Getting Away With It
Encyclopedia
"Getting Away with It" was the first single
by the English
band Electronic
, which comprised Bernard Sumner
of New Order
, ex-Smiths
guitarist Johnny Marr
, and guesting vocalist Neil Tennant
of Pet Shop Boys
. It was first released in 1989 (see 1989 in music
).
. The lyrics, co-written by Tennant with Sumner, are a parody
of Marr's Smiths partner Morrissey
, and his public stereotyping as morose and masochistic (Pet Shop Boys would further satirise this trend on their 1990 song "Miserablism").
The fluid, rich production incorporates a full orchestra
(conducted by Art of Noise's Anne Dudley
) and a rare guitar solo
by Marr, while the three remix
es that appeared on the two UK 12-inch releases take in disparate musical styles like disco
and acid house
.
in the United Kingdom
in December 1989, and released the following year in the rest of the world. It appeared on 7-inch
, 12-inch
, CD
and cassette
. The primary B-side
was an instrumental
called "Lucky Bag", the only unadulterated reflection of Marr and Sumner's early, shared enthusiasm for Italo house
. This song was also remixed and released on the UK maxi single
.
As well as the single edit and three 12-inch remixes, "Getting Away with It" was released as an instrumental; as an unedited, longer version; and in its early form before Dudley's strings were added (this is the only version of the song which has yet to be released on Compact Disc; the 7-inch edit was included on both the US and UK CD singles despite being labelled "Full Length Version").
of a glass of whisky
for the cover. The title was originally written in sentence case, just as Pet Shop Boys songs are. The photograph was inverted for the second UK 12-inch, with the typeface
from the Panasonic
logo appropriated for the band's name. This arrangement was used for the US editions of the single in 1990.
s were made for "Getting Away with It". The first, directed by Chris Marker
and produced by Michael Shamberg
for European use in 1989, featured Sumner, Marr and Tennant in a studio environment miming to the single edit of the song. (Additional footage of a woman strolling through a forest and also singing to the track was rejected.) The second, shot in 1990, was made for the US release. Sumner and Tennant appear against a white background with artistic effects superimposed. This version is available on the 2006 Get the Message
DVD
.
described the song thus: "The most complete pop record of the week, by an infinite margin... A lovely airy melody
drifts in and out of the song; gently weighted with obtuse, lovelorn one-liners... The record somehow manages to be much more than the sum of its parts and stubbornly refuses to give up its element of mystery".
In Sounds
Damon Wise wrote: "It's nothing shocking, nothing that surprising, it's just that every time you think you're tired of it you can't help flipping back the stylus
to catch that chorus".
Today the song remains well-known due to its commercial success (it reached number 12 in the UK and number 38 in the USA), the calibre of its performers, and the fact that it was Electronic's debut single (and was thus anticipated by both the music press and fans of New Order, The Smiths, and the Pet Shop Boys at the time).
Along with "Get the Message
" and perhaps "Disappointed
", it remains their best known song, and was also their biggest selling single, shipping 350,000 copies in the US and reaching the UK Top 20.
in Los Angeles
— when Electronic supported Depeche Mode
on their World Violation Tour
for two dates at the venue — at the Cities in the Park
event in Manchester
a year later, and at Wembley Arena
in December 1991. Pet Shop Boys guested on all these performances.
in May 1991 (a reflection of their confidence in the newer material), although it was slotted in between tracks 4 and 5 on the international versions and the subsequent 1994 reissue on Parlophone
, to bolster sales. In some territories "Getting Away with It" replaced the album track "Gangster".
"Getting Away with It" also appeared on the Australia
n "Forbidden City
" CD single in 1996, and in two versions on a withdrawn compilation planned for release in Japan
three years later. It has also featured on a variety of various artists compilations, sometimes in remixed form, and was the second track on the retrospective set Get the Message – The Best of Electronic in 2006.
for inclusion on the re-release of her debut album Fleshwounds
. Unlike the original, the music was updated to a more rock-edged sound. It has since become a fan favourite at her gigs and is never left out of a setlist. A double A-side of the song was to be released with her single "Lost", but due to poor sales of the album and singles it was pulled by EMI
at the last minute. No video was shot for the song.
The phrase 'getting away with this' was used in a Spitting Image
spoof of Pet Shop Boys in 1993.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
band Electronic
Electronic (band)
-Albums:-Singles:-Music videos:-External links:* *...
, which comprised Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner , also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken and Bernard Albrecht is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player and producer....
of New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
, ex-Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
guitarist Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
, and guesting vocalist Neil Tennant
Neil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
of Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
. It was first released in 1989 (see 1989 in music
1989 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR...
