NewsUniversal to repress OMD deluxe CD
Universal Music are to remanufacture the bonus disc of OMD’s Junk Culture deluxe reissue (out today) after fans alerted the band and the label to a number of errors that had slipped through.
Wrappup on CD 2 is actually an accidental repeat of album track All Wrapped Up and this will be corrected on the new pressings. Fans also noted that the Extended Version of Talking Loud and Clear on the second disc was in fact a six-minute edit of the original version which clocked in at almost nine minutes.
In this discussion on the forum of the official OMD website, Andy McCluskey last week acknowledged that “TLC extended version was edited in order to get the five unreleased tracks on the CD” before going on to say that “this was before Julia’s Song dub was removed to be made available as a 10″ for RSD”. It is unclear at this stage whether the full length version will be reinstated as part of the repressing.
Tesla Girls on CD 1 is also reportedly the seven-inch edit rather than the album version (SDE has not been able to confirm this) and there are reports that Love and Violence might be a slightly different alternate version. If this is the case these will not be corrected since CD 1 is not being repressed.
If you have ordered this set then contact Universal Music on [email protected] to organise a replacement disc.
Track listing – errors noted in bold.
Disc 1
1. Junk Culture
2. Tesla Girls [seven-inch edit]
3. Locomotion
4. Apollo
5. Never Turn Away
6. Love And Violence [apparent alternate]
7. Hard Day
8. All Wrapped Up
9. White Trash
10. Talking Loud And Clear
Disc 2
1. Her Body In My Soul
2. The Avenue
3. Julia’s Song – Re-Recorded Version
4. Garden City
5. Wrappup – Dub Version Of ‘All Wrapped Up’ [Not ‘dub version’ but actually repeat of All Wrapped Up’
6. Locomotion – 12” Version
7. Tesla Girls – Extended Mix
8. Talking Loud And Clear – Extended Version [Edit of full 12″]
9. Never Turn Away – Extended Version
10. (The Angels Keep Turning) The Wheels Of The Universe
11. 10 To 1 *
12. All Or Nothing *
13. Heaven Is – Highland Studios Demo *
14. Tesla Girls – Highland Studios Demo *
15. White Trash – Highland Studios Demo *
* = previously unreleased
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Happy new year everyone!
I was just going through my CD collection and came across the OMD Junk Culture reissue … that is now nearly 10 years old! I thought I’d have a look on SDE if there are any OMD stores I’d missed, and discovered I’d actually missed this one. Fortunately the copy of the JC reissue I got is one of the corrected ones – I hadn’t noticed the Wrappup error at the time so I’m taking from that that I was listening properly at the time :-)
Anyway two things come to mind as a result of this little investigation;
Firstly, what a great service SDE provides. It’s such a great website and one of my most-frequently-visited. Thank you Paul and all the SDE Team. I hope this carries on for many years to come!
Secondly, regarding Junk Culture, it will be 40 years old this year (!!!) so maybe/hopefully OMD will pull out the stops for a 40th anniversary edition. I imagine kt would be very popular… especially on CD.
Anyway, happy new year again all!
Thank you :) Happy New Year!
I had intentionally waited to order this Deluxe Edition — even though I am a huge OMD fan — because of these errors. I felt *surely* by now, Universal would have recalled the mispressed editions and supplied their retailers with corrected editions.
Not so.
The discs I ordered from Amazon (US) on 22 July arrived today, and have “All Wrapped Up” instead of “Wrappup” on CD2.
Who knowingly lets their retailers send out defective product for years after the defect became known?
The song “Locomotion” (track 3, CD 1) has a “volume” problem.
The song appears as if faded in, and in the first 20 seconds or so you can hear the mastering engineer raising the volume level while the song is playing.
Add this to the rest of the complaints for this CD and you wonder – didn’t someone from Quality Control PLAY the CDs before they went to press?
