Swell - Salt Tank

A little sigh comes over my lips every time I hear about new work by Tori Amos these days. As far as I'm concerned, she did her best work in the Nineties and then for some reason the fire went out and she started doing rehashes of her old work or uninspired semi-classical ditties. I would do anything for concert tickets back in the Nineties, whereas now I simply do not care.

Back in the Nineties, many exciting things happened. Not only did Tori release her quintessential albums 'Little Earthquakes', 'Under the pink' and 'From the choirgirl hotel', but she also worked with remixers like BT for more dance-oriented tracks. This remix by Salt Tank was another interesting one: 'Eugina' features her vocals, although in this case it was a random sample. This 12" single set was part of a bigger order online, and I bought it for old times sake. I have to say these tracks puzzle me and I'm not sure if I'll play them a lot.

Who do you hear in the tracks 'Eden' and 'Orinoco', on the other hand? Well, it's Kate Bush. And she is still the Goddess she's always been of course.

My collection: 12" single [unnumbered]
Found: Discogs.com, received 2016
Cost: 2 pounds
Tracks: 'Eden' / 'Flammable' // 'Eugina (Pacific rage)', 'Orinoco' / 'Origin of species', 'Astral'

In the springtime of his voodoo - Tori Amos

For a mere eight years I was well into Tori Amos. All that time she released five great albums, until the disastrous covers album 'Strange little girls' ended that great run and introduced a decade of wishy-washy albums, finally descending into that career nosedive called the - gasp - Christmas album.

I should have suspected that Tori Amos was not entirely artistically correct when her third album 'Boys for Pele' spawned a few very bad remix efforts. The number one hit 'Professional widow', in which the original song was mangled beyond recognition, was an offence, and it was followed by this 12" single featuring four half-decent remixes of 'In the springtime of his voodoo'. I couldn't foresee what would happen next, I bought this one out of curiosity more than anything.

My collection: 12" single no. 636
Found: Delft, 1996
Cost: 20 guilders
Tracks: 'In the springtime of his voodoo (Hasbrouck Heights club mix)', 'In the springtime of his vooodo (Quiet mix)' / 'In the springtime of his voodoo (Sugar dub)', 'In the springtime of his voodoo (Hasbrouck heights single mix)'

Raspberry swirl - Tori Amos

Tori Amos released 'From the choirgirl hotel' in 1998. It was one of her last great albums - subsequent efforts became ever less engaging. The biggest hit from the previous album, 'Boys for pele', was a remix - or should we say a full-on butcher job? - of 'Professional widow'. No wonder that the record company kept releasing remixes of Tori Amos tracks in subsequent years.

This remix of 'Raspberry swirl', one of the many singles from 'Choirgirl', is a nice, if somewhat repetitive, effort. The choice of putting the instrumental version of the remix on the A-side is a bit strange, however.

My collection: 12" single no. 575
Found: unknown, 1998
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'Raspberry swirl (Sticky extended instrumental)' / 'Raspberry swirl (Sticky extended vocal mix)'

Jackie's strength - Tori Amos

I never managed to turn my friend Puck into a Tori Amos fan, however hard I tried. While I bought all of her albums and singles, he remained insensitive to the beauty of her Nineties work. Admittedly, Amos creatively burned out after the turn of the century, but before she did, she created some magical music.

In 1999, I was pleasantly surprised when Puck actually liked the 'Wedding cake club mix' of 'Jackie's strength'. Originally a moving ballad on Tori Amos' 1998 album 'From the choirgirl hotel', Warren Rigg turned it into a 'hands in the air' dance anthem. Quite an achievement and I actually liked this remix myself too. I bought this American double 12" single mainly for the sleeve, because all the tracks were released on the American cd-single as well.

