This article is about the pop song. For the fictional character, see Indiana Jones.
Doctor Jones
single
CoverDoctor jones.jpg
ArtistAqua
AlbumAquarium
ReleasedOctober 1997
GenrePop
Length3:22
LabelUniversal
Writer
Producer
  • Johnny Jam
  • Delgado
  • Claus Norreen
  • Søren Rasted
Prev year1997
Next year1997

"Doctor Jones" is a song by Danish-Norwegian dance-pop group Aqua, released as the fourth single from their debut album, Aquarium. It was the follow-up to their most successful song, "Barbie Girl", and first released as a single in most of Europe in October 1997 by Universal Records. In December 1997, "Doctor Jones" was released in Australia and peaked at No. 1 for seven consecutive weeks. In January 1998, the song was released in the United Kingdom and became the group's second No. 1 single, topping the chart for three weeks. Throughout the rest of Europe, the song reached the top 10 in 11 countries, topping the charts of Croatia and Ireland. Its music video, directed by Peder Pedersen, continued the same cinematic style as in "Barbie Girl", this time using Indiana Jones characters from the film series of the same name.

Critical reception

Scottish Daily Record remarked that the band "give Indiana Jones the pop treatment last offered to Mattel's Barbie dolls."[1] A reviewer from Music & Media wrote, "The motto 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' seems to have been the creed of the Aqua team when they came up with this worthy successor to the phenomenon that is "Barbie Girl". Not only is it a strong pop song in its own right, but the inclusion of some tasty remixes by Antiloop and Molella & Phil Jay among others could arouse interest from programmers who usually chart their course away from the mainstream."[2]

Music Week gave "Doctor Jones" four out of five, adding, "While not quite as insanely catchy as "Barbie Girl", this is still perfect pop. The now familiar girl/boy chemistry will appeal to kids of all ages."[3] The magazine's Alan Jones said, "Looking set to become rather more than one-hit wonders — their third single sounds like a Madonna song — Aqua must nevertheless first prove themselves with "Doctor Jones", another cutesy novelty along the lines of "Barbie Girl", though taken at a more frantic pace, with the same cutesy girl and more brisk and less musical male counter. Horribly commercial, with lots of Yippy-yiyying and every chance of success."[4]

Chart performance

"Doctor Jones" peaked at No. 1 in Ireland, Italy, and the United Kingdom. In the latter, it reached the top spot during its first week at the UK Singles Chart, on 1 February 1998, spending two weeks at the top.[5] It entered the top 10 also in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it reached No. 3. Outside Europe, "Doctor Jones" was a No. 1 hit in Australia for seven weeks while peaking at No. 2 in New Zealand. In the United States, it charted on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play, peaking at No. 18. "Doctor Jones" was awarded with a gold record in Germany and the Netherlands, and a platinum record in Belgium, New Zealand, Sweden and the UK. In Australia, the single earned a triple platinum record.

Retrospective response

In a 2019 retrospective review, Can't Stop the Pop wrote, "Swimming amidst a sea of killer hooks is the chorus, which at times feels almost a little forgotten. It’s testament to the rest of the song being so good that this winds up being the case, rather than the chorus itself being poor."[6] Bob Waliszewski of Plugged In found that the "bouncy" tune deal with "the end to a summer of love".[7] In a 2015 review, Pop Rescue commented, "Again, the contrast and back-and-forth between René's gruff vocals and Lene's higher pitched dance 'eye-pee-eye-ay' vocals really help this track to keep it's up-tempo pace and catchiness. The track is fun, aided by the duo's vocal play and caricatures."[8] Nick Reed from The Quietus named the song a stand out of the album, adding, "It's so effortlessly catchy, with all these little bouncy melody lines, an awesome call-and-response bit, and a chorus with an out-of-nowhere "Wake up now!" line that still makes me laugh today. For this one moment, Aqua were able to channel ABBA at their best, and managed to write a truly perfect pop song in the process."[9]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Doctor Jones" implies the song is based around the Indiana Jones character from the film series of the same name, with René Dif playing Jones and rescuing his fellow band members from a stereotypical voodoo tribe. The title logo is written in a similar form to that of the Indiana Jones logo. There is also a shot of airplane's flight path over a map, which is used in the film series. The lyric "Dr. Jones, wake up now" may also be a reference to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom where Short Round implores Indiana Jones to "wake up" after being brainwashed by the blood of Kālī Ma, or during a scene on an airplane when Willie Scott says, "Calling Dr. Jones, wake up!".

The video was one of five Aqua videos directed by Peder Pedersen, who would later spoof the Indiana Jones-movies again in his computer-animated short film Lego Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Brick (2008).

