Sleeps with Butterflies
Encyclopedia
"Sleeps with Butterflies" is a song written and recorded by Tori Amos
. It served as the first single from her album The Beekeeper
. As was the case with most of her singles from Scarlet's Walk
, this single was released as a digital download only, although a promo CD single was produced for radio stations. The song appeared on radio stations in the United States
beginning January 10, 2005, and was available as a digital download on January 12.
The song reached number two on the Radio & Records
Triple A
National Airplay chart for the week of March 18.
The music video for "Sleeps with Butterflies" was directed by Laurent Briet, who has also worked with Radiohead
and the Red Hot Chili Peppers
. The concepts used by Briet in his music videos are largely influenced by illustrators; his interpretation of the video for "Sleeps with Butterflies" attests to that with the closing shot of the video stating that the video was inspired by the work of Aya Kato, a Japanese artist whose style fuses dark Art Nouveau
with Japanese Pop art
.
For the "Sleeps with Butterflies" video, Amos remains mostly stationary, standing, sitting, or lying down, and Kato's work was digitally recreated around Amos, incorporating her as the subject of each frame.
upon its release, during which she performed the song, either solo or with her band, on numerous occasions:
Amos recorded a performance of "Sleeps with Butterflies" which was included in the Exclusive Session EP exclusively available through iTunes
.
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
. It served as the first single from her album The Beekeeper
The Beekeeper
The Beekeeper is the eighth studio album by singer-songwriter Tori Amos. It deals with the topics of death, adultery and romantic conflict, and makes brief reference to ancient Gnostic mysticism from the Apocryphon of John...
. As was the case with most of her singles from Scarlet's Walk
Scarlet's Walk
Scarlet's Walk is the seventh album released in singer-songwriter Tori Amos' solo career. The 18-track concept album details the cross-country travels of Scarlet, a character loosely based on Amos, as well as the concept of America post-September 11th . The album was the first released by Amos on...
, this single was released as a digital download only, although a promo CD single was produced for radio stations. The song appeared on radio stations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
beginning January 10, 2005, and was available as a digital download on January 12.
The song reached number two on the Radio & Records
Radio & Records
Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...
Triple A
Adult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
National Airplay chart for the week of March 18.
Personnel
- Tori Amos – acoustic pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, vocals, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Matt Chamberlin – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Jon Evans – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Mac Aladdin – acousticAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
and electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
Music video
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
and the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
. The concepts used by Briet in his music videos are largely influenced by illustrators; his interpretation of the video for "Sleeps with Butterflies" attests to that with the closing shot of the video stating that the video was inspired by the work of Aya Kato, a Japanese artist whose style fuses dark Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
with Japanese Pop art
Pop art
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
.
For the "Sleeps with Butterflies" video, Amos remains mostly stationary, standing, sitting, or lying down, and Kato's work was digitally recreated around Amos, incorporating her as the subject of each frame.
Charts
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Radio & Records Triple A Chart | 2 |
| Indonesian Airplay Chart | 1 |
Performances
With her world tour not commencing until April, Amos embarked on a lengthy television and radio promotional tour for The BeekeeperThe Beekeeper
The Beekeeper is the eighth studio album by singer-songwriter Tori Amos. It deals with the topics of death, adultery and romantic conflict, and makes brief reference to ancient Gnostic mysticism from the Apocryphon of John...
upon its release, during which she performed the song, either solo or with her band, on numerous occasions:
- The Late Show with David Letterman on February 17, 2005;
- Weekend TodayWeekend TodayWeekend Today is the unofficial title of the weekend editions of Today, an American morning news and talk show which airs daily on NBC.-History:...
, along with "Baker, Baker" from her 1994 album Under the PinkUnder the PinkUnder the Pink is the second solo album by singer-songwriter Tori Amos. Upon its release in January 1994, the album peaked at US #12 and on the back of the hit single "Cornflake Girl", the album debuted at UK #1, her highest-charting UK album debut to date. It had sold around 220,000 copies in the...
, on February 18; - Live With Regis and KellyLive with Regis and KellyLive! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
on February 22; - Last Call with Carson DalyLast Call with Carson DalyLast Call with Carson Daly is an American late night talk show that is broadcast on NBC. The show is hosted by Carson Daly, the half-hour show featuring celebrity interviews, documentary-style coverage of a topic, and musical performances. Last Call airs weeknights at 1:35 a.m. Eastern / 12:35 a.m....
, along with "The Power of Orange Knickers", on March 1; - The Ellen Degeneres ShowThe Ellen DeGeneres ShowThe Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
with her band on March 15; - The Late Late Show with Craig FergusonThe Late Late Show with Craig FergusonThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
on March 15 (although it was not aired until May 11); - The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on April 21.
Amos recorded a performance of "Sleeps with Butterflies" which was included in the Exclusive Session EP exclusively available through iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.