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Get the Message (song)
Encyclopedia
"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. It is a good example of Marr and Sumner's original concept of mixing the fluid synthesizers of New Order with The Smiths' rich guitar sound.
played him the song every four bars. Marr was reluctant to layer multiple guitar parts as he was wary of treading ground, but Sumner convinced him otherwise.
During recording, Primal Scream
backing singer
Denise Johnson added a vocal at the end of the song. She went on to provide additional vocals on a number of songs on Electronic's second album Raise the Pressure
five years later.
on 7-inch
, 12-inch
, CD
and cassette
by Factory Records
on 15 April 1991 (and two weeks later as a second 12-inch comprising two additional remix
es by DNA), and as a three-format maxi single
and standard cassette by Warner Bros. Records
in the USA
.
"Get the Message" appeared as a remixed 7-inch edit
on most of the formats, and in its original, full-length version on the first UK 12-inch. Later pressings of the UK 7-inch and the German
CD maxi single featured an edit of the album version, which was also used for the music video
. This was because Bernard Sumner objected to the earlier mix, having heard it on a Manchester radio station prior to the release of the single.
The US and German maxi singles compiled all of these versions collectively; the only recordings from this single that remain scarce are edits of the two DNA remixes which were released on promos
, namely a British 7-inch and a US CD maxi single.
Like its predecessor "Getting Away with It
", "Get the Message" featured a non-album track as its B-side
: "Free Will", a mercurial, sample
-heavy dance track. This appeared in greatly edited form on the 7-inch releases, and in its original six-minute form on all the others. (The German CD maxi single included both.)
), who also designed Electronic's then imminent first album Electronic
. Each format bore a unique colour scheme, all versions featuring the artist and single name with a bold number "2" underneath, signifying its place in Electronic's discography. The only format which differed from this theme was the second British 12-inch release, designed by 3a
(who also oversaw third single "Feel Every Beat
").
in which Marr and Sumner strolled through the Maldive Islands
and atop the still-active Taal Volcano
— which Marr narrowly missed falling into. It was directed by Gunther Deichmann, whose published photograph
s had impressed Electronic.
At least two versions of this film exist, one with phrases from the song lyrics punctuating the scenic shots (and lower-case letters
spelling out 'electronic') and another more simple edit without any words. The former version is available on the Get the Message DVD
.
Electronic also promoted the single with appearances on Top of the Pops
in April and May 1991, miming to the album edit and the edit of the "DNA Groove Mix" respectively.
, which became one of their highest positions. It also performed strongly in the United States
, where it reached the top of the Modern Rock Tracks
chart and #8 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
Critical reaction to "Get the Message" was generally positive. Writing in the NME
, Andrew Collins
called the song "draught genius" and concluded that "New Order can now split up", while David Quantick
stated that "nothing anyone has ever done has sounded even vaguely like 'Get the Message'" in the same publication a month later. Phil Sutcliffe in Q
was less enthusiastic, suggesting it "almost slip[s] from identity into identikit", while Melody Maker
described listening to the track as "Like watching a pony chew on a carrot for half an hour".
"Get the Message" is consistently cited as a defining track by Electronic. Allmusic picks it as a highlight of the Electronic album in a 4/5 review, while bbc.co.uk
states that "the excellent 'Get the Message' still holds its own alongside the best of early '90s Mancunian tunes". In 2007 Johnny Marr said it was "...maybe the track I'm most proud of out of my whole career", and in June 2009 reiterated that it is "the best song I've written".
in Los Angeles
, when Electronic supported
Depeche Mode
on the 4th and 5 August. It was also performed at their first British gig the following January at the Haçienda
nightclub
in Manchester
; the Cities in the Park
festival in the same city seven months later; and at each of the three gigs on their short tour of Europe
in December.
in 2006. The song received some exposure in 2003 when it was used in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
. It has also appeared on a handful of various artists compilations.
Electronic (band)
-Albums:-Singles:-Music videos:-External links:* *...
, the English band formed by 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...
and 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...
.
