Released on August 12, 1996, several weeks before Excerpts From a Love Circus, Small Heads was selected by 4AD as the lead single to introduce Germano’s fourth album to the public. Notably, it was issued as a commercial release in the UK, a distinction that separated it from most of Germano’s other singles, which existed only as promotional copies. It arrived in two formats: a four-track CD in a digipak sleeve, and a two-track 7″ vinyl. Both are now out-of-print and considered rare.
Background
By the summer of 1996, Germano was in a transitional moment. Geek the Girl (1994) had earned significant critical praise but had pushed her music toward some of its most harrowing and difficult territory. Excerpts From a Love Circus marked a deliberate shift in tone—not toward comfort exactly, but toward a kind of sardonic, carnival-lit brightness that made it, in the words of Trouser Press, “Germano’s most personable album, and the one on which she seems to be having the most fun.”
4AD’s selection of “Small Heads” as the lead single reflected that shift. Of the twelve tracks on Love Circus, it was among the most immediately engaging: jangly, rhythmically propulsive, and built on a melodic sensibility that, while still distinctly Germano’s, sat closer to the surface than much of her work. It received considerable airplay on college and alternative radio in both the US and the UK, alongside “I Love a Snot” and “Lovesick,” making the Love Circus cycle one of the more radio-present periods of her 4AD tenure.
The single preceded the album by nearly a month, functioning as a formal introduction to the record’s more playful character. In the UK, it was one of only a handful of Germano singles issued commercially rather than as a promotional-only release, suggesting that 4AD saw in it a genuine opportunity for visibility.
Themes
“Small Heads” stands apart from the darker material on Excerpts From a Love Circus by channeling its emotional content into something closer to kinetic energy. Trouser Press described it as building “a dinky piano riff into one of the most joyous songs of Germano’s career.” One Rate Your Music reviewer called it “the masterwork” of the album, noting that it “really should have been a hit” and singling out its prominent flute solo. Rate Your Music’s track-by-track coverage observed that “Small Heads continued the attempts of burying the past. Germano’s neurotic insecurities pervaded each moment”—capturing the tension between the song’s upbeat texture and its underlying subject matter.
Lyrically, the song turns the familiar Germano territory of romantic insecurity outward, framing self-consciousness not as paralysis but as a question directed at another person: do you ever think of me? The title itself operates as a piece of deflating self-deprecation—the “small heads” of the song are people (or perhaps a person) who can’t quite expand their thinking beyond themselves. It’s a light-footed accusation dressed as a pop song, which is a mode Germano handles better than almost anyone.
Prior to its official release as “Small Heads,” the song appears under a different title on pre-production cassette recordings made during the Love Circus sessions: “Superman Superwoman.” These working cassettes, commonly referred to as “roughs,” were standard industry tools in the era, used for sequencing and internal review before final studio production was committed. The title “Superman Superwoman” does not appear in any official release or press documentation, making these cassette recordings the only known evidence of the song’s earlier working identity.
Released: August 12, 1996
Label: 4AD
Format: CD, 7″
Country: UK
Availability: Rare
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Small Heads | 4:00 |
| 2 | Fun, Fun for Everyone (acoustic) | 3:56 |
| 3 | Tom, Dick and Harry | 4:50 |
| 4 | Messages from Sophia (instrumental) | 3:56 |
The single was recorded and mixed at Echo Park Studio in Bloomington, Indiana, and at Germano’s home—the same setup that produced the full Excerpts From a Love Circus album. The session was co-produced by Paul Mahern and Lisa Germano, with Jake Smith on bass, John Strohm on guitar, and Dane Clark on drums. Mastering was handled by Greg Calbi at Masterdisk.
Three years after the single’s release, 4AD incorporated three of its tracks—”Fun, Fun for Everyone (acoustic),” “Tom, Dick and Harry,” and “Messages from Sophia (instrumental)”—into a 1999 reissue of Excerpts From a Love Circus, expanding the original track listing and bringing these B-sides to a wider audience.
The four-track CD single is notable not just for its lead track but for the quality and subsequent history of its B-sides.
“Fun, Fun for Everyone (acoustic)” was recorded during the Love Circus sessions but omitted from the album proper. The acoustic version appeared on this single, while a more experimental version (styled as “Fun, Fun for Everyone!”) was later included on Germano’s self-released Rare, Unusual or Just Bad Songs compilation in 2002.
“Tom, Dick and Harry” has the most travelled history of the three B-sides. Recorded during the Love Circus sessions, it was held back from the album, surfaced here on the single, and was subsequently re-recorded with OP8, the collaborative project Germano undertook with members of Calexico and Giant Sand, appearing on their 1997 album Slush. The fact that the song made the transition into the OP8 project suggests it had a particular resonance for Germano, or that its sound sat naturally in the desert-tinged, Hazlewood-inflected aesthetic that defined Slush.
“Messages from Sophia (instrumental)” made its debut on this single in instrumental form. The original vocal version would appear on the Love Circus album as track 11. The instrumental version later reappeared on Germano’s self-released Songs From Tierra Sabrosa in 2006, a compilation that drew from various archival and unreleased materials.
Version List
The 7″ vinyl version of the single contains only “Small Heads” and “Fun, Fun for Everyone (acoustic),” omitting “Tom, Dick and Harry” and the “Messages from Sophia” instrumental.
| Label | Format | Catalog No. | Country | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 4AD | CD | BAD 6019 CD | UK | 1996 |
| 4AD | 7″ Single | AD 6019 | UK | 1996 |
Packaging & Design
Art direction and design were by Paul McMenamin at V23, with photography by Matthew Welch, the same design and photography team responsible for the album’s visual identity.
The CD single was released in a digipak sleeve, which was atypical for a single of this format and gave the release a more considered, collectible quality. Publishing credits are shared between Songs of Polygram International, Inc., Door Number One Music, and Emotional Wench Music (BMI), consistent with the wider Love Circus album credits.
Personnel
Written by Lisa Germano
Published by Songs of Polygram International, Inc / Door Number One Music / Emotional Wench Music (BMI)
Produced by Lisa Germano and Paul Mahern
Bass: Jake Smith
Drums: Dane Clark
Guitar: John Strohm
Additional musicians: Kenny Aronoff, Bill Bottrell, Craig Ross, Demian Hostetter, Emily Goethals, Glenn Hicks, John Hicks, Mark Maher, Allana Redecki, Josh Silbert, Thor Harris, Wyndham Wallace, Paul Mahern, Lisa Germano
Mastered by Greg Calbi at Masterdisk
Recorded and mixed at Echo Park Studio, Bloomington, Indiana, and at home
Art Direction & Design: Paul McMenamin, V23
Photography: Matthew Welch
Portrait Photography: Michael Wilson
Management: Tommy Manzi
4AD, AD 6019 (7″ Vinyl) / [catalogue no. TBC] (CD)
℗ 1996 4AD
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