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Where It's At (Beck song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Where It's At
| cover = Where It's At.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Beck
| album = Odelay
| released = July 11, 1996
| recorded = 19951996
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Alternative Hip Hop
| length = * 3:42 (radio edit)
* 5:30 (album version)
| label = * DGC
* Bong Load
| writer = * Beck
* John King
* Michael Simpson
| producer = * Beck
* The Dust Brothers
| prev_title = It's All in Your Mind
| prev_year = 1995
| next_title = Devils Haircut
| next_year = 1996
| misc =
}}
"'Where It's At'" is a song by American alternative rock musician Beck. It was released as the first single from his 1996 album 'Odelay'. Beck wrote the song in 1995. He premiered it at Lollapalooza 1995, in a version very similar to its incarnation on 'Odelay'. He has played the song very often since 1995, although he regularly experiments with the music and lyrics.
Production
"Where It's At" has a number of spoken samples that Beck and the Dust Brothers incorporated into it. Many of these come from an obscure sex education album titled 'Sex for Teens: (Where It's At)', a subtitle Beck borrowed (see link below). Other vocal samples incorporated into "Where It's At" come from "Needle to the Groove" by old-school hip hop group Mantronix ("we've got two turntables and a microphone..."), as well as The Frogs ("that was a good drum break"). The song also references Gary Wilson, one of Beck's influences. In addition, just before the Frogs sample begins, the song incorporates a musical sample from the intro of noted go-go band E.U.'s song "Knock Him Out Sugar Ray".
Beck also pays homage to Captain Beefheart by dressing as Captain Beefheart was dressed in the 'Trout Mask Replica' album photo sessions at 1:27 in the video.
Beck earned the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for the song. In October 2011, 'NME' placed it at number 76 on its list of 150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years.
Critical reception
Justin Chadwick from Albumism said "Where It's At" is "the most memorable" song among the singles of the 'Odelay' album. He added, "Propelled by a cacophony of distorted melodies, oddball vocal snippets, and the unforgettable chorus chant of Where its at! Ive got two turntables and a microphone, with a robotic echo lifted from Mantronixs 1985 single Needle to the Groove, Beck gives you little choice but to wholeheartedly accept his invitation to the destination a little up the road." In 2012, 'Paste' ranked the song number two on their list of the 20 greatest Beck songs, and in 2020, 'The Guardian' ranked the song number seven on their list of the 30 greatest Beck songs.
Music video
The accompanying music video for "Where It's At" was directed by Steve Hanft. It features Beck doing a variety of things, such as cleaning up a highway for community service as a convict, singing at a car dealership, dressed as the Candyman, and line dancing. In one moment, Beck pays homage to William Shatner's performance of "Rocket Man" at the 1977 Saturn Awards ceremony. "Where It's At" was the first music video to be broadcast on MTV2 on August 1, 1996. The video was awarded a MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video. The shorter version was used for this video instead of the album version.
Track listings
'USA (12')'
# Where It's At (Edit)
# Make Out City
# Where It's At (remix by Mario C and Mickey P)
# Where It's At (remix by John King)
# Bonus Beats
'UK #1'
#Where It's At (Edit)
#Where It's At (remix by Mario C and Mickey P)
#Bonus Beats
#Where It's At (remix by U.N.K.L.E.)
'UK #2/Australia'
#Where It's At (Edit)
#Where It's At (remix by Mario C and Mickey P)
#Bonus Beats
'Japan'
# Where It's At (Edit)
# Where It's At (remix by John King)
# Lloyd Price Express (remix by John King)
# Dark and Lovely (remix by the Dust Brothers)
# American Wasteland
# Clock
Personnel
*Beck Hansen vocals, electric piano, guitar, bass, organ
*The Dust Brothers turntables
*Mike Boito trumpet, organ
*Money Mark organ
*David Brown saxophone
*Eddie Lopez outro talking
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
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