Nessaja

"Nessaja"
Single by Peter Maffay
from the album Tabaluga oder die Reise zur Vernunft
LanguageGerman
B-side"Tabaluga"
Released1983 (1983)
Length4:10
LabelMetronome
Songwriters
Producers
  • Peter Wagner
  • Peter Schirmann
  • Peter Maffay
Audio
"Nessaja" on YouTube

"Nessaja" is a German-language song written by Peter Maffay and Rolf Zuckowski from the musical Tabaluga. Performed by Maffay, it was included on the 1983 album Tabaluga oder die Reise zur Vernunft and was released as a single the same year, reaching number 17 on the West German Singles Chart. The song has been covered multiple times, including by dance project Once Again, whose version peaked at number 42 in Germany, and by German band Scooter, whose English-language version became their only number-one single in their home country.

Scooter version

"Nessaja"
Single by Scooter
from the album Encore: Live and Direct
B-side"Shortbread"
Released8 April 2002 (2002-04-08)
Length3:30
LabelSheffield Tunes
Songwriters
ProducerScooter
Scooter singles chronology
"Ramp! (The Logical Song)"
(2001)		 "Nessaja"
(2002)		 "Weekend!"
(2003)

In April 2002, Scooter released a version of "Nessaja" with English lyrics. It appears as a bonus track on the group's first live album, Encore: Live and Direct, and was the first Scooter single to feature new member Jay Frog.[citation needed] The pitch shifted female vocals are performed by Nicole "Nikk" Sukar. "Nessaja" became Scooter's first and only number-one single in Germany and reached number two in Austria, Norway, and Romania. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart.

Music video

The music video for "Nessaja" opens with a limousine pulling up outside a large white mansion. Women in dresses and men in suits get out of the car and go inside the house. Many people are waiting for a 'show' to start behind a red curtain. When the music starts, H.P. Baxxter comes out from behind the curtain and starts rapping. The people start dancing and then there are some shots of women dressed in underwear and rabbit ears in the same room (although it is empty). The video comes back to Scooter for a while, then cuts back to the two women, who are now topless. The women are later seen in bathtubs, now wearing bikinis. The rest of the video shows H.P. Baxxter rapping and people dancing and partying. At the end of the video there is confetti on the floor and everyone is asleep, apart from Scooter, who then leave in a limousine.

Track listings

German CD single

  1. "Nessaja" (radio edit) – 3:28
  2. "Nessaja" (extended) – 5:18
  3. "Nessaja" (The Ultimate Clubmix) – 7:09
  4. "Shortbread" – 3:55

German limited-edition CD single

  1. "Nessaja" (radio edit) – 3:28
  2. "Nessaja" (extended) – 5:18
  3. "Nessaja" (The Ultimate Clubmix) – 7:09
  4. "Nessaja" (Topmodelz mix) – 5:40
  5. "Nessaja" (the video—uncensored version) – 3:28

European CD single

  1. "Nessaja" – 3:28
  2. "Nessaja" (The Ultimate Clubmix) – 7:09

European 12-inch single

A1. "Nessaja" (extended) – 5:18
B1. "Nessaja" (Ultimate club mix) – 7:09
B2. "Nessaja" (Topmodelz mix) – 5:40

UK CD single

  1. "Nessaja" (radio edit) – 3:28
  2. "Nessaja" (Clubstar UK remix) – 7:28
  3. "Nessaja" (Flip & Fill remix) – 6:16
  4. "Nessaja" (video UK edit) – 3:26

UK 12-inch single

A1. "Nessaja" (Clubstar UK remix) – 7:23
B1. "Nessaja" (Flip & Fill remix) – 6:14
B2. "Nessaja" (extended mix) – 5:18

UK cassette single

  1. "Nessaja" (radio edit) – 3:28
  2. "Nessaja" (Flip & Fill remix) – 6:14

Australian CD single

  1. "Nessaja" (radio edit)
  2. "Nessaja" (Clubstar UK remix)
  3. "Nessaja" (Flip & Fill remix)
  4. "Nessaja" (extended mix)
  5. "Nessaja" (Ultimate club mix)

