As a child I assumed that like with Take That and the Spice Girls European/World chart dominance, Busted and other multiple chart topping, BRIT Award winners naturally followed suit. Once Busted parted ways in 2005, Bourne formed Son of Dork. In 2013, Bourne, and fellow Busted member Matt Willis, came together with the members of McFly to form supergroup McBusted. They released their eponymous album at the end of 2014 which reached the UK Top 10. Their largest commercial selling market outside the UK/Ireland was Japan (one Gold album) and nations of most popularity were: Iceland and Denmark (two top 10 singles, and one top 10 album in Denmark; their only top 10 long form placing outside the UK/IRL)

Gibsone, Harriet (24 November 2016). "Busted on reforming: 'People don't get why we are here again … they know how it ended' ". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 21 April 2023. I don’t think I thought anything of the lyrics to “Who’s David?” at the time. I was vaguely aware it was some kind of breakup song, but a lot of the words are rather indecipherable unless you’re listening carefully. Having a lyric about “sleeping around the town” does seem pretty gross for a band that seemed to mainly appeal to pre-teens, although it was hardly alone in that era. I had no particular relationship to this song, besides appreciating that it was at least a little different from the previous singles, and thinking Who’s David? was quite an intriguing title for a mainstream Pop song. I agree their worst No. 1 is yet to come, Air Hostess I have a soft-spot as a seeming act of grotesque self-parody. “Messed my pants” indeed. But “Who’s David?” can’t even muster that kind of energy, which is a problem – you need it to make the listener feel your spite and venom, not just pity it. For Busted the desire to make an angry, slut-shaming punk-pop record and the desire to make a hooky, singalong Busted record turn out to clash horribly. You can hear it in the chorus – which starts in a typical Busted jaunty, anthemic mode ( “Are you sure that you’re mine…”) and then ends up at – in the uncut version – “You’re just a whore, you sleep around the town / And I got proof cos the word is going round”. Oh, mate. In August 2004, "Who's David" came 20th in a VH1 viewer survey of the worst number-one singles of all time. [2]

Credits (5)

Reading a few posts higher up about: ‘America or Busted’. Their scripted MTV documentary to break the States, coinciding and filmed around this single release period. Singer-songwriter James Bourne has signed a worldwide deal covering his extensive catalogue and future works with Warner Chappell Music. There’s something slightly glam about the chorus (in both the 80s hair metal and 70s use of the word) but whereas the best of those groups would have put some kind of sledgehammer behind it, a spark of energy, something to disguise the song’s obvious deficiencies, Busted’s delivery is so featherweight they almost blow away. It’s a truly awful production which helps them none, leaving them exposed as a bunch of Jilted Johns without a decent joke or tune crying into their cans of Bass Shandy.

A Present for Everyone (UK CD album booklet). Busted. Universal Records, Island Records. 2003. MCD60090, 9865875. {{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link) Strangely enough they failed to chart, even lowly, across the rest of Scandinavia. With regard to mainland Europe: patchy, non-existent, and predominantly outside Top 40. Answer: Busted has performed Who’s David live on numerous occasions, captivating audiences with their energetic performances and engaging stage presence. Fans of the band often cite these live renditions as unforgettable moments during their concerts. 10. How did the music video contribute to the song’s meaning? Answer: Yes, Who’s David has stood the test of time and remains a popular song in Busted’s discography. It continues to resonate with old and new fans alike, attesting to its enduring appeal and relatability. 12. Are there any memorable quotes from the band about Who’s David? It’s a moment where the internal contradictions of Busted stop holding together – they’ve set themselves a bad goal and what’s more they’re not even up to hitting it. Quoting the lyrics actually makes the song read more enraged than it sounds – the reality is “Who’s David?” just sounds like a Busted record, only a particularly petty and unimaginative one. The band might think they’re making a shit-talking Blink-182 style song in “Who’s David?” but they end up looking like phonies, laundering casual misogyny for a kids’ TV audience.That said latest album ‘Half Way There’ released in 2019 is the record Busted were always supposed to make, yet couldn’t at the time. Commercially, aside from a strong first week chart placing, it didn’t sell. I was indeed attending a High School when Busted first came on the scene. My uncle chided me on my Americanism when I mentioned it by name; needless to say, I had the last laugh.