Bittersweet (Hoodoo Gurus song)

"Bittersweet"
Single by Hoodoo Gurus
from the album Mars Needs Guitars!
A-side	"Bittersweet"
B-side	"Mars Needs Guitars"
Released	June, 1985 (Australia)
Format	7" vinyl 12" vinyl
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	3:46
Label	Big Time (Australia) Chrysalis (United Kingdom) Elektra (United States)
Writer(s)	Dave Faulkner
Producer(s)	Charles Fisher
Hoodoo Gurus singles chronology
"I Want You Back" (1984) "Bittersweet" (1985) "Like Wow - Wipeout!" (1985)

"Bittersweet" was a single by Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus which reached #10 on the Melbourne Record Charts.^[1] It was released on Big Time Records in June, 1985; and was written by Dave Faulkner.^[2]

"Mars Needs Guitars" (B side), was written by all five Gurus (James Baker, Clyde Bramley, Faulkner, Mark Kingsmill and Brad Shepherd)^[2] and lead vocals were by Brad Shepherd.

It was also released in 1985 in the United States by Elektra with "Bring the Hoodoo Down" as the B-side, and in the United Kingdom as a 12" single by Chrysalis Records with two B-sides, "Bring the Hoodoo Down" & "Turkey Dinner".^[3]

"... I vowed to myself that I would write less comic narratives and try to express my sentiments in a more forthright way. I feel I succeeded with "Bittersweet" though at the time I didn't think that a) the band would want to play it and b) our audience would want to hear it. I was happily wrong on both counts." - Dave Faulkner.^[4]

Cover versions & others

Courtney Love provided lead vocals for her band Hole's version of "Bittersweet" with Faulkner's backing vocals at Hole's 1999 Big Day Out performance.^[5]

The song "Bittersweet" was used in the video game MVP Baseball 2004.

Track listing

7" version

1. "Bittersweet" (Dave Faulkner) — 3:46^[6]
2. "Mars Needs Guitars" (James Baker, Clyde Bramley, Faulkner, Mark Kingsmill and Brad Shepherd)^[2] — 2:51

7" version (US)

1. "Bittersweet" (Faulkner) — 3:46
2. "Bring the Hoodoo Down" (Faulkner)- 3:00

12" version

1. "Bittersweet" (Faulkner) — 3:44^[3]
2. "Bring the Hoodoo Down" (Faulkner)^[2] - 3:09
3. "Turkey Dinner" (Faulkner)^[2] - 4:23

Personnel

Credited to:^[7]

• James Baker — drums
• Clyde Bramley — bass, backing vocals
• Dave Faulkner — lead vocals (track A), guitar
• Mark Kingsmill — drums, cymbals
• Brad Shepherd — guitar, lead vocals (track B), harmonica
• Producer — Charles Fisher
• Engineer — John Bee
• Mastering — Don Bartley

Reviews

• Allmusic link

References

1. Guest, Thomas J. (1991). Thirty Years of Hits. Collingwood, Melbourne: M. J. Maloney. ISBN 0-646-04633-0.
2. "Australasian Performing Right Association". APRA. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
3. "Rate Your Music - "Bittersweet" (12")". Retrieved 2008-01-30.
4. Faulkner, Dave (June 2000). "Pop and punishment". juliat. Archived from the original on 2007-08-08. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
5. "Discogs entry on Bittersweet (unofficial Hole album)". discogs.com. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
6. "Discogs entry on "Bittersweet" 7"". Retrieved 2008-01-30.
7. "Discogs entry on Mars Needs Guitars!". Retrieved 2007-12-15.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics