Praise You

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"Praise You" is a 1998 song by dance/electronic musician Fatboy Slim, also known as Norman Cook, from his second studio album You've Come a Long Way, Baby. Recently, this song has been included in the Fatboy Slim compilation album The Greatest Hits - Why Try Harder.

The song features the prominent vocal sample "praise you" from the opening of "Take Yo' Praise" by Camille Yarbrough. The song's bridge also subtly samples the theme from the cartoon series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.

[edit] Music video

The accompanying video for "Praise You" was directed by acclaimed music video director Spike Jonze. Jonze starred in the film under the pseudonym Richard Koufey, along with a fictional dance troupe, the Torrance Community Dance Group.

The video was shot guerilla-style (that is, on location without obtaining permission from the owners of the property) in front of puzzled onlookers outside a movie theatre in Westwood, California. In the video, Jonze and the dance group dance (rather badly) to "Praise You", much to the chagrin of the theatre owner who attempts to turn off their portable stereo. One of the actor/dancers in the fictional Torrance Community Dance Group, Michael Gier, documents the making of the "Praise You" video on his website.

The "Praise You" video came into being because Spike Jonze, unable to work with Fatboy Slim on the video for "The Rockafeller Skank", recorded and set his own solo dance video to "Skank" as a gift; Jonze's 'alternate' music video was so well-received by Slim that that Jonze's fictional Torrance Community Dance Group were green-lighted for "Praise You's" official video.

Fatboy Slim (AKA Norman Cook) is briefly seen in the video as one of the many onlookers. Unlike the other people in the crowd, who appear to be either surprised or shocked, Cook - the only person at the theatre who knows what is happening - can be seen laughing.

The video reportedly cost only $800 to produce, with most of that money going towards a replacement boombox and food for the cast and crew.

To the astonishment of many in the media, the video won three major awards at the 1999 MTV Music Video Awards: Breakthrough Video, Best Direction (awarded to "Torrence Community Dance Group") and Best Choreography (awarded to "Richard Koufey & Michael Rooney"). It was also nominated for, but did not win, Best Dance Video. [1]