I first became familiar with the song Temptation by New Order when I purchased the Substance 2 cd set in 1988. I assumed that version was the original 12" version and for many many years it was the only version of this song that I knew. Then in 2005 when the Singles collection 2 cd set was released, I was very surprised to hear how different the 7" version of that song is. I could not decide which one I liked better, but I really enjoyed having both versions and thought that was the extent of the versions of this song (other than live recordings).
However, I recently checked out the Movement cd special edition album from the library and learned that I was wrong. The original Movement album on the first cd has 8 fairly bland tracks that sound like Bernard was trying his best to sound like Ian Curtis, while the band forgot how to write interesting songs. Ironically, I think two of the best tracks on this album are the first and seventh tracks, which are both sung by Peter Hook. I owned the tape of this album in the 80's, but never liked it enough to worry about buying the cd. However, luckily, very shortly after recording this album, the band also recorded a new single "Everything's Gone Green" which pointed to a whole new and great direction for the band. All of their non-album singles and b-sides from this period (including 2 versions of their first single "Ceremony") are collected on the bonus cd that comes with this special edition of Movement. And on this cd, I discovered that the original 12" version of their third single, "Temptation" is not the version that is on Substance. It turns out the Substance version was a completely new recording done just for that album in 1986 or '87. But this Movement bonus cd has the original 1982 7" and 12" versions of Temptation. All three versions are completely different from each other, and they are each very good in their own way. I think that the original 12" version is now my current favorite. This cd also has the full 12" version of its b-side, Hurt, while Substance only contains an edited, slightly shorter version of the original 12" Hurt.
Also, this bonus cd contains the real song Mesh, which was one of the b-sides of Everything's Gone Green. There is a song called Mesh on Substance, but it turns out that this track is actually called Cries and Whispers and the two songs were confused because: a) like many New Order tracks, neither song has its title in the lyrics, and b) the original 12" vinyl single had the b-sides listed in the wrong order on the sleeve but in the right order on the actual record. This mistake has been perpetuated over the years on Substance, which has Cries and Whispers listed as Mesh, and in fact on this new bonus cd, which has both tracks but still lists them each with the other's title. You might say that if so many official releases have listed these titles backwards that those must just be the real names, but apparently the booklet for the 2006 box set Retro makes it quite clear that the song it lists as Cries and Whispers is really called Cries and Whispers and this is the track that appears on Substance as Mesh. Very confusing, but in any case, it is very cool that this bonus cd finally also has the really song Mesh on cd.
So, even though I don't care so much about the actual Movement album, I may have to purchase this special edition just to get all the cool song versions on the second cd. The only song I wish it had which it does not is the original 7" version of Hurt, though I've listened to it online and it is not as cool as the 12" version, so I guess that is fine. I do think it is really cool that back then it was common for the 7" and 12" versions to be completely different recordings, rather than just different mixes. I don't think there has ever been a cd release of the 7" version of Hurt.
Anyway, the key questions here are "Have you heard all three versions of Temptation?" and "Which version do you like the best?"
I hadn't heard of the 3 versions of temptation. Thanks for the interesting post! I think it's really funny that 2 New Order songs have their titles confused with each other for so long - it kind of fits with the New Order way of doing things.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess no one has heard all three versions. I'm sure you can find them on You Tube. I also recently discovered that the original 12" version of Confusion (which is found on the bonus disc for the 2008 re-release of Power Corruption and Lies) is also completely different from the Substance version. Apparently both Temptation and Confusion were re-recorded for Substance, but no mention of this is made in the track titles. The new version of Blue Monday released in 1988 as Blue Monday 88 got a new title, and it was not actually a new recording, but rather just a new remix by Quincy Jones.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, the 2008 cd remasters of the first 5 New Order albums are all slightly over compressed - they sound really cool, but can be a bit grating. Overall, I prefer the original cd's, so I am hesitant to buy the remasters, but really want the single versions that are only available on cd on the bonus discs of the 2008 releases. Perhaps I can instead try to track down some original 12" vinyl versions in decent condition for reasonable prices.
Well, truth be told, Quincy Jones produced the remix of Blue Monday known as Blue Monday 88, with the actual remix being done by a fellow name John Potoker (never heard of him before.)
ReplyDeleteWell, truth be told, I actually may prefer the sound of the 2008 New Order special edition cd's to the original cd's.
ReplyDeleteThere are always tradeoffs to be made with 16 bit digital, and who is to say what the best choices are, and it may just be personal preference. Most cd's from the 80's have great dynamic range like vinyl records, but in comparison (to vinyl or modern cd's) they sound very weak and anemic. The way cd's are usually mastered now overcomes that aspect of digital using compression, thus sacrificing dynamic range and often some clarity due to waveform clipping (if you look at the waveforms of most modern rock music cd's, you see very little dynamics and lots of places where the amplitudes are maxed out and thus clipped).
I listened over and over again the the start of Blue Monday (the original 12" mix, rather than Blue Monday 88) on both cd 1 of Substance from 1987 and cd 2 of Power Corruption and Lies from 2008 and analyzed the differences I heard. It was obvious that the 1987 cd had more clarity, particularly on the first synth part that come in after a few measures of just drums and bass. However, it was also obvious that the 2008 cd had more presence and drive, even with the volume of the 1987 cd boosted to match that of the 2008 cd. Overall, I find it more fun to listen to the new remastering, despite its flaws.
This is why vinyl is so great despite all of its difficulties (scratches easily, has to be cleaned before playing, the process of playing adds wear and degrades the sound). The sound of good vinyl has great dynamic range, powerful presence, and awesome clarity.
I don't have Blue Monday on vinyl, but I did find a Sub-Culture 12" US single in my collection. It sounds awesome. I don't remember ever buying it, so I'm not sure where it came from, but I'm really glad I have it.
Do you like New Order? I do. Today I got a used vinyl copy of 1981-1982 in the mail, which has the original 12" mixes of Everything's Gone Green, Procession, Mesh (apparently actually title Cries and Whispers) on side 2 and Temptation, and Hurt on side 1. I'm listening to it now, and it is cool.
ReplyDeleteI like New Order. Thanks for the interesting comments about them!
ReplyDeleteI was wrong - my new record says it has a track called Mesh, and it is the actual track Mesh, not the one called Mesh on Substance. Cool, because I didn't own that track. I think I was confused because the cd version of 1981-1982 has the wrong track for Mesh, but apparently the vinyl has the correct track.
ReplyDeleteJust this week, New Order has signed with Mute records to release a new album. It will be recorded without original bass player Peter Hook, who quit the band several years ago and has been in an on-going feud since then with the rest of the band, particularly Bernard.
ReplyDeleteNew Order have played at least two new songs in concerts this year, which you can find on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j94hjoH_-4#t=101
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ5idkbbSno
Brian, do you remember if by any chance you were the one who originally purchased the Subculture 12" I currently have in my collection? I just can't remember buying it, but I guess I could have. It has a solid black sleeve because Peter Seville thought the remix was so awful that it didn't deserve his work on cover art. I can see why this remix would be controversial with its prominent addition of female vocalists, though I actually prefer the remix over the original album version. The dub version, called Sub-vulture on the U.S. copy that I have, but originally called Dub-vulture, is also pretty cool.
ReplyDelete