This Town Ai n't Big Enough for Both of Us - wikipedia This Town Ai n't Big Enough for Both of Us `` This Town Ai n't Big Enough for Both of Us '' Single by Sparks from the album Kimono My House and Plagiarism ( 1997 re-recording with Faith No More ) ' B - side `` Barbecutie '' Released Format 7 - inch, 45 rpm Recorded Genre Glam rock Length 3 : 06 Label Island Records Songwriter ( s ) Ron Mael Producer ( s ) Muff Winwood Sparks singles chronology `` Girl from Germany '' ( 1972 ) Girl from Germany1972 `` This Town Ai n't Big Enough for Both of Us '' ( 1974 ) This Town Ai n't Big Enough for Both of Us1974 `` Amateur Hour '' ( 1974 ) Amateur Hour 1974 Faith No More singles chronology `` Stripsearch '' ( 1997 ) Stripsearch 1997 `` This Town Ai n't Big Enough for Both of Us '' ( 1998 ) This Town Ai n't Big Enough for Both of Us1998 `` I Started a Joke '' ( 1998 ) I Started a Joke 1998 Audio sample file help `` This Town Ai n't Big Enough for Both of Us '' is a song written by Ron Mael of the American pop group Sparks. It is the opening track on their 1974 album Kimono My House, and was the lead single from the album, reaching number 2 in the UK singles chart. The original idea for the song was that after each verse Russell Mael would sing a movie dialogue cliché, one of which was `` This town ai n't big enough for the both of us ''. They dropped the idea of having different phrases and instead used only the one in the title. The original working title of the song was `` Too Hot to Handle ''. An acoustic version of the song was recorded in 1985 for the B - side of the `` Change '' single. In 1997, Sparks recorded two new versions of the song for their album Plagiarism. The first was an orchestral reworking arranged and conducted by Tony Visconti which reinstated a verse producer Muff Winwood had cut from the original. The other was as a collaboration with Faith No More, which was released as a single and reached number 40 in the British singles chart. Winwood used distinctive Western movie - style gunshots on the recording after a suggestion from engineer Dave Hutchins. Hutchins added the sound effect after he felt the recorded track ' was missing something ', sourcing the gunshots from a BBC sound effects LP ' borrowed ' from his previous workplace at the corporation. It has been claimed that Winwood bet with his friend Elton John that the song would become a top - five hit in the UK charts and that Elton John, saying it would not, lost the bet. In his Sparks biography Talent is an Asset, however, Daryl Easlea reports that this was a `` great tale '' propagated by the Mael brothers that is contradicted by Winwood himself -- in fact, Winwood said that, unsure of how commercial the track would be, he played it to Elton John, who told him, `` Listen, I 'll bet you a hundred quid that that makes the Top 3 ''. Winwood 's wife agreed, and his doubts were allayed. Contents 1 Track listing 2 Personnel 3 Chart positions 4 Certifications 5 Musical style 6 Cover versions 7 In popular culture 8 References 9 External links Track listing 1974 original release. `` This Town Ai n't Big Enough for Both of Us -- 3 : 06 `` Barbecutie -- 3 : 10 Personnel Russell Mael -- vocals Ron Mael -- keyboards Martin Gordon -- bass Adrian Fisher -- guitar Norman `` Dinky '' Diamond -- drums Chart positions Original release ( 1974 ) Chart Peak position Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) France ( SNEP ) 15 Germany ( Official German Charts ) 12 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 5 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) 7 UK ( Official Charts Company ) Sparks Vs. Faith No More ( 1997 ) Chart ( 1997 / 98 ) Peak position Australia ( ARIA ) 69 UK ( Official Charts Company ) 40 Chart ( 2012 ) Peak position Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Back Catalogue Singles Flanders ) 47 Certifications Chart Certifications ( sales thresholds ) UK ( Official Charts Company ) BPI : Silver Musical style The vocal sound on the single has been criticised as being `` stylised ''. This may be because the song was written without any regard for the vocal style of Russell Mael. Songwriter Ron Mael has explained : `` This Town Ai n't Big Enough For Both of Us '' was written in A, and by God it 'll be sung in A. I just feel that if you 're coming up with most of the music, then you