Tori Amos

Early life and education

Amos was born on August 22, 1963, at Old Catawba Hospital, in Newton, North Carolina during her parents' trip from their home in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. She is the third child of Mary Ellen (née Copeland) and Edison McKinley Amos. and was named Myra Ellen Amos.

1979–1989: Career beginnings and Y Kant Tori Read

By the time she was 17, Amos had a stock of homemade demo tapes that her father regularly sent out to record companies and producers. Producer Narada Michael Walden responded favorably: he and Amos cut some tracks together, but none were released. Eventually, Atlantic Records responded to one of the tapes, and, when A&R man Jason Flom flew to Baltimore to audition her in person, the label was convinced and signed her.

Legacy

Artists influenced by (and/or admirers of) Amos's work include Alanis Morissette, Amy Lee of Evanescence, Jewel, Halsey, Brad Walsh, Olly Alexander of Years & Years, Perfume Genius, Anne Hathaway, Willow Smith Justin Timberlake, Olivia Rodrigo, St. Vincent, Leighton Meester, and Jack Colwell.

Crucify

"Crucify" is a song by American singer-songwriter and pianist 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.

In Australia, it was released on July 20, 1992.

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.

Legacy

The song has been covered by Sharon den Adel, vocalist of Within Temptation, and Nolwenn Leroy, French singer.

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," and shots of Tori climbing into a bathtub fully dressed, then dancing in the wet dress.

Silent All These Years

"Silent All These Years" is a song by American singer-songwriter and musician Tori Amos, released as the second single from her debut studio album, Little Earthquakes (1992). It was originally released in the United Kingdom in November 1991 via EastWest Records.

It was released in North America in 1992 by Atlantic Records and was later used to promote awareness of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). In the UK, the single was re-released on August 10, 1992.

Releases

"Silent All These Years" was initially a B-side of the first single, "Me and a Gun". The decision to release "Silent All These Years" came after UK station Radio One named it "Song of the Week".

Re-release and later coverage

1997 saw the re-release of "Silent All These Years" in the United States as a CD single as a fundraiser for RAINN. The original album version is included along with a live version, significantly longer, recorded during the Concert for RAINN that was aired on Lifetime Television.

Critical reception

Melody Maker wrote, "Noble. The way she sings the words "boy, you better pray that I bleed real soon" will send little shivers from the tip of your head right down to your heels." The reviewer added, "Without the screeching and the bluster, with just a piano for company, it will make you realise just how great a song it is. It will also make you feel a little stupid that you've been singing nowhere near the right lyrics for the last nine months." The magazine's Chris Roberts complimented the "genuine clever narratives" of "Silent All These Years". Ian McCann from New Musical Express said, "Her voice makes me shiver, it's all hurt and nutty. On 'Silent' she hears it herself, she reckons, and goes on about a bloke's jeans. People like this...

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Silent All These Years" was the first of Amos's solo career. It was shot by Cindy Palmano over the course of two days. Palmano, who had been a stills photographer until this project, came up with the idea of Amos rolling inside a box, the image which is most often associated with the video. Other clips include impersonal shots of objects such as false breasts on a clothes hanger and flowing honey, which Palmano describes as having "a modern look, very clean." The video approaches a climax with shots of Amos twirling against an uneven surface, created by using a corner of a room painted such a crisp white that it's hard to tell that the wall is even there at all. For the final seconds, Amos's face fills the...

A Sorta Fairytale

"A Sorta Fairytale" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter and pianist Tori Amos. It was released as the first single from her seventh studio album Scarlet's Walk (2002).

The song reached No. 14 on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, and number two on the Triple A chart.

Reception

"A Sorta Fairytale" is widely regarded as one of Amos's best songs. In 2014, Stereogum ranked the song number five on their list of the 10 greatest Tori Amos songs, and in 2023, The Guardian ranked the song number six on their list of the 20 greatest Tori Amos songs.

Music video

The music video, directed by Sanji, features Amos, as a head attached to a disembodied leg, falling in love with another head attached to a disembodied arm (played by Adrien Brody). The two creatures show signs of romantic interest in one another, until the arm accidentally hurts the leg's feelings by laughing at her crooked fifth toe. The leg then flees by jumping onto a passing skateboard, and ends up alone on a deserted beach. The arm finds her and they consummate their love with a deep kiss. The act of kissing causes the arm and leg to suddenly start swelling up and grow their extra body parts—they finally become complete, "whole" humans by realizing their love.

