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{{Short description|American soul duo}}
{{cleanup-date|August 2006}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{infobox band
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| band_name = Gnarls Barkley
| image = [[Image:gnarls_barkley.jpg|200px|Gnarls Barkley: Dangermouse and Cee-Lo]]
| name = Gnarls Barkley
| image = Gnarls Barkley.jpg
| caption = Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo costumed in a homage to the film ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]''
| years_active = 2005&ndash;present
| caption = Gnarls Barkley in 2007
| landscape = yes
| origin = [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]], [[United States|USA]]
| background = group_or_band
| music_genre = [[Soul music|Soul]], [[electronic music|electro]], [[Alternative music|Alternative]], [[Dance Music]]
| record_label = [[Downtown Records]]<br>[[Warner Music]]
| origin = [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], U.S.
| genre = {{flatlist|
| current_members = [[Cee-Lo]], [[Danger Mouse]]
* [[Neo soul]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89723681 | title=Gnarls Barkley and a Soulful Predecessor | publisher=[[NPR]] | date=April 17, 2008 | access-date=March 20, 2016}}</ref>
| website = [http://www.gnarlsbarkley.com/ www.GnarlsBarkley.com]
* [[psychedelic soul]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.spin.com/reviews/gnarls-barkley-odd-couple-downtownatlantic/ | title=Gnarls Barkley, 'The Odd Couple' | publisher=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] | date=March 25, 2008 | access-date=April 11, 2015 | author=Hermes, Will}}</ref>
* [[alternative rock]]<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://entertainment.time.com/2013/12/23/gnarls-barkley-to-reunite-in-2014/ | title=Gnarls Barkley To Reunite in 2014 | magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] | date=December 23, 2013 | access-date=April 11, 2015 | author=Locker, Melissa}}</ref>}}
| years_active = 2003–2010 {{small|(fully active)}}
*2013–present<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/events/bbma-2013/1562998/cee-lo-green-to-release-three-projects-announces-goodie-mobs-album | title=Cee-Lo Green to Release Three Projects, Announces Goodie Mob's Album Release Date | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://djbooth.net/features/2017-12-20-ceelo-green-interview-gnarls-barkley | title=CeeLo Green is "Cookin Up" a "Prequel" to Gnarls Barkley's New Album (Exclusive) | date=December 20, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://illinoisentertainer.com/2020/07/qa-ceelo-green/ | title=Q&A: CeeLo Green : Illinois Entertainer }}</ref> {{small|(intermittently)}}
| associated_acts =
| label = {{flatlist|
* [[Downtown Records|Downtown]]
* [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
* [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]]}}
| current_members = * [[Danger Mouse (musician)|Danger Mouse]]
* [[CeeLo Green]]
| past_members =
}}
}}


'''Gnarls Barkley''' is an American [[soul music|soul]] duo composed of singer-songwriter [[CeeLo Green]] and producer [[Danger Mouse (musician)|Danger Mouse]]. They released their debut studio album, ''[[St. Elsewhere (album)|St. Elsewhere]]'', in 2006. It contained their hit single "[[Crazy (Gnarls Barkley song)|Crazy]]", which peaked at number two on the [[Billboard Hot 100|US Hot 100]] and topped the [[UK Singles Chart]]. It was nominated at the 2007 [[Grammy Award]]s for [[Grammy Award for Record of the Year|Record of the Year]], and was platinum certified for shipping over 1,000,000 records.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://djbooth.net/news/entry/gnarls-barkley-receives-riaa-platinum-certification|title=Gnarls Barkley Receives RIAA Platinum Certification – DJBooth|website=DJBooth.net|date=August 22, 2006 |access-date=March 19, 2016}}</ref> ''St. Elsewhere'' also received a nomination for [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]]. Their second studio album'', [[The Odd Couple (album)|The Odd Couple]]'', was scheduled for release in April 2008, but due to a leak of the album over the internet, they decided to release it early.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motherjones.com/riff/2008/03/new-leaked-music-gnarls-barkley-odd-couple|title=New (Leaked) Music: Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple|website=Mother Jones|access-date=March 19, 2016}}</ref> The album in its entirety received similarly positive reviews.
'''Gnarls Barkley''' is a musical collaboration between [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]]-based DJ and [[record producer|producer]] [[Danger Mouse]] (Brian Burton), and [[rapper]]/[[singer]] [[Cee-Lo]] (Thomas Callaway). Their first [[album]], ''[[St. Elsewhere (album)|St. Elsewhere]]'', was released by [[Warner Music]] on [[April 24]] [[2006]] in the [[UK]] and on [[May 9]] in the [[US]] by [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]/[[Downtown Records]]. It was made available for [[download]] one week earlier in the U.S. [[iTunes Music Store]] and other online download stores.


