1234 (song)

Infobox Single
Name = 1234


Artist = Feist
Album = The Reminder
A-side =
B-side =
Released = 2007
Format = CD single
Recorded = 2007
Genre = Indie pop, acoustic
Length = 3:03
Label = Cherrytree/Interscope Arts & Crafts
Writer = Sally Seltmann, Feist
Producer = Gonzales, Feist
Certification =
Last single = "My Moon My Man" (2007)
This single = "1234" (2007)
Next single = "I Feel It All" (2008)"1234" (pronounced "One Two Three Four") is a song from Feist's third studio album, "The Reminder". It is Feist's most successful single. The song initially was written by Sally Seltmann, a Melbourne, Australia singer-songwriter who records under the name New Buffalo. Sally Seltmann has received a nomination for 2008 APRA's (Australian Performing Right Association) peer nominated, Song Of The Year Award. [ [http://www.apra.com.au/awards/music/media_releases/080521_2008 2008 Apra Nominees Announced] ] Feist added and rewrote parts of the lyrics. [cite news| last =Everett-Green| first =Robert| title =Grammy girl: Feist| pages =R1, R19| publisher ="The Globe and Mail"| date =2008-02-09| url =http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080208.wgrammy09/BNStory/Entertainment/home| accessdate = ] In an interview with Songfacts, Seltmann said:

On 14 December 2005, Feist played the song live at The Trabendo in Paris, France in a show broadcast on Europe2 TV, with the title "Sally's Song" and with somewhat different lyrics than in the commercially released version. [ cite web|url=http://canaddiction.blogspot.com/2008/07/feist-trabendo-session-paris-14th.html |title=feist - trabendo session - paris - 14th december 2005 |accessdate=2008-08-27 |date=2008-07-31 ]

Feist was nominated for a Grammy Award for the category Best Female Pop Vocal Performance with "1234". This song was #19 on "Rolling Stone"'s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. [ [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17601363/the_100_best_songs_of_2007/5 "The 100 Best Songs of 2007"No byline (11 December 2007). "Rolling Stone". Retrieved 2007-12-21] ] "1234" also won the Juno award for Single of the Year on 6 April 2008 in Calgary.

Release

The song was digitally released through iTunes Music Store. It became famous subsequent to its use in an iPod nano commercial. It also appeared in an Australian commercial for eBay [ [http://www.duncans.tv/2007/ebay-make-shopping-exciting eBay Make Shopping Exciting with Feist in Whistler » Television Adverts at Duncan’s TV Ad Land ] ] . It has been released in the United Kingdom, in Canada and in other countries digitally. It has recently been used in the trailer for the 2009 film New York, I Love You.

Chart success

Since its digital release, "1234" peaked at #2 at the US Hot Digital Songs. The single has also reached #8 in the US Hot 100, #10 at the US Pop 100, and #34 at the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=633012&model.vnuAlbumId=915507 Billboard chart history] ] The single's unexpected success led to its release worldwide. In the UK it proved to become a huge hit, making it in the top 10 peaking at #8. [ [http://music.unrealitytv.co.uk/categories/the-charts/ The Charts] ] It had a very successful release in Canada making it at number 3. [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Singles&f=Canadian+Hot+100 Billboard.com] ] The song has also entered the top 10 in other European countries. The single's success has made Feist famous globally and it has boosted the remaining sales.It also managed to debut at number 67 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, as digital tracks were added from the 5th of November 2007 to the singles chart in Australia. It later entered the top 50 of the chart in late December, and has thus far peaked at #36.

It also ranked as the #4 single of 2007 on CBC Radio 3's year-end "R3-30" chart and placed at number 34 in the Triple J Hottest 100

"Time" magazine named "1234" one of The 10 Best Songs of 2007, ranking it at #2. Writer Josh Tyrangiel called the song a “masterpiece”, praising Feist for singing it “with a mixture of wisdom and exuberance that's all her own." [Tyrangiel, Josh; "The Best Top 10 Lists of the Year"; "The 10 Best Songs"; "Time" magazine; 24 December 2007; Page 39.] [ [http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/top10/article/0,30583,1686204_1686244_1690619,00.html "Time" magazine's Top 10 Songs of 2007 at time.com] ]

In the 28 April 2008 episode of "The Colbert Report" where she was a guest, Feist said that she had planned to offer "1234" as the official campaign theme for Stephen Colbert's Presidential bid, before he dropped out. [ [http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=167089 Feist | The Colbert Report | Comedy Central ] ]

Remixes and Covers

The original version of the song was mixed by Renaud Letang. [ cite web | url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr08/articles/insidetrack_0408.htm | title=Secrets of the Mix Engineers: Renaud Letang | publisher=Sound on Sound magazine | author=Paul Tingen | date=April 2008 ] It was remixed by Van She Tech, consisting of several members of the band Van She.The song was also rewritten as a counting song for the 39th season of Sesame Street, in which Feist counts chickens, monsters, and penguins to 4. [cite news |first=Siri |last=Agrell |title=Will Feist’s famous number be a monster hit with children? |url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080716.FEIST16//TPStory/Front |work=The Globe and Mail |page=A1 |location=Toronto |date=2008-07-16 |accessdate=2008-07-16 ]

Brooke White of American Idol (season 7) is performing a cover of "1234" in her set on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2008 running from 1 July to 13 September.

Charts

Awards and nominations

* 2008 - Grammy Awards, nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
* 2008 - Juno Award, won Single of the Year
* 2008 - The Average Lives of Students Music Awards, won Alternative Song of the Year, nominated for Song of the Year

References

External links

* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11115052 Feist performs the song live] on NPR with banjos and trumpets and drums