Time for another pause and update in this occasional series and rewind and absorb new information either from valuable reader comments or subsequent info coming to light elsewhere.
This time out we revisit releases by Danielle Dax, John Foxx and New Order.
Danielle Dax – ‘The Chemical Wedding’ Japanese CD/LP
When originally published, I was a little vague on the background to this Japanese only album. Since then, a very informative post was added to a Danielle Dax Facebook Group by none other than David Knight, long-standing collaborator with Danielle Dax, filling in some of that detail while detailing the history of versions of ‘Whistling For His Love’. You can view his original post on Facebook here – though if, like me, you don’t have a Facebook account you likely won’t be able to access it, so here’s an extract from it below…
The earliest version of Whistling (and Cathouse) came out on the 1987 Chemical Wedding album, which we had to rush record as the Japanese label Vap wanted it to coincide with a Japanese tour. The good thing is that it gave us the impetus to write them in the first place. After gigging those two songs for a while Danielle decided they deserved a bit more work, so they were re-recorded (not remixed).
The original Whistling version on Chemical Wedding was recorded at home on a Fostex 16-track. The drums were individual drum hit samples played on an Electro Harmonix Super Replay sampler pedal – a very primitive early sampler which could only hold one sample at a time – so beats had to be built up by overlaying each drum (kick/snare/hats) on separate channels, bit by bit. You’ll notice the drum sounds are very different on this version, there is no electric sitar guitar at the end, and the bouncy zither-like pencil-hammered ‘castanet guitar’ is quite prominent. Danielle played the keyboard parts on her trusty JVC home keyboard – this was also used on subsequent versions, and is a veteran of much Dax early work, including most of Pariah’s instrumentation.
By 1988 Danielle had a Casio FZ-1 sampler and an Alesis MMT-8 sequencer, and re-recorded Whistling (at home again), with sequenced sampled drums and percussion, and a sitar guitar was added at the end. It was taken into a studio (Sarm East?) for embellishment and mixing. It’s this version on the White Knuckle Ride B-side, and track 7 on Dark Adapted Eye.
The Razormaid remix was sanctioned when Danielle had signed to Sire – we didn’t have any direct input on the Razormaid remixes, as they were done in the States, and it seems the ’12” Remix’ version (bonus track 19 on Rubellan DAE) is more a re-eq and edited rearrangement to my ears – nothing drastic. They did however have Danielle’s blessing. They appear to be using the 1988 re-recording from the WKR B-side as the source. An easy way to spot the Razormaid remix is that it didn’t feature the ‘castanet guitar’ (I’m not sure about all four versions on the Whistling promo 12”, as I don’t have it). It’s not an instrument I would have chosen to leave out, as I think it gives the midrange some movement.
There are two other versions out there (apart of course from live recordings) – a BBC Radio One session for DJ Liz Kershaw from 1988, which will rock your socks off – and on the recent ‘Invictus Arduis’ 7-inch released by Heavens Lathe.
As far as Whistling is concerned, I don’t think it was ever originally conceived of as a dance/club record, more a modern folk song – in the folk/horror vein Danielle often explores. If you listen to the original 1987 CW version, the drums are not that ‘in your face’. It would have been approached in a completely different way otherwise. On the subject of dance music, it’s interesting to note that Danielle’s first solo album PopEyes (recorded 1982, released ‘83) is covered with her early use of a TR808 and Minimoog (also used with the Kittens), which were to become dance music staples. Have a listen to the 808 and Roland sequencer backing on PopEye’s Kernow, it reminds me of A Guy Called Gerald’s seminal Voodoo Ray, released five years later in 1988 (although I could be completely wrong – I do hear music in a bit of a wonky way!).
Anyway, all opinions expressed are my own, not necessarily Danielle’s, and my memories may be a bit crossed! Sorry if I’ve bored anyone with the technical details, but thanks for your interest. Here’s that BBC session in full:
Fascinating detail – thank you David!
Read the original articles: Danielle Dax – ‘The Chemical Wedding’ Japanese CD and ‘Whistling For His Love’ Remixes US Promo 12″.
John Foxx compilations across the years Part 4
My good friend and frequent commenter Lieutenant 030 brought my attention to the John Foxx ‘Cinemascope’ CD box set (Metamatic Records, META20BX) that was released in 2008. I didn’t come by this release myself as I already had all the individual discs it had, so gave it a pass at the time. ‘Cinemascope’ gathered together the following previously released CDs and one DVD.
