Rock the House
Encyclopedia
"Rock the House" is a song from the Gorillaz
self-titled debut album, Gorillaz
. It was released as the third single
from the album in October 2001
. It peaked at #18 on the UK Singles Chart
. The song is one of the more hip hop
-oriented songs on the album, along with "Clint Eastwood
". The song features a horn section
loop
sampled from "Modesty Blaise", a piece by British Jazz musician John Dankworth
. The chorus also features a sample of "How Many People (Ready To Rock The House?)", an '80s hip-hop track by American rapper John Forte
. Rapper Del tha Funkee Homosapien
is the only artist to provide vocals for the song, and is the only song on the album that does not have a part for Noodle
.
, 2-D
claims to have "played some divvy panpipes" for "Rock the House" during a track-by-track of the Gorillaz album. Murdoc is stunned by this and repeats his disbelief briefly during the section on the video. Though the track was selected for a single and received generally good reactions, Rise of the Ogre claims that Gorillaz were never particularly satisfied with "Rock the House", with Murdoc expressing his opinions by claiming he "won this song in a raffle" and 2D thinking that the track should not have made it on the album at all. For the radio edit of the song, the line which features the words "Shake your ass-crack" is cut. Instead, the edit features the orchestral type sound, which features after the trumpet riff at the start of the song, so that the last two words are not heard.
. It leads past a door to a room where Gorillaz are performing. A white mist appears among them and Russel passes out. Then we see the floor has turned into the ghost of Del
, who rises up and throws the Gorillaz to the ground. Del is outfitted with protective gear including a helmet. In Rise of the Ogre
it explains he is dressed as Mr. Freedom
. Del takes a few steps when from behind him a series of spring-loaded guns shoot billiard ball
s at him, but he diverts them with his glove. A series of inflatable female gorillas appear and start to do cheerleading
. 2-D is dodging the balls being shot at him by doing dance moves, but then he is hit by a few balls and knocked out. Murdoc then begins to divert the balls with a padded jockstrap
he is wearing, hitting them away with his pelvic thrust
s. He is successful a dozen times until a ball ricochets off the padded wall and hits his unprotected buttocks. The ball ricochets and hits Russel in the head, waking him up and making Del disappear. Russel looks around, noticing 2-D is unconscious, Murdoc is standing bandy legged, and Noodle is the only one in the original state. The final scene is a backwards shot of the first one.
CD2
Cassette Single
12" Vinyl
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
self-titled debut album, Gorillaz
Gorillaz (album)
Gorillaz is the debut album by the British virtual band Gorillaz, released in March 2001. It includes the singles "Clint Eastwood", "19-2000", "Rock the House" and "Tomorrow Comes Today"...
. It was released as the third single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the album in October 2001
2001 in music
See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
. It peaked at #18 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The song is one of the more hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
-oriented songs on the album, along with "Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood (song)
"Clint Eastwood" is a song by Gorillaz. It was released as the first single from their debut album in March 2001. It peaked at #4 in the UK and #57 in the US on 11 September 2001. The single has sold 480,000 copies in the UK according to the Official UK Charts Company. The song is a mix of...
". The song features a horn section
Horn section
In music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a...
loop
Music loop
In electroacoustic music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections of material can be repeated to create ostinato patterns...
sampled from "Modesty Blaise", a piece by British Jazz musician John Dankworth
John Dankworth
Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE , known in his early career as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist and clarinetist...
. The chorus also features a sample of "How Many People (Ready To Rock The House?)", an '80s hip-hop track by American rapper John Forte
John Forte
John Forte was an American comic-book artist, active from the early 1940s on, best known as one of the primary pencilers of DC Comics' early Legion of Super-Heroes stories....
. Rapper Del tha Funkee Homosapien
Del tha Funkee Homosapien
Teren Delvon Jones , better known as Del the Funky Homosapien or Del tha Funkee Homosapien, is an American MC.-Early life and beginnings: 1990-1997:...
is the only artist to provide vocals for the song, and is the only song on the album that does not have a part for Noodle
Noodle (Gorillaz)
Noodle is a musician and member of the virtual band Gorillaz. She provides the guitar and keyboard, as well as some main and backing vocals for the band. She, like all other Gorillaz members, was created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett...
.
Background
In Gorillaz: Rise of the OgreRise of the Ogre
Rise of the Ogre is an autobiography about the virtual band Gorillaz. Ostensibly written by the four band-members in collaboration with Gorillaz musician and official scribe Cass Browne, the book is 304 pages long and is extensively illustrated. It was released in the UK on 26 October 2006 by...
