Tart Tart

1987 single by Happy Mondays

"Tart Tart"

Single by Happy Mondays
from the album  Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)
B-side| "Little Matchstick Owen's Rap"
Released| March 1987
Studio| Fire House (London)
Genre| Madchester
Length| 4:18
Label| Factory \- FAC 176
Songwriter(s)| Happy Mondays
Producer(s)| John Cale
Happy Mondays singles chronology
| "Freaky Dancing"
(1986)  | "Tart Tart"
(1987)  | "24 Party People"
(1987)

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"Tart Tart" is a 1987 single by the English rock band Happy Mondays. It was the first single to be released from their debut studio album Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) in March 1987.

The B-side, "Little Matchstick Owen's Rap" was voiced by the audio engineer, Mike Bleach.[1]

## Inspirations

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According to a commentary accompanying the film 24 Hour Party People (2002), the first verse of "Tart Tart" is about Martin Hannett, who later produced the band's second studio album Bummed (1988). The second verse is explained in Bez's Freaky Dancin' (p. 198–200):

> I had a special affinity for the tune because of the references to one of the very first people we had met in the early Haçienda days. Her name was Tart Tart. She was a strange type of woman, an old groupie from the 60s, something she wasn't adverse to admitting. (...) One weekend we'd called by as usual to pick up a bag of goodies, promising to pay up on the following Monday. (...) On returning with the dough a few days later, there was no reply at the door. We went back a few times over the next couple of days but again there was no response. Eventually, another friend of ours went round and forced the door. He found her dead at the bottom of the stairs. She'd died of a brain tumour an was black and blue from throwing herself around, smashing her head on the walls an ultimately down the stair in a desperate attempt to stop the pain an agony. (...) Her sudden and lonely death was a shock for the band as we'd all come to look upon her as a special an unusual friend.

## Track listing

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### 12"

[edit]

[1]

1. "Tart Tart" – 4:18
2. "Little Matchstick Owen's Rap" – 4:15

## References

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1. ^ a b "Happy Mondays – Tart Tart (1987, Vinyl)". Discogs.

## External links

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* "Tart Tart" at Discogs (list of releases)

* v
* t
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Happy Mondays

* Shaun Ryder
* Bez
* Gary Whelan
* Mark Day
* Paul Ryder
* Paul Davis
* Rowetta

Studio albums|

* Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)
* Bummed
* Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches
* Yes Please!
* Uncle Dysfunktional

Extended plays|

* Madchester Rave On
* Hallelujah

Singles|

* "Tart Tart"
* "Step On"
* "Kinky Afro"
* "The Boys Are Back in Town"

Related articles|

* Discography
* Black Grape
* 24 Hour Party People
* Bez's Madchester Anthems: Sorted Tunes from Back in the Day
* Happy Mondays – Excess All Areas: A Biography
* Twisting My Melon: The Autobiography

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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