The White Single is a 7" inch single by The Residents, released April 20th 1984 on Ralph Records. The first two pressings of this single (and its variations) feature the non-album James Brown cover "This Is A Man's Man's Man's World", and the B-side "Safety Is A Cootie Wootie".
Inspired by a dream a Resident had in which the single became a hit, it was pressed on white vinyl (hence the name of the single), with a blue iris label and silk-screened transparent PVC sleeve,[1] designed to resemble the group's iconic eyeball masks.
A variation was released later in the year in the UK by Korova on regular black 7" vinyl (some with a plain black sleeve), instead titled "It's A Man's Man's Man's World"; this version of the single instead features the album track "I'll Go Crazy" from George & James on the B-side.
History[]
The title of The White Single is another in a series of plays on the work of The Beatles, this time referencing their 1968 self-titled album (usually known as The White Album) though there are no musical references to The Beatles on the single itself.
Rather, its lead track is "This Is A Man's Man's Man's World", a non-album cover of a James Brown song released to promote the group's 1984 album George & James, the first in their mooted twenty volume American Composer Series (though only two were released), and their concept album Man, then in progress, but later left unfinished and unreleased. The B-side is a new piece by The Residents entitled "Safety Is A Cootie Wootie"; the third and final part of a longer suite.
The design of the first pressing of The White Single was inspired by a dream a Resident had; it was released on white vinyl with a blue iris design on the label, and red veins silk-screened onto the transparent PVC cover,[1] resembling the group's iconic eyeball masks.
Track listing[]
The White Single (US version)[]
Side A[]
- This Is A Man's Man's Man's World (3:41) (Brown)
Side B[]
- Safety Is A Cootie Wootie (6:40) (Residents)
It's A Man's Man's Man's World (UK version)[]
Credits[]
- This Is A Man's Man's Man's World: The James Brown Classic
- "Safety" Written by: The Residents
- "I'll Go Crazy" Written by: J. Brown
- Produced by: The Residents
Release history[]
| Label | Region |
|---|---|
| Ralph Records | US |
| Korova | UK |
See also[]
External links and references[]
- The White Single/It's A Man's Man's Man's World at RZWeb
- The White Single at Discogs
- It's A Man's Man's Man's World at Discogs
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "One of The Residents had a dream that this was going to be their hit single and they saw it in the dream as a white single with this silk-screen on the clear package." Homer Flynn (interviewed by Steven Cerio), "Interview With The Residents", Seconds #43, 1997