Paying a year’s salary to an extra employee to play the CDs and verify volume levels as well as quality of sound is way cheaper than to pay to have these CDs remastered, replaced and shipped, not to mention facing the anger of the fans and the embarrassment to the company.
The song “Locomotion” (track 3, CD 1) has a “volume” problem.
The song appears as if faded in, and in the first 20 seconds or so you can hear the mastering engineer raising the volume level while the song is playing.
Add this to the rest of the complaints for this CD and you wonder – didn’t someone from Quality Control PLAY the damn CDs before they went to press?
Paying a year’s salary to an extra employee to play the CDs and verify volume levels as well as quality of sound is way cheaper than to pay to have these CDs remastered, replaced and shipped, not to mention facing the anger of the fans and the embarrassment to the company.
So, is it safe to get the re-cut disc 2 with a purchase now (from Amazon or HMV, for instance)?
Recently, I took the plunge and ordered a copy. Has the correct cd2. If I choose I can build my own cd with proper mixes and using some remastering software make it all sound ok.
Received my copy today and the replacement disc as well today. The spine was crushed of course. I ordered through the mail as it was much cheaper than buying it at my local record store (which stocked it for $30 US). Sad.
If there is such a large backlash as above on on their website they may think twice before putting out further reissues. That’s what Madness did after the Singles Box Vol. 1 came out. They got so much crap from the fans about which versions were used etc. that they decided NOT to do a Vol. 2. Vol. 2 would have had much more previously unreleased on CD tracks than 1 so this was a real disappointment for the fans at the time (prior to the more recent 2-CD reissues.
While I agree that this reissue is less than ideal I am happy to have it and hope OMD continue the reissue campaign.
I just wanted to state that, in general, these screw ups are totally unacceptable. Universal has been guilty of poor remastered/deluxe edition a LOT lately. For Junk Culture, the decisions made by the band along with Universal’s lack of quality control make for a genuinely undesirable final product. Since it is we older fans who buy these things in the first place, it is imperative that the labels get their act together and produce a truly premium item for the premium price we’re paying. It is absolutely fucking unacceptable for these errors and “early fade” cost-saving ideas to happen AT ALL. I know the bulk of Uinversal’s creative people have been fired but COME ON – do these things correctly the FIRST TIME. Jesus fucking Christ, is that too much to God damned ask?!?
I think as this made the charts (and some money) a new 3 disc version should be made for late 2015 with a 35% discount for fans that have bought this edition. That would solve everything. Include the two alternative versions, the picture disc mix, the unofficial mix, the b sides, the TG USA mixes, the whole original album and maybe a few more demos. Make everything that appeared in the 2 disc version appear again in the same masters so we can sell our 2 CD versions. Fill up all 3 CD’s. But we all know this won’t happen. Makes far too much sense! I never understand if you can do a project like this why not do it properly once and for all. Call it the Ultimate edition or Final edition and make it clear that there won’t be another edition in 5 years time. That would get you more sales. I bought the TFF Songs from the big chair knowing i’d never buy it again.
@Neil Kelly:
Nice suggestion. But how should fans who have bought this JC expanded edition convince their (local) retailer that they should get a 35% discount on a potential 3-disc set in late 2015 (if it ever should be the case that UMG released such an Ultimate or Final edition)?
By the way, my suggestion for UMG was to introduce an OMD rarities series or CD box which features all tracks that don’t fit onto OMD’s expanded editions. I would call such a series “Souvenirs – The OMD Rarities”. Could be two or three or more volumes, depending on how much material is left over. Or it could be a double or 3-CD box, if it is less material.
The first four albums have been remastered already with bonus tracks. “Organisation”, for instance, did and does not feature ‘Enola Gay’ Long Intro Version (4:48) and the US 12″ Extended Mix (length unknown), ‘Motion And Heart’ Amazon Instrumental Mix by Roger Kimber (4:06) produced in 1982.
