Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four) (song)

Last updated

"Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)"
Eurythmics Sexcrime.jpg
Single by Eurythmics
from the album 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)
B-side "I Did It Just the Same" (LP version)
Released22 October 1984
Length
  • 3:56
  • 8:01 (extended Version)
Label Virgin
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) David A. Stewart
Eurythmics singles chronology
"Here Comes the Rain Again"
(1984)
"Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)"
(1984)
"Julia"
(1985)
Audio
"Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" on YouTube

"Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" is a song written and performed by the British duo Eurythmics. It was released as the first single from their album 1984 (For the Love of Big Brother) , 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.

Contents

Background and performance

"Sexcrime" is a song which features heavy sampling of Lennox's voice, utilizing snippets of her vocal performance to produce a stuttering effect. Also prominently featured is the voice of Stewart, with the aid of a vocoder, uttering the phrase "nineteen eighty four". It was the first of two singles released from the soundtrack album. The term "sexcrime" is one of several Newspeak words found within the novel.

The song was originally intended to appear in the film 1984, but was dropped prior to the film's release. However, it was used as background music for the film's trailer, and the song's promotional video was included on home video releases of the film.

In addition to the standard 7" and 12" formats, the song was also released as a limited edition 12" picture disc.

Cash Box called it a "fascinating song" that is "somewhat constrained" by the Eurythmics' practice of writing songs using few notes. [1] Billboard called it a "compelling dance track...with its aura of doomy foreboding [and] touches of humor." [2]

Chart performance

The single peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart, [3] becoming Eurythmics' sixth consecutive top 10 hit. It was one of the duo's biggest selling singles in the UK, being certified silver by the BPI for sales in excess of 250,000 copies. [4] It was also a big hit throughout Europe, a top 10 hit in New Zealand, a top 20 hit in Canada, and one of the duo's biggest selling singles in Australia.

"Sexcrime" met with strong resistance on United States radio and on video outlets such as MTV – the song's title was particularly controversial to those who were not aware of the meaning of the word in Orwell's novel. The music video (featuring a straightforward performance of the song by Lennox and Stewart) had limited rotation on MTV. "Sexcrime" peaked at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100, but was much more successful on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart, where it reached number 2.

Track listings

7"

12"

3" CD reissue

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [4] Silver250,000^

^ 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">End of the Road (Boyz II Men song)</span> 1992 single by Boyz II Men

"End of the Road" is a song by American R&B group Boyz II Men for the Boomerang soundtrack. It was released in June 1992 by LaFace, Arista and Motown, and is written by Babyface, Antonio L.A. Reid and Daryl Simmons. It is written and composed in the key of E-flat major and is set in time signature of 6/8 with a tempo of 150 beats per minute. The song achieved domestic and international success. In the United States, it spent a then record breaking 13 weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, a record broken later in the year by Whitney Houston's 14-week number one hit "I Will Always Love You"; Boyz II Men would later match Houston's record with "I'll Make Love to You", which spent 14 weeks at number one in 1994, and then reclaim the record with "One Sweet Day", which spent 16 weeks at number one from 1995 to 1996.

<i>1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)</i> 1984 soundtrack album by Eurythmics

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.

<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>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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Is a Stranger</span> 1982 single by Eurythmics

"Love Is a Stranger" is a song by the British pop duo Eurythmics. It is the opening track off their second album, Sweet Dreams . Originally released in late 1982, the single peaked outside the top 50 in the UK, but it was re-released in 1983, reaching the top 20 in several counties, including number six in the UK. The single was re-released again in 1991, to promote Eurythmics' Greatest Hits album.

<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">Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves</span> 1985 single by Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin

"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics and American singer Aretha Franklin. A modern feminist anthem, it was written by Eurythmics members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and featured on both Eurythmics' Be Yourself Tonight (1985) and Franklin's Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985) albums. The duo originally intended to perform with Tina Turner, who was unavailable at the time and so they flew to Detroit and recorded with Franklin instead. The track also features three of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers: Stan Lynch on drums, Benmont Tench on organ, and Mike Campbell on lead guitar, plus session bassist Nathan East.

