How Bizarre (song)

"How Bizarre"
Single by OMC
from the album How Bizarre
Released 15 December 1995 (1995-12-15)
(See release history)
Format CD single, CD maxi single
Recorded 1995
Genre Pop rock
Length 3:43 (Album version)
Label huh! Records
Writer(s) Alan Jansson, Pauly Fuemana
Producer(s) Alan Jansson
OMC singles chronology
"We R the OMC"
(1994)		 "How Bizarre"
(1995)		 "Right On"
(1996)

"How Bizarre" is a hit single written and recorded by New Zealand musical group OMC. It was released in December 1995 as the lead single from the group's debut album of the same name, and went on to top the charts in at least six countries. Outside New Zealand, the song is considered a one-hit wonder, whereas OMC had further successful singles in New Zealand, including "Land of Plenty".[1] The song featured in 1998 movies Palmetto and Disney's The Parent Trap.

Music video

A music video was released to help promote the single. The video has the lead singer, Pauly Fuemana, driving a 1968 Chevrolet Impala. It also pictures him dancing, singing, throwing around money and breathing fire.[2] It was a second version, directed by Lee Baker, and released very late in 1995 just as "How Bizarre" went to number one in NZ.[3] Shot on a soundstage in Ponsonby and at Ellerslie Racecourse for a budget of $7,000 from NZ On Air,[3] it was shown on US networks about 15,000 times in 1997 and 1998. Besides Pauly, it features backing vocalist Sina Saipaia,[4] and a Filipino guy named Hill who stood in for Brother Pele.[5]

Critical reception

The song won the award for "Single of the Year" at the 1996 New Zealand Music Awards.[6] It was also featured on Nature's Best 2, as the 34th greatest New Zealand song of all time as voted for by members of the Australasian Performing Rights Association in 2001. In 2002, the song was named as the 71st greatest one-hit wonder of all time on a VH1 countdown hosted by William Shatner.

Release history

Country Release date
New Zealand 15 December 1995
Europe July 1996
United States 25 February 1997[7]

Chart performance

"How Bizarre" topped the singles charts in New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Canada and Ireland. It also topped the airplay chart in South Africa. Because of rules in place at the time, the song was not allowed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 however it topped the mainstream top 40 for a week. It also peaked at number 4 on the airplay chart .[8] The single was top for two weeks in Austria, three weeks in Ireland,[6] three weeks in New Zealand[6] and five weeks in Australia.[6] On 9 February 2010, the song re-entered the New Zealand charts at number 40 after Fuemana's death.

Chart (1995–1997) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[9] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] 14
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[12] 32
Canada (RPM) 1
France (SNEP)[13] 16
Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 2
Ireland (IRMA) 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] 11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[17] 11
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 4
United Kingdom (The Official Charts Company) 5
US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay[20] 4
US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 1
US Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks 5
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 2
US Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 20
Chart (2010) Peak
position
New Zealand (RIANZ) 40

Certifications and sales

Country Certification
Australia Platinum
New Zealand Triple Platinum

Chart successions

Order of precedence
Preceded by
"One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men		 New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single
26 January 1996 – 9 February 1996 (3 weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Let's Groove" by CDB
Preceded by
"One of Us" by Joan Osborne		 Australian Charts number-one single
13 April 1996 – 18 May 1996 		Succeeded by
"Fastlove" by George Michael
Preceded by
"Dancin' at the Crossroads" by The Wild Swans		 Irish Singles Chart number-one single
14 September 1996 – 5 October 1996 		Succeeded by
"Words" by Boyzone
Preceded by
"Break My Stride" by Unique II		 Austrian Ö3 Singles Chart number-one single
3 November 1996 – 10 November 1996
17 November 1996 – 24 November 1996 		Succeeded by
"Zehn kleine Jägermeister" by Die Toten Hosen
Preceded by
"Zehn kleine Jägermeister" by Die Toten Hosen		 Succeeded by
"Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)" by Backstreet Boys
Preceded by
"Mouth" by Merril Bainbridge		 Canada RPM number-one single
20 January 1997 		Succeeded by
"Just Another Day" by John Mellencamp
Preceded by
"Bitch" by Meredith Brooks		 US Top 40 Mainstream Chart number-one single
16 August 1997 – 23 August 1997 		Succeeded by
"Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind

References

  1. ↑ "Top 10 one-hit-wonders". Stuff. Fairfax. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  2. ↑ OMC - How Bizarre on YouTube
  3. 1 2 Gallagher, Robyn (November 25, 2011). "OMC “How Bizarre”". 5000 Ways to Love You. WordPress. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  4. ↑ "A brief biography....". Alan Jansson. 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  5. ↑ "How Bizarre Music Video – 1996". NZ On Screen. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "How Bizarre's Pauly Fuemana dies". ONE News (TVNZ). 31 January 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  7. ↑ "Promo Only: Mainstream Radio [1997-02] February 1997". Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  8. ↑ Easton, Paul (1 February 2010). "Pauly Fuemana mourned". The Dominion Post (Stuff.co.nz).
  9. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – OMC – How Bizarre". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  10. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – OMC – How Bizarre" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  11. ↑ "Ultratop.be – OMC – How Bizarre" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  12. ↑ "Ultratop.be – OMC – How Bizarre" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  13. ↑ "Lescharts.com – OMC – How Bizarre" (in French). Les classement single.
  14. ↑ "Musicline.de – OMC Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  15. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – OMC search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  16. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – OMC – How Bizarre". Top 40 Singles.
  17. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – OMC – How Bizarre". VG-lista.
  18. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – OMC – How Bizarre". Singles Top 100.
  19. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – OMC – How Bizarre". Swiss Singles Chart.
  20. ↑ "OMC - Char history Billboard". Retrieved November 9, 2015.
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