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Crucify (song)

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"Crucify" is a song written and performed by Tori Amos from her album Little Earthquakes. Released in 1992, it was the fifth single from the album, and was featured on the US Crucify EP, the UK Crucify (Part 1) single, the UK Crucify (Part 2) single, the France Crucify vinyl and cassette single, and the Australia Crucify cassette single.

Personnel

Chart positions

"Crucify" reached #15 on the UK charts, which caused Little Earthquakes to re-enter the album charts there. In addition, "Crucify" hit #22 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in the United States. This, despite Amos's claims of censorship:

"I've been in the alternative stations because they won’t play my lyrics. The whole Bible-belt banned me for 'Crucify' because they thought I was being sacrilegous. They felt that it was detrimental material for their children and that it was blasphemous." [Hollywood Report - September 10, 1992]

Samples

Appearances of the song on television

Live performances

Tori Amos performed "Crucify" on David Letterman's show in May, 1992, and on CBS This Morning on September 9, 1992. She also played it on Jay Leno's show on January 13, 1993, along with the song "Winter." Additionally, she played "Crucify" live on MTV in 1992, as well as on Top of the Pops.[link]

Music video

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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 EP and singles, 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"[link], and shots of Tori climbing into a bathtub fully dressed, then dancing in the wet dress.
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Beavis and Butt-head riffed on the "Crucify" video, like they did to many other music videos. Much of what they said made very little sense, but there was one pointed comment that viewers, fans and non-fans of Amos alike, had to admit was true:

Butt-Head: How many videos are they going to make with chicks in a bathtub?
Beavis: Yeah... at least if they showed them naked it would be cool.
Butt-Head: Yeah. How come they never show chicks in showers?[link]

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Cindy Palmano has said that Atlantic Records finished the video because "I took it to a certain stage and then the record company wanted to edit it in a different way." Yet she approves of the bathtub sequence: "I like when she steps into the bath and comes out of the bath. It all looks really Hitchcock, I love it."[link] (Palmano also directed the videos Silent All These Years, Winter, China and Pretty Good Year, this last one from Amos' second album, Under the Pink.)

You can find this music video on Little Earthquakes and .

Later appearances of \"Crucify\"

In 2003, Tori Amos released the compilation album Tales of a Librarian, which included remastered versions of many of her most popular songs. The original LP version of "Crucify" was one of them.

Amos has performed "Crucify" differently live in recent years. The verses are a lot slower and have some degree of repetition. One example of how she plays it now can be found on the Welcome to Sunny Florida DVD.

External links

 


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