).
Composition
Musically, Bernard Sumner wrote the verse and Johnny Marr wrote the chorusRefrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
. The lyrics, co-written by Tennant with Sumner, are a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of Marr's Smiths partner Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
, and his public stereotyping as morose and masochistic (Pet Shop Boys would further satirise this trend on their 1990 song "Miserablism").
The fluid, rich production incorporates a full orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
(conducted by Art of Noise's Anne Dudley
Anne Dudley
Anne Dudley is an English composer and pop musician, and was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in both the classical and pop genres. She is perhaps best known, however, as one of the core members of the synthpop band Art of Noise and also as a film...
) and a rare guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
by Marr, while the three remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es that appeared on the two UK 12-inch releases take in disparate musical styles like disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
and acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
.
Single
"Getting Away with It" was first issued by Factory RecordsFactory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside and James and...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in December 1989, and released the following year in the rest of the world. It appeared on 7-inch
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, 12-inch
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
, CD
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
and cassette
Cassette single
A cassette single is a music single in the form of a Compact Cassette.- History :...
. The primary B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
was an instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
called "Lucky Bag", the only unadulterated reflection of Marr and Sumner's early, shared enthusiasm for Italo house
Italo house
Italo house is a form of house music popular in Italy, Britain and United States since the late 1980s. It fuses house music and Italo disco. The genre's main musical characteristic is its use of predominantly electronic piano chords in a more lyrical form than classic Chicago House records...
. This song was also remixed and released on the UK maxi single
Maxi single
A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...
.
As well as the single edit and three 12-inch remixes, "Getting Away with It" was released as an instrumental; as an unedited, longer version; and in its early form before Dudley's strings were added (this is the only version of the song which has yet to be released on Compact Disc; the 7-inch edit was included on both the US and UK CD singles despite being labelled "Full Length Version").
Artwork
The single was packaged by Peter Saville, who used an elegant stock photoStock photography
Stock photography is the supply of photographs licensed for specific uses. It is used to fulfill the needs of creative assignments instead of hiring a photographer. Today, stock images can be presented in searchable online databases. They can be purchased and delivered online...
of a glass of whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
for the cover. The title was originally written in sentence case, just as Pet Shop Boys songs are. The photograph was inverted for the second UK 12-inch, with the typeface
Typeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
from the Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
logo appropriated for the band's name. This arrangement was used for the US editions of the single in 1990.
Music videos
Two music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s were made for "Getting Away with It". The first, directed by Chris Marker
Chris Marker
Chris Marker is a French writer, photographer, documentary film director, multimedia artist and film essayist. His best known films are La jetée , A Grin Without a Cat , Sans Soleil and AK , an essay film on the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa...
and produced by Michael Shamberg
Michael Shamberg
Michael Shamberg is an American former Time-Life correspondent and current film producer.-Life and career:His credits include Erin Brockovich, A Fish Called Wanda, Garden State, Gattaca, Pulp Fiction and The Big Chill...
for European use in 1989, featured Sumner, Marr and Tennant in a studio environment miming to the single edit of the song. (Additional footage of a woman strolling through a forest and also singing to the track was rejected.) The second, shot in 1990, was made for the US release. Sumner and Tennant appear against a white background with artistic effects superimposed. This version is available on the 2006 Get the Message
Get the Message - The Best of Electronic
Get the Message is a compilation album by the Johnny Marr/Bernard Sumner band Electronic, released in September 2006 . It is the first career-spanning collection of the band; a 1999 Japanese compilation was cancelled just before release....
DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
Reception
Ben Thompson in the NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
described the song thus: "The most complete pop record of the week, by an infinite margin... A lovely airy melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
drifts in and out of the song; gently weighted with obtuse, lovelorn one-liners... The record somehow manages to be much more than the sum of its parts and stubbornly refuses to give up its element of mystery".
In Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...
Damon Wise wrote: "It's nothing shocking, nothing that surprising, it's just that every time you think you're tired of it you can't help flipping back the stylus
Magnetic cartridge
A magnetic cartridge is a transducer used for the playback of gramophone records on a turntable or phonograph. It converts mechanical vibrational energy from a stylus riding in a spiral record groove into an electrical signal that is subsequently amplified and then converted back to sound by a...
to catch that chorus".
Today the song remains well-known due to its commercial success (it reached number 12 in the UK and number 38 in the USA), the calibre of its performers, and the fact that it was Electronic's debut single (and was thus anticipated by both the music press and fans of New Order, The Smiths, and the Pet Shop Boys at the time).
