Electric Barbarella

"Electric Barbarella"
Single by Duran Duran
from the album Medazzaland
Released	September 16, 1997 (1997-09-16) (see Release history)
Format	12" And CD Single
Recorded	1997
Genre	Synthpop, Electronica
Length	5:15
Label	EMI - ELEC 2000
Writer(s)	Duran Duran
Producer	TV Mania
Duran Duran singles chronology
"Out of My Mind" (1997) "Electric Barbarella" (1997) "Someone Else, Not Me" (2000)

"Electric Barbarella" is the 29th single by Duran Duran, and the first official single from the album Medazzaland. In 1997, the single and album were released only in the United States; "Electric Barbarella" was not issued as a single in the UK until January 1999 on the back of the late 1998 release of the compilation album Greatest.

The band's previous single, "Out of My Mind", was another track from Medazzaland, but was released as a single from The Saint soundtrack album instead.

Contents 1 About the song 2 Music video 3 B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes 3.1 Complete list of Remixes 4 Media references 5 Chart positions 6 Release history 7 Track listing 7.1 7": Capitol / S7-724381972175 (U.S.) 7.2 CD: Capitol / C2 7243 8 58674 0 8 (U.S.) 7.3 CD: EMI / CD ELEC 2000 (UK) 7.4 12": Capitol / Y 7243 8 58674 1 5 (U.S.) 7.5 12": EMI / 12 ELEC 2000 (UK) 7.6 12": Capitol / SPRO 12098 (U.S.) 7.7 12": Harvest / SPRO 7087 (U.S.) 7.8 Download 7.9 CD: Capitol / sampler (U.S.) 8 Other appearances 9 Personnel 10 References

About the song

"Electric Barbarella" is a direct tribute to the 1968 Roger Vadim film Barbarella, from which the band took their name.

It has been touted as the first song available for digital purchase/download on the Internet, and dozens of different mixes were created from the song. A Dom T mix exclusive to the Internet was available for download in the US for 99 cents. This pioneering move annoyed many American retailers as they saw it as infringing on their retail territory and they either refused to stock the album, or provided very little, or sometimes no, promotion of the disc.

Music video

The video, directed by photographer Ellen von Unwerth, involved a robot sex doll played by American model Myka Dunkle. Simon Le Bon stated during an interview with Carson Daily on Total Request Live that von Unwerth specifically requested to use Dunkle, despite the fact that the band had other models and friends, including Sophie Dahl (who does appear in several scenes in the video), in mind due to her background as a dancer, and her ability to "do the mime that would actually make her appear to be a robot." ^[1] The video had to be mildly censored before receiving airplay on MTV or VH1; by the time the modified video was delivered, the song had already fallen off the charts.

B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes

The b-side for "Electric Barbarella" was a mix of their previous single, "Out of My Mind".

Numerous remixes were issued on various promo releases and on the internet.^[2]

Complete list of Remixes

1. "Electric Barbarella" - 5:15
2. "Electric Barbarella (edit)" - 4:16
3. "Electric Barbarella (Single edit)" - 3:58
4. "Electric Barbarella (Single edit - no solo)" - 4:00
5. "Electric Barbarella (The Electric Sex Remix)" - 5:02
6. "Electric Barbarella (The Electric Sex Instrumental Remix)" - 5:04
7. "Electric Barbarella (Russell Simins "Electric Sex Remix")" - 5:11
8. "Electric Barbarella (Russell Simins "Electric Sex Instrumental Remix")" - 5:11
9. "Electric Barbarella (The Americruiser Remix)" - 6:08
10. "Electric Barbarella (Eli Janney "Americruiser Remix")" - 6:17
11. "Electric Barbarella (Eli Janney "Yo Shorty Americruiser Remix")" - 5:11
12. "Electric Barbarella (The Yo Shorty Americruiser Remix)" - 5:01
13. "Electric Barbarella (Tee's Club Mix)" - 5:54
14. "Electric Barbarella (Tee's Dance Mix)" - 6:03
15. "Electric Barbarella (Tee's Speed dub)" - 6:15
16. "Electric Barbarella (Tee's radio edit)" - 4:05
17. "Electric Barbarella (Tee's Capella)" - 2:11
18. "Electric Barbarella (TNT In-House mix)" - 5:12
19. "Electric Barbarella (TNT radio mix)" - 3:23
20. "Electric Barbarella (All Fired Up mix)" - 7:09
21. "Electric Barbarella (Barbarella Bonus Beats)" - 4:45

Media references

The cosmetics company Hard Candy was preparing to launch a colour of nail polish named "Electric Barbarella" at the same time the single was released, but had to halt it because the proper permissions had not been received from the owners of the Barbarella name.

Chart positions

The song was released on September 16 in the United States, and peaked at #52 on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 1 and one year later reached #23 in UK singles charts .

Release history

Region	Date
United States	September 16, 1997 (1997-09-16)
United Kingdom	January 1999 (1999-01)

Track listing

7": Capitol / S7-724381972175 (U.S.)

1. "Electric Barbarella" (album version) - 5:15
2. "Out of My Mind" (album version) - 4:16

CD: Capitol / C2 7243 8 58674 0 8 (U.S.)

1. "Electric Barbarella" (album version) - 5:15
2. "Electric Barbarella" (Tee's Club mix) - 5:41
3. "Electric Barbarella" (All Fired Up mix) - 7:09
4. "Out of My Mind" (Perfecto mix) - 5:51
5. "Sinner and Saint" - 4:06
6. "Electric Barbarella" (Video - director's cut) - 4:50

CD: EMI / CD ELEC 2000 (UK)

1. "Electric Barbarella" (Edit) - 4:15
2. "Girls on Film" (Tin Tin Out Radio mix) - 4:51
3. "Electric Barbarella" (Tee's Radio Mix) - 4:05

• Released November 1998
• Also released on MC - TC ELEC 2000

12": Capitol / Y 7243 8 58674 1 5 (U.S.)

