Europop song, late '80s or early '90s, about Peter and the Wolf
February 2, 2022 3:41 PM Subscribe
I know the song exists, and I have a vivid memory of it from a mix tape a friend made in high school (long out of touch). It's the story of Peter and the Wolf, narrated by a John-Hurt-sounding type, but the music is 100% Pet-Shop-Boys-esque pop. When the narrator says "the hunters came out of the woods," there's a Frankie-style tribal drum riff. The song cuts off abruptly with a younger (still adult) voice saying "...and you know the rest."
I feel like the band name was letters -- ABC, JFK, something like that. I would guess the song came out somewhere between '86 and '91. This has been a low-grade, very occasional hunt for me, and my search engine skills are totally eclipsed by the ubiquity of versions of Peter and the Wolf, sometimes featuring pop music performers. Help me, hivemind!
I feel like the band name was letters -- ABC, JFK, something like that. I would guess the song came out somewhere between '86 and '91. This has been a low-grade, very occasional hunt for me, and my search engine skills are totally eclipsed by the ubiquity of versions of Peter and the Wolf, sometimes featuring pop music performers. Help me, hivemind!
Is it Cry Wolf by A-Ha?
They're much better know for Take on Me of course.
posted by sevenless at 4:12 PM on February 2, 2022
They're much better know for Take on Me of course.
posted by sevenless at 4:12 PM on February 2, 2022
Response by poster: Thank you, MonkeyToes and sevenless, but it's definitely not 'Weird' Al (I know the Weird Al catalogue, believe me!). It's categorically not any long-form rendition of Peter and the Wolf that involves the orchestral introduction, the "this character is represented by ____", etc. It's a single-shot pop song, 3-4 minutes in length.
It is also definitely a take on Peter and the Wolf, not something that alludes to wolves or just has "wolf" (or "Peter") prominently in the lyrics. But A-Ha is the right era/sound for sure.
Not intending to threadsit, but just want to clarify that this is definitely (a) a pop song, not a full Peter and the Wolf production; and (b) absolutely the story of Peter and the Wolf, told in a pop song.
posted by Shepherd at 4:18 PM on February 2, 2022
It is also definitely a take on Peter and the Wolf, not something that alludes to wolves or just has "wolf" (or "Peter") prominently in the lyrics. But A-Ha is the right era/sound for sure.
Not intending to threadsit, but just want to clarify that this is definitely (a) a pop song, not a full Peter and the Wolf production; and (b) absolutely the story of Peter and the Wolf, told in a pop song.
posted by Shepherd at 4:18 PM on February 2, 2022
Any chance you’re misremembering XTC’s Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead?
posted by miles1972 at 5:20 PM on February 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by miles1972 at 5:20 PM on February 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
Was it the 1986 Italo-Disco Peter and the Wolf? It's certainly got a PSB/Frankie sound, but the vocals don't quite match up with your description.
posted by eschatfische at 5:24 PM on February 2, 2022
posted by eschatfische at 5:24 PM on February 2, 2022
eschatfische, I was thinking the same and began to wonder whether it's a remix of that sound + the narration track from one of the adaptations (Recordings section on the wikipedia page)
posted by Sockin'inthefreeworld at 5:28 PM on February 2, 2022
posted by Sockin'inthefreeworld at 5:28 PM on February 2, 2022
I haven't listened to it in a long time so I don't remember if it's especially Europoppy, but David Bowie did a recording of Peter and the Wolf.
posted by Dr. Wu at 5:52 PM on February 2, 2022
posted by Dr. Wu at 5:52 PM on February 2, 2022
Prog Rock, not EuroPop: Peter and the Wolf from 1975, with Viv Stanshall of the Bonzo Dog Band narrating, and Manfred Mann, Gary Brooker, Gary Moore, Alvin Lee, Phil Collins, Brian Eno, Keith Tippet, Bill Bruford & Cozy Powell. Here's a sample.
posted by Rash at 5:58 PM on February 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Rash at 5:58 PM on February 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
I also popped in to suggest the David Bowie recording, not sure if it's the one you are remembering but worth a listen to see.
posted by carlypennylane at 6:14 PM on February 2, 2022
posted by carlypennylane at 6:14 PM on February 2, 2022
Response by poster: First and foremost I am thrilled that there are so many awesome takes on Peter and the Wolf out there. Unfortunately, it's not the Bowie version (nor is it any "narrator and instruments with instruments taking the roles of the characters" long-form version).
It is not the Italo-Disco, but that shit slaps and I'm glad to know about it.
It is not the prog rock take (nor, again, is it any kind of long-form "narrator and instruments taking the roles of the characters" version). But that version also seems awesome.
I have a pretty strong recollection of snatches of lyrics, which have not helped me at all, but... the song almost definitely begins with the John-Hurt-esque voice saying "This is the story of a young boy and a wolf. A big, grey wolf." The Pet-Shop-Boys-esque chorus goes something like "I was running / as fast as I could / I was screaming / take me far from these woods!"
posted by Shepherd at 1:09 PM on February 3, 2022
It is not the Italo-Disco, but that shit slaps and I'm glad to know about it.
It is not the prog rock take (nor, again, is it any kind of long-form "narrator and instruments taking the roles of the characters" version). But that version also seems awesome.
I have a pretty strong recollection of snatches of lyrics, which have not helped me at all, but... the song almost definitely begins with the John-Hurt-esque voice saying "This is the story of a young boy and a wolf. A big, grey wolf." The Pet-Shop-Boys-esque chorus goes something like "I was running / as fast as I could / I was screaming / take me far from these woods!"
posted by Shepherd at 1:09 PM on February 3, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:02 PM on February 2, 2022 [1 favorite]