==Career==
==History==
===Background===
"[[Crazy (Gnarls Barkley song)|Crazy]]", their first [[Single (music)|single]], based on samples of the song "Nel Cimitero Di Tucson" (1968) by Gianfranco Reverberi, gained some of its popularity due to its use on [[primetime]] [[BBC Radio 1]] [[disc jockey|DJ]] [[Zane Lowe]]'s [[television]] [[advert]], and it was also made Record of the Week by [[Ken Bruce]] of [[BBC Radio 2]]. Some of the popularity is also due to the performance of the song at The 2006 MTV Movie Awards, where the band performed in Star Wars costumes -- including the garb of [[Rebel Alliance]] pilots, Imperial officers, [[Imperial Stormtroopers|Stormtroopers]], [[Chewbacca]], [[Jango Fett]], [[Obi-Wan]], with Cee-Lo singing as an unmasked [[Darth Vader]]. It was released as a single on [[April 3]] [[2006]], preceded by its release as digital download and 12" [[vinyl]] single in March 2006. On [[2 April]] [[2006]], it became the first ever UK number one single based on download sales alone.<ref>{{cite web | Year=2006 |title= Crazy song makes musical history |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4870150.stm | publisher = BBC News | accessdate=April 2 | accessyear=2006}}</ref>
CeeLo Green first entered the scene as part of the [[Atlanta hip hop]] group [[Goodie Mob]] which had a large hand in the [[Southern hip hop|Dirty South]] movement of the 1990s. Green left the group after their third album in 1999 and started his solo career. That year he sang on "Do You Like the Way" along with [[Lauryn Hill]] on [[Santana (band)|Santana]]'s multi-platinum ''[[Supernatural (Santana album)|Supernatural]]'' album.


Brian Joseph Burton, better known by his stage name [[Danger Mouse (musician)|Danger Mouse]], has produced albums for a number of hip hop and rock artists, including [[Gorillaz]]' ''[[Demon Days]]'', and [[The Black Keys]]' ''[[Attack & Release]]'', ''[[El Camino (The Black Keys album)|El Camino]]'', and ''[[Turn Blue (album)|Turn Blue]]''. He received international attention for his [[Mashup (music)|mash-up]] ''[[The Grey Album]]'', which blended the [[a cappella]] edition of [[Jay-Z]]'s ''[[The Black Album (Jay-Z album)|The Black Album]]'' with samples from [[The Beatles]]' ''[[The Beatles (album)|White Album]]''.
Many think the name Gnarls Barkley is related to the former NBA basketball player [[Charles Barkley]]. In the June 18, 2006 [[New York Times]] Magazine Burton explains the name came from friends, "making up fictional celebrity names like ''Prince Gnarls'' and ''Bob Gnarley.'' When someone came up with ''Gnarls Barkley,'' Burton wrote it down."


The duo first crossed paths while Green was performing at the University of Georgia and Danger Mouse won a contest to DJ. They became musical partners and worked together on the songs that would become ''St. Elsewhere''; prior to the release of that album they collaborated on the songs "What You Sittin' On?" for [[Lex Records]] in 2004, and "Benzie Box" from the [[Danger Doom]] album ''[[The Mouse and the Mask]]'' in 2005.
The duo made their debut performance at the [[Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival]] on [[April 30]] [[2006]],<ref>{{cite web | author=Cohen, Jonathan| year=2006| title=Billboard Bits: Gnarls Barkley, Test Icicles, Malkmus | work=Billboard | url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002074087 | accessdate=February 28 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> but their first concert, hosted by [[Myspace.com]], part of the Secret Show series, took place at [[The Roxy Theatre]] in [[Los Angeles]] on [[April 28]] [[2006]]. They are set to perform at [[Lollapalooza]] 2006 in [[Chicago]] and the [[Austin City Limits Music Festival]] in [[Austin]]. Their U.S. television debut was made on [[May 25]] [[2006]] during ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]''. The duo also appeared on the prestigious BBC TV music show, ''[[Later with Jools Holland]]'', on [[May 19]] [[2006]], and on the [[June 12]] [[2006]] edition of ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]''.


====Band name====
"[[Crazy (Gnarls Barkley song)|Crazy]]" is the first ever single to top the [[UK singles chart]] purely on download sales as it was released online a week before it was released as a CD single. It is also the first single to top the [[UK singles chart]] for nine weeks consecutively since 1994 when [[Wet Wet Wet]]'s "[[Love Is All Around]]" was number one for fourteen weeks (the last song to spend exactly nine weeks on top was "Two Tribes" by [[Frankie Goes To Hollywood]] in 1984). It has also equalled the [[Queen (band)|Queen]] [[1975]] classic "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]", which also topped the UK singles chart for nine weeks. Crazy is also the longest number-one on the [[UK Official Download Chart]] with its stay lasting eleven consecutive weeks. Gnarls Barkley announced that as the record had spent its ninth week at number one, it was to be deleted as a vinyl/CD listing from [[May 28]] [[2006]] so people will "remember the song fondly and not get sick of it".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/therazz/tm_objectid=17140356%26method=full%26siteid=66633%26headline=gnarls%2dgo%2dout%2don%2dtop%2d-name_page.html|title=Gnarls Go Out On Top|accessdate=May 28|accessyear=2006|work=The Daily Record}}</ref>
The band was named while Burton was in a cafe in [[Silver Lake, California]], Burton and friends began playing a game of creating fake celebrity names such as [[Charles III|Princes Gnarls]] and [[Bob Marley|Bob Gnarly]]. When the name Gnarls Barkley was invented, Burton wrote it down.<ref>{{citeweb |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/18/magazine/18barkley.html |title=The D.J. Auteur |last=Klosterman |first=Chuck |website=The New York Times |date=2006-07-18}}</ref> The name was chosen purely on its sound and not on any basketball fandom by the duo. Despite this, [[Charles Barkley]] has said he is honored by the homage.<ref>{{citeweb |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2006/06/21/sir-charles-loves-the-gnarls/ |title=Sir Charles loves the Gnarls |website=Chicago Tribune |date=2006-07-21}}</ref>


