Elegia (song)

"Elegia" is an instrumental composed and performed by the British rock band 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"
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

Elegia is an instrumental tribute to Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, whom the members of New Order previously played in.[2] Due to its somber 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.[6]

Use in media

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

References
  1. "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. "'The Crown' Season 4 Soundtrack Album Details | Film Music Reporter". Retrieved 2022-12-21.


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