A Sorta Fairytale - First single from Scarlet's Walk

The first single from Scarlet's Walk worldwide is A Sorta Fairytale. In North America there was a 7-inch vinyl single release and a promotional CD disc for radio, but no normal CD commercial single. a sorta fairytale is a commercial single in the U.K., Europe and Canada. There were plans to release the single in Australia, but the single looks like it was cancelled in Australia.

In the U.K., we initially heard there would be a regular commericial single for a sorta fairytale and also a maxi-single. However, only the Maxi-single was released.

North American radio single

This song was sent to many radio stations in North America in late August 2002, although there were a few radio stations that played it earlier than that. KROQ and Star 98.7 in Los Angeles, CA were the first radio stations to play the single on July 24, 2002, weeks before the song was supposed to be officially released to radio.

Epic apparently started sending copies of A Sorta Fairytale to U.S. (and Canadian!) radio in late August 2002. The single that they are sending them is not commercially avilable in the U.S. The CD contains 2 tracks:

The full version is the album version. The album version is 5:34 in length while the Radio edit clocks in at 3:58. It is interesting to note the differences between the the single version and the full version. The radio edit, in addition to being shorter by leaving out a entire verse (one that many think is the most interesting and controversial of the entire song!), has also been edited in other unexpected ways that make it more than just the full version with a verse missing. The radio edit fades at the end while the album version does not. Also, parts of the song have been rearranged and placed in different places in order to give the single version an entirely different feel...

The # on the spine of the CD single reads ESK 59028. Merrel sent me scans of the the radio single's cover, the back of the CD, the actual CD disc itself, and the lyrics that are on the back of the cover. You can see them below. (Scans of this single are also readily available on Ebay.) Click on any one to see larger:

U.S. 7-inch vinyl single commercially released in the U.S.

While it appears unlikely that Epic will release a regular CD single of a sorta fairytale commercially in the U.S., Billboard.com did report in a news story on September 18, 2002 that "A commercial seven-inch vinyl single is scheduled for an October 8 release." I don't think this will be a large scale release however, and word has it they are releasing it in this format for Grammy considerations. Both sides of the 45 will contain the single version or radio edit of a sorta fairytale.

Commercial Single in the U.K., Europe, Australia and Canada

A commercial Maxi-single for a sorta fairytale was released on October 14, 2002 in the U.K. and Europe. (See scans of the single below.) I ordered my copy of the U.K. single as an import through CDNOW. It has catalogue number: EPC 673043 2.

The same Maxi-single was released in Canada on October 22, 2002. (See HWV.com.) It has catalogue number: 34K79807.

a sorta fairytale was scheduled to be a single in Australia, but that was cancelled.

Despite multiple listings at some online vendors and earlier reports that there would both a regular single and a Maxi-single, it appears that in the U.K., only the Maxi-single will be released. I am not sure if the regular CD single will be released anywhere, at least officially.

The regular single (EPC 673043 1), which looks like it will not be released, has this track listing:

The regular 2-track single must have leaked out in some quantities, because it has shown up on eBay already.

Credits on the inlay of the asf single have the following listed (Thanks /Mind):

Drums: Matt Chamberlain
Bass: Jon Evans
Acoustic Guitar: Robbie McIntosh
Electric Guitar: Mac Aladdin
Bosendorfer and Vocals: Tori Amos

Produced by: Tori Amos
Recorded and Mixed by Mark Hawley and Marcel van Limbeek at Martian Engineering, Cornwall, England
Written by Tori Amos Published by Sword and Stone Publishing, Inc. (ASCAP)

I also have some small scans of the multimedia porton of the single called "A Scarlet Story", which has Tori talking about the album while some polaroids are displayed. Click the photo below to see these polaroids! I may have more details scans later. (Thanks again to /Mind for sending me the scans.)

The 101 Mix seems to have more of a beat to it, but that's the only noticable difference. along with a few extra synth-y notes. (Thanks Mike Gray!)

You can also find reference to both the Maxi-Single and the regular single at sonymusic.co.uk. They list the regular CD single with a number of 673043 1 and then confuse things with two listings for the Maxi-single that seem identical except for the numbers, which are 673043 2 and 673043 5. Mike Gray reports that the U.K. single has the 673043 2 number, so maybe the other one is for the rest of Europe?

Sound Clips! - You can now hear portions of the 101 mix of A Sorta Fairytale and Operation Peter Pan at the sonymusic.co.uk. These are 30 second Window Media Player clips. (Thanks to Woj.)

Early release of the single in some stores in Ireland and Italy: Operation Peter Pan comments from Tori

Some Toriphiles in Ireland and Italy reported finding copies of the a sorta fairytale single on Friday, October 11, 2002. They report that the song Operation Peter Pan features Tori singing along with an acoustic guitar and no other instrumentations. Tori has this to say about the song Operation Peter Pan in the liner notes of the single:

Operation Peter Pan spanned from 1960-62 whereby over 14,000 children were sent away from their families in Cuba, some never to reunite again. Pan Am flights took the children to Miami, FL, "Never-Never Land" and the children became known as the "Peter Pans". I wrote this song for my daughter, and it is sung for all the daughters and mothers, fathers and brothers who felt this pain of separation all because of governments and their politics.

