1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)

Last updated

1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)
Eurythmics 1984.jpg
Soundtrack album by
Eurythmics
Released12 November 1984 (1984-11-12)
RecordedAugust 1984
Genre
Length39:03
Label Virgin
Producer David A. Stewart
Eurythmics chronology
Touch Dance
(1984)		1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)
(1984)		 Be Yourself Tonight
(1985)
Singles from 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)
  1. "Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)"
    Released: 22 October 1984
  2. "Julia"
    Released: 7 January 1985 [1]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Smash Hits 9/10 [3]

1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) is a soundtrack album by the British pop duo Eurythmics. Released on 12 November 1984 by Virgin Records, it was the duo's fourth album overall and contains music recorded by Eurythmics for the film Nineteen Eighty-Four , based on George Orwell's dystopian novel of the same name. Virgin Films produced the film for release in its namesake year, and commissioned Eurythmics to compose a soundtrack.

Contents

Background

Recording

Band members Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart worked purely as a duo for these recordings, with no contributions from other musicians. The music continued in the predominantly electronic style that Eurythmics had found great success with since 1983, but was far more experimental with several tracks being instrumentals and some (most notably the hit single "Sexcrime") employing the use of sampling. Stewart himself described some tracks as "Kraftwerk meets African tribal meets Booker T. & the M.G.'s."

Unknown to the group, Michael Radford, the film's director, had commissioned his own orchestral score and was not fond of Eurythmics' work. Two versions of the film were released, one featuring Eurythmics' music, and the "director's cut", which replaced most of Eurythmics' music by the orchestral score. When accepting an award for the film, Radford publicly complained of having Eurythmics' music "foisted" on him. Eurythmics issued a statement saying that they had accepted Virgin's commission in good faith, and would never have done so if they had known that it was not being done with the director's approval. [4]

Musical concept

Most of the tracks are instrumental, with song titles and lyrics being derived from Orwell's text. For instance, "I Did It Just The Same" is taken from a passage in the book where the protagonist, Winston Smith, relates how he committed "sexcrime" with a prostitute—initially deceived by her makeup, when he got close to her, he realised she was "about fifty—but I did it just the same". "Julia" was the name of the secondary protagonist and Winston's lover. "Sexcrime" and "Doubleplusgood" are examples of Newspeak, the revised version of the English language spoken in Orwell's story. The track "Doubleplusgood" features a female announcer—the voice of the omnipresent Telescreen in the movie—reading out various memos which Winston had received at his job in the Ministry of Truth, where his role was to amend past and present newspaper articles so that they conformed to current Party dogma. The "Ministry of Love" was the government police and torture department, and included "Room 101", a room which contained "the worst thing in the world"—i.e. where each torture victim would be confronted with their own worst nightmare.

Release

The album was released by Virgin Records in the UK and RCA Records in the US. Two singles were released from the album, "Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" and "Julia". The first was a top-10 hit in most territories, while the largely a capella track "Julia" achieved little commercial success and broke the duo's run of six consecutive top-10 singles in the UK when it peaked at number 44. Promotional videos were produced for both singles.

One US LP release had an additional sticker that stated "Censored by the thought police". [5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart. The album credits have the order flipped on tracks 2, 4, 6 and 8, which are listed as "Stewart/Lennox"

No.TitleLength
1."I Did It Just the Same"3:28
2."Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)"3:58
3."For the Love of Big Brother"5:05
4."Winston's Diary"1:22
5."Greetings from a Dead Man"6:13
6."Julia"6:40
7."Doubleplusgood"4:40
8."Ministry of Love"3:47
9."Room 101"3:50

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother). [6]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [18] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [19] Gold100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurythmics</span> British music duo

Eurythmics were a British pop duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band that broke up in 1980. They released their first studio album, In the Garden, in 1981 to little success, but achieved global acclaim with their second album, Sweet Dreams (1983). The title track became a worldwide hit, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart, and number one in Canada and the US Billboard Hot 100. Eurythmics went on to release a string of hit singles and albums, including "Love Is a Stranger", "There Must Be an Angel " and "Here Comes the Rain Again", before splitting in 1990.

