Ghosts N Stuff
Encyclopedia
"Ghosts 'n' Stuff" is a house song produced by progressive house
and electro house artist deadmau5
featuring Rob Swire
from Australian drum and bass
/electronic rock band
Pendulum
. It was released as a single from deadmau5's studio album, For Lack of a Better Name.
The song was made specifically for Pete Tong
's BBC Radio 1 Essential Selection
show on October 10, 2008. deadmau5 was a guest on the show along with Steve Angello (the two, with Tong, were playing a live set in Manchester, England that night). In the week leading up to the show, Tong requested that deadmau5 create something new for his appearance. At the 81:03 mark, deadmau5 states that the song was originally titled "Hotel" because he made it for Tong's show while staying in his hotel. He also states that the song was only "just now" finished and that he is now calling it "Ghosts 'n' Stuff". "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" made number two on the best songs of 2009 list.
week beginning 4 October 2009. It also placed at #96 in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2009
.
In the United States, Ghosts 'n' Stuff received exposure from use in TV shows such as America's Best Dance Crew
and heavy radio airplay. In the May 15, 2010 issue of Billboard
, the track reached number one on the magazine's Hot Dance Airplay
chart after 24 weeks of charting, thus making the single the longest climb to number one ever on the chart, as well as the first single to reach the top spot after it had dropped off, then returned to, the chart.
The song has appeared in Need for Speed: Shift
, Test Drive Unlimited 2
and DJ Hero 2
. A deadmau5 playable avatar was available in DJ Hero 2
along with a playable mash-up of the song and Lady Gaga
's "Just Dance" featuring Colby O'Donis
. The song was also featured on the 2009 UK version of top chart compilation Now 74!
and in the 2010 comedy Get Him to the Greek
.
The song was featured during an episode of the NBC
series Chuck
, in the episode "Chuck Versus the First Fight
" during a fight scene on an airplane.
The song was also featured on the CBS
series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
, in the episode "Ghost Town", near the introduction.
A remix of the song is part of the soundtrack of snowboarding documentary The Art of Flight, a film made in collaboration with the same team behind 'That's It, That's All, including John Jackson, Mark Landvik and Jeremy Jones.
During the 2011 season, New York Yankees
outfielder Nick Swisher
used the song as his walk-up theme.
The music video for the song was featured in an episode of the 2011 season of Beavis and Butthead and is especially notable for their commentary including a reference to Daria
.
, Canada
.
The clip begins as Joel Zimmerman is rushed to a hospital, but dies minutes within arrival. Moments later, he is revived as a ghost
(which is a comedic white sheet costume), and causes mischief around town after failing to pass through the hospital entrance walls. He gets a tattoo of a Space Invader
alien, and runs into a gang of other ghosts. After an unpleasant trip to a restaurant and a laundromat, Joel attends a rave with several people also dressed in costumes. At the party, a deadmau5 cameo pulls the white sheet off as Joel comes back to life. The Space Invader tattoo which he got as a ghost remains on his neck.
This music video was shown in Beavis and Butt-Head.
Progressive electronic music
In electronic dance music the term progressive is often used to denote a novel stylistic development within a specific genre of dance music. According to the DJ and producer Carl Craig, the term "progressive" was used in Detroit in the early 80s in reference to Italo Disco...
and electro house artist deadmau5
Deadmau5
Joel Thomas Zimmerman , better known by his stage name deadmau5 , is a Canadian progressive, electro, and house producer based in Toronto...
featuring Rob Swire
Rob Swire
Rob Swire , is an Australian record producer, singer and keyboardist. Swire is best known as lead singer and producer of Australian electronic band Pendulum and is sometimes referred to by the stage name Anscenic...
from Australian drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
/electronic rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Pendulum
Pendulum (band)
Pendulum is an Australian drum and bass and electronic rock band founded in 2002 in Perth by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, and Paul Harding.Swire and McGrillen were members of the rock band known as Xygen. After hearing Konflict's "Messiah" at a club, they were inspired to enter into the drum and...
. It was released as a single from deadmau5's studio album, For Lack of a Better Name.
History
Joel Zimmerman and Rob Swire had been coincidentally meeting each other backstage at various festivals and agreed to collaborate.The song was made specifically for Pete Tong
Pete Tong
Peter "Pete" Tong is an English DJ who works for BBC Radio 1. He is known worldwide by fans of electronic music for hosting programmes such as Essential Mix and Essential Selection on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for his record label FFRR Records, and for...
's BBC Radio 1 Essential Selection
Essential Selection
The Essential Selection was a radio show on Friday evenings on BBC Radio 1, hosted by Pete Tong. It started in early 1991 and showcased the latest electronic dance music, with an emphasis on house...
show on October 10, 2008. deadmau5 was a guest on the show along with Steve Angello (the two, with Tong, were playing a live set in Manchester, England that night). In the week leading up to the show, Tong requested that deadmau5 create something new for his appearance. At the 81:03 mark, deadmau5 states that the song was originally titled "Hotel" because he made it for Tong's show while staying in his hotel. He also states that the song was only "just now" finished and that he is now calling it "Ghosts 'n' Stuff". "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" made number two on the best songs of 2009 list.
Reception
The song peaked at #12 in the United Kingdom on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
week beginning 4 October 2009. It also placed at #96 in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2009
Triple J Hottest 100, 2009
The 2009 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced on Australia Day 26 January 2010. It is the seventeenth countdown of the most popular songs of the year, as chosen by the listeners of Australian radio station Triple J....
.
