Electronic
Electronic (Johnny Marr, left, and Bernard Sumner) on the cover of their 1991 debut album.
Background information
Origin	Manchester, UK
Genre(s)	Alternative rock Electronica
Years active	1988 — 1999 (on indefinite hiatus)
Label(s)	Factory Records, later Parlophone (UK) Virgin Records (Europe) Warner Bros. Records (USA & Australia)
Associated acts	New Order The Smiths Pet Shop Boys
Members
Bernard Sumner Johnny Marr

Electronic was an alternative rock/dance group formed by New Order singer and guitarist Bernard Sumner and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. They co-wrote the majority of their output between 1989 and 1998, collaborating with Neil Tennant on three tracks in their early years, and former Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos on nine songs in 1995. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher on 31 October 1963 in Ardwick, Manchester) is an English virtuoso guitarist, keyboardist, harmonica player and singer. ... Bernard Barney Sumner (born Bernard Dicken, 4 January 1956 in Broughton, Salford, Lancashire, England) was the guitarist and keyboardist with Joy Division. ... Electronic was the 1991 self-titled debut by British supergroup Electronic. ... Manchester (pronounced ) is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Alternative rock (also called alternative music or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Electronic music. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... FAC 115: Factory Records Stationery (1984) Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label, started in 1978 which featured several prominent musical acts, such as Joy Division, New Order, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, and (briefly) James and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. ... Parlophone is a record label which was founded in Germany prior to World War I by the Carl Lindstrom Company. ... Virgin Records is a British recording label founded by British entrepreneur Richard Branson, and Nik Powell in 1972. ... Warner Bros. ... New Order are an English rock group formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner (vocals, guitars, synthesizers), Peter Hook (bass, electronic drums), and Stephen Morris (drums, synthesizers). ... The Smiths were an English rock group active from 1982 to 1987. ... The capitalization of song titles in this article may be disputed. ... Bernard Barney Sumner (born Bernard Dicken, 4 January 1956 in Broughton, Salford, Lancashire, England) was the guitarist and keyboardist with Joy Division. ... Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher on 31 October 1963 in Ardwick, Manchester) is an English virtuoso guitarist, keyboardist, harmonica player and singer. ... New Order are an English rock group formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner (vocals, guitars, synthesizers), Peter Hook (bass, electronic drums), and Stephen Morris (drums, synthesizers). ... Bernard Barney Sumner (born Bernard Dicken, 4 January 1956 in Broughton, Salford, Lancashire, England) was the guitarist and keyboardist with Joy Division. ... The Smiths were an English rock group active from 1982 to 1987. ... Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher on 31 October 1963 in Ardwick, Manchester) is an English virtuoso guitarist, keyboardist, harmonica player and singer. ... Neil Tennant (right) with collaborator Chris Lowe (left) Neil Francis Tennant (born July 10, 1954 in North Shields, Tyne and Wear, England) is an English musician, who, with his colleague Chris Lowe, makes up the successful pop duo, Pet Shop Boys. ... Kraftwerk (pronounced [], German for power station) are a German musical group who have made significant contributions to the development of experimental, electronic, New Wave, synthpop and techno music. ... Karl Bartos was born on May 13, 1952 in Berchtesgaden, Germany. ...

History

The two first met in 1984 when the Smiths guitarist contributed to a Quando Quango track that Sumner was producing, but Electronic did not materialise until 1988, when the New Order frontman suggested Marr add guitar to a solo album he was planning^[1] - this was quickly abandoned when the idea of joining forces for a full-time group emerged. Inspired by contemporary dance music like Italo house and acts such as Technotronic,^[1] their initial concept was to release white label records on Factory and remain an anonymous entity,^[2][3] in contrast to their considerable reputations with The Smiths and New Order. The track "Lucky Bag" and the name Electronic itself are two of the vestiges of this initial approach; when Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant heard of their budding partnership in 1989 through sleeve designer Mark Farrow he suggested a collaboration. Quando Quango was a Manchester, England based new wave dance project formed by The Haçienda DJ and Factory Records A&R man Mike Pickering, Hillegonda Rietveld and Reinier Rietveld. ... Italo House is a form of house music popular in Italy in the late 1980s, coming from a fusion of Italian disco and house music. ... Technotronic is a studio-based Belgian House Music project formed by Jo Bogaert (a. ... FAC 115: Factory Records Stationery (1984) Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label, started in 1978 which featured several prominent musical acts, such as Joy Division, New Order, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, and (briefly) James and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. ... The capitalization of song titles in this article may be disputed. ... Graphic Designer, notable for his designs for the Pet Shop Boys, Liza Minelli, and others. ...

