




By Mark Nobes
"Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" utilised sample snippets of Annie Lennox's vocals to produce a stuttering effect, and this type of effect featured on many singles released during the 1980s, including "Nineteen" by Paul Hardcastle. Dave Stewart's voice was also sent through a vocoder for the "1984" vocal.
Back in the eighties, the vocoder was an exciting and futuristic sound, although people were still getting excited when Cher used one on her 90's hit "Believe".
This was the first Eurythmics single to be released from the album, 1984 For The Love of Big Brother, and was also on the soundtrack to the film Nineteen Eighty-Four, an adaptation of the George Orwell novel.
The B-side on all formats was the LP version of "I Did It Just The Same". The 12" vinyl and a later 3" CD reissue also included the Extended Mix of "Sex Crime".
In the U.S., many radio stations and MTV allowed only very limited (if any) airtime for the single, as they found the song's title to be too controversial. The single stalled at #81 on the Billboard Hot 100, but reached #2 on the Hot Dance Club Play Chart.
UK 7 Inch Vinyl - Virgin - VS 728
A. "Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four) - 3:57
B. "I Did It Just The Same" - 3:26
UK 12 Inch Vinyl - Virgin - VS 728-12
A. "Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" (Extended Mix) - 7:57
B1. Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four" (Single Mix) - 3:57
B2. "I Did It Just The Same" - 3:26
7 inch vinyl sleeve
Smash Hits Magazine - 30 August-12 September 1984 - Annie Lennox
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