“Architecture & Morality” did and does not feature ‘Georgia’ Roger Kimber 10″ Mix (4:03) made in 1983, ‘Maid Of Orleans’ Razormaid Mix (5:15) and Razormaid Mix Unfinished (4:15), and ‘Maid Of Orleans’ Roger Kimber Remix (5:43), all of which were produced in 1984.
“Dazzle Ships” does and did not feature ‘Square Dance’, an unreleased and unfinished demo version.
I’m intrigued to know whether the ‘Crush’ remaster is going to feature ‘La Femme Accident’ US 12″ Mix (5:36)?
As you have seen now (or read, rather), there’s loads and loads of song material which has never been released previously. In other words, there’s a lot to do for UMG, innit?
Yeah it was only a suggestion wouldn’t ever actually happen. They could do the discount from their web store or something with proof of the previous purchase of the current version. Or offer stores like Amazon their own discount for buyers proving their original purchase so Amazon don’t lose their cut. Like i say never gonna actually happen. Your idea on those rarities ain’t ever gonna happen either but a great idea. Good name too! :)
@NeilKelly:
Oh, that’s a pity if those rarities ain’t ever gonna happen. But how d’you know? Are you working for UMG?
Well, if your suggestion and my suggestion are turned down, then we can still hope for another volume of Blank & Jones’s OMD so80s artist edition. As far as I know, there is a tracklisting ready for a volume 2. Piet said something along these lines in this thread on February 4th, at 08:35 above. Maybe there could also be a volume 3 someday.
Probably the problem is to find out who has got the mastertapes of the unreleased mixes. And as for the US mixes, these were often done locally and so were out of worldwide licence agreements. But I don’t think one would have to renegotiate and pay for to put them on worldwide CD reissue. I mean, it is 2015 and there is a global market that allows for easy international releases and sales. So we can only wait and see…
Nemtrov and Ralph are clearly braindead fools. Totally agree with Musicator. As for Ralph suggesting that we have the original to listen to still, that completely misses the point. Of course as discussed before we should’ve had the original album remastered or at worst the 2 different versions replacing the album versions as OMD wish and then the two omitted album versions remastered as per the rest and included as bonus tracks on Disc 1 (at least an ardent fan could’ve programmed the correct order if they so wish or at least make their own digital copy in the order that they wish). Also that picture disc version and other missed tracks including full length 12″ versions and TG USA versions. Why should be have to buy an expensive So80’s compilation to get a missing track when we have paid £15 and have blank space. Utterly stupid.
And Musicator is a whining little maggot.
Please don’t be rude or abusive to people you don’t agree with.
@Nemtsov:
Thank you for your “criticism”. Well, I can live and cope with criticism, you obviously cannot. And if I’m whining, that’s fair enough.
Ralph is Andy Mcluskey in disguise obviously.
@Ralph:
Noone is or was bitching here. People have rightly so criticised the way the remaster had been made. Normally, you don’t truncate extended versions or use faster/earlier fade-outs. This was done to fit more tracks on CD2, but another track (RSD or something like that) had been removed. So for the final tracklisting there was no need at all then to truncate TLC 12″ version or to use earlier fade-outs on ‘Locomotion’ and ‘Never Turn Away’. Both would have fitted on CD2 in full length amounting then to a total playing time of 74 minutes instead of 70:25 as is now the case.
And there was still CD1 which could have been filled up with bonus tracks (and the edits). Using alternative edits on a remaster is something fans normally don’t expect. Had it been announced beforehand by stating it on the tracklisting (e.g. ‘Telsa Girls’ – OMD Edit 2014), this would have caused less indignation. On a remaster the original album versions should be used and normally this is the case. OMD wanted to rewrite album history, a thing that backfired on them.
To have the original album does not really make amends for the remaster. I would have loved to listen to the remastered versions of ‘Tesla Girls’ (original album version) and ‘Love And Violence’ (original full length album version with 4:41 minutes), and not to shortened remastered versions. – Big difference.
