If you head over to Discogs, you’ll find some info on a song called Down At The Mission, the would-be debut single from Lloyd Cole & The Commotions.
This was intended to be self-released as the band’s first 45; after it was manufactured, they never put it out, as they got signed to a major label.
“Down At The Mission” is an entirely different song than “Down On Mission Street” from the debut album, Rattlesnakes.
It was due to be issued on a label called Welcome To Las Vegas and it had the catalogue number of LCC 001. The reverse of the sleeve advises that the Commotions consisted of just two other musicians – Neil Clark and Blair Cowan – which means Steven Irvine and Lawrence Donegan became the rhythm section at a later date. The aborted single was recorded at Park Lane Studios on the south side of Glasgow (not that far from Villain Towers and a very short walk from Aldo’s Maisonette). The drums on the recording were, if the info on the runout groove is to be believed, came courtesy of Kenny MacDonald, one of the engineers at the studio and who would later play drums for Bourgie Bourgie.
While Down At The Mission was never seen again during the time the Commotions were together on Polydor Records, its b-side was re-recorded and became one of their most popular songs:-
mp3: Lloyd Cole & The Commotions – Down At The Mission
mp3: Lloyd Cole & The Commotions – Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken (early version)
I’ve called this posting ‘Just As Well It Wasn’t…..’ as the very first entry in the ‘Cracking Debut Singles series’ just happened to be Perfect Skin.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Gosh. Never knew about this. Never heard the boxed set so I’ve still not heard these tracks. There’s always something new under the sun.
A complete change. Not only would it not have been eligible for the aforementioned “It really was…” series, it would have stuck out like a sore thumb on the near-perfecr Rattlesnakes album. It’s perfectly listenable, but a totally different style – more Hipsway than Cole?