Editing Propellerheads

{{Short description|English electronic music duo}}
{{about|the music group|the software company|Propellerhead Software|the hat|Propeller beanie}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2010}}
{{Infobox musical artist  <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name                = Propellerheads
| image                 = 
| caption            = 
| image_size            = 
| background          = group_or_band
| origin              = [[Bath, Somerset]], England
| genre               = [[Big beat]], [[breakbeat]]
| years_active        = 1995–2003
| label               = [[Wall of Sound (record label)|Wall of Sound]]
| associated_acts     = 
| website                 = 
| current_members     = Will White<br/>Alex Gifford
| past_members        = 
}}

'''Propellerheads''' were an English electronic music duo, formed in 1995 in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] by Will White and Alex Gifford.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography">{{cite book
| first= Martin C.
| last= Strong
| year= 2000
| title= The Great Rock Discography
| edition= 5th
| publisher= Mojo Books
| location= [[Edinburgh]]
| pages= 778–779
| isbn= 1-84195-017-3}}</ref>

==History==
Prior to Propellerheads' formation, Alex Gifford played as a backing saxophonist for [[The Stranglers]] appearing on the albums ''[[Dreamtime (The Stranglers album)|Dreamtime]]'' (1986) and ''[[10 (The Stranglers album)|10]]'' (1990) as well as the live album ''[[All Live and All of the Night]]'' (1988).<ref name="Larkin90"/>

Their first release was an [[extended play|EP]] named ''Dive!'', released in 1996 through the independent label [[Wall of Sound (record label)|Wall of Sound]].<ref name="Larkin90">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=2000|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0427-8|pages=317/8}}</ref> They gained fame the next year by providing a [[remix]] for [[James Bond]] movie composer [[David Arnold]]'s Bond tribute album ''[[Shaken & Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project]]'' covering [[John Barry (composer)|John Barry]]'s "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", the theme song to [[On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)|the sixth James Bond film]], re-orchestrated by Arnold.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> They also collaborated with Arnold on the track "Backseat Driver" for the soundtrack of the Bond film ''[[Tomorrow Never Dies]]''. The single "[[History Repeating (song)|History Repeating]]" followed, a collaboration with [[Shirley Bassey]]<ref name="Larkin90"/> (also well known for her James Bond music), fusing big beat with [[jazz]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> 

The Propellerheads album ''[[Decksandrumsandrockandroll]]'' was released in 1998 by Wall of Sound in Europe and [[DreamWorks Records|DreamWorks]] in the US and Japan.<ref name="Larkin90"/> The DreamWorks versions include collaborations with [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] artists [[De La Soul]] and [[Jungle Brothers]],<ref name="Larkin90"/> and the Japanese version is a two disc special edition including some of their earlier singles. A track from the album, "[[Spybreak!]]",<ref name="Larkin90"/> became widely known after its use in the lobby scene in the 1999 feature film ''[[The Matrix]]''. They are also noted for providing "Crash" (a remixed cover version of Brass Incorporated's "[[At the Sign of the Swingin' Cymbal|At the Sign of the Swinging Cymbal]]", perhaps best known as the theme song of [[BBC Radio 1]]'s [[Pick of the Pops]]) as the theme tune to Radio 1's 'Official Chart Show' between 1998 and 2002, when [[Mark Goodier]] was the host. This song was also used in the 1999 hit [[comedy film]] ''[[Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me]]''.

After touring for their hit album, White fell ill. They released ''Extended Play EP'' in 1998, and in the song "Props' Vote of Gratitude", Alex Gifford [[rapping|raps]] for the first time, explaining to the listener that the band would "be back after this short break". Gifford moved to New York and produced the [[Jungle Brothers]]' 1999 album ''V.I.P.'',<ref name="Larkin90"/> in which he raps with [[The Black Eyed Peas]] among others. White provided the drums for the eponymous track. He has also produced "Shadows", a track for [[Rufus Wainwright]] on his 2001 album ''Poses''. White has since released a mix compilation for the ''Beatz and Bobz'' series, and he has also appeared as a member of the De-Fex music project.

