Thrift Shop Without Music (CollegeHumor)

Macklemore’s hit music video Thrift Shop brings camp to a new level if you take away the music. This is my first collab with CollegeHumor, who have also kindly provided me with voice talent. I continue my nasty habit of taking music videos and creating “musicless” versions.

Soon after the success of my first Music Video Without Music in late 2012, I was contacted by the Internet entertainment giant CollegeHumor and asked to create more. I knew them well; they were there since pretty much the beginning of the YouTube boom in the mid-2000s, and their videos were in my favourites list years before the like/dislike system. Today they are one of the most prominent entertainment websites, embracing social media and working with many creative people.

Thrift Shop was the next viral hit after Gangnam Style, silently gaining traction with virtually no marketing budget. Creating a music-less version made sense. But what’s needed apart from custom sound recordings is an acapella track. Despite Macklemore’s rising popularity, those vocals were simply not in distribution at the time. Thankfully CH had access to recording facilities and contact with artists and soon provided me with a soundalike recording so I could focus on what I’m good at – editing it all together.

The video was met with a positive response and marked the beginning of my relationship with CollegeHumor. It has almost 1.9 million views on YouTube alone and got some positive press from sites such as Spin or Baeble Music.

It was also mentioned in the Oxford Handbook of New Audiovisual Aesthetics as an example of “music videos without music” as a type of remix. It was written by smart people, costs a hundred quid and is never in stock.

Credits to be updated.