Propellerheads
Encyclopedia
Propellerheads were a British big beat
musical ensemble
, formed in 1995 and made up of electronic
producers Will White and Alex Gifford. The term propellerhead is slang for a nerd
, and when Gifford and White heard a friend from California use this in a conversation, they thought it the perfect name for their band.
named Dive!, released in 1996 through the independent label
Wall of Sound
. They gained fame the next year by providing a remix
for James Bond
movie composer David Arnold
's Bond tribute album Shaken & Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project covering John Barry
's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", the theme song to the sixth James Bond film
, re-orchestrated by Arnold. They also collaborated with Arnold on the track "Backseat Driver" for the soundtrack
of the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies
. The single "History Repeating
" followed, a collaboration with Shirley Bassey
(also well known for her James Bond music), fusing big beat with jazz
. "History Repeating" was used as the theme for So Graham Norton
and was also featured in the Farrelly Brothers
' film There's Something About Mary
.
The Propellerheads album Decksandrumsandrockandroll
was released in 1998 by Wall of Sound in Europe and DreamWorks
in the US and Japan. The DreamWorks versions include collaborations with hip hop
veterans De La Soul
and Jungle Brothers
, and the Japanese version is a two disc special edition including some of their earlier singles. A track from the album, "Spybreak!
", became widely known after its use in the lobby scene in the classic 1999 feature film The Matrix
. They are also noted for providing "Crash" (a big-beat cover version of Brass Incorporated's At the Sign of the Swinging Cymbal, perhaps best known as the theme song of BBC Radio 1
's Pick of the Pops
) as the theme tune to Radio 1's 'Official Chart Show' between 1998 and 2002, when Mark Goodier
was the host. This song was also used in the 1999 hit comedy film
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
.
After touring for their hit album, White fell ill. They released Extended Play EP in 1998, and in the song "Props' Vote Of Gratitude", Alex Gifford raps
for the first time, explaining to the attentive listener that the band would "be back after this short break". Gifford moved to New York
and produced the Jungle Brothers
' 1999 album V.I.P. in which he raps with The Black Eyed Peas
among others. White provided the drums for the eponymous track. He has also produced "Shadows", a track for Rufus Wainwright
on his 2001 album Poses. White has since released a mix compilation for the Beatz and Bobz series, and he has also appeared as a member of the De-Fex music project.
In November 1998 the song "Bang On!" was included in the Nintendo 64
video game Wipeout 64
. Another song "Lethal Cut" was featured in the PlayStation game Wipeout 3
, while "Big Dog" was featured in the background music of the PAL version of Gran Turismo 2.
In 2001, the band recorded "Star Crossed Lovers" with Martha Wainwright
for the Red Hot Organization
's compilation album Red Hot + Indigo
, a tribute to Duke Ellington
, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS
awareness and fighting the disease.
In October 2003 Wall of Sound commemorated its tenth birthday. To celebrate, it released a two disc album charting ten years of its pioneering British music. The first CD featured Röyksopp
, The Wiseguys
and Mekon
, while Gifford provided a mix CD for the second disc. The first track on that disc, "10 Years", was a new song by Propellerheads featuring the Brooklyn
based writer Livingroom Johnston.
One of the trailers for the Pixar
film The Incredibles
featured "On Her Majesty's Secret Service".
Their song "Take California" was the first song ever used in an Apple iPod
television advertisement.
White is now part of the live incarnation of Long Range
, the latest project of Phil Hartnoll of Orbital
fame.
Big beat
Big beat is a term employed since the mid-1990s by the British music press to describe much of the music by artists such as The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, and Propellerheads typically driven by heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns in...
musical ensemble
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, formed in 1995 and made up of electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
producers Will White and Alex Gifford. The term propellerhead is slang for a nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
, and when Gifford and White heard a friend from California use this in a conversation, they thought it the perfect name for their band.
History
Their first release was an EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
named Dive!, released in 1996 through the independent label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Wall of Sound
Wall of Sound (record label)
Wall of Sound is an independent record label based in London, England. It is part of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent music company....
. They gained fame the next year by providing a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
for James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
movie composer David Arnold
David Arnold
David Arnold is an English film composer best known for scoring five James Bond films, the 1994 film Stargate, the 1996 film Independence Day, and the television series Little Britain.-Film and television career:...
's Bond tribute album Shaken & Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project covering John Barry
John Barry (composer)
John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", the theme song to the sixth James Bond film
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the sixth spy film in the James Bond series, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. Following the decision of Sean Connery to retire from the role after You Only Live Twice, Eon Productions selected an unknown actor and model, George Lazenby...
