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Brimful of Asha

"Brimful of Asha"
Single by Cornershop
from the album When I Was Born for the 7th Time
B-side
  • "Easy Winners"
  • "Rehoused"
  • "Counteraction"
Released18 August 1997 (1997-08-18)
StudioWest Orange (Preston, Lancashire, England)[1]
Genre
Length
  • 5:17 (album version)
  • 4:07 (single version)
LabelWiiija
Songwriter(s)Tjinder Singh
Producer(s)Tjinder Singh
Cornershop singles chronology
"Good Ships"
(1997) 		"Brimful of Asha"
(1997) 		"Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook remix)"
(1998)
Music video
"Brimful of Asha" on YouTube

"Brimful of Asha" is a song by English alternative rock band Cornershop from their third album, When I Was Born for the 7th Time (1997). The recording, released by Wiiija, originally reached number 60 on the UK Singles Chart in 1997. After a remixed version by Norman Cook became a radio and critical success, the song was re-released and reached number one on the UK chart and number 16 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The lyric is a tribute to Asha Bhosle.[5] Its music video was directed by Phil Harder.

Background

This song is based on the history of film culture in India. Since their beginnings, Indian films have relied heavily on song-and-dance numbers. The singing is almost always performed by background singers while the actors and actresses lip sync. Asha Bhosle is a playback singer who has sung over 12,000 songs and is referred to as "Sadi rani" (Punjabi for "our queen") at one point in the lyrics. In the slower, original album recording, playback singers Lata Mangeshkar (her elder sister) and Mohammed Rafi (one of the top male playback singers of the mid-century) are mentioned. The lyrics in the bridge contain a number of references to non-Indian music, including Georges Brassens' song "Les Amoureux des bancs publics", Jacques Dutronc, Marc Bolan, Argo Records and Trojan Records.[6]

Critical reception

Kevin Courtney from Irish Times named "Brimful of Asha" Single of the Week, adding, "This three-chord paean to the joy of vinyl is already a classic, but Fatboy Slim's bouncy, big beat remix will plant the tune firmly on to the dance-floor and give Cornershop a much-deserved commercial boost."[7] British magazine Music Week rated the original version of the song five out of five, writing, "The Asian-rock outfit deliver their most compulsive slice of pop to date, mixing a Velvet Underground-style groove with a truly ticklesome lyric, strings and a top tune."[8] In 1998, also Music Week named the Norman Cook remix Single of the Week, adding that his remix of this "hugely infectious tune stands out and will at last provide Cornershop with a much-deserved big break. Stock up—this one will surely fly."[9]

A reviewer from NME commented, "Sadly not a song about the joys of chain-smoking, but in fact a celebration of the Asian music and films of our Tjinder's youth. The cognoscenti of the youth revolution will no doubt have heard this already on either its previous release or the album, but this may be the record to take the 'Shop into the crazy Global Hypermarket of the Top Ten. Not because it's a marvellously infectious good-time dance pop number, but because it repeats the line, "Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow"."[10] James Hyman of Record Mirror gave the remix five out of five and named it Tune of the Week, remarking that "this gentle jangly big beat brew certainly hooks with its Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow mantra." He concluded, "Seriously a monster!"[11] David Fricke from Rolling Stone said, "You can almost smell the weed that went into the rhythms and smiles of "Good Shit" and "Brimful of Asha"."[12]

Music video

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Phil Harder and produced by Harder/Fuller Films. It was filmed in a house in Lewisham, London.[13]

Norman Cook remix

"Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook remix)"
Single by Cornershop
B-side"u47's"
Released16 February 1998 (1998-02-16)
Genre
Length
  • 4:03 (single version)
  • 7:35 (extended version)
LabelWiiija
Songwriter(s)Tjinder Singh
Producer(s)Tjinder Singh
Cornershop singles chronology
"Brimful of Asha"
(1997) 		"Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook remix)"
(1998) 		"Sleep on the Left Side"
(1998)
Music video
"Brimful of Asha" (Norman Cook remix) on YouTube

English DJ Norman Cook, known as Fatboy Slim, was asked to remix "Brimful of Asha", which he did by speeding it up and modulating the song to a higher key (halfway between B-flat and B, rather than in A). This new version was realized by sampling the Dave Pike Set's 1970 song "Raga Jeeva Swara" and the Monkees' 1966 song "Mary, Mary".[citation needed] The remix was released as a standalone single became a number-one single on the UK Singles Chart in February 1998.[17]

In 2003, Q Magazine ranked the Fatboy Slim remix at number 840 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever"[18] and in 2004, the magazine featured it in their "The 1010 Songs You Must Own".[1][dead link‍] In October 2011, NME placed it at number 105 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".[19] In August 2010, Pitchfork placed the remix at number 113 in their list of "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s".[20] NME ranked the remix at number 2 in their list of "The 50 Best Remixes Ever", saying it "does what the truly great remixes do – render you unable to enjoy the original".[21] The remix was included in Pitchfork's 2010 list of "25 Great Remixes" of the 1990s.[22] The remix is featured prominently on the French children's TV channel Gulli, playing before each episode.

