51: Mason vs. Princess Superstar, “Exceeder” (no.3, 2007)

Here’s a supreme example of how a chart hit can be entirely engineered. Take yourself one vinyl-only instrumental first issued in 2006 by a pair of Dutch DJs; extract the attitudinous vocal from a retro rap record put out a year beforehand by knowing American MC Superstar, a sort of Lady GaGa v.1.0; mix thoroughly; add a promo video from the director of Joe Absolom vehicle Long Time Dead that offers eye candy for all; heat or cool as appropriate in the nation’s nightclubs; and - voila - you have yourself a UK Top Five single. (Never show your working.)

What I love about “Exceeder” is its absolute flexibility - the kind that almost justifies the gratuitous imagery of the video. It’s a three-minute pop song that exists in several states (and numerous positions) at once: among the alternative mash-ups doing the rounds, there’s “Fergalicious Exceeder” (with a Fergie vocal, inevitably) and the marginally preferable “Hollaback Exceeder” (with Gwen Stefani); Mason even made a brass band version available, which - once you think about it, and listen to the song again - makes perfect sense. Still, I’d venture “Exceeder” is brassy (and horny) enough for the time being: “You see what I can do on this microphone/So just guess what I’ll do to you when I get you home,” trills the Princess, and we’re left wondering - what, plug me into the mains?