Down That Road (Shara Nelson song)

"Down That Road" is a song by British singer-songwriter Shara Nelson, released July 1993 on Cooltempo Records as the debut single from her first solo album, What Silence Knows (1993). The song peaked at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart, reached number one on the European Dance Radio Chart, and became a top-20 hit on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

"Down That Road"
Single by Shara Nelson
from the album What Silence Knows
Released12 July 1993 (1993-07-12)
Length5:15
LabelCooltempo
Songwriter(s)Attrell Cordes, Shara Nelson
Producer(s)Michael Peden
Shara Nelson singles chronology
"Safe from Harm"
(1991)		 "Down That Road"
(1993)		 "One Goodbye in Ten"
(1993)
"Nobody"
(1994)
"Inside Out" / "Down That Road"
(1994)
"Rough with the Smooth"
(1995)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help

Critical reception

Neil Spencer from The Guardian felt the song was "an explicit enough farewell note to the group [Massive Attack], a mix of bitterness and relief that told her former colleagues 'I swear I never knew/just what I could do'."[1] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote, "Shara Nelson makes her Top 40 debut with a fairly standard piece of pop-soul but with continued airplay may well breach the Top 10 if she is lucky."[2] Andy Beevers from Music Week gave it four out of five, describing it as "a classy song that grows in stature the more you hear it."[3]

Paul Moody from NME named it Single of the Week, saying, "Ah!, the sweet dove of summer has arrived and everywhere people are kissing absolute strangers in broad daylight, throwing in grey day jobs and thumbing funky lifts across a sun-swept Europe. Or at least they would be it "Down That Road" had its way. A delirious debut solo single from Shara Nelson..."[4] Brad Beatnik from the RM Dance Update wrote, "Strings, horns, funky keys and thumping rhythms are the hallmarks of this classy debut by the former Massive vocalist." He also described it as "poppy".[5] Another editor, James Hamilton, declared it as a "plaintive Massive Attack girl's subtle anti-segregation message".[6] Nilou Panahpour from Rolling Stones complimented it as "skillful, soulful dance pop."[7]

Track listings
  • UK CD single (7243 8 80730 2 8)
  1. "Down That Road" (Radio Edit) — 3:47
  2. "Down That Road" (Perfecto Edit) — 4:37
  3. "Down That Road" (Album Mix) — 5:18
  4. "Down That Road" (Full Length Perfecto Mix) — 6:28
  5. "Down That Road" (Barkin' Loud Mix) — 6:22
  6. "Down That Road" (Frankie Foncett Mix) — 5:06
  • European CD single (7243 8 80732 2 6)
  1. "Down That Road" (Radio Edit) — 3:47
  2. "Down That Road" (Perfecto Edit) — 4:37
  3. "Down That Road" (Barkin' Loud Mix) — 6:22
  4. "Down That Road" (Frankie Foncett Mix) — 5:06

Charts
Chart (1993–1995) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[8] 102
Europe (European Dance Radio)[9] 1
Germany (Official German Charts)[10] 68
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[11] 16
Netherlands (Single Top 100 Tipparade)[12] 4
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] 21
UK Singles (OCC)[14] 19
UK Dance (Music Week)[15] 3
UK Club Chart (Music Week)[16] 6
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)[17] 9
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)[18] 16

Release history
Region Version Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom Original version 12 July 1993
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 Cooltempo [19]
Remix with "Inside Out" 30 August 1994
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [20]

References
  1. Spencer, Neil (26 September 1993). "The Soulful Sound of Silence". The Guardian.
  2. Masterton, James (18 July 1993). "Week Ending July 24th 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  3. Beevers, Andy (10 July 1993). "Market Preview: Dance" (PDF). Music Week. p. 8. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  4. Moody, Paul (17 July 1993). "Singles". NME. p. 14. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  5. Beatnik, Brad (19 June 1993). "Hot Vinyl Buzzing" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). p. 7. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  6. Hamilton, James (17 July 1993). "Djdirectory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). p. 7. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  7. Panahpour, Nilou (1 December 1994). "Recordings". p. 122. Rolling Stones.
  8. "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 17 February 2016". Retrieved 17 February 2016 – via Imgur.
  9. "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 37. 11 September 1993. p. 19. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  10. "Shara Nelson – Down That Road" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  11. "Shara Nelson – Down That Road" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  12. "Shara Nelson – Down That Road" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  13. "Shara Nelson – Down That Road". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  14. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  15. "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 24 July 1993. p. 26. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  16. "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 24 July 1993. p. 4. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  17. "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 21. 27 May 1995. p. 109. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  18. "Dance Club Songs". Billboard. 10 September 1994. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  19. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 10 July 1993. p. 21.
  20. "Single Releases". Music Week. 27 August 1994. p. 27.
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