1963 (song)

"1963" is a track by English rock group New Order. It was originally released as a B-side to "True Faith" in 1987 and appeared on the Substance compilation of the same year. It was then released as a single in January 1995, in a radio mix by Arthur Baker.

"1963"
Song by New Order
A-side	"True Faith"
Released	20 July 1987
Length	5:32
Label	Factory
Songwriter(s)	Bernard Sumner Peter Hook Stephen Morris Gillian Gilbert Stephen Hague[1]
Producer(s)	Stephen Hague New Order

"1963"
Single by New Order
from the album The Best of New Order
Released	9 January 1995 (1995-01-09)[2]
Length	5:05
Label	London
Songwriter(s)	Bernard Sumner Peter Hook Stephen Morris Gillian Gilbert Stephen Hague
Producer(s)	Stephen Hague New Order
New Order singles chronology
"True Faith-94" (1994) "1963" (1995) "Blue Monday-95" (1995)
Music video
"1963" on YouTube

"1963"'s B-sides are all remixes of the title track or songs previously released.

Lyrics

In New Order Music 1981–89, the band's lyricist Bernard Sumner writes a tongue-in-cheek account of the song's lyrics that relate it to the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy. Sumner facetiously theorises that Kennedy arranged for Lee Harvey Oswald to shoot his wife so that "J.F. could do one with M. Monroe". Monroe commits suicide when Oswald hits the wrong target (in reality, Marilyn Monroe died in 1962, over a year before the assassination took place) and Oswald is later shot by his boss (implied to be Jack Ruby), for "doing such a bad job and causing his hit-man business to go bust."^[3]

The producer Stephen Hague has referred to the song as "the only song about domestic violence that you can dance to."^[4]

Versions

The original 1987 version ended in a fade-out while repeating the last line of the outro, "I will always feel free". The "94 album mix", also included on the international edition of (The Best of) New Order as "1963-94", had all new orchestration and is similar in structure to the original version, except that the outro is removed and replaced with a repeat of the final bridge and chorus, faded out. The 1995 Arthur Baker remix restores the original outro, and, instead of fading out, has a cold ending after four repeats of the last line.

An alternate mix of "1963-94" appeared on the 2005 Singles compilation,^[5] while the 2016 re-release of Singles features the Arthur Baker remix.

Music video

The video for the single's release, featuring the "95 Arthur Baker Radio remix", was directed by Gina Birch and produced by Michael H. Shamberg.^[6] It depicts British comic actress Jane Horrocks waking up in a box in the countryside and walking to the city. Jane's suitcase becomes bigger in each camera take, eventually growing to the size of the box she initially emerged from before she climbs inside.

Track listing

CD #1: NUOCD6 (UK & Europe)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"1963" (95 Arthur Baker Radio Remix) (Remixed by Arthur Baker)	4:04
2.	"1963" (94 album version)	3:47
3.	"1963" (Lionrock Full Throttle Mix) (Remixed by Justin Robertson)	7:50
4.	"1963" (Joe T. Vanelli Dubby Mix) (Remixed by Joe T. Vanelli)	7:13

All tracks are written by Gillian Gilbert, Stephen Hague, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner; except where indicated

CD #2: NUCDP6 (UK & Europe) – limited edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"1963" (95 Arthur Baker Remix) (Remixed by Arthur Baker)		5:05
2.	"Let's Go" (A new 'vocal' version of "Let's Go" produced in 1994 by Bernard Sumner and Arthur Baker)	Gilbert, Hook, Morris, Sumner	3:56
3.	"Spooky" (Nightstripper Mix) (Remixed by Tony Garcia and Peter Daou)		7:03
4.	"True Faith" (87 Shep Pettibone Remix) (Remixed by Shep Pettibone)		9:02

7": NUO 6 / Cassette: NUOMC 6 (UK & Europe)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"1963" (95 Arthur Baker Radio Remix) (Remixed by Arthur Baker)	4:04
2.	"1963" (94 album version)	3:47

12": NUOX6 (UK & Europe)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"1963" (Joe T. Vanelli Dubby Mix) (Remixed by Joe T. Vanelli)	7:13
2.	"1963" (Joe T. Vanelli Light Mix) (Remixed by Joe T. Vanelli)	8:59
3.	"1963" (Lionrock Full Throttle Mix) (Remixed by Justin Robertson)	7:50
4.	"1963" (Lionrock M6 Sunday Morning Mix) (Remixed by Justin Robertson)	6:25

Charts

Chart (1995)	Peak position
Ireland (IRMA)[7]	29 [8]
UK Singles (OCC)[9]	21 [10]
UK Dance (OCC)[11]	20

References

1. Ascap entry Archived January 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
2. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 7 January 1995. p. 13.
3. New Order Music 1981-89. London: Warner Chappell Music. 1990. ISBN 978-0-86359-768-8.
4. Buskin, Richard (March 2005). "Classic Tracks: New Order 'New Faith'". Sound on Sound. Archived from the original on 2014-04-02. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
5. "New Order – Singles (2005, CD)". Discogs.com. 3 October 2005. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
6. "Michael H Shamberg Filmography". Galerie Arnaud Lefebvre. Archived from the original on 2013-07-10. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
7. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – 1963". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
8. "The Irish Charts". IRMA. Archived from the original on 2010-01-26. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
9. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
10. "Official Charts > New Order". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
11. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 June 2024.

See also

• John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories