The Gorillaz released their single "Clint Eastwood" in March 2001 to promote their self-titled album that they would release later that year. The song took off and became massively popular, setting the world up for the rest of the Gorillaz legacy.
Chances are, you've heard of the Gorillaz. For many years, they've consistently released great music that mixes downtempo, hip hop, and electronica. But one thing that truly sets them apart is that the band members are animated. The Gorillaz popularized the concept of a virtual band. If you don't know who the Gorillaz are, you have at least heard of the name. If you haven't, you're in for a treat.
So, who are the Gorillaz?
Why do they look like that?
What even is a virtual band?
That's exactly what went through my head. I grew up listening to Gorillaz music, but I didn't really know who they were. All I knew was that I loved nearly every one of their songs, especially "Clint Eastwood."
I was so confused when I first looked up the Gorillaz, and I was sent down a rabbit hole. I became fascinated by them as a band and as a concept.
About The Gorillaz
The idea for the Gorillaz came about between musician Damon Albarn and comic creator Jamie Hewlett. Before the Gorillaz, Damon was best known as frontman of the British rock band Blur. Jamie was a major creator in the comics industry and created the likes of Tank Girl.
The two had been sharing an apartment and had an idea that would utilize their skills in a way that had never been done before. They were going to make a virtual band; Damon would write the music and Jamie would create the story and characters that would act as the official band members.
Meet The Characters
2-D, also known as Stu Pot, is the lead vocalist and keyboardist for the Gorillaz. He was born on May 23, 1978 and grew up in Crawley, England. At a young age, he hit his head falling from a tree, which resulted in all his hair falling out only to grow back blue. Later in his life, both his eyes were fractured in terrible accidents involving his troublesome band-mate Murdoc, who nicknamed Stu 2-D for the two dents in his face.
"I've never really thought about anything as far as I can remember."
2-D
Murdoc grew up in an abusive family and started performing when his dad forced him on stage to pay for his drinks. Murdoc dreamt of becoming a famous musician and getting out of his hometown, so he made a deal with the devil. He offered Satan his soul in exchange for Satan's bass guitar, El Diablo. Murdoc's criminal record is far from clean. In 1997, he launched a car through a music shop window where 2-D was working. This fractured one of 2-D's eyes and put him in a coma. Murdoc got sentenced to 30,000 hours of community service and 10 hours a week watching 2-D. One day, Murdoc took 2-D for a drive and accidentally flung him through the windshield. This effectively broke 2-D out of his coma and fractured his good eye. However, that's wasn't what was on Murdoc's mind. 2-D's look, with his two fractured eyes and blue hair, impressed Murdoc. In that moment, he knew he had found a lead singer for his band.
"If there’s a dream in your heart, never let anyone tell you you’ve got no talent. Get out there, embarrass yourself, and prove to the world you’ve got no talent".
Murdoc
Russel plays drums for the Gorillaz. He grew up in Brooklyn, NY and is known for his good manners and eloquent speech. He was expelled from Xavier School For Young Achievers after attacking students while possessed by a demon. He fell into a coma but awoke when the demon was finally exorcised. He began attending another school, where he made friends with many talented hip-hop artists. One night, his friends were killed in a drive-by shooting. Since that day, the spirits of Russel's friends reside in his body. The most notable spirit is Del tha Ghost Rapper, who is featured on "Clint Eastwood."
"What's important isn't what's happening next, but what's happening right now. That's all you can control."
Russel
Noodle was born in Osaka, Japan, where she spent her childhood as part of a classified government super-soldier project, run by Japanese scientist Mr. Kyuzo. She was trained with 22 other children until they were deemed too dangerous and unstable for combat. Mr. Kyuzo was ordered to kill the children and erase all traces of the project, but he had grown too fond of Noodle. He put her in a state of amnesia to clear her memory of the project, then smuggled her to the United Kingdom in a FedEx crate. Noodle's crate arrived at Kong Studios where 2-D and Murdoc were recording. She jumped out of the box and performed a killer guitar solo which 2-D described as "200 demons screaming in Arabic. Brilliant!" She finished her solo with a 20-foot high karate kick, a few words in Japanese, and the word "noodle". In that moment, she gained a nickname and a spot as lead guitarist for the Gorillaz.
"Believe in yourself. Try different things to grow more powerful, don’t ever feel small. Even if you really are small."
Noodle
The Making of "Clint Eastwood"
While Jamie worked on the band's look and storyline, Damon worked on the music. Since the beginning, Gorillaz music has been highly collaborative, with Damon writing most of the music and working very closely with producer Dan The Automator and engineers Jason Cox and Tom Girling. All information on the Gorillaz album and collaborators can be found on discogs.
Before we break down this song, have a listen. This way we can have some context before diving in.
