Crazy (Gnarls Barkley song)

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“Crazy”
“Crazy” cover
Single by Gnarls Barkley
from the album St. Elsewhere
B-side "Just a Thought"
"Go-Go Gadget Gospel"
"The Boogie Monster"
Released March 13, 2006 (download)
April 3, 2006 (CD single)
Format CD, download, vinyl
Genre R&B, Hip hop soul
Length 2:58
Label Warner Music (Outside U.S.)
Downtown Records (U.S.)
Writer(s) Brian Burton
Thomas Callaway
Gian Franco Reverberi
Gian Piero Reverberi
Producer Danger Mouse
Certification Platinum (U.S., UK)
Gnarls Barkley singles chronology
"Crazy"
(2006)		 "Smiley Faces"
(2006)
Alternate covers
Promotional CD and digital download single cover
Promotional CD and digital download single cover

"Crazy" is the first single from Gnarls Barkley, a musical collaboration between Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo, and is taken from their 2006 debut album St. Elsewhere. It became a top ten hit throughout Europe, North America and Oceania, in the first half of 2006, reaching number one of the single charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Canada, New Zealand and other countries.

The song was leaked in late 2005, months before its regular release, and consequently received massive airplay on BBC Radio 1 in the United Kingdom, most notably by radio DJ Zane Lowe, who also used the song in TV ads for his show.[1] When it was finally released in March 2006, it became the first single to top the UK charts on download sales alone. The song remained at number one in the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks (which no other song had achieved in over ten years, and was only surpassed by Rihanna's "Umbrella" in July 2007) before the band and their record company decided to remove the single from UK stores so people would "remember the song fondly and not get sick of it."[2] In spite of this deletion, the song became the UK's best selling single of 2006.[3]

The song won a 2007 Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance, and was also nominated as Record of the Year, which it lost to "Not Ready to Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks.[4] It was also nominated and further won a 2006 MTV Europe Music Award for Best Song. The song was also named the best song of 2006 by Rolling Stone[5] and by the Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics poll.[citation needed]

Contents

[edit] Composition and inspiration

Musically, "Crazy" was inspired by film scores of spaghetti Westerns, in particular by the works of Ennio Morricone, who is best known as the composer of Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy.[6] The song samples a portion of "Last Man Standing" by the brothers Gian Franco and Gian Piero Reverberi from the 1968 spaghetti Western Django, Prepare a Coffin (Preparati la bara!) (The track is listed as "Nel cimitero di Tucson" on the film's soundtrack).[7]

The song's lyrics, written by Cee-Lo, were inspired by a conversation he and Danger Mouse had in the studio with the instrumental playing on repeat: Danger Mouse was "caught up in thinking that people have to believe you're crazy to think you're an artist."[8] After the conversation, Cee-Lo recorded the vocals for the song in just one take.[9]

[edit] Chart performance

Following its release as a digital download in the UK on March 13, 2006, the song debuted at the number one spot on the UK Official Download Chart on March 22, 2006.[10] At the time chart rules allowed a song to appear in the UK Singles Chart based on their download sales if a physical equivalent was to be released the following week. "Crazy" became the first number one single based on download sales alone (selling over 31,000 times that week), on April 2, 2006,[1] with the CD single being released one day later. It remained on top of the single chart for nine weeks and on top of the download chart for a record eleven weeks, until the single was pulled from UK stores by the band and their record label on 29 May 2006, after nine consecutive weeks at number one, so people will "remember the song fondly and not get sick of it."[2] The last song to spend such a long time at the UK's number one was "Love Is All Around" by Wet Wet Wet in 1994, which was number one for fifteen weeks.

