Talula

"Talula"
"Talula"
Single by Tori Amos
from the album Boys for Pele
B-side	"Samurai"; "Frog on My Toe"; "London Girls"; "Amazing Grace / Til' the Chicken"; "Sister Named Desire"; "Alamo";
Released	March 11, 1996
Length	4:08
Label	Atlantic; EastWest;
Songwriter(s)	Tori Amos
Producer(s)	Tori Amos
Tori Amos singles chronology

"Talula" is a song by American singer-songwriter Tori Amos, released by Atlantic and EastWest as the second single from her third studio album, Boys for Pele (1996). The song reached number 22 on the UK Singles Chart and appeared in the Jan de Bont film Twister.

The single version, titled "The Tornado Mix", is remixed by BT, who went on to work with Amos on "Blue Skies", and includes a minor dance beat. In the UK, "Talula (The Tornado Mix)" replaced the original version of the song on later pressings of the album and eventual re-pressings in the US and Australia. BT also remixed an extended mix called the "Synesthasia Mix" which appeared on copies of the single.

Meaning

The song is about the concept of ideal woman and the fear of losing someone.^[2] The lyrics includes references to queens like Marie Antoinette and Anne Boleyn.

The B-side "Sister Named Desire" is a reference to Delirium's sister/brother Desire of Sandman, created by Amos' friend Neil Gaiman. The character of Delirium is frequently inspired by Tori, although Delirium was created before Gaiman met her. "Desire" was later remastered for the compilation Where's Neil When You Need Him?, which featured tracks inspired by Gaiman's work. This is not the first nor last time Tori has mentioned Neil Gaiman; he is referenced in her songs: "Tear in Your Hand", "Space Dog", "Horses", "Hotel", "Carbon", and "Not Dying Today".

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Typically beady and tough to penetrate on a lyrical level, this is a roller coaster of musical sounds, rapidly swerving from sweeping acoustic strumming to electro-hip funk beats."^[3] Kevin Courtney from Irish Times felt that tracks like "Talula" "creep over you like the smell of home cooking, but don't get too comfortable although Missy Amos can rustic up some very palatable fare, she has a rather irritating tendency to overturn the dinner table."^[4]

Track listings

US maxi-CD single^[5]

"Talula" (Tornado album version) – 3:43
"Samurai" – 3:03
"Frog on My Toe" – 3:40
"London Girls" (Chas & Dave cover) – 3:20
"Talula" (BT's Synethasia mix) – 11:27

UK CD1 and Australian CD single^[6]

"Talula" (the Tornado mix) – 3:43
"Talula" (BT's Synethasia mix) – 11:27
"Amazing Grace / Til the Chicken" – 6:48

UK CD2^[7]

"Talula" (the Tornado mix) – 3:43
"Frog on My Toe" – 3:40
"Sister Named Desire" – 5:29
"Alamo" – 5:11

UK cassette single^[8]

"Talula" (the Tornado mix) – 3:43
"Sister Named Desire" – 5:29

Personnel

Personnel are lifted from the Boys for Pele album booklet.^[9]

Tori Amos – writing, vocals, harpsichord, production
George Porter Jr. – bass
Manu Katche – drums
Mino Cinelu – percussion
Steve Caton – mandolins, all guitars
Alan Friedman – drum programming
Tracy Griffin – flugelhorn
Brian Graber – flugelhorn
Clarence J. Johnson III – tenor saxophone
Mark Mullins – trombone, horn arrangement

Craig Klein – sousaphone
Mark Hawley – recording
Marcel van Limbeek – recording
Rob van Tuin – recording assistant
Bob Clearmountain – mixing
Ryan Freeland – mixing assistant
Brian Transeau – Tornado mix reworking
Tim Weidner – Tornado mix engineering and Sound Tools
Bob Ludwig – mastering

Charts

Chart (1996)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[10]	131
Scotland (OCC)^[11]	19
UK Singles (OCC)^[12]	22
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)^[13]	19
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)^[14]	49

References

^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. March 9, 1996. p. 31. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
^ Quotes from interviews with Tori Amos Archived January 15, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
^ Flick, Larry (May 4, 1996). "Reviews & Previews: Singles" (PDF). Billboard. p. 43. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
^ Courtney, Kevin (January 26, 1996). "Rock". Irish Times.
^ Talula (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Tori Amos. Atlantic Records. 1996. CD5 2-85504.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Talula (UK CD1 & Australian CD single liner notes). Tori Amos. EastWest Records. 1996. A8512CD1, 7567-88512-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Talula (UK CD2 liner notes). Tori Amos. EastWest Records. 1996. A8512CD2, 7567-88511-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Talula (UK cassette single sleeve). Tori Amos. EastWest Records. 1996. A8512C.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Boys for Pele (US CD album booklet). Tori Amos. Atlantic Records. 1996. 82862-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received June 17, 2014". Retrieved March 4, 2015 – via Imgur.
^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
^ "Tori Amos Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
^ "Tori Amos Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2021.