<i>Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Eurythmics

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) is the second studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 4 January 1983 by RCA Records. Along with the title track, which reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 that year, the album also features the singles "This Is the House", "The Walk", and "Love Is a Stranger".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie Lennox</span> Scottish musician (born 1954)

Ann Lennox is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart went on to achieve international success in the 1980s as Eurythmics. Appearing in the 1983 music video for "Sweet Dreams " with orange cropped hair and wearing a man's lounge suit, the BBC wrote, "all eyes were on Annie Lennox, the singer whose powerful androgynous look defied the male gaze". Subsequent hits with Eurythmics include "There Must Be an Angel ", "Love Is a Stranger" and "Here Comes the Rain Again".

<i>Touch</i> (Eurythmics album) 1983 studio album by Eurythmics

Touch is the third studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 14 November 1983 by RCA Records. It became the duo's first number-one album on the UK Albums Chart, and also peaked at number seven on the US Billboard 200. It has since been certified Platinum in both the United Kingdom and the United States. The album spawned the singles "Who's That Girl?", "Right by Your Side" and "Here Comes the Rain Again", all of which reached the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Stewart (Eurythmics)</span> English musician, songwriter and record producer (born 1952)

David Allan Stewart is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for Eurythmics, his successful professional partnership with Annie Lennox. Sometimes credited as David A. Stewart, he won Best British Producer at the 1986, 1987 and 1990 Brit Awards. Stewart was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020 and the duo were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. Outside of Eurythmics, Stewart has written and produced songs for artists such as Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, Mick Jagger and Tom Petty.

<i>Be Yourself Tonight</i> 1985 studio album by Eurythmics

Be Yourself Tonight is the fourth studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 29 April 1985 by RCA Records.

<i>Revenge</i> (Eurythmics album) 1986 studio album by Eurythmics

Revenge is the fifth studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 29 June 1986 by RCA Records in the United Kingdom and on 14 July in the United States. Following on from their previous album, Be Yourself Tonight, Revenge continued further in this direction as the duo embraced a more "rock band" style. The album spawned four singles and was a commercial success. The fourth and final single, "Missionary Man", won the 1987 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Its release was supported by an extensive world tour. A 1987 concert from the Australian leg of the tour was also released on home video as Eurythmics Live.

<i>Savage</i> (Eurythmics album) 1987 studio album by Eurythmics

Savage is the sixth studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 9 November 1987 by RCA Records.

<i>We Too Are One</i> 1989 studio album by Eurythmics

We Too Are One is the seventh studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 11 September 1989 by RCA Records. It would be the duo's last studio release until 1999's Peace.

<i>Peace</i> (Eurythmics album) 1999 studio album by Eurythmics

Peace is the eighth and final studio album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 19 October 1999 by RCA Records. It was the band's first album of new material in 10 years, following 1989's We Too Are One.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Eurythmics album) 1991 greatest hits album by Eurythmics

Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 18 March 1991 by RCA Records. It contains their successful singles spanning the years 1982 through 1990. The album topped the charts in the United Kingdom for a total of 10 weeks, in New Zealand for eight weeks and in Australia for seven weeks. It remains the duo's best-selling album worldwide and has been certified six-times platinum in the United Kingdom and triple platinum in the United States. Phil Sutcliffe in Q Magazine noted that "this compilation portrays, for once, a band accorded precise justice by the singles charts".

<i>Live 1983–1989</i> Live album by Eurythmics

Live 1983–1989 is a compilation album of live performances by British pop duo Eurythmics, recorded throughout the 1980s, encompassing the years of their greatest commercial success. It was released in November 1993 by RCA Records.

<i>Ultimate Collection</i> (Eurythmics album) 2005 greatest hits album by Eurythmics

Ultimate Collection is the second greatest hits album by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 7 November 2005 by RCA Records. This set preceded by one week the reissue of all eight Eurythmics back-catalogue albums originally released by RCA Records. These reissues include remastered tracks and bonus material. The fact that the Ultimate Collection was closely connected to these reissues is also the chief reason for the omission of "Sexcrime ". While that song peaked at number four in the United Kingdom in 1984 and was later featured on the previous Greatest Hits album released in 1991, it is actually taken from the 1984 Virgin Records soundtrack album 1984 , Eurythmics' only album to date not to be released by RCA Records in the UK.