"Crazy"'s 11 weeks at the top of the UK Official Download Chart were the longest stay on that chart that any song has achieved as of 2006. Despite its official removal, record shops had enough stock remaining to sell 19,827 physical copies; along with download sales, this kept the song at number two in the chart dated June 4.[11] The following week, chart date June 11, "Crazy" was at number five, before disappearing completely from the Top 75 a week later, as under chart rules a physically deleted single could not remain on the chart longer than two weeks after deletion date. Thus, "Crazy" made history at both ends of its chart run. It marked the most rapid exit from the UK chart ever for a former number one, and makes number five the highest position at which a single has ever spent its final week on the chart.

In the first week of 2007, "Crazy" recharted at number 30, based purely on downloads. The chart rules had been changed yet again, allowing any sold song to chart, irrespective of whether or not it was still on sale in stores.[12]

During its long stay in the UK charts, the single also entered multiple other single charts throughout Europe, including the German, the Swedish, the Austrian and the Irish Singles Charts, and the Dutch Top 40, resulting in a number one position on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles.

It also performed strongly outside Europe, with top-five positions on the New Zealand and Australian Single Charts, and was also certified gold in both countries.[13] On May 29, 2006, the single went down in New Zealand music history by becoming the 500th number one single in New Zealand since the official Top 40 chart was started in 1973. The Discount Rhinos Full Control Remix of the track also featured in the Top 20 of the Australian ARIA Club chart.[14]

When the album St. Elsewhere was released in the United States on May 9, 2006, the song had debuted at #91 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the summer of 2006, "Crazy" spent seven consecutive weeks in the second spot, but because of the massive airplay and sales of Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous," it never reached #1. It became the year's first single to peak at #2 and never reach #1. The song also charted well on other charts, hitting #7 on the US Modern Rock chart and #53 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Tracks.

[edit] Music videos

Cee-Lo appearing in the style of Rorschach inkblot tests in the "Crazy" music video.
Cee-Lo appearing in the style of Rorschach inkblot tests in the "Crazy" music video.

Going along with the psychiatric theme of the song, Gnarls Barkley's music video for "Crazy" is done in the style of the Rorschach inkblot test. Animated, mirrored inkblots morph into another, while taking on ambiguous shapes. Both Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse appear in the shapes, as do the band's gunshot/heart logo, "Satan", a cranium and various animals, including centipedes, birds, bats, spiders, and insects.

The inkblot illustrations were done by art director and motion graphic designer Bryan Louie,[15] whose other works include commercial campaigns for Microsoft and the Scion tC. The music video for "Crazy" was directed by Robert Hales, who previously directed the music videos for "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" and "Look What You've Done" by Jet, "Starfuckers, Inc." by Nine Inch Nails, and Richard Ashcroft's "Money to Burn".

The video was nominated for three 2006 MTV Video Music Awards: Best Group Video, Best Direction, and Best Editing, and won the latter two. It was also nominated for a 2006 MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video, but lost to "We Are Your Friends" by Justice vs. Simian.

The music video has also been parodied on MADtv. In the parody Korean dictator Kim Jong Il (played by Bobby Lee) sings an adaptation of the song.[16]

Before the final music video was finished, the band's UK label released a different video to media outlets such as the BBC. This early promo, directed by Mina Song, is also completely animated and features several symbols from many cultures and religions that appear in a disjointed harmony to the lyrics. Lyrics of the song, and again the band's gunshot/heart logo also appear prominently. The video also includes elements of the single's cover art.

[edit] Formats and track listings

In the UK, the song was released as a digital download on March 13, 2006, followed by a CD single on April 3, 2006, and both a 7" picture disc and a one-sided etched 12" vinyl on April 10, 2006. In the U.S., the song has been released as a promotional 12" vinyl single in March, with "Go-Go Gadget Gospel" as a B-side, as well as instrumental versions of each track.[17]

European CD single/download/UK 7" picture vinyl

  1. "Crazy" – 2:58
  2. "Just A Thought" (Edit) – 2:41

U.S. 12" vinyl single/promo CD

  1. "Crazy" – 2:59
  2. "Crazy" (Instrumental) – 2:59
  3. "Go-Go Gadget Gospel" – 2:15
  4. "Go-Go Gadget Gospel" (Instrumental) – 2:13

