The Size of a Cow

"The Size of a Cow"
Single by the Wonder Stuff
from the album Never Loved Elvis
Released2 April 1991 (1991-04-02)[1][2]
Recorded1990–1991[3]
StudioTownhouse (London, England)[1]
Length3:15
LabelPolydor
Producer(s)Mick Glossop
The Wonder Stuff singles chronology
"Circlesquare"
(1990) 		"The Size of a Cow"
(1991) 		"Caught in My Shadow"
(1991)

"The Size of a Cow" is a 1991 single by British alternative rock band the Wonder Stuff from their third album, Never Loved Elvis (1991). It peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart.

Background and composition

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Miles Hunt wrote "The Size of a Cow" during sessions for the Wonder Stuff's 1989 album Hup.[4] Described by Select's Nick Griffiths as "Madness meets the Bay City Rollers",[5] the song combines a pessimistic lyric with an upbeat backing, a feature Hunt was proud of.[6] PRS for Music has described the song as an "indie disco staple".[6] A version of the song incorporating a cover of Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" features on some releases.[1]

Release

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Released by Polydor on 2 April 1991, "The Size of a Cow" was the band's first single in 18 months and the lead single for Never Loved Elvis.[7] It received rotation on BBC Radio 1's A list[8] and Capital Radio's B list[9] and peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart, ultimately spending seven weeks on the chart.[10] In Ireland, the single made number 21.[1] It peaked at number 22 on European Hot 100 Singles.[11] Polydor delayed releasing "The Size of a Cow" in the United States for commercial reasons, instead opting to issue "Caught in My Shadow" as the lead single from Never Loved Elvis there.[12]

Reception and legacy

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Record Mirror made "The Size of a Cow" its single of the week upon release, with Peter Stanton's review describing the song as "a rampant jingly-jangly-organ affair that trips at a happier than happy pace".[13] Reviewing Never Loved Elvis in Vox, Keith Cameron described the song and "Caught In My Shadow" as "paragons of pop virtue", noting "huge melodic sweeps, artfully clever lyrics and nagging hummability".[14] Music & Media linked the song to contemporaneous singles by the Milltown Brothers, R.E.M. and Susanna Hoffs in what they heralded "the return of the classic pop tune".[1] Writing in 2017, Jon Bryan of Backseat Mafia described "The Size of a Cow" as "the equal, if not better, than almost any other guitar-pop song of the 90s".[15]

The song remains a staple of the Wonder Stuff's live set, and Hunt's "biggest earner" as a songwriter.[16] Reflecting in 2015, Hunt said "I actually like 'Size of a Cow' which surprises some people because we always have to play it – half of our fans don't like it, half do depending on when they got into us."[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Spotlight" (PDF). Music & Media. 4 May 1991. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Stone comes alive again". Manchester Evening News: 27. 19 March 1991. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  3. ^ Never Loved Elvis (liner). The Wonder Stuff. Polydor. 1991.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ^ Clare, Katie. "Interview: Miles Hunt of The Wonder Stuff". Louder Than War. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  5. ^ Griffiths, Nick (August 1991). "Album of the Month". Select: 60. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Ottewill, Jim. "Miles Hunt". PRS for Music. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  7. ^ "What a wonderful world". Solihull News: 17. 15 March 1991. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Station reports" (PDF). Music & Media. 6 April 1991. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Station reports" (PDF). Music & Media. 20 April 1991. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  10. ^ "Wonder Stuff". Official Charts. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  11. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 27 April 1991. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  12. ^ Scanlon, Ann (16 November 1991). "Wonder Stuff Giddy Up America". Melody Maker. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  13. ^ Stanton, Peter (6 April 1991). "Singles". Record Mirror. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  14. ^ Cameron, Keith (July 1991). "The Wonder Stuff: Never Loved Elvis". Vox. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  15. ^ Bryan, Jon. "Classic compilation: The Wonder Stuff – If the Beatles Had Read Hunter... The Singles". Backseat Mafia. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  16. ^ Darrington, Pete. "The 10 best Wonder Stuff tracks, by Miles Hunt". Louder. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
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