How well do you know your music? Let’s find out with a quiz that accompanies this week playlist.
The subjects du jour are : Robbie Williams, Britney Spears, The Chemical Brothers, The Eighties Matchbox B Line Disaster, Westlife, Editors, Busted, The Hives, Richard Ashcroft, Biffy Clyro, Velvet Revolver, Elbow
They are the performers of twelve vintage amusing, puzzling and sometimes shocking videos of songs that were ranked in the UK charts, this week (42/52) BUT… in the Noughties 2000s.
1. What is unique about the way Robbie Williams recorded the song from his album *Intensive Care*?
- A In a professional studio
- B In his bedroom
- C During a world tour
2. Who conceptualizes the loneliness in the song “Lucky” by Britney Spears?
- A A glamorous singer
- B A famous actress
- C A retired athlete
3. Which animal character does Fatlip portray in The Chemical Brothers’ song video?
- A Sammy the Salmon
- B Barry the Barracuda
- C Fatlip the Piranha
4. “Rise of the Eagles” by The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster was released under what label?
- A No Death Records
- B Epic Records
- C Island Records
5. From which Irish rock band’s song is Westlife’s “Hey Whatever” evolved?
- A U2
- B Relish
- C Snow Patrol
6. Which genre below does not apply to Editors’ single “Bullets”?
- A Indie pop
- B Techno
- C Gothic rock
7. The debut single by Busted features a video appearance by which future Sugababes member?
- A Heidi Range
- B Jade Ewen
- C Amelle Berrabah
8. Which music service debuted a “Rock Version” of Biffy Clyro’s “Machines”?
- A Spotify
- B Recordstore.co.uk
- C SoundCloud
9. The Hives’ single features how many official music videos?
- A One
- B Two
- C Three
10. At what event was Velvet Revolver’s single performed, later included in a DVD release?
- A Woodstock 99
- B Live 8
- C Coachella
11. Where was Richard Ashcroft’s “Check the Meaning” released as a part of his discography?
- A Debut album
- B Third studio album
- C Second studio album
12. What was the initial release format for Elbow’s “Newborn”?
- A Digital single
- B The Newborn EP
- C Radio promo
For TWELVE more ‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ – Vintage 2000s Music Videos – week 42/52 – click here
Tracklist
1 . Robbie Williams – Tripping |
‘When you think we’re lost we’re exploring’
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| Reggae-influenced with an 80s Clash vibe and a disco-like chorus, “Tripping” by Robbie Williams, co-written with Stephen Duffy, presents a dark narrative on gangsters. Directed by Johan Renck, the whimsical music video features a nightmarish singing baby and twins (?) giggling in a maze. |
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Featured on the 2006 album “Meds”. |
2 . Britney Spears – Lucky |
‘It’s you they’re all waiting for’
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| Penned by Max Martin and Rami Yacoub, Britney Spears’ “Lucky” narrates the tale of a lonely celebrity, despite her fame. The music video directed by Dave Meyers, featuring Spears in four personas including Storyteller and Phantom Britney, unveils a gloomy award-winning actress named “Lucky.” |
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Featured on the 2007 album “Hourglass”. |
3 . The Chemical Brothers – The Salmon Dance |
‘All my peeps spend part of their life in fresh water’
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| With the eccentric inclusion of robotic salmon facts delivered by Sammy the Salmon, rap verses from Fatlip of The Pharcyde and a Beethoven sonata snippet, The Chemical Brothers’ “The Salmon Dance” comes with a bizarre yet enthralling music video directed by Dom and Nic (Nick Goffey & Dominic Hawley) and showcasing a boy, portrayed by Rory Jennings, observing his fish tank. |
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Featured on the 1999 album “Showbiz“. |
4 . The Eighties Matchbox B Line Disaster – Rise Of The Eagles |
‘Cos you’re wrong and you know how to sin’
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| The track “Rise of the Eagles” by British psychobilly band The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster (often abbreviated as TEMBD or 80s Matchbox) is known for its gothic-punk essence with gritty guitar and pulsing bass while its lead singer Guy McKnight wishes to echo Sinatra’s vocal charm. The accompanying music video follows an anti-militaristic theme, showcasing TEMBD’s humor. |
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Featured on the 2009 album “New Moon : Soundtrack”. |
5 . Westlife – Hey Whatever |
| Westlife’s “Hey Whatever” is a re-written version of Irish rock band Relish’s hit “Rainbow Zephyr.” The accompanying music video is directed by David Mould. |
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6 . Editors – Bullets |
| British band Editors’ debut single “Bullets” comes with a music video directed by Mike Brady. |
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Featured on the 2002 album “Sticks and Stones”. Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site |
7 . Busted – What I Go To School For |
‘Fight my way to the front of class To get the best view of her…’
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| Busted’s debut single “What I Go To School For” is inspired by band member Matt Willis’ infatuation for his dance teacher at Sylvia Young Theatre School, Michelle Blair, renamed Miss McKenzie in the song. The music video, directed by Alison Murray, features model Lorna Roberts as Miss McKenzie and a young Jade Ewen from Sugababes in a secondary role. |
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Featured on the 2007 album “Panic Prevention”. |
8 . The Hives – Tick Tick Boom |
