Under the Pink is the second solo album by singer-songwriterTori Amos. Upon its release in January 1994, the album peaked at #12 on Billboard's (North America) Top 200 chart and #1 in the UK Albums Chart, on the back of the hit single "Cornflake Girl" (based on the novel Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker). A special double-disc edition was released exclusively in New Zealand and Australia called More Pink The B~Sides. The album represents a more acoustic piano-based sound, and most of the final third of the album is devoted to a classical-inspired suite of piano songs, including the sweeping 9-and-a-half minute epic "Yes, Anastasia." Amos used a prepared upright piano for the studio recording of "Bells for Her", which was also played on a prepared piano for the second half of the tour. Although it drew a mostly favourable reaction, it disappointed some critics who considered it a step sideways rather than forwards from Little Earthquakes (but was voted among the greatest albums of the 1990s by Rolling Stone magazine some years later). In February, Amos began the "Under the Pink" tour, which lasted until November and encompassed many of the same stops as on the previous world tour. A limited edition release of the album commemorating the Australian tour included a second disc entitled More Pink, a collection of rare B-Sides like "Little Drummer Boy" and a cover version of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You", was issued in November 1994. During this period, she also contributed the song "Butterfly" to the soundtrack for the 1994 movie Higher Learning, as well as a cover of the R.E.M song "Losing My Religion". Under the Pink produced four singles. "God" was the first U.S. single in January 1994, and reached #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart; an October release in the UK saw a peak of #44. "Cornflake Girl" became Amos' biggest international hit of the time, reaching UK #4, while "Pretty Good Year" followed it to UK #7. "Past the Mission", which featured the vocal contribution of Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, just missed the UK Top 30 that summer. In February 2007, the album was certified UKPlatinum by the BPI. The album was recorded in Taos, New Mexico in a hacienda. The album artwork features several Native American and New Mexican references in the photography. The album is also notable as the last Amos album to feature the production of Eric Rosse as they split that year. To date, Under the Pink remains her highest-charting album in the UK and has sold more than two million copies worldwide. The original track listing included the b-side "Honey," which was kicked off the record at the last minute. Amos has since voiced great regret for leaving the song off the album, but has refused to reveal which song that is on the album would have been replaced.
The album, as with most of Tori Amos' albums, is also known for its collection of b-sides. Amos recorded a host of songs that did not make the album, but were released as b-sides to various singles or performed live in concerts. The song "Peeping Tommi" was recorded during Under the Pink album sessions and remained unreleased 12 years until its inclusion on the five disc Rhino release box set A Piano: The Collection, in 2006.
