"Clint Eastwood" | ||||
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Single by Gorillaz | ||||
from the album Gorillaz | ||||
B-side | "Dracula" | |||
Released | 5 March 2001 | |||
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Gorillaz singles chronology | ||||
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Del the Funky Homosapien singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Clint Eastwood" on YouTube |
"Clint Eastwood" is a song by English virtual band Gorillaz,released as the first single from their self-titled debut album on 5 March 2001. The song is named after the actor of the same name due to its similarity to the theme music of The Good,the Bad and the Ugly . [5] The song is a mix of electronic music,dub,hip hop and rock. The verses are rapped by Del the Funky Homosapien,portrayed as a blue phantom in the video,while the chorus is sung by Damon Albarn (2-D in the video).
"Clint Eastwood" reached the top ten in ten countries. It peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart and number 57 on the US Billboard Hot 100. "Clint Eastwood" also reached number one in Italy,number two in Germany. The single has sold 1,200,000 copies in the UK and has been certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Rolling Stone ranked it at number 38 on its 100 best songs of the 2000s. [6] In October 2011, NME placed it at number 141 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". [7] The magazine also ranked it at number 347 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". [8] In 2021, Double J ranked it as the 14th best debut single of all time. [9]
Demo versions of "Clint Eastwood" were originally recorded by Damon Albarn on a four-track using a drum machine and guitar. A re-recording similar to these demos was recorded into Logic for use as a backing track. The strings featured in the song are from a string machine,the Solina String Ensemble. According to engineer,Jason Cox,"Damon gave us the OK to set fire to it on stage,but we said 'No,you can't set fire to that! It's a classic!'",and it ended up being used on the song as well as some other tracks on the album. [10] The drums are provided by a drum machine and the main instrument used in the song is the melodica,which Albarn used to make the basic track as well. [10] The song's instrumental beat originated from the first preset of the Suzuki Omnichord. [11]
Rapper Del the Funky Homosapien was brought onto the track at the last minute. The rap verses had originally been recorded by British group Phi Life Cypher,but producer Dan the Automator asked Del to quickly record his own verses for the song during a recording session for Deltron 3030 which he was recording with Del at the same time. Del then wrote and recorded his verses in 30 minutes,utilizing the book How to Write a Hit Song gifted to him by his mother. [12] Del later said that he was completely unaware of the song's release and its success until people he personally knew began telling him that it was being played all over the radio. [13]
Of the song's title,Albarn explained during a Reddit Ask Me Anything:"We were recording in Jamaica and listening to a lot of dancehall music and we imagined a cool moniker to have would be Clint Eastwood. Also I'm a great fan of the actor and of Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone". [14]
Some of the single releases featured an alternative version of the song which featured British hip hop group Phi Life Cypher,who also feature on the group's B-side "The Sounder". This was the original version. [10]
For some live performances of the song,alternative rappers are used. At the Brit Awards 2002,the original version was performed,with Phi Life Cypher. For the 2005 Demon Detour Live,a version of the song featuring De La Soul,who have also appeared on "Feel Good Inc." and "Superfast Jellyfish",and Bootie Brown,who has also appeared on "Dirty Harry",was written and recorded. This version was released on the CD single of "Dare". During the Escape to Plastic Beach Tour,a third version of the track,featuring British rapper Tinie Tempah,was written and performed. During July 2010,when Tempah was unable to make tour performances,a fourth version of the song,featuring Tempah's verses performed by British grime MC's Kano and Bashy,was devised. Snoop Dogg also performed a rap during the group's 2010 Glastonbury performance. During the group's Asian tour dates,a fifth version of the song,featuring all new verses from Lebanese-Syrian rapper Eslam Jawaad,was performed. [15]
