Dirty Harry (song) explained

Dirty Harry
Cover:Dirty Harry cover.png
Type:single
Artist:Gorillaz featuring Bootie Brown
Album:Demon Days
B-Side:
  • "Hongkongaton"
  • "All Alone" (live)
Genre:
Length:
  • 3:50 (album version)
  • 2:42 (radio edit)
Label:Parlophone
Producer:
Chronology:Gorillaz
Prev Title:Dare
Prev Year:2005
Next Title:Kids with Guns" / "El Mañana
Next Year:2006

"Dirty Harry" is a song from British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz' second studio album, Demon Days (2005)."Dirty Harry" peaked at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as number 15 on the Australian singles chart.

Song history

"Dirty Harry" was first released as a promotional single on iTunes before being released as the third single from the album on 21 November 2005,[3] peaking at number six in the United Kingdom. An early version entitled "I Need a Gun" was included on Damon Albarn's album Democrazy. On 8 December 2005, "Dirty Harry" was nominated for a Grammy under the category "Urban/Alternative Performance", but was beaten by Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock". It became Gorillaz' 3rd consecutive top 10 hit and last song to make it on the top 10 to this date.

Music video

The video was first released on 25 October 2005, sent to those on the e-mail list on Gorillaz' official website. A thematic follow-up to the band's "Clint Eastwood", it refers to the film of the same name, Clint Eastwood being the lead actor in the movie. "Dirty Harry" is the first Gorillaz music video to be shot on location; initially, the group intended to utilise a computer-animated desert as background, but discovered that simply flying to a real desert was easier and cheaper.

The video was shot in the Swakopmund Desert in Namibia; it mainly features a shirtless 2-D and an animated version of the San Fernando Valley Youth Chorus stranded in the desert, following what appears to have been a helicopter crash. The survivors keep themselves entertained with the song while awaiting the arrival of rescuers, portrayed by Noodle and Murdoc crewing a Windhoeker Maschinenfabrik Wer’wolf MKII mine-proof vehicle driven by Russel.

Both song and video feature a guest appearance by Pharcyde rapper Bootie Brown, who leaps out of a sand dune in military fatigues to perform his verse of the song. The video concludes with Gorillaz, the children, and Bootie Brown departing the crash site in the Wer'wolf, which breaks down a short distance away.

Track listings

UK CD1 and digital download 1[4] [5]

  1. "Dirty Harry" – 3:52
  2. "All Alone" (live) – 3:39

UK CD2 and digital download 2[6] [7]

  1. "Dirty Harry" (single edit) – 3:51
  2. "Hongkongaton" – 3:33
  3. "Dirty Harry" (Chopper remix) – 3:40

UK DVD single[8]

  1. "Dirty Harry" (video) – 5:00
  2. "Murdoc Is God" – 2:26
  3. "Dirty Harry" (animatic with "Dirty Harry" instrumental) – 4:21

European and Australian CD single[9] [10]

  1. "Dirty Harry" – 3:50
  2. "Dirty Harry" (Chopper remix) – 3:40
  3. "Hongkongaton" – 3:35
  4. "Dirty Harry" (music video) – 5:00
  5. "Dirty Harry" (animatic with "Dirty Harry" instrumental) – 4:21

Japanese CD single[11]

  1. "Dirty Harry" – 3:50
  2. "All Alone" (live) – 3:40
  3. "Hongkongaton" – 3:35
  4. "Dirty Harry" (Chopper remix) – 3:40
  5. "Dirty Harry" (video) – 5:00

Personnel

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2006)Position
Australian Urban (ARIA)[13] 29
Lebanon (Airplay Top 100)[14] 71
UK Singles (OCC)[15] 191

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United Kingdom21 November 2005Parlophone
Japan7 December 2005CD[16]
Australia16 January 2006[17]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gorillaz Demon Days Review. BBC. Ian. Wade. 2005. 8 August 2019.
  2. Web site: Review: Gorillaz, Demon Days. Sal. Cinquemani. . 20 May 2005 . 19 November 2019.
  3. Web site: Dirty Harry. vblurpage.com. 25 May 2021.
  4. Dirty Harry. Gorillaz. 2005. UK CD1 liner notes. Parlophone. CDR 6676, 0946 3 43777 2 0.
  5. Web site: Dirty Harry – Single. Apple Music. 25 May 2021.
  6. Dirty Harry. Gorillaz. 2005. UK CD2 liner notes. Parlophone. CDRS 6676, 00946 343778 2 9.
  7. Web site: Dirty Harry – Single. Apple Music. 25 May 2021.
  8. Dirty Harry. Gorillaz. 2005. UK DVD single liner notes. Parlophone. DVDR 6676, 0946 3 43779 9 7.
  9. Dirty Harry. Gorillaz. 2005. European CD single liner notes. Parlophone. 00946 343778 0 5.
  10. Dirty Harry. Gorillaz. 2006. Australian CD single liner notes. Parlophone. 0946 343778 0 5.
  11. Dirty Harry. Gorillaz. 2005. Japanese CD single liner notes. Parlophone. TOCP-61108.
  12. Web site: The Official UK Singles Chart 2005. UKChartsPlus. 4 September 2018.
  13. Web site: ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 50 Urban Singles 2006. ARIA. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20200415010756/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/UrbanSingles2006.htm. 15 April 2020. 12 December 2022.
  14. Web site: Mix FM Airplay Top 100 2006. 23 January 2022.
  15. Web site: The Official UK Singles Chart 2006. UKChartsPlus. 4 September 2018.
  16. Web site: Release List. Toshiba-EMI. ja. https://web.archive.org/web/20051127102753/http://www.toshiba-emi.co.jp/international/release/index_j.htm. 27 November 2005. 26 August 2023.
  17. Web site: The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 16th January 2006. ARIA. 28. 16 January 2006. dead. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20080222222429/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20060120-0000/issue828.pdf. 22 February 2008. 25 May 2021.

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