Tori's Singles

Little Earthquakes singles

§ Me and a Gun / Silent All These Years § China § Crucify § Winter §

Under the Pink singles

§ Cornflake Girl § God § Past the Mission § Pretty Good Year §

Boys for Pele singles

§ Caught a Lite Sneeze § Talula § Hey Jupiter / Professional Widow § Hey Jupiter § In the Springtime of His Voodoo § Professional Widow §

From the Choirgirl Hotel singles

§ Spark § Jackie's Strength § Cruel / Raspberry Swirl §

to venus and back singles

§ bliss § 1000 oceans § concertina § glory of the 80's §

Strange Little Girls singles

§ Strange Little Girl

Scarlet's Walk singles

§ a sorta fairytale

Little Earthquakes singles

Me and a Gun / Silent All These Years

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Silent All These Years
• Upside Down
• Me and a Gun
• Thoughts

Comments: First released as "Me and a Gun"; re-released as "Silent All These Years" (catalogue number and cover art stayed the same). "Upside Down" is a catchy, wonderful song; "Thoughts" is quiet, introspective, somewhat wandering—perhaps something she wrote while trying to write the song, "Girl"? (Neile)

Silent All These Years (Limited Edition)

Availability: Limited release

Tracks:

• Silent All These Years
• Ode to the Banana King (Part One)
• Song For Eric
• Happy Phantom (live)

Comments: "Ode to the Banana King" is strong and fun; the Celtic-based "Song for Eric" hauntingly beautiful; "Happy Phantom" a delight live, showing how eastwest quickly realized how important Tori's live performances were. (Neile)

China

Availability: fairly wide on first release

Tracks:

• China
• Sugar
• Flying Dutchman
• Humpty Dumpty

Comments: One of the best of the b-side collections. "Sugar" and "Flying Dutchman" are very good songs (though perhaps not as fully realized as her album songs) and would have made almost anyone else's main release. "Humpty Dumpty" is obviously a fairly spontaneous song. Fun, but not essential. (Neile)

Crucify EP

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Crucify (remix)
• Winter
• Angie (Rolling Stones cover)
• Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana cover)
• Thank You (Led Zeppelin cover)

Comments: The last three cover songs also appear on a limited German release, of "Winter" I think. This EP was used as a vehicle in the U.S. to get Tori's name known—some people first heard of her because of her cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" which had just been a hit for Nirvana (and thus it probably lost her as many fans as it gained her). However, it didn't get all that much airplay. All 3 covers are wonderfully Tori's versions, though the originals are apparent. (Neile)

My vote for the best cover ever goes to Tori's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". (stjarnell@yahoo.com)

Crucify

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Crucify
• here. in my head
• Mary
• Crucify (lp version)

Comments: "Here. in my head" one of Tori's better b-sides; "Mary" a little more predicable a tune, though still good. (Neile)

Crucify Limited Edition Live E.P.

Availability: limited

Tracks:

• Little Earthquakes (live)
• Crucify (live)
• Precious Things (live)
• Mother (live)

Comments: With 4 miniature art prints (the "Crucify" spring onion necklace picture, the "Winter" on a white horse picture, the "Silent All These Years" in an orange blouse on the blue chair picture, and the Little Earthquakes in a crate with the toy blue piano picture. These are, of course, great versions of the original songs from Little Earthquakes. (Neile)

Winter

Availability: wide

Tracks:

• Winter
• The Pool
• Take To The Sky
• Sweet Dreams
• Upside Down

Comments: The non-limited U.K. version of this single doesn't include "Upside Down", which is available on the UK single for "Me and a Gun / Silent All These Years". "The Pool" is Tori's most ethereal song, dreamy and misty; "Take to the Sky" is a powerful song, clearly about her experience with the failure of Y Kant Tori Read; "Sweet Dreams" a funny and powerful song that again would have been on anyone else's main release; "Upside Down" is a very catchy song. The packaging includes lyrics printed in Tori's handwriting. (Neile)

Under the Pink singles

UK Cornflake Girl

Availability: wide when released

Tracks:

• Cornflake Girl
• Sister Janet
• Piano Suite:
  • All the Girls Hate Her
  • Over It

Comments: "Sister Janet" is a strong, strange, wonderful song. The piano suite is lovely and urgent. (Neile)

UK Cornflake Girl Limited Edition

Availability: limited

Tracks:

• Cornflake Girl
• A Case of You (Joni Mitchell cover)
• If 6 was 9 (Jimi Hendrix cover)
• Strange Fruit (L. Allan cover)