have an idea where it 's going to go. And no singer is gon na get in my way. Russell Mael has claimed in reply : When he wrote `` This Town Ai n't Big Enough For Both of Us '', Ron could only play it in that key. It was so much work to transpose the song and one of us had to budge, so I made the adjustment to fit in. My voice ai n't a `` rock '' voice. It 's not soulful, in the traditional rock way ; It 's not about `` guts ''. It 's untrained, unschooled, I never questioned why I was singing high. It just happened, dictated by the songs. Ron has always written Sparks ' lyrics and never transposed them into a rock key for me to sing. He always packed each line with words and I had to sing them as they were. When the track was first recorded, the crew all felt that there was ' something missing ', but could not decide what it was. Then engineer Dave Hutchins had an idea, raided the BBC ( for whom he had previously worked ) and added the distinctive gunshot effect. Winwood loved and approved the change, and the gunshot is now the signature of the song. Cover versions The song has been covered by Siouxsie and the Banshees on their 1987 album Through the Looking Glass, by Heavens Gate on their 1996 album Planet E, and by Theory in Practice on their 2002 album Colonizing the Sun. British Whale ( recording alias of The Darkness singer / songwriter Justin Hawkins ) released a version as his debut single in August 2005, which reached number 6 in the UK charts. The track `` Arabian Shamuru '' on the 1991 Bon Voyage album by Japanese band Mahalik Halili uses almost exactly the same melody as `` This Town Ai n't Big Enough for Both of Us ''. In live concerts, the electro / dance group Justice have performed the track. Arizona 's The Format cover it in live concerts frequently, including it on their 2006 EP And Now I Hope You 're Alright - Live in California. Portuguese band Humanos in their concerts performed a live version, mashing it with `` O Corpo É Que Paga '' by Portuguese 1980 's icon António Variações, which is available on their live DVD. In live concerts, the Los Angels / San Francisco glam rock band ( Celebrity Skin ) performed the song regularly during live performances beginning in 1987. Sparks ' 1997 album Plagiarism included two collaborations with Faith No More -- `` This Town Ai n't Big Enough for Both of Us '' and `` Something for the Girl with Everything ''. Faith No More performed the song live during their 1997 -- 1998 and reunion tours. In popular culture The song appears in a dream sequence in an episode of the British sitcom Green Wing. It is performed by two of the characters, Dr. `` Mac '' Macartney and Dr. Alan Statham, pretending to be Russell Mael and Ron Mael respectively. The original Sparks version of the song is heard in the 2010 movie Kick - Ass. References Jump up ^ Savage, Jon ( 1 February 2013 ). `` The 20 best glam - rock songs of all time ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Sparks ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Record Producers : Tony Visconti ''. http://allsparks.com. Retrieved 4 April 2017. External link in website = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` Sparks - `` This town ai n't big enough for both of us '' Single ``. Graphikdesigns.free.fr. Xavier Lorente - Darracq / Graphik Designs - France. Retrieved 18 July 2013. Jump up ^ Daryl Easlea ( 7 April 2010 ). Talent Is An Asset : The Story Of Sparks. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 85712 - 237 - 7. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Sparks -- This Town Ai n't Big Enough For Both Of Us '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Jump up ^ `` This town ai n't big enough for both of us in French Chart '' ( in French ). Dominic DURAND / InfoDisc. Retrieved 6 June 2013. You have to use the index at the top of the page and search `` Sparks '' Jump up ^ `` Offiziellecharts.de -- Sparks -- This Town Ai n't Big Enough For Both Of Us ''. GfK Entertainment Charts. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- Sparks search results '' ( in Dutch ) Dutch Top 40. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Sparks -- This Town Ai n't Big Enough For Both Of Us '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- Sparks -- This Town Ai n't Big Enough For Both Of Us ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Jump up ^ Ryan, Gavin ( 2011 ). Australia 's Music Charts 1988 - 2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia : Moonlight Publishing. Jump up ^ `` 50 Back Catalogue Singles -- 27 October 2012 ''. Ultratop 50. Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 July 2013. Jump up ^ `` British certificates : searchable database ''. bpi.co.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2010. Jump up ^ The Word, No. 36, February 2006. Jump up ^ `` Antonio variações - o corpo é que paga ( semi-original ) ''. YouTube. Retrieved 18 July 2013. Jump up ^ Video on YouTube External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Sparks Ron Mael Russell Mael Jim Mankey Earle Mankey Harley Feinstein Martin Gordon Adrian Fisher Norman `` Dinky '' Diamond Trevor White Ian Hampton Bob Haag Leslie Bohem David Kendrick Christi Haydon Tammy Glover Dean Menta Albums Halfnelson / Sparks A Woofer in Tweeter 's Clothing Kimono My House Propaganda Indiscreet Big Beat Introducing Sparks No. 1 in Heaven Terminal Jive Whomp That Sucker Angst in My Pants In Outer Space Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat Music That You Can Dance To Interior Design Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins Plagiarism Balls Lil ' Beethoven Hello Young Lovers Exotic Creatures of the Deep The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman Two Hands, One Mouth : Live in Europe FFS ( as FFS ) Hippopotamus Singles `` This Town Ai n't Big Enough for Both of Us '' `` Amateur Hour '' `` Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth '' `` I Want to Hold Your Hand '' `` The Number One Song in Heaven '' `` Beat the Clock '' `` I Predict '' `` Cool Places '' `` Dick Around '' `` Johnny Delusional '' Related Giorgio Moroder Telex Gleaming Spires Les Rita Mitsouko Devo Todd Rundgren Sparks Spectacular Tony Visconti Jane Wiedlin FFS discography Faith No More Mike Bordin Billy Gould Roddy Bottum Mike Patton Jon Hudson Mike Morris Wade Worthington Chuck Mosley Jim Martin Trey Spruance Dean Menta Studio albums We Care a Lot Introduce Yourself The Real Thing Angel Dust King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime Album of the Year Sol Invictus Live albums Live at the Brixton Academy Compilations Who Cares a Lot ? This Is It : The Best of Epic and Other Hits The Platinum Collection The Works The Very Best Definitive Ultimate Greatest Hits Collection Singles `` Quiet in Heaven '' / `` Song of Liberty '' ( as Faith No Man ) `` We Care a Lot '' `` Anne 's Song '' `` From Out of Nowhere '' `` Epic '' `` Falling to Pieces '' `` Midlife Crisis '' `` A Small Victory '' `` Everything 's Ruined '' `` ( I 'm ) Easy '' `` Another Body Murdered '' `` Digging the Grave '' `` Ricochet '' `` Evidence '' `` Ashes to Ashes '' `` Last Cup of Sorrow '' `` Stripsearch '' `` I Started a Joke '' `` Motherfucker '' Other songs `` New Improved Song '' `` The World Is Yours '' Videos You Fat Bastards : Live at the Brixton Academy Video Croissant Who Cares a Lot ? : The Greatest Videos You Fat Bastards / Who Cares a Lot ? ( DVD ) Related bands Brujeria Dead Cross Fantômas General Patton vs. The X-Ecutioners Imperial Teen Mr. Bungle Ozzy Osbourne Peeping Tom Primitive Race Tomahawk Related articles Discography Songs recorded Members Tribute of the Year : A Tribute to Faith No More The Second Coming Tour Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=This_Town_Ain%27t_Big_Enough_for_Both_of_Us&oldid=812788534 '' Categories : Faith No More songs 1974 singles Glam rock songs Songs written by Ron Mael Sparks ( band ) songs Song recordings produced by Muff Winwood 1974 songs Island Records singles Songs written for films Hidden categories : CS1 errors : external links CS1 French - language sources ( fr ) Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Articles with hAudio microformats Audio sample to be checked Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Germany2 Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for Swiss Talk Contents About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca Français Italiano Nederlands Português Русский Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Edit links This page was last edited on 29 November 2017, at 21 : 40. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who sang this town ain't big enough
Answer: Sparks