, re-orchestrated by Arnold. They also collaborated with Arnold on the track "Backseat Driver" for the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies
Tomorrow Never Dies
Tomorrow Never Dies is the eighteenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the second to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Bruce Feirstein wrote the screenplay, and it was directed by Roger Spottiswoode. It follows Bond as he tries to stop a media mogul from engineering...
. The single "History Repeating
History Repeating (song)
"History Repeating" is a song written by Alex Gifford and originally performed by the Propellerheads featuring Shirley Bassey in 1997.-Single release:...
" followed, a collaboration with Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
(also well known for her James Bond music), fusing big beat with jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. "History Repeating" was used as the theme for So Graham Norton
So Graham Norton
So Graham Norton is a British television programme, hosted by Irish personality Graham Norton. It ran from 3 July 1998 to 1 March 2002.-Theme:...
and was also featured in the Farrelly Brothers
Farrelly brothers
Peter John Farrelly and Robert Leo "Bobby" Farrelly, Jr. , professionally known as the Farrelly Brothers are screenwriters and directors of ten comedy films, including There's Something About Mary; Dumb and Dumber; Kingpin; Hall Pass; Me, Myself & Irene; Shallow Hal; Stuck on You; Osmosis Jones;...
' film There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary is a 1998 American comedy film, directed by the Farrelly brothers, Bobby and Peter. It stars Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Ben Stiller, and it is a combination of romantic comedy and gross-out film....
.
The Propellerheads album Decksandrumsandrockandroll
Decksandrumsandrockandroll
Decksandrumsandrockandroll is the first album by the British band Propellerheads, released on 26 January 1998 by Wall of Sound and DreamWorks .-Wall of Sound:...
was released in 1998 by Wall of Sound in Europe and DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
in the US and Japan. The DreamWorks versions include collaborations with hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
veterans De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
and Jungle Brothers
Jungle Brothers
The Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group that pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop and also became the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The group began performing in the mid-1980s and released its first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in July 1988...
, and the Japanese version is a two disc special edition including some of their earlier singles. A track from the album, "Spybreak!
Spybreak!
“Spybreak!” is a 1997 single by the big beat group Propellerheads from their first album, Decksandrumsandrockandroll. There are two versions of this song, called Spybreak! and Spybreak! . The former is approximately three minutes longer than the latter.It is most famous for its appearance in The...
", became widely known after its use in the lobby scene in the classic 1999 feature film The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
. They are also noted for providing "Crash" (a big-beat cover version of Brass Incorporated's At the Sign of the Swinging Cymbal, perhaps best known as the theme song of BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Pick of the Pops
Pick of the Pops
Pick of the Pops is a BBC Radio programme, originally based on the Top 20 UK singles chart and first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in 1955. It transferred to BBC Radio 1 from 1967...
) as the theme tune to Radio 1's 'Official Chart Show' between 1998 and 2002, when Mark Goodier
Mark Goodier
-Early career:Mark Goodier was born in Rhodesia . His family moved to the UK when he was a child, eventually settling in Scotland. He was educated at George Heriot's School, in Edinburgh. He became a mobile DJ in Edinburgh and then joined local station Radio Forth at the age of 19...
was the host. This song was also used in the 1999 hit comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in 1999, is the second film in the Austin Powers series that began with 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued with Austin Powers in Goldmember. The film was directed by Jay Roach, co-written by Mike Myers and screenwriter...
.
After touring for their hit album, White fell ill. They released Extended Play EP in 1998, and in the song "Props' Vote Of Gratitude", Alex Gifford raps
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
for the first time, explaining to the attentive listener that the band would "be back after this short break". Gifford moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and produced the Jungle Brothers
Jungle Brothers
The Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group that pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop and also became the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The group began performing in the mid-1980s and released its first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in July 1988...
' 1999 album V.I.P. in which he raps with The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
among others. White provided the drums for the eponymous track. He has also produced "Shadows", a track for Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
on his 2001 album Poses. White has since released a mix compilation for the Beatz and Bobz series, and he has also appeared as a member of the De-Fex music project.
In November 1998 the song "Bang On!" was included in the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
video game Wipeout 64
Wipeout 64
Wipeout 64 is the third game in the Wipeout series and the only for the Nintendo 64. At the time of the game's release developers Psygnosis had been owned for 5 years by Sony Computer Entertainment, for whose hardware all subsequent Wipeout games have been released exclusively.Set in 2098, just a...
