Hey Jupiter
Encyclopedia
"Hey Jupiter" is a song written and recorded by American
singer-songwriter
Tori Amos
. It served as the fourth single from her album Boys For Pele
and was Amos' first EP since 1992's Crucify
. The Hey Jupiter EP features a remix
ed version of "Hey Jupiter" followed by 4 live tracks recorded during her Dew Drop Inn Tour of 1996. The song is also featured on the double-A CD singles released in the UK and Australia.
Live versions can be found on the US "Bliss
" single in 1999, the London
show of her “The Original Bootlegs
” series (2005), and of the 27 shows part of the “Legs and Boots
” series, released over 2007 and 2008.
's classic power ballad "Purple Rain
," which also featured an extended instrumental coda.
The Dakota Version has been performed on each of Amos' tours since the Dew Drop Inn Tour (1996). Traditionally, Amos performs the album version when on solo piano, although the Dakota version was performed on the vast majority of nights of the "American Doll Posse
" world tour.
The full length version of the studio Dakota version is also featured on Tori's Anthology box set, "A Piano".
. The "Hey Jupiter/Professional Widow" double A-side single release peaked at #20 on the UK Top 40 chart. The Australian double A-side release debuted at #68 on the ARIA Chart in October 1996 and climbed the chart to peak at #17 in February 1997, maintaining the peak position for 3 weeks. The double A-side single remained on the chart for 31 weeks throughout 1996-97, ranking #65 on the Australian year-end top singles chart for 1997.
, Madonna
, The Fugees
, and Missy Elliott
. The video is set to the edit of The Dakota version, as opposed to the extended Dakota version or the LP version of the song. The video features Amos being guided through a burning building by a small girl.
According to Amos in the audio commentary provided on the video Fade to Red, the small girl represents an Angel that is leading her out of the physical world and into a spiritual world. Tori plays herself in the video trying to leave a relationship/addiction but can't so does something sort of crazy (commits suicide). The audience on the sidewalk watching the apartment building burn down resembles the people in our lives ('who know you well and not so well") who are forced to watch us self-destruct.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
. It served as the fourth single from her album Boys For Pele
Boys for Pele
Boys for Pele is the third studio album by American singer and song-writer Tori Amos. Preceded by the first single, "Caught a Lite Sneeze", by three weeks, the album was released on 22 January 1996, in the United Kingdom and on 23 January, in the United States...
and was Amos' first EP since 1992's Crucify
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. It was released on May 12, 1992 by Atlantic Records in North America and on June 8 by EastWest Records in the UK.-Background:The song served...
. The Hey Jupiter EP features a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed version of "Hey Jupiter" followed by 4 live tracks recorded during her Dew Drop Inn Tour of 1996. The song is also featured on the double-A CD singles released in the UK and Australia.
Live versions can be found on the US "Bliss
Bliss (Tori Amos song)
"Bliss" is a song by American singer-songwriter Tori Amos. It is the lead track from Amos' fifth studio album, To Venus and Back. "Bliss" went to alternative stations on August 6, 1999 and was released commercially in the U.S. on August 24, 1999...
" single in 1999, the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
show of her “The Original Bootlegs
The Original Bootlegs
The Original Bootlegs is a series of six Tori Amos live albums, recorded during the Original Sinsuality and Summer of Sin tours, both of which were in support of her 2005 album, The Beekeeper. Double-disc sets were released for each complete show, which were initially released in pairs and sold...
” series (2005), and of the 27 shows part of the “Legs and Boots
Legs and Boots
Legs and Boots is a series of Tori Amos live albums recorded during the North American leg of the American Doll Posse Tour. Amos announced the launch of the series on October 16, 2007, stating that each show in the series would be available via digital download in MP3 format within a few hours...
” series, released over 2007 and 2008.