According to a ''Billboard'' article: "Burton and CeeLo have been cagey about what the name of the act means, and each live performance is an opportunity to play dress-up as tennis players, astronauts and chefs, among many other get-ups. The costuming extends to photo shoots, as Burton and Cee Lo would rather impersonate characters from such films as ''[[Back to the Future]]'' or ''[[Wayne's World (film)|Wayne's World]]''." They also have dressed up as characters from films ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]'' and ''[[Napoleon Dynamite]]''.
Gnarls Barkley perfomed along with [[Christina Aguilera]], [[AFI (band)|AFI]], and [[Wolfmother]] at the [[MTV Movie Awards 2006]] [[June 8]] [[2006]] at the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California.<ref>http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1530297/story.jhtml</ref>


CeeLo Green said in an interview: <blockquote>That is that electric industrial Euro soul, that's what I call it ... if I can call it anything. It truly is shapeless and formless. My style and my approach is still water, and it runs so deep. So, with that project I got a chance to be a lil' zany, of course a continuation of eccentricity, abstract and vague, and all of those wonderful things that make art exactly what it is. And that's subject to interpretation. As far as the artiste himself, it does cater to and extend the legacy of Cee Lo Green, and showcase the diversity and range and intention of Cee Lo Green. It is a great project that I'm very, very proud of.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thickonline.com/interviews/index.php?mod=cnt&act=cnt&id=1143&page=2 |title=Interviews |publisher=ThickOnline.com |date=July 31, 2006 |access-date=May 9, 2011}}</ref></blockquote>
Gnarls Barkley appeared at the [[O2]] [[Wireless Festival]] in London on Friday, [[June 23]], and in Leeds on Saturday, June 24.


===''St. Elsewhere'' (2006–2007)===
Gnarls Barkley performed at [[Lollapalooza]] in Chicago's [[Grant Park]] on [[August 5]], [[2006]], in [[Central Park]] on [[August 17]], and will perform at the Virgin Festival at Pimlico Racetrack in Baltimore on September 23.
Downtown/Atlantic in the United States and Warner Bros. Records in the United Kingdom signed the band after several songs, including "[[Crazy (Gnarls Barkley song)|Crazy]]", were played for them by [[Danger Mouse (musician)|Danger Mouse]]'s management company [[Waxploitation]].<ref>{{cite web | year=2006 |title= Interview – Josh Deutsch, A&R for Gnarls Barkley (No.1 UK) – Sep 04, 2006 |url=http://www.hitquarters.com/index.php3?page=intrview/2006/September4_0_0_1.html | publisher = [[HitQuarters]] | access-date=November 9, 2006}}</ref> "Crazy" was released as their first [[Single (music)|single]] on April 3, 2006, preceded by its release as digital download and 12" [[vinyl record]] single in March 2006. It gained some of its popularity due to its use on primetime [[BBC Radio 1]] DJ [[Zane Lowe]]'s television advert, and it was also made Record of the Week by [[Ken Bruce]] of [[BBC Radio 2]], [[Scott Mills]] and [[Jo Whiley]] of BBC Radio 1 as well as being made 'Weekend Anthem' by [[DJ Spoony]] and [[Sara Cox]] (also of Radio 1).


In an interview with journalist Stephen Mooallem about "Crazy", Mooallem asked the duo, "Is it true that Cee-Lo recorded the vocals for "Crazy" in just one take?" to which Danger Mouse replied, "Yeah. He had the words written on paper, and what you hear on the album was the first time he ever tried singing it. He went in and gave it a shot, really just to see what it would sound like. We just kept it because it sounded great."{{cite quote|date=February 2021}} The song was, in addition, considered by the duo to be an "independent joint venture," paid for entirely "out-of-pocket." Catapulting the two into stardom, the single was primarily responsible for their success, as they "didn't even have a formal deal in place" until the song hit No. 1.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}
==Videos==
To date Gnarls Barkley has released two music videos for each of its first two singles{{fact}} - totalling four videos for two songs. For each single, only one of the two videos produced was granted the title of "official video".


In the United Kingdom, "Crazy" became the first ever single to top the [[UK Singles Chart]] purely on download sales as it was released online a week before it was released as a CD single.<ref>{{cite news |title= Crazy song makes musical history |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4870150.stm | work = BBC News | access-date=April 2, 2006 | date=April 2, 2006}}</ref> It was also the first single to top the [[UK Singles Chart]] for nine weeks consecutively since 1994 when [[Wet Wet Wet]]'s "[[Love Is All Around (The Troggs song)|Love Is All Around]]" was number one for fifteen weeks (the last song to spend exactly nine weeks on top was "Two Tribes" by [[Frankie Goes to Hollywood]] in 1984). It has also equaled the [[Queen (band)|Queen]] 1975 classic "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]", which also topped the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks. Gnarls Barkley announced that as the record had spent its ninth week at number one, it was to be deleted as a vinyl/CD listing from May 28, 2006, so people will "remember the song fondly and not get sick of it".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/therazz/tm_objectid=17140356%26method=full%26siteid=66633%26headline=gnarls%2dgo%2dout%2don%2dtop%2d-name_page.html|title=Gnarls Go Out On Top|access-date=May 28, 2006|work=The Daily Record}}</ref>
The videos are as follows:
"Crazy" is also the longest number-one on the [[UK Official Download Chart]] with its stay lasting eleven consecutive weeks. In late 2009 the song was voted as the best song of the decade by Rolling Stone magazine.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/31248926/100_best_songs_of_the_decade/25 |title=100 Best Songs of the Decade |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=December 9, 2009}}</ref>


