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"Heard 'Em Say" is a song written and produced by American hip hop musician Kanye West for his second album, Late Registration. It was co-written by Michael Masser, Gerry Goffin and Maroon 5's Adam Levine (who is featured on the song's chorus) and co-produced by Jon Brion. It contains a sample from Natalie Cole's "Someone That I Used to Love" as written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin. It was released as the album's third single in 2005 (see 2005 in music).
The song was very popular in the United Kingdom, however its peak position of #22 in the UK Singles Chart was far lower than expected. Many attribute this to the fact that Kanye's previous single Gold Digger (feat. Jamie Foxx) was still in circulation and in the Top 40.[citation needed]
A Christmas-themed video was originally set to be the official video for "Heard 'Em Say". Set in Macy's flagship NYC department store, it was directed by Michel Gondry. It features Adam Levine as the store's security guard, Kanye West as a guardian of three young children and Jon Brion as a man playing a toy piano. Shortly before the original video was to be premiered, MTV pulled it from the schedule.
Another video for "Heard 'Em Say" premiered on Channel 4 in the UK on November 12, 2005. It is a black and white animation by Bill Plympton, intercut with live action scenes of West and Levine. The animated segments of the video depict West as a taxi driver who is blasted into the sky after a young boy in the back of the car drops a lit cigarette in a puddle of oil at a gas station. West and the boy both grow angel-like wings, but West returns to earth while the boy continues flying.
The original video premiered on MTV in the U.S. on December 9. The song itself was used in a television commercial for Pepsi.
The pre-chorus and chorus were recycled for the song "Nothing Lasts Forever" by Adam Levine's band Maroon 5 for their 2007 album It Won't Be Soon Before Long.
[edit] Credits
- Writers: Kanye West, Adam Levine, Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin
- Producers: Kanye West for Very Good Beats/Hip Hop Since 1978 and Jon Brion
- Recording: By Andrew Dawson at Sony Music Studios in New York City and by Tom Biller at Grandmaster Recording Studios in Hollywood, California.
- Mixing: By Mike Dean for Dean's List Productions at Chalice Record Studios in Hollywood, California.
- Assistant Engineers: Taylor Dow, Nate Connelly and Mike Mo
- Vocals: Kanye West and Adam Levine, who appears courtesy of J Records
- Additional Vocals: Tony "Penafire" Williams
- Sample: Excerpts from "Someone That I Used to Love" as performed by Natalie Cole; used by courtesy from Capitol Records under license from EMI Music Marketing. Music written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin; published by Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc. (BMI) and BMG Songs Inc. (ASCAP).
[edit] Single Tracklist
[edit] A-Side
- Heard 'Em Say (Radio)
- Heard 'Em Say (LP)
- Heard 'Em Say (Instrumental)
[edit] B-Side
- Touch The Sky (Radio)
- Touch The Sky (LP)
- Touch The Sky (Instrumental)
[edit] Chart positions
[edit] External links
[edit] References
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