My collection: 12" single no. 400
Found: Record fair, 1999
Cost: 20 guilders
Tracks: 'Jackie's strength (Wedding cake club mix)' / 'Jackie's strength (Wedding cake edit)' // 'Jackie's strength (One Rascal dub #1)' / 'Father Lucifer (Sylkscreen remix)' // 'Jackie's strength (One Rascal dub #2)' / 'Father Lucifer (Sylkscreen instrumental)' // 'Jackie's strength (Wedding cake meltdown mix)' / 'Jackie's strength (Bonus beats)'

Professional widow / Hey Jupiter - Tori Amos

Tori Amos has made some beautiful music during the Nineties, but her career took a bizarre turn in 1996 when her record company thought it would be a great idea to remix her songs from the album 'Boys for Pele'. The remix of 'Professional widow' sounded nothing like the original and was a random collection of noises put together by one Armand van Helden, but it gave her a number 1 hit in the UK.

This 12" single features two further remixes: a beautiful version of 'Hey Jupiter' and an awful version of 'Talula'. Proof that remixes can add or detract from a track is given on this disc in equal measures, although the two awful remixes are considerably longer than the beautiful one.

My collection: 12" single no. 540
Found: unknown, 1996
Cost: 15 guilders
Tracks: 'Professional widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' mix)' / 'Hey Jupiter (The Dakota version - radio edit)', 'Talula (BT's Synethasia mix)'

Spark - Tori Amos

This promotional 12" single was released in the USA in support of 'Spark', the first single from Tori Amos's 1998 album 'From the choirgirl hotel'. It is a very interesting item, because of the B-side: the instrumental version of 'Spark' was not released on any other format, either commercially or on any other promotional item. This is why this 12" single is still sought after among Tori Amos fans.

I was lucky enough to find a copy during a record fair in the Netherlands, and I've treasured the item ever since.

My collection: 12" single no. 365
Found: Record fair, 1998
Cost: 25 guilders
Tracks: 'Spark' / 'Spark (instrumental)'

God - Tori Amos

Released as the last single from Tori Amos' second album 'Under the pink' in Europe (as opposed to the USA, where it was released as the first single), 'God' was issued in several different formats. The 7" picture disc featured the album version and a remix, whereas the cd-single and the 12" single featured a few more remixes.

One has to question the point of those remixes though. The 'acapella vocal and rain mix' is basically the prettiest version of three remixes that are basically the same: the 'Thinking mix 2' and the 'Rainforest Resort mix' are just lengthier versions with some alterations in them. The only reason why this 12" single is worth owning, is the CJ Bolland mix: this one actually adds something to the track that makes it sound danceable, and even gives it a poppy, Kraftwerk-ish appeal.

My collection: 12" single no. 222
Found: HMV, London, 1994
Cost: 4 pounds
Tracks: 'God (Thinking mix 2)', 'God (acapella vocal and rain mix)' / 'God (Rainforest resort mix)', 'God (CJ Bolland mix)'

I wanna get back with you - Tom Jones featuring Tori Amos

Tom Jones had just had a reasonable hit with the atrocious 'If I only knew' when he released this duet with Tori Amos as the second single from his 1994 album 'The lead and how to swing it'. It was a smart move: Tori Amos had just become the hottest thing since sliced bread and the appeal to a younger audience would be massive... or so the record company must have thought.

The single did not chart, which is quite logical when you hear the stuff that Diane Warren has composed and written. Warren has a monopoly on cliched pop ballads. Sometimes they are effective, in that audiences fall for it, but this time around, they didn't.

My collection: 7" single no. 2260
Found: Record fair, April 8, 1995
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'I wanna get back with you' / 'If I only knew'

1000 oceans - Tori Amos

Tori Amos explained that the idea for '1000 oceans' came to her in a dream. An old African woman was humming the melody to her, and she got up around 5:30 in the morning to record it. The inspiration for the lyrics came when her father-in-law died, and she claims the song helped her husband deal with the grieving process. The lyrics contain reference to Silbury Hill, an ancient mound in Wiltshire, England. This is a place often visited by Amos and her husband.

The single did not chart. This vinyl single is also the last Tori Amos vinyl single around; subsequent releases were no longer released on this format with the sole exception of 'A sorta fairytale'.

