Monkey Magic!
Smash Hits, March 2001
They're cartoon characters, mates with Damon Blur and they sing about Clint Eastwood, meet Gorillaz...
Do Gorillaz read Smash Hits?
Murdoc: I used to read it, but I stopped when New Romantics started filling the pages in the 80’s.
2D: I got Noodle a subscription for Christmas.
You claim to have sunshine in a bag - that must be a rather large bag. Doesn't it get hot, and what else is in there?
Murdoc: It’s a small bag. The sunshine fits neatly into a matchbox and there’s a rubber flick knife, a packet of Jew Jews, and some stink bombs in there too.
How did you teach those gorillas to dance for the video?
Murdoc: We used an electric cattle prod on them when they didn’t perform properly. I gave 2D a prod to make his hair stick up more.
You're all animated characters rather than human beings? That's a bit unusual - how come you've not been caught by the FBI or Flying Squad or something and locked up for scientific research?
2D: Funny you should mention that. There’s been these blokes, looking suspiciously like Will Smith in Men in Black, following us around recently.
Do Gorillaz have big, red bottoms? Or is that just orangutans?
Russel: Neither, it’s Baboons. You wanna brush up on your primates.
2D
We know that Damon Albarn's a big fan of yours. You look a bit and sing a lot like him, don't you?
2D: I’d been in the mountains with some Rasta medicine men in Jamaica, where we recorded the album, but on the way back to the studio a hornet flew into my mouth and stung my throat. That’s when Damon stepped in and sang on some tracks for us. He’s nice like that.
Murdoc
You're from Stoke, do you know Slash and Robbie Williams? Is shit hair fashionable there, then?
Murdoc: You missed Lemmy from Motorhead out of that list. I guess Robbie’s shitty hair lets the rest of us down.
Noodle
Do you know any other English words apart from Noodle yet?
Noodle: Sushi!
Russel
You're big mates with Del tha Funky Homosapien. You're both big lads and undoubtedly very cool... but Russel and Derek? What kind of names are they? Got any mates called Geoffrey or Colin?
Russel: I don’t know where you’re coming from. Del is an ever-living spirit that dwells inside of me. He’s the genie and I’m the bottle and like Christina Aguilera said, you’d better not rub me up the wrong way buddy, you get me?
Do Gorillaz read Smash Hits?
Murdoc: I used to read it, but I stopped when New Romantics started filling the pages in the 80’s.
2D: I got Noodle a subscription for Christmas.
You claim to have sunshine in a bag - that must be a rather large bag. Doesn't it get hot, and what else is in there?
Murdoc: It’s a small bag. The sunshine fits neatly into a matchbox and there’s a rubber flick knife, a packet of Jew Jews, and some stink bombs in there too.
How did you teach those gorillas to dance for the video?
Murdoc: We used an electric cattle prod on them when they didn’t perform properly. I gave 2D a prod to make his hair stick up more.
You're all animated characters rather than human beings? That's a bit unusual - how come you've not been caught by the FBI or Flying Squad or something and locked up for scientific research?
2D: Funny you should mention that. There’s been these blokes, looking suspiciously like Will Smith in Men in Black, following us around recently.
Do Gorillaz have big, red bottoms? Or is that just orangutans?
Russel: Neither, it’s Baboons. You wanna brush up on your primates.
2D
We know that Damon Albarn's a big fan of yours. You look a bit and sing a lot like him, don't you?
2D: I’d been in the mountains with some Rasta medicine men in Jamaica, where we recorded the album, but on the way back to the studio a hornet flew into my mouth and stung my throat. That’s when Damon stepped in and sang on some tracks for us. He’s nice like that.
Murdoc
You're from Stoke, do you know Slash and Robbie Williams? Is shit hair fashionable there, then?
Murdoc: You missed Lemmy from Motorhead out of that list. I guess Robbie’s shitty hair lets the rest of us down.
Noodle
Do you know any other English words apart from Noodle yet?
Noodle: Sushi!
Russel
You're big mates with Del tha Funky Homosapien. You're both big lads and undoubtedly very cool... but Russel and Derek? What kind of names are they? Got any mates called Geoffrey or Colin?
Russel: I don’t know where you’re coming from. Del is an ever-living spirit that dwells inside of me. He’s the genie and I’m the bottle and like Christina Aguilera said, you’d better not rub me up the wrong way buddy, you get me?