worldwide, it sold over seven million copies. Gorillaz was a massive worldwide success and achieved platinum-level sales in the U.S. A self-titled full-length debut album arrived in spring 2001. Gorillaz debuted in late 2000 with the Tomorrow Comes Today EP, which they followed early the next year with the popular Clint Eastwood single. The group's website showcased Hewlett's visuals and the group's music in eye- and ear-catching detail.
Nakamura's Deltron 3030 cohorts Kid Koala and Del the Funky Homosapien rounded out the creative team behind the Gorillaz quartet, whose virtual members included 2-D, the cute but spacy singer/keyboardist Murdoc, the spooky, possibly Satanic bassist and the brains behind the group Russel, a drummer equally inspired by "Farrakhan and Chaka Khan" and possessed by "funkyphantoms" that occasionally rise up and provide some zombie-style rapping and last but not least, Noodle, a ten-year-old Japanese guitar virtuosa and martial arts master. The initial lineup of Gorillaz blended the musical talents of Albarn, Dan "The Automator" Nakamura, Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori, and Tom Tom Club's Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz with the arresting visuals of Jamie Hewlett, best known as the creator of the cult comic Tank Girl. Guest musicians helped Gorillaz stay surprising and current - over the years, the group recorded with Del the Funky Homosapien, De La Soul, Shaun Ryder, Mick Jones of the Clash, Lou Reed, James Murphy, André 3000, George Benson, and Elton John - but throughout their career, Albarn remained the band's musical constant, driving the collective forward while pushing at the boundaries of his comfort zone. Hewlett's cartoon characters gave Gorillaz a patina of frivolity, and that joviality, when combined with a revolving cast of collaborators, balanced Albarn's darker moments. Gorillaz's eponymous debut was an international hit right out of the gate in 2001, thanks in part to the moody, slinky smash single "Clint Eastwood." Its sunny counterpart, "Feel Good Inc.," was an even bigger hit in 2005, while its parent album, Demon Days, revealed how Albarn used Gorillaz as a way to absorb non-rock music while also addressing larger political and societal concerns, which was taken a step further with 2010's environmentally minded Plastic Beach. And yet, the "virtual band" he conceived with artist Jamie Hewlett in the twilight years of the 20th century turned into his main gig in the new millennium.
Gorillaz began as something of a lark for Damon Albarn, a way for the singer/songwriter to explore music his Brit-pop band Blur otherwise couldn't make.
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