It was the second single
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...
from their 1991 debut album Electronic
Electronic (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...
and was a commercial success around the world. It is a good example of Marr and Sumner's original concept of mixing the fluid synthesizers of New Order with The Smiths' rich guitar sound.
Composition
Marr composed the music then Sumner wrote the lyric as engineer Owen MorrisOwen Morris
Owen Morris is a music producer who has worked with rock bands such as Oasis, The Fratellis, The View and The Verve.He started working in the music industry as a sound engineer at Spaceward Studio in Cambridge when he was 16. He continued as an engineer until 1994 when he started producing some...
played him the song every four bars. Marr was reluctant to layer multiple guitar parts as he was wary of treading ground, but Sumner convinced him otherwise.
During recording, Primal Scream
Primal Scream
Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
backing singer
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
Denise Johnson added a vocal at the end of the song. She went on to provide additional vocals on a number of songs on Electronic's second album Raise the Pressure
Raise the Pressure
Raise the Pressure is Electronic's second album, released in July 1996.-Recording:Seven of the thirteen tracks were composed by full-time members Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner, and the other six co-written with former Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos...
five years later.
Single
The single was issued in the UKUnited 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...
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 :...
by Factory Records
Factory 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...
on 15 April 1991 (and two weeks later as a second 12-inch comprising two additional 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 by DNA), and as a three-format 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:...
and standard cassette by Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
in the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
| Song version | Duration |
|---|---|
| 7-inch mix | 4:05 |
| Album edit | 3:53 |
| Album/12-inch version | 5:18 |
| DNA Groove Mix | 5:26 |
| DNA Sin Mix | 5:23 |
| DNA Groove Mix Edit | 3:40 |
| DNA Sin Mix Edit | 3:56 |
"Get the Message" appeared as a remixed 7-inch edit
Radio edit
In music, a radio edit is a modification to make a song more suitable for airplay, whether it be adjusted for length, profanity, subject matter, instrumentation, or form...
on most of the formats, and in its original, full-length version on the first UK 12-inch. Later pressings of the UK 7-inch and the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
CD maxi single featured an edit of the album version, which was also used for the music video
Music 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...
. This was because Bernard Sumner objected to the earlier mix, having heard it on a Manchester radio station prior to the release of the single.
The US and German maxi singles compiled all of these versions collectively; the only recordings from this single that remain scarce are edits of the two DNA remixes which were released on promos
Promotional recording
A promotional recording, or promo, is an audio or video recording distributed for free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available...
, namely a British 7-inch and a US CD maxi single.
Like its predecessor "Getting Away with It
Getting Away With It
"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 ....
", "Get the Message" featured a non-album track as its 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...
: "Free Will", a mercurial, sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
-heavy dance track. This appeared in greatly edited form on the 7-inch releases, and in its original six-minute form on all the others. (The German CD maxi single included both.)
Artwork
The first releases were packaged by Johnson/Panas (the moniker of Trevor JohnsonTrevor Johnson (designer)
Trevor Johnson is a Manchester-based graphic designer. He started his career as a commercial illustrator and went on to become a freelance graphic designer, designing record sleeves and branding for Factory Records and Hacienda Nightclub Fac 51 which was instrumental in the creation of the...
), who also designed Electronic's then imminent first album Electronic
Electronic (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...
. Each format bore a unique colour scheme, all versions featuring the artist and single name with a bold number "2" underneath, signifying its place in Electronic's discography. The only format which differed from this theme was the second British 12-inch release, designed by 3a
Mark Farrow
Mark Farrow was named Designer of the Year in the Creative Review Peer Poll in 2004, voting him ‘the most important graphic designer working today’. His career began in the early 1980s designing experimental sleeves and posters for Factory Records, and The Haçienda, which placed him at the...
(who also oversaw third single "Feel Every Beat
Feel Every Beat
"Feel Every Beat" was the third single by the English band Electronic. It was released in the UK on 9 September 1991 by Factory Records and was a modest commercial success.-Composition:...
").
UK 7-inch, 12-inch and MC
- "Get the Message"
- "Free Will"
- The 7-inch and cassette comprised edits of both songs.
