Gorillaz

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This article is about the studio album. You may be looking for the virtual band.

Gorillaz
Overview
Type	Studio album
Author	Gorillaz
Producer(s)	Gorillaz • Tom Girling • Jason Cox • Dan The Automator
Guest Producer(s)	Curtis Lynch Jr. • Cass Browne
Phase	1
Released	26 March 2001
Recorded	December 1998 — October 2000
Studio(s)	Kong Studios, Essex • Studio 13, London • Geejam Studios, Portland, Jamaica
Format	CD • Cassette • Vinyl • Streaming • Digital Download
Genre	Alternative rock • trip hop • hip hop • lo-fi thriller
Length	56:42 (15-track version) 62:00 (original commercial release) 64:00 (European re-release)
Artwork	Jamie Hewlett • Zombie Flesh Eaters
Label	Parlophone • Virgin
Release Guide
Next →	Demon Days

Gorillaz is the eponymous debut studio album by English virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 26 March 2001 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone and in the United States by Virgin Records. It was produced by the band with Jason Cox, Tom Girling and Dan The Automator.

Information

Work on this album began in late 1998 (at least, according to the date given from Rise of the Ogre), and ended sometime before June 2nd of 2000, as Howie Weinburg was mastering it by then. Primary sessions in Jamaica took place from March to April of 2000.

The album features contributions from Dan's Handsome Boy Modeling School collaborators Del The Funky Homosapien (credited as Del Tha Ghost Rapper), Kid Koala and Miho Hatori, as well as Tom Tom Club, Ibrahim Ferrer, Ed Case and Sweetie Irie, with additional contribution⁷s from Soulchild, Curtis Lynch Jr. and Phi-Life Cypher on certain editions and reissues.

Gorillaz peaked at #3 on the UK Albums Chart and #14 on the US Billboard 200, and had sold over 7 million copies worldwide by 2007. It earned the group an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "Most Successful Virtual Band", and spawned the hit singles Clint Eastwood, 19-2000, Rock The House, and Tomorrow Comes Today.

The reissue of this album included in a boxset was released on 10th December 2021 during 20 years of the band's debut album.

Background

The debut album from Gorillaz spans a huge range of genres from rock, reggae, hip hop, punk to world music and unadulterated pop. Damon Albarn's ear for a tune does not desert him, as evidenced by the string of successful singles this album spawned. Dan The Automator's influence is also felt in the programming and the unusual juxtaposition of sounds and samples. Collaborators are also used to great effect; Del Tha Funkee Homosapien's rapping on his two cuts matches anything on Deltron 3030 whilst Miho Hatori and Ibrahim Ferrer contribute captivating vocal tracks. Lyrically it is very oblique and aside from the raps doesn't really make sense for the most part, but the vocals remain interesting despite that. Perhaps the great skill in this album is that the genres really don't jar against each other, although the overriding pop sensibility may play a part in that too.

This is the album Damon Albarn really wanted to make for years; not having to try to be arch but just writing fun music in the genres that interest him. The Ed Case Refix of Clint Eastwood as a hidden track was probably a last minute inclusion due to the success of the Refix in the UK. It is strange to think that initially it had not been planned to release the Gorillaz album in the US, but when US radio and television started picking up on Clint Eastwood the album was released as soon as possible, with two 'purchase incentive' B-sides tagged on the end before the hidden track. When 19/2000 became successful in the UK and Europe, the album was reissued with the Soulchild Remix of the song, and the Ed Case Refix of Clint Eastwood was taken into the main listed tracklisting (although inexplicably it was changed to the edited version, not the full one, likely to save on production costs). More exotic versions of the album include the Asian AVCD editions featuring additional enhanced content and bonus tracks, and the French 'Nouvelle Edition' Double CD version, notable for being one of the only two places the full-length version of The Sounder was commercially released.

Un-mastered Tracks

Around the same time as the album, a promo CD titled 'Gorillaz Un-mastered Tracks' was distributed by recording and mastering studio The Town House, which mastering engineer Geoff Pesche worked on at the time. This CD, as the title suggests, contains un-mastered versions of the tracks from the album and some b-sides as well.

Some of the tracks have a longer runtime than their final release, most notably:

• Clint Eastwood and Exhumation (Left Hand Suzuki Method) continue to a conclusion instead of fading out;
• Punk has a longer intro instead of fading in;
• New Genious and Faust run for a few more seconds and cuts off instead of fading out;
• Rock The House is purely instrumental, without Del's vocals;
• Starshine has a couple seconds of atmospheric noise at the end which were removed from the final version;
• Man Research (Clapper) appears longer, but in fact is the same as the commercially released version. On the commercially released version, the sound effect at the beginning appears on the end of the preceding track Clint Eastwood (this appears to be an error at the mastering stage, since the tracks are not mixed together. The split between them is simply in the wrong place);
• Latin Simone appears twice, with higher and lower backing vocals respectively, and is the Albarn-voiced English version from the Tomorrow Comes Today EP, the band's first commercial release, instead of Ibrahim Ferrer's Spanish version from the commercial release of the album.

