Chic 'n' Stu
Encyclopedia
"Chic 'n' Stu" is the opening track from the record titled Steal This Album!
by System of a Down
. It is a reference to sports broadcasters Chick Hearn
and Stu Lantz
, and the album version opens with a famous quote often uttered by Hearn when a game's outcome was no longer in doubt. The concept for the song was conceived while the group was watching a Los Angeles Lakers
game. The group noticed that the broadcast was inundated with enticing advertisements, particularly a pizza commercial which left them hungry for pizza. They of course, being rock stars, sent one of their devoted fans off to get a pizza with pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms, olives, and chives.
, France
on May 24, 1999. It had a few minor lyric changes and Serj Tankian
sang the song by himself as opposed to later versions, in which Daron Malakian
also sings a few verses. The song was only played until the end of the breakdown
. The name of the song was unknown, so the fans named it "Pizza Pie". Malakian introduced the name of the song during a show in London
, England
on December 20, 1999. Bootleg
gers named it "Chicken Stew", because the pronunciation was the same as "Chic 'n' Stu". The song also featured vocals from Malakian during the performance at that concert.
in early 2002, containing songs stolen from the recording studio of the band during the recording of their second album, Toxicity
. The song was named "Therapy", "Meat Therapy", and "Chick 'n' Stew" by the bootleggers who leaked the songs. This version had no vocals from Malakian
.
Steal This Album!
Steal This Album! is the third studio album by American heavy metal band System of a Down, released on November 26, 2002, on American Recordings...
by System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
. It is a reference to sports broadcasters Chick Hearn
Chick Hearn
Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn was an American sportscaster. Known primarily as the long-time play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, the legendary Hearn is remembered for his rapid fire, staccato broadcasting style, inventing colorful phrases such...
and Stu Lantz
Stu Lantz
Stuart Burrell Lantz is a retired American basketball player and the current television commentator for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association on Fox Sports West and KCAL...
, and the album version opens with a famous quote often uttered by Hearn when a game's outcome was no longer in doubt. The concept for the song was conceived while the group was watching a Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
game. The group noticed that the broadcast was inundated with enticing advertisements, particularly a pizza commercial which left them hungry for pizza. They of course, being rock stars, sent one of their devoted fans off to get a pizza with pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms, olives, and chives.
Live version
The first time the song was played was during a live show called "The French Revolution" in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on May 24, 1999. It had a few minor lyric changes and Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...
sang the song by himself as opposed to later versions, in which Daron Malakian
Daron Malakian
Daron Vartan Malakian is an Armenian-American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist, songwriter, and occasional vocalist of the heavy metal band System of a Down and as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative...
also sings a few verses. The song was only played until the end of the breakdown
Break (music)
In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece....
. The name of the song was unknown, so the fans named it "Pizza Pie". Malakian introduced the name of the song during a show in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on December 20, 1999. Bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
gers named it "Chicken Stew", because the pronunciation was the same as "Chic 'n' Stu". The song also featured vocals from Malakian during the performance at that concert.
Leaked version
The song also leaked to the Internet on the unofficial Toxicity II bootlegBootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
in early 2002, containing songs stolen from the recording studio of the band during the recording of their second album, Toxicity
Toxicity (album)
Toxicity is the second album by American heavy metal band System of a Down. Produced by Rick Rubin, Toxicity was released on September 4, 2001 by American Recordings, debuting at #1 on both the United States, with 220,000 copies, and #1 on the Canadian charts...
. The song was named "Therapy", "Meat Therapy", and "Chick 'n' Stew" by the bootleggers who leaked the songs. This version had no vocals from Malakian
Daron Malakian
Daron Vartan Malakian is an Armenian-American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist, songwriter, and occasional vocalist of the heavy metal band System of a Down and as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative...
.