Fantastic Voyage (Coolio song)
"Fantastic Voyage" | ||||
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Single by Coolio | ||||
from the album It Takes a Thief | ||||
Released | March 1994 | |||
Genre | G-funk[1][2][3][4] | |||
Length |
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Label | Tommy Boy | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Bryan Wino Dobbs | |||
Coolio singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Fantastic Voyage" on YouTube |
"Fantastic Voyage" is a song by American rapper
Content
According to AllMusic's Jason Lymangrover, "With its infectious 'Slide, slide, slippity slide' chorus, it went unnoticed that his breakthrough single, 'Fantastic Voyage,' was actually a song about escapism."[5]
Here, as in the artist’s “Gangster's Paradise," Coolio laments the realities of urban black poverty. He writes "Tryin' to find a place... where my kids can play outside without livin' in fear of a drive by."
Critical reception
Dr. Bayyan from
Music video
The accompanying music video for the song was directed by F. Gary Gray and features Coolio napping on his front porch, when he gets a phone call from his friend Spoon that wakes him. Spoon asks about taking a trip to the beach, to which an annoyed Coolio responds "we ain't got no car" and hangs up on him. Suddenly a mysterious magician man with a '70s style suit, afro, and cane appears and turns the blue bicycle sitting upside down on Coolio's driveway into a blue 1965 Chevrolet Impala convertible car with hydraulics. Now with a means of transportation, Coolio and his crew head to the beach, while picking up people along the way by letting them ride inside the car's trunk.
The rest of the video features Coolio at the beach helping the crowd of passengers out of the trunk of the car for a beach party, which includes people of all races and a mariachi band. B-Real of Cypress Hill has a cameo. At the end of the video, the car is transformed back into a bicycle on Coolio's driveway and Coolio is woken up again by a phone call from Spoon, showing that the trip was all just a dream. Coolio reminds him that they have no car, telling him to quit calling, and hangs up. Then Coolio looks at the bike to see the dream car's blue custom California license plate saying "FNTX VYG", based on the song's name, is hanging off the bike's front wheel hub. This leaves him wondering if the events were really a dream and dresses the stage for the video "I Remember."
Cast and credits
- Coolio and guest stars
- Directed by: F. Gary Gray
- Cinematographer: Daniel Pearl
- Produced by: Craig Fanning
- Production Manager: Tina Lucarelli and Jack Sawyers
- First assistant director: Greg Webb
- Production coordinators: Frank Bruno, Tina Lucarelli
- Premiere: May 1994, 10:00 a.m.
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA)[32] | Platinum | 1,000,000[31] |
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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United States | March 1994 |
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Tommy Boy | |
United Kingdom | July 11, 1994 |
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[33] |
In popular culture
- The song was used in the Everybody Loves Raymond season 3 episode "Robert's Date."[34]
- In 2018, Chrysler released a music video featuring Coolio called "Vantastic Voyage" to promote the Chrysler Pacifica minivan.[35][permanent dead link]
- In 2022, the song was featured in a commercial for Airbnb promoting their Amazing Pools category.[36]
References
- ^ "Coolio Is Still Mad His Kurt Cobain Collab Never Happened (and Other Tales From 1994)". SPIN. October 1, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
- ^ "The 30 best G-Funk tracks of all time". Fact Magazine. July 26, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ "'Clueless' at 20: Revisiting the Soundtrack With a Classic Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
It's a G-funk anthem not unlike Coolio's better-known "Fantastic Voyage,"
- ^ Greene, Andy (August 8, 2013). "Where Are They Now? 1994's Biggest Pop Acts". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
- ^ AllMusic ((( It Takes a Thief > Overview ))) AllMusic. Retrieved on October 5, 2008
- Cash Box. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ Price, Simon (November 12, 1994). "Albums". Melody Maker. p. 38. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ Aaron, Charles (December 1994). "Top 20 Singles of the Year". Spin. p. 77. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
- ^ "Coolio – Fantastic Voyage". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
- ^ "European Dance Radio Top 25" (PDF). Music & Media. September 10, 1994. p. 22. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
- ^ "Coolio – Fantastic Voyage" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 38, 1994" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- ^ "Coolio – Fantastic Voyage" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ^ "Coolio – Fantastic Voyage". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ "Coolio – Fantastic Voyage". Singles Top 100.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. July 23, 1994. p. 30. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
- ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). July 23, 1994. p. 6. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ "Coolio Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Coolio Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
- ^ "Coolio Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Coolio Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Coolio Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
- ^ "Coolio Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
- ^ "End of Year Charts 1994". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
- ^ "The Year in Music: Hot R&B Singles". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 52. December 24, 1994. p. YE-34.
- ^ "The Year in Music: Hot Rap Singles". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 52. December 24, 1994. p. YE-38.
- ^ "The Year in Music: Hot Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 52. December 24, 1994. p. YE-76.
- ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
- ^ "American single certifications – Coolio – Fantastic Voyage". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. July 9, 1994. p. 25.
- ^ "Everybody Loves Raymond". YouTube. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ "- YouTube". YouTube.
- ^ "Fantastic Voyage - Amazing Pools - Airbnb". YouTube.