My collection: 7" single no. 3142
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, 1999
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: '1000 oceans' / 'Baker baker (live)'

Bliss - Tori Amos

'Bliss' was the first single from Tori Amos' 1999 double album 'To Venus and back'. One disc of that album was filled with new tracks, whereas the other disc was filled with atrocious live tracks. Atrocious, because the audiences kept screaming through the music. I'll never understand why people felt the need to do that during Tori Amos concerts.

Tori Amos commented about the song: 'I sing Father I killed my monkey to lead off the song, which explains that sometimes you even destroy your own so they can't excavate it. When I was growing up, I started becoming very secretive about my thoughts and the sensory world I would go to, because there's a lot of mind control that goes on constantly, people wanting access: 'What are you thinking?' So sometimes I'd have my own defense going, which would be to look them straight in the eye and make them think I've killed my imagination. But it's like, I'll take control.'

My collection: 7" single no. 3145
Found: Record fair, 1999
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Bliss' / 'Hey Jupiter (live)'

Cruel - Tori Amos

Tori Amos recorded her 1998 album 'From the choirgirl hotel' after she suffered a miscarriage. The sense of loss and blame were obvious in a lot of the tracks. 'Each song would show me a certain side of herself because of what I was going through. So a song like 'Cruel' came to me out of my anger. 'She's Your Cocaine' and 'iieee' came out of a sense of loss and sacrifice. And other songs celebrated the fact that I found a new appreciation for life through this loss.'

'Cruel' was released as the album's third single in the USA. It did not chart, and no further singles were released from the album after this.

My collection: 7" single no. 3050
Found: Record fair, February 20, 1999
Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Cruel (Shady feline mix)' / 'Raspberry swirl (Lip gloss version)'

Spark - Tori Amos

While all the singles from Tori Amos' 1996 album 'Boys for Pele' were not released on 7" vinyl, I was very surprised to find this 7" single in 1998. 'Spark' was the first single taken from Tori Amos' fourth solo album 'From the choirgirl hotel'. The single was also released on cd-single and a promotional 12" single in America, which is where this single also was made.

'Spark' reached number 16 in the UK singles chart and number 49 in Australia.

My collection: 7" single no. 3013

Found: Record fair, August 29, 1998

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Spark' / 'Purple people'

God - Tori Amos

While in the US 'God' was released as the first single from Tori Amos' second album 'Under the pink', in the UK it was the fourth and last single. The single was released as a picture disc 7", plus there was also a 12" single and a cd-single available. All formats came with exclusive remixes, which on the 7" format was the 'acapella vocal & rain mix'.

The song was Amos' response to patriarchy and the repression of women through religion. Lyrically it was heavily confrontational of male-deity headed religions. The single only made number 44 in the UK singles chart, which made it the least successful single from the album.

My collection: 7" single no. 2200

Found: Record fair, 1994

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'God' / 'God (Acapella vocal & rain mix)'

Past the mission - Tori Amos

'Past the mission' was released as the third single from Tori Amos' 1994 album 'Under the pink'. The song featured guest vocals by Trent Reznor from the band Nine Inch Nails. The single peaked at number 31 in the UK singles chart. The live version on the B-side was recorded at Vic Theatre, Chicago, March 24, 1994.

The 7" vinyl single wasn't my biggest problem to obtain: the double cd-single from the UK and the promotional cd-single featuring a spoken ad for Tori Amos' anti-rape network RAINN were a bigger problem. I'm glad to say that in the end I acquired them all.

My collection: 7" single no. 2119

Found: Record fair, June 15, 1994

Cost: 8 guilders

Tracks: 'Past the mission' / 'Past the mission (live)'

Pretty good year - Tori Amos

Released as the second single from Tori Amos' second album 'Under the pink', 'Pretty good year' was an emotional ballad, quite different from her previous singles. By this time, Tori's cult following had grown into thousands and they followed her every move almost religiously. The cd-singles of 'Pretty good year' contained four different bonus tracks, one of which appeared on the B-side of this 7" vinyl single: 'Honey'. Tori has often stated that in hindsight she regretted not including that track on the album.

