Happiness by Goldfrapp is one of my favourite music videos.
Taken from their fourth studio album, Seventh Tree, Happiness echoed the warm and generally positive vibe of the album. The music video is equally uplifting and one I don’t get tired of watching again and again.
The seemingly unique video features a man (George Foster), dressed in a white suit hopping around Addington Square in Camberwell, South London spreading happiness wherever he goes. The video is unlike anything I had seen before… until I did some digging.
The inspiration for the dancing man comes straight from a 1953 musical ‘Small Town Girl’. There is a poster for the movie hidden on a post within the Goldfrapp video but you will struggle to see it!
In the musical, dancer Bobby Van, dressed in white suit, ‘hops’ from his house, across town, jumping on a hedge, clashing bin lids together and is joined by a hopping dog. Sound familiar?
Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp is an English electronic music duo consisting of Alison Goldfrapp (vocals, synthesizer) and Will Gregory (synthesizer, string arrangements). The band formed in 1999 and released their debut album, “Felt Mountain”, in 2000. They first came to my attention with the atmospheric song, “Lovely Head” which featured on an early O2 advert with Sean Bean.
Their music is a mix of electronic, dance, and ambient styles, with influences from genres such as folk, glam rock, and synth-pop. Goldfrapp’s sound isAlison Goldfrapp’s distinctive vocals, that range from ethereal and folky to powerful and commanding, and Will Gregory’s intricate and layered production.
They have released a number of great albums switching styles and keeping it fresh. Albums like “Black Cherry” (2003), “Supernature” (2005), “Seventh Tree” (2008), “Head First” (2010), and “Silver Eye” (2017) have met with critical acclaim. The song, “Happiness” is taken from Seventh Tree.
Seventh Tree
“Seventh Tree” is the fourth, and my favourite, studio album by Goldfrapp, released in 2008. It was a major shift e from the glam rock and electro-pop sound of their previous album, “Supernature”, and marked a return to their folk and ambient roots. The album features a more stripped-down, acoustic sound, with a focus on Alison Goldfrapp’s vocals and Will Gregory’s intricate arrangements of strings, harps, and woodwind instruments. The songs are generally slower and more introspective, with themes of nature, love, and spiritual transcendence.
“Seventh Tree” includes several standout tracks, including the dreamy “Clowns”, the haunting “A&E”, and the atmospheric “Caravan Girl”. The album received positive reviews from critics, who praised Goldfrapp’s experimentation with different musical styles and their ability to create a cohesive, immersive world through their music.