Brimful of Asha
"Brimful of Asha" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Cornershop | ||||
from the album When I Was Born for the 7th Time | ||||
Released | 18 August 1997 | |||
Recorded | 1997 | |||
Genre | Indie rock | |||
Length |
5:17 (album version) 4:07 (single version) | |||
Label | Wiiija | |||
Writer(s) | Tjinder Singh | |||
Producer(s) | Cornershop | |||
Cornershop singles chronology | ||||
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"Brimful of Asha" is a 1997 single by British alternative rock band Cornershop, which originally reached number 60 in the UK Singles Chart in 1997. After a remixed version by Norman Cook became a radio and critical success, the song was re-released and reached number one in the UK chart in February 1998[1] and #16 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The lyrics are a tribute to Asha Bhosle.[2]
Background
This song is based upon the history of film culture in India. Since their introduction, Indian films have relied heavily on song-and-dance numbers. The singing is almost always performed by background singers while the actors and actresses lip-sync. Asha Bhosle is a playback singer who has sung over 12,000 songs and is referred to as "Sadi rani" (Punjabi for "our queen") at one point in the lyrics. In the slower, original album recording, playback singers Lata Mangeshkar (her older sibling) and Mohammad Rafi (one of the top male playback singers of the mid-century) are mentioned. The lyrics in the bridge contain a number of references to non-Indian music, including Georges Brassens' song "Les Amoureux des bancs publics", Jacques Dutronc, Marc Bolan, Argo Records and Trojan Records.[3]
DJ Norman Cook ("Fatboy Slim") was asked to remix the track by speeding it up and in a higher key (halfway between B-flat and B rather than A). It became a major success as a number 1 single.
Music video
The music video directed by Phil Harder for the song was produced by Harder/Fuller Films.[4]
Norman Cook remix
"Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook remix)" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Cornershop remixed by Norman Cook | ||||
from the album The Greatest Hits – Why Try Harder by Fatboy Slim' | ||||
Released | 16 February 1998 | |||
Recorded | 1997 | |||
Genre | Big beat | |||
Length |
4:03 (single version) 7:35 (extended version) | |||
Writer(s) | Tjinder Singh | |||
Cornershop singles chronology | ||||
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In October 2011, NME placed the Fatboy Slim remix at number 105 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[5] In August 2010, Pitchfork Media placed the remix at number 113 in their list of "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s".[6] NME ranked the remix at number 2 in their list of "The 50 Best Remixes Ever", saying it "does what the truly great remixes do – render you unable to enjoy the original".[7] The remix was included in Pitchfork Media's 2010 list of "twenty-five great remixes" of the 1990s.[8]
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Chart (1998) | Peak position | |
---|---|---|
scope="row" | Australia (ARIA)[9] | 35 |
scope="row" | Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[10] | 5 |
scope="row" | Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[11] | 20 |
scope="row" | Germany (Official German Charts)[12] | 84 |
Ireland (IRMA)[13] | 3 | |
Italy (FIMI)[14] | 9 | |
scope="row" | Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] | 83 |
scope="row" | New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] | 26 |
scope="row" | Norway (VG-lista)[17] | 18 |
scope="row" | Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] | 36 |
scope="row" | UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[19] | 1 |
scope="row" | US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[20] | 16 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[21] | Platinum | 600,000^ |
^shipments figures based on certification alone |
References
- ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 616. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ↑ "One-Hit Wonders at the BBC". 17 April 2015. BBC Four. Missing or empty
|series=
(help) - ↑ "Cornershop". Users.globalnet.co.uk. 1998-12-28. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
- ↑ Scholtes, Peter (2007-08-22), "Seen Your Video", City Pages
- ↑ "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years". NME. 2012-05-02. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
- ↑ "Staff Lists: The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 150-101 | Features". Pitchfork. 2010-08-31. Retrieved 2015-08-05.
- ↑ "The 50 best remixes ever". Nme.Com. Retrieved 2015-08-05.
- ↑ "Staff Lists: A Feature About Nothing: The 1990s in Lists | Features". Pitchfork. 2010-09-07. Retrieved 2015-08-05.
- ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Cornershop – Brimful of Asha". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Cornershop – Brimful of Asha" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
- ↑ "Cornershop: Brimful of Asha" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Cornershop – Brimful of Asha". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ↑ "The Irish Charts – All there is to Know". Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original (enter search parameter Cornershop into Search by Artist box, then select Go) on July 21, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ↑ "Hits of the World". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 110 (18): 62. May 2, 1998. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Cornershop – Brimful of Asha" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Cornershop – Brimful of Asha". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Cornershop – Brimful of Asha". VG-lista. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Cornershop – Brimful of Asha". Singles Top 100. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ↑ "Archive Chart: 1998-02-28" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ↑ "Cornershop – Chart history" Billboard Alternative Songs for Cornershop. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ↑ "British single certifications – Cornershop – Brimful of Asha". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 9, 2012. Enter Brimful of Asha in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
External links
Preceded by "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion |
UK Singles Chart number-one single 22–28 February 1998 |
Succeeded by "Frozen" by Madonna |