Getting Away with It: Sumner and Marr’s “Electronic” Gets a Confusing Expansion

It’s not enough for Johnny Marr to be one of the greatest guitarists of the modern era (one with a solo album bowing today in the U.K.); this March, his acclaimed foray into dance music with Bernard Sumner will be reissued. But brace yourself, fans: it’s a little weird.

Frustrated by New Order’s resistance to a more synth-based direction, Sumner began work on the Electronic by himself, but called longtime friend Marr – whose departure from The Smiths caused the band to dissolve – to collaborate. Their first single, “Getting Away with It,” a U.K. Top 20 hit in 1988, featured additional star power in the form of co-writing and vocals by Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys. (Tenant and his bandmate Chris Lowe wrote album cut “Patience of a Saint” with Sumner and Marr.)

The band’s self-titled debut LP took a year to record (not counting additional time supporting Depeche Mode on their World Violation Tour) and was released by Factory Records in 1991. (Parlophone would handle all future releases, including reissues of Electronic, after Factory folded.) Sumner, Marr and Tennant collaborated again on the band’s 1992 single “Disappointed” (their biggest hit), but subsequent albums did not enjoy the same critical success. 1999’s Twisted Tenderness would be their final full-length release, with Sumner and Marr amicably moving on to other projects.

What makes this forthcoming expansion of Electronic frustrating is the haphazard nature of the bonus material on the second disc. “Disappointed,” its B-side “Idiot Country Two” and the instrumental of “Getting Away with It” are featured, but the remaining tracks are unreleased mixes or (in most cases) edits of tracks from subsequent Electronic projects. Compare that to the dozen period B-sides and remixes included on a U.K.-only, digital-only expansion of the album in 2007, and you have quite an unusual situation, indeed.

But for the curious, it’s out on March 11 in England. (Thanks to super-reader Don for the tip!) Here’s what you’ll get:

Electronic: Special Edition (EMI Catalogue (U.K.), 2013)

(Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Disc 1: Remastered LP (originally released as Factory FACT 290 (U.K.)/Warner Bros. 26387, 1991)

1. Idiot Country
2. Reality
3. Tighten Up
4. The Patience of a Saint
5. Getting Away with It
6. Gangster
7. Soviet
8. Get the Message
9. Try All You Want
10. Some Distant Memory
11. Feel Every Beat

Disc 2: Bonus material

1. Disappointed (Stephen Hague 7” Version) (single A-side – Parlophone R-6311, 1992)
2. Second to None (Edit) *
3. Lean to the Inside (Edit) *
4. Twisted Tenderness (Guitar/Vocal Mix) *
5. Idiot Country Two (12” Version) (B-side to “Disappointed” – Parlophone 12R-6311, 1992)
6. Free Will (Edit) *
7. Until the End of Time (Edit) *
8. Feel Every Beat (Edit) *
9. Getting Away with It (Instrumental) (CD single B-side – Factory FACD 257, 1989)
10. Turning Point (Edit) (B-side to “Second Nature” – Parlophone CDR-6455, 1997)
11. Visit Me (Edit) *
12. Twisted Tenderness (Instrumental) *

* denotes previously unreleased edit/mix. Original versions of Tracks 2-3 were B-sides to “Feel Every Beat” (Factory, 1991). Original versions of Tracks 4 and 12 from Twisted Tenderness (Parlophone, 1999). Original version of Track 6 was a B-side to “Get the Message” (Factory, 1991). Original version of Tracks 7 and 11 from Raise the Pressure (Parlophone, 1995). Original version of Track 8 from original LP.

Release Round-Up: Week of February 7

Queen, The Works / A Kind of Magic / The Miracle / Innuendo / Made in Heaven: Deluxe Editions (Hollywood)

The last five deluxe reissues of the Queen catalogue, which began last year for the 40th anniversary, are now available domestically (they came out in the U.K. in November). So if you’ve missed these, now’s the chance to get them without importing ’em.

Big Country, The Crossing: Deluxe Edition (Mercury/UMC)

From the U.K., one of the most criminally underrated albums of the ’80s, expanded with B-sides and a bonus disc of rare and unreleased demos.

Pet Shop Boys, Format: B-Sides and Bonus Tracks 1996-2009 (Parlophone)

Two discs of PSB B-sides from 1996 to 2009, a sequel to 1995’s Alternative, which served the same purpose for the band’s early flipsides.

Tony Bennett, Isn’t It Romantic? (Concord)

Bennett’s Improv-era material compiled for lovers, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Todd Rundgren, A Cappella + Nearly Human + 2nd Wind (Edsel)

Two ’80s and a ’90s album on two discs from the U.K. label.

Goldfrapp, The Singles (Astralwerks)

The great dance-pop duo closes out their major-label contract with a compilation of singles and the by-now requisite pair of new tracks.

John Williams/The London Symphony Orchestra, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Sony Classical)

A reissue of the original, single-disc soundtrack (with one bonus track from the double-disc Ultimate Edition reissue) to tie in with the 3-D re-release of the film this Friday.

Pet Shop Boys Flush “Format” with New B-Sides Compilation

Add another catalogue set for 2012 to the list: this winter will see the release of the Pet Shop Boys’ second B-sides compilation, spanning the past 15 years of their recording career.

