Kowalski (song)

"Kowalski"
"Kowalski"
Single by Primal Scream
from the album Vanishing Point
B-side	"96 Tears"; "Know Your Rights";
Released	5 May 1997
Length	5:58 (album version); 4:19 (radio edit);
Label	Creation; Reprise;
Songwriter(s)	Martin Duffy; Bobby Gillespie; Andrew Innes; Robert Young; Gary Mounfield;
Producer(s)	Brendan Lynch; Primal Scream;
Primal Scream singles chronology

"Kowalski" is a song by Scottish rock band Primal Scream, released on 5 May 1997 as the lead single from their fifth studio album Vanishing Point. The song contains a drum sample from "Halleluhwah" by Can and an interpolation of the bassline from "Get Off Your Ass and Jam" by Funkadelic, and is named after the main character of the 1971 film Vanishing Point, played by Barry Newman; it also features various dialogue samples from this film.

The song peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart and became the band's highest-charting single in Scotland, reaching number two. In Australia, the song was a minor hit on the ARIA Singles Chart, peaking at number 79.

Music video

Scripted by Irvine Welsh and directed by Steven Hanft, the video features Kate Moss and Devon Aoki stealing a Dodge Challenger before then tracking down and assaulting the band. The band's lead singer, Bobby Gillespie, described the video as "a cross between Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! and The Sweeney."^[1]

Track listings

7-inch single and Europe 2-track CD single
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Kowalski"	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	5:58
2.	"96 Tears" (? and the Mysterians cover)	Rudy Martínez	2:57

Europe 12-inch single
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Kowalski"	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	5:58
2.	"96 Tears" (? and the Mysterians cover)	Martínez	2:57
3.	"Kowalski" (Automator mix)	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	5:11
4.	"Know Your Rights" (The Clash cover)	Joe Strummer, Mick Jones	4:19

European and Australian CD single
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Kowalski"	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	5:58
2.	"96 Tears" (? and the Mysterians cover)	Martínez	2:57
3.	"Know Your Rights" (The Clash cover)	Strummer, Jones	4:19
4.	"Kowalski" (Automator mix)	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	5:11

US CD maxi-single
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Kowalski" (radio edit)	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	4:18
2.	"Kowalski"	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	5:58
3.	"96 Tears" (? and the Mysterians cover)	Martínez	2:57
4.	"Know Your Rights" (The Clash cover)	Strummer, Jones	4:19
5.	"Kowalski" (Adrian Sherwood dub)	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	5:01

Japan CD maxi-single
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Kowalski"	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	5:58
2.	"Star"	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	4:25
3.	"96 Tears" (? and the Mysterians cover)	Martínez	2:57
4.	"Kowalski" (radio edit)	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	4:18
5.	"Kowalski" (Automator mix)	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	5:11

Charts

Chart (1997)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[2]	79
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[3]	58
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[4]	16
Scotland (OCC)^[5]	2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[6]	20
UK Singles (OCC)^[7]	8

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	5 May 1997	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD	Creation	^[8]
Japan	28 May 1997	CD	Creation	^[9]

References

^ Perry, Andrew (June 1997). "Freeze!". Select. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2007.
^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 224.
^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 21. 24 May 1997. p. 12. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
^ "Primal Scream: Kowalski" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
^ "Primal Scream – Kowalski". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 3 May 1997. p. 33. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
^ "コワルスキー | プライマル・スクリーム" [Kowalski | Primal Scream] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 14 February 2024.

[perry-1] Perry, Andrew (June 1997). "Freeze!". Select. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2007.

[2] Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 224.

[3] "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 21. 24 May 1997. p. 12. Retrieved 6 August 2020.

[sc_Finland_Primal_Scream-4] "Primal Scream: Kowalski" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 18 March 2018.

[sc_Scotland_Primal_Scream-5] "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 March 2018.

[sc_Sweden_Primal_Scream-6] "Primal Scream – Kowalski". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 18 March 2018.

[sc_UK_Primal_Scream-7] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 July 2018.

[8] "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 3 May 1997. p. 33. Retrieved 26 July 2021.

[9] "コワルスキー | プライマル・スクリーム" [Kowalski | Primal Scream] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 14 February 2024.

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v t e Primal Scream
Bobby Gillespie Andrew Innes Darrin Mooney Simone Butler Barrie Cadogan Martin Duffy Debbie Googe Gary "Mani" Mounfield Kevin Shields Phillip "Toby" Tomanov Robert "Throb" Young
Studio albums	Sonic Flower Groove Primal Scream Screamadelica Give Out but Don't Give Up Vanishing Point XTRMNTR Evil Heat Riot City Blues Beautiful Future More Light Chaosmosis Come Ahead
Live albums/videos	Live in Japan Riot City Blues Tour Screamadelica Live
Compilation/remix albums	Echo Dek Dirty Hits Shoot Speed – More Dirty Hits
EPs	Dixie-Narco
Singles	"Velocity Girl" "Loaded" "Come Together" "Rocks" / "Funky Jam" "Kowalski" "Star" "Swastika Eyes" "Kill All Hippies" "Some Velvet Morning" "Country Girl" "Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)" "Sometimes I Feel So Lonely" "Can't Go Back" "2013" "It's Alright, It's OK"
Related articles	Discography