1. "Electric Barbarella" (Tee's Club mix) - 5:54
2. "Electric Barbarella" (Tee's Dance mix) - 6:16
3. "Electric Barbarella" (All Fired Up mix) - 7:12
4. "Electric Barbarella" (Barbarella Bonus Beats) - 4:49

12": EMI / 12 ELEC 2000 (UK)

1. "Electric Barbarella" (Tee's Club Mix) - 5:54
2. "Electric Barbarella" (Electric Sex mix) - 5:02
3. "Girls on Film" (Salt Tank Mix) - 6:27

• Released November 1998

12": Capitol / SPRO 12098 (U.S.)

1. "Electric Barbarella" (Tee's Club Mix)
2. "Electric Barbarella" (Tee's Speed Dub)
3. "Electric Barbarella" (Tee's Dance Mix)
4. "Electric Barbarella" (TNT In-House Mix)
5. "Electric Barbarella" (Tee's Capella)

• US promo 12" labelled "Todd Terry Remixes"

12": Harvest / SPRO 7087 (U.S.)

1. "Electric Barbarella" (Electric Sex Remix)
2. "Electric Barbarella" (Electric Sex Instrumental)
3. "Electric Barbarella" (Americruiser Remix)
4. "Electric Barbarella" (Yo Shorty Americruiser Remix)

• US promo 12"

Download

1. "Electric Barbarella (Internet-only mix)" - 4:20 [Dom T. remix edit]
2. "Electric Barbarella (Dom T Remix)" - 7:08

• First commercially downloadable song; sold for 99 cents

CD: Capitol / sampler (U.S.)

1. "Electric Barbarella" (edit)
2. "Planet Earth"
3. "Save A Prayer"
4. "The Reflex"
5. "Come Undone"
6. "Is There Something I Should Know?"
7. "Too Much Information"
8. "Notorious"
9. "The Chauffeur" [live from Arena]
10. "Hungry Like The Wolf"
11. "A View To A Kill"
12. "Rio"
13. "Girls On Film"
14. "Ordinary World"
15. "Electric Barbarella" (album version)

• US promo digi pack

Other appearances

Aside from the single, the song has also appeared on:

• Medazzaland (1997)
• Greatest (1998)

Personnel

Duran Duran are:

• Simon Le Bon
• Nick Rhodes
• Warren Cuccurullo

References

1. ^ MTV's Total Request Live Nov. 1997
2. ^ Tom McClintock's Duran Duran discographyPDF (216 KiB)

Duran Duran Simon Le Bon · Nick Rhodes · John Taylor · Roger Taylor Andy Taylor · Warren Cuccurullo · Sterling Campbell · Stephen Duffy · Simon Colley · Andy Wickett · Alan Curtis · Jeff Thomas Studio albums Duran Duran · Rio · Seven and the Ragged Tiger · Notorious · Big Thing · Liberty · Duran Duran · Thank You · Medazzaland · Pop Trash · Astronaut · Reportage · Red Carpet Massacre · All You Need Is Now Live albums Arena · Live at Hammersmith '82! Compilations, EPs and remixes Carnival · Master Mixes · Decade: Greatest Hits · Greatest · Night Versions: The Essential Duran Duran · Strange Behaviour · Singles Box Set 1981–1985 · Singles Box Set 1986–1995 · The Essential Collection · From Mediterranea with Love Singles "Planet Earth" · "Careless Memories" · "Girls on Film" · "My Own Way" · "The Chauffeur" · "Hungry Like the Wolf" · "Save a Prayer" · "Rio" · "New Religion" · "Is There Something I Should Know?" · "Union of the Snake" · "New Moon on Monday" · "The Reflex" · "Tiger Tiger" · "The Wild Boys" · "A View to a Kill" · "Notorious" · "Skin Trade" · "Meet El Presidente" · "I Don't Want Your Love" · "All She Wants Is" · "Do You Believe in Shame?" · "Burning the Ground" · "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)" · "Serious" · "Ordinary World" · "Come Undone" · "Too Much Information" · "Drowning Man " · "None Of The Above" · "Breath After Breath" · "Femme Fatale" · "Perfect Day" · "White Lines" · "Lay Lady Lay" · "Out of My Mind" · "Electric Barbarella" · "Someone Else Not Me" · "Playing With Uranium" · "Last Day On Earth" · "(Reach Up for The) Sunrise" · "What Happens Tomorrow" · "Nice" · "Falling Down" · "All You Need Is Now" · "Girl Panic" Promo Singles "Anyone Out There" · "Sound of Thunder" · "Shadows on Your Side" · "Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile)" · "Planet Earth" (Live) · "Is There Something I Should Know?" (Live)" · "Big Thing" · "Too Late Marlene" · "The Krush Brothers: LSD Edit" · "There Are Lots And Lots Of Ants" "Decadence" · "Cry Baby Cry" · "Skin Divers" Videography Duran Duran Video 45 · Duran Duran · Dancing on the Valentine · Sing Blue Silver · Arena (An Absurd Notion) · The Making of Arena · As the Lights Go Down · Three to Get Ready · Working for the Skin Trade · 6ix by 3hree · Decade: Greatest Hits · Extraordinary World · Greatest · Live from London · Live at Hammersmith '82! Related artists Arcadia · Power Station · Neurotic Outsiders · The Devils · Swahili Blonde Related articles Discography · Awards and nominations · TV Mania · Duran Duran Tours · Duran Duran's charity concert at Villa Park 1983 Book:Duran Duran