"Raspberry Swirl" | ||||
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Single by Tori Amos | ||||
from the album From the Choirgirl Hotel | ||||
Released | July 1998 (UK) August 24, 1998 (GER) September 7, 1998 (AUS) November 24, 1998 (US) December 18, 1998 (CA) | |||
Recorded | 1998 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:58 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Tori Amos | |||
Producer(s) | Tori Amos | |||
Tori Amos singles chronology | ||||
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"Raspberry Swirl" is a song written and performed by Tori Amos. It was released as the second single from her 1998 album From the Choirgirl Hotel in Germany and Australia, and as the third and final single in North America and the UK. In the United States it was released as a double A-side single with "Cruel", off the same album. In Germany, Australia and the UK it was released as its own single. Two variations of an identical 12" vinyl promotional release were issued in the U.K.
"Raspberry Swirl" was Amos's first single to be nominated for a Grammy Award, being nominated for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1999.
"Raspberry Swirl" is about Amos' past relationship with a female friend and was written in response to the men in her relationships.
In some of my relationships with a few of my women friends, I play a certain role. Heh, this is really getting in...I know, I hope my father's not watching this. He just doesn't know what to do. The straight-jacket's coming. But you know I always told my dad – you know, gays, lesbians, he just has to get used to it. One of the nieces and nephews is gonna be one, he's just gotta get ready. So what I said was ah to Beenie, who's the love of my life. My husband understands this, that we're married. We're absolutely married. And I adore her with all my heart. And she's dated some idiots. And I hope you're watching. I want you to know what I think of you and in another life, I'll absolutely kick your ass. And I'm going to kick it right now actually, because this is for her and I'm in love with her. So everybody, off your asses! [1]
The video for Raspberry Swirl was directed by Barnaby & Scott and filmed in August 1998.
I will tell you this. Kids and Pigs mixed together with their gorging of sweets and excited kiddie poo vomit and literally piggy poo and cake puddingie ickie oogie sugarie pukie all messied together sitting there rotting under the lights take after take and you wonder why I carry an Oxygen machine – card holder since 94. Raspberry was one of the longer days of my life... Karen pulled in these younger directors: Barnaby & Scott. I liked the idea their visual sense and their openness to Karen's mad visions. She was inspired by an Urban Alice and Wonderland feel if I recall the treatment correctly. Kids with Red wings – red wigs little Toris she said. This Boy leading me into a world where Karen truly lives. Every movie every make, Karen can give her version – 'A road ain't NO ONE EVER EVVA thought of pushing,' a long by magical day." [2]
"The fourth track, Raspberry Swirl (as in, unsurprisingly, 'Boy, you better make her raspberry swirl"), is the key," enthused John Aizlewood in Q's review of From the Choirgirl Hotel. "Seemingly throwaway, its programming doffs a cap to dance [and] Amos' treated vocals recall Van Helden mixmastery. Before 30 seconds have passed, she's declared 'Let's go' and in one cathartic moment becomes her own woman again, via the remainder of a song that doesn't need twists to shine." [3]
"Raspberry Swirl" was released in the United States and Canada as a double A-side with "Cruel".
"Raspberry Swirl" was released in Germany as a single title.
Two variations of a 12" vinyl promotional single were issued in the UK. They share a catalog number but have different artwork.
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1998 | Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales (US) [4] | 38 |
1998 | Top Canadian Singles | 20 |
1998 | Australian Singles Chart [5] [6] | 57 |
Tori Amos is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full scholarship to the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University at the age of five, the youngest person ever to have been admitted. She had to leave at the age of eleven when her scholarship was discontinued for what Rolling Stone described as "musical insubordination". Amos was the lead singer of the short-lived 1980s pop group Y Kant Tori Read before achieving her breakthrough as a solo artist in the early 1990s. Her songs focus on a broad range of topics, including sexuality, feminism, politics, and religion.
"Me and a Gun" is a song by American singer-songwriter and musician Tori Amos. It was released as the first single from her debut studio album Little Earthquakes and is her debut single under the name Tori Amos. It was released on October 21, 1991 by Atlantic Records in North America and EastWest Records in the UK.
From the Choirgirl Hotel is the fourth studio album by American musician Tori Amos. It was released on May 5, 1998 on Atlantic Records. The album was Amos' first to be recorded at her own Martian Engineering Studios in Cornwall, England and was self-produced, with the mixing being handled by longtime collaborators Marcel van Limbeek and Mark Hawley, whom she had married in early 1998.
Boys for Pele is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Tori Amos. Preceded by the first single, "Caught a Lite Sneeze", by three weeks, the album was released on January 22, 1996, in the United Kingdom, on January 23 in the United States, and on January 29 in Australia. Despite the album being Amos's least radio friendly material to date, Boys for Pele debuted at number two on both the US Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart, making it her biggest simultaneous transatlantic debut, her first Billboard top 10 debut, and the highest-charting US debut of her career to date.
Under the Pink is the second studio album by singer-songwriter Tori Amos. Upon its release in January 1994, the album debuted atop the UK Albums Chart on the back of the hit single "Cornflake Girl", and peaked at number 12 in the US.
"Crucify" is a song by American singer-songwriter and musician Tori Amos. It was released as the fifth single from her debut studio album Little Earthquakes, on May 12, 1992, by Atlantic Records in North America and on June 8 by EastWest Records in the UK. In Australia, it was released on July 20, 1992.
