Memory of the Future
2012 single by Pet Shop Boys
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"Memory of the Future" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their eleventh studio album, Elysium (2012). It was released on 31 December 2012 as the album's third and final single.[3] The track reached number 68 in Germany and number 111 in the United Kingdom. The single version was remixed by Stuart Price and differs notably from the album version.
| "Memory of the Future" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Pet Shop Boys | ||||
| from the album Elysium | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | 31 December 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2012[1] | |||
| Genre | Electro[2] | |||
| Length | 4:31 | |||
| Label | Parlophone | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers |
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| Pet Shop Boys singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Memory of the Future" (lyric video) on YouTube | ||||
Background
"Memory of the Future" was composed during a song-writing session in Berlin in early 2011.[4] Lyricist Neil Tennant described it as a straightforward love song about "something that hasn't happened seeming so inevitable that it already feels like a memory".[5] The line "I keep tasting that sweet madeleine" is a reference to the French novel Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust, in which the taste of a madeleine (a small cake) prompts an involuntary memory of the narrator's childhood.[5]
The song was recorded for the album in 2012 with producer Andrew Dawson.[1] For the single, Stuart Price was asked to make a more electronic version. In addition to the differences in the arrangement, the single is approximately a minute shorter than the album version and has a faster tempo.[4] After the release of "Memory of the Future", Pet Shop Boys went on to work with Price on a trilogy of albums starting with Electric.
The single was promoted with a lyric video.[6] The cover photo, depicting the Pet Shop Boys with short white hair and blue eyes, was taken by Pelle Crépin and manipulated by Ashish Karora.[4]
Track listings
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Memory of the Future" (new single mix) | 3:36 |
| 2. | "Listening" | 4:19 |
| 3. | "One Night" | 4:06 |
| 4. | "Inside" | 2:54 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Memory of the Future" (Stuart Price Extended Mix) | 5:23 |
| 2. | "Memory of the Future" (Ulrich Schnauss Remix) | 4:37 |
| 3. | "Memory of the Future" (DJ Waldo Squash Remix) | 4:00 |
| 4. | "Memory of the Future" (Digital Dog Club Remix) | 6:19 |
| 5. | "Memory of the Future" (Digital Dog Dub) | 5:35 |
Charts
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany (GfK)[9] | 68 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[10] | 111 |
| US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[11] | 1 |
| US Hot Singles Sales (Billboard)[12] | 2 |