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Professional Widow

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"Professional Widow"
"Professional Widow" cover
Single by Tori Amos
from the album Boys for Pele
B-side(s) Various remixes and live tracks
Released 1996
Format Various
Genre Rock
Length Studio version 4:31, remixes vary
Label Atlantic Records
Writer(s) Tori Amos
Producer(s) Tori Amos

"Professional Widow" is a song written by American-born singer and songwriter Tori Amos. It was originally a harpsichord-driven punk rock dirge included on her 1996 album Boys For Pele, but it gained international popularity after being remixed by house music producer Armand van Helden. The remixed single (entitled "The Star Trunk Funkin' Mix") hit number one on the UK single chart and the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the U.S. The song was then further remixed by artist Mr. Roy, spawning an entirely new CD-single of remixes that again took to the charts.

The song lyrics, taken out of context for the remix, were chosen based on their sexual provocativeness but were frequently misinterpreted. For instance, the refrain "It's gotta be big" was very frequently misheard as "He's got a big dick." The song is heavily listed on web pages that collect misheard song lyrics. 1

The track has been subject to controversial and heated debates among many fans. Some claim that the song is a strategically subtle dig at Courtney Love, whom is rumoured to have had a fling with Tori's then "boyfriend" Trent Reznor of the rock band Nine Inch Nails[1]. Amos has never confirmed this, preferring not to discuss the matter at all

Contents

[edit] Personnel (of original recording on Boys for Pele)

[edit] Appearances and remixes of song on various CDs, EPs and singles

[edit] Professional Widow single, United States, July 1996

[edit] CD single

  1. Professional Widow (LP Mix 4:31)
  2. Professional Widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix 8:08)
  3. Professional Widow (MK Mix 7:20)
  4. Professional Widow (Just Da Funk Dub 3:44)
  5. Professional Widow (MK Vampire Dub 6:56)
  6. Professional Widow (Armand's Instrumental 5:35)
  7. Professional Widow (Bonus Beats 4:31)

[edit] 12" single

This release marked the first 12" single for Amos.

  1. Professional Widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix 8:08)
  2. Professional Widow (Just Da Funk Dub 3:44)
  3. Professional Widow (MK Mix 7:20)
  4. Professional Widow (MK Vampire Dub 6:56)

[edit] Hey Jupiter/Professional Widow double A-side single, United Kingdom, July 1996

[edit] CD single

  1. Hey Jupiter (The Dakota Version 6:03)
  2. Professional Widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix) (Radio Edit 3:45)
  3. Sugar (Live 5:43)
  4. Honey (Live 4:19)

[edit] 12" single

  1. Professional Widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix 8:08)
  2. Hey Jupiter (The Dakota Version) (Radio Edit 4:14)
  3. Talula (BT's Synethasia Mix 11:27)

[edit] Cassette single

  1. Hey Jupiter (The Dakota Version 6:03)
  2. Professional Widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix) (Radio Edit 3:45)

[edit] Professional Widow (It's Gotta Be Big) single, United Kingdom, December 30, 1996

[edit] CD single

  1. Professional Widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix) (Radio Edit 3:45)
  2. Professional Widow (Mr Roy's 7" Edit)
  3. Professional Widow (Armands Star Trunk Funkin' Mix 8:08)
  4. Professional Widow (Mr Roy's Cosmic Cottage Mix)
  5. Professional Widow (Just Da Funk Dub)

[edit] 12" single

  1. Professional Widow (Mr Roy's Cosmic Cottage)
  2. Professional Widow (Mr Roy's 7" Edit)
  3. Professional Widow (Armands Star Trunk Funkin' Mix)
  4. Professional Widow (Just Da Funk Dub)

[edit] Cassette single

  1. Professional Widow (Mr Roy's 7" Edit)
  2. Professional Widow (Armands Star Trunk Funkin' Mix)

[edit] Non-single appearances

After the release of Boys for Pele, on which it first appeared, "Professional Widow" showed up in quite a few other places.

  • A live "Merry Widow" version, slow on an organ, was released on the Hey Jupiter EP in August 1996.
  • The Escape from L.A. soundtrack features the original LP version.
  • A compilation CD titled Work Out, which was released by Atlantic Records in January 1997, leads off with the "Star Trunk Funkin' Mix."
  • The compilation CD Tales of a Librarian seats the "Star Trunk Funkin' Mix" between two other songs from Boys for Pele, but some fans found this placement of the track distracting.

[edit] Video

A video was made for the "Star Trunk Funkin' Mix," but it was simply a collection of clips from other Tori Amos videos edited together. It is the only video from between 1991 and 1998 that does not appear on Tori Amos: Complete Videos 1991-1998.

One can see Amos playing "Professional Widow" live on the Welcome to Sunny Florida DVD. The performance features Jon Evans on bass and Matt Chamberlain on drums, while Amos plays the piano. This version mutes out any instances of "fucker," and the last word, "cock."

[edit] See also

Preceded by:
"2 Become 1" by Spice Girls 		UK Singles Chart
Number 1 single
12 January 1997 – 19 January 1997 		Succeeded by:
"Your Woman" by White Town


[edit] References

Retrieved from "http://en.wikivisual.com/index.php/Professional_Widow"
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