The group released their debut album, ''[[St. Elsewhere (album)|St. Elsewhere]]'', on April 24, 2006, in the United Kingdom and on May 9, 2006, in their native United States. For their American television debut on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'', May 24, 2006, the band performed "Crazy".
Crazy:
*"Official" Video: by far the most well known of their videos to date, it features an intricate continuous photo treatment and animation of Cee-Lo singing and Danger Mouse, usually bobbing his head. The entire video is made to resemble the famous [[Rorschach inkblot test]] used in psychoanalysis. For more info on this video go to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_%28Gnarls_Barkley_song%29]]
*Alternate Video: The alternate video is a long intricate animation that appears in similar style to popular vector art, and it has several well symbols from many cultures and religions that appear in a dissjointed harmony to the lyrics. Lyrics of the song, and the band's gun and heart logo also appear prominently. The video's end result is a near identical image to the songs single cover art. it can be found on youTube[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lutlj0MlJpo]. Neither of the bands members or likeness appear in this version.


They performed along with [[Christina Aguilera]], [[AFI (band)|AFI]], and [[Wolfmother]] at the [[MTV Movie Awards 2006]] on June 8, 2006.<ref>{{cite web|last=Carroll |first=Larry |url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1530297/story.jhtml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104000533/http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1530297/story.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 4, 2013 |title=2007 Movie Awards Story &#124; Justin, Luda To Appear At Movie Awards – Show Story &#124; Headlines |publisher=MTV |date=May 8, 2006 |access-date=December 19, 2012}}</ref> They were dressed as characters from the film series ''[[Star Wars]]''. [[Rebel Alliance]] pilots, Imperial officers, [[Imperial Stormtroopers|Stormtroopers]], [[Chewbacca]], [[Jango Fett]], [[Obi-Wan Kenobi|Obi-Wan]], with Cee-Lo singing as an unmasked [[Darth Vader]].
Smiley Faces:
*"Official" Video: Takes the form of a Mockumentary narrated tracking Gnarls Barkley's supposed role in twentieth century music and, to a lesser extent, pop art. Both Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse appear in the video, inserted into historic moments in music. [[Dennis Hopper]] and [[Dean Stockwell]] appear as music historians.
*Alternate Video: Fully animated using emoticons. niether band member appears because of this method, although emoticon dopplegangers of the members appear.


In October 2006, Gnarls Barkley recorded a live session for ''[[Live from Abbey Road]]'' at [[Abbey Road Studios]].
==Discography==
===Album===
* ''[[St. Elsewhere (album)|St. Elsewhere]]'' (2006) #1 UK, #4 U.S., #6 AUS<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display.asp?chart=1A50|title=Australian Top 50 Albums Chart|work=ARIA}}</ref>, #9 BEL <ref>http://entertainment.skynet.be/index.html?l1=entertainment&l2=ultratop&l3=charts&chartid=4</ref>


''St. Elsewhere'' has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 1,000,000 albums in the United States. A limited edition deluxe package of ''St. Elsewhere'' was released on November 7, 2006. The CD+DVD package includes a 92-page booklet, four music videos and bonus songs from live performance.<ref name=":0" />
===Singles===

:''For more detailed chart listings, see the indvidual singles' articles
''St. Elsewhere'' was nominated for four [[Grammy Award]]s in 2007 including for [[Grammy Award for Record of the Year|Record of the Year]], and [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]], winning two of them for Best Alternate Music Album, and Best Urban/Alternate Performance for "[[Crazy (Gnarls Barkley song)|Crazy]]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/news/grammy-rewind-49th-annual-grammy-awards|title=GRAMMY Rewind: 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards|website=The GRAMMYs|access-date=March 19, 2016}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"

!width="" rowspan="2"| Title
"[[Crazy (Gnarls Barkley song)|Crazy]]" was featured in a couple of TV shows and movies, like The Big Short, Medium, Kick-Ass, I Think I Love My Wife, Religulous, Cold Case, How to Rock, Grey's Anatomy, Boyhood, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
!width="" rowspan="2"| Release date
[[File:Gnarls Barkley in Melbourne.jpg|thumb|right|Gnarls Barkley at the Mini V festival in Melbourne, 2007]]
!width="" rowspan="2"| Album
From January until March 2007, they toured with the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] through the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.redhotchilipeppers.com/news/news.php?uid=333 |title=NEWS |publisher=Redhotchilipeppers.com |date=July 24, 2010 |access-date=May 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100103101113/http://redhotchilipeppers.com/news/news.php?uid=333 |archive-date=January 3, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
!width="" colspan="5"| Peak chart positions<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicsquare.net/charts/song/8190|title=Gnarls Barkley's Crazy: Chart Positions|accessdate=May 26|accessyear=2006}}</ref>

They did a collaborative short film in both the Spring of 2006 and 2007 with the international TV series ''[[Kung Faux]]'' which airs heavily on [[Channel V]] around the world, and they also toured Australia in March and April 2007 as part of the Channel V Festival.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}

===''The Odd Couple'' (2008)===
In early March 2008, the duo's second album, ''[[The Odd Couple (album)|The Odd Couple]]'', was leaked over the internet prompting the duo to push the release date up from April 8. In an interview with Entertainment Magazine, Danger Mouse said that he "knew it [the leak] was coming...every day, I expected to get a call saying it leaked, and eventually I got a call saying it leaked."{{cite quote|date=February 2021}} On March 18, 2008, the album became available via download on the [[iTunes Store]] and [[Amazon MP3]]. Hard copies of the album were released on March 25.

