Axel F (Crazy Frog song)

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"Axel F"
"Axel F" cover
Single by Crazy Frog
from the album Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits
Released May 17, 2005
Format CD
Recorded 1997 (vocals), 2005 (song)
Genre Dance
Length 2 min 48 s/2 min 54 s
Label Ministry of Sound
Writer(s) Faltermeyer
Crazy Frog singles chronology
"Axel F"
(2005)		 "Popcorn"
(2005)

"Axel F" is the debut and most internationally successful single by Crazy Frog, released in 2005. It is a remix of Harold Faltermeyer's 1984 composition "Axel F", produced by Henning Reith and Reinhard "DJ Voodoo" Raith, two members of the German dance production team Bass Bumpers. "Axel F" was originally a 1984 hit for Harold Faltermeyer, and was the theme from a film of the same year, Beverly Hills Cop. Axel Foley, whom the song is named after, was the main character Eddie Murphy played in the movie. Jamster! arranged the remix, and later marketed it as a ringtone.

The remix consists of vocals taken from the Crazy Frog recording by Daniel Malmedahl in 1997. It uses mainly the same part of the two-minute original that was used in Jamster's ringtone release. The song also uses the "What's going on?" vocal shotguns from another 2003 remix of Axel F, by Murphy Brown and Captain Hollywood (dubbed "Axel F 2003" and sometimes "Axel F 2004").

Released across Europe in May 2005, "Axel F" went straight to number one in the UK, with some of the best weekly sales of the year so far (out-selling rivals such as Coldplay by four copies to one), and remained on top of the UK charts for four weeks. In other European countries the popularity has differed, with the remix failing to make the top twenty in Switzerland at first, before gradually climbing to #1, whilst only making #18 in Russia. It also reached #1 in the overall European chart, after initially being number two to Akon's "Lonely" for several weeks, and stayed there until September. It also reached #1 in Australia, Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Norway, Ukraine, Spain, and Sweden. Despite the Crazy Frog not being hugely well-known in Japan, the single release also charted there, peaking at #46. It has apparently failed to catch on in the U.S., peaking at #50.

Contents

[edit] Music video

The Ministry of Sound hired Kaktus Film and Erik Wernquist of TurboForce3D, the original creator of the 3D Crazy Frog, to produce a full-length animated music video to accompany the release of the song. The video features the Crazy Frog character, is set in the future, and centers on his pursuit by a bounty hunter. The bounty hunter receives notification of a $50,000 reward for capturing the frog, who is only identified as "The most annoying thing in the world", a reference to Wernquist's original name for the character.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The bounty hunter sports fierce looking body armour and mounts an armoured hover cycle in the video, then proceeds to track the Crazy Frog as it commutes around the City on his imaginary motorcycle. As the bounty hunter closes in on his prey, the Crazy Frog becomes aware of his pursuer and an unlikely chase begins over skyscrapers and through the city's sewer system, before the bounty hunter launches a guided missile at the character.

However, the character is able to mount the missile as it approaches him, evidently confusing its guidance system, as it then begins to loop and glide uncontrollably. The missile eventually locks onto the bounty hunter's van, destroying it and creating a large mushroom cloud. The frog manages to escape the blast, covered in dust from the debris and appearing to deliver the closing 'lyrics'.

[edit] Trivia

  • Some music video channels, to unintentionally humorous effect, censored the Crazy Frog's genitalia in the music video. Some had also already done this on the ringtone advertisement.
  • In February and March 2006, the Canadian animation television channel Teletoon aired the music video during times between programming, with the genitalia and the explosion edited out.
  • Cartoon Network aired the music video between programs (roughly 2:58 P.M EST) in February, March, and June 2006, with the genitalia and the explosion edited out.

[edit] Single track listing

[edit] Australia CD

  1. Axel F (Radio Edit) [02:54]
  2. Axel F (Club Mix) [6:23]
  3. Axel F (Club Mix Instrumental) [6:23]
  4. In The 80's [03:29]

[edit] UK CD1

  1. Axel F (Radio Mix)
  2. Axel F (Bounce Mix)
  3. Axel F (Bounce Mix Instrumental)
  4. Axel F (Reservoir Frogs Mix)
  5. Axel F (Video)

[edit] UK CD2

  1. Axel F (Radio Mix)
  2. Axel F (Video)

[edit] Chart positions

[edit] World/Continental

Preceded by
"Lonely" by Akon		 ARIA (Australia) number one single
July 24, 2005–August 7, 2005		 Succeeded by
"Lonely" by Akon
Preceded by
"Lonely"
by Akon		 RIANZ (New Zealand)
number one single
18 July 2005 – August 22, 2005		 Succeeded by
"Don't Cha"
by Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes
Preceded by
"Don't Cha"
by Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes		 RIANZ (New Zealand)
number one single
August 29, 2005 – October 10, 2005		 Succeeded by
"Pon De Replay"
by Rihanna
Preceded by
"Lyla" by Oasis		 UK number one single
June 4, 2005–July 1, 2005		 Succeeded by
"Ghetto Gospel" by 2pac featuring Elton John

[edit] External links

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