Comments: Three of Tori's strongest covers. "A Case of You" has a sincerity just as strong as the original; on "If 6 was 9" Tori's piano is played through a Marshall amp, which gives it a powerful, percussive effect; "Strange Fruit" is the one song I was skeptical about when I heard Tori was going to cover it, but she does a lovely, understated performance of the song that Billie Holiday made famous. (Neile)

US Cornflake Girl

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Cornflake Girl (edit)
• Sister Janet
• Daisy Dead Petals
• Honey

Comments: "Sister Janet" is a strong, strange, wonderful song; "Daisy Dead Petals" is a slightly less realized song with a fun boppy tune and some of Tori's most confusing lyrics; "Honey" is a wonderful, catchy song—surprising this isn't on the album—with a haunting emotional impact. (Neile)

I bet when I'm 75 I'll still get full-body chills every time I hear Tori's "Honey". (meth@smoe.org)

US God

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• God
• Home on the Range—Cherokee Edition
• Piano Suite:
  • All the Girls Hate Her
  • Over It

Comments: "Home on the Range—Cherokee Edition" is the traditional tune with extra lyrics to do with the maltreatment of the Native American population during the time of the expansion of the American West; the piano suite is lovely and urgent. (Neile)

U.K. God

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• God
• God (The Dharma Kaya Mix)
• God (The Rainforest Resort Mix)
• God (The Thinking Mix 2)

Comments: The Dharma Mix is a funky, boppy mix with each effect fairly isolated; The Rainforest Mix plays mainly with Tori's vocals and percussion; The Thinking Mix 2 also works with the vocals and pretty minimal effects, mostly percussion with a touch of the piano. (Neile)

U.S. God promo

Availability: promo only

Tracks:

• God (no guitar)
• God (some guitar)
• God (original)

Comments: This is quite an odd artifact. Apparently some radio programmers were put off by the guitar noises on God. This promo cd with two remixes with less guitar noises was put out to appease them. (art@cs.sfu.ca)

Past the Mission Part 1

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Upside Down (live)
• Past The Mission (live)
• Icicle (live)
• Flying Dutchman (live)

Comments: All the songs shine in the live setting. Includes her story about masturbation. (Neile)

Past the Mission Part 2

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Past the Mission (lp)
• Winter (live)
• The Waitress (live)
• Here. In My Head (live)

Comments: Again, good live versions of the songs. (Neile)

Pretty Good Year Part 1 (limited edition)

Availability: limited

Tracks:

• Pretty Good Year
• Home on the Range—Cherokee Edition
• Daisy Dead Petals

Comments: "Home on the Range—Cherokee Edition" is the traditional tune with extra lyrics to do with the maltreatment of the Native American population during the time of the expansion of the American West; "Daisy Dead Petals" is one of Tori's slightly less realized song with a fun boppy tune and some of Tori's most confusing lyrics. (Neile)

Pretty Good Year Part 2 (limited edition)

Availability: limited

Tracks:

• Pretty Good Year
• Honey
• Black Swan

Comments: "Honey" is a wonderful, catchy song—surprising this isn't on the album—with a haunting emotional impact; "Black Swan" is confusing lyrically, but pretty and poignant. (Neile)

I bet when I'm 75 I'll still get full-body chills every time I hear Tori's "Honey". (meth@smoe.org)

Boys for Pele singles

US Caught A Lite Sneeze

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Caught A Lite Sneeze
• Silly Songs:
  • This Old Man
  • That's What I Like Mick (The Sandwich Song) (Hodges and Peacock cover)
  • Graveyard
  • Toodles Mr Jim

Comments: "This Old Man" is the traditional children's song, which stops in a rather haunting way; "That's What I Like Mick" is a kind of favourite things listing; "Graveyard" is a short bit of smoke of a song; "Toodles Mr Jim" says goodbye to a neighbour and tells a story about Tori's interaction with him. (Neile)

silly songs are kinda bland. sound like leftover studio outtakes. and not even that great of ones. (iflin@speakeasy.net)

Whoa, good gods, Tori is a goddess! :) "Caught a Lite Sneeze" is a *wonderful* song, and I'm absolutely nuts over it. It might be my favorite Torisong so far, or I might be letting it's newness get to me, but it's definitely up there. "This Old Man"! What a kick—I can't believe Tori can actually make that kid's song something so beautiful. Ye god I love her voice. The other songs are great too. (NyxNight@aol.com)

