Brimful of Asha

"Brimful of Asha"
Song

"Brimful of Asha" is a 1997 single by the British alternative rock band Cornershop, which originally reached number 60 in the UK Singles Chart in 1997. After a remixed version of the song by Fatboy Slim, originally released only as a limited edition 12 inch single in the UK, became both a radio and critical success, the song was re-released and reached #1 in the UK chart in February 1998 and number #16 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The lyrics are a tribute to Asha Bhosle, one of the most famous pop singers/film-score vocalists of India.

This song is based upon the history of film culture in India. Since their introduction, Indian films have relied heavily on song-and-dance numbers. Almost always, the singing was performed by background singers while the actors and actresses lip-sync. Asha Bhosle is one of these playback singers who has sung over 12,000 songs. Playback singers Lata Mangeshkar (Bhosle's sister) and Mohammad Rafi (one of the top male playback singers of the mid-century) are also mentioned in the song.

The lyrics of the song's bridge contain a number of references to non-Indian music, including Georges Brassens' song "Bancs Publics", Jacques Dutronc, Marc Bolan, Argo Records and Trojan Records.

The music video directed by Phil Harder for the song was produced by Harder/Fuller Films.

"Brimful of Asha"
Song

In October 2011, NME placed the Fatboy Slim remix at number 105 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".

In popular culture

• "Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook Remix)" can be heard in the film The Love Guru.
• The song can also be heard in Shameless "Episode 5.12".
• The song also features in two Friends episodes: "The One that Could Have Been, Part 2" and "The One with the Fake Party".
• The instrumental remix of Norman Cook is the title song of the German comedy sketch show Die dreisten Drei (English: “The audacious Three”)
• The song was used on the trailer of Hey Arnold!: The Movie
• Jerry St. Clair sings this at the beginning of Free and Easy Night whilst the rest are doing the quiz to win a year's supply of Japanese lager in Series 2 of Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights.
• The song was used for a Gap clothing commercial in late-1999.
• In the late 1990s, the song was used during continuity breaks and schedule lineups for Sky One in the United Kingdom.
• The song was used in the episode, "Chuck Versus the Balcony", of NBC spy action-comedy Chuck.
• The song is used in the TV adverts of Vodafone CU, Greece
• A short section of the song can be heard at the end of Will Ferrell's 2007 short comedy film The Landlord.

External links

• More background information about "Brimful of Asha" and its lyrics.