UK remix 12-inch
- "Get the Message" (DNA Groove Mix)
- "Get the Message" (DNA Sin Mix)
- This record was only released in Britain.
US maxi singles
- "Get the Message" (Extended Mix)
- "Free Will" (Extended Mix)
- "Get the Message" (DNA Groove Mix)
- "Get the Message" (DNA Sin Mix)
- The CD included "Get the Message" (Single Mix).
EU CD maxi single
- "Get the Message" (7")
- "Get the Message" (12")
- "Free Will" (7")
- "Free Will" (12")
- "Get the Message" (DNA Groove Mix)
- "Get the Message" (DNA Sin Mix)
Music video
The single was promoted by a colourful 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...
in which Marr and Sumner strolled through the Maldive Islands
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
and atop the still-active Taal Volcano
Taal Volcano
Taal Volcano is a complex volcano located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Historical eruptions are concentrated on Volcano Island, an island near the middle of Lake Taal. The lake partially fills Taal Caldera, which was formed by powerful prehistoric eruptions between 140,000 to 5,380 BP...
— which Marr narrowly missed falling into. It was directed by Gunther Deichmann, whose published photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s had impressed Electronic.
Letter case
In orthography and typography, letter case is the distinction between the larger majuscule and smaller minuscule letters...
spelling out 'electronic') and another more simple edit without any words. The former version is available on the Get the Message 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....
.
Electronic also promoted the single with appearances on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
in April and May 1991, miming to the album edit and the edit of the "DNA Groove Mix" respectively.
Reception
Commercial reception to the song was quite positive. It reached #8 on the UK Singles ChartUK 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 ...
, which became one of their highest positions. It also performed strongly in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where it reached the top of the Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart and #8 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
Critical reaction to "Get the Message" was generally positive. Writing in the NME
NME
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...
, Andrew Collins
Andrew Collins (broadcaster)
Andrew Collins is the creator and writer of Radio 4 sitcom Mr Blue Sky. His TV writing work includes EastEnders and the sitcoms Grass and Not Going Out .-Personal life:Collins was a member of the Labour Party between the late 1980s and early 1990s, leaving after Labour's...
called the song "draught genius" and concluded that "New Order can now split up", while David Quantick
David Quantick
David Quantick is a freelance journalist, writer and critic who specialises in music and comedy.-Career history:...
stated that "nothing anyone has ever done has sounded even vaguely like 'Get the Message'" in the same publication a month later. Phil Sutcliffe in Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
was less enthusiastic, suggesting it "almost slip[s] from identity into identikit", while Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
described listening to the track as "Like watching a pony chew on a carrot for half an hour".
"Get the Message" is consistently cited as a defining track by Electronic. Allmusic picks it as a highlight of the Electronic album in a 4/5 review, while bbc.co.uk
Bbc.co.uk
BBC Online is the brand name and home for the BBC's UK online service. It is a large network of websites including such high profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services co-branded BBC iPlayer, the pre-school site Cbeebies, and learning services such as Bitesize...
states that "the excellent 'Get the Message' still holds its own alongside the best of early '90s Mancunian tunes". In 2007 Johnny Marr said it was "...maybe the track I'm most proud of out of my whole career", and in June 2009 reiterated that it is "the best song I've written".
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German VIVA Top 100 Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
37 |
| 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 ... |
8 |
| US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 8 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes... |
15 |
Live versions
"Get the Message" was first played live in 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
Opening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
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 the 4th and 5 August. It was also performed at their first British gig the following January at the Haçienda
The Haçienda
Fac 51 Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England. It became most famous during the "Madchester" years of the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the 1990s it was labelled the most famous club in the world by Newsweek magazine...
nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
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...
; 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...
festival in the same city seven months later; and at each of the three gigs on their short tour of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in December.
Appearances
"Get the Message" was the seventh track on the British version of Electronic and the eighth on most of the international editions. It later became the title track of the band's career-spanning compilationGet 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....
in 2006. The song received some exposure in 2003 when it was used in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
. It has also appeared on a handful of various artists compilations.