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Germany (BVMI) Gold 250,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway) Gold  
United Kingdom (BPI) Silver 200,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Germany 8 April 2002 CD Sheffield Tunes
United Kingdom 9 September 2002
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
Australia 11 November 2002 CD Addiction

Scooter's version of "Nessaja" featured in the opening credits of the 2009 film Brüno.[citation needed] The song was also featured in a scene of Episode 6 "GNVQ" of the BBC sitcom "This Country" and in a scene in Season 1, Episode 13 "Pyramid Scheme" of the American remake Welcome to Flatch.

References

  1. ↑ Nessaja (German 7-inch vinyl disc). Metronome Records. 1983. 813 408-7.
  2. ↑ "Peter Maffay – Nessaja" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
  3. ↑ "Once Again – Nessaja" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Nessaja (UK CD single liner notes). Sheffield Tunes. 2002. 0142165STU.
  5. ↑ Nessaja (German CD single liner notes). Sheffield Tunes. 2002. 0138945 STU.
  6. ↑ Nessaja (German limited CD single liner notes). Sheffield Tunes. 2002. 0138955 STU.
  7. ↑ Nessaja (European CD single liner notes). Sheffield Tunes. 2002. 0138946STU.
  8. ↑ Nessaja (European 12-inch single vinyl disc). Sheffield Tunes. 2002. 0138940 STU.
  9. ↑ Nessaja (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Sheffield Tunes. 2002. 0142160STU.
  10. ↑ Nessaja (UK cassette single sleeve). Sheffield Tunes. 2002. 0142169STU.
  11. ↑ Nessaja (Australian CD single liner notes). Addiction Records. 2002. ADICT130CD.
  12. ↑ "Scooter – Nessaja". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  13. ↑ "The ARIA Report, Issue 665". ARIA Top 50 Dance Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  14. ↑ "Scooter – Nessaja" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  15. ↑ "Scooter – Nessaja" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  16. ↑ "Scooter – Nessaja". Tracklisten. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  17. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 20, no. 21. 18 May 2002. p. 8. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  18. ↑ "Scooter: Nessaja" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  19. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  20. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  21. ↑ "Nessaja | IRMA". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  22. ↑ "Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 19 September 2002". GfK Chart-Track. Retrieved 6 June 2019.[dead link]
  23. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 40, 2002" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  24. ↑ "Scooter – Nessaja" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  25. ↑ "Scooter – Nessaja". VG-lista. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  26. ↑ "Arhiva romanian top 100 Editia 23, saptamina 10.06–16.06, 2002" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 25 December 2004.
  27. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 15/9/2002 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  28. ↑ "Scooter – Nessaja". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  29. ↑ "Scooter – Nessaja". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  30. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 15/9/2002 – Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  31. ↑ "Official Dance Singles Chart on 15/9/2002 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  32. ↑ "Official Independent Singles Chart on 29/9/2002 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  33. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 2002" (in German). Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  34. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2002" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  35. ↑ "Year in Review – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2002" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 21, no. 2–3. 11 January 2003. p. 14. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  36. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts 2002" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  37. ↑ "Top 100 Songs of 2002". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2002. Archived from the original on 2 June 2004. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  38. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten - Single 2002" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  39. ↑ "Swiss Year-End Charts 2002" (in German). Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  40. ↑ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2002" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  41. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Dance Singles 2003". ARIA. Archived from the original on 15 April 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  42. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Scooter; 'Nessaja')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  43. ↑ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  44. ↑ "British single certifications – Scooter – Nessaja". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 June 2020. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Nessaja Scooter in the "Search:" field.
  45. ↑ "Scooter – Nessaja". scootertechno.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  46. ↑ "New Releases – For Week Starting 9 September 2002: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 7 September 2002. p. 23. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  47. ↑ "Scooter". Shock Records. Archived from the original on 24 June 2003. Retrieved 7 June 2023.