Many of the tracks had different names prior to their final release:

• New Genious — New Genious (Brother)
• 19.2000 — 19-2000
• Sound Check — Sound Check (Gravity)
• Exhumation — Left Hand Suzuki Method
• Mi Ai — M1 A1

Being unmastered, the tracks in general exhibit a wider dynamic range than the final release. The collection also appears to be unsequenced; that is, the tracks do not seem to be ordered as to naturally flow as an album.

Track Listing

All tracks written-by Gorillaz and their respective collaborators. 'Rock The House' co-written by Dan Nakamura, 'Latin Simone' co-written by Lázaro Villa.

Standard Album Tracks

Cassette, Advance CD & Promo CDs
No.	Title	Length
1.	'Re-Hash' (with Miho Hatori)	3:40
2.	'5/4' (with Miho Hatori)	2:42
3.	'Tomorrow Comes Today' (with Miho Hatori)	3:13
4.	'New Genious (Brother)'	3:59
5.	'Clint Eastwood' (feat. Del The Funky Homosapien)	5:41
6.	'Man Research (Clapper)'	4:30
7.	'Punk' (with Dave Rowntree)	1:36
8.	'Sound Check (Gravity)'	4:41
9.	'Double Bass'	4:45
10.	'Rock The House' (feat. Del The Funky Homosapien)	4:08
11.	'19-2000' (with Miho Hatori, feat. Tina Weymouth)	3:27
12.	'Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo)' (with Miho Hatori, feat. Ibrahim Ferrer)	3:36
13.	'Starshine'	3:31
14.	'Slow Country'	3:34
15.	'M1 A1' (with Dave Rowntree)	3:50
Total length:		56:56

Vinyl & EU 1st Edition CD
No.	Title	Additional Info	Length
16.	'Clint Eastwood (Ed Case Refix)' (with Sweetie Irie)	Hidden track on CD	4:28
Total length:			61:24

Bonus Tracks

Worldwide

Re-release CD & Digital
No.	Title	Length
16.	'Clint Eastwood (Ed Case Refix) (Edit)' (with Sweetie Irie)	3:41
17.	'19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)' (with Miho Hatori, feat. Tina Weymouth)	3:27
Total length:		64:04

Brazil

SME Brasil CD Pressing
No.	Title	Additional Info	Length
18.	'Clint Eastwood (Ed Case Refix)' (with Sweetie Irie)	Hidden track after 5:02 of silence following the Soulchild Remix	4:28
Total length:			73:34

United States

US 1st Edition CD & Digital
No.	Title	Additional Info	Length
16.	'Dracula' (prod. Curtis Lynch Jr.)		4:41
17.	'Left Hand Suzuki Method' (with Miho Hatori)		3:12
18.	'Clint Eastwood (Ed Case Refix)' (with Sweetie Irie)	Hidden track on CD	4:28
Total length:			12:21

US Re-release CD
No.	Title	Length
16.	'Dracula' (prod. Curtis Lynch Jr.)	4:41
17.	'Left Hand Suzuki Method' (with Miho Hatori)	3:12
18.	'19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)' (with Miho Hatori, feat. Tina Weymouth)	3:27
19.	'Clint Eastwood (Ed Case Refix)' (with Sweetie Irie)	4:28
Total length:		15:48

France

'Nouvelle Edition' Bonus Disc
No.	Title	Length
1.	'Dracula' (prod. Curtis Lynch Jr.)	4:41
2.	'Hip Albatross'	2:42
3.	'Left Hand Suzuki Method' (with Miho Hatori)	3:12
4.	'The Sounder' (feat. Phi Life Cypher, prod. Cass Browne)	6:13
Total length:		16:48

Malaysia

Bonus Enhanced CD
No.	Title	Length
1.	'12D3'	3:24
2.	'Dracula' (prod. Curtis Lynch Jr.)	4:41
3.	'Left Hand Suzuki Method' (with Miho Hatori)	3:12
4.	'Hip Albatross'	2:42
Total length:		14:00

Enhanced Section
No.	Title	Length
5.	'Tomorrow Comes Today (Music Video)'	3:14
6.	'Clint Eastwood (Music Video)'	4:23
7.	'19-2000 (Music Video)'	3:53
Total length:		29:53

