Musical Sombrero EP

"Musical Sombrero EP" is the third single from British Electronic group Aftershock's greatest hits collection Audio Therapy: The Greatest Hits, and features vocals from pop princess Candi. Released the week before christmas week on December 12, the EP consisted of two original tracks with Aftershock and Candi titled "Pass Me My Sombrero" and "Mustic Took My Man" as well as being released alongside a re-release of the group's 2009 single "Just You & Me Dancing". It is Aftershock's 22nd release overall, and also is Candi's first featured appearance. The lyrics to "Pass Me My Sombrero" are bilingual, consisting of Spanish and English. Upon it's release, the single debuted at a somewhat dissapointing #12, however following weeks of extensive promotion it went top ten in it's third week at #9. At the very end of December Aftershock revealed the group would be disbanding, and the single would be their final ever release. The song's critical success continued into 2012, where it was nominated for "Best Collaboration" at the 21st URAPS Awards.

Background
Following an extremelly successful year for Candi (scoring three #1 hits), Aftershock decided the singer would be the perfect addition to feature on a track for their Greatest Hits album "Audio Therapy". They approached Candi with a track titled "Tears For Mexico" and the popstar reportedly "fell in love with the track" and agreed to feature on it. Not longer later, it was decided that the track would be renamed "Pass Me My Sombrero". Around the release of "Fake Love To Me", Aftershock informed Candi they were keen to release the track as a single. Due to a hectic schedule, Candi was eventually available to help promote it during early December, and thus the track was given a release date of 12 December.

Release and reception
The single recieved it's radio premiere on November 11 at 9pm on Radio 1, although it was already available on Aftershock's album. Upon the album's release, many reviewers noted the song as a stand-out, and complimented it for it's use of Spanish, claiming it was "fresh, differnet yet still enjoyable".

Pass Me My Sombrero Video
Group members Darren Clarke, India Reeves and Becca Hayworth all flew out to Italy to shoot the video during the week ending 13 November 2011. Candi also joined them for the video shoot. It is expected to premiere on Channel 4 on 25 November 2011. The video for "Pass Me My Sombrero" starts with Candi sitting in front of her dressing table and mirror applying her make up. In the background Sleep With All Your Sins is playing. Darren enters the room dressed in royal uniform. The music for Pass Me My Sombrero starts. Darren takes Candi by the hand and escorts her down a set of grand stairs to a regal ballroom. As the pair dance infront of the royal delgates, Candi suddenly rushes back to her dressign room. As she runs up the stairs, her tiara falls off. Darren races off after her. The pair have a blazing row where objects are thrown. Candi undresses and packs a bag and grabs a suitacse. She hops onto a motor bike. With a heavily tied suitcase on the back of her motorbike she races off to the airport. As she arrives at the airport paparazzi are all over her. Back at the palace, Darren is seen throwing all the guest out of the grand ballroom. He retires to hsi room to see the headline on the TV set reading "Queen of Italy heads to Mexico for charity work" with a picture of Candi at the airport. Darren decides to race to the airport to get Candi back. As he arrives at the airport Candi is boarding the plane. He races to get to the boardng gate but he is too late. The plane takes off. As the video ends we see a shot of Darren alone in his palace with Candi smiling with Mexican orphans.

Music Took My Man Video
The video to "Music Took My Man" premiered on 11 December 2011. The video starts with the camera panning along a long corridor full of prison cells. We see the camera come to one cell at the end of the corridor and stop. Inside the cell is Candi is prison outfit. A prison guard comes down the corriodr. We only see the shoes which are a weird and unique high heeled doc martin. As the guard moves closer to the cell with Candi the camera moves up to reveal Becca in full prison guard costume. She is carrying a tray of food and cup of water. As she reaches the cell she throws the drink over Candi to wake her up. Her eyes open, the music begins and the camera zooms in to her pupils.

We see a party scene in a crowded club were Candi is there with her man (Darren). Throughout the party, we see Darren being with Candi then being lead on to the dancefloor by a hypnotic bassline. Once he is on the dancefloor, Candi tries her best to bring him back to her but he ends up dancing a passionate dance with another woman and leaves the club with her.

We return at the end of the video to the prison cell where Candi lays wet and cold on the floor. Becca unlocks her cell and hands her a piece of paper with an adress on it. Next time we see Candi, she is standing oustide this adress on the paper armed with a machine gun. The screen fades to black and the words To Be Continued..... appear on the screen.

Track listing

 * CD1
 * 1) Pass Me My Sombrero (Aftershock & Candi) [Radio Edit]
 * 2) Music Took My Man (Aftershock & Candi) [Radio Edit]
 * 3) Just You & Me Dancing [2011 Radio Edit]


 * 7" Vinyl 1
 * 1) Pass Me My Sombrero (Aftershock & Candi) (SIDE A)
 * 2) Pass Me My Sombrero (Aftershock & Candi) [DJ White Shadow Mix] (SIDE B)


 * 7" Vinyl 2
 * 1) Music Took My Man (Aftershock & Candi) (SIDE A)
 * 2) Music Took My Man (Aftershock & Candi) [Calvin Harris Extended Mix] (SIDE B)


 * 7" Vinyl 3
 * 1) Just You & Me Dancing (2011 Radio Edit) (SIDE A)
 * 2) Viva Las Vegas (Aftershock only) (SIDE B)


 * Digital Download
 * 1) "Pass Me My Sombrero" (Radio Edit)
 * 2) "Music Took My Man" (Radio Edit)
 * 3) "Like A New Kinda Drug" (Becca & Candi)
 * 4) "Pass Me My Sombrero" (Avicii Mix)
 * 5) "Pass Me My Sombrero" (Mexican Heatwave Mix)
 * 6) "Just You & Me Dancing" (Extended 2011 Radio Mix)
 * 7) "Music Took My Man" (Richard X Mix)
 * 8) "Music Took My Man" (Afterlife Mix)


 * Promo
 * 1) "Pass Me My Sombrero" (Radio Edit)
 * 2) "Pass Me My Sombrero" (Groove Armada Mix)
 * 3) "Pass Me My Sombrero" (Instrumental)

Credits

 * "Pass Me My Sombrero" &mdash; written by D.Clarke
 * "Music Took My Man" &mdash; written by D.Clarke, B.Hayworth & I.Reeves

Performances

 * Graham Norton &mdash; 6 December 2011
 * The X Factor Final &mdash; 10 December 2011

Chart performance
The track was released December 12th 2011, and charted at #12 selling 29,129 copies. This is a dissapointing position considering Candi's solo releases have all gone top 2, and Aftershock's previous single charted at #2 (becoming the peak of their career). However after extensive promotion from the two acts, the single finally hit the top 10 in it's third week, at #9. It spent five weeks in the top fifteen.

The last chart of November 2011 saw "Pass Me My Sombrero" chart at #19 in the download chart. Two weeks later it re-entered at #18 and the rose to #6. It has charted at #8 on the airplay chart. It also saw some success globally, charting at #1 in Spain, #2 in France, #10 in Switzerland, #13 in Ireland as well as Top 40 in Germany and Netherlands.

Chart Run
TOTAL: 212,622
 * Week 1: #12 - 29,129
 * Week 2: #14 - 29,191
 * Week 3: #9 - 35,295
 * Week 4: #11 - 35,153
 * Week 5: #15 - 20,660
 * Week 6: #18 - 15,121
 * Week 7: #23 - 12,695
 * Week 8: #26 - 10,042
 * Week 9: #33 - 7,045
 * Week 10: #40 - 3,071
 * Week 11: #24 - 10,985
 * Week 12: #38 - 4,235