"Spark" is a song by American singer-songwriter
Tori Amos
Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...
, released by
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
and
EastWest
East West Records (stylized as east''west'') is a record label formed in 1955, distributed and owned by Warner Music Group, headquartered in New York City.
History
After its creation in 1955 by Atlantic Records, the label had its first hit wit ...
as the first single from Amos' fourth studio album, ''
From the Choirgirl Hotel
''From the Choirgirl Hotel'' (stylised in all lowercase) is the fourth studio album by American musician Tori Amos. It was released on May 5, 1998, on Atlantic Records. The album was Amos's first to be recorded at her own Martian Engineering St ...
'' (1998). It peaked at number 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
''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future.
History
Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...
'' 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
Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, South West England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers .
The granite that forms the uplands dates from the Carb ...
,
South West England
South West England, or the South West of England, is one of the nine official regions of England, regions of England in the United Kingdom. Additionally, it is one of four regions that altogether make up Southern England. South West England con ...
and took three days to finish.
Track listings
* US CD and cassette single
# "Spark" (album version) – 4:12
# "Purple People" – 3:41
* US maxi-CD single
# "Spark" – 4:12
# "Purple People" – 3:41
# "Bachelorette" – 3:34
* UK CD1 and Australian CD single
# "Spark" – 4:18
# "Purple People (Christmas in Space)" – 3:42
# "
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song written in 1943 by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical '' Meet Me in St. Louis''. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics. ...
" – 3:42
# "Bachelorette" – 3:34
* UK CD2
# "Spark" – 4:17
# "
Do It Again" – 6:04
# "Cooling" – 4:41
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Release history
References
External links
The Dent: Spark single
{{Authority control
Tori Amos songs
1998 singles
1998 songs
Atlantic Records singles
East West Records singles