As reported by our dear friends at Slicing Up Eyeballs, the Boys (who are also working on a new LP for the new year) revealed to Varsity, Cambridge University’s paper, their intent of releasing a new B-sides set, following the tradition of 1995’s Alternative, the group’s first two-disc set of rarities from 1986 to 1994.

Within days, a track list was announced, showcasing tracks such as a 1995 remake of “In the Night,” the original of which was itself one of the group’s first B-sides (to “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” in 1985); a demo of “Confidential,” a song written for Tina Turner’s Wildest Dreams album in 1996 and the group’s 2006 cover of “In Private,” a song written for Dusty Springfield in 1991 and here presented as a duet with Elton John.

The set is slated for a February 6 release in the U.K., although no pre-order links have shown up yet. In the meantime, enjoy the track list after the jump.

Release Round-Up: Week of November 23

With most retailers putting out their new releases today to get a jump on the inevitable holiday weekend blitz, here’s the big catalogue releases for the week a day early!

Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson’s Vision (Epic/Legacy)

A three-DVD set that includes just about any MJ video you could be searching for. Of course, the one unreleased clip just officially hit the Internet, making you wonder what the fuss is all about. Oh wait, it’s Michael Jackson. (Official site)

Jay-Z, The Hits Collection Vol. 1 (Def Jam)

The first domestic compilation by one of the most respected MCs in the game. A deluxe version features five unreleased tracks. The perfect soundtrack to reading his new memoir. (Official site)

The Who, Live at Leeds: 40th Anniversary Edition (Geffen/UMe)

If you haven’t bought Live at Leeds in any of its three previous incarnations, this set adds the complete Hull show in addition to the complete Leeds show and throws in some vinyl and book bonuses. (Amazon)

 

The Rolling Stones, The Rolling Stones Vinyl Box Set 1964-1969 (ABKCO/UMe) / The Rolling Stones Vinyl Box Set 1971-2005 (Rolling Stones/UMe)

Two hefty boxes of wax collecting all the albums, EPs and compilations The Stones ever committed to tape. (Amazon – 1964-1969)

Pet Shop Boys, Ultimate Pet Shop Boys (EMI)

A thin hits compilation made slightly more worthwhile by the presence of a deluxe edition with a well-stocked DVD of Top of the Pops performances and other live treats. (Official site)

Nine Inch Nails, Pretty Hate Machine (Null Corporation/Bicycle Music Company/UMe)

Trent Reznor remasters and reissues NIN’s debut album with one bonus track. (Amazon)

Mr. Mister, Pull (RCA/Legacy)

Released from the vault after 20 years, Legacy issues a digital (and limited physical) release of the fourth Mr. Mister LP, alongside digital releases of two other Mr. Mister albums (I Wear the Face (1984) and Go On… (1987)) and two LPs by the pre-Mister group Pages. (Official site)

Release Round-Up: Week of November 2

Another week, another batch of reissues!

Wings, Band on the Run: Special Edition (Concord)

After reissues of John Lennon’s solo catalogue and the Apple Records discography, another Beatles-oriented campaign kicks off with a new reissue of Band on the Run, Paul McCartney and Wings’ classic LP. It’s the first of his classic discs to be re-released on Concord, and will be available in a wide variety of formats. (Best of all, it’s the first drop in the bucket – an insert inside the sets confirms upcoming reissues of more McCartney and Wings sets.) (Official Site)

Weezer, Pinkerton: Deluxe Edition / Death to False Metal (Geffen/UMe)

With Weezer no longer a part of the Geffen roster, UMe begins mining the pop-rock band’s considerable back catalogue (after a 10th anniversary reissue of the band’s 1994 debut). This week brings a similar deluxe edition of 1995’s Pinkerton, long thought to be the band’s crowning achievement, and a compilation of outtakes, Death to False Metal. (Official Site)

Various Artists, The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition (RCA/Legacy)

To time with the film’s debut on Blu-Ray, Sony reissues The Sound of Music yet again, with a rendition of “My Favorite Things” by Glee star Lea Michele as a bonus track. (Amazon)

Pet Shop Boys, Ultimate Pet Shop Boys (EMI)

A slim, single-disc distillation of the PSB discography, with a new track, “Together.” A deluxe edition adds a DVD full of goodies, including all the band’s live BBC performances and their acclaimed set at Glastonbury back in June. (Amazon U.K.)

Pet Shop Boys See Opportunity in Compilation

There’s a bit of a misnomer in the title. The Pet Shop Boys’ classic “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” is one of a few singles not on their forthcoming compilation Ultimate Pet Shop Boys. Such a long and prolific career sometimes leads to an occasional omission in a compilation, but this new set has some things to keep PSB fans satisfied, even as they scratch their heads and wonder why some tunes are missing.

This new set compiles 19 singles together, from monster hit “West End Girls” – a U.K. and U.S. chart-topper 25 years ago next year – to a brand-new track, “Together.” All in all, it’s been described by Vinny Vero, former marketing manager for the Boys at EMI (and, we humbly submit, a reader of The Second Disc), as “a perfect, pocket sized edition of PSB hits for the casual fan.”

But there’s a package built for the more in-depth PSB aficionado, too; a special edition will come with a DVD filled with 27 U.K. television performances and the band’s complete, much-lauded set at the Glastonbury Music Festival this past June. Something for everyone on this set, due out November 1.

Our thanks to Mr. Vero for posting the track lists for both discs on his blog. They are yours to read after the jump.