Gold Digger (Dolly Rockers song)
Encyclopedia
"Gold Digger" is the debut single
by English girl group Dolly Rockers. It was released digitally in the United Kingdom on 30 August 2009 and physically the day after. The track heavily borrows from Kid Creole and the Coconuts
' 1982 song "Stool Pigeon" and Tom Tom Club
's 1981 song "Wordy Rappinghood
".
referred to "Gold Digger" as "the pop equivalent of flicking through OK!
and having a bitch about the Z-listers inside—and every bit as fun as that sounds." Grant of the BBC
Chart Blog called it a "very decent debut" and wrote that "[t]he 'wonky' pop
sound gets you bopping from the off and the quirkyness of their style matches the eccentricity of the song." However, he criticised the track by stating that "fame hungry girls talking about other fame hungry girls is a touch hypocritical", as well as pointing out the lack of "a killer melody to match the killer dance/pop production." ILikeMusic
described the song as a "barn-storming and truly inspired collision of the Tom Tom Club's 'Wordyrappinghood' and Kid Creole's 'Stool Pigeon'", naming it "one of the greatest pop tunes of 2009" as well as "both a social diatribe and bangin' floor-filler."
The single reached number forty-six on the UK Singles Chart
, where it spent one week only.
for "Gold Digger", directed by David Allain and produced by Sarah Tognazzi for Pulse Films, was shot in London
on 27 May 2009. It stars Gavin Molloy as rocker, Ben Baker as young boy, Stephen Kelly as victim, Mehran Armando as Antony and various other actors as newspaper seller, city boy and victims of gold digger, a gorgeous, sexy and glamorous girl.
The released video for the song, directed by James Abadi through Fingertip Films and cinematographed by Hazel Palmer, was shot in the River Island
shop on London's Oxford Street
. It premiered on Parlophone
's YouTube
channel, the 2D version on 24 July 2009, and the 3D version on 4 September 2009.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by English girl group Dolly Rockers. It was released digitally in the United Kingdom on 30 August 2009 and physically the day after. The track heavily borrows from Kid Creole and the Coconuts
Kid Creole and the Coconuts
Kid Creole and the Coconuts is an American musical group created and led by August Darnell. Its music incorporates a variety of styles and influences, in particular "American and Latin American, South American, Caribbean, Trinidadian, Calloway" and conceptually inspired by the big band era...
' 1982 song "Stool Pigeon" and Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, both also known for being bandmembers of Talking Heads.-Biography:...
's 1981 song "Wordy Rappinghood
Wordy Rappinghood
"Wordy Rappinghood" is a song by the American band Tom Tom Club. The song was the lead single from the band's debut studio album, Tom Tom Club. It uses part of the 1971 Rolf Harris song "A Ram Sam Sam". In the United States, the song was released as a double a-side with "Genius of Love" and topped...
".
Reception
Nick Levine of Digital SpyDigital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
referred to "Gold Digger" as "the pop equivalent of flicking through OK!
OK!
OK! is a British weekly magazine specializing in celebrity news. Originally launched as a monthly, its first issue was published in April 1993. In September 2004, OK! publishers Northern and Shell launched in Australia as a monthly title – the magazine went weekly in October 2006...
and having a bitch about the Z-listers inside—and every bit as fun as that sounds." Grant of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Chart Blog called it a "very decent debut" and wrote that "[t]he 'wonky' pop
Wonky Pop
Wonky Pop was a term used to describe a loose grouping of musical acts that played what the BBC called "quirky, catchy and credible pop", rooted in the eccentric side of 1980s pop music, which was briefly popular in the late 2000s...
sound gets you bopping from the off and the quirkyness of their style matches the eccentricity of the song." However, he criticised the track by stating that "fame hungry girls talking about other fame hungry girls is a touch hypocritical", as well as pointing out the lack of "a killer melody to match the killer dance/pop production." ILikeMusic
ILikeMusic
ilikemusic.com is a Southampton UK based music magazine / webzine. The site was launched in 2001 by a small team of young people who like music, for others who like music, as an independent alternative to the plethora of corporate-run sites....
described the song as a "barn-storming and truly inspired collision of the Tom Tom Club's 'Wordyrappinghood' and Kid Creole's 'Stool Pigeon'", naming it "one of the greatest pop tunes of 2009" as well as "both a social diatribe and bangin' floor-filler."
The single reached number forty-six on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, where it spent one week only.
Music video
The original, unreleased music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Gold Digger", directed by David Allain and produced by Sarah Tognazzi for Pulse Films, was shot in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 27 May 2009. It stars Gavin Molloy as rocker, Ben Baker as young boy, Stephen Kelly as victim, Mehran Armando as Antony and various other actors as newspaper seller, city boy and victims of gold digger, a gorgeous, sexy and glamorous girl.
The released video for the song, directed by James Abadi through Fingertip Films and cinematographed by Hazel Palmer, was shot in the River Island
River Island
River Island is one of Britain's best known high street fashion brands and can be found in most cities across the UK. The brand also has stores in Singapore, Turkey, Poland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the Middle East.-History:...
shop on London's Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
. It premiered on Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
's YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel, the 2D version on 24 July 2009, and the 3D version on 4 September 2009.
Track listings
- UK CD single
- "Gold Digger" – 2:55
- "Gold Digger" (Bimbo JonesBimbo JonesBimbo Jones is a UK dance music group comprising producers Lee Dagger and Marc JB and vocalist Katherine Ellis. Known for their remix work and white label releases, they produced a remix of Meck's 2006 UK number-one single "Thunder in My Heart Again"...
Remix) – 2:53
- UK iTunes single
- "Gold Digger" (Radio Edit) – 2:55
- "Je Suis Une Dolly" – 2:53
- UK promo CD single – Remixes
- "Gold Digger" (Bimbo Jones Club Mix) – 6:24
- "Gold Digger" (Superbass Mix) – 6:52
- "Gold Digger" (Bimbo Jones Radio Edit) – 2:52
- "Gold Digger" (Original Radio Edit) – 2:53
Personnel
- David BascombeDavid BascombeDavid Bascombe is an English music producer and mix engineer. He has worked with many bands and musicians, such as Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode and Suede.-Selected engineering, production, mixing and remixing:*Tears for Fears - Songs From the Big Chair...
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Nigel Butler – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, additional mixing, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Andy Fallon – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Ray HedgesRay HedgesRay Hedges from Surrey, England is a songwriter and record producer.Ray Hedges has had over 60 top 20 singles and albums including 6 UK No 1’sas producer and or writer with many on his own record labels....
– producer, additional mixing - A. Rowland – mixing assistant
- Traffic – designGraphic designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
46 |
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 30 August 2009 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Parlophone Parlophone Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which... |
| 31 August 2009 | CD single |