Song 137 - Praise You by Fatboy Slim

It is hard to imagine that Praise You and Caravan of Love share a common artist but the great Fatboy Slim's (Norman Cook) humble beginnings started with the Housemartins. Praise You was released as the third single from the album You've come a long way, Baby, in 1999. It reached number one on the UK single chart. 

Featuring a prominent vocal sample from the opening of Take Yo' Praise by Camille Yarbrough, as well as a prominent piano sample from the track Balance and Rehearsal from a test album entitled Sessions released by audio electronics company JBL, this song rocketed the charts at the end of the 1990s.  Whenever I hear this track, it takes me back to my changing life as a student about to graduate into the publishing world. It was a world before before the technological revolution brought about by Apple and Amazon that would change the book and music industry forever.  We didn't know what an iPod was or second screening meant. We have gone through an immense technological change in the last 20 years and in a way it had brought the world closer together. Who knows who might be reading this?

Anyway, back to the song, one of the most iconic elements of the songs was the video that went with it. The video was directed by Spike Jonze and Roman Coppolla.  Jonze starred in the film under the pseudonym Richard Koufey, along with a fictional dance group The Torrance Community Group. The video was shot guerrilla-style in front of puzzled onlookers ouside a movie theatre in Westwood, California. Jonze and the dance group dance to Praise you much to the chagrin of a theatre employee who turns off their portable stereo. The video was made only because Jonze, unable to work with Fatboy Slim on the video for The Rockafeller skank, recorded and sent his own solo dance video to Skank as a gift; Jonze's 'alternate' music video was so well-received by slim, it became the official one for Praise You. The end result was the video was voted the best video ever by MTV.

To watch the classic video and listen to the talented Fat Boy Slim

Praise you

Written by Fat Boy Slim

Album: You've come a long way baby

Released: 1999

Song 136 - Build by The Housemartins

When people think about the Housemartins, Carvan of love  is usually the first song that comes to mind and not Build. Build was on side four of the double album Now that's what I call music 10, which I think my sister and I were given as a joint Christmas present. On hearing the track, I always makes me want to replay it four or five times.

The Housemartins band was formed in 1983 by Paul Heaton and Stan Cullimore, where initially the band was a busking duo and then by the end of 1985, after a number of changes in the line up, the band consisted of Heaton, Cullimore, Dave Hemingway and Norman Cook. In 1986, after recording two session with John Peel, the band  had a breakthrough with their hit; Happy Hour.  Build was released in 1987 and reached number 15 in the charts. Taken from the album The people who grinned themselves to death; this was one of the last hits before the band broke up. Three members went to form Beautiful South, Norman Cook went to Beats International and then Fat Boy Slim; but all members of the band have remained on good terms and have often supported each other with different projects.

As the Easter Weekend is fast approaching and people often start their annual DIY and spring clean; use the Housemartins for a bit of inspiration:

Build by the Housemartins

Written by Paul Heaton & Stan Cullimore
Album: The people who grinned themselves to death
Released: 1987