Track listings

1997

UK and European CD1[1][23]

  1. "Brimful of Asha" (short version/radio friendly edit) – 3:31
  2. "Easy Winners" (part 1) – 4:43
  3. "Rehoused" – 4:05
  4. "Brimful of Asha" (Sofa Surfers Solid State radio mix) – 5:17

UK and European CD2[24][25]

  1. "Brimful of Asha" (album version) – 5:16
  2. "Easy Winners" (part 2) – 5:56
  3. "Counteraction" – 2:44
  4. "Brimful of Asha" (Mucho Macho Bolan Boogie mix) – 6:48

UK 7-inch single[26]

A. "Brimful of Asha" (short version)
B. "Easy Winners" (part 1)

1998

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[56] 2× Platinum 634,000[55]

Release history

Region Version Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom Original 18 August 1997
  • 7-inch
  • CD
 Wiiija [57]
United States 15 September 1997 Alternative radio Warner Bros. [58]
16 January 1998
[59]
20 January 1998 Contemporary hit radio
United Kingdom Norman Cook remix 16 February 1998
  • 7-inch
  • CD
  • cassette
 Wiiija [60]

References

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  2. ^ Pitchfork Staff (27 September 2022). "The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 October 2022. ...she offered the silky, languorous indie-pop Cornershop song as a reference...
  3. ^ "BBC Radio 2 - the People's Songs - Brimful of Asha".
  4. ^ Bill Cummings, "Great Britpop Songs#19: Cornershop - Brimful of Asha", God Is In The TV, 24 February 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  5. ^ "Cornershop". One-Hit Wonders at the BBC. 17 April 2015. BBC Four.
  6. ^ "Cornershop". Users.globalnet.co.uk. 28 December 1998. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  7. ^ Courtney, Kevin (13 February 1998). "Single of the Week". Irish Times.
  8. ^ "Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 9 August 1997. p. 12. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Reviews: Singles — Single of the Week" (PDF). Music Week. 7 February 1998. p. 12. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Singles Archive 14/2/98". NME. Archived from the original on 31 August 2000. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  11. ^ Hyman, James (14 February 1998). "Hot Vinyl" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 6. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  12. ^ Fricke, David (25 December 1997-8 January 1998). "The year in recordings". Rolling Stone. Issue 776/777.
  13. ^ Scholtes, Peter (22 August 2007), "Seen Your Video", City Pages, archived from the original on 16 February 2009
  14. ^ "The best No 1 records: Cornershop – Brimful of Asha". the Guardian. 31 May 2012.
  15. ^ "Great Britpop Songs #19: Cornershop - Brimful Of Asha - God Is In The TV". 24 February 2014.
  16. ^ "Fatboy Slim remixa Brimful of Asha dei Cornershop". December 2018.
  17. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  18. ^ "Q - 1001 best songs ever (2003)".
  19. ^ "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years". NME. 2 May 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  20. ^ "Staff Lists: The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 150-101 | Features". Pitchfork. 31 August 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  21. ^ "The 50 best remixes ever". NME. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
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  24. ^ Brimful of Asha (UK CD2 liner notes). Cornershop. Wiiija. 1997. WIJ 75CDX.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ^ Brimful of Asha (European CD2 liner notes). Cornershop. Alternation. 1997. INT 8 84544 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  26. ^ Brimful of Asha (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Cornershop. Wiiija. 1997. WIJ 75.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  27. ^ Brimful of Asha (UK & Australian CD single liner notes). Cornershop. Wiiija, Shock Records (Australia). 1998. WIJ 81CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  28. ^ Brimful of Asha (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Cornershop. Wiiija. 1998. WIJ 081.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  29. ^ Brimful of Asha (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Cornershop. Wiiija. 1998. WIJ 81.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  30. ^ Brimful of Asha (UK cassette single sleeve). Cornershop. Wiiija. 1998. WIJ 81MC.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  31. ^ Brimful of Asha (European CD single liner notes). Cornershop. Wiiija, PIAS. 1998. WIJ 81CD, 706.0081.24.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  32. ^ Brimful of Asha (Japanese CD single liner notes). Cornershop. Luaka Bop, Warner Bros. Records, Wiiija. 1998. WPCR-1794.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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  35. ^ Danish Singles Chart 15 May 1998
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  51. ^ "Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 5. 31 January 1998. p. 87.
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  54. ^ "Most Played Modern Rock Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52. 25 December 1998. p. 36.
  55. ^ "Wonderwall by Oasis leads the UK's Official Top 50 best-selling Britpop songs". Official Charts Company. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  56. ^ "British single certifications – Cornershop – Brimful of Asha". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  57. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 16 August 1997. p. 35. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  58. ^ "Be on the Lookout". Gavin Report. No. 2171. 5 September 1997. p. 20.
  59. ^ Reece, Doug (7 February 1998). "Luaka Bop/WB Hit Stride to Break U.K.'s Cornershop". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 6. p. 88.
  60. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 14 February 1998. p. 35. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
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