{{Short description|2006 single by Chico Slimani}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}} {{Infobox song | name = It's Chico Time | cover = It's Chico Time.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Chico | album = <!-- Album was never released, so it can't be a single from it --> | released = {{start date|2006|2|27|df=y}}<ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=29|date=25 February 2006}}</ref> | recorded = | studio = | genre = <!-- Do not add unsourced genres --> | length = 2:46 | label = Sony BMG | writer = Mark Hudson, Chico Slimani | producer = Mark Hudson | next_title = D.I.S.C.O. | next_year = 2006 }} "'''It's Chico Time'''" is the debut single of former ''The X Factor'' contestant Chico Slimani. The single was released on 27 February 2006. The song was written and composed by Mark Hudson.
==Background== Chico first performed the song on ''The X Factor'' on 19 November 2005. It was the only time that a contestant had performed an original song during the live stages of the show, until series 9, when contestant Lucy Spraggan performed her own track, "Mountains". The track was released on the back of the success of the performance and peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart on 5 March 2006, toppling Madonna's hit single "Sorry" and staying at the top of the chart for two weeks. Chico became the first ''X Factor'' runner-up to have his debut single peak at number one.
The general theme of the song is to not take life too seriously, and to just party – as life is too short. Chico contributed some of the lyrics himself.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Mirror |location=London |date=19 November 2005 |author=Nicola Methven |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-138884883.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516212834/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-138884883.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 May 2011|title=CHICO TIME! He'll be first to sing song written for him}}</ref> The music video for the track is very low budget, showing Chico in front of a plain white background, with lines of red, yellow and orange, and a staircase where Chico stands at the beginning of the video. The video features many children, known as "Chiquettes", dancing along with Chico.
=="It's England Time"== In 2010, Slimani re-recorded the single in support of the England football team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Aptly entitled "It's England Time", a play on "It's Chico Time", it uses the same basis as the original version, but with amended lyrics.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBaMcBfNGEM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/QBaMcBfNGEM |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Chico Slimani - It's England Time|date=10 February 2010|work=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The song was first played on ''The Chris Moyles Show''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldcupsong.com |title=worldcupsong.com |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211141543/http://www.worldcupsong.com/ |archivedate=11 February 2010 }}</ref>
Slimani recorded the version after having a 'vision' that England would win the 2010 World Cup, and that in the celebrations, commentators would make reference to his song. The single was released on 8 February 2010. Proceeds went to Rainbow Child Foundation to help under-privileged children in Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gigwise.com/news/54708/X-Factor-Reject-Chico-Launches-England-World-Cup-Song|title=X Factor Reject Chico Launches England World Cup Song|author=Scott Colothan|work=gigwise.com}}</ref>
==Track listings== ==="It's Chico Time"=== * '''CD single'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-Chico-Time/dp/B000EGD1LU/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1349680199&sr=1-1|title=It's Chico Time by Chico: Amazon.co.uk: Music|work=amazon.co.uk}}</ref> # "It's Chico Time" – 2:49 # "It's Chico Time" (''The X Factor'' Live Show Version) – 2:28 # "Kiss" – 3:18 # "It's Chico Time" (video) – 3:00
* '''Digital download''' # "It's Chico Time" – 2:49 # "It's Chico Time" (''The X Factor'' Live Show Version) – 2:28 # "It's Chico Time" (Chico Dub) – 4:58 # "It's Chico Time" (''The X Factor'' Extended Mix) – 3:48
==="It's England Time"=== * '''Digital download''' # "It's England Time" – 3:22 # "It's England Time" (Instrumental) – 3:18
==Credits and personnel== * Chico Slimani – lead vocals * Marcus Hutton – synth (on "Kiss") * Archie Merrington – kazoo (on "It's Chico Time")
==Charts== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+Weekly chart performance for "It's Chico Time" !scope="col"|Chart (2006) !scope="col"|Peak<br />position |- !scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2006/BB-2006-03-18.pdf|title=Hits of the World – Eurocharts|magazine=Billboard|volume=118|issue=11|page=77|date=18 March 2006|access-date=2 March 2021}}</ref> |4 |- {{single chart|Ireland2|3|song=It's Chico Time|rowheader=true|access-date=21 January 2020}} |- {{single chart|Scotland|1|date=20060311|rowheader=true}} |- {{single chart|UK|1|date=20060311|rowheader=true}} |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+Year-end chart performance for "It's Chico Time" !scope="col"|Chart (2006) !scope="col"|Position |- !scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-singles-chart/20060108/37501/|title=End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2006|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref> |40 |} {{col-end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
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Category:2005 songs Category:2006 debut singles Category:Chico Slimani songs Category:Number-one singles in Scotland Category:Songs written by Mark Hudson (musician) Category:Sony BMG singles Category:UK singles chart number-one singles