Along with "Get the Message
Get the Message (song)
"Get the Message" is a song by Electronic, the English band formed by Bernard Sumner of New Order and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr.It was the second single from their 1991 debut album Electronic and was a commercial success around the world...
" and perhaps "Disappointed
Disappointed
"Disappointed" was the fourth single by the English band Electronic. Like their first single "Getting Away with It" it featured Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys as well as founding members Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner. It was released in June 1992 on Parlophone soon after the demise of Factory Records...
", it remains their best known song, and was also their biggest selling single, shipping 350,000 copies in the US and reaching the UK Top 20.
UK 12-inch and MC
- "Getting Away with It" (extended) – 7:33
- "Getting Away with It" (full-length version) – 4:23
- "Lucky Bag" – 5:40
UK 12-inch maxi single
- "Getting Away with It" (Vocal Remix) – 4:48
- "Getting Away with It" (Nude Mix) – 6:01
- "Lucky Bag" (Miami Edit) – 4:30
- "Getting Away with It" (original version) – 4:23
UK CD
- "Getting Away with It" (full length) – 4:23
- "Getting Away with It" (instrumental) – 5:13
- "Getting Away with It" (extended version) – 7:33
US 12-inch maxi single
- "Getting Away with It" (extended) – :33
- "Getting Away with It" (instrumental) – 5:13
- "Getting Away with It" (Nude Mix) – 6:01
- "Getting Away with It" (Vocal Remix) - 4:48
- "Lucky Bag" (Miami Edit) – 4:30
- The CD maxi single included "Getting Away with It" (Full Length) and "Lucky Bag".
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
12 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
33 |
| Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
38 |
| ARIA Charts ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
40 |
In concert
"Getting Away with It" was played live in August 1990 at Dodger StadiumDodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
— when Electronic supported Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
on their World Violation Tour
World Violation Tour
World Violation Tour was a 1990 concert tour by English electronic group Depeche Mode in support of the act's seventh studio album, Violator, which was released in March 1990. It was estimated that by the end of the tour, Depeche Mode had toured to 1.2 million fans.-Tour details:The band rehearsed...
for two dates at the venue — at the Cities in the Park
Cities in the Park
Cities in the Park was a two-day music event held on the 3rd and 4th of August 1991 at Heaton Park in Manchester, England. It was held in honour of Factory Records producer Martin Hannett, who had died in April...
event in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
a year later, and at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
in December 1991. Pet Shop Boys guested on all these performances.
Appearances
Although the music was written with their first album in mind — and before their involvement with Neil Tennant — "Getting Away with It" was not included on Electronic's first LPElectronic (album)
Electronic is the self-titled debut album by British supergroup Electronic, formed by Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr. It was first released in May 1991 on the Factory label, and reissued in remastered form in 1994 by Parlophone after Factory collapsed.The album was a commercial success, reaching...
in May 1991 (a reflection of their confidence in the newer material), although it was slotted in between tracks 4 and 5 on the international versions and the subsequent 1994 reissue on Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
, to bolster sales. In some territories "Getting Away with It" replaced the album track "Gangster".
"Getting Away with It" also appeared on the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n "Forbidden City
Forbidden City (Electronic song)
"Forbidden City" is a song by English band Electronic, comprising Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr, with guesting co-writer Karl Bartos of Kraftwerk, released as the lead single from their second album Raise the Pressure, and their first new release in almost exactly four years, the last being the...
" CD single in 1996, and in two versions on a withdrawn compilation planned for release in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
three years later. It has also featured on a variety of various artists compilations, sometimes in remixed form, and was the second track on the retrospective set Get the Message – The Best of Electronic in 2006.
Additional information
The song was recorded by British artist SkinDeborah Dyer
Deborah Anne Dyer, known by the stage name Skin, is a singer and occasional model. As Deborah Dyer, Skin studied Interior Design at Teesside University in Middlesbrough and they later honoured her with an honourary degree. She is currently the lead vocalist of English band Skunk Anansie...
for inclusion on the re-release of her debut album Fleshwounds
Fleshwounds
Fleshwounds is the debut album from Skunk Anansie lead singer Skin. The album was re-released with an art work and slight track change.Not entirely satisfied with the album, Skin re-released it with new album artwork and a slightly different track listing. "As Long As That True" was replaced with...
. Unlike the original, the music was updated to a more rock-edged sound. It has since become a fan favourite at her gigs and is never left out of a setlist. A double A-side of the song was to be released with her single "Lost", but due to poor sales of the album and singles it was pulled by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
at the last minute. No video was shot for the song.
The phrase 'getting away with this' was used in a Spitting Image
Spitting Image
Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
spoof of Pet Shop Boys in 1993.