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Rock DJ (song)
Encyclopedia
"Rock DJ" is a song by English
pop
singer Robbie Williams
from his fourth album, Sing When You're Winning
released in the summer of 2000. The song heavily musically samples Barry White's
1977 song "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me
" and also contains a sample of "Can I Kick It?
" by A Tribe Called Quest
. "Rock DJ" was the fourth best selling song of 2000
in the UK.
, directed by Vaughan Arnell
, was surrounded by controversy because of its explicit content. The video begins with Williams dancing on a roller disco
with girls skating around him. He wants to get the attention of the female DJ (played by Lauren Gold
) standing above the stage, so he begins stripping off his clothes. After this does not get her attention, he starts stripping his skin, muscles and organs, too (in heavy makeup), until the only thing that is left from him are his bones which is performed by special effects. In the end, he achieves the DJ's attention and dances with her as a skeleton. The video ends with titles, reading "No Robbies were Harmed During the Making of this Video". The skinless Robbie is also featured on the Rock DJ single's cover art, as well as in the cover of the DVD release of In and Out of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 1990–2010 in 2010.
, The Box and VH1 Europe
. Examples of TV stations that still play the full video are Bulgarian channel MM (often in daytime) and Canadian channel MusiquePlus
, some channels ran the edited video during the day and the unedited one overnight, while The Hits
played a version which cut from Williams dancing in his underwear to dancing as a skeleton, filling the gap by repeating previous footage. In 2001, "Rock DJ" won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects
. In 2006, it was voted by viewers as the seventh Most Groundbreaking Video Ever on MTV and in 2007 it was ranked at forty-eight on MuchMusic
's 50 Most Controversial Videos. In Dominican Republic
, the video was banned in that country due to allegations of satanism
. The video has been shown numerous times on Fuse
's Pants-Off Dance-Off
, despite its gory content. Toward the end of the pancer's dancing/stripping to it when the video is shown in the background like any other, they only show Williams, briefly, ripping and throwing his skin, and dancing in muscle form before cutting to the hostess of the show. During most of the episodes of the first season (and some of second season), it was featured with the same 'pancer' dancing to it. It quickly became popular among viewers, like some of the other most shown videos to 'pance' to, as the show went on. It won the weekly contests countless times. On one episode, viewers voted it and the pancer as one of the best videos and pancings on the show.
Chart "Rock DJ" got some attention in America due to the music video's shock value. Because of the controversial video "Rock DJ" won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects and was featured on Fuse
network's Pants-Off Dance-Off. In the U.K. it was first played on Top of The Pops
at 2:00am. On MTV2
, the music video was played in its entirety on a special countdown highlighting the most controversial music videos in MTV's history.
. The song also became a smash hit around Europe, charting inside the top ten in most countries and it became his first number-one single in New Zealand
, Argentina
and Mexico
. The song also became a top five hit in Australia, where it went on to sell over 70,000 copies being certified Platinum by the ARIA
. However, success in the United States was limited, reaching number twenty-four on Billboard
s Hot Dance Club Play
but failing to chart inside the Hot 100
. "Rock DJ" went on to sell almost four million copies worldwide. The song was named the Best Song of 2000 at the MTV Europe Music Awards
and Best Single and Best Video at the Brits
2001.
UK DVD Single
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
from his fourth album, Sing When You're Winning
Sing When You're Winning
Sing When You're Winning is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams.-Background:Following the release of his last album, I've Been Expecting You in 1998, and in the middle of promotion and touring in 1999, Robbie found time to start the work on what would be his third...
released in the summer of 2000. The song heavily musically samples Barry White's
Barry White
Barry White, born Barry Eugene Carter , was an American composer and singer-songwriter.A five-time Grammy Award-winner known for his distinctive bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring...
1977 song "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me
It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me
"It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me" was a hit song by Barry White. The song was written by Ekundayo Paris and Nelson Pigford. Similar to the initial reaction after first hearing his earlier hit "You're the First, the Last, My Everything", when those close to White heard the demo of "It's...
" and also contains a sample of "Can I Kick It?
Can I Kick It?
"Can I Kick It?" was the third single from A Tribe Called Quest's debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. It contains samples of "Walk on the Wild Side" by Lou Reed, "What a Waste" by Ian Dury, "Spinning Wheel" by Dr. Lonnie Smith and "Dance of the Knights" by Sergei...
" by A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
. "Rock DJ" was the fourth best selling song of 2000
2000 in music
See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List....
in the UK.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, directed by Vaughan Arnell
Vaughan Arnell
Vaughan Arnell is a British music videos and television commercials director. Although having done films for high profile clients in the tv commercial field, including Nestlé and Levi's, he is mostly known for his music video work. He is a frequent collaborator of music artist Robbie Williams...
