Clint Eastwood (song)

"Clint Eastwood" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz, released as the first single from their self-titled debut album in 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.[6]

"Clint Eastwood"
Single by Gorillaz featuring Del the Funky Homosapien
from the album Gorillaz
B-side	"Dracula"
Released	5 March 2001
Genre	Trip hop[1] alternative hip hop[2] rap rock[3] dub[3] indie dance[4] alternative rock[5]
Length	5:42 (album version) 5:55 (single version) 3:44 (original mix edit)
Label	Parlophone
Songwriter(s)	Damon Albarn Jamie Hewlett Del the Funky Homosapien
Producer(s)	Gorillaz Dan the Automator
Gorillaz singles chronology
"Clint Eastwood" (2001) "19-2000" (2001)
Del the Funky Homosapien singles chronology
"If You Must" (2000) "Clint Eastwood" (2001) "Rock the House" (2001)
Music video
"Clint Eastwood" on YouTube
Audio sample
file help

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). It peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 57 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also reached number one in Italy and charted within the top 20 of many countries around the world. The single has sold 600,000 copies in the UK and has been certified platinum by the BPI. Rolling Stone ranked it number 38 on its 100 best songs of the 2000s.[7] In October 2011, NME placed it at number 141 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[8] The magazine also ranked it at number 347 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[9]

Recording

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]

Alternative versions

Studio versions

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]

Live versions

For some live performances of the song, alternative rappers are used. For the 2005 Demon Days tour, a version of the song featuring De La Soul and Bootie Brown, who have also appeared in "Feel Good Inc.", "Superfast Jellyfish" and "Dirty Harry", was written and recorded. This version was released on the CD single of "DARE". During the Escape to Plastic Beach World 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 & 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.[11]

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.[12][13] 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.[14]

Music video

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".[15]

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. 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.[16]

Regarding Eastwood

In 2001, Hewlett and Albarn indicated that they had not received any feedback from Clint Eastwood himself over the song.[17] 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."[17]

Reception

Alex Needham of NME praised the Ed Case Refix, 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."[18]

Track listing

• CD single

1. "Clint Eastwood" – 5:55
2. "Clint Eastwood" (Ed Case and Sweetie Irie refix) (edit) – 3:42
3. "Dracula" – 4:44
4. "Clint Eastwood" (enhanced video) – 4:25

• 12-inch vinyl

1. "Clint Eastwood" – 5:55
2. "Clint Eastwood" (Ed Case and Sweetie Irie refix) (edit) – 3:42
3. "Clint Eastwood" (Phi Life Cypher version) – 4:54

• Cassette

1. "Clint Eastwood" (album version) – 5:40
2. "Clint Eastwood" (Ed Case and Sweetie Irie refix) (edit) – 3:42
3. "Dracula" – 4:44

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (2001) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[19] 17 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[20] 2 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[21] 21 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[22] 11 Denmark (Tracklisten)[23] 16 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[24] 5 France (SNEP)[25] 17 Germany (Official German Charts)[26] 2 Greece (IFPI)[27] 10 Ireland (IRMA)[28] 5 Ireland Dance (IRMA)[29] 1 Italy (FIMI)[30] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[31] 27 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[32] 26 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[33] 12 Norway (VG-lista)[34] 13 Portugal (AFP)[35] 4 Scotland (Official Charts Company)[36] 4 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[37] 7 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[38] 3 Turkish Top 20 Chart[39] 9 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[40] 4 US Billboard Hot 100[41] 57 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[42] 3 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[43] 32 Chart (2012) Peak position France (SNEP)[25] 194

Year-end charts Chart (2001) Position Australia (ARIA)[44] 74 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[45] 15 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[46] 45 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[47] 16 France (SNEP)[48] 47 Germany (Official German Charts)[49] 14 Ireland (IRMA)[50] 32 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[51] 42 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[52] 18 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[53] 12 US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[54] 21 Decade-end charts Chart (2000–2009) Position UK Top 100 Songs of the Decade[55] 96 Certifications and sales Region Certification Certified units/sales Australia (ARIA)[56] Gold 35,000^^ Austria (IFPI Austria)[57] Gold 20,000^* France (SNEP)[58] Silver 190,000[58] Germany (BVMI)[59] Gold 250,000^^ Italy (FIMI)[60] Gold 25,000 New Zealand (RMNZ)[61] Gold 5,000^* Sweden (GLF)[62] Gold 15,000^^ Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[63] Gold 20,000^^ United Kingdom (BPI)[64] Platinum 600,000 ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

See also

• List of number-one hits of 2001 (Italy)

References

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2. Morneau, Blake (20 November 2013). "Deltron 3030 Alix Goolden Music Hall, Victoria BC, November 19". Exclaim!. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
3. Walters, Barry (29 May 2001). "Gorillaz – Gorillaz". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008.
4. Kessler, Ted (21 March 2001). "Gorillaz : Gorillaz". NME. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
5. Vyas, Sofia (10 July 2017). "11 essential Gorillaz tracks". Time Out Dubai. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
6. "Welcome to the Monkey House". Entertainment Weekly. 25 November 2005. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
7. "100 Best Songs of the 2000s: 38 – Gorillaz, 'Clint Eastwood'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
8. "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years: 141 – Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood". NME. October 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
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11. Hart, Otis (29 July 2010). "Gorillaz, Recorded Live In Damascus". NPR Music. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
12. Minsker, Evan (15 March 2014). "Watch Damon Albarn Perform Gorillaz Songs With Snoop Dogg, Deltron 3030, De La Soul at SXSW". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
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14. "Damon Albarn & Vic Mensa Perform Gorillaz's 'Clint Eastwood' At Gov Ball". Archived from the original on 28 September 2015.. Revolt.
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16. "Gorillaz win film award". BBC News Online. 2 August 2001. Retrieved 1 June 2008.
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39. Turkish Airplay Chart Archived 5 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
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46. "Rapports annuels 2001" (in French). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
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48. "Classement Singles – année 2001". Snepmusique.com (in French). Archived from the original on 12 December 2013.
49. "Jahrescharts – 2001". Offiziellecharts.de (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015.
50. "Ireland – Top Singles For 2001". Allcharts.org. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
51. "Årslista Singlar - År 2001" (in Swedish). Hitlistan. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
52. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2001" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
53. "ChartsPlusYE2001" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
54. "Year In Music: 2001 > Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 113 no. 52. 29 December 2001. p. YE-72. ISSN 0006-2510.
55. Radio 1 Official Chart of the Decade, as broadcast on BBC Radio 1 on 29 December 2009, presented by Nihal
56. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
57. "Austrian single certifications – Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood" (in German). IFPI Austria.
58. "Les Singles en Argent". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original on 11 July 2015.
59. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Gorillaz; 'Clint Eastwood')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
60. "Italian single certifications – Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 25 February 2019. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Clint Eastwood" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli online" under "Sezione".
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64. "British single certifications – Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Clint Eastwood in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.

External links

• "Clint Eastwood" music video on YouTube