In November 1998, the song "Bang On!" was included in the [[Nintendo 64]] video game ''[[Wipeout 64]]''. Earlier that same year, the same song was also featured on the ''[[Lost in Space (film)|Lost in Space]]'' soundtrack. "Bang On!" would later be featured in the 2001 [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] video game ''[[Mad Dash Racing]]'' as part of the game console's launch into the American market. Another song "Lethal Cut" was featured in the PlayStation game ''[[Wipeout 3]]'', while "Big Dog" was featured in the background music of the PAL version of ''[[Gran Turismo 2]]''.

Following their 1997 collaboration, in 2000, Propellerheads again worked with Shirley Bassey, this time remixing her 1964 song "[[Goldfinger (Shirley Bassey song)|Goldfinger]]". This version was included on Bassey's remix album, ''[[The Remix Album...Diamonds Are Forever|Diamonds Are Forever]]''.

In 2001, the band recorded "Star Crossed Lovers" with [[Martha Wainwright]] for the [[Red Hot Organization]]'s compilation album ''[[Red Hot + Indigo]]'', a tribute to [[Duke Ellington]], which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease.

In October 2003, Wall of Sound celebrated its tenth birthday. To commemorate the occasion, the label released a two-disc album charting ten years of its pioneering British music. The first CD featured [[Röyksopp]], [[The Wiseguys]] and [[John "Zos Kia" Gosling|Mekon]], while Gifford provided a mix CD for the second disc. The first track on that disc, "Ten Years (Johnston's Strut, Part 1)", was a new song by Propellerheads featuring the [[Brooklyn]]-based writer Livingroom Johnston.

One of the trailers for the Disney/[[Pixar]] film ''[[The Incredibles]]'' featured "On Her Majesty's Secret Service".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317705/trivia?item=tr0737470|title=The Incredibles (2004) – Trivia|publisher=[[Internet Movie Database|IMDb]]|access-date=27 July 2013}}</ref>

Their version of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" featured as a choice of Horizon presenter [[Kevin Fong]] on ''[[Desert Island Discs]]'', as this was the track he played every morning when driving to the [[Kennedy Space Center]] while working with [[NASA]].

White was part of the live incarnation of Long Range, the now-defunct project of [[Phil Hartnoll]] of [[Orbital (band)|Orbital]].

==Discography==
===Studio album===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:15em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Album details
! scope="col" colspan="10"| Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:8em;"| [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]]

|-
! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[UK Albums Chart|UK]]<br><ref name="UK">UK chart peaks:
* {{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/1154/propellerheads/ |title=UK chart peaks |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=11 October 2020}}
* {{cite book |title= British Hit Singles & Albums |first=David |last=Roberts |year=2006| edition=19th |publisher=Guinness World Records Limited |location=London |isbn=9781904994107}}
* <nowiki>*Chart Log UK </nowiki>{{cite web|url=http://zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_P.HTM|title=Chart Log UK 1994–2010: P> Propellerheads|publisher=zobbel - Dipl.-Bibl.(FH) Tobias Zywietz|access-date=11 October 2020}}</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br><ref name="AUS">{{cite web|url=https://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Propellerheads |title=Australian chart peaks |publisher=australian-charts.com |access-date=11 October 2020}}</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[Canadian Albums Chart|CAN]]<br><ref>Canadian albums chart peaks:
* {{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=2269& |title=Decksandrumsandrockandroll |date=17 July 2013 |publisher=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]] |access-date=11 October 2020}}</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[European Top 100 Albums|EUR]]<br><ref>European albums chart peaks:
* {{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/98/MM-1998-02-14-OCR-Page-0011.pdf |title=Decksandrumsandrockandroll |publisher=[[Music & Media]] |access-date=11 October 2020}}</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[The Official Finnish Charts|FIN]]<br><ref name="FIN">{{cite web|url=https://finnishcharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Propellerheads |title=Finnish chart peaks |publisher=finnishcharts.com |access-date=11 October 2020}}</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|FRA]]<br><ref name="FRA">{{cite web|url=https://lescharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Propellerheads |title=French chart peaks |publisher=lescharts.com |access-date=11 October 2020}}</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[GfK Entertainment charts|GER]]<br><ref>German albums chart peaks:
* {{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/album-details-2697 |title=Decksandrumsandrockandroll |publisher=offiziellecharts.de |access-date=11 October 2020}}</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[Dutch Album Top 100|NLD]]<br><ref name="NED">{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Propellerheads |title=Dutch chart peaks |publisher=dutchcharts.nl |access-date=11 October 2020}}</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[Official New Zealand Music Chart|NZ]]<br><ref name="NZ">{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Propellerheads |title=New Zealand chart peaks |publisher=charts.nz |access-date=11 October 2020}}</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br><ref name="US">{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/propellerheads/chart-history/tlp/ |title=US chart peaks |publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=11 October 2020}}
</ref>

