The Noughties hit single ‘Clint Eastwood’ by Gorillaz blew up when it dropped in early 2001. It’s a funky blend of electronic music with hip-hop and rock.
In an interview with Apple Music, Damon Albarn recently let slip the secret behind how he came up with the song’s beat. He simply used the Rock 1 preset on his Suzuki Omnichord.
The Music
‘Clint Eastwood’ is the breakthrough single from Gorillaz and it was released in March 2001. It was the first time that virtual band Gorillaz had mixed rock, reggae and hip-hop into a song and it clearly appealed to a wide range of music fans.
The song was written by 2-D and Murdoc. They were recording it at Kong Studios when 2-D played a melody on the melodica and they decided to write a song around it. They then asked Del the Funky Homosapien to rap on it and he agreed.
The music video was directed by Jamie Hewlett and Pete Candeland and it was animated by Passion Pictures. It shows the group performing or rehearsing in a graveyard near Kong Studios. Then, zombie gorillas rise from the ground and chase them and they then get a kick in the head by Noodle. Later, Del the ghost rapper pops out of Russel’s head and raps on the song.
The Video
Probably one of Gorillaz’s biggest hits to date and Damon Albarn’s greatest hit as a solo artist, it was a huge smash initially in the UK and then across Europe. It remains a massive hit to this day.
The video is a mix of several genres including electronic, dub and hip hop. It features Del Tha Funky Homosapien rapping and the rest of the band as animated characters. It was directed by Jamie Hewlett and Pete Candeland.
Many people have interpreted the song and video as being about drugs. In the video you hear a bong hit in the beginning and in the chorus the lyrics say “I got sunshine in a bag” which could be referring to drugs but it really doesn’t matter how you interpret it as the song and music is awesome.
It was a huge success and it also helped the band’s first album to chart higher than expected. This is perhaps due to the UK Garage remix of the single by Ed Case featuring reggae singer Sweetie Irie, which was released on the B-sides version of the debut album.
The Title
Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn is famous for putting careful consideration into every aspect of his band’s aesthetic. His choice of naming this song after an iconic American Western actor was no exception. However, many fans are still confused about the meaning behind this title.
Interestingly, Albarn has made it clear that this song is not meant to be a commentary on drugs or any other form of illicit substance use. Rather, it is about the concept of a hero’s journey. The “sunshine in a bag” that the narrator refers to is believed by some to be an allusion to marijuana or other illegal substances.
While the music video is definitely a part of this song’s story, the lyrics themselves have more to do with a hero’s journey and the ego vs the spirit. The rap by Del Tha Funky Homosapien is especially poignant in this regard. This song is considered one of the best examples of Gorillaz’s genre-blending and lyrical depth.
The Artists
The song Clint Eastwood is a reference to the actor who has portrayed icons of rugged manliness and badassery more than anyone else. It is also a reference to Joseph Campbell’s idea that the boon that the hero receives from completing a quest or journey opens their perception and allows them to see things in new ways.
The track was the first single from Gorillaz and helped to launch the virtual band to a wider audience. It was a huge hit in the UK, where it stayed in the charts for months. It also became a massive radio hit across Europe. It also gave Del the Funky Homosapien his biggest hit to date and earned the group their first platinum album.
Damon Albarn is a longtime fan of the work of Ennio Morricone, who scored Eastwood’s movie A Fistful of Dollars. The song’s basic rhythm track is a preset on Albarn’s Suzuki Omnichord keyboard. It was later sped up and looped by producers Ed Case and Sweetie Irie for a remix version that was a UK Garage hit.
