Kowalski (song)

"Kowalski"
Single by Primal Scream
from the album Vanishing Point
B-side	"96 Tears"; "Know Your Rights";
Released	5 May 1997
Format	CD; 7"; 12";
Genre	Industrial rock
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 said 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

Irvine Welsh scripted the video for the album's first single, "Kowalski" and was directed by Steve Hanft. The video features a Dodge Challenger being stolen by Kate Moss and Devon Aoki who then track down and beat up 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 listing

7" single / 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" 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
3.	"Kowalski (Automator Mix)"	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	5:11
4.	"Know Your Rights" (The Clash cover)	Joe Strummer, Mick Jones	4:19

Promo 12" single
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Kowalski"	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	5:58
2.	"Kowalski (Automator Mix)"	Gillespie, Innes, Young, Duffy, Mounfield	5:11

Europe / Australia 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
3.	"Know Your Rights" (The Clash cover)	Joe Strummer, Mick 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)	Rudy Martínez	2:57
4.	"Know Your Rights" (The Clash cover)	Joe Strummer, Mick 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)	Rudy 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
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[3]	16
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[4]	2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[5]	20
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[6]	8

In popular culture

The song is featured in Olivier Assayas's 2014 film Clouds of Sils Maria.

References

Perry, Andrew (June 1997). "Freeze!". Select. Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
"Primal Scream: Kowalski" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
"Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
"Swedishcharts.com – Primal Scream – Kowalski". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
"Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 July 2018.

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[perry-1] Perry, Andrew (June 1997). "Freeze!". Select. Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2007-07-17.

[2] Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.

[sc_Finland_Primal_Scream-3] "Primal Scream: Kowalski" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 18 March 2018.

[sc_Scotland_Primal_Scream-4] "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 March 2018.

[sc_Sweden_Primal_Scream-5] "Swedishcharts.com – Primal Scream – Kowalski". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 18 March 2018.

[sc_UK_Primal_Scream-6] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 July 2018.

Primal Scream
Bobby Gillespie Andrew Innes Martin Duffy Darrin Mooney Simone Butler Barrie Cadogan Jim Beattie Paul Harte Martin St. John Denise Johnson Gary "Mani" Mounfield Stuart May Tom McGurk Paul Mulreany 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
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