Norman Quentin Cook
[1] (born Quentin Leo Cook
, 31 July 1963), [2] also known by the stage name Fatboy Slim
, is a British DJ, big beat musician, record producer and pioneer of the electronic dance genre which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s. Cook has achieved considerable success in the UK charts, performing as Fatboy Slim and with The Housemartins, Beats International and Freak Power. He currently performs as the Brighton Port Authority.
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FATBOY SLIM TICKETS
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History
Quentin Leo Cook was raised in
Reigate, Surrey, England, and was educated at
Reigate Grammar School with Harry Dent who is also a
Dubstep DJ. He started a
punk fanzine titled
Peroxide with his neighbour Andrew Thomas, now publisher of
Communicate magazine, and art student
Ian McKay (formerly Laidlaw). Contemporary with his publishing activities, he played drums in Disque Attack (a British
new-wave-influenced rock band). When singer Charlie Alcock was told by his parents that he had to give up the band to concentrate on his O levels, Quentin took over as lead vocalist. At
Reigate College he also met
Paul Heaton with whom he formed the Stomping Pondfrogs. At 18, he went to the
Brighton Polytechnic to study a BA in English, politics and sociology. Although he had begun
DJing some years before, it was at this time that he began to develop his skills on the thriving
Brighton club scene.
Known as DJ Quentox (The OX that Rocks) Cook and DJ Baptiste started putting on Youth Club Hip Hop jams in Brighton, sowing the seeds of the City's flourishing Hip Hop scene today. These primitive 80's block parties are recalled in the music documentary 'South Coast' which documents Brighton's cult Hip Hop scene from its grass roots to the present day.
In 1985 Cook's friend
Paul Heaton had formed a guitar band called
The Housemartins. Their
bassist quit on the eve of their first national tour, so Cook agreed to move to
Hull to join them. The band soon had a hit single with "Happy Hour". They also reached
number one just before Christmas] 1986 with a version of "
Caravan of Love" originally a hit the year before for
Isley-Jasper-Isley. However, by 1988 they had split up. Heaton and the band's drummer Dave Hemingway went on to form
The Beautiful South, while Cook moved back to Brighton to pursue his interest in the style of music he preferred. It was at this time that he first started working with young studio engineer
Simon Thornton, with whom he continues to make records. All Cook's records released from that point onwards have involved both of them to varying degrees (Thornton is credited in 2004 as "Executive Producer" for example).
Cook achieved his first solo hit in 1989, featuring his future
Beats International member MC Wildski called "Blame It on the Bassline". Credited to "Norman Cook feat. MC Wildski", the song followed the basic template of what was to come in the style of the music of Beats International. It became a modest hit in the
UK Singles Chart, reaching #29.
Cook formed
Beats International, a loose confederation of
studio musicians including
vocalists Lindy Layton, Lester Noel, D.J. Baptiste, rapper MC Wildski, and
keyboardist Andy Boucher. Their first album
Let Them Eat Bingo
included the number one single "
Dub Be Good to Me", which caused a legal dispute revolving around allegations of infringement of
copyright through the liberal use of unauthorised
samples: the
bassline was a note-for-note lift from "
The Guns of Brixton" by
The Clash and the lyrics borrowed heavily from "
Just Be Good to Me" by
The S.O.S. Band. The 1991 follow-up album
Excursion on the Version
, an exploration of
dub and
reggae rhythms, failed to repeat the success of its predecessor.
Cook then formed
Freak Power with horn player
Ashley Slater and singer Jesse Graham. They released their debut album
Drive Thru Booty
in 1994, which contained the single "
Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out". The cut was picked up by the
Levi's company for use in a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign. In 1996, Cook re-joined Freak Power for the second album
More of Everything for Everybody
.
In 1995, Cook enlisted help from producer friends Tim Jeffery and JC Reid to create a solo
house music album under the Pizzaman pseudonym. The
Pizzamania
album spawned 3
UK Top 40 hits in "Trippin' on Sunshine", "Sex on the Streets" and "Happiness". "Happiness" was picked up by the
Del Monte Foods corporation for use in a UK fruit juice ad.