Prior to its official release, Green spoke to the album's anti-formulaic qualities, noting bluntly that "there's no formula to it," and that to expect the same wild success of ''St. Elsewhere'' is to neglect the ever-present "risk factor in any artistic endeavor." He called it something of an "act of faith" – a true, earnest attempt to create and disseminate a piece of art to those who would seek out its conception.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

They appeared as the musical guest on the April 12, 2008 episode of [[NBC]]'s ''[[Saturday Night Live]].'' They were supposed to be in a [[SNL Digital Shorts|Digital Short]] parodying amateur music videos according to the scrolled text but only appeared in the singing performances of the live broadcast.

On November 11, 2008, they released an [[Extended play|EP]], ''Who's Gonna Save My Soul'', featuring four versions of the song which originally appeared on ''The Odd Couple'', along with a live version of "Neighbors" and a previously unreleased song, "Mystery Man." A music video for "Mystery Man" was directed by [[Walter Robot]] and premiered on [[Yahoo! Music]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url = http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1043704/gnarls-barkley-bares-its-soul-on-new-ep |title = Gnarls Barkley Bares Its 'Soul' On New EP |access-date = October 28, 2008 |author = Cohen, Jonathan |date = October 22, 2008 |magazine = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref>

===Third studio album (2013–present)===
In 2013, Green stated they would be releasing a third album sometime in the future.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/events/bbma-2013/1562998/cee-lo-green-to-release-three-projects-announces-goodie-mobs-album |title=Cee-Lo Green to Release Three Projects, Announces Goodie Mob's Album Release Date |publisher=Billboard |access-date=November 7, 2013}}</ref> In late 2017, Green stated "We have already started on a new [Gnarls Barkley] album, we're halfway in and we have some overtures from the other projects that may not have stood the test of time, we don't know yet."<ref>{{cite news |title=CeeLo Green is "Cookin Up" a "Prequel" to Gnarls Barkley's Brand New Album (Exclusive) |url=https://djbooth.net/features/2017-12-20-ceelo-green-interview-gnarls-barkley |newspaper=Djbooth|date=October 19, 2018 }}</ref> In July 2020, he revealed that the [[COVID-19 lockdowns|COVID-19 lockdown]] happened as he was working on this third effort.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lanham|first=Tom|date=July 9, 2020|title=Q&A: CeeLo Green|url=http://illinoisentertainer.com/2020/07/qa-ceelo-green/|access-date=2020-08-03|website=Illinois Entertainer}}</ref>

;BET Awards

;Brit Awards

;Grammy Awards

;MTV Europe Music Awards
{{awards table}}
|-
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[2006 MTV Europe Music Awards|2006]] || Gnarls Barkley || [[MTV Europe Music Award for Best New Act|Future Sound]] || {{Won}}
![[Billboard Hot 100|U.S.]]
![[UK Singles Chart|UK]]
![[New Zealand|NZ]]
![[ARIA Charts|AUS]]
![[Canada|CAN]]
|- bgcolor="#F0F8FF"
| "[[Crazy (Gnarls Barkley song)|Crazy]]"
| [[April 3]] [[2006]]
| ''St. Elsewhere''
|align="center"| 2
|align="center"| 1
|align="center"| 1
|align="center"| 2
|align="center"| 1
|-
|-
| rowspan="2" | "Crazy" || [[MTV Europe Music Award for Best Song|Best Song]] || {{Won}}
| "[[Smiley Faces (song)|Smiley Faces]]"
|-
| [[July 17]] [[2006]]
| [[MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video|Best Video]] || {{Nominated}}
| ''St. Elsewhere''
{{end}}
|align="center"| -

|align="center"| 10
;MTV Video Music Awards
|align="center"| -
{{awards table}}
|align="center"| -
|-
|align="center"| -
| rowspan="3" | [[2006 MTV Video Music Awards|2006]] || rowspan="3" | "Crazy" || [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video|Best Group Video]] || {{Nominated}}
|}
|-
| [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction|Best Direction]] || {{Won}}
|-
| [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]] || {{Won}}
|-
| [[2007 MTV Video Music Awards|2007]] || "Smiley Face" || [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]] || {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[2008 MTV Video Music Awards|2008]] || rowspan="2" | "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)" || [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography|Best Choreography]] || {{Won}}
|-
| [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction|Best Art Direction]] || {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[2009 MTV Video Music Awards|2009]] || rowspan="3" | "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" || [[MTV Video Music Award – Breakthrough Video|Breakthrough Video]] || {{Nominated}}
|-
| [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]] || {{Nominated}}
|-
| [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction|Best Art Direction]] || {{Nominated}}
{{end}}

;MTVU Woodie Awards
{{awards table}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[MTVU|2006]] || Gnarls Barkley || Left Field Woodie || {{Won}}
|-
| "Crazy" || Best Video Woodie - Animated || {{Nominated}}
|-
| [[MTVU|2008]] || "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" || Best Video Woodie || {{Nominated}}
{{end}}

;NAACP Image Awards
{{awards table}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[38th NAACP Image Awards|2007]] || Gnarls Barkley || [[NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Duo or Group|Outstanding Duo or Group]] || {{Nominated}}
|-
| "Crazy" || [[NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song|Outstanding Song]] || {{Nominated}}
{{end}}