When I got my replacement disc, I sent UMG a final statement on the ‘Junk Culture’ affair and what a remaster should be like according to my understanding and expectation. The answer was that all my comments were valid and that such a feedback would be considered for future releases.
Finally, let us hope that there will be no such disappointments with the remastered (and possibly expanded) editions of the remaining OMD albums ‘Crush’, ‘The Pacific Age’, ‘Sugar Tax’, ‘Liberator’ and ‘Universal’.
As for all other tracks that don’t fit onto the expanded deluxe editions in the future, an OMD rarities series could be introduced.
So what’s the big deal? It all boils down to one mistake that’s being taken care of. Most of the people who buy this edition have the original album, so they own the correct versions of the two songs on CD 1 – now you also have an alternate version of Love and Violence, which should be a good thing. The complete 12″ of TLAC is available on the so 80’s special OMD album. It’s not like the complete version has disappeared from the face of the earth! You get a replacement for CD 2, so could you all please stop bitching about nothing at all and instead enjoy two new songs and three demos that sound nothing like the final versions?
If i’m being “Forced” into buying a higher quality remaster with bonus tracks I want it done right. In this case, this is my only version because I only ever had it on vinyl and that’s been long gone.
I received an e-mail stating that they are only fixing Disc 2. (follows)
Thanks for getting in contact.
We’re aware that one of the tracks on the second CD is duplicate audio from the first CD. This unfortunately was not picked up by the band during the approval process and slipped through the net of our production system.
Some fans have noted that some fade lengths have changed. This was over seen by the band during the mastering process of the release. Andy McCluskey has addressed some of this in a statement on the OMD website which you can read here – http://www.omd.uk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9386&start=120#p207269
A replacement CD2 has been manufactured to correct the duplicate audio and we can gladly send you a replacement.
Our apologies again,
Many thanks,
Lisa Dorrington
Customer Services Advisor
@Mark:
I don’t think Universal are going to redo CD 1 “on the quiet like” because noone would know it when it’s been done, hence noone would buy it. Those who have bought the deluxe edition now with the replacement disc won’t be buying the same disc-set again.
If Universal (and the band) wanted to sell records, they would have to do another reissue (a super-deluxe edition with three discs or collector’s edition with just one disc featuring bonus tracks) with some new things added to it, like the previously unreleased (and obviously unauthorised) Razormaid mixes, the 7″-picture-disc-single version of ‘Never Turn Away’, the US ‘Tesla Girls’ mixes and similar stuff. Otherwise, a redoing of CD 1 wouldn’t make any sense at all. Redoing CD1 “on the quiet like” seems to me to be economic suicide of the record company.
Replacement disc arrived today…arrived in a slim plastic case nicely secured in a jiffy bag.
Is it possible that Uni may re-do CD1 “on the quiet like” for future pressings? How could we tell if it did happen?
Still waiting for my replacement CD.
@SteveW:
How was the replacement CD packaged?
Just to say, I got the correct cd2 Fridauy last week – they were very quck to issue a replacement!
Incidentally – despite all this, I was rather gobsmacked to learn that the album had actually re-entered the official UK top 75 album chart – at number 73!!! Incredible. Even “Dazzle Ships” and the previous reissues never achieved this…. ironic too considering that it’s a mispressing as well…. This must be a first for a deluxe edition unless somebody else knows better! Wonder if it will be counted towards the original album’s total chart weeks tenure or a one-off under the deluxe edition (seeing as “Brothers In Arms” by Dire Straits and “Rumours” by Fleetwood Mac” have also re-entered yet again – both of which have been repackaged and ‘deluxed’ several times over themselves)
Certainly not a first. I think one of the ‘One step beyond’ remasters by Madness went Top 75 but so many other albums too!
It’s true that Universal tend to make easy fists of these deluxe editions: another recent example was Tears For Fears’ 30th anniversary edition of “The Hurting” which actually – on CD2 – repeated the album version of “Ideas As Opiates” instead of the “Mad World” b-side version (which had a different percussion sound in the mix), and then, instead of the “Pale Shelter” b-side version of “We Are Broken”, they had the later “Broken Revisited” (from “Songs From The Big Chair” b-sides) included instead. This same error was repeated across ALL the multiple disc formats!