"A Sorta Fairytale" is a song written and performed by singer-songwriter Tori Amos. It was released as the first single from her 2002 album Scarlet's Walk. The song reached number 14 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, and number two on the Triple A chart. The song has since been featured in episodes of the television shows Nip/Tuck and The L Word. There are three commercially released versions of the song: the album version (5:30), the 101 Mix (4:00) and the original single version (4:01). It was released as a CD single (UK/Canada) with "Operation Peter Pan" as the B-side, and as a DVD single (US) with the music video, co-starring Adrien Brody.
"Cornflake Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Tori Amos. It was released on January 10, 1994, as the first single from her second studio album, Under the Pink (1994), by EastWest Records in the United Kingdom, and on May 5, 1994, by Atlantic Records in North America. Singer Merry Clayton provided backing vocals and sang the "man with the golden gun" bridge.
A Piano: The Collection is a five-disc box set spanning the first 15 years of the solo career of American singer and songwriter Tori Amos. Released on September 26, 2006, by Rhino Records as part of the contract Amos negotiated with Warner Music Group, the set includes singles, album tracks, B-sides, rarities, demos, and unreleased songs from album sessions.
Tori Amos is an American pianist and singer-songwriter whose musical career began in 1980, at the age of seventeen, when she and her brother co-wrote the song "Baltimore". The song was selected as the winning song in a contest for the Baltimore Orioles and was recorded and pressed locally as a 7" single. From 1984 to 1989, Amos fronted the synth-pop band Y Kant Tori Read, which released one self-titled album with Atlantic Records in 1988 before breaking up. Shortly thereafter, Amos began writing and recording material that would serve as the debut of her solo career. Still signed with Atlantic, and its UK counterpart East West, Amos' initial solo material was rejected by the label in 1990. Under the guidance of co-producers Eric Rosse, Davitt Sigerson and Ian Stanley, a second version of the album was created and accepted by the label the following year.
American Doll Posse is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Tori Amos, released in 2007 by Epic Records. A concept album, American Doll Posse sees Amos assuming the identity of five different female personalities inspired by Greek mythology in order to narrate stories of life in modern America. Themes include opposition to the Iraq War, recording industry misogyny, disillusionment, sexuality, personal loss, and female empowerment in general. Musically, the record is more rock-oriented than other studio works by Amos, notably featuring more guitar and drums than previous albums The Beekeeper (2005) and Scarlet's Walk (2002).
"Jackie's Strength" is a song by Tori Amos, released as the second single from her 1998 album From the Choirgirl Hotel. It reached #54 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart. The remix single, released the following year, reached number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart in the U.S. The lyrics refer to Jackie Onassis, there is also a brief reference to the Kennedy assassination, though Amos herself explained that the song also concerns her own personal doubts about marriage. Amos reiterated this in an interview with columnist Steven Daly in Rolling Stone.
"Spark" is a song by American singer-songwriter Tori Amos, released by Atlantic and EastWest as the first single from Amos' fourth studio album, From the Choirgirl Hotel (1998).
Abnormally Attracted to Sin is the tenth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Tori Amos, released 19 May 2009, in standard and limited CD/DVD edition. The album debuted on Billboard 200 at no. 9, giving Amos her seventh Top 10 album in the US.
Midwinter Graces is the eleventh solo studio album by singer-songwriter Tori Amos, released on November 10, 2009, through Universal Republic Records. It is the first seasonal album by Amos and is also notable for marking her return to a more classical, stripped-down, baroque sound with various synths, string instruments, the harpsichord, and Amos's own signature Bösendorfer piano at center stage, once more. The album, like previous releases from Amos, is available in a single-form CD or a deluxe edition, which includes three bonus tracks, a twenty-page photo book, and a DVD containing an interview with Amos. The standard edition was not released in the US or Canada. Midwinter Graces became Amos's lowest-charting album on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 66.
To Venus and Back is a double album by American singer, songwriter and pianist Tori Amos. Released on September 21, 1999, it comprises her fifth studio album and first live album. The first disc, entitled Venus: Orbiting, shows Amos increasingly experimenting with elements of electronica and trip hop, and spawned the singles "Bliss", "1000 Oceans", "Glory of the 80's", and "Concertina". The second disc, Venus Live, Still Orbiting, was recorded mostly during her Plugged '98 tour in support of her previous album, From the Choirgirl Hotel.
Andrew Gray-Ling, better known as Andy Gray, is a British songwriter, composer, and record producer. Gray became one half of the Perfecto remix team with Paul Oakenfold to replace Steve Osborne, and they went on to remix Moby's "Natural Blues" and U2's "Beautiful Day" and compose the theme music for Big Brother UK under the name Elementfour.
John Philip Shenale is a Canadian composer, arranger, musician and producer based in Los Angeles.
"Cruel" is a song written and performed by Tori Amos. It was released as the third single from her 1998 album From the Choirgirl Hotel. In the United States it was released as a double A-side single with "Raspberry Swirl", off the same album.
Ocean to Ocean is the sixteenth studio album by American musician Tori Amos. It was released on October 29, 2021 through Decca Records. The album was written during lockdown from the COVID-19 pandemic in Cornwall, England and featured the musicians collaborating remotely, with recording occurring in England, California, and Massachusetts. It is Amos's first studio album since Midwinter Graces (2009) to feature her typical backing band of Matt Chamberlain on drums, Jon Evans on bass, and Mac Aladdin on guitar.
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