Interview: No longer driven by ‘Crazy’-ness, Gnarls Barkley still a happy ‘Odd Couple’
Gnarls Barkley, courtesy.
This story originally appeared in the Oakland Tribune.
After a wildly successful debut album and insanely popular single, it’s no surprise that many fans expected an even crazier follow-up from Gnarls Barkley.
That is, everyone except the Atlanta duo — soul singer/rapper Cee-Lo and multi-instrumentalist Danger Mouse. The two said they felt no pressure trying to follow “St. Elsewhere,” which rode to success thanks to its genre-breaking hit “Crazy.” The follow-up, “The Odd Couple,” released last spring, has thus far fared relatively well on the charts, though it hasn’t come close to the success of the duo’s debut.
But that was never the goal. “It’s not like we’re a hit factory,” said Danger Mouse (real name: Brian Burton) in a recent phone interview from Washington, D.C. “There was no reason to believe we were going to pop out another song that did that. We were much more concerned with doing an album that we thought was really good.”
Touring in support of the new album, Gnarls Barkley will make a stop in San Francisco on Saturday during Slow Food Nation, a first-of-its-kind festival intended to shine a light on the connection between the plate and the planet.
Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo (real name: Thomas Callaway) created lightning in a bottle with “Crazy” in 2006. But both had lengthy careers prior to their collaboration in 2003. Cee-Lo, 34, was first a member of Atlanta hip-hop group Goodie Mob, who along with OutKast played a large role in the reinvention of southern hip-hop in the ’90s. He left the group in 1999 for a brief solo career. He has also worked with Ludacris, Carlos Santana, Black Eyed Peas and many others.
Danger Mouse, 31, has made a name for himself as a producer, most notably for the Gorillaz’ Grammy-winning album “Demon Days.” His first “hit” was a copyright-infringing mash-up of Jay-Z’s “The Black Album” and the Beatles’ “White Album” in 2004. He has worked with a long list of artists, most recently as a producer on Beck’s new album, “Modern Guilt.”
The two decided to work together in 2003. “St. Elsewhere,” released three years later, would go on to sell more than 1 million copies in the United States, be certified platinum as it topped charts around the world, and win a Grammy for best alternative album. “Crazy” reached No. 2 on the U.S. pop charts, No. 1 on the Adult Top 40 chart, and No. 7 on the U.S. Modern Rock chart. It also won the urban/alternative performance Grammy award.
While most of the songs were fun and danceable, many dealt with the tragedies in Cee-Lo’s fractured childhood and his fears, including schizophrenia in “Who Cares?” and suicide in “Just a Thought.”
Cee-Lo’s father died when he was 2, and when he was 16 his mother was involved in a car crash that left her a quadriplegic. She died two years later.
“It (“St. Elsewhere”) was a very honest, a very humbling introspective,” Cee-Lo said. “It was so genuine I almost didn’t realize I was doing so. It was an out-of-body experience.”
Slow Food Nation
The festival trumpets sustainable, local and artisan foods as the best antidote to the world’s increasingly industrialized food system. The event will feature tastings, chef demonstrations, a conference on food values, social justice and the environment, an urban farm, the Slow Food Rocks music festival and workshops, forums, films and interactive exhibits. It is produced by the San Francisco-based Festival Network, the same group that produces the Newport Folk and Jazz festivals and the JVC New York Jazz Festival.
Aug. 29 through Sept. 1.
Fort Mason.
Tickets: Some events are free, and some require paid admission, from $10 to $100. For information, go to tickets.slowfoodnation.org.
Perhaps that’s why, while touring in support of their debut, Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse began to dress up in outrageous costumes, such as characters from “Star Wars,” “Wizard of Oz” and “A Clockwork Orange.”
“It was a bit of comic relief for something that would be considered serious otherwise,” he said. “It was also fun; good old-fashioned shock value.”
As a contrast, the duo have cut back on the costumes on their current tour. “You don’t want to overdo something to where it becomes a parody,” Cee-Lo said. “We’ve moved on and again put the spotlight on the music.”
Gnarls Barkley moved on to their next album. But many have continued to hold onto “Crazy,” which is now a staple cover on YouTube and at concerts. Folky Shawn Colvin performed it in San Francisco a few weeks ago, and it can still be heard at sporting events, malls and on the radio.
“There are songs that get big every once in a while, and we just happen to have done one of them,” Danger Mouse said. “Most people who know it don’t think about us when they play it, which I think is a good thing. That’s the whole point. Once it’s out there, it’s for people to use in their own lives.”
Follow editor Roman Gokhman at Twitter.com/RomiTheWriter.