Eurythmics – Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty·Four)

Julia is about love and time; whether a love is strong enough to survive the relentless ing of seasons. I love the way Annie Lennox sings this song. Her voice captures the paradox of time, love / eternity and the ever-dying, fleeting instant. The song also displays some of Dave Stewart’s finest guitar playing.

Unfortunately I have to harp on about formt . . . I like this CD single mostly because of this beautiful love song, Julia, in its proper, full album duration. Julia was released as a single on vinyl but not on CD. So I think this Sexcrime CD is the only way to get Julia on a CD single (and sometimes you don’t want to play the whole 1984 album / vinyl). Julia is one of those weird exceptions, the movie mentality took over a bit, Sexcrime was more appropriately 1984 . . .

The butchery doesn’t stop there, the common 7” single at just over 4 minutes is too truncated and when you listen to this abbreviated version of the song, it seems damaged by its abrupt end. I don’t really like listening to the easily available, shorter version. It’s one of those cases where the “extended” version is how the song is supposed to be heard, as it appears on the actual album, giving the exalting vocals their necessary time and a more proper sense of the theme of eternity – so despite the label, the album version, 6:36, is not “extended” in my opinion. The ‘extra’ time is not 12" extra-beats waffle, it is Dave Stewarts' excellent (Spanish?) guitar playing. The12” vinyl record is the best way to hear Julia properly, but as it is a favourite track of mine it is good to have the CD as well, [The 45 rpm 12” benefits from a better recording than the 33rpm vinyl album as the grooves are spread over the vinyl giving a warm, resonant bass / higher quality sound production.]

Julia is a rare moment of beauty on the 1984 album – of all the Eurythmics albums, 1984 is the hardest and most brash of them all – yet it contains Julia, one of the most beautiful of all the Eurythmics songs. Julia is a jewel amongst cold stones; in comparison, Sexcrime and Ministry of Love are harsh, militant electronica. The strong political issues of the 1984 book, and the extreme dictates of the film industry had an effect on this Eurythmics album (necessarily so . . . ). 1984 is an enjoyable and interesting album, but not my favourite. The saving grace: it does hold my favourite track – 1984’s redemption; like finding a diamond in a coal mine.

They sprinkled a little bit of Funk dust on the B side "I Did It Just The Same".

This version is excellent. It doesn't feel like a long song; the length is appropriate given the variety and content. There are a few songs where the first time you hear it you know it's something different / special. This is one of those songs and my opinion has never changed since .... 1984.

bien reçu . produit conforme, je recommande.
si dés fois vous retrouver le maxi de Eurythmics ‎ faites moi signe

There is also an exclusive New Zealand pressing with the same catalogue number (but silver labels). It comes in a thick cardboard sleeve with the red text "Taken from the motion picture..." that is missing on the Australian sleeve

Also available in an alternate form with a slightly paler yellow sleeve, but with running times listed as 3:52 on both sides

Bad quality picture disc. The stylus pics up noise from the print on side B hence not enough vinyl over the print.

I loved this track, since i can think! As i was a (very?) little guy, i was fascinated of these new sounds, the straight beats and this warm feeling. As i found this rare promotional copy, i must buyin´ it, but is was heavy used and had for me an emotional value only. I think, i need a playable copy too... ;o)

The facts: on side a it´s the very long version of Sexcrime (1984). In Review i must say, it´s the typical 80´s Sampling.
The first at the B-Side is the original version of this track.
The Track at B2 i don´t like, it´s more an experimental sound, also typical for Eurythmics.