Gnarls Barkley—the duo comprised of CeeLo and Danger Mouse—arrived with a bang in 2006. Their debut album, St. Elsewhere, landed at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and topped the charts in the U.K., largely due to the the single “Crazy.”
With CeeLo’s soaring, nearly operatic vocals and Danger Mouse’s psychedelic rock-infused soul, the song catapulted Gnarls Barkley to international stardom. Though CeeLo had already made a name for himself in the 1990s as part of Goodie Mob and the Dungeon Family, Gnarls Barkley took his solo career to new heights. The duo’s second album, The Odd Couple, was released the following year, but an internet leak stuttered its impact, and the duo embarked on a hiatus. CeeLo teased a third album in 2013, 2017 and again in 2020, although nothing materialized—but that could change in the not-so-distant future.
Speaking to Rock The Bells, the multi-faceted artist—who’d just wrapped up a James Brown tribute show in Dayton, Ohio—fielded a question about the highly anticipated project and noted there are several factors slowing it down.
“Gnarls Barkley, I still got my fingers crossed about it,” he said. “We are formally engaged to finish the project. But it's so hypersensitive, simply because it's just a big idea. I’m humbled by it, but it’s like a David and Goliath situation, Gnarls Barkley is just a project that has to be given to me. I can't assume anything of it. I can't insist anything of it. I just have to be open and ready for my miracle.”
When asked if the magnitude of St. Elsewhere makes it somewhat intimidating to try to do it again was a factor in its delay, he replied, “Maybe not even so much intimidating for me, but intimidating for maybe some of the other parties involved. So, if the team is not on one accord, then there's going to be dissension in the ranks, there’s going to be doubt, and that’s going to disconnect us. Only the music itself brings people together, but it's difficult.”
He concluded, “I’ll cap it off by saying this, no one knew that now. Nobody can really truly take ownership in saying that they knew Gnarls Barkley was going to become what he did. You know, what no one will even dare say, this is the record, you know, I mean, like, so at some point, everybody's just gonna have to be willing to take the leap of faith. Let’s just go for something.”
For now, CeeLo is focused on his two new singles with Jack Splash, “Traffic Jam” and “Serious,” and his recent partnership with eBay and KIRPA celebrity auction house. The 10-day auction kicked off on Thursday (August 10) and will go through August 20. EPMD, DJ Drama, dead prez, the late Lil Keed and Goodie Mob have several items up for grabs, including the legendary Southern group’s gladiator suits from their 2012 performance on The Voice. Find more information here.
