"Getting Away with It" is the first single by the English band Electronic, which comprised Bernard Sumner of New Order, ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, and guesting vocalist Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys.
[4] The lyrics, co-written by Tennant with Sumner, are a parody of Marr's Smiths partner Morrissey, and his public persona as morose and masochistic (Pet Shop Boys would further satirise this trend on their 1990 song "Miserablism").
[7] The fluid, rich production incorporates a full orchestra (conducted by Art of Noise's Anne Dudley) and a rare guitar solo by Marr, while the three remixes that appeared on the two UK 12-inch releases take in disparate musical styles like disco and acid house.
The primary B-side was an instrumental called "Lucky Bag", the only unadulterated reflection of Marr and Sumner's early, shared enthusiasm for Italo house.
The first, directed by Chris Marker and produced by Michael Shamberg for European use in 1989, featured Sumner, Marr and Tennant in a studio environment miming to the single edit of the song.
[10] In Sounds Damon Wise wrote: "It's nothing shocking, nothing that surprising, it's just that every time you think you're tired of it you can't help flipping back the stylus to catch that chorus".
[11] Melody Maker's observer Mick Mercer expressed the similar opinion about fall short of expectations and complained about lack of charm of Sumner's voice.
"Getting Away with It" was played live in August 1990 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles — when Electronic supported Depeche Mode on their World Violation Tour for two dates at the venue[21] — at the Cities in the Park event in Manchester a year later,[22] and at Wembley Hall One in December 1991.
[24] Although the music was written with their first album in mind — and before their involvement with Neil Tennant[25] — "Getting Away with It" was not included on Electronic's first LP in May 1991 (a reflection of their confidence in the newer material), although it was slotted in between tracks 4 and 5 on the international versions and the subsequent 1994 reissue on Parlophone, to bolster sales.