Feel Good Inc.

Feel Good Inc. is the sixth track and the lead single from Gorillaz' second studio album Demon Days. The song features hip hop group De La Soul.

Information
"Feel Good Inc." charted high in most European countries (including an at-the-time career best of #2 in England, accompanied by a chart run to rival Clint Eastwood's 4 years before). In the US, aided by an iPod commercial featuring the song, and presence on the latest successful "Now" compilation, "Feel Good Inc." took Gorillaz to a whole new level - the track peaked just outside the top 10 in the Billboard Top 100, and it was also top of the Modern Rock charts for a 3 week spell.

In the UK, due to a loophole in the chart rules, "Feel Good Inc." was able to enter the charts before its official release because the record company released 300 copies of the 7-inch single format, meaning that legal downloads would count towards a chart placing for the single (this was because, according to UK chart rules at that time, download sales contributed to chart placings, but only if a physical format was also available).

A total of 4 new and original songs were available across formats, although the song "Murdoc is God" was only included on the Japanese CD, where it was released as an EP instead of as a single, similar to other songs from Phase 2. The feel of the B-sides was more free and experimental than that of those that had appeared on 'Demon Days' - showcasing another side to the Gorillaz sound.

"Feel Good Inc." makes an appearance in Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 3 on Wii, Sing Star Pop! on PlayStation 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5 on Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PC Versions, Guitar Hero 5 on Xbox 360, the 2006 movie Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker, and was part of Weird Al Yankovic's "Polkarama". It was also one of the songs covered by Kidz Bop for the ninth album, and the only Gorillaz song covered by the group, although it was controversial among fans.

Real Life Story
The first version of the song was made in 2004, entitled "Feel Good Inc. (Noodle's Demo)", featured on the Japanese version of Gorillaz 2007 B-Side album, D-Sides. The demo and original song feature the Demon Days Band. Some time after the demo was created, co-creator Damon Albarn heard Danger Mouses Grey Album, a mix of Jay Z and The Beetles. Damon was so impressed that he invited Danger Mouse to work on Demon Days. Damon had this to say about it "I'd heard The Grey Album, and I needed a producer, so I just rang him up. 'Feel Good Inc.' was one of the first things we did. It was very instinctive: when you don't really know someone and you say, 'Do you want to come over and try a few tracks?' It doesn't usually work out this well.". Later on in the process Damon and Danger Mouse felt the song felt empty so, Danger Mouse invited De La Soul. The group where originally to rap on Kids With Guns, but then after Damon started showing the other demos Gorillaz had been working on, Feel Good Inc. being one of them, Dave from De La Soul ended up favouring Feel Good Inc. and highly suggested rapping on it then Kids With Guns. The song featured Dave and Maseo from the group. Group member Maseo provided the laugh for the song.

Fictional Band Story
After Noodle left Japan to find out about her forgotten past, she returned to Kong Studios, England. Where she started work on what was going to be Demon Days. It was during one of her lonely sessions that Feel Good Inc. would arise. Despite Noodle, or the band, really touching on the songs making process, Noodle did mention that Feel Good Inc. started out as an upbeat 80s beat. She also mentioned that the lyrics pertaining to windmills is a reference to a child like innocence. Her way of getting Danger Mouse in the project was similar to the way Damon did, by hearing his Grey Album. Later on when the band had finished the track, she mentioned that her and Danger Mouse felt the track to be empty, so they invited De La Soul. And that Maseo laughing in the song was an accident that was left in the recording.

UK Formats
CD

1. Feel Good Inc (Single Version) 2. Spitting Out The Demons

DVD

1. Feel Good Inc. (Video) 2. Spitting Out The Demons 3. Bill Murray (feat. The Bees)

7"

A. Feel Good Inc (Single Version) B. 68 State

Release dates and chart positions
UK: 09/05/05 – highest chart position: 2

JAPAN: 27/04/05 – highest chart position:

AUSTRALIA: highest chart position: 3

US: - Highest Chart Position: 14