The Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda Files: PJ Harvey Gets Aggressive With De Niro

coulda-shoulda-woulda

The Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda Files: PJ Harvey Gets Aggressive With De Niro

Once again, we raid our cassingle casselection. looking for an overlooked song:

Artist: PJ Harvey
Song: "Reeling," 1993
What happened: Shortly after the release of PJ Harvey's second full-length, Rid Of Me, Island Records put out 4-Track Demos. The record was, for the most part, a collection of early versions of tracks from Rid Of Me; a demo of "Reeling," which was a b-side on the "50ft Queenie" single, was also included.
Why it should have been a hit: "Reeling" is Harvey at her brawniest—her choppy guitar strokes and the freaked-out organ only heighten her demands that Robert De Niro sit on her face and that every eye in the house focus solely on her. Sure, it's jagged and raw, but it was released in 1993, remember? If "Heart-Shaped Box" could make it on the radio, this could have, too.

~~PJ Harvey - Reeling (Demo)~~ [MP3, link expired]
BONUS TRACK: ~~PJ Harvey - Yuri-G (Demo)~~ [MP3, link expired]

5:30 PM on Fri Apr 13 2007
By mjohnston
638 views
5 comments

Comments

by Chris Molanphy at 05:27 PM on 04/13/07
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Love her, love the track, but you guys are delusional if you think this could've gotten radio play. Radio was cooler in 1993, but it wasn't that cool.

Island/Polydor had to fight like hell to get the more obviously catchy/commercial "Down by the Water" on modern rock stations in 1995, even after To Bring You My Love approached gold sales. And that was one album after this.
by dippinkind at 06:06 PM on 04/13/07
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also, Heart-Shaped Box didn't even make the top 100, let alone the top 40... just sayin'. Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, SWV, Snow, "A Whole New World", "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)", that's what "hit" radio in 1993 sounded like.
by Wicked Zoot at 07:21 PM on 04/13/07
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dippinkinddennisobell- Good good good point. A "hit" to us is a blip to them. Songs that to me represent the zeitgeist of the year are often completely forgotten by the average listener. Portishead is a great example. Couldn't get away from Sour Times in '94. Ask an average person on the street about it watch the blank stare...
by rinjonjori at 08:52 PM on 04/13/07
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This was at best for fans. Though I prefer this to Rid of Me most of the time.
by antistar at 04:20 AM on 04/15/07
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She's so talented. It's truly a shame that the U.S. doesn't have a clue how many hacks rip her off every year.