Track listings

  • European CD1 and UK cassette single[10][11]
  1. "Doctor Jones" (radio edit) – 3:22
  2. "Doctor Jones" (extended version) – 5:13
  1. "Doctor Jones" (radio edit)
  2. "Doctor Jones" (extended mix)
  3. "Doctor Jones" (Adrenalin club mix)
  4. "Doctor Jones" (Molella and Phil Jay mix)
  5. "Doctor Jones" (MPJ speed dub)
  6. "Doctor Jones" (Antiloop club mix)
  7. "Doctor Jones" (D-Bop's Prescription mix)
  1. "Doctor Jones" (radio edit) – 3:22
  2. "Doctor Jones" (extended mix) – 5:13
  3. "Doctor Jones" (Adrenalin club mix) – 6:21
  4. "Doctor Jones" (Molella and Phil Jay mix) – 5:19
  5. "Doctor Jones" (Antiloop club mix) – 10:00
  6. "Doctor Jones" (D-Bop's Prescription mix) – 8:02
  1. "Doctor Jones" (radio edit) – 3:22
  2. "Doctor Jones" (Metro's 7-inch edit) – 3:36
  3. "Doctor Jones" (Metro's X-ray dub) – 6:22
  4. "Doctor Jones" (Metro's full video)
  • Australian CD single[15]
  1. "Doctor Jones" (radio track)
  2. "Doctor Jones" (extended mix)
  3. "Barbie Girl" (extended version)
  4. "My Oh My" (extended version)
  5. "Roses Are Red" (club version)
  6. "Barbie Girl" (Dirty Rotten Scoundrel Clinical 12-inch mix)

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Doctor Jones"
Chart (1997–1998)Peak
position
Croatia (HRT)[16]1
Denmark (IFPI)[17]8
Estonia (Eesti Top 20)[18]4
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[19]3
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[20]21
Italy (FIMI)[21]3
Italy Airplay (Music & Media)[22]2
Spain (AFYVE)[23]6

Year-end charts

Annual chart rankings for "Doctor Jones"
Chart (1997)Position
Australia (ARIA)[24]14
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[25]64
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[26]55
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27]35
Sweden (Topplistan)[28]14
Chart (1998)Position
Australia (ARIA)[29]20
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[30]52
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[31]28
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[32]49
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[33]20
Europe Border Breakers (Music & Media)[34]21
Germany (Media Control)[35]36
Italy (Musica e dischi)[36]34
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[37]124
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[38]60
UK Singles (OCC)[39]15

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
EuropeOctober 1997CDUniversal
Australia1 December 1997[40]
United Kingdom26 January 1998CD · cassette[41]

References

  1. ^ "Chart Slot; Top 10 Singles Chart". Daily Record. 20 February 1998.
  2. ^ "Airborne". Music & Media. 17 January 1998. p. 16. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Reviews: Singles". Music Week. 17 January 1998. p. 25. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  4. ^ Jones, Alan (17 January 1998). "Talking Music". Music Week. p. 25. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  5. ^ uk
  6. ^ "Aqua – Doctor Jones". Can't Stop the Pop. 21 January 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  7. ^ Waliszewski, Bob. "Aquarium". Plugged In. Focus on the Family. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Review: "Aquarium" by Aqua (CD, 1997)". Pop Rescue. 28 August 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  9. ^ Reed, Nick (4 August 2014). "Absolved! The Quietus Writers' 50 Favourite Guilt-Free Pleasures". The Quietus. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  10. ^ Doctor Jones (European CD1 liner notes). Universal Records. 1997. UMD 80446.
  11. ^ Doctor Jones (UK cassette single sleeve). Universal Records. 1998. UMC 80457.
  12. ^ Doctor Jones (European CD2 liner notes). Universal Records. 1997. UMD 80447.
  13. ^ Doctor Jones (UK CD1 liner notes). Universal Records. 1998. UMD 80457.
  14. ^ Doctor Jones (UK CD2 liner notes). Universal Records. 1998. UMDX 80457.
  15. ^ Doctor Jones (Australian CD single liner notes). Universal Music Australia. 1997. UMD 80452.
  16. ^ "HR Top 20 Lista". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on 23 February 1998. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  17. ^ "Top National Sellers". Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 7. 31 January 1998. p. 10. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Eesti Top 20" (in Estonian). Sõnumileht. 13 January 1998. p. 14. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  19. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 5. 14 February 1998. p. 15. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Íslenski Listinn NR. 253 Vikuna 25.12. 1997 – 01.01. 1998" (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið Vísir. 27 December 1997. p. 47. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  21. ^ "Classifica settimanale WK 6 (dal 30.01.1998 al 05.02.1998)" (in Italian). FIMI. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  22. ^ "Major Market Airplay: Italy". Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 7. 14 February 1998. p. 23.
  23. ^ "Billboard – Google Books". 30 May 1998. Retrieved 31 March 2014. – via Google Books
  24. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1997". ARIA. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  25. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1997" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  26. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1997". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  27. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1997" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  28. ^ "Årslista Singlar, 1997" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  29. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 1998". ARIA. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  30. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1998" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  31. ^ "Rapports annuels 1998" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  32. ^ "RPM's Top 50 Dance Tracks of '98". RPM. 14 December 1998. Retrieved 24 March 2019. – via Library and Archives Canada
  33. ^ "Year in Focus – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1998". Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 51. 19 December 1998. p. 8. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  34. ^ "Border Breakers Top 50 1998". Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 51. 19 December 1998. p. 11. Retrieved 22 January 2026. – via World Radio History.
  35. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1998" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  36. ^ Racca, Guido. "1998". musica e dischi Top 100 Year-End 1960 - 2018 (in Italian). pp. 106–108. ISBN 9781980329121.
  37. ^ "Jaargang 34, 1998" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  38. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1998" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  39. ^ "Best Sellers of 1998 – Singles Top 100". Music Week. 16 January 1999. p. 7.
  40. ^ aus
  41. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 24 January 1998. p. 31.