And of course, last year, one of the Siouxsie and the Banshees reissues (“Peepshow”) featured a mastering error on tracks 8 and 9 (where the respective end of one track and the start of the other was actually audible on each). Again they have had to be recalled to be fixed. Not good enough quality control at the end of the day, is it?
And I also agree with others that CD1 could have been better utilised and filled up with the b-sides and the single-sided “(The Angels Keep Turning) The Wheels Of The Universe”, thus freeing the second disc to the remainder of the officially released [re]mixes of “Tesla Girls”, plus the full length 12″ versions of “Talking Loud and Clear” and “Julia’s Song”, not to mention also the exclusive extended 7″ picture disc version of “Never Turn Away”…
It’s a hard ask being a completist isn’t it??? ;)
Also, on the regular album remaster, there are two little scratches in Ideas as Opiates. Not that I care too much
How can I detect the corrected CD’s ? Is there a different serial number or anything else?
Yes a shame that this mistake has happened and frustrating for many – especially us fans who know the releases and mixes etc. But, it must be said that they are acting and are repressing a disc to go out 0 which is more than many do.
We are lucky that we have Paul and such syerling work that he dod to make TFF Songs… such a fantastic box set – I wish that could happen with many more of my 80’s fav’s – but I guess its the same as buying anew phone – there’ always a new release round the corner and gripes that we have. Lost count on how many Level 42 ‘re-packages’ I have bought and still they are not right. Just get it on chaps, crank te volume and enjoy the maga OMD! :-)
Like all the other OMD fans I’ve been waiting years for a decent version of this only to now read that it’s effed up.
No wonder the music industry is in the shitter, But that’s OK major labels you just keep releasing vinyl to dumb kids who don’t know any better and just buy whatever because it’s on the suddenly cool vinyl. Back in the day these albums were cut-outs! LOL!
I guess I should not get my hopes up for any decent China Crisis remasters in the future. Sheesh! And if you labels wait any longer all us old folk will be too damn deaf to even hear the remastering.
Junk Culture – to buy or not to buy
Sparkle In The Rain – to buy or not to buy
London, Warsaw, New York – to buy or not to buy
Guess I’ll have to wait and see what the fans say…
Really all Re-issues need to include the “Original Album”….isn’t this the major point?
I have always been a fan of having the album as originally released (or as near as is possible), with the various Single A and B Sides added. Having all this collected together gives a good indication of the artists output of the time. Having detailed notes with regards to the various versions of released songs is always very nice too….and nostalgic (if you were there at the time)!
Demos and such can be fun or give an understanding of how songs or indeed albums developed (like these at the end of Discs!).
Another fun inclusion can be live recordings of the period…..often prefer whole concerts than individual live versions of songs.
I just do not understand removing songs or changing versions which (as most agree) mess up the original feel and flow of an album. Please just add these as well if you feel it is important, and it probably is!
Paul makes some good points on the “should acts mess with the original album” issue. Mostly, it’s misguided (Morrissey is indeed the classic example), but ultimately if the artist owns the recordings and the right to fiddle about with them, then we as fans/customers/collectors have to accept it….but…yes, always a but….as long as any changes are flagged up in the pre-release blurbs, or on the packaging itself.
So, if OMD really do cringe at the stuttered T-t-t-t-t-tesla on the original version (and the single mix, too), then obviously it’s their right to go back and rewrite history…just let us know, okay? Then we can decide if we still want to buy what is no longer just a remastered and expanded version of the original, it’s not the original at all.
Likewise, the alt. mix of Love & Violence, if tacked on as a bonus track, could have been an interesting curio, in addition to the original version. Or, as with Tesla Girls, the press release and/or packaging should have made clear that it’s a different mix (and given reasons if they felt like it).