, was surrounded by controversy because of its explicit content. The video begins with Williams dancing on a roller disco
Roller disco
A roller disco is a discothèque or skating rink where all the dancers wear roller skates of some kind . The music played is modern and easily danceable, historically disco but in modern times including almost any form of dance music or pop music...
with girls skating around him. He wants to get the attention of the female DJ (played by Lauren Gold
Lauren Gold
Lauren Gold is an English model and actress. Gold is most recognised as the DJ in Robbie Williams's "Rock DJ" music video as well as her recurring appearance in La Senza ad campaigns...
) standing above the stage, so he begins stripping off his clothes. After this does not get her attention, he starts stripping his skin, muscles and organs, too (in heavy makeup), until the only thing that is left from him are his bones which is performed by special effects. In the end, he achieves the DJ's attention and dances with her as a skeleton. The video ends with titles, reading "No Robbies were Harmed During the Making of this Video". The skinless Robbie is also featured on the Rock DJ single's cover art, as well as in the cover of the DVD release of In and Out of Consciousness: Greatest Hits 1990–2010 in 2010.
Censorship
The video's ending (beginning with Williams taking off his skin) was cut by most music channels around Europe, including VIVA, MCM, MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, The Box and VH1 Europe
VH1 Europe
VH1 Europe, also known as VH1 European, is a music television channel from MTV Networks Europe, based on the American Channel of the same name. This version of VH1 is very different from its American counterpart, since it has never ceased to be a proper music channel, playing a wide variety of...
. Examples of TV stations that still play the full video are Bulgarian channel MM (often in daytime) and Canadian channel MusiquePlus
MusiquePlus
MusiquePlus is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel owned by Astral Media operating from Montreal, Quebec.MusiquePlus is devoted to music and music related programming from various genres including pop, rock, RnB and focuses on a younger demographic than its sister station, MusiMax...
, some channels ran the edited video during the day and the unedited one overnight, while The Hits
The Hits
The Hits was a music video channel in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned by Box Television.-Overview and availability:The channel showcased a range of pop centering on chart hits and current favourites...
played a version which cut from Williams dancing in his underwear to dancing as a skeleton, filling the gap by repeating previous footage. In 2001, "Rock DJ" won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects
MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Special Effects in a Video....
. In 2006, it was voted by viewers as the seventh Most Groundbreaking Video Ever on MTV and in 2007 it was ranked at forty-eight on MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
's 50 Most Controversial Videos. In Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, the video was banned in that country due to allegations of satanism
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
. The video has been shown numerous times on Fuse
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
's Pants-Off Dance-Off
Pants-Off Dance-Off
Pants-Off Dance-Off is a dance contest which premiered on April 18, 2006 on Fuse. It features stripteasers as they dance while disrobing, and is now shown on its official website.-Format:...
, despite its gory content. Toward the end of the pancer's dancing/stripping to it when the video is shown in the background like any other, they only show Williams, briefly, ripping and throwing his skin, and dancing in muscle form before cutting to the hostess of the show. During most of the episodes of the first season (and some of second season), it was featured with the same 'pancer' dancing to it. It quickly became popular among viewers, like some of the other most shown videos to 'pance' to, as the show went on. It won the weekly contests countless times. On one episode, viewers voted it and the pancer as one of the best videos and pancings on the show.
U.S. reaction
Though the song "Rock DJ" appeared in Sing When You're Winning, it was never released in the U.S. and neither was the single. Although, it did manage to reach twenty-four on the Billboard Hot Dance Club PlayHot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
Chart "Rock DJ" got some attention in America due to the music video's shock value. Because of the controversial video "Rock DJ" won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects and was featured on Fuse
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
network's Pants-Off Dance-Off. In the U.K. it was first played on Top of The Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
at 2:00am. On MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
, the music video was played in its entirety on a special countdown highlighting the most controversial music videos in MTV's history.
Success
The song became Williams' third number-one solo single in the United Kingdom, going on to sell over 600,000 copies being certified Platinum by the BPIBritish Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
. The song also became a smash hit around Europe, charting inside the top ten in most countries and it became his first number-one single in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The song also became a top five hit in Australia, where it went on to sell over 70,000 copies being certified Platinum by the ARIA
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
. However, success in the United States was limited, reaching number twenty-four on 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...
s Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
but failing to chart inside the Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. "Rock DJ" went on to sell almost four million copies worldwide. The song was named the Best Song of 2000 at the MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
and Best Single and Best Video at the Brits
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
2001.
Tracklisting
UK CD Single- "Rock DJ" - 4:15
- "Talk To Me" - 3:28
- "Rock DJ" [Player One Remix] - 5:34
UK DVD Single
- "Rock DJ" [Music Video]
- "Rock DJ" [The Making Of]
Certifications and sales
| Country | Certification (if any) | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Platinum | 70,000+ |
| New Zealand | Gold | 7,500+ |
| United Kingdom | Platinum | 635,000+ |
Charts
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| 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 ... |
1 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 1 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 3 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 4 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 7 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 8 |
| German Singles Chart | 9 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 9 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 6 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 15 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 16 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 18 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 18 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
22 |
| U.S. 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... Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
24 |
| French Singles Chart | 40 |
| Chart (2000–2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Top 100 Songs of the Decade | 41 |