The fruits of this union became "Getting Away With It", Electronic's debut single which was released in December 1989 and sold around a quarter of a million copies. It was a Top 40 hit in America the following spring, and after a support slot for Depeche Mode in August 1990 their chances of anonymity soon vanished. Instead, Sumner and Marr took a more commercial direction,^[1] blending synthesisers, guitars and analogue technology whilst retaining the template of modern alternative rock. Getting away with it was the first single released 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. ... Depeche Mode are an electronic band formed in 1980 in Essex, England. ...

Albums

Electronic

After a year of intensive recording (and eighteen months after "Getting Away With It"), Electronic's debut album was released to critical acclaim^{[4][5][6][7][8]} and commercial success,^[9] featuring the Top 10 single "Get the Message" and another Top 40 single, "Feel Every Beat". The album sold over a million copies^[10] and is widely considered their best work. Electronic was the 1991 self-titled debut by British supergroup Electronic. ... Get the Message was the second single released by the English band Electronic, formed by Bernard Sumner of New Order and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. ... Feel Every Beat is the title of the third single by the English band Electronic. ...

As well as its fusion with rock and pop, Electronic continued their interest in dance music by inviting DJs to remix their singles and album tracks; this was a trend that continued throughout their career. Prominent acts that worked on Electronic songs around this period include Danny Rampling, DNA, Dave Shaw and Quando Quango founder and Haçienda DJ Mike Pickering. Danny Rampling is a British based House Music DJ and is widley credited as one of the orginal founders of the UK`s rave/club scene. ... Fac 51 Haçienda (also known as simply The Haçienda) was one of the best known nightclubs in Manchester during the Madchester years of the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... Mike Pickering has DJed at The Haçienda and worked for Factory Records. ...

After the first album was released and promoted, Marr and Sumner recorded albums with The The and New Order respectively, regrouping with Neil Tennant in 1992 to record their fourth and highest-charting single "Disappointed", which had been played live on a short tour of Europe the previous December. The The is an English musical and multimedia group that has been around since 1979 in various forms, with Matt Johnson being the only constant band member. ... Disappointed was the fourth single by the English band Electronic. ...

Raise the Pressure (1996).

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Raise The Pressure is Electronics sophomore album. ...

Raise the Pressure

Electronic was resumed when these activities ended, and work began on the second album in late 1994. The core duo was joined by Karl Bartos, ex-percussionist and songwriter with Kraftwerk (of whom both Sumner and fellow Joy Division member Ian Curtis were fans), who commuted to Manchester for the writing sessions. After a long period of mixing, Raise the Pressure was eventually released in July 1996 on the Parlophone label in the UK and Warner Bros in the US, as Factory Records had gone bankrupt in 1992. Like its predecessor it fused dance music with a guitar-led approach, but some reviewers felt its production was too rich and distracted from the songs. Two guitar oriented tracks, "Forbidden City" and "For You", were released as singles and made the UK Top 20, with the dancier "Second Nature" issued in February 1997 and reaching the Top 40. Kraftwerk (pronounced [], German for power station) are a German musical group who have made significant contributions to the development of experimental, electronic, New Wave, synthpop and techno music. ... Joy Division were an English rock band that formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Raise The Pressure is Electronics sophomore album. ... Parlophone is a record label which was founded in Germany prior to World War I by the Carl Lindstrom Company. ... Forbidden City was the fifth single released by the English band Electronic, which comprised Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr with guesting co-writer Karl Bartos of Kraftwerk. ... For You was the sixth single by the band Electronic, written by Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr with collaborator Karl Bartos of Kraftwerk. ... Second Nature was the seventh single by Electronic, the band formed by Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner in the late eighties. ...