Cook is also behind a group The Mighty Dub Katz along with Gareth Hansome (aka GMoney), Cook's former flatmate. Together they started the
Boutique
Nightclub in Brighton, formerly known as the
Big Beat Boutique
.
Recordings, 1997–2006
The Fatboy Slim album
Better Living Through Chemistry
(released through
Skint Records) contained the Top 40 UK hit, "
Everybody Needs a 303".
Fatboy Slim's next work was the single "
The Rockafeller Skank," released prior to the album
You've Come a Long Way, Baby
, both of which were released in 1998. "
Praise You", also from this album, was Cook's first UK solo
number one. Its music video, directed by
Spike Jonze, won numerous awards.
Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars
was released in 2000 and featured two collaborations with
Macy Gray and "
Weapon of Choice", which also was made into an award-winning
video starring
Christopher Walken.
[3]
Palookaville
was Cook's first album for four years.
In 2005, Cook's 2004 single "Wonderful Night" was used on Konami's
Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2
for
PlayStation 2.
Why Try Harder
is Fatboy Slim's greatest hits album and was released on 19 June 2006. It comprises eighteen tracks, including ten Top 40 singles, a couple of Number Ones and two exclusive new tracks - "Champion Sound" and "That Old Pair of Jeans".
In summer 2007, "The Rockafeller Skank" was used for season 3 of So You Think You Can Dance. In September 2007, the song was also featured on Konami's
Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova 2
for
PlayStation 2.
Cook has also been responsible for successful remixes for
Cornershop,
A Tribe Called Quest and
Wildchild. In 2008 he did a remix of the track "Amazonas" for the charity
Bottletop.
[4]
Performances
On 13 July 2002, Fatboy Slim performed the second of his free, open air concerts on Brighton beach. Despite expecting a crowd of around 60,000 people the event instead attracted an estimated 250,000 who crammed the promenade and beach between Brighton's piers. Local police forced the event to end early amid safety concerns, overcrowding, and one death. After the music had finished and the crowd began to dissipate, traffic ensued throughout the Brighton area with many caught in traffic jams until the morning.
[5]
In June 2005 Fatboy Slim filled the Friday night headline slot on the 'Other Stage' at the
Glastonbury Festival,
[6] a booking which actually generated a financial loss for Cook.
In 2006, Fatboy Slim filled the Saturday headline slot at the
Global Gathering festival,
Long Marston Airfield in the
English Midlands. He played a two hour set, appearing in front of a visual stage set comprising video screens and 3D lighting. A
firework display rounded off the show.
[7]
After being banned by
police from playing in Brighton since 2002, Fatboy Slim was given permission in 2006 to play again in his home town. On 1 January 2007 he played to an audience of over 20,000 fans along Brighton's seafront. Titled 'Fatboy Slim's Big Beach Boutique 3', tickets to the event were made available only to Brighton residents. The concert was deemed a stunning success by Sussex Police, Fatboy Slim, and the crowd.
[8] The
Cuban Brothers and
David Guetta opened the concert. The next similar event, 'Big Beach Boutique 4', was held on 27 September 2008.
[9]
In 2008, Fatboy Slim played at the Glastonbury Festival again, and headlined the O2 Wireless Festival and Rockness Festival. According to an NME interview, this may have been one of the last times he performed as Fatboy Slim, as he may now focus on his new album,
Brighton Port Authority (The BPA).
[10]
In 2009, Fatboy Slim toured Australia in the
Good Vibrations
festival.
Also In 2009, Fatboy Slim Played In Marlay Park, Ireland. Alongside
David Guetta,
Dizzee Rascal &
Calvin Harris; as well as one huge performance at the
Sziget Festival in Budapest.
He also has performed at V Festival 2009.
