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June 1, 2006

Let's No Crazy

Gnarls Barkley's little single that could is dead. You'll remember "Crazy" made headlines in April when it became the first UK chart topper based on download sales alone. Now that the song's held the spot for nine weeks (a feat not witnessed since, er, Wet Wet Wet) and made waves from Indio to New Zealand the dynamic duo has retired it.

Mr. Mouse said in a statement:

"I consider myself a realist. I suppose that goes for most of us. But I have found a way to at once hold them, fold them, walk away and run. This was not a painless decision. But pain is nothing but a bi-product of beauty. Potentially toxic, to be sure, but that's all it is."
But they'll perform it at the MTV Movie Awards, natch.

If you still wanna get "Crazy," don't despair. It's on track to be the most covered tune this year, the "Hey Ya" of 2006. Ray LaMontagne, Twilight Singers ... even Paris Hilton is allegedly recording a version in a misguided attempt to convince us she has a soul. Today Dodge is serving up an MP3 of Nelly Furtado's take.

I've never heard of a band "withdrawing" a single for fear of overexposure ... though I have some suggestions (cough, James Blunt, cough).

Posted at 8:46 AM




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21 Comments

Aww, c'mon, DON'T call it the "Hey Ya" of 2006.

Posted by: Greg Hornak at 06/01/06 12:52 PM | Reply
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back in the day of cassette singles, artists frequently withdrew them if it was thought the single's sales were eating into the LP's sales. this is just the digital version of that.

Posted by: mattshu at 06/01/06 1:02 PM | Reply
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They didn't remove it for "fear of overexposure", don't worry about that, its supposedly because they're worried that people are going to get extremely annoyed with it (definately becoming the case) like that Crazy Frog crap.

Posted by: Andrew at 06/01/06 1:32 PM | Reply
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pretty sure those are the same things: overexposure and people getting annoyed with it.

Posted by: Jess at 06/01/06 1:38 PM | Reply
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If we draw up some sort of petition, do you think we, as a nation, could FORCE James Blunt to retire Beautiful?

Posted by: Haley at 06/01/06 2:25 PM | Reply
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I was under the impression they were retiring it to make room for their next single, "Smiley Faces", or possibly "Gone Daddy Gone".

Posted by: Andrew at 06/01/06 2:52 PM | Reply
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God. I hope gone daddy gone isn't the next single. I just can't stand the Gnarls' version. But that is what is getting some play on Left Of Center (Does anyone else think this Sirius station has gone to crap lately?), so it could be the next single...?

Posted by: You Blockhead at 06/01/06 3:24 PM | Reply
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They are making room for their next single -- "Smiley Faces." But I read DM is also sick of the song. I guess it's sort of cool ... it will go down as only having lived at #1.

Posted by: scott at 06/01/06 3:25 PM | Reply
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James Blunt should be retired from the human race.

Posted by: Paul Weller at 06/01/06 4:19 PM | Reply
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yes, i gotta say that "gone daddy gone" is probably the worst track on this record.

kind of unnecessary given how strong the rest of it is...

Posted by: richard at 06/01/06 5:27 PM | Reply
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It reeks of clever PR to me, going all Greta Garbo and stuff.

Posted by: MaisieChainsaw at 06/01/06 5:44 PM | Reply
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I'm all for petitioning James Blunt to fall off the planet. Let's do it.

Posted by: Laura at 06/01/06 5:59 PM | Reply
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I hated James Blunt until I heard his cover of "Wave of Mutilation" and it was pretty great. I still hate the songs of his that are on the radio, but he now get some props from me.

Posted by: brooks at 06/01/06 6:40 PM | Reply
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I like the catchiness of Gone Daddy Gone. Plus, I never get tired of the name 'Gnarls Barkely'

Gnarls!

Posted by: cibbuano at 06/01/06 7:20 PM | Reply
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I think what they're doing is the only that will stop it from becoming this year's "Hey Ya". THey better still play it live though...

Posted by: E at 06/01/06 8:49 PM | Reply
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Meh, we got much worse things than James Blunt. What about getting Hawthorne Heights or Kelly Clarkson off the radio and off the face of this Earth?

Posted by: tjxm at 06/01/06 9:43 PM | Reply
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Is it just me or does "Crazy" sound just like a RuPaul song?? After I noticed the comparison, I just can't listen to it anymore without felling dirty.

Posted by: Michael at 06/02/06 10:06 AM | Reply
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When Wet Wet Wet were No.1 they did the same thing, withdrew the single from the shops cause they were sick of it themselves. They were No.1 for 16 weeks which matched Bryan Adams Everything I Do and I guess they didn't want the millstone of only being remembered as the band with the longest running No1. I would guess Gnarls will also sell more albums if they can release another single and prove they have more than one good song.

Posted by: Mark at 06/02/06 10:15 AM | Reply
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so they're removing it from stores? cause they can't remove it from radio, can they? or from the speakers at urban outfitters or american eagle? taking it off the shelves at the local sam goody ain't exactly gonna prevent overexposure, is it?

sounds more like a self-aggrandizing "look at how cool we are" move to me.

Posted by: cat at 06/02/06 4:44 PM | Reply
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The nelly Furtado cover is pretty good. Its like Ben Lee toning down "Float On". Her voice is really strong.

Posted by: PJ at 06/02/06 6:26 PM | Reply
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Aphex Twin retired his whole "come to daddy" ep when he found out it would be no.1 that week. So, he never really had a no. 1, but could have. Yes.

Posted by: james blunt at 06/03/06 1:17 PM | Reply
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