| "Handsome and Gretel" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Babes in Toyland | ||||
| from the album Fontanelle | ||||
| B-side | "Pearl" | |||
| Released | 1991 [1] | |||
| Recorded | April 1991 | |||
| Studio | Six Feet Under, Minneapolis, Minnesota | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 1:51 | |||
| Label | Insipid | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Kat Bjelland | |||
| Babes in Toyland singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Handsome and Gretel" is the third single by American punk band Babes in Toyland. It was released on 7" vinyl, and its songs later appeared on the band's second studio album, Fontanelle .
There are two versions of the single's cover. The most known one is of singer, Kat Bjelland, sitting in a police car with blood on her legs after getting into a car accident in Arizona in 1988. Drummer Lori Barbero talks about this incident in a 1989 issue of the zine, No Idea:
Lori: I was driving in Arizona last week and I was thinking about being in a car accident, 'cause we've been in both earthquakes in San Francisco – the major ones – and I was thinking, "Gosh, we haven't been in a car accident." And right then, I just went "Oh my fucking God." And a tire flew off a guy's truck, through the gulley, out into the air a hundred miles an hour, and it blew the windshield out and tore the sunroof off and totaled the van. As soon as the accident was over I kept going...
All: "I can't believe what I was thinking about."
Kat: "We have a picture of it." [2]
The back cover art features drummer Lori Barbero, with what appears to be a nosebleed.
The single was released on June 1, 1991 as a limited edition 7" by the independent Australian label Insipid Records. [3] On August 22, 2016, Blank Recording Co. re-released the single on 7" vinyl. [4]
All tracks are written by Kat Bjelland
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Handsome and Gretel" | 1:51 |
| 2. | "Pearl" | 1:57 |
| Total length: | 3:08 | |
Musicians
Technical
Babes in Toyland was an American alternative rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1987. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Kat Bjelland, along with drummer Lori Barbero and bassist Michelle Leon, who was later replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992.
Fontanelle is the second studio album by the American punk rock band Babes in Toyland, released on August 11, 1992, by Reprise Records. It was the band's first release on a major label, and their first recording to feature Maureen Herman on bass.
1991: The Year Punk Broke, released theatrically in 1992, is a documentary directed by Dave Markey, featuring American alternative rock band Sonic Youth on tour in Europe in 1991. While Sonic Youth is the focus of the documentary, the film also gives attention to Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr., Babes in Toyland, Gumball and The Ramones. Also featured in the film are Mark Arm, Dan Peters and Matt Lukin of Mudhoney, and roadie Joe Cole, who was murdered in a robbery three months after the tour ended. The film is dedicated to Cole.
Katherine Lynne Bjelland is an American musician. She rose to prominence as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative rock band Babes in Toyland, which she formed in 1987. She has been noted for her unusual vocal style alternately consisting of shrill screams, whispering, and speaking in tongues, as well as for her guitar playing style, which incorporates "jagged" tones with "psychotic rockabilly rhythms".
Lori Anne Barbero is an American musician. She rose to prominence as the drummer of the alternative rock band Babes in Toyland, which she formed in 1987. After the dissolution of Babes in Toyland in 2001, Barbero subsequently played drums for bands such as Eggtwist and Koalas. In 2015, she reunited with Babes in Toyland and embarked on an international tour before disbanding again in 2020.
Spanking Machine is the debut studio album by American punk rock band Babes in Toyland, released on April 16, 1990.
Nemesisters is the third and final studio album recorded by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released May 9, 1995, by Reprise Records.
Katastrophy Wife was an American rock band formed by Kat Bjelland and her former husband Glen Mattson in 1998. Bjelland also fronted the punk rock band Babes in Toyland between 1987 and 2001. The band currently consists of Bjelland on lead vocals and guitar and her boyfriend, Adrian Johnson, on drums. The band released two albums, Amusia (2001) and All Kneel (2004). A third album was due for release in 2008, but was later cancelled. In May 2014, a 10th anniversary reissue of All Kneel was released as part of Record Store Day. In 2015 Kat Bjelland joined fellow Babes in Toyland band member Lori Barbero and new bass player, Clara Salyer in a reunion tour.
To Mother is the first EP by American punk band Babes in Toyland, released July 1, 1991 by Twin/Tone Records. It consists of outtakes from their previous release, Spanking Machine, which were re-recorded and produced by John Loder in London in 1990.
The Peel Sessions is a live album recorded by American punk rock band Babes in Toyland, released in 1992. It was produced by Dale "Buffin" Griffin and released by Strange Fruit Records/Dutch East India Trading. Babes in Toyland later self-released a 7" of four other songs from their 1992 Peel Sessions. Included on the 7" were "Jungle Train," "Right Now," "Sometimes," and "Magic Flute." It was re-released as The BBC John Peel Sessions, 1990–1992 in 2001.
The BBC John Peel Sessions, 1990–1992 is an expanded version of the earlier release, The Peel Sessions by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by James Birt Whistle and released on 27 November 2001 by Cherry Red Records, which was also responsible for releasing Babes In Toyland's first live album, Minneapolism.
Painkillers is the second EP by American alternative rock band Babes in Toyland, released in June 1993. It consists of outtakes from their second studio album, Fontanelle (1992), as well as a 34-minute single-track live recording of the band's April 1992 performance at CBGB in New York City.
Dystopia is a compilation album consisting of earlier albums, Spanking Machine, To Mother, and the Handsome & Gretel single recorded by Babes in Toyland. It was released in 1994 by Insipid Records.
Lived is the first compilation of the trilogy released by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released May 2000 by Almafame.
"Dust Cake Boy" is the first single by Babes in Toyland from their debut album, Spanking Machine. It was released on black 7" vinyl and features the final version of the song, along with an earlier version of the song "Spit to See the Shine" as a b-side, which was later released on the 1991 EP, To Mother.
Viled is the third compilation of the trilogy released by Babes in Toyland. The previous two were Lived and Devil. Viled was produced by Tim Mac, and released May 2000 by Almafame.
"Bruise Violet" is the third single by American alternative rock band Babes in Toyland and the second single from their 1992 album Fontanelle. It was released on purple 7" vinyl and features early or not produced versions of the song.
"Sweet '69" is a song by Babes in Toyland, released in 1995. B-sides, "S.F.W." and "Swamp Pussy", are live recordings from the Danish Roskilde Festival in 1994 by Radiomafia. "Sweet '69" is the first single by Babes in Toyland to get a lot of radio airplay in the US, reaching #37 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. The single also peaked at #173 on the UK's Official Singles Chart. The song is unique in its extensive use of melodic cowbells by drummer Lori Barbero. An accompanying video was also released.
Pagan Babies were an American rock band formed by Kat Bjelland and Courtney Love in 1985. Love had initially conceived the band in Portland, Oregon with Bjelland under the name Sugar Babydoll, and the group was joined by bassist Jennifer Finch upon their relocation to San Francisco. The group would go through several lineup and name changes before recording a four-track demo under the Pagan Babies name with drummer Deirdre Schletter and bassist Janis Tanaka.
"House" is the second single by American punk band Babes in Toyland. Released by Sub Pop Records and limited to 3,500 copies, 1,500 were released on black vinyl for the Sub Pop Singles Club, and the remaining 2,000 on special gold (yellow) vinyl. This is the band's first non-album single. It features the b-side "Arriba."
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