Biography
Cook was awarded a star on the city of Brighton's Walk of Fame, next to that of
Winston Churchill. He married TV personality
Zoë Ball in 1999; the couple have one son named Woody (born 15th December 2000) and another child on the way. Cook is also a 12% shareholder of the
football club he has supported since moving to Brighton in the late 1980s,
Brighton & Hove Albion.
Q magazine named Fatboy Slim in their
50 Bands To See Before You Die
list.
[11]
In January 2003, Cook broke up with Zoe due to infidelity, but three months later, they reconciled.
[12]
On 4 March 2009, Cook checked into a rehabilitation centre in
Bournemouth to fight a "booze addiction" that he has been battling "for some time".
[13]
Due to an extended stay in rehab his performance at Snowbombing (week-long winter sports and music festival held in the Austrian ski resort of Mayrhofen) was cancelled - with the slot being filled by 2ManyDJs.
Cook then left the clinic at the end of March.
[14]
Awards
- In 1999 Cook won three MTV awards for the video to "Praise You" - for best direction, best choreography and best breakthrough video. [15]
- September, 2001 Fatboy Slim's video for "Weapon of Choice" received six prizes at the MTV Video Awards, the most given to a single winner that year. [3]
- In May, 2007, Cook received an Ivor Novello Award for his "outstanding contribution to British music". [17]
- Cook was also a judge for the 6th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers. [18]
Bands and pseudonyms
- Norman Cook — now his real name
- Beats International
- Rockaway 3
- Chemistry
- Brighton Port Authority
- DJ Delite Used in DJ Tools (e.g. acapellas) for Fatboy Slim Singles
- Freak Power
- Pizzaman
- Sensataria
- Cheeky Boy
- Son of a Cheeky Boy
- Son of Wilmot
- Sunny Side Up
- The Feelgood Factor
- The Housemartins
- Yum Yum Head Food
- Fatboy Slim
- Fried Funk Food
- Mighty Dub Katz
- Wildchild
Discography
Studio albums
- Better Living Through Chemistry
(1997) #63 UK
- You've Come a Long Way, Baby
(1998) #1 UK (3x Platinum), #1 New Zealand, #2 Australia, #10 France, #34 US (Platinum)
- Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars
(2000) #8 UK
- Palookaville
(2004) #14 UK
- Here Lies Love
(with David Byrne) (2009)
Live albums
- On the Floor at the Boutique
(1998)
- Live on Brighton Beach
(2002)
- Big Beach Boutique II
(2002)
- Bondi Beach: New Years Eve 06
(2006)
Compilations
Year
| Title
| Notes
|
1993
| Skip to My Loops
| A collection of samples aimed at DJs; Released as 'Norman Cook'
|
1995
| Pizzamania
| Released under the moniker 'Pizzaman'
|
1995
| Southern Fried House
| Compilation appearance as 'Pizzaman'; features 'Baby Loop' and 'Trippin' on Sunshine'
|
1997
| Beat Up the NME
| Free mix tape with NME magazine
|
2000
| Signature Series Volume 1
| Songs Remixed + produced by Fatboy Slim/Norman Cook.
|
2000
| The Fatboy Slim/Norman Cook Collection
| Songs Remixed + produced by Fatboy Slim/Norman Cook, US release.
|
2001
| Halfway Between the Gutter and the Guardian
| Free Promo (FAT11CD) with The Guardian.
|
2001
| A Break from the Norm
| Sample compilation
|
2006
| Fala aí!
| released only in Brazil
|
2006
| The Greatest Hits - Why Try Harder
| #2 UK
|
2007
| The Greatest Hits - Remixed
| the above album remixed
|
2007
| Late Night Tales: Fatboy Slim
| A Compilation of some of Norman's favourite songs from years gone by. Also contains a remake of the Kraftwerk song, "Radioactivity".
|
2009
| I Think We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat
| A Compilation of different artists brought together under the watchful eye of Norman Cook, Creating The "B.P.A" (The Brighton Port Authority).