During Gorillaz co-creator Damon Albarn's 2014 solo tour for Everyday Robots ,he performed the song live with Dan the Automator and Del the Funky Homosapien for the first time. [16] [17] Later in the tour,he played the song with new guest rappers like Vic Mensa,while also bringing back rappers who have previously performed the song with Gorillaz like Bashy and Snoop Dogg. [18]
Since Gorillaz' return in 2017,other rappers have performed the track,such as Little Simz and Vince Staples,with others like Kano and Del returning at select shows. [19]
Argentine rap star and freestyler Trueno performed the song alongside Gorillaz at Quilmes Rock in 2022.[ relevant? ] Later that same year,American rapper Freddie Gibbs made a guest appearance onstage with Gorillaz where he performed his verse from "Thuggin'" off his 2014 album Piñata .[ relevant? ]
Alex Needham of NME praised the Ed Case Remix,stating that it "hauls [the track] down the dancefloor of Twice As Nice,where all the disparate elements fall into place and the jarring culture clash suddenly makes perfect sense. A little shift in perspective and,suddenly,you've got a west London Basement Jaxx,embodying a more interesting –and accurate –vision of England than anything Blur (Albarn's other project) have dared to attempt." [20]
In 2001,Hewlett and Albarn indicated that they had not received any feedback from Clint Eastwood himself over the song. [21] Albarn expressed a desire to send the actor some of the band's merchandise as a mark of respect,and said,"I'm sure Clint Eastwood would like [the song]. He's an intelligent man." [21]
The animated music video was directed by Jamie Hewlett and Pete Candeland. It starts with the Gorillaz logo in red against a black screen,and the following quote from the 1978 film Dawn of the Dead :"Every dead body that is not exterminated,gets up and kills. The people it kills,get up and kill" in Japanese then in English. This phrase was deemed offensive in some countries and a censored version was produced that omits this intro. The video and song name is a reference to the famous western starring actor Clint Eastwood, The Good,the Bad and the Ugly . An interpolation of the yell from the film's theme song,in particular that film's protagonist Tuco's leitmotif,can be heard at the beginning of the video,followed by sinister laughter from Murdoc. The notes that the melodica plays are also based on the yell.
The band is seen playing their music against a completely white backdrop. 2-D is seen wearing a T-Virus shirt most likely referencing Resident Evil . Russel's cap then begins to mysteriously rise on its own,and the ghost of Del appears to be emerging from under it. He begins to rap,leaving the other band members dumbfounded,and the backdrop slowly develops dark clouds in the sky,and enormous tombstones start to burst out of the ground,and the scene becomes that of a cemetery,as a shower of rain and thunderstorm begins. Shortly afterwards,zombie gorilla hands rise up from the ground. Murdoc is grabbed by the crotch and pulled to the ground,a reference to the Peter Jackson zombie film Braindead . Seconds later,the zombie gorillas themselves rise up. Murdoc immediately flees at the sight of them,with a number of them pursuing him. He then turns and glares at them out of frustration at his inability to escape,and the zombie apes engage in a bizarre dance routine before Murdoc is knocked back by a lightning bolt;this dance routine is similar to the choreography of Michael Jackson's music video "Thriller". [22]
Noodle is then shown joyfully skipping along,almost as if she is completely unaware of her surroundings,and in her playful skipping,she delivers a hard kick to one of the zombie gorillas in the face. Immediately afterwards,Del is then sucked back into Russel's head as the gorillas all disintegrate,and the band members are left standing in the cemetery,now bright with sunlight. The video then concludes with a split screen showing each of the four band members and their names. The video has a running time of 4:32,which is significantly different from the album version,which runs for approximately 5:42,however,the album version features about 1:10 of the backing track playing with no vocals over the top. The BPM of the music video is also slightly slower than that of the album version,and the music video version has an ending after the last time "My future" is sung,whilst the album version fades out at the end.