This whole reissue of Junk Culture has turned out a horrible mess. Not just for the erroneously repeated All Wrapped Up – that can happen, it can be fixed easily, and has been fixed , but the questions surrounding a revisionism of acts’ own work without expressly saying so, the muddled thinking behind trimming a 12″ mix by 3 minutes to facilitate a track which was removed long before the project was released.
And it’s been a PR disaster for all concerned.
So CD 2 has been corrected. And has started to be shipped out. And some “lucky” people have received it already. That is amazing fast. So why has the download version iTunes still have the wrong song. How hard can it be to switch one song on a server somewhere?
In recent years, Morrissey’s shameful re-writing of his own history has caused much wailing and gnashing of teeth in this very room. For the purest of fans this can be seen as a simultaneous act of betrayal and egotism. Nobody really wants to purchase a re-ordered hodge-podge that the artist then claims to be the “definitive” version. No! The original album is definitive. In some cases, tinkering with latter-day technology CAN improve an album – I’m thinking of Nick Davis’s remixing of the Genesis catalogue in the mid-’00s, but that’s just my opinion. In other cases, such as Morrissey’s shenanigans, the decision to alter whole track lists is unfathomable.
However, in these cases, the purchaser was made perfectly aware, upfront and in advance, that they were not purchasing original versions of these albums. Whatever your views may be about such meddling, you can’t say you weren’t warned. In this instance, unless you subscribe to this blog (or any other online forum highlighting the error), you’re taking OMD and Universal’s claim at face value and buying the album thinking it’s a remastered original. Someone, somewhere, has recognised the mistake, brought it to the attention of certain parties, and made motions to rectify it (partially). But, to then mail out a blurb, a week later, advertising the reissue as an ‘as was’ version is dishonest and clearly a breach of some kind.
Hi Musicator, I think you misunderstand me.
Universal may genuinely not have realised OMD made changes to the mixes being included on the “original” album, hence the mailout claims. If so, I have no idea why the band would want to keep quiet about it, other than to avoid a repress, as you say.
The “telling porkies” comment does not in an way refer to fans or customers….it’s either the band, or the label, or both!
It’s a mess that could have been avoided, by withdrawing the item as soon as these issues were spotted before release. A quick repress of CD2 (which has happened anyway), and then some sort of announcement that, yes, OMD wanted to take this opportunity to alter a few things about the original album which they are unhappy with (a la Kate Bush and many others). And of course, the reinstatement of those missing 3 minutes of TLAC on the second disc.
@Eric
Why should the band put the Universal staff to the test by swapping mixes of two songs on the original album? I just don’t get your point here, TBH.
The mistakes may well have been non-deliberate and so everyone involved wants to avoid repressing both CDs for economic considerations. But why should, as you put it, “certain people be telling porkies”?
Don’t you believe me and all other people who have confirmed it on Amazon, on the official OMD forum and on SDE, that the remastered version of TG is without the stutter and the remastered version of L+V misses a line? These are no lies, there are hard FACTS.
Universal Records advertise that one will purchase the original album. Clearly, this is not the case because of the two edits.
I also don’t subscribe to the point of view of some people on the OMD forum, saying that the “Tes-Tes-T-T-T-T-Tes” dates the song. This was how music was made way back in the 80s, sampling snippets of a song and integrating it into the final version of a song. Many other artists did it as well. Just think of The Art of Noise and ‘Paranoimia’ and many other songs by the Art of Noise. Think of Paul Hardcastle’s ’19’, think of Duran Duran’s ‘Reflex’ (Extended Remix).
Noone makes music this way nowadays, and so people today, especially young employees at record companies, may consider it odd. But changing original album tracks on a remaster is like re-composing and re-recording a symphony by Mozart or Beethoven and releasing it on another Mozart or Beethoven compilation with the same old title of the symphony. This is the thing, that probably does not add up here.
