"Horror Head" is a song by English alternative rock band CURVE, formed in 1990 by multi-instrumentalist musician Dean Garcia and vocalist front-woman Toni Halliday.
After a series of three EPs in a row, on 09 March 1992 the band released their long awaited debut studio album 'Doppelgänger', preceded on 24 February 1992 by the leading single "Faît Accompli" and followed by the release of the second single "Horror Head (remix)" on 06 July 1992 - all three releases on Anxious Records, UK.
"Horror Head" was recorded during the album sessions (from July ‘til October 1991), produced and engineered by Curve & Flood and remixed by Alan Moulder at The Church. This is a song apparently about an intense, yet short-lasting relationship (either with a lover or a close friend), although trying to interpret Toni Halliday’s lyrics is not easy. According to Halliday herself in an interview with Stephanie Young for Propaganda in 1992: "[…] I want my songs to be dark enigmas at first listen, where the listener will detect only a tiny speck of meaning and want to investigate further - shed more light on it with each listen. Each person should come away with their own interpretations. That's why I'll never get too literal. It's important to keep a distance and a sense of mystery […]" The cryptic lyrics of songs like "Horror Head" and "Faît Accompli" pay exquisite homage to this intent.
Curve's most MTV-friendly promo video was shot to accompany the release of their most left-field single to that date (though it had been given a 'warmer' remix). The video full of fast colour changes was directed by Barry Maguire, featuring the duo performing the song with Toni Halliday, compellingly and purposefully glamorous, emerging and re-emerging amongst flowers from a pool of blurred, silverish water. She quoted in an interview with The Stud Brothers for Melody Maker (issue of June 20, 1992) about it: "When we made that video, we'd been up all night remixing "I Feel Love" (a cover of the Donna Summer classic which was released in the following September on an NME-sponsored compilation called "Ruby Trax"). The water was freezing, and they kept me in there for hours. All I could do to keep warm was to drink these huge glasses of brandy. I couldn't keep a straight face. By the time we left, I was completely pissed out of my head."
On 18 July 1992, "Horror Head" entered the UK Top75 Singles chart at its highest position #31 but in the following week (July 25th) it dropped to #69, before exiting the chart for good.
The single was critically acclaimed and became a commercial success on both sides of the Atlantic, entering US Billboard’s "Modern Rock Tracks" (aka "Alternative Songs" nowdays) where it stayed for 5 weeks peaking at #23 on June 6, 1992.
After a series of three EPs in a row, on 09 March 1992 the band released their long awaited debut studio album 'Doppelgänger', preceded on 24 February 1992 by the leading single "Faît Accompli" and followed by the release of the second single "Horror Head (remix)" on 06 July 1992 - all three releases on Anxious Records, UK.
"Horror Head" was recorded during the album sessions (from July ‘til October 1991), produced and engineered by Curve & Flood and remixed by Alan Moulder at The Church. This is a song apparently about an intense, yet short-lasting relationship (either with a lover or a close friend), although trying to interpret Toni Halliday’s lyrics is not easy. According to Halliday herself in an interview with Stephanie Young for Propaganda in 1992: "[…] I want my songs to be dark enigmas at first listen, where the listener will detect only a tiny speck of meaning and want to investigate further - shed more light on it with each listen. Each person should come away with their own interpretations. That's why I'll never get too literal. It's important to keep a distance and a sense of mystery […]" The cryptic lyrics of songs like "Horror Head" and "Faît Accompli" pay exquisite homage to this intent.
Curve's most MTV-friendly promo video was shot to accompany the release of their most left-field single to that date (though it had been given a 'warmer' remix). The video full of fast colour changes was directed by Barry Maguire, featuring the duo performing the song with Toni Halliday, compellingly and purposefully glamorous, emerging and re-emerging amongst flowers from a pool of blurred, silverish water. She quoted in an interview with The Stud Brothers for Melody Maker (issue of June 20, 1992) about it: "When we made that video, we'd been up all night remixing "I Feel Love" (a cover of the Donna Summer classic which was released in the following September on an NME-sponsored compilation called "Ruby Trax"). The water was freezing, and they kept me in there for hours. All I could do to keep warm was to drink these huge glasses of brandy. I couldn't keep a straight face. By the time we left, I was completely pissed out of my head."
On 18 July 1992, "Horror Head" entered the UK Top75 Singles chart at its highest position #31 but in the following week (July 25th) it dropped to #69, before exiting the chart for good.
The single was critically acclaimed and became a commercial success on both sides of the Atlantic, entering US Billboard’s "Modern Rock Tracks" (aka "Alternative Songs" nowdays) where it stayed for 5 weeks peaking at #23 on June 6, 1992.
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