Shot by Both Sides

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Shot by Both Sides is Magazine’s first single, released January 20, 1978, from the album Real Life. The B-side is My Mind Ain’t So Open. The 4:04 track blends post-punk with pop-punk and new wave. It was written by Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley, produced by Mick Glossop, and released on Virgin. The single reached No. 41 on the UK charts and later appeared on Real Life. At the time, Magazine had four members since keyboardist Bob Dickinson had left the previous year. The cover art, by Malcolm Garrett, was based on an Odilon Redon painting. The title came from a political argument in which Devoto’s girlfriend joked that he “would end up shot by both sides.” The riff came from Shelley's ideas while Devoto helped with Buzzcocks songs; Devoto later used it. An identical riff was used in Buzzcocks’ Lipstick B-side, released November 1978. NME ranked it No. 9 among Tracks of the Year for 1978, and Dave Marsh later listed it as No. 989 among the greatest singles in The Heart of Rock & Soul.