Un-mastered Album

Un-mastered Tracks Promo CD
No.	Title	Additional Info	Length
1.	'Slow Country'		3:38
2.	'Tomorrow Comes Today' (with Miho Hatori)		3:13
3.	'Latin Simone' (with Miho Hatori)		3:39
4.	'Latin Simone (Lower BV's)' (with Miho Hatori)	English version with lower backing vocals	3:59
5.	'New Genious'		4:01
6.	'19.2000' (with Miho Hatori, feat. Tina Weymouth)		3:29
7.	'5/4' (with Miho Hatori)		2:42
8.	'Clint Eastwood' (feat. Del The Funky Homosapien)		6:33
9.	'Sound Check'		4:44
10.	'Man Research (Clapper)'		4:36
11.	'Re-Hash' (with Miho Hatori)		3:40
12.	'Exhumation' (with Miho Hatori)	Early version of 'Left Hand Suzuki Method'	5:15
13.	'Rock The House' (feat. Del The Funky Homosapien)		3:47
14.	'Mi Ai' (with Dave Rowntree)	'M1 A1', mispelled	3:52
15.	'Punk' (with Dave Rowntree)		2:23
16.	'Double Bass'		4:46
17.	'Starshine'		3:35
18.	'Faust' (with Miho Hatori)		4:08
Total length:			75:18

Instrumental Album

Un-mastered Tracks Promo CD
No.	Title	Length
1.	'Slow Country'	3:38
2.	'Tomorrow Comes Today'	3:13
3.	'Latin Simone'	3:39
4.	'New Genious'	4:01
5.	'19.2000'	3:29
6.	'5/4'	2:42
7.	'Clint Eastwood'	6:33
8.	'Sound Check'	4:44
9.	'Man Research (Clapper)'	4:36
10.	'Re-Hash'	3:40
11.	'Exhumation'	5:15
12.	'M1 A1'	3:52
13.	'Punk'	2:23
14.	'Faust'	4:08
Total length:		59:30

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Gorillaz.

Gorillaz

• Murdoc Niccals - bass guitar
• Stuart '2-D' Pot - vocals, keyboards, piano, synthesizers, melodica
• Russel Hobbs - drums, percussion
• Noodle - guitar, additional vocals
• Del Tha Ghost Rapper - rap vocals ^{('Clint Eastwood', 'Rock the House')}

Musicians

• Damon Albarn - vocals, keyboards, piano, synthesizers, melodica, guitars, bass guitar ^{('5/4', 'Tomorrow Comes Today', 'Punk' 'Double Bass')}, drum programming, flute ^{('Rock the House')}
• Jason Cox - drums, drum programming
• Tom Girling - drum programming
• Dan the Automator - sampled loops, drum programming ^{('5/4', 'Sound Check (Gravity)', 'Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo)', 'Starshine')}, additional synthesizers
• Kid Koala - turntables
• Miho Hatori - additional vocals ^{('Re-Hash', '5/4', 'Tomorrow Comes Today', 'New Genius (Brother)', 'Man Research (Clapper)', '19-2000', 'Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo)', 'Left Hand Suzuki Method')}
• Junior Dan - bass guitar ^{('New Genius (Brother)', 'Man Research (Clapper)', 'Sound Check (Gravity)', 'Double Bass', 'Rock the House', '19-2000', 'Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo)', 'Starshine', 'Slow Country', 'M1 A1', 'Dracula', 'Left Hand Suzuki Method', 'The Sounder')}
• Dave Rowntree - drums ^{('Punk', 'M1 A1')}
• Del The Funky Homosapien - rap vocals ^{('Clint Eastwood', 'Rock the House')}
• Tom Tom Club
  • Chris Frantz - additional percussion ^('19-2000')
  • Tina Weymouth - additional vocals ^('19-2000')
• Ibrahim Ferrer - vocals ^{('Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo)')}
• Mike Smith - trumpet ^{('Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo)')}, saxophone ^('Dracula')
• Ed Case - remix ^{('Clint Eastwood (Ed Case Refix)')}
• Sweetie Irie - vocals ^{('Clint Eastwood (Ed Case Refix)')}
• Soulchild – remix, drum programming, arrangement ^{('19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)')}
  • Stuart Bradbury
  • Damien Mendis
• Cass Browne - drums, drum programming ^{('The Sounder')}
• Phi-Life Cypher - vocals ^{('The Sounder')}

Technical

• Gorillaz - production
• Jason Cox - engineering, production
• Dan Nakamura - co-production ^{('Re-Hash', '5/4', 'Tomorrow Comes Today', 'New Genius (Brother)', 'Clint Eastwood', 'Man Research (Clapper)', 'Punk', 'Sound Check (Gravity)', 'Double Bass', 'Rock the House', '19-2000', 'Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo)', 'Slow Country', 'M1 A1')}
• Tom Girling - engineering, Pro Tools, co-production
• Curtis Lynch Jr. - production ^('Dracula')
• Soulchild - additional production ^{('19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)')}
• Toby Whelan - engineering assistance
• Howie Weinberg - mastering ^{(standard album)}
• Geoff Pesce - mastering ^{('19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)', all bonus tracks)}
• Tim Burrell - vinyl mastering

