Rocktrospectiva: New Order's Outstanding Comeback Single "Crystal" Turns 25

Released in the UK on 13 August 2001 "Crystal" was New Order's first single from thir 7th., studio album "Get Ready", the single was the band's first released in eight years attracting considerable attention and critical praise as the band's comeback single. The song also found success internationally, peaking at number three in Canada, number seven in Finland, and reaching the top 50 in Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Sweden. "Crystal" appears as the first track on the album in a version different from the single release, with an extended intro and coda.

Singer-guitarist Bernard Sumner originally gave the song to German record label Mastermind for Success, and it was recorded by label artist Corvin Dalek. However, DJ Pete Tong heard the song and declared it to be the best New Order single since "Blue Monday", leading Sumner to reconsider the gift and have New Order record and release it.

A version of the single was also released in Japan to promote the release of the New Order DVD 316, and has a different cover that resembles the 316 cover. B-sides for the single were 4 live audio tracks taken from the DVD. The single was B-sided by a variety of remixes, and an original song titled "Behind Closed Doors", which was produced by Arthur Baker. All versions feature extensive backing vocals from Dawn Zee, mostly wordless. Zee has continued to perform with New Order on all their successive studio albums.

The main music video, set to the album version, was directed by Johan Renck, produced by Nicola Doring through London production company Jane Fuller Associates and cinematographed by Fredrik Callinggård. It does not feature New Order; instead, it depicts a younger band miming to New Order's music and words. At the end, a large number of people come on stage to pull them off-stage. The cover art for the CD and DVD shows actress and model Nicolette Krebitz with her trousers below her knees.

The single was called as possibly one of New Order's best singles" and described it as "fantastic" and the "confident, strutting return of a band that knows that the music industry has missed it." The fictional band seen in the song's music video is named "The Killers". This would inspire the name of American rock band the Killers, who would also lift a number of elements of the set layout in the "Crystal" video for their own video "Somebody Told Me".

 

Crystal Track List:  

 

CD1: NUOCD8 UK & Europe

 

1. Crystal

2. Behind Close Doors

3. Crystal (Digweed & Muir Bedrock mix edit)

 

CD2: NUCDP8 (UK & Europe)

 

1. Crystal (Digweed & Muir Bedrock mix edit)

2. Crystal (Lee Coombs Remix)

3. Crystal (John Creamer & Stephane K main remix edit)

 

CD: WPCR-10985 (Japan)

 

1. Crystal

2. True Faith (live from the Reading Festival 30/8/1998)

3. Temptation (live from the Reading Festival 30/8/1998)

4. Atmosphere (live from the Reading Festival 30/8/1998)

5. Isolation (live from the Reading Festival 30/8/1998)

 

CD. 9 42397-2 (US)

 

1. Crystal (radio edit)

2. Crystal (Digweed & Muir Bedrock radio edit)

3. Crystal (Digweed & Muir Bedrock mix)

4. Crystal (Digweed & Muir Bedrock dub)

5. Crystal (Lee Coombs remix)

6. Crystal (Lee Coombs dub)

7. Crystal (John Creamer & Stephane K main remix)

8. Crystal (Creamer K main mix)

9. Behind Closed Doors