Joy Division – ‘Substance’ cassette (Factory FACT250C, 1988)

‘Substance’ was the second compilation album of Joy Division non-album tracks released on Factory, dating from July 1988. Along with 1981’s ‘Still’, it gathers up many of the tracks that first appeared on the band’s single and EP releases, none of which were featured on either ‘Unknown Pleasures’ or ‘Closer’. (Well, other than a different version of ‘She’s Lost Control’, I suppose.)

I have chosen to feature the cassette version, since this hails from my pre-CD buying days and therefore was the only access I had to the full version of the release. You see, the vinyl LP version only came with ten tracks, whereas the cassette version came with those same ten tracks on side 1 and an ‘Appendix’ on side 2 that added an additional seven tracks. (The CD version also came with the full seventeen tracks.) Somewhat annoyingly, rather than present everything in chronological order, the ‘Appendix’ device ensures that things get mixed up.

Which is quite a thing considering some of the recordings are rough and ready productions hailing from Joy Division’s first EP release, ‘An Ideal For Living’, compared to the cleaner, far more meticulous later Martin Hannett productions. This is the cassette I bought when it was first released, which comes in a black plastic shell. Apparently there are versions where the cassette is in a clear plastic shell, still with paper labels though.

Along with that EP, the other releases that tracks appear from are the ‘A Factory Sample’ double-7″ various artists compilation EP, the ‘Earcom 2’ various artists compilation 12″, the ‘Transmission’ 7″ single, the ‘Licht Und Blindheit’ 7″ single, the ‘Komakino’ flexidisc 7″, the ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ 7″/12″ single and the ‘Atmosphere’/’She’s Lost Control’ 12″ single.

A slightly longer version of ‘She’s Lost Control’ compared to the original 12″ mix (which fades out before the end) was featured on the 1988 ‘Substance’ release – the instruments all come to an end before the final fade. After Factory records went out of business and the Joy Division catalogue passed to London Records/WEA, the album was re-issued in 1992 (and further re-presses over the years).

The most recent reissue was a remastered version in 2015 on double vinyl and CD. Two extra tracks were added this time round: ‘As You Said’ (from the ‘Komakino’ 7″ flexidisc) and the ‘Pennine’ studios version of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, from the B side of the original 1980 ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ single. Once again, the version of ‘She’s Lost Control’ is the slightly longer one, as per the 1988 ‘Substance’ release.

There are only two re-inclusions of tracks to be already found on ‘Still’, namely ‘Dead Souls’ on the main portion and ’Glass’ on the ‘Appendix’.

Tracklisting: (Note: Timings are taken from the discogs.com entry for the release and intended as an approximate guide – they are not referenced on the cover of the original release.)

Side 1:

1. Warsaw (2:26)
2. Leaders Of Men (2:35)
3. Digital (2:50)
4. Autosuggestion (6:08)
5. Transmission (3:36)
6. She’s Lost Control (4:54)
7. Incubation (2:52)
8. Dead Souls (4:55)
9. Atmosphere (4:11)
10. Love Will Tear Us Apart (3:27)

Side 2: Appendix

1. No Love Lost (3:43)
2. Failures (3:44)
3. Glass (3:53)
4. From Safety To Where (2:26)
5. Novelty (3:59)
6. Komakino (3:52)
7. These Days (3:26)