Funny you bring up the stutter. That was on so many records. I was playing something the other day and my daughter asked if the cd was skipping.
“Misleading advertising” is an offence worthy of at least a cursory investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority, although it usually applies to broadcast media.
Something does not add up here….either Universal genuinely don’t know that the band have swapped mixes of two songs on the original album, or it wasn’t deliberate but everyone involved wants to avoid repressing CD1 as well as CD2…or, certain people are telling porkies.
All in all, not OMD’s finest moment in the PR stakes.
@Musicator
…well, the reference to the TDA was a joke, really. However, the purpose of the act is to prevent consumers from being mislead about what they are purchasing. In this regard, the email I received is definitely misleading as they categorically state that what I will potentially purchase is the original album. Clearly, it is not. Greater minds than mine are better placed to determine whether this would stand up in court, though :)
Sorry for the typo:
of course, it should read: …that ‘Love And Violence’ was originally meant to be released on a single.
I’m not interested in this release, at all. But, I received a promotional email about it from Universal this morning and thought you guys may be interested in the way the reissue is described…
“30 years after the release of OMD’s Junk Culture comes the remastered 2CD Deluxe Edition.
The package includes THE ORIGINAL ALBUM* fully remastered at Abbey Road, overseen by Andy & Paul, a collection of the era’s b-sides, extended mixes and 5 previously unreleased tracks (including the unheard tracks ’10 To 1’ and ‘All Or Nothing’).
Along with extensive sleeve notes by Paul Browne, this Deluxe Edition is THE DEFINITIVE, EXPANDED STORY* of Junk Culture.”
(*caps my own)
… a breach of the Trades Description Act, maybe?
@Paul Kent,
laughable is the statement that the package included the original album. Are Universal people really so naive as to believe that fans won’t hear the difference? Two edits, ‘Tesla Girls’ and ‘Love And Violence’, the former without the stutter, the latter with a line missing, these two edits were not on the original album. Otherwise these wouldn’t be edits, would they? Maybe the band wanted to say that ‘Love And Violence’ was originally meant to be release as a single.
There’s two things, I want to know more about:
1. What does the Trades Description Act say?
2. Aren’t there rules and regulations that prohibit record companies and the artist from using edits on original album remaster reissues?
Apparently replacements have started being received today. Time for me to get in touch! Only been out 5 days though. Bit quick seems like they started making them before as they knew the problem. Is a 5 day turnaround for re-pressing a CD and sourcing the correct version and posting out to people a bit quick?
Just had my repressed Disc 2 arrive in the post.
Kudos to Universal for shipping the replacement so quickly but yes, NeilKelly, it’s almost too quick – they were probably pressed up ready to go for when the album proper was released.
And whilst Wrappup has been corrected, it IS still the edited version of the TLAC 12″. Hashtag “missed opportunity”.
Indeed!
As an OMD fan, I’m a bit disappointed, especially for those that are big fans of Junk Culture. I admit I’m more a fan of Architecture & Morality and Crush (and hey, their new stuff – OMD is one of the few acts from pre-2000 or so that is still making good music!)
Dies anyone know if deluxe editions for Crush, Pacific Age and Architecture are in the works? Here in the US those 3 were pretty much their biggest albums…
@DLG, why should ‘Architecture’ be in the works? It’s been remastered and released already in 2003, and there is a Collector’s Edition with a DVD, which has been released in 2007. Or did you mean to say “Does anyone know if deluxe editions for ‘Crush’, ‘The Pacific Age’ and ‘Sugar Tax’ are in the works”?
If the tweaks to the main/original album are deliberate, the reissue ought to have had some sort of “Director’s Cut” tagline, or at the very least flagged up the differences in the credits/tracklisting.
@Jon, I suspect that the band, i.e. OMD, either Andy or both Andy and Paul, have decided to put some edits on the remastered edition. This obviates the tendency of the fans to get rid of their original copies. So there is some obsession here on the part of the band that we fans have to keep all the OMD recordings we’ve bought. But that’s just an idea. Maybe we will get a statement from Universal. Hopefully, not the one saying the band wanted to rewrite album history.