These people confirm that the mutimedia component called "A Scarlet Story" is basically a multimedia part (by Macromedia) in which Tori tells a little more about the concept of Scarlet's Walk and the single. It's like a little video where you can hear Tori voice and see some of the polaroids from SW , while ASF is playing in the background. Thanks to Giacomo Giubertoni, Silvia, and MagdaleneMirage for the info.

Thanks to an anonymous source who send the second and third scans below to the Dent.

Ordering the a sorta fairytale Maxi-single online

The commercial Maxi-single can be ordered online from various vendors. You can order from the following U.S. vendors, and your support will help the Dent!

Order the a sorta fairytale Maxi-single from CDNOW.com (They have two listings for the single and do not tell us what the difference is. I am GUESSING the October 14th one is from the U.K. or Europe and the October 22nd one is from Canada. They both SHOULD be the Maxi-single.)

The Dent first received the official lyrics for A Sorta Fairytale from an anonymous source before the radio single was sent out. The lyrics are included with the single that has been sent to radio stations. The lyrics are from the full album version. The full version includes a fascinating verse that is not present on the radio edit (The verse is in color below):

on my way up north
up on the Ventura
I pulled back the hood
and I was talking to you
and I knew then it would be
a Life Long thing
but I didn't know that we
We could break a silver lining
And I'm so sad
like a good book
I can't put this
Day Back
a sorta fairytale
with you
a sorta fairytale
with you
things you said that day
up on the 101
the girl had come undone
I tried to downplay it
with a bet about us
You said that-
You'd take it
as long as I could
I could not erase it
And I'm so sad
like a good book
I can't put this
Day Back
a sorta fairytale
with you
a sorta fairytale
with you
and I ride along side
and I rode along side
You then
and I rode along side
till you lost me there
in the open road
And I rode along side
till the honey spread
itself so thin
for me to break your bread
for me to take your word
I had to steal it
And I'm so sad
like a good book
I can't put this
Day Back
a sorta fairytale
with you
a sorta fairytale
with you
I could pick back up
whenever I feel

down New Mexico way
something about
the open road
I knew that he was
looking for some Indian Blood and
find a little in you find a little
in me we may be
on this road but
We're just
Imposters
in this country you know
So we go along and we said
we'd fake it
feel better with
Oliver Stone
till I
almost smacked him -
seemed right that night and
I don't know what
takes hold
out there in the
Desert cold
These guys think they must
Try and just get over on us

And I'm so sad
like a good book
I can't put this
Day Back
a sorta fairytale
with you
a sorta fairytale
with you
and I was ridin' by
ridin' along side
for a while till you lost me
and I was ridin' by
ridin' along till you lost me
till you lost
me in
The Rear
View
you lost me
I said
way up North I took my day
all in all was a pretty nice
day and I put the Hood
right back where
You could taste heaven
perfectly
Feel out the summer breeze
didn't know when we'd be back
And I I don't
didn't think
We'd end up like
like this

A Sorta Fairytale
The first single from Scarlet's Walk

North American radio single

U.S. 7-inch vinyl single commercially released in the U.S.

Commercial Single in the U.K., Europe, Australia and Canada

Sound Clips! - You can now hear portions of the 101 mix of A Sorta Fairytale and Operation Peter Pan at the sonymusic.co.uk. These are 30 second Window Media Player clips. (Thanks to Woj.)

Early release of the single in some stores in Ireland and Italy: Operation Peter Pan comments from Tori

The single's cover (from Amazon.de)

The back of the single

The single's disc

Ordering the a sorta fairytale Maxi-single online

Official Lyrics To a sorta fairytale

Go Back To ToriNews

Go Back To The Scarlet's Walk Page

A Sorta Fairytale The first single from Scarlet's Walk

North American radio single

U.S. 7-inch vinyl single commercially released in the U.S.

Commercial Single in the U.K., Europe, Australia and Canada

Sound Clips! - You can now hear portions of the 101 mix of A Sorta Fairytale and Operation Peter Pan at the sonymusic.co.uk. These are 30 second Window Media Player clips. (Thanks to Woj.)

Early release of the single in some stores in Ireland and Italy: Operation Peter Pan comments from Tori

The single's cover (from Amazon.de) The back of the single The single's disc

Ordering the a sorta fairytale Maxi-single online

Official Lyrics To a sorta fairytale

Go Back To ToriNews

Go Back To The Scarlet's Walk Page

A Sorta Fairytale
The first single from Scarlet's Walk

The single's cover (from Amazon.de)

The back of the single

The single's disc