| Before it found a commercial use in Nike’s “Finish Line” campaign among other commercials, “Tick Tick Boom” by The Hives was labelled as “Hate To Say I Told You Walk Main Offender, Walk” by the magazine exclaim! Directed by Kalle Haglund, The music video features the band as giant statues in Stockholm’s Liljevalchs Konsthall museum that ends up (Boom!) exploding. |
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Featured on the 2009 album “In This Light and on This Evening”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
9 . Richard Ashcroft – Check the Meaning |
| Wrapped in expansive instrumental layers, the contemplative lyrics of Richard Ashcroft’s “Check The Meaning” dig into mental health and spirituality. The music video, directed by Andy Baybutt and Mike Lipscombe, showcases an apocalyptic, black-and-white world. |
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Featured on the 2007 album ” A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
10 . Biffy Clyro – Machines |
| Biffy Clyro’s “Machines” encapsulates front man Simon Neil’s emotional journey post his mother’s passing, pays homage via its acoustic arrangement, to her love for country and folk music. |
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Featured on the 2003 album “Fire”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
11 . Velvet Revolver – Fall To Pieces |
‘Since you’ve been gone I’ve been alone here’
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| Written by lead singer Scott Weiland, post-divorce from his first wife, Mary, amid rehab stints, “Fall to Pieces” by Velvet Revolver touches on his heroin struggle and its impact on his marital life. The accompanying music video depicts Scott going through an overdose, premonitory of what will eventually happen eleven years later when Scott ODed on his tour bus. |
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Featured on the 2002 album “Original Pirate Material“. |
12 . Elbow – Newborn |
‘I’ll be as deaf as a post If you hold me like a newborn’
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| Reminiscent of Genesis’ “Entangled,” “Newborn” by English rock band Elbow gently leads with strumming guitars, mellow keyboards and singer Guy Garvey’s poignant voice. |
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Featured on the 2006 album “So This Is Great Britain?”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
And the correct answers (in case you missed one or two) are:
1. Robbie Williams recorded the track of interest in his bedroom in the Hollywood Hills, bringing a personal touch to its sound. The process spanned 24 months and added a unique intimacy reflected in the lyrics.
2. Britney Spears’ song “Lucky” tells the tale of a famous actress grappling with inner emptiness despite outward success. The song juxtaposes celebrity allure with private despair, underscoring its unexpected grounding.
3. The music video for the Chemical Brothers’ track presents Fatlip as Fatlip the Piranha, a whimsical animated figure. His aquarium antics bring personality to the surreal underwater scene depicted.
4. “Rise of the Eagles” by The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster was released under No Death Records. It propelled the band into the sphere of dramatic, intense, garage rock sounds.
5. Westlife’s “Hey Whatever” is adapted from “Rainbow Zephyr” by the band Relish. It incorporates vibrant pop elements while showcasing gospel influences and thematic evolution.
6. Editors’ debut single “Bullets” is noted for its association with indie pop, gothic rock, and post-punk revival genres. It confidently bypasses techno tones.
7. Future Sugababe Jade Ewen had an early career cameo in the debut single video by Busted. This marked one of her first forays onto the pop scene before greater recognition.
8. Biffy Clyro’s alternate version of “Machines” was unveiled on Recordstore.co.uk. This release highlighted new tweaks in lyrics and composition elements.
9. The Hives created two official music videos for their release, adding vibrant visual narratives to their musical output. These creatively diverse videos expand the song’s reach.
10. Velvet Revolver performed the song at Live 8, an event immortalized through its official DVD release. The concert captured the track’s live grandeur.
11. Richard Ashcroft’s “Check the Meaning” is part of his second studio album “Human Conditions.” The single offered rock audiences new creative work from Ashcroft.
12. Elbow’s “Newborn” initially appeared on “The Newborn EP” before being featured on the debut album *Asleep in the Back.* It provided an early thematic and stylistic footprint for the band.
For THE FULL ‘VOUS AVEZ DIT BIZARRE’ COLLECTION click here
NB . You may wonder what are these “Quotes” attached to certain photos above. Well! For a specific song, we select a still image from the video on one side and choose a lyric from the song on the other side. We ensure that the lyric has a connection to the image, although sometimes the connection may be far-fetched or based on a double entendre, creating a humorous or meme-like combination when the two are merged together. Et voilà!
Bizarre Quotes • When you think we’re lost we’re exploring (Robbie Williams) • It’s you they’re all waiting for (Britney Spears) • All my peeps spend part of their life in fresh water (The Chemical Brothers) • Cos you’re wrong and you know how to sin (The Eighties Matchbox B Line Disaster) • Fight my way to the front of class To get the best view of her… (Busted) • Since you’ve been gone I’ve been alone here (Velvet Revolver) • I’ll be as deaf as a post If you hold me like a newborn (Elbow)
Music-wise : Pop, Electronic, Rock, Indie Rock
