Format CD single
CD maxi Length 3:59 Writer(s) Edwyn Collins | Recorded 1994 Label Setanta | |
Released 5 December 1994 (CD1) (Australia)
12 December 1994 (CD2) (Australia)
5 June 1995 (UK re-release) | ||
"A Girl Like You" is a song by British singer-songwriter Edwyn Collins from his third solo studio album, Gorgeous George (1994). The song samples the drums track of Len Barry's 1965 single "1-2-3".
Contents
Music videos
There are two different music videos for this song. The US video was in turn an avant-garde tribute to its lyrics (e.g. when Collins sings the lyrics "you made me acknowledge the devil in me", a child's painting of the devil is overlaid over his face). The international video shows Collins singing over videos and silhouettes of dancers.
Production
The Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook played vibraphone on the recording.
Copyright controversy
On 30 September 2009, Collins' manager posted to Collins' Myspace page to discuss how Collins owned the copyright to the song and wanted to make it available to anyone as a free download but Myspace only allowed major labels to assert the rights to tracks hosted on their site.
A later posting notes that, after the story was picked up by major news outlets, the song was once again available on the Myspace music player.
Appearances and cover versions
The song appeared on the soundtrack of the 1995 hit movie Empire Records. On TV, it was featured in the Cleopatra 2525 episode "Run Cleo Run", Spin City episode "The Commitments", in a Marks & Spencer advert in 2012, as well as Lucifer episode "Sweet Kicks" in 2016. Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song as a bonus track on their 2007 video game Alvin and the Chipmunks. The Black Keys have covered the song at various performances during their 2014 "Turn Blue World Tour."