{{Short description|1996 single by Tori Amos}} {{Distinguish|Tallulah (disambiguation)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Infobox song | name = Talula | cover = talula.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = [[Tori Amos]] | album = [[Boys for Pele]] | B-side = {{hlist|"Samurai"|"Frog on My Toe"|"London Girls"|"Amazing Grace / Til' the Chicken"|"Sister Named Desire"|"Alamo"}} | released = {{start date|1996|3|11}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1996/Music-Week-1996-03-09.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=31|date=March 9, 1996|access-date=June 30, 2021}}</ref> | recorded = | studio = * A church ([[Delgany]], Ireland) * A [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]] house ([[County Cork]], Ireland) | genre = <!-- Do not add unsourced genres --> | length = 4:08 | label = * [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]] * [[East West Records|EastWest]] | writer = Tori Amos | producer = Tori Amos | prev_title = [[Caught a Lite Sneeze]] | prev_year = 1996 | next_title = [[Professional Widow]] | next_year = 1996 }} "'''Talula'''" is a song by American singer-songwriter and pianist [[Tori Amos]], released by [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]] and [[East West Records|EastWest Records]] as the second single from her third studio album, ''[[Boys for Pele]]'' (1996). The song reached No. 22 on the [[UK singles chart]] and appeared in the [[Jan de Bont]] film ''[[Twister (1996 film)|Twister]]''.
The single version, titled "The Tornado Mix", is remixed by [[Brian Transeau|BT]], who went on to work with Amos on "[[Blue Skies (BT song)|Blue Skies]]", and includes a minor dance beat. In the UK, "Talula (The Tornado Mix)" replaced the original version of the song on later pressings of the album and eventual re-pressings in the US and Australia. BT also remixed an extended mix called the "Synesthasia Mix" which appeared on copies of the single.
==Meaning== {{More citations needed section|date=March 2022}} The song is about the concept of ideal woman and the fear of losing someone.<ref>[http://www.yessaid.com/int/1996-05_Vox.html Quotes from interviews with Tori Amos] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115180825/http://www.yessaid.com/int/1996-05_Vox.html |date=January 15, 2020 }}</ref> The lyrics includes references to queens like [[Marie Antoinette]] and [[Anne Boleyn]].
The B-side "Sister Named Desire" is a reference to [[Delirium (DC Comics)|Delirium]]'s sister/brother [[Desire (DC Comics)|Desire]] of ''[[The Sandman (Vertigo)|Sandman]]'', created by Amos' friend [[Neil Gaiman]]. The character of Delirium is frequently inspired by Tori, although Delirium was created before Gaiman met her. "Desire" was later remastered for the compilation ''[[Where's Neil When You Need Him?]]'', which featured tracks inspired by Gaiman's work. This is not the first nor last time Tori has mentioned Neil Gaiman; he is referenced in her songs: "Tear in Your Hand", "Space Dog", "Horses", "Hotel", "Carbon", and "Not Dying Today".
