"Dress" is the debut single by English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 singer-songwriter PJ Harvey

PJ Harvey

Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...

 from her debut album Dry

Dry (album)

Dry is the debut album by PJ Harvey. It was recorded at the Icehouse, Yeovil, UK, and released in the UK on Too Pure , and subsequently on Indigo Records in the US...

Released in 1991, two promotional music videos were also recorded.

Background and history

"Dress" was recorded at Yeovil's Icehouse as part of the Dry sessions. The song, like the album, generated an overwhelmingly strong critical response, though the song failed to chart. John Peel

John Peel

John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...

described the song as 'admirable, if not always enjoyable' after playing it for the first time on his radio show.

Track listing

All songs written by PJ Harvey, unless where noted.

UK CD and 12" single (Too Pure, PURE CD/5)

1. Dress (PJ Harvey, Rob Ellis) - 3:18
2. Water - 4:35
3. Dry - 3:36

Music video

The Music video for 'Dress' was directed by Harvey's friend Maria Mochnacz, who would direct numerous videos for Harvey and design album and single art for her later in her career. It was the first video Mochnacz ever shot and as she and Harvey were short on money they could only afford to buy and process 12 minutes of film. As a result of this some parts of the video are repeated and played backwards. The video was shot in black and white on a 16mm Bolex Camera in a circus school in Bristol called 'Fooltime', and consists of Harvey lying on the floor as a giant ballerina stencil is assembled in stop motion around her, as well as Harvey spinning in a dress and swinging from a trapeze.