|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Decksandrumsandrockandroll]]''
|
* Released: 26 January 1998
* Label: [[Wall of Sound (record label)|Wall of Sound]] <small>(#WALL015)</small>
* Formats: [[LP record|LP]], [[Cassette tape|CS]], [[Compact disc|CD]], [[MiniDisc|MD]]
| 6 || 13 || 56 || 18 || 36 || 20 || 26 || 29 || 11 || 100
|
* [[British Phonographic Industry|BPI]]: Gold<ref name="BPI">"[https://www.bpi.co.uk/brit-certified/ Certified Awards Search]". [[British Phonographic Industry]]. Retrieved on 11 October 2020. Note: User needs to enter "Propellerheads" in the "Search BPI Awards" field and press Enter</ref>
* [[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]]: Gold<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-albums-1999.htm |title=ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 1999 Albums |publisher=ARIA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819043056/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-albums-1999.htm |access-date=11 October 2020|archive-date=19 August 2020 }}</ref>
|}

===EPs===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" style="width:2em;"| Year
! rowspan="2" style="width:8em;"| Title
! rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Tracks
! colspan="6"| Peak chart positions
|-

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br><ref name="UK"/>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br><ref name="AUS"/>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|FRA]]<br><ref name="FRA"/>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[Association of Hungarian Record Companies|HUN]]<br><ref>Hungarian EP chart peaks
* {{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/99/MM-1999-06-05-OCR-Page-0010.pdf |title=Extended Play |publisher=[[Music & Media]] |access-date=11 October 2020}}</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana|ITA]]<br><ref name="ITA">{{cite web|url=https://www.hitparadeitalia.it/indici/per_interprete/ap.htm |title=Italian chart peaks |publisher=hitparadeitalia.it |access-date=11 October 2020}}</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[Official New Zealand Music Chart|NZ]]<br><ref name="NZ"/>

|-
| 1996
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Dive''
|
* Dive!	
* Ron’s Theory	
* Lethal Cut	
* Go Faster
| — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
| 1997
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Propellerheads''
|
* Bang On!
* Spybreak! (Long One)
* Clang
* Props Got Mo' Skills
* Bring Us Together
| — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
| 1998
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Extended Play''
|
* Crash! (Edit)	
* Props Vote Of Gratitude	
* You Want It Back	
* 360° (Oh Yeah)
| 184 || 41 || 77 || 1 || 11 || 8
|-
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
|}

