"Popcorn" is an early synth-pop instrumental, composed by Gershon Kingsley in 1969 and first appearing on his album Music to Moog By. It was recorded at the Audio Fidelity Records label in New York City.
The title may refer to the short staccato or sharp "popping" sound used, or to pop music and its being "corny", i.e., kitschy.[3] The title is generally written as one word, although some single sleeves (such as the one illustrated) present it as two words, "Pop Corn".
In 1972, a re-recording of "Popcorn" by the band Hot Butter was a huge hit in many countries. The track has since been covered by a great number of artists.
Hot Butter version
In 1972, Stan Free, a fellow member of the First Moog Quartet, re-recorded "Popcorn" with his band Hot Butter.
This version of "Popcorn" became the second primarily electronic-based piece of music to reach the American popular music charts, three years after "The Minotaur" by Dick Hyman & His Electric Eclectics. It peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on the Easy Listening chart, and had even greater success in Australia, topping the charts for 8 weeks. It proved equally as popular in mainland Europe, spending several weeks at No. 1 in numerous European territories, including France (4 weeks at the top) and Switzerland (10 weeks), ultimately becoming the biggest-selling single of 1972 in both countries. (In the former, this version of "Popcorn" is the 131st best-selling single of all time, with sales of approximately 900,000 copies).[6] "Popcorn" was also a No. 1 hit in Germany (3 weeks), the Netherlands (7 weeks) and Norway (9 weeks).
Track listings
- 7" single
- "Popcorn" – 2:30
- "At the Movies" – 2:31
Crazy Frog version
"Popcorn" was covered by Crazy Frog in 2005, and this remixed version was released on 22 August that year. Jamba! once again arranged the remix, and also marketed it as a ringtone. The song differs from the debut release "Axel F", as it does not contain the trademark "Crazy Frog sound" by Daniel Malmedahl.
The single was a hit in various countries, particularly in France, where it enjoyed its greatest success. Replacing Crazy Frog's own song "Axel F" at No. 1 on 24 September 2005, the track remained at the top spot for 7 weeks (with its best weekly sales of 71,777 copies in its second week).[34] Being certified Diamond status just three months after its release by the SNEP, as of August 2014, this version of "Popcorn" is the 40th best-selling single of the 21st century in France, with 458,000 copies sold.[35] The track also topped the charts in Belgium, New Zealand and Spain.
Music video
Animated using computer-generated imagery, the music video was produced by Kaktus Film and Erik Wernquist of TurboForce3D, where Crazy Frog is seen causing chaos at the underwater sea labs of the drones.
Track listings
- UK
- "Popcorn" (radio mix)
- "Popcorn" (radio mix instrumental)
- "Popcorn" (potatoheadz mix)
- "Popcorn" (radikal mix)
- "Popcorn" (resource mix)
- "Popcorn" (video)
- Australia
- "Popcorn" (radio mix)
- "Popcorn" (potatoheadz mix)
- "Popcorn" (resource mix)
- "Who Let the Frog Out?"
Record Store Day 2018 version
In 2018, as part of Record Store Day, a limited edition yellow vinyl 12" release of the song was released (with the artist name of Gershon Kingsley and the Moog), on the Charlemagne label[65] with a catalog number of AF 45151.[66]
Tracklistings
- Side 1
- "Pop Corn" (stereo) (2:23)
- "The First Step (The Sea Of Tranquility)" (stereo) (2:11)
- Side 2
- "Pop Corn" (mono) (2:23)
- "The First Step (The Sea Of Tranquility)" (mono) (2:08)
Other cover versions
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries. Other cover versions of the song have been recorded, some of which add lyrics (which have been added in at least six languages). Artists who reworked it and made a cover record include:
In 1988, M&H Band made an uptempo cover of "Popcorn" that has subsequently been misattributed to Kraftwerk. The M&H version is also sometimes misattributed to synthpop artist Jean Michel Jarre. There is also a version circulating on the internet that is claimed to have been made by avant-garde group The Residents even though it sounds vastly different from The Residents' usual experimental sound. This version is actually made by the hard house artists called The Rezidents, hence the confusion between the two. British electronic artist Richard D. James recorded a cover on his EP Joyrex J4 EP under the alias Caustic Window in 1992.
