19-2000

"19-2000"
Single by Gorillaz
from the album Gorillaz
Released	25 June 2001 (UK) 17 July 2001 (US)
Format	CD, 12", MC
Recorded	2000
Genre	Britpop, dub
Length	3:27
Label	Parlophone
Writer(s)	2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, Isaac Willis
Producer	Gorillaz, Dan the Automator
Gorillaz singles chronology
"Clint Eastwood" (2001) "19-2000" (2001) "Rock the House" (2001)

"19-2000", sometimes written "19/2000", is a song from the Gorillaz' self-titled debut album, Gorillaz. It was also the second single from the album, released in June 2001.

Background

The single released was accompanied by a completely new version of the song, called the "Soulchild Remix", which was produced by music producers Damien Mendis and Stuart Bradbury. The remix appears to utilise the drums from "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly and the Family Stone. The remix is basically a faster, more upbeat version of the song, but with re-recorded vocals as opposed to the sped up vocals of "Clint Eastwood: Ed Case Refix". The remix appears as a bonus track on the original version of the album, as well as being the first track on G Sides. From 2002, this version replaced the original version on radio stations and television stations. Another version of the song, entitled the "Gorillaz on My Mind Remix", features US rapper Redman, and appears on the soundtrack of Blade II. The single peaked at #6 in the United Kingdom, and reached #1 in New Zealand. The song is notable for its chorus lyrics 'get the cool shoeshine', which later came to be the slogan for Shoe Zone. The Soulchild remix was featured in a wide variety of media, including the Channel 4 show 100 Greatest Kids' TV Shows, the 2008 film Cloverfield, a TV commercial for Ice Breakers, as well the title theme for the video game FIFA 2002. Tina Weymouth and Miho Hatori contributed backing vocals to "19-2000".

Music video

The video, directed by Jamie Hewlett and Pete Candeland, is animated, both in 2-D and 3-D. It features the foursome riding in their geep Dune Buggy along a twisted highway, encountering roller coaster style loops, a killer UFO, when Murdoc decides not to take an exit leading toward a church, and a giant elk. Murdoc tries to blow up the elk with a pair of missiles, but the elk sneezes right before impact, sending them back to the car, which explodes and skids along the highway on fire. The members of Gorillaz appear to have black ash all over them from the blast. A stylized duck head, an Easter egg in early Gorillaz videos, can be found on the heads of the missiles right before they are sneezed away by the moose. In between these various encounters the Gorillaz pass and perform things in time with the rhythm—such as a field of oil rigs, or the light posts passing them at the beginning, and a couple of sections where the buggy does several versions of the wheelie and even appears to break the sound barrier. There are two versions of this video, one to fit the original mix and one to fit the soulchild remix. Both videos are almost identical, except for a few minor changes in order for the two songs to sync up with the video. On the motorway, there are signs to the Overlook Hotel, a reference to The Shining, and Camp Crystal Lake, a reference to Friday the 13th. It was shown in the MTV Cribs tour of Kong Studios that the buggy actually survived the blast. and now sits in the Kong Studio's parking lot where, upon passing it, Murdoc commented that it "costs more than a space shuttle".

Cover Versions

In 2011, Smash Mouth, the American rock band covered the song for the 2011 movie "Shrek: Me and My Swamp", with slight lyric changes.

In The Same Year, The two American rock bands The Presidents of the United States of America and TLC covered the song with the Artist titled "Gorillaz featuring TLC and The Presidents of the United States of America", by redoing the lyrics on verse two, "There's a gorilla in the jungle, Watching a vapour trail.", instead of "There's a monkey in the jungle". It was recorded for the soundtrack of the 2011 film "Toy Story: To Infinity and Beyond".

Track listing

CD Single

1. "19-2000" – 3:27
2. "19-2000" (Soulchild Remix) – 3:30
3. "Left Hand Suzuki Method" – 3:10
4. "19-2000" (Video) – 3:56

12-inch vinyl

1. "19/2000" – 3:27
2. "Left Hand Suzuki Method" – 3:10
3. "19/2000" (The Wiseguys House of Wisdom Remix) – 7:14

Cassette Single

1. "19/2000" – 3:27
2. "19/2000" (Soulchild Remix) – 3:30
3. "Hip Albatross" – 2:44

Charts

Chart Peak position New Zealand Singles Chart 1 UK Singles Chart 6 US Billboard Hot 100 23 Swedish Singles Chart 24 German Singles Chart 29 Australian Singles Chart 39 Notes