===Singles===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" style="width:2em;"| Year
! rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Title
! colspan="10"| Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2" style="width:15em;"| Album
|-
! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br><ref name="UK"/>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br /><ref>{{cite Ryan|page=226}}</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[European Hot 100 Singles|EUR]]<br><ref>European singles chart peaks:
* {{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/98/MM-1998-04-04-OCR-Page-0010.pdf |title=History Repeating |publisher=[[Music & Media]] |access-date=10 October 2020}}
* {{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/97/MM-1997-10-25-OCR-Page-0012.pdf |title=On Her Majesty's Secret Service |publisher=Music & Media |access-date=10 October 2020}}
</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[The Official Finnish Charts|FIN]]<br><ref name="FIN"/>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|FRA]]<br><ref name="FRA"/>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[GfK Entertainment charts|GER]]<br><ref>German singles chart peaks:
* {{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/titel-details-29837 |title=History Repeating |publisher=offiziellecharts.de |access-date=11 October 2020}}</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[Dutch Single Top 100|NLD]]<br><ref name="NED"/>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[Official New Zealand Music Chart|NZ]]<br><ref name="NZ"/>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[Scottish Singles and Albums Charts|SCO]]<br><ref>Scottish singles chart peaks:
* {{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/19970511/41/ |title=Spybreak |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=11 October 2020}}
* {{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/19971214/41/ |title=History Repeating |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=11 October 2020}}
* {{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/19971012/41/ |title=On Her Majesty's Secret Service |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=11 October 2020}}
* {{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/19980621/41/ |title=Bang On |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=11 October 2020}}
</ref>

! style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| [[Dance Club Songs|US<br>Dance]]<br><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/propellerheads/chart-history/dsi/ |title=US Club Play singles chart peaks |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=11 October 2020}}</ref>

|-
| 1996
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Take California]]"
| 69 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
| rowspan="7"| ''Decksandrumsandrockandroll''
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1997
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[Spybreak!]]"
| 40 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || 47 || —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"<br><small>(with [[David Arnold]])</small>
| 7 || — || 73 || — || — || — || — || — || 8 || —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Bang On!"/"Dive"
| 86 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "[[History Repeating (song)|History Repeating]]"<br><small>(featuring [[Shirley Bassey]])</small>
| 19 || 55 || 67 || 16 || 71 || 65 || 52 || 32 || 24 || 10
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1998
| style="text-align:left;"| "Bang On!"
| 53 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || 56 || —
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Velvet Pants"
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1999
| style="text-align:left;"| "Take California and Party"
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
| rowspan="3" {{n/a|Non-album singles}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| "Lethal Cut"
| — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
| 2004
| style="text-align:left;"| "Take California" <small>(remix)</small>
| 154 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|-
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes items that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
|}

===Other appearances===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of guest appearances, showing year released and album name
! scope="col" style="width:28em;"| Title
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Artist
! scope="col" | Album
|-
! scope="row" | "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"
| rowspan="1"| 1997
| Various Artists
| ''[[Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project]]''
|-
! scope="row" | "Lopez (Hard On)" (A Progressive Mix By The Propellerheads) <br /><small>(808 State)</small>
| rowspan="1"| 1998
| [[808 State]]
| "Lopez" single
|-
! scope="row" | "[[Goldfinger (Shirley Bassey song)|Goldfinger]]" (Propellerheads Mix) <br /><small>(Shirley Bassey)</small>
| rowspan="1"| 2000
| [[Shirley Bassey]]
| ''[[The Remix Album...Diamonds Are Forever]]''
|-
! scope="row" | "Star Crossed Lovers"<br /><small>(Propellerheads + [[Martha Wainwright]])</small>
| rowspan="1"| 2001
| Various Artists
| ''[[Red Hot + Indigo]]''
|-
! scope="row" | "Ten Years (Johnston's Strut Part 1)"
| rowspan="1"| 2003
| Various Artists
| ''Off The Wall (10 Years Of Wall Of Sound)''
|-
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite magazine|title=Propellerheads|page=8|magazine=[[Future Music]]|issue=83|date=June 1999|publisher=Future Publishing|issn=0967-0378|oclc=1032779031}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:English electronic music duos]]
[[Category:Big beat groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1995]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2003]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Somerset]]