;Q Awards
{{awards table}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[Q Awards|2006]] || "Crazy" || Best Track || {{Won}}
|-
| "Smiley Face" || Best Video || {{Nominated}}
{{end}}

;Soul Train Music Awards
{{awards table}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[2007 Soul Train Music Awards|2007]] || ''St. Elsewhere'' || [[Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Album – Group, Band or Duo|Best R&B/Soul Album – Group, Band or Duo]] || {{Nominated}}
|-
| "Crazy" || [[Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo|Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo]] || {{Won}}
{{end}}

;Teen Choice Awards
{{awards table}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[2006 Teen Choice Awards|2006]] || Gnarls Barkley || Choice Music: Male Breakout Artist || {{Nominated}}
|-
| "Crazy" || Choice Music: Summer Song || {{Nominated}}
{{end}}
* 2009 Rolling Stone 100 Best Songs of the Decade – No.&nbsp;1 "Crazy"


==See also==
==See also==
*[[DANGERDOOM]]
* [[Broken Bells]]
*[[Goodie Mob]]
* ''[[Gnarls Biggie]]''


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
<references/>


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category|Gnarls Barkley}}
* {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000913130}}


{{Gnarls Barkley}}
*[http://www.gnarlsbarkley.com/ Official website]
{{Navboxes
*[http://www.myspace.com/gnarlsbarkley Official MySpace profile]
*[http://www.gnarlsbarkleyfans.com/ Unofficial Gnarls Barkley Fansite]
|title = Awards for Gnarls Barkley
|list =
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtx-ZW-qkGs Entrance at Lollapalooza 2006 to Queen's "We are the Champions"]
{{BET Award for Best Group}}
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPXvRt2psQo Performance of "Crazy" at Lollapalooza 2006]
{{Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album}}
*[http://idents.tv/blog/?p=172/ BBC Radio 1 Advert that uses "Crazy"]
{{MTV Europe Music Award for Best New Act}}
*[http://www.dancefrontdoor.co.uk/v2/news/%ef%bf%bcgnarls-barkley-crazy-video/1108.html "Crazy" video]
}}
*[http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/14763/Interview_Interview_Gnarls_Barkley''Pitchfork'' interview]
{{Cee Lo Green}}
*[http://www.lyricsdir.com/gnarls-barkley-lyrics.html Gnarls Barkley lyrics]
{{Danger Mouse}}
*[http://www.dancefrontdoor.co.uk/v2/news/gnarls-barkley-smiley-faces-video/1352.html "Smiley Faces" video]
{{UK best-selling singles (by year) 1990–2009}}
*[http://www.hitquarters.com Gnarls Barkley No.1 on World Top 20 A&R Chart]



{{Authority control}}
[[Category:2000s music groups]]
[[Category:Celebrity duos]]
[[Category:Rhythmic Top 40 acts]]
[[Category:American dance musicians]]
[[Category:Dance musicians]]


[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[de:Gnarls Barkley]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 2003]]
[[fr:Gnarls Barkley]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records artists]]
[[it:Gnarls Barkley]]
[[Category:MTV Video Music Award winners]]
[[he:נארלס בארקלי]]
[[Category:African-American musical duos]]
[[nl:Gnarls Barkley]]
[[Category:Musical duos from Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[pl:Gnarls Barkley]]
[[Category:American soul musical groups]]
[[fi:Gnarls Barkley]]
[[Category:Alternative rock groups from Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[sv:Gnarls Barkley]]
[[Category:MTV Europe Music Award winners]]
[[yi:Gnarls Barkley]]
[[Category:Downtown Records artists]]
[[Category:2003 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]

Latest revision as of 21:58, 16 December 2024

Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley in 2007
Gnarls Barkley in 2007
Background information
OriginAtlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
Years active2003–2010 (fully active)
Labels
Members

Gnarls Barkley is an American soul duo composed of singer-songwriter CeeLo Green and producer Danger Mouse. They released their debut studio album, St. Elsewhere, in 2006. It contained their hit single "Crazy", which peaked at number two on the US Hot 100 and topped the UK Singles Chart. It was nominated at the 2007 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, and was platinum certified for shipping over 1,000,000 records.[7] St. Elsewhere also received a nomination for Album of the Year. Their second studio album, The Odd Couple, was scheduled for release in April 2008, but due to a leak of the album over the internet, they decided to release it early.[8] The album in its entirety received similarly positive reviews.

History

[edit]

Background

[edit]

CeeLo Green first entered the scene as part of the Atlanta hip hop group Goodie Mob which had a large hand in the Dirty South movement of the 1990s. Green left the group after their third album in 1999 and started his solo career. That year he sang on "Do You Like the Way" along with Lauryn Hill on Santana's multi-platinum Supernatural album.

Brian Joseph Burton, better known by his stage name Danger Mouse, has produced albums for a number of hip hop and rock artists, including Gorillaz' Demon Days, and The Black Keys' Attack & Release, El Camino, and Turn Blue. He received international attention for his mash-up The Grey Album, which blended the a cappella edition of Jay-Z's The Black Album with samples from The Beatles' White Album.

The duo first crossed paths while Green was performing at the University of Georgia and Danger Mouse won a contest to DJ. They became musical partners and worked together on the songs that would become St. Elsewhere; prior to the release of that album they collaborated on the songs "What You Sittin' On?" for Lex Records in 2004, and "Benzie Box" from the Danger Doom album The Mouse and the Mask in 2005.

