Crucify (song)

"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.

"Crucify"
Single by Tori Amos
from the album Little Earthquakes
B-side
  • "Here. In My Head"
  • "Mary"
  • "Thank You"
  • "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
  • "Angie"
  • "Winter"
Released
  • May 12, 1992 (US)
  • Jun 8, 1992 (UK)
  • Jun 15, 1992 (UK limited edition)
  • Jul 20, 1992 (Aus)[1]
RecordedAugust 1990
GenreAlternative rock
Length21:35
LabelAtlantic, EastWest
Songwriter(s)Tori Amos
Producer(s)Ian Stanley, Davitt Sigerson
Tori Amos singles chronology
"Winter"
(1992)		 "Crucify"
(1992)		 "Cornflake Girl"
(1994)
Tori Amos EP chronology
Crucify
(1992)		 Hey Jupiter
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Robert Christgau[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]

Background

The song served as the fifth single from the album Little Earthquakes. It was released as an EP in the US and as a single in Europe and Australia. The song has been covered by Sharon den Adel, vocalist of Within Temptation, and Nolwenn Leroy, French singer.

The EP version included a single remix, famous cover versions and "Winter," which was released earlier as a single from the album. It sold 450,000 copies in the US according to Soundscan as of 2005, coming close to a Gold certification. Although the EP sold extremely well, it failed to chart on the Billboard 200. The length of this EP is 20:50.

The UK CD single included the songs "Here. In My Head" and "Mary" which were B-sides of "Crucify". The UK EP Limited Edition included live versions of "Crucify", "Little Earthquakes", "Mother" and "Precious Things".

Track listing
US EP single
  1. "Crucify" (remix) – 4:18
  2. "Winter" – 5:41
  3. "Angie" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) – 4:25
  4. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl) – 3:17
  5. "Thank You" (Robert Plant, Jimmy Page) – 3:49
UK CD single
  1. "Crucify" (remix) – 4:18
  2. "Here. In My Head" – 3:53
  3. "Mary" – 4:27
  4. "Crucify" (Alternate Mix) – 4:58 (misprinted as "LP Version")
Limited UK EP single
  1. "Little Earthquakes" (live) – 6:58
  2. "Crucify" (live) – 5:19
  3. "Precious Things" (live) – 5:03
  4. "Mother" (live) – 6:37

Personnel

Charts
Chart (1992–1993) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[5][6] 83
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] 74
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[8] 33
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9] 41
France (SNEP)[10] 17
Germany (Official German Charts)[11] 84
Ireland (IRMA)[12] 25
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 79
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 17
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[15] 16
UK Singles (OCC)[16] 15
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[17] 22

Appearances of the song on television

Live performances

Tori Amos performed "Crucify" on Late Night with David Letterman in May, 1992, and on CBS This Morning on September 9, 1992. She also played it on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on January 13, 1993, along with the song "Winter." Additionally, she played "Crucify" live on MTV in 1992, as well as on Top of the Pops.[18]

Music video

The "Crucify" video, directed by Cindy Palmano (photographer and video director) and Atlantic Records, was released in 1992 as well. It was shot using the radio edit of "Crucify" that can be found on the Crucify EP and single release, but the version used on Tori's 2006 Fade to Red 2DVD set is an edited version of the remastered track that is found on the compilation Tales of a Librarian. It includes images of Tori at the piano shot using overhead cameras, twin Toris who sing together at a counter, clothing "reminiscent of Anne Boleyn,"[19] and shots of Tori climbing into a bathtub fully dressed, then dancing in the wet dress.

Cindy Palmano has said that Atlantic Records finished the video because "I took it to a certain stage and then the record company wanted to edit it in a different way." Yet she approves of the bathtub sequence: "I like when she steps into the bath and comes out of the bath. It all looks really Hitchcock, I love it."[19] (Palmano also directed the videos "Silent All These Years," "Winter," "China" and "Pretty Good Year," this last one from Amos' second album, Under the Pink.)

The music video can be found on Little Earthquakes, Tori Amos: Complete Videos 1991-1998 and Fade to Red: Video Collection.

Later appearances of "Crucify"

In 2003, Tori Amos released the compilation album Tales of a Librarian, which included remastered versions of many of her most popular songs. The original LP version of "Crucify" was one of them.

Amos has performed "Crucify" differently live in recent years, with the verses being performed slower and with some degree of repetition. One example of how she plays it now can be found on the Welcome to Sunny Florida DVD.

References
  1. "New Release Summary – Product Available from: 20/07/92 (from The ARIA Report Issue No. 129)". Imgur.com. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
  2. "Tori Amos—Crucify (EP)". Allmusic.com. Archived from the original on 2016-01-21. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  3. Robert Christgau. "Tori Amos". Robert Christgau Consumer Guide. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  4. "Tori Amos". Rolling Stone Album Guide. Archived from the original on 2013-07-13.
  5. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  6. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 06 Sep 1992 (61–100)". ARIA. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  7. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2006." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  8. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1995." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  9. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9 no. 29. July 18, 1992. p. 17. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  10. "Lescharts.com – Tori Amos – Crucify" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  11. "Offiziellecharts.de – Tori Amos – Crucify". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  12. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Crucify". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  13. "Dutchcharts.nl – Tori Amos – Crucify" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  14. "Charts.nz – Tori Amos – Crucify". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  15. "Swedishcharts.com – Tori Amos – Crucify". Singles Top 100. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  16. "Tori Amos: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  17. "Tori Amos Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  18. "Tori Amos: Compilamos". HereInMyHead.com. Archived from the original on 2002-06-21.
  19. "Videography: Crucify". HereInMyHead.com. Archived from the original on 2002-08-17.
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