"Snobbery and Decay" is the debut single by Act. It was released by

ZTT Records ZTT Records is a British record label founded in 1983 by the record producer Trevor Horn, the businesswoman Jill Sinclair and the ''NME'' journalist Paul Morley. They released music by acts including Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Grace Jones, the ...

in a number of formats on and reached #60 in the UK Singles Chart. According to

Claudia Brücken Claudia Brücken (born 7 December 1963) is a German singer and songwriter. She was the lead vocalist of the synth-pop band Propaganda for many years. In 1996, Brücken started working with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark co-founder Paul Humphr ...

, "The whole idea was based on a programme called ''

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous ''Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous'' is an American television series that aired in syndication from 1984 to 1995. The show featured the extravagant lifestyles of wealthy entertainers, athletes, socialites and magnates. Cast and crew Th ...

''. That was when we discovered how much we wanted to write about that idea and what a great introduction it would be for Thomas and me to have a duet as a first single. Two characters talking about that whole thing." The orchestral arrangement for "Snobbery and Decay" was made by

David Bedford David Vickerman Bedford (4 August 1937 – 1 October 2011) was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music. He was the brother of the conductor Steuart Bedford, the grandson of the composer, painter ...

. A number of remixes were prepared by the producers and appeared across the various formats, the standard extended version titled "Snobbery And Decay (That's Entertainment!)", "Snobbery & Decay (Extended, For

Stephanie Beacham Stephanie Beacham (born 28 February 1947) is an English actress. In a career spanning six decades, she has a wide number of credits to her name on film, television, stage and radio in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Beacham beg ...

)" and "(The Naked Civil) Snobbery & Decay". Further 'Moonlighting' and 'Instant' remixes by

Mastermind Herbie Herbie Laidley, better known as Mastermind Herbie, is a DJ and record producer who has worked under a variety of pseudonyms, including The Rapologists and Mastermind. He was also a founder of Mastermind Roadshow - a sound system also featuring ...

appeared only on a promotional 12". "Snobbery and Decay" was included on the group's sole album ''

Laughter, Tears and Rage ''Laughter, Tears and Rage'' was the sole album produced by Act—the short musical collaboration between Thomas Leer and ex-Propaganda vocalist Claudia Brücken. Originally scheduled to be titled ''Name Dropping: Songs for Young Sinners'', it w ...

'', released 7 weeks later. Compared to the single version, the album version adds a minute of instrumental to the end. The B-side "Poison" appears only on CD and cassette formats (not on LP) and is a different mix. Although the album has been reissued twice on CD in different, vastly expanded formats, the 7" versions of "Snobbery and Decay" and "Poison" remain unreleased on an Act CD. The last 4 minutes of the 12" version "Snobbery and Decay (That's Entertainment!)" do contain the 7" version of "Snobbery" – except for the string intro. The 12" and cassette versions also feature a cover of "I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You" from the musical '' Evita'', chosen according to

Thomas Leer Thomas Leer (born Thomas Wishart, 1953) is a Scottish musician. He has released a number of albums and singles as a solo artist, and was also one half (the other being Claudia Brücken) of the 1980s electropop band Act. Biography Born in Port ...

, because "we both dislike

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...

intensely. We wanted to do something from a musical, something that was crap and that we could make great. It also fitted the idea of the package." Several different picture sleeves were issued with the various formats, some feature photos of

Quentin Crisp Quentin Crisp (born Denis Charles Pratt; – ) was an English raconteur, whose work in the public eye included a memoir of his life and various media appearances. Before becoming well known, he was an artist's model, hence the title of h ...

, author of " The Naked Civil Servant", and

Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer and actor. He was born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish Americans, Polish origin and enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, ...

. The 12" version "Snobbery and Decay (That's Entertainment!)" includes a sample of

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, ...

's dialogue from the 1972 musical film ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

'', followed by one from American comedian

Joan Rivers Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedienne, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona that w ...

"You've got yours, I've got mine,
Obsession Obsession may refer to: Psychology * Celebrity worship syndrome, obsessive addictive disorder to a celebrity's personal and professional life * Obsession (psychology), a persistent attachment to an object or idea * Fixation (psychology), persist ...
, just like
Calvin Klein Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer. In 1968, he launched the company that later became Calvin Klein. In addition to clothing, he has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewellery. ...
.."

Track listing

All songs written and composed by

and

, except where noted.

7" vinyl

* UK: ZTT / ZTAS 28 * Europe:

Island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

/ 109 105

Cassette

* UK: ZTT / CTIS 28 (titled "Snobbery & Decay (cabaret-cassette)")

12" vinyl

Titled "Act present Showtime / Snobbery & Decay (That's entertainment..) * UK: ZTT / 12ZACT 28 (limited edition in gatefold sleeve) * UK: ZTT / 12ZTAS 28 * Europe: Island / 609 105 * Spain: Island / 3A 609105
Titled "Snobbery and Decay (naked civil 12")" * UK: ZTT / 12 XACT 28 (initial copies came with an Act poster) * UK: ZTT / CT 01 (promo only, remixes by

)

CD

Titled "compacted Snobbery & Decay / Emotional highlights from Snobbery & Decay" * UK: ZTT / CID 28

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Snobbery and Decay 1987 songs 1987 debut singles Act (band) songs Song recordings produced by Stephen Lipson ZTT Records singles