Band name

[edit]

The band was named while Burton was in a cafe in Silver Lake, California, Burton and friends began playing a game of creating fake celebrity names such as Princes Gnarls and Bob Gnarly. When the name Gnarls Barkley was invented, Burton wrote it down.[9] The name was chosen purely on its sound and not on any basketball fandom by the duo. Despite this, Charles Barkley has said he is honored by the homage.[10]

According to a Billboard article: "Burton and CeeLo have been cagey about what the name of the act means, and each live performance is an opportunity to play dress-up as tennis players, astronauts and chefs, among many other get-ups. The costuming extends to photo shoots, as Burton and Cee Lo would rather impersonate characters from such films as Back to the Future or Wayne's World." They also have dressed up as characters from films A Clockwork Orange and Napoleon Dynamite.

CeeLo Green said in an interview:

That is that electric industrial Euro soul, that's what I call it ... if I can call it anything. It truly is shapeless and formless. My style and my approach is still water, and it runs so deep. So, with that project I got a chance to be a lil' zany, of course a continuation of eccentricity, abstract and vague, and all of those wonderful things that make art exactly what it is. And that's subject to interpretation. As far as the artiste himself, it does cater to and extend the legacy of Cee Lo Green, and showcase the diversity and range and intention of Cee Lo Green. It is a great project that I'm very, very proud of.[11]

St. Elsewhere (2006–2007)

[edit]

Downtown/Atlantic in the United States and Warner Bros. Records in the United Kingdom signed the band after several songs, including "Crazy", were played for them by Danger Mouse's management company Waxploitation.[12] "Crazy" was released as their first single on April 3, 2006, preceded by its release as digital download and 12" vinyl record single in March 2006. It gained some of its popularity due to its use on primetime BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe's television advert, and it was also made Record of the Week by Ken Bruce of BBC Radio 2, Scott Mills and Jo Whiley of BBC Radio 1 as well as being made 'Weekend Anthem' by DJ Spoony and Sara Cox (also of Radio 1).

In an interview with journalist Stephen Mooallem about "Crazy", Mooallem asked the duo, "Is it true that Cee-Lo recorded the vocals for "Crazy" in just one take?" to which Danger Mouse replied, "Yeah. He had the words written on paper, and what you hear on the album was the first time he ever tried singing it. He went in and gave it a shot, really just to see what it would sound like. We just kept it because it sounded great."[This quote needs a citation] The song was, in addition, considered by the duo to be an "independent joint venture," paid for entirely "out-of-pocket." Catapulting the two into stardom, the single was primarily responsible for their success, as they "didn't even have a formal deal in place" until the song hit No. 1.[citation needed]

In the United Kingdom, "Crazy" became the first ever single to top the UK Singles Chart purely on download sales as it was released online a week before it was released as a CD single.[13] It was also the first single to top the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks consecutively since 1994 when Wet Wet Wet's "Love Is All Around" was number one for fifteen weeks (the last song to spend exactly nine weeks on top was "Two Tribes" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood in 1984). It has also equaled the Queen 1975 classic "Bohemian Rhapsody", which also topped the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks. Gnarls Barkley announced that as the record had spent its ninth week at number one, it was to be deleted as a vinyl/CD listing from May 28, 2006, so people will "remember the song fondly and not get sick of it".[14] "Crazy" is also the longest number-one on the UK Official Download Chart with its stay lasting eleven consecutive weeks. In late 2009 the song was voted as the best song of the decade by Rolling Stone magazine.[15]

The group released their debut album, St. Elsewhere, on April 24, 2006, in the United Kingdom and on May 9, 2006, in their native United States. For their American television debut on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, May 24, 2006, the band performed "Crazy".

They performed along with Christina Aguilera, AFI, and Wolfmother at the MTV Movie Awards 2006 on June 8, 2006.[16] They were dressed as characters from the film series Star Wars. Rebel Alliance pilots, Imperial officers, Stormtroopers, Chewbacca, Jango Fett, Obi-Wan, with Cee-Lo singing as an unmasked Darth Vader.

In October 2006, Gnarls Barkley recorded a live session for Live from Abbey Road at Abbey Road Studios.

St. Elsewhere has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 1,000,000 albums in the United States. A limited edition deluxe package of St. Elsewhere was released on November 7, 2006. The CD+DVD package includes a 92-page booklet, four music videos and bonus songs from live performance.[7]

St. Elsewhere was nominated for four Grammy Awards in 2007 including for Record of the Year, and Album of the Year, winning two of them for Best Alternate Music Album, and Best Urban/Alternate Performance for "Crazy".[17]

"Crazy" was featured in a couple of TV shows and movies, like The Big Short, Medium, Kick-Ass, I Think I Love My Wife, Religulous, Cold Case, How to Rock, Grey's Anatomy, Boyhood, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Gnarls Barkley at the Mini V festival in Melbourne, 2007

From January until March 2007, they toured with the Red Hot Chili Peppers through the U.S.[18]

They did a collaborative short film in both the Spring of 2006 and 2007 with the international TV series Kung Faux which airs heavily on Channel V around the world, and they also toured Australia in March and April 2007 as part of the Channel V Festival.[citation needed]

The Odd Couple (2008)

[edit]

In early March 2008, the duo's second album, The Odd Couple, was leaked over the internet prompting the duo to push the release date up from April 8. In an interview with Entertainment Magazine, Danger Mouse said that he "knew it [the leak] was coming...every day, I expected to get a call saying it leaked, and eventually I got a call saying it leaked."[This quote needs a citation] On March 18, 2008, the album became available via download on the iTunes Store and Amazon MP3. Hard copies of the album were released on March 25.