The video for "Clint Eastwood" won an award at the Rushes Soho Short Film Festival Awards in 2001,defeating entries by Blur,Fatboy Slim,Radiohead and Robbie Williams. [23]
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Adapted from liner notes and Tidal. [29]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [68] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [69] | Gold | 20,000* |
Canada (Music Canada) [70] | 3× Platinum | 240,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [71] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [72] | Gold | 250,000* |
Germany (BVMI) [73] | Gold | 250,000^ |
Italy (FIMI) [74] sales since 2009 | Gold | 25,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [75] | Gold | 5,000* |
Sweden (GLF) [76] | Gold | 15,000^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [77] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [78] | Gold | 20,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [79] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
United States | — | 1,228,344 [80] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 5 March 2001 |
| Parlophone | [81] |
Australia | 7 May 2001 | CD | EMI | [82] |
United States | 30 July 2001 | Radio | Virgin | [83] |
Gorillaz are a British virtual band created in 1998 by British musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, from London. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle and Russel Hobbs (drums). Their universe is presented in media such as music videos, interviews, comic strips and short cartoons. Gorillaz's music has featured collaborations with a wide range of featured artists, with Albarn as the only permanent musical contributor.
Teren Delvon Jones, better known by his stage name Del the Funky Homosapien or Sir DZL, is an American rapper.
Gorillaz is the debut studio album by English virtual band Gorillaz, released on 26 March 2001 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone and June 19, 2001 in the United States by Virgin Records. The album reached number three in the UK and number fourteen in the US, later being certified platinum in the US and triple-platinum in the UK. Gorillaz has sold over seven million copies worldwide. The album's success earned the group an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "Most Successful Virtual Band", and spawned the singles "Clint Eastwood", "19-2000", "Rock the House", and "Tomorrow Comes Today".
"Feel Good Inc." is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz featuring American hip-hop group De La Soul. Released on 9 May 2005 as the lead single from the band's second studio album, Demon Days, the single peaked at No. 2 in the United Kingdom and No. 14 in the United States, topping the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for eight consecutive weeks and appearing on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end rankings for both 2005 and 2006. The song peaked within the top 10 in 16 countries, reaching No. 1 in Spain, Poland and Greece. The song has been certified five times platinum in Canada and New Zealand, and triple-platinum in the United Kingdom.
"Dare" is a song by English virtual band Gorillaz and is the second single from their second studio album, Demon Days (2005). The track features Happy Mondays and Black Grape frontman Shaun Ryder, and is sung by Rosie Wilson as Noodle, with backing vocals from Damon Albarn. It peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart in September 2005, becoming the band's only UK number one. "Dare" peaked at number 11 in Australia and Italy. It also reached the top 10 in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Iceland, Ireland, Poland, and New Zealand.
"Tomorrow Comes Today" is a song from British virtual band Gorillaz's self-titled debut album Gorillaz and was their first release when issued as an EP in November 2000. The first three songs from the EP ended up on their debut album, however, "Latin Simone" was heavily edited, and dubbed into Spanish, for the album release. The new version was sung by Ibrahim Ferrer, and renamed "Latin Simone ". The original version is sung by 2-D and appears along with "12D3" on some versions of the later-released compilation album G-Sides. The song itself was also the fourth and final single from that album, released on 25 February 2002. It peaked at number 33 on the UK Singles Chart. A demo version of the song, "I Got Law" was included as a bonus track of the Japanese edition of 13 by Blur, Damon Albarn's other musical project.
"19-2000", sometimes written "19/2000", is a song from the British virtual band Gorillaz' self-titled debut album Gorillaz. It was the second single from the album, released on 25 June 2001 in the United Kingdom. "19-2000" reached number six on the UK Singles Chart and number 34 on the US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart. It was particularly successful in New Zealand, where it reached number one for a week in September 2001.
"Rock the House" is a song from Gorillaz's self-titled debut album. It was released as the third single from the album in October 2001. It peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart. The song features a horn section loop sampled from "Modesty Blaise", a piece by British jazz musician John Dankworth. Del the Funky Homosapien is the only artist to provide vocals for the song.
"Dirty Harry" is a song from British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz' second studio album, Demon Days (2005). "Dirty Harry" peaked at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as number 15 on the Australian singles chart.
