This single from Primitive Man sounded like the second coming of Roxy Music.
Kronomyth 2.3: My only other love.
It’s rare that I listen to Icehouse without thinking about what a criminally underrated talent Iva Davies was/is. That he was able to reproduce the sound of Roxy Music, Japan and David Bowie on his own with Primitive Man remains one of the great musical accomplishments of the 80s, in my opinion. Hey Little Girl may be the best song on the album, somehow managing to beat Bryan Ferry (“My Only Love”) at his own game. Unfortunately, the song gained little traction in the U.S., despite a suitably cinematic (for the times) music video featuring romantic shadows, ballerinas and a loose story that takes two fated lovers from youth to death (or something like that). The single version of “Hey Little Girl” is about 30 seconds shorter than the album version.
In Australia, the single was complemented with an extended dance mix of Glam that takes what is arguably the least interesting song on Primitive Man and makes it twice as boring. An extended disco remix of “Hey Little Girl” and an instrumental dub version fare only slightly better. I never cared for remixes myself, although these versions do highlight how good the original album mix was. In the UK and US, the funktastic Mysterious Thing was featured on the flipside of the 7-inch single.
Original 7-inch single version (Australia)
A1. Hey Little Girl (Iva Davies) (3:53)
B1. Glam (Extended Dance Mix) (Iva Davies) (6:40)
Original 7-inch single version
A1. Hey Little Girl (Iva Davies) (3:38/3:40)
B1. Mysterious Thing* (Iva Davies) (4:21)
*Mistakenly titled as “Mysterious Name” on label.
Original 12-inch single version (UK)
A1. Hey Little Girl (Disco Edit Mix) (Iva Davies) (7:00)
B1. Hey Little Girl (Iva Davies) (3:40)
B2. Can’t Help Myself (U.S. Club Mix) (Iva Davies) (5:58)
Original 12-inch single version (US)
A1. Hey Little Girl (Special Extended Remix Version) (Iva Davies) (6:11)
B1. Hey Little Girl (Dub Version) (Iva Davies) (6:14)
The Players
“Glam (extended dance mix)” mixed by Cameron Allan. “Hey Little Girl (dub version)” mixed by Nick Martinelli and David Todd.
The Pictures
Design and painting by David Storey.
The Plastic
Released on 7-inch, 7-inch clear vinyl, 7-inch picture disc and 12-inch single in 1982 in Australia (Regular, RRSPO 721) and in February 1983* in the UK (Chrysalis, CHS/CHSP/CHS 12 2670) and the US (Chrysalis, 4V9 42731) with regional picture sleeve. Reached #17 on the UK charts. Also released as promotional 7-inch single in 1983 in the US (Chrysalis, VS4-42670) feat. A only. (*First appeared in 2/19/83 issue of Billboard as part of 2/12/83 UK charts.)