UK 10" single sided promo vinyl

  1. "Crazy" – 2:59

Serviced by Warner Club Promotions 2nd March 2006

UK 12" vinyl/download/promo CD

  1. "Crazy" – 2:58
  2. "Crazy" (Instrumental) – 3:03

Australian CD single

  1. "Crazy" – 2:58
  2. "Just A Thought" (Edit) – 2:41
  3. "The Boogie Monster" – 2:50

[edit] Cover versions and remixes

Possibly due to the song's enormous success and international popularity it is frequently covered by other artists. The Kooks,[18] Nelly Furtado,[19] and The Zutons have covered "Crazy" on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. The Kooks' version was released on Radio1's Live Lounge, while Furtado's version was released as a B-side on her UK single "Promiscuous" and she performed the song live with Welsh singer Charlotte Church on The Charlotte Church Show.[20] Folk singer Ray LaMontagne has also covered the song, a version very well received by critics[21] and Paris Hilton had delayed the release of her debut album Paris to include a cover of "Crazy" as well,[22] although it was not included in the final track list. G4 also included a cover of "Crazy" on their Act Three album. Other artists, including Cat Power, The Raconteurs,[23] Billy Idol,[24] The Academy Is... (with Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes),[25] Texas,[25] The Twilight Singers,[25] Mates of State,[26] and of Montreal[27] have performed cover versions of the song live in concert. Trey Lorenz (Mariah Carey's backup singer) has also performed the song on Carey's The Adventures of Mimi Tour throughout the summer and autumn of 2006.[28] Shawn Colvin performed the song on A Prairie Home Companion on November 4, 2006.[29] On her recent tour, Cat Power performed the song during her set.[30] Singer-songwriter Jude's cover of the song is available free on his website.[31] Beyoncé has also performed the song intertwined with her own hit, "Crazy in Love", at her performance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.[citation needed]. She has also decided to use this 'Crazy In Love/Crazy' collaboration for her The Beyoncé Experience world tour, which has already travelled across Japan, Australia, Europe and now North America. Prince covered the song in his one-off performance at London's KOKO Club on 10 May 2007, and at several of his 21 concerts at London's O2 Arena in August & September 2007.[citation needed] Paolo Nutini frequently covers the song at his concerts. Australian Idol 2007 contestant Natalie Gauci covered the song during the Doin' It For The Kids special, using her own arrangement.

Similarly, many unofficial remixes and mashups of the song were released as white labels and are circulating on file sharing networks and MP3 blogs. The Discount Rhinos Full Control Remix of the track even reached number 15 of the Australian ARIA Club chart.[14]

Lil Wayne performed a freestyle over "Crazy" on his mixtape Da Drought 3. Many other rappers have created their own renditions/remixes of Crazy, including A.C., Joe Budden, Remy Ma and Kardinal Offishall.

A video performance of the song with the vocal track played on a theremin is available on YouTube,[32] as is a response video with the theremin and percussion being played by robots..[33]

Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour has also been heard singing the song in soundchecks, notably on his On an Island tour in Venice.

Violent Femmes are releasing a cover of the song, June 24, 2008.[34]

[edit] Charts

Chart (2006) Peak
position[35]
Australian Singles Chart 2
Ö3 Austria Top 40 1
Belgium Singles Chart 3
Brazilian Single Chart 3
Canadian BDS Airplay Chart 1
Canadian Digital Singles Charts 1
Danish Single Chart 1
Dutch Top 40 3
Estonian Single Chart 1
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1
French Single Chart 3
Finnish Single Chart 3
German Singles Chart 3
Greek Single Chart 8
Irish Singles Chart 1
Italian Single Chart 2
New Zealand Singles Chart 1
Norwegian Single Chart 2
Swedish Single Chart 4
Swiss Single Chart 1
UK Official Download Chart 1
UK Singles Chart 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 2
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock 7
U.S. Billboard Pop 100 2
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 53
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Airplay 2
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 23
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks 1
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 7
United World Chart 2