==Critical reception== [[Larry Flick]] from ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine wrote, "Typically beady and tough to penetrate on a lyrical level, this is a roller coaster of musical sounds, rapidly swerving from sweeping acoustic strumming to electro-hip [[funk]] beats."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Larry|last=Flick|title=Reviews & Previews: Singles|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1996/BB-1996-05-04.pdf|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=May 4, 1996|page=43|accessdate=November 27, 2022|author-link=Larry Flick}}</ref> Kevin Courtney from ''[[Irish Times]]'' felt tracks like "Talula" "creep over you like the smell of home cooking, but don't get too comfortable although Missy Amos can rustic up some very palatable fare, she has a rather irritating tendency to overturn the dinner table."<ref>Courtney, Kevin (January 26, 1996). "Rock". ''[[Irish Times]]''.</ref>
==Track listings== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} * '''US maxi-CD single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Talula|others=[[Tori Amos]]|year=1996|type=US maxi-CD single liner notes|publisher=[[Atlantic Records]]|id=CD5 2-85504}}</ref> # "Talula" (Tornado album version) – 3:43 # "Samurai" – 3:03 # "Frog on My Toe" – 3:40 # "[[London Girls]]" ([[Chas & Dave]] cover) – 3:20 # "Talula" (BT's Synethasia mix) – 11:27
* '''UK CD1 and Australian CD single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Talula|others=Tori Amos|year=1996|type=UK CD1 & Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=[[East West Records|EastWest Records]]|id=A8512CD1, 7567-88512-2}}</ref> # "Talula" (the Tornado mix) – 3:43 # "Talula" (BT's Synethasia mix) – 11:27 # "[[Amazing Grace]] / Til the Chicken" – 6:48 {{col-2}} * '''UK CD2'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Talula|others=Tori Amos|year=1996|type=UK CD2 liner notes|publisher=EastWest Records|id=A8512CD2, 7567-88511-2}}</ref> # "Talula" (the Tornado mix) – 3:43 # "Frog on My Toe" – 3:40 # "Sister Named Desire" – 5:29 # "Alamo" – 5:11
* '''UK cassette single'''<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Talula|others=Tori Amos|year=1996|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=EastWest Records|id=A8512C}}</ref> # "Talula" (the Tornado mix) – 3:43 # "Sister Named Desire" – 5:29 {{col-end}}
==Credits and personnel== Credits are lifted from the ''[[Boys for Pele]]'' album booklet.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Boys for Pele|title-link=Boys for Pele|others=Tori Amos|year=1996|type=US CD album booklet|publisher=Atlantic Records|id=82862-2}}</ref>
'''Recording and production''' * Recorded at a church ([[Delgany]], Ireland) and "a wonderfully damp Georgian house" ([[County Cork]], Ireland) * Additionally recorded at The Egyptian Room and Dinosaur Studios (New Orleans, Louisiana) * Mixed at Jacobs Studios ([[Surrey]], England), [[Mix This!]], and [[Record One]] (Los Angeles) * Tornado mix mixed on [[Euphonix]] at The Strongroom (London, England) * Mastered at Gateway Mastering ([[Portland, Maine]])
'''Personnel''' {{div col}} * Tori Amos – writing, vocals, [[harpsichord]], production * [[George Porter Jr.]] – bass * [[Manu Katche]] – drums * [[Mino Cinelu]] – percussion * [[Steve Caton]] – mandolins, all guitars * Alan Friedman – drum programming * Tracy Griffin – [[flugelhorn]] * Brian Graber – flugelhorn * Clarence J. Johnson III – [[tenor saxophone]] * [[Mark Mullins (musician)|Mark Mullins]] – trombone, horn arrangement * [[Craig Klein]] – [[sousaphone]] * Mark Hawley – recording * Marcel van Limbeek – recording * Rob van Tuin – recording assistance * [[Bob Clearmountain]] – mixing * [[Ryan Freeland]] – mixing assistance * [[BT (musician)|Brian Transeau]] – Tornado mix reworking * [[Tim Weidner]] – Tornado mix engineering and [[Sound Tools]] * [[Bob Ludwig]] – mastering {{div col end}}
==Charts== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- !Chart (1996) !Peak<br/>position |- !scope="row"|Australia ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://i.imgur.com/9AQCjII.jpg|title=Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received June 17, 2014|via=[[Imgur]]|access-date=March 4, 2015}}</ref> |align="center"|131 |- {{single chart|Scotland|19|date=19960323|song=Talula|artist=Tori Amos|rowheader=true|access-date=March 19, 2018}} |- {{single chart|UK|22|date=19960323|song=Talula|artist=Tori Amos|rowheader=true|access-date=March 19, 2018}} |- {{single chart|Billboardbubbling100|19|artist=Tori Amos|rowheader=true|access-date=April 11, 2018}} |- {{single chart|Billboarddancesales|49|artist=Tori Amos|rowheader=true|access-date=June 30, 2021}} |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Tori Amos}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Tori Amos songs]] [[Category:1996 singles]] [[Category:1996 songs]] [[Category:Atlantic Records singles]] [[Category:East West Records singles]] [[Category:Music videos directed by Mike Lipscombe]]