Phi Life Cypher were a British hip hop group based in Luton, composed of two MCs, Si Phili and Life MC, and DJ Nappa. The trio started making music together around 1996, and since have had much success on the UK underground circuit. Phi-Life Cypher made it to the final of Tim Westwood's Talent 2000 competition and ripping the mic on DJ Skitz's seminal posse cut 'Fingerprints of the Gods' projected them to the upper realms of the UK hip hop scene.
"On Your Own" is a song by English rock band Blur. It was released as a single on 16 June 1997 from the band's self-titled album (1997). It charted at number five on the UK Singles Chart. Although it was not released under the Gorillaz name, Damon Albarn, frontman of both musical projects, has since referred the song as 'one of the first ever Gorillaz tunes'.
"5/4" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz and is the second track on their 2001 self-titled debut album. According to the Gorillaz biography Rise of the Ogre, "5/4" was originally intended to follow "Clint Eastwood" as a single, but was instead replaced by "19-2000" at the "last minute." The storyboards Jamie Hewlett had started for the accompanying music video before the switch were later included on the DVD Phase One: Celebrity Take Down. The title is a reference to the 5
4 time signature of the guitar riff that appears throughout the track. The song was performed live by the band on their first tour, and was subsequently brought back on the Humanz Tour, with Jehnny Beth taking lead vocals.
Plastic Beach is the third studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 3 March 2010 by Parlophone internationally and by Virgin Records in the United States. Conceived from an unfinished project called Carousel, the album was recorded from June 2008 to November 2009, and was produced primarily by group co-creator Damon Albarn. It features guest appearances by such artists as Snoop Dogg, Gruff Rhys, De La Soul, Bobby Womack, Mos Def, Lou Reed, Mark E. Smith, Bashy, Kano, and Little Dragon.
"Saturnz Barz" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz, featuring Jamaican dancehall artist Popcaan. The song was released on 23 March 2017. It was released as the lead single from their fifth studio album Humanz. The song marks the group's comeback since 2012's "DoYaThing", although 2017 had seen the non-single release of the song "Hallelujah Money" which features English singer Benjamin Clementine. "Saturnz Barz" was produced by frontman Damon Albarn, Remi Kabaka Jr. and producer The Twilite Tone, and marks the group's first collaboration with Popcaan.
"We Got the Power" is a song by British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz, featuring Jehnny Beth of British post-punk band Savages and backing vocals from former Oasis guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher and American rapper D.R.A.M., who also appears on the group's single "Andromeda". The song was released on 23 March 2017. It was released as the second single from their fifth studio album Humanz.
The Humanz Tour was a concert tour by the British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz, in support of their fifth studio album Humanz.
Gorillaz Live was the first concert tour by the British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz, in support of their self-titled debut album.
"Humility" is a single by British virtual band Gorillaz featuring American jazz guitarist George Benson. It was released on 31 May 2018 along with "Lake Zurich" as the first single from their sixth studio album, The Now Now. On 12 July 2018, two remixes of the song by Superorganism and DJ Koze were released. It charted in a total of 8 countries reaching number 85 on the US Billboard Hot 100, with its highest position in any chart being number 7 in Billboard's Hot Rock Songs.
"Momentary Bliss" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz, featuring British rapper Slowthai and the Kent-based punk rock duo Slaves. The song was the first song to be released for Gorillaz' Song Machine initiative, a web series consisting of singles and music videos released over the course of the year from the band, with each episode featuring different guest musicians on new Gorillaz material, and is the first single released for their seventh studio album, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez. This was the final single before Slaves changed their band name to "Soft Play".
Cracker Island is the eighth studio album by the British virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 24 February 2023 via Parlophone and Warner Records. It features collaborations with Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Thundercat, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny, Bootie Brown and Beck. A deluxe edition was released with additional tracks featuring De La Soul, MC Bin Laden, Del the Funky Homosapien and Dawn Penn.
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