Cornflake Girl

"Cornflake Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter and pianist Tori Amos. It was released on January 10, 1994, by Atlantic and East West Records as the first single from her second studio album, Under the Pink (1994), in the United Kingdom.

In the United States, it served as the album's second single, after "God". It was written by Amos and produced by her with Eric Rosse.

Inspiration and meaning

Amos' inspiration for "Cornflake Girl" came from the book Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992) by Alice Walker, which is about female genital mutilation in Africa, specifically how a close female family member would betray the victim by performing the procedure. Amos has said that growing up, the name they gave to girls who would hurt you despite close friendship was "cornflake girls".

Release

Two separate "Cornflake Girl" CD singles were released in the UK. The first, released on January 10, 1994, contains three original B-sides: "Sister Janet", "All the Girls Hate Her" and "Over It"; the latter two being part of a Piano Suite. The second, released on January 17, 1994, was a limited edition picture CD housed in a digipak, containing cover versions of the songs "A Case of You" by Joni Mitchell, "If 6 Was 9" by Jimi Hendrix and "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday. The first CD single was replicated for the German and Australasian release, and its B-sides were re-used for the US "God" and "Cornflake Girl" releases. Other than "A Case of You" appearing on a US promotional CD compilation and a limited two-CD Australian tour edition of...

Reception

Ned Raggett from AllMusic described the song as "a waltz-paced number with an unnerving whistle and stuttering vocal hook." Larry Flick from Billboard magazine noted it as a "bouncy, piano-driven single". He added, "As always, Amos weaves lyrics that push you to think as well as hum" and "this could be the big hit Amos has been waiting for." Troy J. Augusto from Cash Box wrote, "More painful confessional from Amos, a gifted singer-songwriter with a knack for making childhood pain perfect top-40 fodder. Reminiscent of early Kate Bush, this track will look to alternative and college radio for acceptance first, with rock outlets hopefully responding as well. Thematically, a bit depressing for hits stations, but an affecting, important release...

Music video

There were produced two different music videos for "Cornflake Girl". The UK version was directed by Big TV!, two directors from the UK. Amos said that is based on The Wizard of Oz, except that Dorothy goes to Hell instead. Amos stated that she wanted there to be "two different visual expressions" of the song. The US video, directed by Amos and Nancy Bennett, features Amos driving a truck full of women around a typical American desert.

Cruel

"Cruel" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter and pianist Tori Amos. It was released as the third single from her fourth studio album From the Choirgirl Hotel (1998).

In the United States it was released as a double A-side single with "Raspberry Swirl", off the same album.

Spark

"Spark" is a song by American singer-songwriter and pianist Tori Amos, released by Atlantic and EastWest Records as the first single from Amos' fourth studio album, From the Choirgirl Hotel (1998). It peaked at No. 49 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it her highest-charting single in the US.

Background

Amos wrote "Spark" after suffering a miscarriage. She discussed the song in an article from Q magazine in May 1998.

Critical reception

British magazine Music Week wrote, "Tori bursts back onto the scene with this powerful first single from her forthcoming album From the Choirgirl Hotel. Her trademark piano is there but the addition of a band, drums, loops and electronic effects add a further dimension. It's a very fine, multi-layered song which will see her first return to the chart since the 'Professional Widow' remix smash."

Music video

Amos requested the video for "Spark" to be directed by James Brown, who originally had a different idea for the video that Amos disliked; she requested wanting something "where a girl has a will to live." The video was shot in Dartmoor, South West England and took three days to finish.

Winter

"Winter" is a song by American singer-songwriter and pianist Tori Amos, released as a single in March 1992. "Winter" was Amos' first single to reach the top 40 in any country, peaking at number 25 in the United Kingdom two weeks after its release.

Release

"Winter" was the fourth single released from Amos' debut studio album, Little Earthquakes. It was released through EastWest Records on March 9, 1992, in the United Kingdom and on May 18, 1992, in Australia. In North America, it was issued through Atlantic Records the same year. The song also appears on Amos' 2003 compilation, Tales of a Librarian. The music video can be seen on the video collections Tori Amos: Complete Videos 1991–1998 and Fade to Red.

Reception

"Winter" is widely regarded as one of Amos's best songs. In 2014, Stereogum ranked the song number two on their list of the 10 greatest Tori Amos songs, and in 2023, The Guardian ranked the song number four on their list of the 20 greatest Tori Amos songs. The song has placed on the Dutch Top 2000 songs of all time countdown every year since 2015, peaking at No. 765 in 2017.

Cover versions

Michael Stipe of R.E.M. has included lines of the song in live performances, most notably in 1995.