Artwork

• Jamie Hewlett - artwork, design
• Zombie Flesh Eaters - artwork, design
• Jow - photography
• Ed Reeve - photography

Sample Credits

• Tomorrow Comes Today samples the song 'Get Out of My Life, Woman^W', written by Allen Toussaint^W.
• New Genious (Brother) contains samples of the songs 'Hit or Miss', written by Odetta Gordon^W and performed by Bo Diddley^W; 'Attention', by Head West and 'Heat Down in the Alley' by Southwind.
• Clint Eastwood samples the 'Rock One' preset from the Suzuki Omnichord^W OM-300 device.
• Man Research (Clapper) contains samples of the song of 'In the Hall of the Mountain Queen', written and performed by Raymond Scott^W from the album Manhattan Research, Inc.^W
• Sound Check (Gravity) contains an uncredited extract from a live hip hop routine by the Force MDs^W, containing beatboxing by American hip-hop vocalist Jessie Daniels.
• Rock the House contains portions of the song 'Modesty Blaise', written by John Dankworth^W and performed by The John Dankworth Orchestra, an uncredited drum sample still unidentified and an extract from the extended version of the track 'Live Routine' by MC Shan^W with Biz Markie^W (the 'How many people ready to rock the house?' line).
• 19-2000 samples the song 'If I Needed Someone' by Bit 'A Sweet.
• Latin Simone (Qué Pasa Contigo) samples the track 'Incidental Backcloth No. 3', written and performed by Keith Mansfield^W.
• Slow Country contains samples of the song 'Ghost Town^W', written by Jerry Dammers^W and performed by The Specials^W.
• M1 A1 and Hip Albatross both contain music extracts and spoken dialogue from the movies 'Dawn Of The Dead^W' and 'Day Of The Dead^W', written and composed by John Harrisson^W and directed by George A. Romero^W.
• Dracula contains spoken dialogue from the character Count Bloodcount from the Merry Melodies^W short film Transylvania 6-5000^W, voiced by Polish actor Ben Frommer.
• Left Hand Suzuki Method contains extracts of the songs 'Long, Long Ago^W', written by Thomas Haynes Bayly^W (violin); 'Mannish Boy^W', written by Mel London^W, Ellas McDaniel^W and McKinley Morganfield^W, and performed by Muddy Waters^W (vocals and drums); 'What The...', written and performed by George Duke^W (edited vocals); 'No Tricks', written and performed by Latee (the 'Feel the impact!' line) & 'Desert Sunrise', written by Joe Simon^W and Millie Jackson^W, performed by Joe Simon and The Mainstreeters, and arranged by Bert DeCoteaux.
• The Sounder shares the same bassline as Rock The House.

Release Dates and Chart Positions

• UK: 26/03/01 (reissue CD on 02/07/01) – highest chart position: #3
• FR: 26/03/01 (reissue CD on 19/06/01, 2nd reissue on 13/11/01) – highest chart position: #7
• AU: 18/06/01 (reissue CD on 24/09/01) – highest chart position: #4
• US: 19/06/01 (clean version CD on 14/08/01) – highest chart position: #14

Gallery

The full image gallery for Gorillaz (album) may be viewed at Gorillaz (album)/Gallery.

Trivia

• On the Advance CD copies of the album, Latin Simone (Qué Pasa Contigo) is labeled as 'New Vocal Version'.
• Certain copies of the original CD release of the album in the US feature text on the disc written in red, while in others it is white instead.
• In the US, an alternate edited version of the album with all the swearing and strong language censored (in addition to the removal of the 'Parental Advisory' ) was also released. Interestingly, this version also removes the bong sounds from the beginning of Left Hand Suzuki Method.
  • The original clean version of the album included the edited version of Clint Eastwood (Ed Case Refix), instead of the full-length one present on the other US copies. Interestingly, this mistake was corrected on the 2014 reissue of this version.
• On streaming services, the full-length version of the Ed Case Refix of Clint Eastwood is simply titled 'Clint Eastwood', without the refix indicator, but with Ed Case credited alongside Gorillaz.
• For the 20th anniversary of the album, an exclusive animated artwork was made and added to Apple Music, showcasing the geep driving in an out of frame. The standard cover art for Apple Music was also updated, now including the smoke coming out of the exhaust.
  • This animated artwork was also used for the Gorillaz (Gorillaz 20 Mix) visualiser.