami. He suggested that they should do a project together. Cintron then went to Farians studio in Germany. Farian thought the best way to go was with a group, so Cintron introduced him to twin brothers and dancers Ariel and Gabriel Hernández which he had worked with earlier. They had toured with Prince and been in some of his videos. The first song the group recorded was "Missing", which Farian had gotten permission to record after hearing the song in Ibiza. Their version made it to the top 5 in Switzerland and became a big hit throughout Europe. But it was their next single, "Where Do You Go", which was released in May 1996, that became an international success. It peaked at number-one in Denmark, Ireland and Scotland, and within the top 5 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US. "Where Do You Go" was featured in the 1998 American comedy filmA Night at the Roxbury.
Content
"Where Do You Go" is a dance track with a 4/4 rhythm structure, running at a speed of 127 beats per minute. It is built around a drum beat that was sampled from the Todd Terry remix of the song "Missing", by English act Everything But The Girl. The chorus hook "where do you go, my lovely?" references Peter Sarstedt's 1969 hit "Where Do You Go To ".
Critical reception
editor Leo Stanley highlighted the song in his review of No Mercy. He said that "they have enough hooks and beats to crossover to the charts and dancefloors. Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Look for this Latin male trio to continue Arista's winning streak of slam-dunking Euro-splashed dance ditties on pop radio. This time, the beats are spiked with fluttering acoustic guitar riffs and making for a jam that will have punters revisiting their fave old hustle dance steps. Icing on the cake is an immediately contagious chorus and an irresistible a cappella breakdown midway through the song. Fun, fun, fun." Matt Stopera and Brian Galindo from BuzzFeed noted, "Spanish guitar + aggressive '90s dance-music beat = perfection." Chicago Sun-Times called it a "bewitching" song. Bob Cannon from Entertainment Weekly said that "like any good dance track, its hook buries itself deep in your brain." He also added its "snazzy flamenco guitar licks and production touches". Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented, "This trio of experienced dancers/performers will find a warm reception from Top 40 programmers searching for fresh sounds to fill those Pop/Dance slots. The threesome hail from Miami and are currently breaking in Europe with this polished, uptempo production." Staten Island Advance described the song as "upbeat".