Prior to its official release, Green spoke to the album's anti-formulaic qualities, noting bluntly that "there's no formula to it," and that to expect the same wild success of St. Elsewhere is to neglect the ever-present "risk factor in any artistic endeavor." He called it something of an "act of faith" – a true, earnest attempt to create and disseminate a piece of art to those who would seek out its conception.[citation needed]

They appeared as the musical guest on the April 12, 2008 episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live. They were supposed to be in a Digital Short parodying amateur music videos according to the scrolled text but only appeared in the singing performances of the live broadcast.

On November 11, 2008, they released an EP, Who's Gonna Save My Soul, featuring four versions of the song which originally appeared on The Odd Couple, along with a live version of "Neighbors" and a previously unreleased song, "Mystery Man." A music video for "Mystery Man" was directed by Walter Robot and premiered on Yahoo! Music.[19]

Third studio album (2013–present)

[edit]

In 2013, Green stated they would be releasing a third album sometime in the future.[20] In late 2017, Green stated "We have already started on a new [Gnarls Barkley] album, we're halfway in and we have some overtures from the other projects that may not have stood the test of time, we don't know yet."[21] In July 2020, he revealed that the COVID-19 lockdown happened as he was working on this third effort.[22]

BET Awards
Brit Awards
Grammy Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2006 Gnarls Barkley Future Sound Won
"Crazy" Best Song Won
Best Video Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2006 "Crazy" Best Group Video Nominated
Best Direction Won
Best Editing Won
2007 "Smiley Face" Best Editing Won
2008 "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)" Best Choreography Won
Best Art Direction Won
2009 "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" Breakthrough Video Nominated
Best Visual Effects Nominated
Best Art Direction Nominated
MTVU Woodie Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2006 Gnarls Barkley Left Field Woodie Won
"Crazy" Best Video Woodie - Animated Nominated
2008 "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" Best Video Woodie Nominated
NAACP Image Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2007 Gnarls Barkley Outstanding Duo or Group Nominated
"Crazy" Outstanding Song Nominated
Q Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2006 "Crazy" Best Track Won
"Smiley Face" Best Video Nominated
Soul Train Music Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2007 St. Elsewhere Best R&B/Soul Album – Group, Band or Duo Nominated
"Crazy" Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo Won
Teen Choice Awards
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2006 Gnarls Barkley Choice Music: Male Breakout Artist Nominated
"Crazy" Choice Music: Summer Song Nominated
  • 2009 Rolling Stone 100 Best Songs of the Decade – No. 1 "Crazy"

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Gnarls Barkley and a Soulful Predecessor". NPR. April 17, 2008. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  2. ^ Hermes, Will (March 25, 2008). "Gnarls Barkley, 'The Odd Couple'". Spin. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  3. ^ Locker, Melissa (December 23, 2013). "Gnarls Barkley To Reunite in 2014". Time. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  4. ^ "Cee-Lo Green to Release Three Projects, Announces Goodie Mob's Album Release Date". Billboard.
  5. ^ "CeeLo Green is "Cookin Up" a "Prequel" to Gnarls Barkley's New Album (Exclusive)". December 20, 2017.
  6. ^ "Q&A: CeeLo Green : Illinois Entertainer".
  7. ^ a b "Gnarls Barkley Receives RIAA Platinum Certification – DJBooth". DJBooth.net. August 22, 2006. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  8. ^ "New (Leaked) Music: Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple". Mother Jones. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  9. ^ Klosterman, Chuck (July 18, 2006). "The D.J. Auteur". The New York Times.
  10. ^ "Sir Charles loves the Gnarls". Chicago Tribune. July 21, 2006.
  11. ^ "Interviews". ThickOnline.com. July 31, 2006. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  12. ^ "Interview – Josh Deutsch, A&R for Gnarls Barkley (No.1 UK) – Sep 04, 2006". HitQuarters. 2006. Retrieved November 9, 2006.
  13. ^ "Crazy song makes musical history". BBC News. April 2, 2006. Retrieved April 2, 2006.
  14. ^ "Gnarls Go Out On Top". The Daily Record. Retrieved May 28, 2006.
  15. ^ "100 Best Songs of the Decade". Rolling Stone. December 9, 2009.
  16. ^ Carroll, Larry (May 8, 2006). "2007 Movie Awards Story | Justin, Luda To Appear At Movie Awards – Show Story | Headlines". MTV. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  17. ^ "GRAMMY Rewind: 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards". The GRAMMYs. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  18. ^ "NEWS". Redhotchilipeppers.com. July 24, 2010. Archived from the original on January 3, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  19. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (October 22, 2008). "Gnarls Barkley Bares Its 'Soul' On New EP". Billboard. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  20. ^ "Cee-Lo Green to Release Three Projects, Announces Goodie Mob's Album Release Date". Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  21. ^ "CeeLo Green is "Cookin Up" a "Prequel" to Gnarls Barkley's Brand New Album (Exclusive)". Djbooth. October 19, 2018.
  22. ^ Lanham, Tom (July 9, 2020). "Q&A: CeeLo Green". Illinois Entertainer. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
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