The single peaked at number 7 in the UK, but was not released in America. Around this time, Tori Amos was touring Europe - and I've got a signed cd-single of 'Pretty good year' to prove that I, too, was there. Her concerts in Nijmegen and Scheveningen are still amongst the best concerts I've ever witnessed.

My collection: 7" single no. 2084

Found: Record fair, March 26, 1994

Cost: 10 guilders

Tracks: 'Pretty good year' / 'Honey'

Cornflake girl - Tori Amos

The first single from Tori Amos' second album 'Under the pink' was 'Cornflake girl'. The title was inspired by Alice Walker's novel 'Possessing the secret of joy', about a young African woman going through the ritual of female genital mutilation. Amos was angered by the idea that a mother could subject her daughter to such a brutal act, and the song arose as an exploration of the idea of betrayal between women.

Accompanied by a weird music video, the song still managed to peak at number 4 in the UK singles chart and even broke the Dutch Top 40, where Amos had never had a chart placing before. In the Netherlands it rose to number 26.

My collection: 7" single no. 2082

Found: Record fair, March 8, 1994

Cost: 10 guilders
Tracks: 'Cornflake girl' / 'Sister Janet'

Silent all these years - Tori Amos

The last single release in the UK from Tori Amos' debut album was a re-release of 'Silent all these years'. There was a special limited edition cd-single with added new B-side tracks such as 'Song for Eric' and 'Ode to the banana king'.

The 7" vinyl single was also different. While the original release of 'Silent all these years' featured 'Me and a gun' on the B-side, but this time around the B-side contained Tori's cover version of Nirvana's 'Smells like teen spirit'. The original track was a grunge rock type song - as you probably well know - but Tori's cover turned it into a beautiful ballad. It's a shame that her 2001 album of covers, 'Strange little girls', didn't have a similar quality to it.

My collection: 7" single no. 1725

Found: Tower Records, London, October 17, 1992

Cost: 2 pounds

Tracks: 'Silent all these years' / 'Smells like teen spirit'

Crucify - Tori Amos

Released as the fifth single from her debut album 'Little earthquakes', 'Crucify' was the most successful one, being the first Tori Amos single to reach the charts in Canada, France and Ireland. It was also Tori's biggest hit in the UK up to that point, peaking at number 15.

Accompanied by a provocative music video and a strange sleeve, Tori started to make a name for herself as a quirky songwriter, often nicknamed 'Kate Bush's loony stepsister'. I guess there's some truth to that.

My collection: 7" single no. 1658

Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, May 30, 1992

Cost: 6,5 guilders

Tracks: 'Crucify' / 'Here in my head'

Winter - Tori Amos

Taken from the debut album 'Little earthquakes', Winter was Tori Amos' third single for Atlantic Records. It was released in 1992. Amos wrote the song about her relationship with her father, who is a minister.

The single became Tori's first UK top 40 hit, peaking at number 25. It was released in a variety of formats, but the UK was the only country where this song was released on 7" vinyl.

My collection: 7" single no. 1741

Found: Record Exchange, London, October 18, 1992

Cost: 1 pound

Tracks: 'Winter' / 'The pool'

China - Tori Amos

'China' was the first Tori Amos single I ever bought. I was actually searching for 'Silent all these years', but this was the only single my record dealer had at the time. Somehow I was confident that this would also be an interesting single, and so I bought it without even having heard it. When I played it at home, I was immediately convinced. 'China' is a beautiful ballad. Not long after that, I found out that the B-side was also a beautiful piece ofwork.

'China' peaked at number 51 in the UK singles chart, but it did not chart in any other territory.

My collection: 7" single no. 1615

Found: Melody Maker, Den Haag, April 4, 1992

Cost: 6 guilders

Tracks: 'China' / 'Sugar'