Where It's At
"Where It's At" | ||||
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Single by Beck | ||||
from the album Odelay | ||||
Released | July 11, 1996 | |||
Format | 12", 4 CDs | |||
Recorded | 1995-1996 | |||
Genre | Alternative rock, alternative hip hop, rap rock, experimental rock, noise rock, lo-fi | |||
Length |
3:42 (radio edit) 5:30 (album version) | |||
Label | DGC/Bong Load | |||
Producer(s) | Beck, The Dust Brothers | |||
Beck singles chronology | ||||
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"Where It's At" is the first single from Beck's 1996 album, Odelay. Beck wrote the song in 1995. He premiered it at Lollapalooza 1995, in a version very similar to its incarnation on Odelay. He has played the song very often since 1995, although he regularly experiments with the music and lyrics.
Production
"Where It's At" has a number of spoken samples that Beck and the Dust Brothers incorporated into it. Many of these come from an obscure sex education album titled Sex for Teens: (Where It's At), a subtitle Beck borrowed (see link below). Other vocal samples incorporated into "Where It's At" come from "Needle to the Groove" by old-school hip hop group Mantronix ("we've got two turntables and a microphone..."), as well as The Frogs ("that was a good drum break"). The song also references Gary Wilson, one of Beck's influences. Beck also pays homage to Captain Beefheart by dressing as Captain Beefheart was dressed in the Trout Mask Replica album photo sessions at 1:27 in the video.[1] The video features a parody of William Shatner's video of "Rocket Man". An adaptation of the song in Futurama was also used with Bender playing the 'washboard' in various parts, the same episode in which Beck makes an appearance throughout the show.
Beck earned the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for the song. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 76 on its list of 150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years.[2]
Music video
The music video, directed by Steve Hanft, features Beck doing a variety of things, such as working as a garbage man, singing at a car dealership, dressed as the Candyman, and line dancing. "Where It's At" was the first music video to be broadcast on MTV2 on August 1, 1996. The video was awarded a MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video.
Track listings
USA (12)
- Where It's At (Edit)
- Make Out City
- Where It's At (remix by Mario C and Mickey P)
- Where It's At (remix by John King)
- Bonus Beats
UK #1
- Where It's At (Edit)
- Where It's At (remix by Mario C and Mickey P)
- Bonus Beats
- Where It's At (remix by U.N.K.L.E.)
UK #2
- Where It's At (Edit)
- Where It's At (remix by Mario C and Mickey P)
- Bonus Beats
Australia
- Where It's At (Edit)
- Where It's At (remix by Mario C and Mickey P)
- Bonus Beats
Japan
- Where It's At (Edit)
- Where It's At (remix by John King)
- Lloyd Price Express (remix by John King)
- Dark and Lovely (remix by the Dust Brothers)
- American Wasteland
- Clock
Chart positions
Weekly
Chart (1996) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada (RPM)[3] | 50 |
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[4] | 3 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[ 1] | 34 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[ 1] | 49 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[ 1] | 35 |
US Billboard Hot 100[5] | 61 |
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[5] | 5 |
Year-end
Chart (1996) | Position |
---|---|
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[6] | 42 |
References
- ↑ "Beck Dressed as Captain Beefheart in the Where It’s At Video". Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- ↑ "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". Retrieved 2012-01-08.
- ↑ Top Singles - Volume 64, No. 2, August 26 1996. collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
- ↑ Rock/Alternative - Volume 63, No. 24, July 29 1996. collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Odelay - Beck Awards. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
- ↑ Rock/Alternative - Volume 64, No. 18, December 16 1996. collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
External links
- Whiskeyclone listing for "Where It's At"
- Stanley Z. Adams, MD: "Sex For Teens (Where's It At") on WFMU's Beware of the Blog
- "Where It's At" official music video on YouTube
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