, 2-D
2D (Gorillaz)
The fictional character Stuart Pot , better known by his stage name 2-D, also simply spelled as 2D, is a member of the British virtual band Gorillaz...
claims to have "played some divvy panpipes" for "Rock the House" during a track-by-track of the Gorillaz album. Murdoc is stunned by this and repeats his disbelief briefly during the section on the video. Though the track was selected for a single and received generally good reactions, Rise of the Ogre claims that Gorillaz were never particularly satisfied with "Rock the House", with Murdoc expressing his opinions by claiming he "won this song in a raffle" and 2D thinking that the track should not have made it on the album at all. For the radio edit of the song, the line which features the words "Shake your ass-crack" is cut. Instead, the edit features the orchestral type sound, which features after the trumpet riff at the start of the song, so that the last two words are not heard.
Music video
The music video for "Rock the House" was directed by Jamie Hewlett and Pete Candeland. The inspiration for the video is said to have come from Hewlett's angst at the time, as the band was going through the process of being sued by another band named Doppelgangerz, who claimed that Gorillaz was a stolen idea. It starts with a shot of the gate of Kong Studios. The camera then follows Noodle on a tricycle through the hallways of the building, a reference to the horror film The ShiningThe Shining (film)
The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
. It leads past a door to a room where Gorillaz are performing. A white mist appears among them and Russel passes out. Then we see the floor has turned into the ghost of Del
Del tha Funkee Homosapien
Teren Delvon Jones , better known as Del the Funky Homosapien or Del tha Funkee Homosapien, is an American MC.-Early life and beginnings: 1990-1997:...
, who rises up and throws the Gorillaz to the ground. Del is outfitted with protective gear including a helmet. In Rise of the Ogre
Rise of the Ogre
Rise of the Ogre is an autobiography about the virtual band Gorillaz. Ostensibly written by the four band-members in collaboration with Gorillaz musician and official scribe Cass Browne, the book is 304 pages long and is extensively illustrated. It was released in the UK on 26 October 2006 by...
it explains he is dressed as Mr. Freedom
Mr. Freedom
Mr. Freedom is a 1969 film by American expatriate photographer and filmmaker William Klein. In addition to starring popular French actor Delphine Seyrig, this anti-imperialist satirical farce features cameos by well-known actors Donald Pleasence and Philippe Noiret, as well as musician Serge...
. Del takes a few steps when from behind him a series of spring-loaded guns shoot billiard ball
Billiard ball
A billiard ball is a small, hard ball used in cue sports, such as carom billiards, pool, and snooker. The number, type, diameter, color, and pattern of the balls differ depending upon the specific game being played...
s at him, but he diverts them with his glove. A series of inflatable female gorillas appear and start to do cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
. 2-D is dodging the balls being shot at him by doing dance moves, but then he is hit by a few balls and knocked out. Murdoc then begins to divert the balls with a padded jockstrap
Jockstrap
A jockstrap is an undergarment designed for supporting the male genitalia during sports or other vigorous physical activity...
he is wearing, hitting them away with his pelvic thrust
Pelvic thrust
The pelvic thrust is the thrusting motion of the pelvic region, which is occasionally used in sexual intercourse.-Dance:Pelvic thrusts can also be used as a dance move, often as part of bump and grind. It is explicitly referred to in the song "Time Warp" from the 1970s The Rocky Horror Picture Show...
s. He is successful a dozen times until a ball ricochets off the padded wall and hits his unprotected buttocks. The ball ricochets and hits Russel in the head, waking him up and making Del disappear. Russel looks around, noticing 2-D is unconscious, Murdoc is standing bandy legged, and Noodle is the only one in the original state. The final scene is a backwards shot of the first one.
Track listing
CD1- "Rock The House" (Radio Edit) – 3:02
- "The Sounder (Edit)" – 4:29
- "Faust" – 3:47
- "Rock The House" (video trailer)– 3:43
CD2
- "Rock The House" – 4:09
- "Ghost Train" – 3:56
- "19-2000" – 3:27
- "19-2000" (Video) – 3:56
Cassette Single
- "Rock The House" (Radio Edit) – 3:02
- "The Sounder" (Edit) – 4:01
- "Ghost Train" – 3:56
12" Vinyl
- "Rock The House" – 4:09
- "The Sounder"(Edit) – 4:29
- "Faust" – 3:47
- "Ghost Train" – 3:56