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ a b "Crazy song makes musical history". BBC News. Retrieved on April 2, 2006.
  2. ^ a b Gnarls Go Out On Top. The Daily Record. Retrieved on May 28, 2006.
  3. ^ Top 40 Singles of 2006, from BBC Radio 1 website
  4. ^ 49th Annual Grammy Awards Nominee List. Grammy.com. Retrieved on February 12, 2007.
  5. ^ "Rolling Stone : The 100 Best Songs of 2006". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved on December 18, 2006.
  6. ^ Williams, Ben. "What Influences Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo Green of Gnarls Barkley". New York. Retrieved on July 2, 2006.
  7. ^ "Does that make me crazy Django ?". Splendida Project. Retrieved on July 2, 2006.
  8. ^ "The Album in Their Own Words" . NME (22 April 2006): pg. 7. 
  9. ^ "Interview: Gnarls Barkley". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on July 25, 2006.
  10. ^ Bennett, Cath; Beverley Lyons. Downloadchart. The Daily Record. Retrieved on March 26, 2006.
  11. ^ "The Market: World Cup songs strike singles chart", Music Week, 2006-06-10, p. 19. 
  12. ^ Top 40 change helps Snow Patrol. BBC NEWS. Retrieved on January 07, 2007.
  13. ^ Gold threshold in New Zealand is 5,000 units, in Australia it is 35,000 units.
  14. ^ a b Top 50 Club Chart. ARIA. Retrieved on June 29, 2006.
  15. ^ Louie, Bryan. "The Work of Bryan Louie". Retrieved on Jan 11, 2008.
  16. ^ MADtv: Episode #1201 Summary. TV.com. Retrieved on November 14, 2006.
  17. ^ Gnarls Barkley - Crazy / Go Go Gadget Gospel (Promo) (12"). Discogs. Retrieved on March 26, 2006.
  18. ^ The Kooks in the Live Lounge. BBC Radio 1. Retrieved on June 2, 2006.
  19. ^ Nelly Furtado in the Live Lounge. BBC Radio 1. Retrieved on October 22, 2006.
  20. ^ " Nelly Furtado and Charlotte Church cover Crazy". Netscape. Retrieved on November 14, 2006.
  21. ^ MP3 Masala: Ray LaMontagne Covers Gnarls Barkley. Village Indian. Retrieved on May 25, 2006.
  22. ^ Kilkelley, Daniel (May 20). Hilton's album release put back again?. Digital Spy. Retrieved on May 24, 2006.
  23. ^ "Raconteurs Get 'Crazy'". Stereogum. Retrieved on August 8, 2006.
  24. ^ "Billy Idol sings Crazy". Retrieved on October 23, 2006.
  25. ^ a b c "Crazy for 'Crazy' - Everybody is covering Gnarls Barkley's big hit.". Slate. Retrieved on November 6, 2006.
  26. ^ "Random Shit-Starring The Hold Steady And "Crazy" Covers. Berkeley Place. Retrieved on February 19, 2007.
  27. ^ Jordan, Matt. "Of Montreal @ Madison Theater 8.03.06". Retrieved on December 24, 2006.
  28. ^ "Mariah Carey performance brief". The Republican. Retrieved on November 8, 2006.
  29. ^ A Prairie Home Companion for November 4, 2006 from American Public Media. Retrieved on November 6, 2006.
  30. ^ "Cat Power in Concert". National Public Radio. Retrieved on December 8, 2006.
  31. ^ "'Crazy' covered by singer-songwriter Jude".
  32. ^ "'Crazy' covered on the theremin".
  33. ^ "'Crazy' covered on robot-played theremin".
  34. ^ http://www.violentandcrazy.com/web/page.asp
  35. ^ References for chart positions:

[edit] External links

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April 20, 2006 - June 1, 2006		 Succeeded by
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