Tori Amos released the single God in the UK in 1994, the fourth to be lifted from her second album, Under The Pink. The law of dimishing returns applied for each single: Cornflake Girl reached #4, Pretty Good Year #7, Past The Mission #31; God managed just 2 weeks in the UK charts, with a peak of #44.
The 12" and CD single feature remixes from Carl Craig and CJ Bolland, each offering a different but effective take, with the focus remaining on Amos' vocals. I picked up the CD single from the bargain bin shortly after it dropped out of the charts, initially attracted to the striking cover by Dave McKean, then the two (of three) Carl Craig remixes featured. However, on first play the standout track was the epic Dharma Kayã Mix by The Joy, over 12 minutes of blissed out beats and rhythms, again built around the vocals. I'd also bought The Joy's (re-released and remixed) first single Shine prior to this, mainly on the strength of Denise Johnson's appearance. Looking back now, I can read lots of comparisons to Primal Scream, particularly the Andrew Weatherall-produced track Screamadelica (also featuring Denise Johnson) from the Dixie-Narco EP. I get it, but it does The Joy a slight disservice. With God, the Balearic-indie influence really suits Tori Amos' vocals and takes the song on a completely different and (in my opinion) more interesting journey. Amos would eventually score a #1 in the UK in 1997 with Armand Van Helden's remix of Professional Widow, but this is the 'lost' classic.
Shine is a bit of a lost gem. Screamadelica is a marvel obviously.
ReplyDeleteWell, I had to find a way to sneak some Weatherall into a post somehow...
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