It's a Sin

For the song by Eddy Arnold, see It's a Sin (Eddy Arnold song). For the television series, see It's a Sin (TV series).

"It's a Sin"
Single by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Actually
B-side"You Know Where You Went Wrong"
Released15 June 1987
Recorded1987
Genre
Length4:59
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Julian Mendelsohn
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
"Suburbia"
(1986) 		"It's a Sin"
(1987) 		"What Have I Done to Deserve This?"
(1987)
Audio sample
"It's a Sin"

"It's a Sin" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their second studio album, Actually (1987). Written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, the song was released on 15 June 1987[6] as the album's lead single.[7] It became the duo's second number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks atop the chart. Additionally, the single topped the charts in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, while reaching number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100. It remains one of Pet Shop Boys' most popular songs with 40 million streams in the UK.[8]

Background

"It's a Sin" was written in 1982 at Ray Roberts' studio in Camden, where Lowe and Tennant worked on songs in their early years.[9][10] Their original demo was one of the songs Tennant brought to his meeting with New York record producer Bobby Orlando.[11] Pet Shop Boys made another demo with Orlando in 1984, but it was never released. The song's basic structure from the 1984 demo remained intact in the 1987 version, although the released production is far more dramatic.[1]

Writing and inspiration

Tennant came up with the phrase "It's a sin" when he heard Lowe play a piece of music that sounded to him like a hymn.[10] In the lyrics, he describes some impressions he took from his time at the Catholic[4] St Cuthbert's Grammar School in Newcastle upon Tyne, in particular the teaching that sex is a sin except within marriage for the purpose of procreation.[9][12] Tennant has said that the song was not intended to be serious:

People took it really seriously; the song was written in about 15 minutes, and was intended as a camp joke and it wasn't something I consciously took very seriously—sometimes I wonder if there was more to it than I thought at the time—but the local parish priest in Newcastle delivered a sermon on it, and reflected on how the Church changed from the promise of a ghastly hell to the message of love.[13]

In the coda, Tennant recites a part of the Confiteor in Latin,[10] which translated into English is "I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, act and omission, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault".

"It's a Sin" is in the key of C minor; the music for the bridge ("Father forgive me…") was taken from another song of theirs written in E-flat minor.[14] In Tennant's words, "'It's a Sin', at its heart, is a heavy metal record. There is a huge link between hi-NRG music and heavy metal: the urgency, the chords, the slightly histrionic melody."[4] The dramatic, overblown production style of the song, loaded with synthesizers, orchestra hits and bookended by a non sequitur sample of a NASA countdown, has come to exemplify the most theatrical extremes of the Pet Shop Boys' musical style.[15]

Recording

Julian Mendelsohn was the primary producer of "It's a Sin".[a] He had been selected to co-produce Actually based on his work on the previous Pet Shop Boys single "Suburbia".[17]

To add ambience to the track, Mendelsohn went with the duo to Brompton Oratory, a Catholic church in London, to record background sounds that can be heard during the bridge.[17] At Westminster Cathedral, they recorded a sung Mass that happened to be in the right key, C minor; the amen response is heard at the end of the song. Keyboard programmer Andy Richards used a Fairlight to create the choir sound that opens the track.[18]

After Mendelsohn moved on to another project,[1] Pet Shop Boys decided they weren't satisfied with the end result, particularly the vocals.[10] They asked Stephen Hague, the producer of Please (1986), to do another mix, which was the version used on the album and as the single. Mendelsohn commented that although he thought his version had better sound and dynamics, Hague's version was more interesting and the track benefitted from his "fresh ears."[1]

Release

"It's a Sin" preceded the album's September release on 15 June 1987. The first single from Actually was originally slated to be "Heart", but Pet Shop Boys manager Tom Watkins advised them that EMI considered "It's a Sin" to be the most commercial option,[10] which proved accurate when it became their second number one hit.[19]

A US 12-inch edition included remixes by Stock Aitken Waterman engineer Phil Harding, Ian Levine, and a Disco Mix by Stephen Hague.[20]

Artwork

The cover photo for the single (pictured) was taken by Eric Watson in the unused sacristy of Christ Church, Spitalfields.[21] Tennant compared the image to the painting Ennui by Walter Sickert, depicting a detached couple in a dim room.[22]

Critical reception

In a review published in Smash Hits, Tom Hibbert wrote that "It's a Sin" starts with "an enormous clap of thunder, horns winking in the distance and then an absolute huge slab of European disco drama", noted that it sounds like a song by Princess Stéphanie of Monaco and uses the same notes as Cat Stevens' "Wild World".[23]

Music video

Directed by Derek Jarman, the "It's a Sin" video marked the experimental director's first of several collaborations with the band.[24] It extended the lyrical themes of the song by showing Tennant under arrest by an inquisition with Lowe as his jailer and Ron Moody in the role of his judge, interspersed with brief clips of personifications of the seven deadly sins.[25]

Live performances

"It's a Sin" remains a concert staple, being one of only two songs (alongside "West End Girls") that has been played during every Pet Shop Boys tour.[26] They have performed the song combined with Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" at certain concerts, including the 1994 Discovery Tour accompanied by singer Katie Kissoon,[27] and at their 1997 Savoy Theatre residency and the 2000 Glastonbury Festival with Sylvia Mason-James.[28][29]

