"Petrol" is a song by Ash

Ash (band)

Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...

, released as the second single from their 1994 album Trailer

Trailer (album)

Trailer is a punk influenced mini album by the band Ash featuring their first three singles. An expanded edition also includes 4 b-sides. The album was released in October, 1994 through Infectious Records...

, and their first single on Infectious

Infectious Records

Infectious Records is a record label whose bands have included Ash, Local Natives, Symposium, My Vitriol, Seafood, The Paradise Motel, General Fiasco and The Subways. Infectious was established by Korda Marshall after leaving RCA, and became part of Marshall's Mushroom Records UK operation in the...

. It was released on 15 August 1994 on CD and a limited 7" format. Only 500 copies of the 7" format were released, and came with a numbered picture sleeve.

"Petrol" was first recorded on the "Garage Girl" demo tape, and later appeared on Ash's debut live album, "Live at the Wireless

Live at the Wireless (Ash album)

Live at the Wireless was a limited edition, live album by Ash, released in 1997. It was recorded live at the Triple J Studios in Australia during the group's 1996 Australian tour and printed on the band's own Deathstar label....

", and again on Ash's first greatest hits collection "Intergalactic Sonic 7″s". The song is said to be about being "lynched" by a gang.

The B-side, "The Little Pond" first appeared on the "Garage Girl" demo-tape. Tim Wheeler has expressed his dissatisfaction with this recording, and has even mentioned re-recording it as an acoustic b-side on a future album.

The second B-side, "A Message From Oscar Wilde and Patrick the Brewer" is a spoken-word track, lasting just 30 seconds, and consists of an excerpt of a tape Tim was sent, consisting of two of his Dutch friends, Oscar and Patrick, talking to each other. This track also appears on the "Cosmic Debris" B-sides collection and on Ash's debut album "Trailer

Trailer (album)

Trailer is a punk influenced mini album by the band Ash featuring their first three singles. An expanded edition also includes 4 b-sides. The album was released in October, 1994 through Infectious Records...

".

The third b-side (CD only), "Things" first appeared on the "Shed" demo tape. Ash bassist Mark Hamilton

Mark Hamilton

Mark Hamilton may refer to:*Mark Hamilton , bass guitarist for the Northern Irish alternative rock band Ash*Mark Hamilton , American sprint canoer*Mark Hamilton , with UK rock band Quench...

 claims that "Things" is his least favourite Ash song of all time.

The song was released in the U.S. as a 7" single in 1994 on the Generator Records label, with a remixed version of "Petrol" by Ben Groose.

The song reached number 3 in the UK Indie Chart

UK Indie Chart

The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...

in 1994.

Track listing

CD

1. "Petrol" (Hamilton/Wheeler)
2. "The Little Pond" (Wheeler)
3. "A Message From Oscar Wilde and Patrick the Brewer" (Hamilton/Wheeler)
4. "Things" (Wheeler)

7"

1. "Petrol" (Hamilton/Wheeler)
2. "The Little Pond" (Wheeler)
3. "A Message From Oscar Wilde and Patrick the Brewer" (Hamilton/Wheeler)