Round & Round (New Order song)

"Round & Round" is a song by New Order and the second single from their 1989 album Technique. It was re-recorded for single release with Stephen Hague, who had previously worked with the group on their hit "True Faith". It is one of the group's most dance-centred songs, with few guitar or bass lines. Like the majority of New Order songs, the song's title is not mentioned in its lyrics. The song was selected for single release by Factory Records' Tony Wilson over the wishes of the band, who wanted to issue "Vanishing Point" (also from Technique) instead.

1 Lyrics
2 Versions
3 Marketing
- 3.1 Video
- 3.2 Artwork
4 Track listing UK
5 Notes and references

[edit] Lyrics

The song is about New Order's then-souring relationship with Tony Wilson, the owner of Factory Records which was the group's label at the time. On the documentary "New Order Story", Bernard Sumner discusses that he didn't originally intend the song to be about Tony Wilson and the tension between Wilson and the group, but Sumner admits that growing tension between the two men ultimately was channelled into the song when it was being written.

[edit] Versions

The band recorded three versions:

The album version (4:29), which appears on Technique, emphasizes the melody, synth pads, and vocals.
The 7" version (3:59) emphasizes the drums and bass for a harder dance feel but has a similar structure to the album track. This is the version used in the video.
The 12" version (6:50) has a 2:45 intro sequence and stops cold before proceeding much as in the 7". It has a wash of synthesizers and a keyboard solo midway through the song. Also, the line "It makes me act like a child" repeats several times as the song ends.

These versions and other remixes were distributed on over twenty 7", 12", and CD-single formats, many with exclusive artwork^[1]. "Round and Round" has also appeared in various forms on New Order compilations.

[edit] Marketing

[edit] Video

The video for "Round and Round" features a series of eight successive black-and-white head-and-shoulder shots of young, female models, casually sitting in front of a camera as it records them, with the women occasionally talking (though what they say is not heard in the video). Randomly intercut into the footage of the women are various colorized one-second clips of flowers or marbles.

During the filming of the various models, it was decided to film additional footage of one model (Patty de Silva) for an alternative cut of the video that features only de Silva and the brief one-second color intercuts. Bernard's second wife Sarah is also rumoured to have appeared in the video, though which one she is, is difficult to tell, as she is rarely seen in public.

[edit] Artwork

The artwork by Peter Saville Associates mirrors the Technique album cover, but uses a different statue and complimented by red or blue (depending on which version owned) background.

[edit] Track listing UK

[edit] 7" single FAC 263

"Round & Round" (4:02)
"Best & Marsh" (3:34)

[edit] 12" single FAC 263

"Round & Round" (6:52)
"Best & Marsh" (4:26)

[edit] 12" single FAC 263R

"Round & Round (Club Mix)" (7:07)
"Round & Round (Detroit Mix)" (6:29)

[edit] CD single FAC 263-12

"Round & Round (Seven Inch)" (4:02)
"Vanishing Point (Instrumental Making Out Mix)" (5:13)
"Round & Round (Twelve Inch)" (6:52)
"Best & Marsh (Seven Inch)" (3:34)

[edit] CD single FACD 263R

[Titled Round & Remix]

"Round & Round (Club Mix)" (7:07)
"Round & Round (Twelve Inch Mix)" (6:52) [Not to be confused with CD1 track 3]
"Round & Round (Detroit Mix)" (6:29)

[edit] Notes and references

^ Entry for Round and Round in the New Order discography

New Order

Singles

Hidden category: Single articles with infobox field chart position

Round & Round (New Order song)

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