Girl From Mars
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| "Girl From Mars" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Ash | ||
| from the album 1977 | ||
| B-side(s) | "Astral Conversations with Toulouse Lautrec", "Cantina Band" |
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| Released | July 31, 1995 | |
| Format | CD, 7" | |
| Recorded | 1994/1995 | |
| Genre | Brit-Pop | |
| Length | 3:30 | |
| Label | Infectious | |
| Producer(s) | Owen Morris | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Ash singles chronology | ||
| "Kung Fu" (1995) |
"Girl From Mars" (1995) |
"Angel Interceptor" (1995) |
"Girl From Mars" was the second single released from the 1977 album by the band Ash on July 31, 1995. It was released as a single CD, a 7" vinyl, and as a cassette. "Girl From Mars" was Ash's first Top 40 single and the first single to bring the band to mainstream prominence.
The song was originally entitled "Girl From Ards", after a girl Tim Wheeler dated from there, but changed the name later on. The song is also found on the greatest hits collection "Intergalactic Sonic 7″s", the soundtrack to the television program Gilmore Girls "Our Little Corner of the World", and live versions can be found on their "Live at the Wireless" album, "Tokyo Blitz" DVD and "Numbskull" EP.
The song is always in the live setlist, and on the "Nu-Clear Sounds Tour" they would always open with it, but it was moved down the setlist on the "Free All Angels Tour" where either "Lose Control" or "Burn Baby Burn" opened the gigs.
The track has been used by NASA as the hold music on their telephone lines. This song also marked the band's first appearance on UK music TV show "Top of the Pops"
The first B-side, "Astral Conversations with Toulouse Lautrec" consists mainly of instrumental, with a few words at the start of the song. It also appears on the "Cosmic Debris" B-sides collection. Ash later explained the song:
- Mark: "We were recording B- sides for 'Girl From Mars', and our producer didn't understand what we were doing at all."
- Rick: "He told us he'd been in the music business for 17 years, and that it just wasn't good enough."
- Mark: "We fired him, but before we did, we recorded this totally noisy B-side which we knew he would totally hate."
- Rick: "The title comes from the Stephen King book 'Salem's Lot'. Suits me, sir."
The second B-side, "Cantina Band" is a cover of a piece of instrumental music from "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" composed by John Williams. Ash are famous for their love of "Star Wars" and after hearing the song, decided to have a go at covering it. It has also been played a few times live, most signifcantly at the wrap party for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Additionally, this track also appears on "Cosmic Debris", as well as the Japanese version of "Angel Interceptor".
Two different videos exists for the single. The first, the UK promo video, was directed by Peter Christopherson and is described by the band as a "cross between 'Give It Away' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the 'Natrel Plus' TV ad". The band (drummer, especially Rick McMurray) hated the video so much that when the time came to release the video in America, they re-filmed it. Directed by Jesse Peretz (who also directed Foo Fighters's Big Me video), the video sees Ash playing the song as part of an art exhibiton, and mesmerizing a small girl watching the band.
[edit] Track Listing
- "Girl From Mars" (Wheeler)
- "Astral Conversations with Toulouse Lautrec" (Ash)
- "Cantina Band" (John Williams)
| Ash |
| Tim Wheeler | Mark Hamilton | Rick McMurray |
| Charlotte Hatherley |
| Ash Discography |
|---|
| Albums: Trailer | 1977 | Nu-Clear Sounds | Free All Angels | Meltdown | Twilight of the Innocents |
| Live albums and compilations: Live at the Wireless |Tokyo Blitz | Intergalactic Sonic 7″s |
| Singles: Jack Names the Planets | Petrol | Uncle Pat | Kung Fu | Girl From Mars | Angel Interceptor | Goldfinger | Oh Yeah | A Life Less Ordinary | Jesus Says | Wildsurf | Shining Light | Burn Baby Burn | Sometimes | Candy | There's A Star | Walking Barefoot | Envy | Clones | Orpheus | Starcrossed | Renegade Cavalcade | You Can't Have It All | Polaris |
| EPs and Fan Club Releases: Get Ready | Barbie | Got A Beautiful Face... Got A Fucked Up Inside | Numbskull | I'm On Drugs | Satellite Transmissions Volume 1 | Commando |
| Demo Tapes: Solar Happy | Shed | Home Demo | Garage Girl | Pipe Smokin' Brick |