Controversy

At the time of the single's release, British DJ Jonathan King accused the Pet Shop Boys of plagiarising the melody for "It's a Sin" from Cat Stevens' 1971 song "Wild World". He made the claims in The Sun newspaper, for which he wrote a regular column during the 1980s. King went so far as to release his own cover version of "Wild World" as a single, using a similar musical arrangement to "It's a Sin", in an effort to demonstrate his claims. The single flopped and the Pet Shop Boys sued King, eventually winning out-of-court damages, which they donated to Jefferiss Research Trust to support the study of sexually transmitted diseases.[30]

Track listings

  • 7": Parlophone / R 6158 (UK)
  1. "It's a Sin" – 4:59
  2. "You Know Where You Went Wrong" – 5:51
  • 12": Parlophone / 12R 6158 (UK)
  1. "It's a Sin" (Disco Mix) – 7:39
  2. "You Know Where You Went Wrong" – 5:51
  3. "It's a Sin" (7" version) – 4:59
  • CD: Parlophone / CDR 6158 (UK)
  1. "It's a Sin" (7" version) – 4:59
  2. "You Know Where You Went Wrong" – 5:51
  3. "It's a Sin" (Disco Mix) – 7:39
  • 12": Parlophone / 12RX 6158 (UK)
  1. "It's a Sin" (Remix) (Ian Levine) – 8:15
  2. "You Know Where You Went Wrong" (Rough Mix) – 6:38
  • 12": EMI-Manhattan / V-19256 (US)
  1. "It's a Sin" (Phil Harding Latin Vocal Mix) (aka Miami Mix) – 9:14
  2. "It's a Sin" (Phil Harding Latin Dub Mix) – 4:20
  3. "It's a Sin" (Remix) – 8:15
  4. "It's a Sin" (Disco Mix) – 7:39
  5. "You Know Where You Went Wrong" – 5:51

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes for Actually: Further Listening 1987–1988[31] and "It's a Sin".[32]

Pet Shop Boys

Additional musicians

Technical personnel

Artwork

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for "It's a Sin"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[75] Gold 50,000*
Finland — 6,311[76]
Portugal (AFP)[77] Gold 30,000[77]
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[78] Gold 25,000^
Sweden (GLF)[79] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[81] Gold 500,000[80]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

Years and Years version

"It's a Sin"
Single by Years & Years
Released22 January 2021 (2021-01-22)
Length3:12
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mark Ralph
Years & Years singles chronology
"Dreamland"
(2020) 		"It's a Sin"
(2021) 		"Starstruck"
(2021)

On 22 January 2021, British electronic group Years & Years covered the song to coincide with the release of the Channel 4 series It's a Sin, which stars frontman Olly Alexander in the lead role.[82][83] The cover was produced by Mark Ralph,[84] with part of the proceeds going to the George House Trust.[85] The band had previously collaborated with the Pet Shop Boys on the 2019 single "Dreamland", and Alexander previewed his version for Neil Tennant prior to its release.[86] A slowed-down version of the song with only piano accompaniment, the cover is in C minor at a tempo of 126 beats per minute.[87][88] Pet Shop Boys praised the cover, calling it "beautiful".[89] A music video was released, consisting of clips from It's a Sin.[90] Alexander performed the song as part of the setlist for his 2022 Night Call Tour.[91]

Elton John and Years and Years version

"It's a Sin"
Single by Elton John and Years & Years
from the album The Lockdown Sessions
Released11 May 2021 (2021-05-11)
GenreSynth-pop
Length4:44
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Elton John singles chronology
"Chosen Family"
(2021) 		"It's a Sin"
(2021) 		"Cold Heart (Pnau remix)"
(2021)

A pre-recorded performance of the song by English musicians Elton John and Years & Years aired as part of the 2021 Brit Awards on 11 May 2021.[92] Pet Shop Boys were scheduled to be a part of the performance, but were unable to do so due to a "contractual issue".[92] The duet started as a slower piano track before transitioning into synth-pop with accompanying backup dancers and drag queens.[93][94][95] A studio recording of the collaboration, produced by Stuart Price and the Pet Shop Boys, was released following the performance, with proceeds going to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.[93][96] "It's a Sin" debuted at number 57 on the UK Singles Chart and at the top of The Official Big Top 40.[97][98]

Other versions

  • Swedish rock band Ghost released a cover of the song on deluxe editions of the 2018 album Prequelle.
  • Lyrics: It's a Sin
  • Longmire, Ernie and Steffen Gärtner (1989–2006). "Pet Shop Boys: It's a Sin" (TXT). Gardner's Pet Shop Boys Discography. Gardner Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 10 September 2006.

Notes

  1. ^ In the liner notes of Actually: Further Listening 1987–1988 (2001), Tennant said they had considered using the Stock Aitken Waterman production team for "It's a Sin" but Pete Waterman didn't like the song;[10] Tennant has since said he does not recall that happening.[16][4]

References

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