I like "graveyard". It's a strong, melodic piece, but also woefully incomplete. (woj@smoe.org)

UK Caught A Lite Sneeze

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Caught A Lite Sneeze
• Silly Songs:
  • This Old Man
  • Hungarian Wedding Song
  • Toodles Mr Jim

Comments: "This Old Man" is the traditional children's song, which stops in a rather haunting way; "Hungarian Wedding Song" is percussive, catchy song but only a minute long; "Toodles Mr Jim" says goodbye to a neighbour and tells a story about Tori's interaction with him. (Neile)

i like "hungarian wedding song" the best. it's a strong, melodic piece, but also (like "graveyard") woefully incomplete! they're like sketches. perhaps she'll come back to them someday. (woj@smoe.org)

UK Caught A Lite Sneeze Limited Edition

Availability: limited

Tracks:

• Caught A Lite Sneeze
• Tribute to Chas and Dave:
  • London Girls (Hodges and Peacock cover)
  • That's What I Like Mick (The Sandwich Song) (Hodges and Peacock cover)
• Samurai

Comments: "London Girls" a song about how wonderful London girls are; "That's What I Like Mick" is a kind of favourite things listing; "Samurai" is a strange song with Tori throwing her voice around a repetitive bass line and the piano—gets easily stuck in your head. (Neile)

Talula Part 1

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Talula (the tornado mix)
• Talula (BT's synethasia mix)
• Amazing Grace/Til The Chicken

Comments: The Tornado mix is going to replace the original "Talula" on Boys for Pele; The synethasia mix is long (11:27) and not at all intriguing; "Amazing Grace" is a fairly simple, gentle version of the hymn "Til The Chicken" seems like a separate song, though it's obviously part of the same session—not all that memorable. Same style of beat as the Samurai song but not nearly as interesting a song—seems as though they had fun making it, though. (Neile)

the "talula" b-sides sound underdeveloped—the doodles that come before sketches, if you will. (woj@smoe.org)

Talula Part 2

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Talula (the tornado mix)
• Frog On My Toe
• Sister Named Desire
• Alamo

Comments: The tornado mix is going to be the standard version; "Frog On My Toe" is a warm song about a relationship between an older man (now dead) and a younger girl, musically not that inventive but its simplicity carries the emotion well; "Sister Named Desire" has a southern feel, slow and a little rambling; "Alamo" has a spritely piano intro but turns into another not that cohesive song. (Neile)

on first listen I was not too impressed by the "tornado" remix. my feeling is that if she's going for a hit single then let that disco-four-on-the-floor-beat trample the song completely! the extended remix is a typical trance-style affair...hardly one to set dance floors alight as it is, though mixed in with other songs it may work—have to get my local fave dj to try it out—the unreleased tracks are typical high-quality tori b-sides (unlike the ones on "sneeze"). "alamo" is a stand-out; i'd love to hear her do it live. (cjmacs@micronet.net)

Talula

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Talula (Tornado mix)
• Samurai
• Frog on my Toe
• London Girls
• Talula (Synethasia mix)

Comments: The tornado mix is going to be the standard version; "Samurai" is the some from the U.K. Caught a Light Sneeze single, which is a strange song with Tori throwing her voice around a repetitive bass line; "Frog On My Toe" is a warm song about a relationship between an older man (now dead) and a younger girl, musically not that inventive but its simplicity carries the emotion well; "London Girls is also from the U.K. Caught a Light Sneeze single, and is a light cover song about about how wonderful London girls are; the Synethasia is a long remix. (Neile)

Hey Jupiter / Professional Widow

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Hey Jupiter (The Dakota version)
• Professional Widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' mix [radio edit])
• Sugar (live)
• Honey (live)

Comments: I'm not stuck on these remixes of Tori's songs. "Hey Jupiter" becomes ponderous in this version; "Professional Widow" becomes frenetic and lightweight; "Sugar" and "Honey" live are wonderful in the extreme. Before "Sugar" she gives a brief explanation of how the song was written, and before "Honey" she talks about how "Honey" didn't get on Under The Pink. But these are also available on the Hey Jupiter single. (Neile)

i've decided that the dakota version of "hey jupiter" is far superior to the album version—and even the live renditions on the harmonium. that chunky backing track with the lonesome drone fits the mood of the song perfectly, despite that weird edit from the first chorus into the woo woo's. (woj@smoe.org)

Hey Jupiter (Special 5-song E.P.)

