Single:   Brimful of Asha
Artist:   Cornershop
Label:    Wiiija Records
Released: 1998
Summary:  Not only is this a great song in its own right, but it's also
          a perfect example of how to remix.

It is an unfortunate fact that the majority of contemporary songs
are written not just for the pleasure of composing, but also for
money.  The music industry is just that: an industry, like any other.
Given that writing and remixing songs is currently more of a paying
job than an art form, Norman Cook stands out amongst his peers as
being very good at his job.  With no pretense of creating art, he
has honed his craft over many years, constantly evolving his style
into something more popular, professional and catchy.  Under the
monikers of Beats International (Dub Be Good to Me), Pizzaman, Mighty
Dub Katz (Magic Carpet Ride), Freakpower (Turn On, Tune In, Cop Out),
and most recently Fatboy Slim, he has released many songs over the
years.  What makes him stand out even more than the sheer number of
songs he has released, however, is his ability to remix, a task few
other musicians do well.  Even his original work often contains so
many samples of other people's songs that the line between an original
work and a remix is blurred.  When remixing, however, he takes the
best parts of just one song, throws away the rest, adds a lot of his
own ideas, changes the genre (invariably to big beat), rearranges
it and turns it into a hit.  Brimful of Asha, a song written by
Cornershop, and remixed by Norman Cook, is a perfect example of his
Midas like ability to seemingly turn any song into gold.

Brimful of Asha was originally released as a single in 1997.  No one
seemed to notice.  It was rereleased in 1998, including the Norman
Cook remix as a B-side.  This is the version that became popular.

Cornershop's original "Single Version" of Brimful of Asha is a nice
song, but it doesn't stand out from the crowd.  It's laid back and
happy pop music, and reminds me of Stealers Wheel's Stuck in the
Middle with You more than anything else, with its fun vibe - at
least, until the violins make an appearance at the end.  It's a nice
enough song, but it's also utterly forgettable.  Sorry, Cornershop.

Then there's the "Norman Cook Remix Single Version." The tempo's
been sped up.  A sine wave provides sub-bass.  The light, playful
drums have been replaced by a much heavier kit.  The vocal has been
made more repetitive.  Last of all, samples of unidentifiable noises
have been added as much needed hooks.  The song has been sampled,
modified, remixed and rearranged into an instant hit set firmly in
the big beat genre.

Then, after another forgettable Cornershop song, comes the best
track: the "Norman Cook Remix Extended Version." This starts off
with a looped noise.  More rhythmically played samples of noises are
then added over the top one at a time before the main beat kicks in
and the song gets into full swing.  This was clearly written by
someone who finds beauty in sounds themselves.  When the vocal starts,
it has been cut up so that no recognisable words are uttered.  Once
again, Norman Cook proves that the sampler is not just an emulator
but a valid instrument in its own right.  Only after a full two
minutes does the recognisable vocal start.

This version of the song also features a lengthy bridge where, after
something noisy is played in the style of a ripping guitar solo, the
song is broken down to just a simple rhythm and the vocal.  It is
then slowly built back up again, a small sample of the main guitar
riff almost teasing the listener, then the sub-bass returning, then
Norman Cook's trademark sampler-with-increasinig-cutoff-point technique
adding another layer before the main beat returns and the - now very
repetitive - vocal gets into full swing.  A constant semiquaver
length retriggering of samples of the vocal on its own serves as an
interesting break to finish this section and head back into the
chorus.

These mixes serve as a great example of how to arrange a song.  When
the extended version finally finishes, after seven and a half minutes,
it feels like hardly any time has passed.  This is not only a great
song in its own right, but also a perfect example of how to remix.
The Norman Cook versions quite rightly went on to become much more
popular than the original ever was.
