Praise You

Infobox Single
Name = Praise You


Artist = Fatboy Slim
from Album = You've Come a Long Way, Baby
Released = January 4, 1999 (United Kingdom) March 2, 1999 (United States)
Recorded = 1998
Label = flagicon|United Kingdom Skint flagicon|United States Astralwerks
Length = 5:17
Writer = Fatboy Slim, Camille Yarbrough
Producer = Fatboy Slim
Last single = "Gangster Trippin" (1998)
This single = "Praise You" (1999)
Next single = "Right Here Right Now" (1999)

"Praise You" is a 1999 song by dance/electronic musician Fatboy Slim, also known as Norman Cook [ [http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/fatboy_slim/artist.jhtml MTV.com bio] ] , from his second studio album "You've Come a Long Way, Baby". Recently, this song has been included in the Fatboy Slim compilation album "The Greatest Hits - Why Try Harder". It made #1 on the UK singles chart and made #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 (#2 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart). As of 2008, the original album version of "Praise You" can be heard on adult album alternative, alternative rock, and hot adult contemporary radio stations.

The song features the prominent vocal sample "Praise You" from the opening of "Take Yo' Praise" by Camille YarbroughFact|date=August 2008. The song's bridge also subtly samples the theme from the cartoon series "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids"Fact|date=August 2008.

The song also provided accompaniment to scenes in several movies and TV series, such as "Cruel Intentions" (and is also included on the soundtrack), Sex and the City (episode 2-17 Twenty-Something Girls vs. Thirty-Something Women) and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (episode 3-20 The Prom).

Music video

The accompanying video for "Praise You" was directed by music video director Spike Jonze.cite news|url=http://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/features/1267/|title=Spike Jonze Unmasked|last=Smith|first=Ethan|date=1999-10-18|work=New York Magazine|publisher=New York Media |accessdate=2008-08-19] Jonze starred in the film under the pseudonym Richard Koufey, along with a fictional dance troupe, the Torrance Community Dance Group. Moreover, the video's chyron on MTV credits the video's direction as "Torrance Public Film Productions"

The video was shot guerilla-style (that is, on location without obtaining permission from the owners of the property) in front of puzzled onlookers outside a movie theatre in Westwood, California.cite web|url=http://www.michaelgier.com/fbsstory.htm|title=Making of the FatBoy Slim "Praise You" music video|last=Gier|first=Michael|work=The Michael Gier Webpage|accessdate=2008-08-19] In the video, Jonze and the dance group dance to "Praise You", much to the chagrin of the theatre owner who attempts to turn off their portable stereo. One of the actor/dancers in the fictional Torrance Community Dance Group, Michael Gier, documents the making of the "Praise You" video on his website.

The "Praise You" video came into being because Spike Jonze, unable to work with Fatboy Slim on the video for "The Rockafeller Skank", recorded and set his own solo dance video to "Skank" as a gift; Jonze's 'alternate' music video was so well-received by Slim that Jonze's fictional Torrance Community Dance Group were green-lighted for "Praise You's" official video.Fact|date=April 2008

Fatboy Slim is briefly seen in the video as one of the many onlookers, with the clearest view shown at the conclusion of the video, while Jonze is talking about the dance. Unlike the other people in the crowd, who appear to be either surprised or shocked, Cook - the only person at the theatre who knows what is happening - can be seen laughing.Or|date=April 2008

The video reportedly cost only $800 to produce, with most of that money going towards a replacement boombox and food for the cast and crew.Fact|date=April 2008

The video won three major awards at the 1999 MTV Music Video Awards: Breakthrough Video, Best Direction (awarded to "Torrance Community Dance Group") and Best Choreography (awarded to "Richard Koufey & Michael Rooney"). It was also nominated for, but did not win, Best Dance Video. [ [http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1999/mtvvmas.htm Rock On The Net: 1999 MTV Video Music Awards] ]

References