US EP
Australia Double A-side CD single
UK Double A-side CD single
Official versions
- "Hey Jupiter" (Album Version) / (LP Version) - 5:07
- "Hey Jupiter" (The Dakota Version) - 6:03
- "Hey Jupiter" (The Dakota Version) (Radio Edit) - 4:14
The Dakota Version
The version of "Hey Jupiter" released on the EP differs substantially from the version which appears on the album Boys for Pele. It is not a remix, but a full re-recording. While the album version is largely a piano solo track, the Dakota Version adds many more layers including bass, guitars and a rhythm track taken from the earlier B-side track "Sugar" (though slowed down). Lyrically, new bridges and an extended coda are added, making the song even longer despite the fact that the third verse from the album version is omitted. The new version also emphasises the song's chordal similarity to PrincePrince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
's classic power ballad "Purple Rain
Purple Rain (song)
"Purple Rain" is a power ballad by Prince and The Revolution. It is the title track from the 1984 album of the same name, which in turn is the soundtrack album for the 1984 film of the same name, and was released as the third single from that album. The song is a combination of rock, pop, gospel,...
," which also featured an extended instrumental coda.
The Dakota Version has been performed on each of Amos' tours since the Dew Drop Inn Tour (1996). Traditionally, Amos performs the album version when on solo piano, although the Dakota version was performed on the vast majority of nights of the "American Doll Posse
American Doll Posse
American Doll Posse is the ninth studio album by singer-songwriter Tori Amos; it was released in 2007. Like her previous albums Strange Little Girls and Scarlet's Walk , American Doll Posse is a concept album, which entails five female personae Amos developed based on Greek mythology. Musically,...
" world tour.
The full length version of the studio Dakota version is also featured on Tori's Anthology box set, "A Piano".
Personnel
- Tori Amos – acoustic pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, vocals - Steve CatonSteve CatonSteve Caton is a professional guitarist/singer, song writer, producer, and visual artist, whose career has spanned almost three decades.Catons first time in a band was in Tedd Armstrongs' band "PEGASUS" in the late 1970s into early 1980s. Even as a beginner, Caton's talent as a lead guitarist was...
– guitarsElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Justin Meldal-JohnsenJustin Meldal-JohnsenJustin Meldal-Johnsen is an American musician and bassist, best known for his work with Grammy Award-winning artist Beck. He served as the touring bassist for Nine Inch Nails during their final tours.-Recording career:...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Andy LingAndy LingAndy Ling is a British trance artist and remixer. He became popular due to his "Fixation" single. This reached #55 in the UK Singles Chart in 2000, and was released on the Hooj Choons label.-External links:...
– programming
Sales and chart performance
The US Hey Jupiter EP debuted at #94 on the Billboard 200. The EP remained on the chart for only 3 weeks before falling off in September. As of May 2008, 12 years after its release, the Hey Jupiter EP has sold 172,000 copies in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScanNielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
. The "Hey Jupiter/Professional Widow" double A-side single release peaked at #20 on the UK Top 40 chart. The Australian double A-side release debuted at #68 on the ARIA Chart in October 1996 and climbed the chart to peak at #17 in February 1997, maintaining the peak position for 3 weeks. The double A-side single remained on the chart for 31 weeks throughout 1996-97, ranking #65 on the Australian year-end top singles chart for 1997.
Charts
| Chart (1996) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 20 |
| Australian ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... Singles Chart |
17 |
Music video
The music video for "Hey Jupiter" was directed by Earle Sebastian, who has worked with the likes of BonoBono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, The Fugees
The Fugees
Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
, and Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
. The video is set to the edit of The Dakota version, as opposed to the extended Dakota version or the LP version of the song. The video features Amos being guided through a burning building by a small girl.
According to Amos in the audio commentary provided on the video Fade to Red, the small girl represents an Angel that is leading her out of the physical world and into a spiritual world. Tori plays herself in the video trying to leave a relationship/addiction but can't so does something sort of crazy (commits suicide). The audience on the sidewalk watching the apartment building burn down resembles the people in our lives ('who know you well and not so well") who are forced to watch us self-destruct.