100 Greatest Songs of the 80’s #29 Electronic – Getting Away With It

Released : 1989

The idea of supergroups was something which punk had largely seen off; surely nothing worse it was reasoned than multiple old dinosaurs as opposed to one. Slowly it began to revive, although the results were predictably underwhelming (The Travelling Wilburys, The Power Station, Tin Machine). Then Bernard phoned his mate Johnny, who were then contacted by Neil and one of the decade’s most intriguing collaborations was born.

It would be eighteen months before their eponymous debut album arrived – schedules, mate – but as an Apéritif, Getting Away With It was a near-perfect fusion of the individual’s strengths. Whilst Johnny Marr had become an itinerant gun-for-hire since the ugly break up of The Smiths, New Order’s singer was using this boat to escape the intra-group tensions and madness of owning a nightclub; Neil Tennant was being, well, Neil Tennant.

As rumours went, Getting Away With It’s lyrics were aimed at Marr’s former bandmate Morrissey, but if this was a takedown, it was one of graceful sophistication. On it Anne Dudley’s strings counterpointed his mellifluos Balearic guitar and some deep house piano, Sumner deadpanning the mournful refrain “I love you, more than you love me” whilst Neil Tennant was, well, Neil Tennant. Slick and sensual, World In Motion this was not.