<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">Who's That Girl? (Eurythmics song)</span> 1983 single by Eurythmics

"Who's That Girl?" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics. It was written by band members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Right by Your Side (Eurythmics song)</span> 1983 single by Eurythmics

"Right by Your Side" is a 1983 song by the British pop duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, and produced by Stewart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Here Comes the Rain Again</span> 1984 single by Eurythmics

"Here Comes the Rain Again" is a 1983 song by British duo Eurythmics and the opening track from their third studio album Touch. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. The song was released on 13 January 1984 as the album's third single in the UK and in the United States as the first single.

<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. The band were controversially chosen alongside the Dominic Muldowney orchestral composition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Would I Lie to You? (Eurythmics song)</span> 1985 single by Eurythmics

"Would I Lie to You?" is a song written and performed by British pop duo Eurythmics. Released on 9 April 1985 as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album, Be Yourself Tonight (1985), the song was the first by the duo to feature their change in musical direction from a predominantly synthpop style to rock and rhythm and blues. The song, and its accompanying album, featured a full backing band and relied less on electronic programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)</span> 1985 single by Eurythmics

"There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" is a song by the British musical duo Eurythmics, released as the second single from their fifth studio album, Be Yourself Tonight (1985). It features a harmonica solo by American musician Stevie Wonder. The song became a worldwide success; most notably in Ireland, Norway and the United Kingdom, where it remains the duo's only chart-topper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missionary Man (Eurythmics song)</span> 1986 single by Eurythmics

"Missionary Man" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics from their fifth studio album, Revenge (1986). The song features Jimmy Zavala on harmonica and Joniece Jamison on backing vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)</span> 1987 single by Eurythmics

"Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 12 October 1987 as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Savage (1987).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Ask Me Why (Eurythmics song)</span> 1989 single by Eurythmics

"Don't Ask Me Why" is a song recorded by British pop music duo Eurythmics, released as the second single from their seventh album, We Too Are One (1989). The song was written by bandmembers Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart with Jimmy Iovine. In the US, it was released as the first single from the album. It is a lush pop song with melancholy and bitter lyrics which describe the ending of a love relationship. In it Lennox tells the subject "don't ask me why / I don't love you any more / I don't think I ever did".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dance Hall Days</span> 1982 single by Wang Chung

"Dance Hall Days" is a song by the English new wave band Wang Chung. It was originally released as a single in 1982 when the band was called Huang Chung, then it was re-recorded and released a year later in 1983 for the studio album Points on the Curve. It was the band's only single to make the top 40 in the UK. In the US, it peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went to number one on the Dance Club Songs chart.

<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.

References

  1. "Reviews" (PDF). Cashbox. 17 November 1984. p. 7. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  2. "Reviews". Billboard. 24 November 1984. p. 64. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  4. 1 2 "British single certifications – Eurythmics – Sexcrime". British Phonographic Industry. 1 December 1984. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  5. 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.
  6. "Eurythmics – Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  7. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9577." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  8. "European Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Eurotipsheet . Vol. 1, no. 38/39. 17 December 1984. p. 14. OCLC   29800226 via World Radio History.
  9. "Eurythmics – Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  10. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Sex Crime (1984)". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  11. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 2 June 2022.Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Eurythmics" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
  12. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 2, 1985" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  13. "Eurythmics – Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  14. "Eurythmics – Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  15. "Eurythmics – Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)". VG-lista. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  16. "Eurythmics – Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  17. "Eurythmics – Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  18. "Eurythmics Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  19. "Eurythmics Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  20. "Offiziellecharts.de – Eurythmics – Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  21. "Jaaroverzichten 1984 – Singles" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  22. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts . Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  23. "Top 100 Singles (January 3–December 29, 1984)" (PDF). Music Week . 26 January 1985. p. 37. ISSN   0265-1548 via World Radio History.
  24. "National Top 100 Singles for 1985". Kent Music Report . No. 599. 30 December 1985 via Imgur.
  25. "TOP – 1985". Top-france.fr (in French). Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  26. "1985 The Year in Music & Video – Top Dance Club Play Singles/Albums". Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 52. 28 December 1985. p. T-23. ISSN   0006-2510 via Google Books.
  27. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1985" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 October 2016.