Elegia (song)

"Elegia"
Instrumental by New Order
from the album Low-Life
Released13 May 1985
Recorded1984, Jam and Britannia Row Studios, London
Genre
Length4:56 (album version)
17:29 (full version)
LabelFactory
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)New Order
Official audio
"Elegia" (2015 Remaster) on YouTube

"Elegia" is an instrumental composed and performed by the British pop group New Order. It was released on their third studio album, Low-Life (1985). The track was written and produced by Gillian Gilbert, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner.

Elegia is an instrumental tribute to Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, whom some of the members of New Order previously played in.[2] Due to its sombre mood, it has been used in a variety of media, including Pretty in Pink, Stranger Things and The Crown. "Elegia" is Greek for elegy.

Background

"Elegia" was originally written for a film commissioned by i-D magazine and was inspired by Ennio Morricone's For A Few Dollars More score. The film was not completed, so the band saved the recording for their upcoming album.[3]

"Elegia" was recorded at CTS Studios in Wembley in a single 24-hour session with the working title "Ben and Justin".[4] It is in the key of A minor with a time signature of 12/8. The song uses the E-mu Emulator II for several sounds, including choir and strings.[5]

17-minute version

The original recording of "Elegia" had a duration of 17:29 which was edited down to 4:56 for the album version on Low-Life. The full-length version was included on the limited five-disc version of the compilation album Retro, as well as the 2008 Collector's Edition of Low-Life. The full version was also released on vinyl in 2012 and again in 2022.[6]

Use in media

Since the release of Low-Life in 1985, Elegia has been used in the following media productions:

References

  1. ^ a b "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)". Spin. 11 May 2015. p. 4. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  2. ^ "New Order's Full 18-Minute Ian Curtis Tribute "Elegia" Gets Vinyl Release | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  3. ^ "Low-life: Why New Order's Third Album Remains A Career High". Dig!. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  4. ^ Hook, Peter (2016). Substance : inside New Order. London. ISBN 978-1-4711-3240-7. OCLC 960088964.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ "New Order's "Elegia" Synth Sounds | Reverb Machine". reverbmachine.com. 2022-05-09. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  6. ^ Fact (2012-04-12). "New Order releasing 18-minute "Elegia" on vinyl". Fact Magazine. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  7. ^ Delgado, Lisa (20 September 2001). "Indie filmmaker's push for 'More'". Wired. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Neon Nostalgia: The Pretty In Pink Soundtrack 30 Years Later". Stereogum. 2016-02-12. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  9. ^ Kielty, Martin (20 August 2022). "'Stranger Things' Creators Surprised by Kate Bush Song Explosion". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
  10. ^ KONAMI公式 (2015-06-15). 【公式】METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN | E3 2015 Trailer [Long] (JP). Retrieved 2024-11-12 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ KONAMI公式 (2015-06-15). METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN | E3 2015 Trailer [Long] (EU). Retrieved 2024-11-12 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ KONAMI公式 (2015-06-15). METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN | E3 2015 Trailer [Long] (US). Retrieved 2024-11-12 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ "'The Crown' Season 4 Soundtrack Album Details | Film Music Reporter". Retrieved 2022-12-21.


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