"Victoria" is a song by

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

rock band

The Exponents The Exponents, formerly The Dance Exponents, was a New Zealand rock group led by vocalist and songwriter Jordan Luck. Their major hits were "Victoria (Dance Exponents song), Victoria" "Why Does Love Do This To Me" and "Who Loves Who The Most ...

from their 1982 album '' Prayers Be Answered'' and their debut single. Released in June 1982 as the band's debut single, it reached Number 6 on the New Zealand singles chart. The song was selected by a panel of New Zealand songwriters to have been the #8 top 100 New Zealand songs of all time.

Background

"Victoria" was inspired by Luck's landlady in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

, with the name ''Victoria'' used as a

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

whilst her real name was Vicky. She successfully ran an escort agency but lived with an abusive man: Luck questioned her relationship with the line "What do you see in him?". The band moved to

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

before the release of the song. After the single became a success, Luck visited 'Victoria' in

and was happy to find that she not only loved the song but had also split from her abusive boyfriend.

Music video

The video was funded by the New Zealand Broadcasting Association but, unusually for the time, included a story rather than just a studio performance. Shot in the band's hometown of Christchurch, it features Jordan Luck as "Victoria's" taxi driver and Al Park, a singer-songwriter sometimes credited as the father figure for the 'Lyttelton Sound' and the first guy to bring punk music to Christchurch. In 2019, Luck would cover Park's "I Walked Away" for the covers collection ''Better Already - The Songs Of Al Park''.

Alternate Versions

The recording of "Victoria" on the Prayers Be Answered album differs from the original single. Another version was also included on the 1985

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album.

Charts

References

{{Reflist

External links

Victoria Music Video (New Zealand On Screen)

Victoria - the evolution of a great pop song
Radio New Zealand 1982 singles APRA Award winners The Exponents songs 1982 songs