Suburbia (song)

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“Suburbia”
“Suburbia” cover
Single by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Please
B-side "Paninaro", "Jack the Lad"
Released September 22, 1986
Format 7", 12", cassette
Genre Synthpop
Length 3:59 (7")
8:55 (12" ("The Full Horror"))
Label Parlophone / EMI
Writer(s) Neil Tennant, Chris Lowe
Producer Julian Mendelsohn
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
"Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)"
(second release)
(1986)		 "Suburbia"
(1986)		 "It's a Sin"
(1987)

"Suburbia" is a song by UK synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was remixed and released as the fourth single from the album Please in 1986 and became the band's second UK Top 10 hit, peaking at #8.

The song's horrific depiction of its subject has made it an often-quoted piece of musical commentary on the nature of suburbs.[1][2]

Contents

[edit] Overview

The song's primary inspiration is the 1984 Penelope Spheeris film Suburbia, and its depiction of violence and squalor in the suburbs of Los Angeles; in addition, the tension of the Brixton riots of 1981 and of 1985 hanging in recent memory led Neil Tennant of the duo to thinking about the boredom of suburbia ("I only wanted something else to do but hang around") and the underlying tension among disaffected youth that sparked off the riots at the least provocation.

The various versions of the song are punctuated by sounds of suburban violence: rioting noises and smashing glass, as well as snarling dogs on the re-recorded single version (extended even further on the music video), which were derived from scenes in Suburbia. The Please version of the song sounds very sparse in comparison.

The bassline of the song is based on "Into the Groove" by Madonna.

The main musical theme of the song is greatly influenced by Chuck Mangione's 1977 jazz-pop track Feels So Good.

The video was directed by Eric Watson, and features footage of the Pet Shop Boys in a Los Angeles' suburb, as they happened to be there for that year's MTV Music Awards.

The b-sides to the single were Jack the Lad" and "Paninaro". The Full Horror mix of "Suburbia" and the Italian Mix of "Paninaro" both appeared on the Pet Shop Boys album Disco as well as the "Suburbia" 12", and would later be collected on the 2001 2-disc rerelease of Please.

[edit] Track listing

[edit] 7": Parlophone / R 6140 (UK)

  1. "Suburbia [New version]" (3:59)
  2. "Paninaro" (4:37)

[edit] 2x7": Parlophone / RD 6140 (UK)

  1. "Suburbia" (New version) - 3:59
  2. "Paninaro" - 4:37
  3. "Love comes quickly" (Shep Pettibone mastermix - early fade) - 6:20
  4. "Jack the lad" - 4:30
  5. "Suburbia Pt. Two" - 2:20

[edit] MC: Parlophone / TC R 6140 (UK)

  1. "Suburbia [New version]" (3:59)
  2. "Paninaro" (4:37)
  3. "Jack The Lad" (4:30)
  4. "Love Comes Quickly [Shep Pettibone Remix]" (7:34)

[edit] 12": Parlophone / 12 R 6140 (UK)

  1. "Suburbia [The Full Horror]" (8:55)
  2. "Paninaro" (4:37)
  3. "Jack The Lad" (4:30)

[edit] 12": EMI Manhattan / V-19226 (US)

  1. "Suburbia [The Full Horror]" (8:55)
  2. "Suburbia [New version]" (3:59)
  3. "Jack The Lad" (4:30)

[edit] 12": EMI Manhattan / SPRO-9925/9926 (US)

  1. "Suburbia [Club Vocal]" (7:10)
  2. "Suburbia [Arthur Baker Dub]" (7:58)
  • Suburbia "New version", "The Full Horror" and "Part Two" remixed by Julian Mendelsohn

[edit] Chart performance

Chart (1986) Peak
position
UK 8
Germany 2
Switzerland 3
Sweden 6
Austria 9

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Barton, Laura (March 20, 2006). Save our boring 'burbs. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2006-06-29.
  2. ^ Suburbs. Settlement Links and Resources. GeographyPages. Retrieved on 2006-06-29.
v • d • e
Pet Shop Boys
Neil Tennant · Chris Lowe
Studio albums
Compilation albums
"Disco" albums
Live albums
Soundtrack and score albums
Singles
Please - West End Girls · Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) · Love Comes Quickly · Suburbia
Actually - It's a Sin · What Have I Done to Deserve This? · Rent · Heart
Introspective - Always On My Mind · Domino Dancing · Left To My Own Devices · It's Alright
Behaviour - So Hard · Being Boring · How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?/Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You) · Jealousy
Discography - DJ Culture · Was It Worth It?
Very - Can You Forgive Her? · Go West · I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing · Liberation · Yesterday, When I Was Mad
Alternative - Paninaro/Paninaro '95
Bilingual - Before · Se A Vida É (That’s The Way Life Is) · Single-Bilingual · A Red Letter Day · Somewhere
Nightlife - I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More · New York City Boy · You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk
Release - Home and Dry · I Get Along · London
PopArt - Miracles · Flamboyant
Fundamental - I'm With Stupid · Minimal · Numb · Integral
Related articles

[edit] References