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Hey Jupiter (The Dakota version)
• Sugar (live)
• Honey (live)
• Professional Widow (Merry Widow version—live)
• Somewhere Over The Rainbow—live, cover)

Comments: "Hey Jupiter" becomes ponderous in this version; "Professional Widow" becomes frenetic and lightweight; "Sugar" and "Honey" live are wonderful in the extreme. Before "Sugar" she gives a brief explanation of how the song was written, and before "Honey" she talks about how "Honey" didn't get on Under The Pink. "Professional Widow" is the version on the pump organ—a slow and heavy version of the song. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is a sweet version of the classic song. (Neile)

In my opinion the only worthwhile Tori remix so far was the stunning "Dakota version" of "Hey Jupiter". Yow. But I'm pretty much opposed to remixes in general anyway, so I'm biased. (meth@smoe.org)

Great material. Utterly ruined by FREAKS screaming "MYRA ELLEN" at the top of their lungs while she's trying to perform. (burka@jeffrey.net)

In The Springtime of His Voodoo

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• In The Springtime of His Voodoo (LPmix)
• Hasbrouck Heights Single Mix
• Hasbrouck Heights Club Mix
• Quiet Mix
• Sugar Dub

Comments: I don't much care for remixes, even of Tori's stuff, but I love the cover picture of her with the little floppy animal ears. (Neile)

Professional Widow

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• LP mix
• Armands Star Trunk Funkin' Mix
• MK Mix
• Just Da Funk Dub
• MK Vampire Dub
• Armand's Instrumental
• Bonus Blats

Comments: These do absolutely nothing for me, but apparently they're a big hit in the European dance clubs. (Neile)

Professional Widow (It's Got To Be Big)

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Armands Star Trunk Funkin' Mix (radio Edit)
• Mr Roy's 7 inch Edit
• Armands Star Trunk Funkin Mix
• Mr Roys Cosmic Cottage Mix
• Just Da Funk Dub

Comments: These do absolutely nothing for me, but apparently they're a big hit in the European dance clubs. (Neile)

From The Choirgirl Hotel singles

Spark

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Spark
• Macthirsty's Lounge B Sides. Last stop on the Kuförstendam:
  • Purple People (Christmas in Space)
  • Have Youself A Merry Little Christmas
  • Bachelorette

Comments: "Purple People (Christmas in Space)" is a mournful, bluesy song which at a couple of points reminds me a tiny bit of how she sang Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" on the limited Cornflake Girl single; "Have Youself [sic] A Merry Little Christmas" (yes this is the way it's spelt on the single) is surprisingly lovely version of the Christmas song (this from someone who doesn't like Christmas music at all); "Bachelorette" is percussive, catchy with tangoish bass and vocal lines, and is no relation to the Björk song of the same name. (Neile)

"Purple People (Christmas in Space)" on the first single is one of the best Tori B-sides I've heard in a while. While I love Boys for Pele, I disliked most of the B-sides from that album. It looks like the new B-sides may be a return to form for Tori. (stuart@sph.emory.edu)

UK Spark Limited Edition

Availability: limited

Tracks:

• Spark
• Do It Again (Steely Dan cover)
• Cooling

Jackie's Strength

Availability: wide

Tracks:

• Jackie's Strength
• Never Seen Blue
• Beulah Land
• enhanced CD: also has videos for "Jackie's Strength" and "Raspberry Swirl"

The "Jackie's Strength" single hasn't registered with me yet...the songs are pretty, keeping with from the choirgirl hotel's tradition of excellent B-sides. The piano playing is beautiful, the choir on "Beulah Land" quite effective. (tugboat@channel1.com)

The b-sides on this one are the strongest she's put out since "Honey". It's also worth it for the videos—it comes with the videos for not only "Jackie's Strength" (which is okay) but "Raspberry Swirl" (which is, in a word, fucked up). (meth@smoe.org)

I like the remix of "Jackie's Strength." For a song that was originally a quintessential Tori ballad, it works surprisingly well in a dance version. And, unlike many Tori remixes ("Professional Widow" immediately comes to mind), the ones for "Jackie's Strength" retain almost all of the lyrics and melody of the original. (stuart@sph.emory.edu)

Cruel/Raspberry Swirl

Availability: wide

Tracks:

• Cruel—Shady Feline Mix
• Raspberry Swirl—Lip Gloss Version
• Ambient Raspberry Swirl—Scarlet Spectrum Feels
• Mainline Cherry—Ambient Spark