<i>Diva</i> (Annie Lennox album) 1992 studio album by Annie Lennox

Diva is the debut solo studio album by Scottish singer Annie Lennox, released on 6 April 1992 by RCA Records. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number one and has since sold over 1.2 million copies in the UK alone, being certified quadruple platinum. Diva was the 7th best selling album of 1992 in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it reached number 23 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified double platinum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurythmics discography</span>

The discography of Eurythmics, a British rock/pop duo, consists of eight studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums, one soundtrack album, one extended play, and 33 singles. Their first studio album, In the Garden, was released in 1981 but they did not gain any commercial success until their second album, Sweet Dreams , released in 1983. The album reached number three in the UK and was certified platinum. The album's title track was released as a single, and reached #2 in the UK and #1 in the United States and Canada. Later in 1983, the duo released their third album, Touch. It topped the UK album chart, and produced three UK top 10 singles; "Who's That Girl?", "Right by Your Side", and "Here Comes the Rain Again".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)</span> 1983 single by Eurythmics

"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is a song by British synth-pop duo Eurythmics. It was released as the fourth and final single from their second album of the same name in January 1983. It was their breakthrough hit, establishing the duo worldwide. It reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in March 1983, and number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 six months later; it was their first single released in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four) (song)</span> 1984 single by Eurythmics

"Sexcrime " is a song written and performed by the British duo Eurythmics. It was released as the first single from their album 1984 , which served as the soundtrack to the film Nineteen Eighty-Four, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by George Orwell. The song was produced by Dave Stewart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia (Eurythmics song)</span> 1985 single by Eurythmics

"Julia" is a song performed by British pop duo Eurythmics. Written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart, the song was the second and final single released from their album 1984 , which served as the soundtrack to the film Nineteen Eighty-Four, an adaptation of George Orwell's political novel of the same name. It plays during the film's ending credits.

<i>Nineteen Eighty-Four</i> (1984 film) Film directed by Michael Radford

Nineteen Eighty-Four is a 1984 dystopian film written and directed by Michael Radford, based upon George Orwell's 1949 novel. Starring John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton, and Cyril Cusack, the film follows the life of Winston Smith (Hurt), a low-ranking civil servant in a war-torn London ruled by Oceania, a totalitarian superstate. Smith struggles to maintain his sanity and his grip on reality as the regime's overwhelming power and influence persecutes individualism and individual thinking on both a political and personal level.

<i>Lily Was Here</i> (soundtrack) 1989 soundtrack album by David A. Stewart

Lily Was Here is the soundtrack album to the 1989 Dutch drama film of the same name, directed by Ben Verbong. The soundtrack was produced and largely written by David A. Stewart, one half of the British pop duo Eurythmics.

References

  1. ↑ "Music Week" (PDF).
  2. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) – Eurythmics". AllMusic . Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  3. ↑ Cranna, Ian (22 November – 5 December 1984). "Albums: Eurythmics – 1984 (Virgin)". Smash Hits . Vol. 6, no. 24. Peterborough: EMAP National Publications, Ltd. p. 25. ISSN   0260-3004 . Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  4. ↑ "1984 Soundtrack: Big Brother". Smash Hits . 6 December 1984. p. 4. Retrieved 9 December 2024– via Ultimate Eurythmics Archives.
  5. ↑ Allen, Eric. "Eurythmics: '1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)'". Beat. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  6. ↑ 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) (liner notes). Eurythmics. Virgin Records. 1984. V1984.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 105. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  8. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0496". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  9. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Eurythmics – 1984 - For the Love of Big Brother" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  10. ↑ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Eurotipsheet . Vol. 2, no. 5. 4 February 1985. p. 14. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
  11. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Eurythmics – 1984 - For the Love of Big Brother" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  12. ↑ "Charts.nz – Eurythmics – 1984 - For the Love of Big Brother". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  13. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Eurythmics – 1984 - For the Love of Big Brother". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  14. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Eurythmics – 1984 - For the Love of Big Brother". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  15. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  16. ↑ "Soundtrack Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  17. ↑ "Top 100 Albums (January 3–December 29, 1984)" (PDF). Music Week . 26 January 1985. p. 42. ISSN   0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  18. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Eurythmics – 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)". Music Canada . Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  19. ↑ "British album certifications – Eurythmics – 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)". British Phonographic Industry. 17 December 1984. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.