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- ‘Cathedral Oceans’ (John Foxx) [DVD]
- ‘Crash and Burn’ (John Foxx & Louis Gordon)
- ‘Electrofear’ (Nation 12)
- ‘Cathedral Oceans III’ (John Foxx)
- ‘Tiny Colour Movies’ (John Foxx)
- ‘From Trash’ (John Foxx & Louis Gordon)
More detail and further images of the discs courtesy of Lieutenant 030…
Can a box set be classed as a compilation set? Some sets are clearly compilations containing tracks from either a specific period of time for an artists or a more in-depth anthology across an artist’s entire career. But what about a box set that just contains a selection of albums? A case in point would be John Foxx’s Cinemascope from 2008, this set contained 5 compact discs and a single DVD covering the period of 2003 to 2006. The set consists of 2 solo albums, 2 with Louis Gordon and the sole Nation 12 album while the DVD is the Cathedral Oceans release. Set in a robust clamshell box, all of the discs in this set are contained within unique card covers that reference the original release but without any text on the front giving them the look of art prints of which there are 6 additional ones that comes with this set, all of them in that unique Foxx style that people will instantly recognise, this style would be repeated in the next box set, 2014’s The Virgin Years 1980-1985.
Taking the albums within this release in chronological order the first is 2003’s Cathedral Oceans DVD.
Originally released in a standard DVD case it is the album set to Foxx’s photographic art works where he has layered varying textures and foliage on top of decaying statues and architecture giving the listener/viewer a totally immersive ambient experience. The front cover of this release is similar to both the original CD release and the DVD but has an overlay of bushes instead of ivy on the statue’s head, this image was first seen in the booklet for Cathedral Oceans III. Further detailed selections of this photo are on the rear and the disc is plain back with the title in the same manner as the rear of the sleeve printed on it.
Next up is John Foxx And Louis Gordon’s Crash And Burn album also from 2003.
The front cover is the close up of the eye as per the original but once again there is no typography on the front. The rear of the sleeve is more in line with the original vinyl release consisting of 12 photographs from the series of 18 but with the first row separated by a black band with the artist, album and track titles. The disc artwork is a direct copy of the original CD and is the only disappointment of this box set, it would have been nice if they continued the same design as the other discs but as this is the only niggle that I have with it then I can accept it.
Nation 12’s Electrofear album was first released in 2005, a collaboration between Foxx and Bomb The Bass’s Tim Simenon.
A change of direction for the sleeve of this release with the front being a detail from the 1990 12”. Remember that the rear is an adaptation of the original album in a reconfigured order and the track Electrofear is highlighted in red to display the title of the album. The track list also states that there are 3 bonus tracks, Electrofear (Alternative Mix), Invisible Woman (Electronic Mix) and Remember (Dub Dub Mix), but these 3 tracks were also displayed as bonus tracks on the original release and I have never seen a release that didn’t have these tracks. The disc itself repeats the front sleeve image on the left with the band name and title in red on the right hand side.
Following this we have the final part of the Cathedral Oceans trilogy, Cathedral Oceans III.
Originally released in 2005, Cathedral Oceans III was a continuation of the almost religious sounds that Foxx had first started back in 1981 with Pater Noster and the title track from The Garden but in a much more heavier ambient vein, this music would not sound out of place in any kind of building of worship as well as your own house. I have always found it unusual that Cathedral Oceans II was never given a release on its own having been first release as a double set with Cathedral Oceans, now known as Cathedral Oceans I, in 2003 and then again in 2010 as part of The Complete Cathedral Ocean collection. This would have been within the catchment period for this box set but alas, maybe there is a unique story in behind these decisions. But back to 2008 and Cathedral Oceans III, the front cover of the sleeve is once again a copy of the original release minus typography and the back containing more photographic details of the front with the artist, album and title tracks. The disc continues the pure black with stylised typography print.
Tiny Colour Movies was first released in 2006, an album of mostly small instrumentals that were developed after John watched a series of films at a friend’s birthday party in Baltimore.
The front cover contains 16 of the photographs that was included in the original releases booklet, one of them being the image of a hand holding an illuminating picture card with a cloud scene on it. The rear of the sleeve continues the theme of the other discs with a further 12 images separated with the black band. The disc continues the theme set out by Cathedral Oceans and would be continued on From Trash.
Talking of which, From Trash is the final disc in this release.
Originally released in 2006 it is another album from the 11 year collaboration that John had with Louis Gordon that could warrant a box set of its own. The cover follows the same format in having the picture detail from the original on the front and 12 of the images from the original booklet on the back separated with the black band containing the disc details. The disc also follows the same convention as the other main discs.
Thanks very much to Lieutenant 030! Read the original article: John Foxx compilations across the years Part 4.
Side by side: New Order – ‘Ceremony’ 2019 12” reissues and 1981 originals
This post dwelt a bit on the various different mixes of ‘In A Lonely Place’ – as a brief recap, there are two different mixes of the 12” version available, only one of which has been released on CD (the second, later ‘alternative’ mix. The earlier, original 12” mix was made available digitally online to download/stream when the remastered 12” singles appeared. Well, it turns out that the original 12” mix is now also to be found on the 2023 remaster of ‘Substance’ – at least the 4 CD deluxe edition, which is the version I came by.
Read the original article: Side by side: New Order – ‘Ceremony’ 2019 12” reissues and 1981 originals.