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"Dirty Harry"
Single by Gorillaz featuring Bootie Brown
from the album Demon Days
B-side
  • "Hongkongaton"
  • "All Alone" (live)
Released21 November 2005 (2005-11-21)
Genre
Length
  • 3:50 (album version)
  • 2:42 (radio edit)
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Gorillaz singles chronology
"Dare"
(2005) 		"Dirty Harry"
(2005) 		"Kids with Guns" / "El Mañana"
(2006)
Bootie Brown singles chronology
"Dirty Harry"
(2005) 		"New Gold"
(2022)
Music video
"Dirty Harry" on YouTube

"Dirty Harry" is a song from British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz' second studio album, Demon Days (2005).

Song history

"Dirty Harry" was first released as a promotional single on iTunes before being released as the third single from the album on 21 November 2005,[3] peaking at number six in the United Kingdom. An early version entitled "I Need a Gun" was included on Damon Albarn's album Democrazy. On 8 December 2005, "Dirty Harry" was nominated for a Grammy under the category "Urban/Alternative Performance", but was beaten by Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley's "Welcome to Jamrock". It became Gorillaz' 3rd consecutive top 10 hit and last song to make it on the top 10 to this date.

Music video

The video was first released on 25 October 2005, sent to those on the e-mail list on Gorillaz' official website. A thematic follow-up to the band's "Clint Eastwood", it refers to the film of the same name, Clint Eastwood being the lead actor in the movie. "Dirty Harry" is the first Gorillaz music video to be shot on location; initially, the group intended to utilise a computer-animated desert as background, but discovered that simply flying to a real desert was easier and cheaper.

The video was shot in the Swakopmund Desert in Namibia; it mainly features a shirtless 2-D and an animated version of the San Fernando Valley Youth Chorus stranded in the desert, following what appears to have been a helicopter crash. The survivors keep themselves entertained with the song while awaiting the arrival of rescuers, portrayed by Noodle and Murdoc crewing a Windhoeker Maschinenfabrik Wer’wolf MKII mine-proof vehicle driven by Russel.

Both song and video feature a guest appearance by Pharcyde rapper Bootie Brown, who leaps out of a sand dune in military fatigues to perform his verse of the song. The video concludes with Gorillaz, the children, and Bootie Brown departing the crash site in the Wer'wolf, which breaks down a short distance away.

Track listings

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United Kingdom 21 November 2005
Parlophone [3][5][7]
Japan 7 December 2005 CD [31]
Australia 16 January 2006 [32]

See also

References

  1. ^ Wade, Ian (2005). "Gorillaz Demon Days Review". BBC. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  2. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (20 May 2005). "Review: Gorillaz, Demon Days". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Dirty Harry". vblurpage.com. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  4. ^ Dirty Harry (UK CD1 liner notes). Gorillaz. Parlophone. 2005. CDR 6676, 0946 3 43777 2 0.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ a b "Dirty Harry – Single". Apple Music. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  6. ^ Dirty Harry (UK CD2 liner notes). Gorillaz. Parlophone. 2005. CDRS 6676, 00946 343778 2 9.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ a b "Dirty Harry – Single". Apple Music. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  8. ^ Dirty Harry (UK DVD single liner notes). Gorillaz. Parlophone. 2005. DVDR 6676, 0946 3 43779 9 7.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ Dirty Harry (European CD single liner notes). Gorillaz. Parlophone. 2005. 00946 343778 0 5.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ Dirty Harry (Australian CD single liner notes). Gorillaz. Parlophone. 2006. 0946 343778 0 5.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ Dirty Harry (Japanese CD single liner notes). Gorillaz. Parlophone. 2005. TOCP-61108.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ "Gorillaz – Dirty Harry". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  13. ^ "Issue 832" ARIA Top 40 Urban Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  14. ^ "Gorillaz – Dirty Harry" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  15. ^ "Gorillaz – Dirty Harry" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  16. ^ "Gorillaz – Dirty Harry" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  17. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 200609 into search. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  18. ^ "Gorillaz – Dirty Harry". Tracklisten. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  19. ^ "Gorillaz – Dirty Harry" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  20. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Dirty Harry". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  21. ^ "Gorillaz – Dirty Harry". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  22. ^ "Gorillaz – Dirty Harry" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  23. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  24. ^ "Gorillaz – Dirty Harry". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  25. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  26. ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2005" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  27. ^ "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 50 Urban Singles 2006". ARIA. Archived from the original on 15 April 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  28. ^ "Mix FM Airplay Top 100 2006". Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  29. ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2006" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  30. ^ "British single certifications – Gorillaz – Dirty Harry". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  31. ^ "Release List" (in Japanese). Toshiba-EMI. Archived from the original on 27 November 2005. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  32. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 16th January 2006" (PDF). ARIA. 16 January 2006. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2021.

External links

Gorillaz
Dirty Harry
Authority control databases
Categories