Push It (Garbage song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Push it" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Garbage | ||
| from the album Version 2.0 | ||
| Released | 1998 | |
| Length | 4:01 | |
| Label | Almo Sounds / Mushroom | |
| Producer(s) | Garbage | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Garbage singles chronology | ||
| "#1 Crush" (1996) |
"Push It" (1998) |
"I Think I'm Paranoid" (1998) |
"Push It" was the first single from Garbage's 1998 sophomore album Version 2.0. It became a worldwide hit in the spring of 1998, preceding the long awaited second album from the group. Its success was in no doubt helped by being accompanied by one of the darkest, original and one of the most award-nominated video clips of that year.
Contents |
[edit] Song profile
"Push It" was written and recorded at Smart Studios during the 1997 sessions for Version 2.0.
A dark, schizophrenic track with an industrial techno edge, "Push It" delved into the psyches of two frustrated lovers trying to sort themselves out.
"Push It" contains an interpolation of 60's Californian band the Beach Boys hit "Don't Worry Baby" which was written by members Brian Wilson & Roger Christian and 1990s act Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It" written by Herbie Azor.
Garbage originally sampled the actual Beach Boys vocal track, but it wouldn't work with the song, so Shirley re-sung the lyric. After debating whether to keep the line, they sent a tape to Brian Wilson, who gave them permission to use the sample, and also said he liked the song and asked if he could keep the tape.
Bass on "Push It" is performed by Daniel Schulman.
[edit] Single release
"Push It" was issued as the first single from Version 2.0 and released worldwide in April 1998.
"Push It" was the band's third top ten UK single, peaking at #9. In its week of release in the US was the #1 'most-added' track on alternate radio and the #3 highest debut on the Billboard dance chart; it also hit the Billboard Hot 100. It also made top 40 in Australia.
In the UK Garbage continued their successful policy of unique single packaging by releasing the single in a special 3" CD format. This theme continued for all four subsequent UK releases from the Version 2.0 album.
Worldwide, "Push It" was backed by B-sides "Lick The Pavement" and the Big Star cover "Thirteen".
[edit] Music video
The video clip for "Push It" was directed by Andrea Giacobbe in Madison, Wisconsin, shooting for three days in March 1998. The highly post-effect treated video featured Shirley and a number of other characters in a weird storyline. It reportedly cost $400,000 to make. The video is notable for its use of "bullet-time" (a rotating camera that captures a subject in mid-motion), one of the first music videos to do so (the pioneer being Björk's "Army of Me" clip). This effect was later popularized by the hit film The Matrix.
When the "Push It" video clip was first delivered to the band they found themselves unhappy with the results. "The first version we saw, it was kind of hard to tell," explained drummer Butch Vig, "It sort of came out very flat and not particularly with flattering lighting, because almost every frame he tweaks out in the computer, so there's a lot of post-production stuff to give it that old Twilight Zone look, or Technicolor, 70's Starsky and Hutch look. You can see there's also details in the frames as they go by, which makes it easier to watch on repeated viewings. So the first one was very flat-looking, and we didn't have a lot of that stuff. Andrea just kept saying "Don't worry, don't worry. This is just the canvas I'm going to paint on.""
The video was first aired on April 16, 1998.
The "Push It" video went on to be nominated for eight MTV Video Music Awards - 'Best Group Video', 'Best Alternative Video', 'Best Breakthrough Video', 'Best Art Direction', 'Best Editing', 'Best Cinematography', 'Best Direction', 'Best Special Effects'. It failed to win a single award after Madonna's video for "Ray Of Light" dominated the awards night.
It was also nominated for 'Best Video' at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
The video did eventually win an award at the 8th Annual Music Video Production Association Awards in 1999 - the "Best Make-Up in a Music Video" award which was awarded to Gina Monaci & Jeff Judd.
[edit] Awards
"Push It" was nominated for 'Best Alternative Record' at the electronic Miami Winter Music Conference music bash in March 1999.
[edit] Remixes
"Push It" remixes were completed for the spring single release by Japanese outfit the Boom Boom Satellites. New York DJ/Producer Victor Calderone remixed the track for release later that summer in the US. The main remix eventually featured on the "Special" single.
The Calderone remixes were issued on an ultra-limited white label 12" in the UK in July 1998.
Complete list of remixes:
- Push It (Boom Boom Satellites mix)
- Push It (Victor Calderone club mix)
- Push It (Victor Calderone club mix radio edit) promotional only
- Push It (Victor Calderone dub) promotional only
[edit] Live performances
"Push It" was first performed live on 15 May 1998 in Combined Locks, Wisconsin on the first date of the 'Version 2.0' tour. It has continued to be a live favourite throughout that tour and on the 'beautifulgarbage' tour where it was a show opener. The song is still played live to this day, on the 'Bleed Like Me' tour.
At the August 2005 AmsterJam mash-up event at Randall's Island, NY Garbage 'duetted' with electro-rock artist Peaches with a number of songs. "Push It" was performed as a mash-up with Peaches' own "Fuck The Pain Away".
"Push It" has been performed live on TV shows TFI Friday (UK) and Nulle Part Ailleurs (France).
[edit] Appearances
"Push It" was featured on the trailer to 1999 thriller movie 'Teaching Mrs. Tingle' but not on the movie itself, and on demo adverts showcasing Apple Computer's latest QuickTimeTM software in early 1999.
"Push It" also appears on the Electronic Arts PlayStation ice hockey video game 'NHL 2000'. It also appears in the album Big Shiny Tunes 3.
[edit] Push It quotes
Butch Vig: "On "Push It", it was how far can we go, to just get so intense. The verses are slow and dreamy and pull you in, and then, of course, it gets very confrontational. The Beach Boys thing was a conscious thing, Shirley just came up with the lyric don't worry baby, and we wanted to try having a vocal chorus answering her. I think it was Steve who sampled the Beach Boys right off the record. So we had Shirley Manson singing and the Beach Boys answering her. It was amazing."
[edit] Comprehensive charts
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Push It" | UK Singles Chart | #9 |
| 1998 | "Push It" | US Billboard Hot 100 | #52 |
| 1998 | "Push It" | US Modern Rock Tracks | #5 |
| 1998 | "Push It" | US Hot Dance Music/Club Play | #5 |
| 1998 | "Push It" | German singles chart | #88 |
| 1998 | "Push It" | Australian singles chart | #31 |
| 1998 | "Push It" | Scottish regional chart | #1 |
| Garbage |
| Butch Vig | Shirley Manson | Duke Erikson | Steve Marker |
| Discography |
|---|
| Albums and extended plays: Garbage | Version 2.0 | Beautiful Garbage | Bleed Like Me | Absolute Garbage |
| Singles: "Vow" | "Subhuman" | "Only Happy When It Rains" | "Queer" | "Stupid Girl" | "Milk" | "#1 Crush" | "Push It" | "I Think I'm Paranoid" | "Special" | "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing" | "When I Grow Up" | "You Look So Fine" | "The World Is Not Enough" | "Androgyny" | "Cherry Lips" | "Breaking Up the Girl" | "Shut Your Mouth" | "Why Do You Love Me" | "Bleed Like Me" | "Sex Is Not the Enemy" | "Run Baby Run" |
| Videography |
| Videos and DVDs: Garbage Video | Live at Eagles Ballroom 2002 |
| Related articles |
| Alternative rock | Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie | Angelfish | The World Is Not Enough | Mushroom Records | Almo Sounds | Geffen Records |