I'm cheerfully avoiding getting the "Raspberry Swirl" single, since I have little tolerance for remixes of Tori's songs. (mcurry@io.com)

as everyone knows, it's all remixes. my usual reaction to such things are *yawn*, but i don't mind spending $3 for a good yawn every once in a while.
     for the most part, my rule holds true. the shady feline mix of "cruel" emphasizes the beat making it a shade dancier than the original, but not different enough to warrant a remix. there are two "raspberry swirl" mixes, of which the scarlet spectrum feels mix is by far the more interesting with its stretchy taffy tempo twist on the original—but both it and the ho-hum lip gloss version were already released on the european "raspberry swirl" single, so they aren't new (at least not for everybody).
     the "mainline cherry—ambient spark", though, is pretty cool. it's not as much a remix as a minimal cut-up of the song, interspersing the keyboard riff from the song's intro with the rest of the melody. over this, the vocal remains. kinda neat and maybe even worth $3, if you're feeling generous. (woj@smoe.org)

This has an ambient mix of "Raspberry Swirl" and a wildly cool mix of "Spark." Plus a slightly different mix of "Cruel" (which is easily my fave song on From The Choirgirl Hotel) and another dance mix of "Raspberry Swirl". (Plasterofstevie@aol.com)

to venus and back singles

Bliss

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Bliss
• hey jupiter (live)
• upside down (live)

Comments: PLEASE NOTE: There are two U.S. versions of this single: one which includes "upside down" and one which does not.

The song itself is OK, and the live "Hey Jupiter" is just beautiful. And the intro to "Upside Down" is very...uh...Tori. (jzitt@humansystems.com)

I thought "Bliss" was kind of too pop/rock, but I like it better on subsequent listens. I think it goes in the same vein as the from the choirgirl hotel songs. The two live songs, "Hey Jupiter" and "Upside Down" are also great. And she looks beautiful on the cover to boot. (JoAnn Whetsell)

1000 Oceans

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• 1000 oceans
• baker baker (live)
• winter (live)

Comments: PLEASE NOTE: There are two U.S. versions of this single: one which includes "winter" and one which does not.

Waiting for the edition with live versions of both "Baker Baker" and "Winter" was well worth it. Both are gorgeous solo versions. And it's interesting to backtrack and see the development (backwards) of Tori's piano ballads. (JoAnn Whetsell)

concertina

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• Concertina (the single mix)
• Famous Blue Raincoat (Leonard Cohen cover, live)
• Twinkle (live)

Comments: I love this single. "Concertina" is one of the best tracks on to venus and back, and this mix, with the addition of self-harmonizing, is, in my opinion, even better than the original. The live tracks are also good. (JoAnn Whetsell)

glory of the 80's

Availability: wide on release in U.K.

Tracks:

• glory of the 80;s
• blue raincoat (Leonard Cohen cover, live)
• twinkle (live)

Strange Little Girls singles

Strange Little Girl

Availability: Germany, available elsewhere as an import

Tracks:

• Strange Little Girl
• After All (David Bowie cover)
• Only Women Bleed (Alice Cooper cover)

Comments:Interesting but not essential Bowie & Cooper covers. (Neile)

Scarlet's Walk singles

A Sorta Fairytale

Availability: wide on release

Tracks:

• The 101 Mix
• Operation Peter Pan
• Original single version
• A Scarlet Story

Comments:This is two versions of "A Sorta Fairytale", the rather forgettable "Operation Peter Pan", and a short quicktime movie showing the pictures of the postcards from the limited DVD edition of Scarlet's Walk with a commentary by Tori over it. Overall one of her weaker singles, with no wonderful b-sides. (Neile)

Tori Amos' other recordings:

• Little Earthquakes (1991)
• Under the Pink + More Pink (1994)
• Boys for Pele (1996)
• from the choirgirl hotel (1998)
• to venus and back (1999)
• Strange Little Girls (2001)
• Scarlet's Walk (2002)
• Tales of a Librarian (2003)
• The Beekeeper (2005)
• Original Bootlegs (live set, 2006)
• A Piano: The Collection (compilation, 2006)
• American Doll Posse (2007)
• Live at Montreux (CD/DVD, 2008)
• Abnormally Attracted to Sin (2009)
• Midwinter Graces (seasonal, 2009)
• Night of Hunters (2011)
• Gold Dust (re-recording compilation, 2012)
• Unrepentant Geraldines (2014)
• The Light Princess (Original Cast Recording, Tori Amos's music and lyrics and two bonus tracks by her, 2 CDs, 2015)
• Native Invader (2017)
• Christmastide (seasonal EP, 2020)

The main Tori Amos page