Poison Pen (song)

"Poison Pen"
Single by Hoodoo Gurus
from the album Mars Needs Guitars!
A-side	"Poison Pen"
B-side	"In the Wild" "Teenage Head"
Released	September, 1986
Format	7" vinyl
Genre	Rock
Length	4:06
Label	Big Time
Writer(s)	Dave Faulkner
Producer(s)	Charles Fisher
Hoodoo Gurus singles chronology
"Death Defying" (1986) "Poison Pen" (1986) "What's My Scene?" (1987)

"Poison Pen" was a single by iconic^[1][2] Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus. It was released on Big Time Records in September, 1986; and was written by Dave Faulkner.^[3]

It had two B-sides: "In the Wild" / "Teenage Head". Both were live tracks recorded at Selina's, Sydney on 17 and 18 February 1986. A 12" extended version of the single included "Death Ship" as a third live track from the same sessions. "Death Ship" was an early song written by Faulkner, Roddy Radalj (founding member of original Le Hoodoo Gurus) and Alan Sharples.^[3]

"The Gurus first manager, Stuart Coupe, wrongly thought that "Poison Pen" was written about him, probably because of his notoriety as a Rock Journalist (often an oxymoron) and he had also be recently replaced... The song was about the fallout from a relationship that had turned bitter (with no 'sweet') attached)." - Dave Faulkner.^[4]

"... "In the Wild" was recorded in concert in my home city of Perth, Western Australia (the band formed in Sydney, contrary to popular myth)... Originally titled "In The Dry", as in Dry season, I altered the lyric so that people who didn't know about the weather in the tropics would 'get it'. I shouldn't have worried." - Dave Faulkner.^[4]

Track listing

7" version

1. "Poison Pen" (Dave Faulkner) — 4:06
2. "In the Wild" (Faulkner)^[3] — 3:29
3. "Teenage Head" (Cyril Jordan, Roy Loney)^[3] — 3:02

12" version

1. "Poison Pen" (Faulkner) — 4:06
2. "In the Wild" (Faulkner) — 3:29
3. "Teenage Head" (Jordan, Loney) — 3:02
4. "Death Ship" (Faulkner, Radalj, Sharples) — 2:42

Personnel

Credited to:^[5]

• Clyde Bramley — bass, backing vocals
• Dave Faulkner — lead vocals, guitar
• Mark Kingsmill — drums, cymbals
• Brad Shepherd — guitar, backing vocals

• Producer — Charles Fisher
• Engineer — John Bee
• Mastering — Don Bartley

References

1. "ARIA Awards 2007: About Hall of Fame". ARIA Awards. Retrieved 27 January 2008.
2. Pope, Mark (7 May 2007). "ARIA presents the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 30, 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2008.
3. "Australasian Performing Right Association". APRA. Retrieved 27 January 2008.
4. Faulkner, Dave (June 2000). "Pop and punishment". juliat. Archived from the original on 8 August 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2008.
5. "Discogs entry on "Poison Pen"". Retrieved 27 January 2008.