OCD EPs : #6 : JOY DIVISION

A GUEST POSTING from DAVE GLICKMAN

OCD EP #6 – Joy Division

Quite honestly, I hardly feel worthy writing about a band so seminal to the post-punk movement that I generally prefer to sit in silent reverence and awe. Fortunately, thanks to the wonderful New Order/Joy Division Recycle project of several years back it has all been written before (almost certainly more accurately than I would be able to muster). And since, the Recycle site has long since been deleted, I feel no shame in reposting their words.

When it comes to assembling a Joy Division OCD EP, the exercise is really not more difficult than asking, “Was it compiled on Heart and Soul?” Here are four that were not, with notes from the Recycle team.

Side One

1. Digital (Genetic Demo)

[This] is a diligent – and FAST – run through for (and produced by) Martin Rushent, part of a series of demos recorded at Eden Studios, London on 4 March 1979 for Genetic Records. Oddly enough the only track from these sessions not to be released on Heart and Soul, I find this take – while pedestrian – as gravitating as the Hannett recording. Slightly cleaned up from a low-generation cassette copy, [this track was] originally sourced in the early 1980s from an unnamed band member.

2. Atrocity Exhibition (Piccadilly Radio session)

[This] track was recorded on 3 June 1979 at Pennine Sound Studios, Oldham for Piccadilly Radio, produced by Stuart James. It is unknown if this session was ever actually broadcast. Four other tracks from this session (These Days, Candidate, The Only Mistake, Chance (Atmosphere)) were released on the Heart and Soul box set, but this track was held off. [Previously] available [only] on noisy bootleg releases, this particular version was sourced from the private collection of a longtime friend of the band, who received it from an unnamed band member in the early 1980s.

Side Two

3. Transmission (Central Sound Rough Mix)

4. Novelty (Central Sound Rough Mix)

The first true kickass JD track, Transmission and its sibling Novelty were recorded twice by Martin Hannett. The first attempt is captured here in never-before-heard quality. These were recorded in July 1979 at Manchester’s Central Sound Studios, and as the title implies, are presented here as “rough mix” versions. As far as we know these are the only versions that ever made it out from the masters. Two other tracks recorded at the same session, Dead Souls and Something Must Break, are on the Heart And Soul box set – though in lesser fidelity. [These tracks were] sourced from a recently-surfaced (Ed. note: at the time of the Recycle project) extremely low generation “rough mix” tape, from an unnamed band associate or member.

That’s it for bands in my library that warrant the OCD EP treatment, so unless any other readers want to pick up the gauntlet or until the “I’ve got to have everything they ever recorded” bug bites me again, it is time to say goodbye to this series.

DG

JC adds……but what a way to bow out!!!  I’m hoping Dave will come back again soon with more ideas.