. Another song "Lethal Cut" was featured in the PlayStation game Wipeout 3
Wipeout 3
Wipeout 3, released as Wip3out in Europe and Japan, is a futuristic racing video game developed and published by Psygnosis exclusively for the Sony PlayStation. The title is the fourth game in the Wipeout series, and was released in Europe and North America in September 1999. The game was...
, while "Big Dog" was featured in the background music of the PAL version of Gran Turismo 2.
In 2001, the band recorded "Star Crossed Lovers" with Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle...
for the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
's compilation album Red Hot + Indigo
Red Hot + Indigo
Red Hot + Indigo is the 13th entry from the Red Hot AIDS benefit series of compilation albums produced by Paul Heck. It marks the tenth anniversary of the Red Hot Organization , an international organization which uses mass media as a fundraising tool for its efforts at increasing public AIDS...
, a tribute to Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
awareness and fighting the disease.
In October 2003 Wall of Sound commemorated its tenth birthday. To celebrate, it released a two disc album charting ten years of its pioneering British music. The first CD featured Röyksopp
Röyksopp
Röyksopp is a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø, formed in 1998. Since their inception, the band's line-up has included Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland....
, The Wiseguys
The Wiseguys
The Wiseguys was a British electronica and hip hop band that was responsible for creating the song "Start the Commotion" that was in a Mitsubishi TV advertisement, as well as the films Lizzie McGuire, Zoolander and Kangaroo Jack; and "Ooh La La", which was used in Budweiser commercials...
and Mekon
Mekon
Mekon may refer to:*The Mekon, ruler of the Treens in the Dan Dare stories*The Mekons , a British punk rock band*Mekon, one of the recording names of John "Zos Kia" Gosling, English rock musician*The river Mekong...
, while Gifford provided a mix CD for the second disc. The first track on that disc, "10 Years", was a new song by Propellerheads featuring the Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
based writer Livingroom Johnston.
One of the trailers for the Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
film The Incredibles
The Incredibles
The Incredibles is a 2004 American computer-animated action-comedy superhero film about a family of superheroes who are forced to hide their powers. It was written and directed by Brad Bird, a former director and executive consultant of The Simpsons, and was produced by Pixar and distributed by...
featured "On Her Majesty's Secret Service".
Their song "Take California" was the first song ever used in an Apple iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
television advertisement.
White is now part of the live incarnation of Long Range
Long Range (band)
Long Range is an English techno band formed in September 2005 featuring Phil Hartnoll and Nick Smith.Long Range played live a few times in 2006 accompanied by Kelly Malone and Mick Mula on vocals, Jimi Mula on keyboards, Sarah Tunnel on violin and Will White of the Propellerheads on drums.Their...
, the latest project of Phil Hartnoll of Orbital
Orbital (band)
Orbital are a British electronic dance music duo from Sevenoaks, England consisting of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll. Their career initially ran from 1989 until 2004, but in 2009 they announced that they would be reforming and headlining The Big Chill, in addition to a number of other live shows...
fame.
Albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certification Certification Certification refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit... |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
|||
| 1998 | Decksandrumsandrockandroll Decksandrumsandrockandroll Decksandrumsandrockandroll is the first album by the British band Propellerheads, released on 26 January 1998 by Wall of Sound and DreamWorks .-Wall of Sound:... |
6 | 100 | 13 |
|
| 2000 | Star Profile | - | - | - |
Singles
- "Take California" (1996)
- "Spybreak!Spybreak!“Spybreak!” is a 1997 single by the big beat group Propellerheads from their first album, Decksandrumsandrockandroll. There are two versions of this song, called Spybreak! and Spybreak! . The former is approximately three minutes longer than the latter.It is most famous for its appearance in The...
" (1997) - "History RepeatingHistory Repeating (song)"History Repeating" is a song written by Alex Gifford and originally performed by the Propellerheads featuring Shirley Bassey in 1997.-Single release:...
" (1997) - featuring Dame Shirley Bassey - "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1997) with David ArnoldDavid ArnoldDavid Arnold is an English film composer best known for scoring five James Bond films, the 1994 film Stargate, the 1996 film Independence Day, and the television series Little Britain.-Film and television career:...
- "Bang On!" (1997)
- "Crash!" (1998)
- "Velvet Pants" (1998)
- "Take California And Party" (1999)
- "Lethal Cut" (1999)