In the United States, Ghosts 'n' Stuff received exposure from use in TV shows such as America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew
America's Best Dance Crew, often abbreviated as ABDC, is an American competitive dance reality television series that features street dance crews from the United States and around the world. It is produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson and airs on MTV...
and heavy radio airplay. In the May 15, 2010 issue of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, the track reached number one on the magazine's Hot Dance Airplay
Hot Dance Airplay
Dance/Mix Show Airplay is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is featured weekly in Billboard magazine. The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic dance music on the radio in the United States and the stations that program it...
chart after 24 weeks of charting, thus making the single the longest climb to number one ever on the chart, as well as the first single to reach the top spot after it had dropped off, then returned to, the chart.
The song has appeared in Need for Speed: Shift
Need for Speed: Shift
Need for Speed: Shift is the 13th installment of the long-running racing video game franchise Need for Speed; published by Electronic Arts. It was announced in December 2008 as part of a three-game announcement that includes Need for Speed: Nitro and Need for Speed: World...
, Test Drive Unlimited 2
Test Drive Unlimited 2
Test Drive Unlimited 2 is a racing video game developed by Eden Games and published by Atari. It is the sequel to Test Drive Unlimited and the tenth game in the series. The game was released on 8 February 2011 in North America and on 11 February in Europe.The game suffered from many bugs during...
and DJ Hero 2
DJ Hero 2
DJ Hero 2 is a rhythm video game and a sequel to DJ Hero, a spinoff of the Guitar Hero series. DJ Hero 2 uses a special turntable-controller, the same as introduced in DJ Hero, to simulate turntablism, the act of creating a new musical work from one or more previously recorded songs using record...
. A deadmau5 playable avatar was available in DJ Hero 2
DJ Hero 2
DJ Hero 2 is a rhythm video game and a sequel to DJ Hero, a spinoff of the Guitar Hero series. DJ Hero 2 uses a special turntable-controller, the same as introduced in DJ Hero, to simulate turntablism, the act of creating a new musical work from one or more previously recorded songs using record...
along with a playable mash-up of the song and Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's "Just Dance" featuring Colby O'Donis
Colby O'Donis
Colby O'Donis is an American-Puerto Rican pop and R&B singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer and actor. In 2008, he released his debut album Colby O, and his single "What You Got" featuring Akon reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100...
. The song was also featured on the 2009 UK version of top chart compilation Now 74!
Now That's What I Call Music! 74 (UK series)
Now That's What I Call Music! 74 or Now! 74 is a double-disc compilation album which was released in Ireland on 20 November 2009, and in the United Kingdom on 23 November...
and in the 2010 comedy Get Him to the Greek
Get Him to the Greek
Get Him to the Greek is a 2010 American comedy film written, produced, and directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jonah Hill and Russell Brand. The film was released on June 4, 2010. Get Him to the Greek is a spin-off sequel of Stoller's 2008 film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, reuniting director...
.
The song was featured during an episode of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
series Chuck
Chuck (TV series)
Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
, in the episode "Chuck Versus the First Fight
Chuck Versus the First Fight
"Chuck Versus the First Fight" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of Chuck. It originally aired November 1, 2010. In the wake of his first fight with Sarah, Chuck Bartowski embarks on a rogue mission to prove his mother's innocence, ultimately colliding with her MI6 handler, Gregory...
" during a fight scene on an airplane.
The song was also featured on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, in the episode "Ghost Town", near the introduction.
A remix of the song is part of the soundtrack of snowboarding documentary The Art of Flight, a film made in collaboration with the same team behind 'That's It, That's All, including John Jackson, Mark Landvik and Jeremy Jones.
During the 2011 season, New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
outfielder Nick Swisher
Nick Swisher
Nicholas Thompson "Nick" Swisher is an outfielder for the New York Yankees. Swisher is a switch hitter who throws left-handed....
used the song as his walk-up theme.
The music video for the song was featured in an episode of the 2011 season of Beavis and Butthead and is especially notable for their commentary including a reference to Daria
Daria
Daria is an American animated television series produced by Paramount Television, and created by Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn for MTV. The series focuses on Daria Morgendorffer, a smart, acerbic, and somewhat misanthropic teenage girl who observes the world around her...
.
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
53 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
12 |
| UK Dance Chart UK Dance Chart The UK Dance Chart is a chart compiled by The Official Charts Company from sales in record stores and digital downloads. Although the chart does not currently receive any airplay on the radio or television, the chart can be viewed on the BBC Radio 1 and The Official Charts Company website.Digital... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Airplay Hot Dance Airplay Dance/Mix Show Airplay is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is featured weekly in Billboard magazine. The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic dance music on the radio in the United States and the stations that program it... |
1 |
| Triple J Hottest 100 Triple J Hottest 100 The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music poll, based on the votes of national Australian radio station Triple J listeners, in order to determine their favourite song of the year. Voting is conducted by the internet and begins roughly two weeks prior to the new year for the previous year's songs... |
96 |
Track listing
- "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (Radio Edit) – 3:11
- "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (Extended Version) – 5:27
- "Moar Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (Original Mix) – 4:57
- "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (Nero Remix) – 6:55
- "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (Sub Focus Remix) – 4:26
- "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (Original Instrumental Mix) – 6:10
Music video
A music video promoting the single was released and was directed by Colin O'Toole. It was shot in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The clip begins as Joel Zimmerman is rushed to a hospital, but dies minutes within arrival. Moments later, he is revived as a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
(which is a comedic white sheet costume), and causes mischief around town after failing to pass through the hospital entrance walls. He gets a tattoo of a Space Invader
Space Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
alien, and runs into a gang of other ghosts. After an unpleasant trip to a restaurant and a laundromat, Joel attends a rave with several people also dressed in costumes. At the party, a deadmau5 cameo pulls the white sheet off as Joel comes back to life. The Space Invader tattoo which he got as a ghost remains on his neck.
This music video was shown in Beavis and Butt-Head.