"50ft Queenie" is the third single by English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 singer-songwriter PJ Harvey

PJ Harvey

Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...

, and the first from her second studio album Rid of Me

Rid of Me

Rid of Me is the second studio album by British musician PJ Harvey. It was released by Island Records in May 1993, approximately one year after the release of her critically acclaimed debut album Dry...

. It is performed by Harvey's eponymous trio, consisting of Harvey on vocals and guitar, Rob Ellis on drums, and Steve Vaughan on bass. Released in April 1993, the song charted in the United Kingdom and was a Top 30 hit, but failed to chart in the United States. A promotional music video directed by Maria Mochnacz was also filmed.

Background and history

The song was recorded at Pachyderm Studios with Steve Albini - who had previously produced albums for the Pixies

Pixies (band)

The Pixies are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986. The group consists of Black Francis , Joey Santiago , Kim Deal , and David Lovering . While the Pixies found only modest success in their home country, they were significantly more successful in the United...

 and The Breeders

The Breeders

The Breeders are an American alternative rock band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal of the Pixies and Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses. The band has experienced a number of line-up changes; the current line-up consists of Kim Deal , her twin sister Kelley Deal , Jose Medeles , Mando Lopez Todd the Fox...

 - and decided to work with him due to the fact "the instruments on the album sound like they're breathing and real."

Track listing

All songs written by PJ Harvey.

UK CD and European 12" single (Island Records, CID 538, 862 037-2 / 12IS 538, 862 037-1)

1. 50 ft Queenie - 2:26
2. Reeling - 2:39
3. Man-Size (demo) - 3:24
4. Hook (demo) - 4:33

Tracks 1 and 2 recorded by Steve Albini. Tracks 3 and 4 recorded by PJ Harvey.

The demo version of "Hook" later appeared on 4-Track Demos

4-Track Demos

4-Track Demos is an album of demos by British singer-songwriter PJ Harvey. It was released in October 1993 by Island Records. It consists of 8 demos of songs from her previous album, Rid of Me, along with 6 demos of some unreleased tracks which never made it to being recorded with the three-piece...

.

UK 7" single (Island Records, IS 538, 862 037-7)

1. 50 ft Queenie - 2:26
2. Reeling - 2:39
3. Man-Size (demo) - 3:24

Music video

Directed by Maria Mochnaz, the music video for the song features PJ Harvey performing the song, with the small leopard skin coat as seen in the single's inlay artwork. The backdrop of the video reads "HEY I'M ONE BIG QUEENIE." It was later featured on Beavis and Butt-Head

Beavis and Butt-Head

Beavis and Butt-head is an American animated television series created by Mike Judge. The series originated from Frog Baseball, a 1992 short film by Judge. After seeing the short, MTV signed Judge to develop the concept. Beavis and Butt-head originally aired from March 8, 1993 to November 28, 1997...

.

Chart positions

Chart (1992)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	27