Twisted Tenderness / band hiatus

Electronic did not promote the album with a tour, although they performed its singles live on television shows like Top of the Pops and TFI Friday, and opted instead to swiftly record their third album. This was to be a reaction to the lengthy processes behind Raise the Pressure, with an emphasis on writing and demoing songs quickly before recording them.^[11] Marr and Sumner were joined by Doves bassist Jimi Goodwin and Black Grape drummer Ged Lynch, and together they made the album Twisted Tenderness as a more conventional four-piece group. The album did not return the group to their early nineties levels of popularity but was well received by the critics.^{[12][13][14][15]} Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart television programme, made and broadcast by the BBC. It was originally shown each week, mostly on BBC One, from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. ... TFI Friday was a light entertainment show hosted by Chris Evans and broadcast on Fridays at 6pm on Channel 4 from 1996 to 2000, with a repeat later that night. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Black Grape were a rock and roll band from England, formed in 1993 by former members of Happy Mondays, Shaun Ryder and Bez. ... Twisted Tenderness is Electronics third album. ...

Afterwards New Order reformed to record their comeback album Get Ready and Marr formed a new band The Healers and is currently a member of the best-selling Modest Mouse. Since then, the status of Electronic has remained a question mark, with the only noteworthy events being the Manchester v Cancer charity concert of January 2006, at which Marr and Sumner played with Doves, and the compilation Get the Message - The Best of, released that September with mild promotion and sales. Neither Sumner nor Marr have gone on record with any formal dissolution of the band despite both having moved onto other projects. Get Ready was New Orders first album in 8 years, following on from 1993s Republic. ... Johnny Marr in 2002 Johnny Marr with ex-Smiths cohort Morrissey Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher on 31 October 1963 in Ardwick, Manchester) is a British guitarist, keyboardist, harmonica player and singer, and is best known as the man behind the music of The Smiths. ... Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band. ... Manchester v Cancer is a benefit concert to be held on January 28, 2006, at Manchesters MEN Arena, in aid of cancer research at the Christie Hospital in Manchester, Europes largest cancer research and treatment centre. ... Get the Message is a compilation album by Electronic, released in September 2006. ...

Inevitably Electronic remain in the shadows of their parent groups New Order and The Smiths, with their reluctance to tour factoring in their relative obscurity. Their songs "Getting Away With It", "Get the Message" and "Disappointed" are fairly well known, however, and they were certainly the most commercially successful of the many New Order side-projects.

Discography

Albums

1. Electronic - 1991 - #2 (UK), #109 (US) Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Electronic was the 1991 self-titled debut by British supergroup Electronic. ... See also: 1991 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1991 Record labels established in 1991 other events of 1991 list of years in music 1990s in music // 1991 was the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. ...

2. Raise the Pressure - 1996 - #8 (UK), #143 (US) Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Raise The Pressure is Electronics sophomore album. ... See also: 1996 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1996 Record labels established in 1996 // January 8 - Madonnas stalker, Robert Hoskins is found guilty and convicted on five charges of assault, stalking, and threatening to kill the singer. ...

3. Twisted Tenderness - 1999 - #9 (UK) Image File history File links Twistedtenderness. ... Twisted Tenderness is Electronics third album. ... See also: 1999 in music (UK) other events of 1999 Musical groups established in 1999 Record labels established in 1999 list of years in music 1990s in music // January 7 After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation. ...

4. Get the Message - The Best of Electronic - 2006 Image File history File links Getthemessagebestof. ... Get the Message is a compilation album by Electronic, released in September 2006. ... See also: 2006 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2006 Record labels established in 2006 // January – James Nicholl, drummer of Pay*Ola became ill and was admitted to hospital. ...

Singles

The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... Billboards Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart is a weekly national survey of what songs are most popular in U.S. dance clubs. ... Modern Rock Tracks is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. ... The Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Getting away with it was the first single released 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. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Get the Message was the second single released by the English band Electronic, formed by Bernard Sumner of New Order and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Feel Every Beat is the title of the third single by the English band Electronic. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Disappointed was the fourth single by the English band Electronic. ... Cool World is a 1992 live-action/animated film. ... Songs from the Cool World is the soundtrack album for the 1992 Ralph Bakshi film Cool World. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Forbidden City was the fifth single released by the English band Electronic, which comprised Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr with guesting co-writer Karl Bartos of Kraftwerk. ... For You was the sixth single by the band Electronic, written by Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr with collaborator Karl Bartos of Kraftwerk. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Second Nature was the seventh single by Electronic, the band formed by Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner in the late eighties. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... Vivid was the eighth single by the Johnny Marr/Bernard Sumner band Electronic. ... Late At Night was the last single by the English band Electronic, taken from their 1999 album Twisted Tenderness. ...

References

External links

• feel every beat (unofficial website)
• worldinmotion.net (unofficial website)