Recorded 1995 Length 3:43 (Album version) | Genre Pop rap, Latin music Label huh! Records | |
Released 15 December 1995 (1995-12-15) Format CD single, CD maxi single | ||
"How Bizarre" is a hit single written and recorded by New Zealand musical group OMC. It was released in December 1995 as the lead single from the group's debut album of the same name, and went on to top the charts in at least six countries. Outside New Zealand, the song is considered a one-hit wonder, whereas OMC had further successful singles in New Zealand, including "Land of Plenty". The song featured in 1998 movies Palmetto and Disney's The Parent Trap. "How Bizarre" samples There's a Kind of Hush by Herman's Hermits.
Contents
Music video
A music video was released to help promote the single. The video has the lead singer, Pauly Fuemana, driving a 1968 Chevrolet Impala. It also pictures him dancing, rapping, throwing around money and breathing fire. It was a second version, directed by Lee Baker, and released very late in 1995 just as "How Bizarre" went to number one in NZ. Shot on a soundstage in Ponsonby and at Ellerslie Racecourse for a budget of $7,000 from NZ On Air, it was shown on US networks about 15,000 times in 1997 and 1998. Besides Pauly, it features backing vocalist Sina Saipaia, and a Filipino man named Hill who stood in for Brother Pele.
Critical reception
The song won the award for "Single of the Year" at the 1996 New Zealand Music Awards. It was also featured on Nature's Best 2, as the 34th greatest New Zealand song of all time as voted for by members of the Australasian Performing Rights Association in 2001. In 2002, the song was named as the 71st greatest one-hit wonder of all time on a VH1 countdown hosted by William Shatner.
Chart positions
"How Bizarre" topped the singles charts in New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Canada and Ireland. It also topped the airplay chart in South Africa. Because of rules in place at the time, the song was not allowed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. However, it topped the Mainstream Top 40 for a week. It also peaked at number 4 on the Airplay chart. The single was number one for two weeks in Austria, three weeks in Ireland, three weeks in New Zealand and five weeks in Australia. On 9 February 2010, the song re-entered the New Zealand charts at number 40 after Fuemana's death.