Live performances include that of Muse. The band performed this song live in Teignmouth, UK during their two nights at The Den. The song featured prominent electric guitar along with heavy percussion and bass. A studio version of their cover was released on the 2010 single "Resistance". Faith No More covered the song live in Argentina in The Second Coming Tour.[67]
The main theme of the Mega Man Battle Network series of video games is very similar.
References
- ↑ Kelman, John (26 June 2011). "Jokleba: Jokleba! / Nu Jok?". All About Jazz. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
Jørgensen skews a familiar bit of Gershon Kingsley's 1969 synthpop hit, "Popcorn"
- ↑ McQuillen, James (7 May 2011). "'Sordid Lives' opera review: an irreverent (and fun) arrow straight into the heart of good taste". The Oregonian. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
Hot Butter's cover of the synthpop hit "Popcorn"
- ↑ Documentary, interview with Kingsley.
- ↑ "Hot Butter: "Popcorn"". Keyboard. Vol. 21. 1995. p. 30. ISSN 0730-0158.
- ↑ "ACE Repertory: Gershon Kingsley". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ↑ "Les Meilleures Ventes Tout Temps de 45 T. / Singles". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original on 1 June 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Go-Set Australian charts – 11 November 1972". Go-Set. Poparchives.com.au. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Australia No. 1 hits -- 1970's". World Charts. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Hot Butter – Popcorn" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 4182." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8257." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Hot Butter – Popcorn". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Popcorn". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- 1 2 "I singoli più venduti del 1972" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Hot Butter - Popcorn" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Hot Butter – Popcorn" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Search listener". Flavour of New Zealand. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Hot Butter – Popcorn". VG-lista. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (H)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Hot Butter – Popcorn". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- 1 2 "Hot Butter – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending OCTOBER 14, 1972". Archived from the original on 8 September 2012.
. Cash Box magazine.
- ↑ "The Singles Chart" (PDF). Record World. 21 October 1972. ISSN 0034-1622. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1970s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ↑ "TOP – 1972" (in French). Top-france.fr. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1972" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1972" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ↑ "Top 100 Hits for 1972". The Longbored Surfer. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ↑ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1972". Archived from the original on 14 August 2012.
. Cash Box magazine.
- ↑ Ahmad, Azeem (25 July 2005). "Crazy Frog – Presents Crazy Hits". musicOMH. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
Up next is Popcorn, which for the best part of a minute is just a bad serving of trashy euro-dance.
- ↑ Likeadream. "Chiffres de ventes hebdomadaires Singles – Edition 2006" (in French). Charts in France. Pure Charts. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Top 100 des singles les plus vendus du millénaire en France, épisode 7 (40-31)" (in French). Charts In France. Pure Charts. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2005 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
- ↑ "French single certifications – Crazy Frog – Popcorn" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
- 1 2
- ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Crazy Frog – Popcorn". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Crazy Frog – Popcorn" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Crazy Frog – Popcorn" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Crazy Frog – Popcorn" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Crazy Frog – Popcorn". Tracklisten. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 "Crazy Frog – Popcorn". Top40-charts.com. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Crazy Frog: Popcorn" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Crazy Frog – Popcorn" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ French digital download - Ifop.com (Retrieved 16 December 2007)
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Crazy Frog – Popcorn". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ↑ "Chart Track: Week 34, 2005". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Crazy Frog – Popcorn" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Charts.nz – Crazy Frog – Popcorn". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Crazy Frog – Popcorn". VG-lista. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Crazy Frog – Popcorn" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Crazy Frog – Popcorn". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Crazy Frog – Popcorn". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- ↑ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2005". ARIA Charts. ARIA. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Dance Singles 2005". ARIA Charts. ARIA. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2005" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ↑ "Rapports annuels 2005" (in French). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ (in French) "Classement Singles – année 2005". Archived from the original on 17 October 2013.
. Snepmusique.com.
- ↑ 2005 French Airplay, TV and Club Charts - Yacast.fr (in French) (Retrieved 19 January 2007)
- ↑ "End of Year Charts 2005". RIANZ. NZ Top 40. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ↑ "Gershon Kingsley and the Moog – Pop Corn". Record Store Day. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ "Gershon Kingsley/The Moog". Juno Records. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ "Faith No More Setlist at Pepsi Music Buenos Aires 2009". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
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