Little Wonder (song)

"Little Wonder"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Earthling
Released 27 January 1997
Format CD single
Recorded Looking Glass Studio, New York City
Genre Industrial rock, noise rock, oldschool jungle
Length 3:40 (single version)
6:02 (album version)
Label Arista
74321 452072
Producer(s) David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels, Mark Plati
David Bowie singles chronology
"Telling Lies"
(1996)		 "Little Wonder"
(1997)		 "Dead Man Walking"
(1997)

"Little Wonder" is a song and single by David Bowie, from the 1997 album Earthling. It was the album's biggest hit, reaching number 14 in UK and topping the charts in Japan.

Background

Bowie uses the names of all seven dwarfs in the lyrics.[1] The sampled spoken line "If it's good to ya, it's gotta be good for ya" during the instrumental break, comes from the spoken intro of a live Steely Dan song called "Bodhisattva" from the Citizen Steely Dan box. Two main interpretations to the lyrics are given by James E. Perone, who writes that the song may simply represent some characteristics of Bowie's own personality or, in another case, an alien observing aspects of the life on Earth.[2] The drum break is sampled from The Winston's instrumental, "Amen, Brother," a popular drum solo and sample commonly referred to as the "Amen Break." [3]

Track listings

UK CD version 1

  1. "Little Wonder (edit)" - 3:40
  2. "Little Wonder (Ambient Junior Mix)" - 9:55
  3. "Little Wonder (Club Dub Junior Mix)" - 8:10
  4. "Little Wonder (4/4 Junior Mix)" - 8:10
  5. "Little Wonder (Juniors Club Instrumental)" - 8:14

UK CD version 2 (limited edition)

  1. "Little Wonder (edit)" - 3:40
  2. "Telling Lies (Adam F Mix)" - 3:58
  3. "Jump They Say (Leftfield 12" Vocal Mix)" - 7:40
  4. "Little Wonder (Danny Saber Mix)" - 3:06

US CD version

  1. "Little Wonder (Album version)" - 6:02
  2. "Little Wonder (Ambient Junior Mix)" - 9:55
  3. "Little Wonder (Club Dub Junior Mix)" - 8:10
  4. "Little Wonder (Danny Saber Dance Mix)" - 5:30

European CD version 1

  1. "Little Wonder (Album version)" - 6:02
  2. "Little Wonder (Ambient Junior Mix)" - 9:55
  3. "Little Wonder (Danny Saber Mix)" - 3:06
  4. "Little Wonder (Club Dub Junior Mix)" - 8:10
  5. "Little Wonder (4/4 Junior Mix)" - 8:10

European CD version 2

  1. "Little Wonder (edit)" - 3:40
  2. "Little Wonder (Junior Club Mix)" - 8:10
  3. "Telling Lies (Adam F Mix)" - 3:58

European CD version 3

  1. "Little Wonder (edit)" - 3:40
  2. "Telling Lies (Adam F Mix)" - 3:58

Japanese CD version

  1. "Little Wonder (edit)" - 3:40
  2. "Little Wonder (Junior Club Mix)" - 8:10
  3. "Little Wonder (Danny Saber Mix)" - 3:06
  4. "Little Wonder (Club Dub Junior Mix)" - 8:10
  5. "Little Wonder (4/4 Junior Mix)" - 8:10

UK 12" version

  1. "Little Wonder (Junior Club Mix)" - 8:10
  2. "Little Wonder (Danny Saber Mix)" - 5:30
  3. "Telling Lies (Adam F Mix)" - 3:58

European 12" version

  1. "Little Wonder (Junior Club Mix)" - 8:10
  2. "Little Wonder (Danny Saber Mix)" - 5:30

An additional 3 promo singles was also released.

Production credits

Producer
Musicians

Live versions

Cover versions

Other releases

Chart positions

Chart Peak position
Belgium Singles Chart 19[5]
Finland Singles Chart 10[5]
Netherlands Singles Chart 50[5]
UK Singles Chart 14[6]

Notes

  1. ↑ Kuipers, Dean (March 1997), "David Bowie: Is There Life on Earth?", Raygun magazine (44)
  2. ↑ James E. Perone, The Words and Music of David Bowie, Greenwood Publishing Group, 30 June 2007, p.119.
  3. ↑ Otzen, Ellen (29 March 2015). "Six seconds that shaped 1,500 songs". BBC. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  4. ↑ SNL Transcripts: 8 February 1997. Neve Campbell, Host http://snltranscripts.jt.org/96/96l.phtml
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Ultratop: David Bowie - Little Wonder, retrieved 9 April 2015
  6. ↑ Official singles Chart results matching:LITTLE WONDER, retrieved 9 April 2015

External links