Get the Party Started

Infobox Single
Name = Get the Party Started


Artist = Pink
from Album = M!ssundaztood
Released = December 2001–February 2002 January 14, 2002 (UK)
Format = CD single, maxi single
Recorded = 2001
Genre = Pop rock, R&B
Length = 3:11 (Album Version)
3:22 (Video/Music Outro)
Label = Arista
Writer = Linda Perry
Producer = Linda Perry
Certification = Platinum (Norway) Gold (Australia, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland)
Last single = "Lady Marmalade" (2001)
This single = "Get the Party Started" (2002)
Next single = "Don't Let Me Get Me" (2002)
Misc =

"Get the Party Started" is a song by Pink, and was the first single from her second album, "M!ssundaztood" (2001). It became an international hit and reached the top ten in many countries.

Writing

The song was written by former 4 Non Blondes frontwoman Linda Perry. She said that the process of making the song was "so unlike me"; according to her, she was going through a "weird phase" during which she wanted to learn how to program drums. She programmed her first beat, picked up a bass guitar and, in her words, "did what the beat was asking me to do." She decided to put "every wrong instrument" in the song, and consequently acquired a horn sample. "I was doing the music, the melody was already coming to me in what I wanted the song to be", she said. She finished the song by including in the song "every catch phrase you possibly could imagine", before laughing at the realisation that she had written a potential hit single and her first dance song. "You create something in your bedroom or your house, and it's just a fun thing that you're doing", she said. "Then all of a sudden, you hear that song that you started in your house, and it's on the radio. And people are now acknowledging it. It's just trippy." [http://www.ascap.com/playback/2003/fall/perry.html "Linda Perry, High Priestess of Pop"] . ASCAP "Playback Magazine". Late 2003.]

According to Perry (during an interview with VH1's "Driven"), she wrote the song years before she introduced it to Pink. She said, "....I felt that it was a big hit but it didn't suit me. Pink was the right person for the song".citequote Perry guided Pink through the album because Pink had total creative control over her music.Fact|date=July 2007

Reception

It reached number four on the U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100, becoming Pink's second biggest solo hit in the U.S. alongside "Most Girls" (2000), because in 2008 "So What" reached #1. It peaked at number two in the UK, where it was narrowly denied the top spot by the posthumous release of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord". It reached number-one in Australia and on the United World Chart, and number-two in many European countries most notably Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, being held off from the top position by Shakira's smash hit "Whenever, Wherever".

"Get the Party Started" was certified gold in Australia, Austria, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland, and in Norway it received a platinum certification.

The song was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2003 in the category of "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance", which it lost to Norah Jones's "Don't Know Why". It won the award for "Favourite Song" at the Kids' Choice Awards of 2002, and at the MTV Europe Music Awards of 2002 it won the award for "Best Song". "Get the Party Started" is often considered one of Pink's signature songs.Fact|date=July 2007

Music video

The music video was shot by director Dave Meyers in Los Angeles. In the video Pink is showering and getting ready to go out, trying on different outfits. One of her friends picks her up, and they drive in a car headbanging to the music. They get out of the car and steal two skateboards from two boys, after which Pink falls off her skateboard because men in a car are whistling at her. The women arrive at the club but are refused entry by the bodyguard, so to get in they use a window washing platform to reach the top of the building. Inside the club the bartender is played by Linda Perry. Pink changes her clothes and starts to party, and at the end Pink dances with two other dancers. She takes off her earrings and necklace and gives it to a person. One of the dancers in the video is Kevin Federline, who subsequently became a back-up dancer for Britney Spears and was married to her. Gwen Stefani was also in this video.

The video was nominated at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards for "Best Pop Video" and won the awards for "Best Female Video" and "Best Dance Video".

Remix, covers and other uses

In early 2002 Pink teamed up with Bally Total Fitness to promote Bally Total Fitness memberships. The title of the advertising campaign was "Get This Body Started", and in early 2002 there were several Bally Total Fitness commercials in the United States that used the Pink song. The track was also used extensively by the NBA during the 2002–2003 season. For the Finals, ABC used the song as the introduction music in 2003.

P!nk also teamed up with Redman and Rockwilder for a remix of "Get the Party Started", using elements of the Eurythmics song "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)". The remix was released as a single only in France, where it reached number four and was certified gold. Pink performed the remix during her I'm Not Dead Tour in 2006 and 2007. The remix was also featured on the 9th installment of the U.S. version of the "Now That's What I Call Music!" series.

"Get the Party Started" was covered by Stretch Arm Strong for the compilation album "Punk Goes Pop", by Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan on the album "Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 1", by German singer Sascha Schmitz (aka Dick Brave), and by Dame Shirley Bassey for a spy-themed 2006 Marks & Spencer Christmas television advertising campaign. [Woods, Sarah. [http://www.brandrepublic.com/bulletins/br/article/602985/shirley-bassey-stars-bondstyle-marks-spencer-ad/ "Shirley Bassey stars in Bond-style Marks & Spencer ad"] . Brand Republic. November 6 2006.] Her version became a cult hitMacpherson, Alex. [http://music.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,2108431,00.html "Reviews - Pop CD - Dame Shirley Bassey, Get the Party Started"] . "The Guardian". June 22 2007.] and was included on her 2007 album, also titled "Get the Party Started". "The Guardian" wrote, "Bassey is the only singer alive who could take the bouncing, enthusiastic R&B of the original Get the Party Started and turn it into a grand, imperious swoop worthy of a Bond theme; it's a terrific cover version, even if it perhaps didn't quite merit the album attached to it." On 13 January 2008, Bassey's version was used in the opening sequence to the ITV1 series "Dancing on Ice". It was also used in the promo for Cycle 4 of Australia's Next Top Model. The latest cover version of this song was produced by [http://danwinter.de/ Dan Winter] , a German Harddance producer.

Track listings and formats

;European CD single
#"Get the Party Started" – 3:12
#"Get the Party Started/Sweet Dreams" featuring Redman – 4:05

;European maxi single
#"Get the Party Started" (radio mix) – 3:12
#"Get the Party Started" (K5 Werk Kraft mix) featuring Spoonface – 7:02
#"Get the Party Started" (P!nk Noise Disco mix «radio edit») – 3:44
#"Get the Party Started" (video) [bonus] ;Australian CD single
#"Get the Party Started" (radio mix) – 3:14
#"Get the Party Started/Sweet Dreams" – 4:08
#"Get the Party Started" (P!nk Noise Disco mix «radio edit») – 3:46
#"Get the Party Started" (instrumental) – 3:12

Charts

{| class="wikitable"!Chart (2005)!Peak position
-
French Singles Top 100 ¹
align="center"|4
-!Chart (2008)!Peak position
-
UK Singles Chart ²
align="center"|47
-
U.S. "Billboard" Hot Dance Club Play ²
align="center"|3
-
*¹ Remix featuring Redman
*² Shirley Bassey version

References