I’m currently test-driving several gyms in San Francisco, searching for just the right spot to get my sweat on. A healthy assortment of weights, machines, and cardio equipment is absolutely essential, but also high on my checklist is whether the space’s playlist sets the right tone for working out.

I try never to arrive without good tunes in tow (even back to the days of bulky Walkmans), but there are occasions when deferring to the sound all around is my only option short of leaving. The charge on my iPod is fading fast, my headphones short out, or I’ve forgotten to pack one or both in my bag. That’s why I need to know whether the music the gym pipes in will get me pumped up in a pinch.

I’m actually between good headphones at the moment, making do with the white earbuds that come standard with any iPod or iPhone. And you know just how terrible those are (if you don’t, believe me, folks to the left, right, and across from you are acutely aware). They don’t fit snugly enough to stay in place, so I find myself adjusting the pair every few minutes in a futile attempt to minimize the treble and bass leaking from my face.

All of this setup is to say that I was on the treadmill a couple of days ago, when I reached to to rejigger Apple’s crappy earbuds when one fell out. Which was totally fortunate, because it had been years since I heard the beats playing overhead: “Move Any Mountain” by The Shamen.

Instantly, it was late 1991 all over again. The Scottish techno-ravers’ entry into the big time, “Move Any Mountain” spent two weeks #1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Club Play chart (the first of four songs to do so), reached #4 on the Modern Rock chart, and even broke the Top 40, though just barely at #38. And I discovered the track still has the power to push me through, not skipping a step on the treadmill. Yes, I most certainly can move, move, move any mountain!

Check out the trippy video, which The Shamen filmed on the island of Tenerife, Spain (sadly losing bass guitarist Will Sinnott, who drowned during their stay):

Purchase Shamen – “Move Any Mountain” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.