Party All the Time

This article is about the Eddie Murphy song. For other uses, see Party All the Time (Black Eyed Peas song) and Party All the Time (Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode).

"Party All the Time" is a song by comedian and actor Eddie Murphy, written and produced by Rick James. It was the lead single from Murphy's 1985 debut musical album How Could It Be.^[1] It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, behind "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie.^[2]

"Party All the Time"
Single by Eddie Murphy
from the album How Could It Be
Released	September 23, 1985
Recorded	1985
Studio	The Joint Recording Studio (Buffalo, New York)
Genre	Synth-pop funk disco
Length	4:08 (album version) 5:18 (extended 12" version)
Label	Columbia CBS
Songwriter(s)	Rick James
Producer(s)	Rick James
Eddie Murphy singles chronology
"Boogie in Your Butt/No More Tears" (1982) "Party All the Time" (1985) "How Could It Be" (1985)
Music video
"Party All the Time" on YouTube

Production

When Murphy informed actor/comedian Richard Pryor that he was doing an album, Pryor offered him a $100,000 bet that Murphy wouldn't be able to do a purely musical album without jokes. In a 2023 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Murphy said that Pryor never paid him the money before his death in 2005.^[3] The single was recorded at Rick James's home studio in Buffalo, New York. In addition to writing and producing the song, James also provided backup vocals.^[1]

Reception

A reader in the Los Angeles Times, Barbara Bryson, criticized the song, characterizing it as "Gumby goes disco" (referring to the character parodied by Murphy on Saturday Night Live). The publication also placed the song at number one on "The Video Bottom 10" list.^[4] Meanwhile, critic Scott Benarde in the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel awarded the song his worst single for 1985, calling it a "catchy uptempo dance number" but asserting that "Murphy adds nothing but his ego to it. His voice is paper thin and buried in the mix. Anyone could have sung that tune the way it was produced. Murphy should stick to imitating Gumby."^[5]

The song's music video won best urban contemporary video award at the American Video Awards in November 1985.^[6]

Personnel

• Eddie Murphy – lead vocal
• Rick James – drums, percussion, backing vocals, production
• Kenny Hawkins – guitar
• Greg Levias – keyboards
• Levi Ruffin – keyboards, backing vocals
• LaMorris Payne – backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1985–1986)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7]	21
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8]	26
Canada (RPM)[9]	4
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[10]	16
Germany (Media Control Charts)[11]	9
New Zealand (RIANZ)[12]	3
UK Singles (OCC)[13]	87
US Billboard Hot 100[14]	2
US Billboard Hot Black Singles[15]	8
US Billboard Dance/Electronic Singles Sales[16]	7
US Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Singles	19

Year-end charts Chart (1986) Rank US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[17] 7

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[18]	Gold	50,000^
United States (RIAA)[19]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Remixes and covers

In 2006, house DJ and producer Sharam Tayebi of Deep Dish released a remix of the song, known simply as "PATT" (an acronym for "Party All the Time"),^[20] which peaked at No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart on December 30, 2006^[21] and at No. 4 on the Polish Airplay Chart in early 2007.^[22] The song also peaked at number 87 on the Australian ARIA Charts.^[23]

Finnish band Children of Bodom covered the song in 2011, as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of their album Relentless Reckless Forever.^{[citation needed]}

In 2014, Gwyneth Paltrow covered the song in the Glee season 5 episode "New Directions".

Finnish stoner rock band Mangoo also covered the song on their 2017 album The Heat.^[24]

In 2019, American progressive rock/metal band Thank You Scientist released a cover of the song, accompanied by a humorous music video.^[25]

Guitarist Eric Calderone covered the song in 2022 on his YouTube channel.^[26]

In 2023, American boy band Big Time Rush released their version of the song titled "I Just Want To (Party All the Time)" for their album Another Life.^[27] Also in 2023 a remix by Hannah Laing and HVRR reached number 51 in the UK Singles Chart.^[28]

References

1. Preezy (July 20, 2015). "Five Best Songs From Eddie Murphy's 'How Could It Be' Album". The Boombox. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
2. "Party All the Time". Billboard.com.
3. Holub, Christian (November 30, 2023). "Eddie Murphy has not forgotten his $100k bet with Richard Pryor: 'He owes me'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
4. Bryson, Barbara (February 6, 1986). "The Video Bottom 10". The Los Angeles Times. 1-"Party All the Time," Eddie Murphy. "Ye Gods-Gumby goes disco"-Barbara Bryson, L.A.
5. Benarde, Scott (December 29, 1985). "WRITER MAKES PICKS OF TERRIFIC, TERRIBLE IN POP/ROCK MUSIC". Sun-Sentinel. p. 3.D.
6. "The Boss takes two to top video awards". Montreal Gazette. November 22, 1985. p. D4.
7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 212. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
8. "Eddie Murphy - Party All The Time". ultratop.be.
9. Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". Library and Archives Canada.
10. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
11. "Germany peak".
12. Hung, Steffen. "charts.nz - Eddie Murphy - Party All The Time". charts.nz.
13. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
14. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
15. "Hot Black Singles". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
16. "Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
17. "1986 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 52. December 27, 1986. p. Y-21.
18. "Canadian single certifications – Eddie Murphy – Party All the Time". Music Canada. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
19. "American single certifications – Eddie Murphy – Party All the Time". Recording Industry Association of America.
20. "Sharam - PATT". TMRW Music. November 29, 2006. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
21. "Sharam - PATT (Party All the Time)". UK Singles Chart. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
22. "Nielsen Music Control Airplay - Poland Top 5". Nielsen Music Control on behalf of ZPAV. Archived from the original on March 6, 2007. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
23. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 250.
24. "The Heat, by Mangoo".
25. Hurley, Miles. "Watch Thank You Scientist's Hilarious New Video for Their Eddie Murphy/Rick James Cover – The Poke Around". Retrieved August 27, 2023.
26. Eddie Murphy Meets Metal - Party All The Time, retrieved September 10, 2022
27. Aversa, Ralphie (June 5, 2023). "Big Time Rush returns with 'Another Life' and an unlikely assist from Rick James". USA TODAY. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
28. "HANNAH LAING Songs". Official Charts. Archived from the original on January 21, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2024.