This particular song features Del The Funky Homosapien. In the world of the Gorillaz, he is the spirit Del tha Ghost Rapper that lives inside the body of Russel.
Surprisingly, Del The Funky Homosapien's presence on this record was completely unplanned. The original rap had been recorded by British hip hop group Phi Life Cypher. Take a moment to listen to their version, and let me know your thoughts (the song contains their rap but is otherwise incomplete).
Del had been in the studio one fateful afternoon, and his rap was came out on top. Makes me wonder what might have happened differently to the song's success, and ultimately the Gorillaz success, if an opportunity like that hadn't happened. Don't get me wrong! I quite enjoy Phi Life Cypher's version, but I can definitely see why Del's was chosen for this particular song.
Lyrics and Meaning
"Clint Eastwood" was named because of the song's strong ties to the actor and the themes of his movie "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". However, to understand the lyrics of "Clint Eastwood", we need to understand the backstory of Russel and Del tha Ghost Rapper. In this song, Del's spirit, that resides in Russell, brings into question the conflict between ego and spirit. Much of the lyrics call upon listeners to regain the power of their mind.
One might consider Del to represent the spirit of creative enterprise that pervades humanity; the desire in “every sprouting tree, every child of peace” to make something beautiful. - Contributor on Genius
The song also alludes to drug use, particularly in 2-D's lyrics. Sunshine in a bag could refer to psychedelic drugs or weed. It's also been speculated that Del's presence in Russel could be a metaphor for being under the influence.
On the other hand, "sunshine in a bag" could also be interpreted as a reference to a line in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" when Clint Eastwood's character references gold coins as sunshine in a bag. This could be used support the conflict of ego and spirit lyrically by separating material wealth, which 2-D sings about, from mental/spiritual wealth that Del raps about.
The Instruments - they key to this trip hop hit
Of course, the lyrics are only one of the many details that make this song great. The Gorillaz used notable instruments and pieces of equipment to make this song particularly unique.
The Melodica
A key instrument in this song is the melodica. It's essentially a mouth piano that has a timbre between a harmonica and an accordian. It's an odd-looking instrument that can be distinctly heard in small doses throughout the song. It's a really cheap, plastic instrument that Gorillaz engineer Tom Girling seriously jokes needs to be thrown out. Apparently, the instrument gets a little too much play in the studio for Tom's liking.
This is because Damon uses the melodica a lot, and it can definitely be found in other Gorillaz songs. It serves as a way for him to quickly get out his melodic ideas. Often, Damon will come up with lyrics to replace the melodica, but he is also known to keep the original instrument instead. The melodica isn't a commonly heard instrument in music, but when it is, it adds a beautiful texture. Keep an ear out for it, especially at the end of "Clint Eastwood". It's impossible to miss.
ARP Solina String Ensemble
This is a vintage string synthesizer that has been used by the likes of The Eagles, Elton John and Pink Floyd. The Solina String Ensemble is a pretty interesting piece of vintage gear that's worth checking out if you take interest in vintage synths. It doesn't sound particularly realistic on its own, but can clearly come in handy to create great music. In an interview with Sound on Sound, engineer Jason Cox said,
"That should have been burned years ago. Damon gave us the OK to set fire to it on stage, but we said 'No, you can't set fire to that! It's a classic!' And it's ended up being used on two or three tunes."
A bag of lug nuts
Apparently, you don't need your own drum kit to make a hit single. Of course, this is more obvious now than it may have been in 2001. In this particular song, most of the drums came from a drum machine and a sample. The last bit of percussion came from a bag of lug nuts shaken in a carrier bag. I'm not saying replace your drummer; please continue to hire them, but don't despair your music career if you can't acquire one. The Gorillaz seemed to get by just fine. It just takes a little creativity.
Other instruments include a guitar, an upright piano, and a keyboard bass Moog Rogue synthesizer.
The Reception and Certifications of "Clint Eastwood"
This single blew up across Europe and hit a couple of the charts in the United States too, most notably number three on US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks.
Clint Eastwood continues to be a Gorillaz classic
Over the years, the Gorillaz have continued to grow and release music, but this song remains a staple in their repertoire.
For a while, Damon and Del the Funky Homosapien had some legal issues and his rap couldn't be used live. This resulted in many different rappers contributing to the live performances. Lots of different live versions can be found featuring rappers such as Snoop Dogg, De La Soul, Tinie Tempah, and Eslam Jawaad. The good news is that the issue between Damon and Del has been settled, so the rap many have grown to know and love can be used live.
Here is one live version worth seeing. This may also answer your question, "how does a virtual band perform?" Here's one way the Gorillaz pull it off.
"Clint Eastwood" was only the beginning for the Gorillaz. This virtual band changed the game in terms of what a band had to be, and continues releasing music to this day. Check them out if you like trip hop, electronica and hip hop, and let me know what you think about Damon and Jamie's execution of their band.
