Forbidden City (Electronic song)

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“Forbidden City”
Single by Electronic from the album Raise the Pressure
B-side	"Imitation of Life", "A New Religion"
Released	June 24, 1996 (1996-06-24)
Format	7", CD, cassette
Recorded	1994[1]-1995[2]
Label	Parlophone Virgin Warner
Writer(s)	Bernard Sumner, Johnny Marr, Karl Bartos
Producer	Bernard Sumner, Johnny Marr
Electronic singles chronology
"Disappointed" (1992) "Forbidden City" (1996) "For You" (1996)

"Forbidden City" was the fifth single by the English band Electronic, which comprised Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr with guesting co-writer Karl Bartos of Kraftwerk. It was the lead single from their second album Raise the Pressure, and their first new release in almost exactly four years, the last being the stand-alone single "Disappointed".

Contents 1 Composition 2 Single 3 Tracklisting 3.1 UK 7" and MC 3.2 UK/EU CD 3.3 Australian CD 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Composition

The track was one of the fastest to be written and recorded on the album,^[3] with most of the music by Marr and the lyrics by Sumner (much like "Get the Message" and "Make It Happen"). It is a guitar pop/rock song with a heavily distorted guitar solo by Marr; lyrically it is about a young man who has an abusive relationship with his father but wants to return home despite this antagonism.^[4]

[edit] Single

As well as a UK release, "Forbidden City" was also issued in Australia and Germany on Compact Disc, and in the USA as a 1-track radio promo. The commercial releases came with two non-album B-sides: "Imitation of Life" (an edited version of which would appear on Get the Message - The Best of Electronic ten years later) and "A New Religion", which featured Denise Johnson providing backing vocals. All three songs were written with Karl Bartos. The Australian CD omitted "A New Religion" in favour of "Getting Away with It".

The song was not a huge hit (#14 on the UK Singles Chart) but did receive substantial radio play in Britain. It remains one of Johnny Marr's favourite Electronic songs,^[5] and opened up the best of in 2006, with stills from its Tom Merriton-directed video used for the front cover and inside the booklet.

[edit] Tracklisting

[edit] UK 7" and MC

1. "Forbidden City"
2. "Imitation of Life"

[edit] UK/EU CD

1. "Forbidden City"
2. "Imitation of Life"
3. "A New Religion"

[edit] Australian CD

1. "Forbidden City"
2. "Imitation of Life"
3. "Getting Away with It"

[edit] References

1. ^ NOISE, 20 June 1994
2. ^ Vox, October 1995
3. ^ NME, 22 June 1996
4. ^ Blah Blah Blah, July 1996
5. ^ jmarr.com Q&A (link)

[edit] External links

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

v • d • e Electronic Bernard Sumner | Johnny Marr Albums Electronic | Raise the Pressure | Twisted Tenderness | Get the Message - The Best of Electronic Singles "Getting Away with It" | "Get the Message" | "Tighten Up" | "Feel Every Beat" | "Disappointed" | "Forbidden City" | "For You" | "Second Nature" | "Until the End of Time" | "Prodigal Son" | "Vivid" | "Make It Happen" | "Late at Night"