|
EPs
- My Game
(2000)
- Illuminati
(19 November 2002)
- Camber Sands
(19 November 2002)
- The Pimp
(19 November 2002)
DVDs
- Big Beach Boutique II - The Movie
(2002)
- The Greatest Hits - Why Make Videos
(2006)
- Incredible Adventures in Brazil
(2008)
Singles
Year
| Single
| UK Singles Chart
| Album
|
1996
| "Everybody Needs a 303"
| #191
| Better Living Through Chemistry
|
1996
| "Punk to Funk"
| #177
|
1997
| "Going Out of My Head"
| #57
|
1997
| "Everybody Needs a 303 (Remix)"
| #34
|
1997
| "Everybody Loves a Carnival" (Remix of "Everybody Loves a 303") (12-inch Only)
| #199
| single only
|
1998
| "The Rockafeller Skank"
| #6
| You've Come a Long Way, Baby
|
1998
| "Gangster Trippin"
| #3
|
1999
| "Praise You"
| #1
|
1999
| "Right Here, Right Now"
| #2
|
1999
| "Build It Up - Tear It Down" (promo only) [19]
| —
|
2000
| "Sunset (Bird of Prey)"
| #9
| Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars
|
2001
| "Demons" (featuring Macy Gray)
| #16
|
2001
| "Star 69 / Weapon of Choice"
| #10
|
2001
| "Song for Shelter / Ya Mama"
| #30
|
2001
| "Song for Shelter (Remix)" (featuring Roland Clarke) (12-inch Only)
| #90
|
2001
| "Drop the Hate" (12-inch Only)
| #101
|
2002
| "Retox" (12-inch Only)
| #73
|
2002
| "Talkin' Bout My Baby" / "Drop the Hate (Remix)" (12-inch Only)
| #92
|
2004
| "Slash Dot Dash"
| #12
| Palookaville
|
2004
| "Wonderful Night"
| #51
|
2005
| "The Joker"
| #32
|
2005
| "Don't Let the Man Get You Down"
| #153
|
2006
| "That Old Pair of Jeans"
| #39
| The Greatest Hits - Why Try Harder
|
2006
| "Weapon of Choice (Remix)" (featuring Bootsy Collins) (12-inch Only)
| #137
|
2006
| "Champion Sound"
| #88
|
2007
| "Radioactivity" (7-inch Only)
| —
| Late Night Tales: Fatboy Slim
|
Other songs
Year
| Song
| Artist
| Album
|
1997
| "Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook Remix)"
| Cornershop
|
|
1999
| "Badder Badder Schwing"
| Freddy Fresh feat. Fatboy Slim
| The Last True Family Man
|
1999
| "I See You Baby (Remix)"
| Groove Armada
|
|
2001
| "Because We Can"
| Fatboy Slim
| Moulin Rouge!
soundtrack
|
2002
| "To Get Down (Remix)"
| Timo Maas
|
|
See also
- The Chemical Brothers
- The Prodigy
- The Crystal Method
Notes
- Changes of Name
- MTV.com bio)
- BBC News | MUSIC | Fatboy Slim rakes in MTV awards
- Right here, right now: Fatboy Slim and Sound Affects Brazil ''The Independent''. Retrieved 6 January 2009.
- BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Music | Fatboy Slim crowds cause chaos
- BBC - Glastonbury 2005 - Fatboy Slim
- BBC NEWS | Scotland | Highlands and Islands | Rock Ness fans have monster time
- BBC NEWS | England | Southern Counties | Thousands attend Fatboy Slim gig
- 20,000 head to Brighton beach party
- NME interview
- A Selection Of Lists From Q Magazine - Page 2
- BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Zoe Ball and Fatboy Slim 'to split'
- Fatboy Slim in rehab
- Fatboy Slim leaves rehab
- BBC News | MUSIC | Norman Cook's long way to stardom
- BBC News | MUSIC | Fatboy Slim rakes in MTV awards
- The Ivor Novello Awards - Nominees
- Independent Music Awards - 6th Annual Judges
- The Aritu - Norman Cook / Fatboy Slim