So does this mean that someone – OMD, perhaps –changed the versions of TG and L+V intentionally on disc 1? Was George Lucas involved? ;)
Does this mean that the full 12″ version of TLC will not be included?
@ Saad, obviously we will have to put up with the truncated TLC here. But fans still do have the B&J so80s compilation with the untruncated, i.e. full extended version.
Got an email to say there are sending me the corrected second disc also an interesting statement as well Some fans have noted that some fade lengths have changed. This was over seen by the band during the mastering process of the release. By that it looks like the only error Universal made was duplicating All Wrapped Up on disc 2.
Interesting. I guess that says it all
Hello Musicator,
I have the US promo 12″ of “Tesla Girls” in my own collection.
2 of the 3 versions are different to the “Extended Version”.
“Specially Remixed Version” 5:03
“Instrumental Version” 4:43
The “Extended Mix” on the “So 80’s Blank & Jones OMD Collection”
sounds like a Dub Mix of the “Specially Remixed Version”.
Most instrumental, with a few vocals and male backing vocals.
Maybe very interesting for “Tesla Girls” Fans:
on the Blank & Jones “So 80’s OMD Compilation” you can hear
an alternate vocal version of the US 12″ Special Remixed Version.
It begins like the known US 12” Mix but then it turns out very different.
Maybe Piet Blank can tell us what this mix really is.
@Daniel, I guess OMD fans are aware of the ‘Tesla Girls’ version on the B&J s080s OMD artist compilation. B&J referred to it as being the “Extended Mix” (not the extended version).
As for me, in 1984 I was 14 years old and couldn’t afford every record. US editions were unavailable in my country, even the 3″-CD-singles of ‘Dreaming’ and ‘Shame” had only been released in Germany, not in Austria. The US 12″ Mix of ‘Tesla Girls’ is a mix I am unfamiliar with, don’t know how it sounds or sounded like. But I do have hope that the previously unreleased Razormaid Mixes and US mixes will be released sometime in the future on another OMD’s rarities compilation.
I caved in and bought this from HMV for £12.99. To the people who have contacted Universal did you give them your name and address and are they just going to send out replacement discs to anybody without proof of purchase ?
Just name and address no proof of purchase asked for.
Thanks i sent them my address let’s wait and see if i get a reply. While they are fixing this by putting Wrappup on there i hope to hell they put the full TLAC on it as well.
They aren’t doing that, apparently. I don’t know why, since it was acknowledged by Andy that they only edited it to fit on a track that was then removed to be a Record Store Day exclusive?!
@Paul: I haven’t asked when sending my e-mail to Universal customer services, which CD2 tracks are going to be fixed (apart from Wrappup, of course). It would be great if they also included the 12″ versions of ‘Locomotion’ and ‘Never Turn Away’ without the earlier fade-outs. ‘Locomotion’ should be a 5:20 and NTA should be a 6:31.
Will the previously unreleased Razormaid mixes of ‘Locomotion’ and ‘Tesla Girls’, and the Extra Mix of ‘Tesla Girls’ as well as the 7″-picture-disc version of ‘Never Turn Away’ ever see the light of day?
What are the chances that we will get the original album tracks remastered (without the ‘Tesla Girls’ and the ‘L+V’ edits)?
Who knows if we will ever see those tracks…? I’ve been led to believe that only Wrappup will change – I guess we’ll find out soon.
After all the negative comments about the tracklist…
Could anybody make a statement about the remastering? Does it sound better than the original CD?
@Michael, yes, it sounds better. There is more of the dynamic range, the tracks are a bit louder but pleasant to listen to (so no loudness war here). You may also have a look at what people have to say about the sound quality on the OMD forum. However, I didn’t do a spectral analysis.
Some people said that B&J had “overequalized” some of the tracks on their so80s OMD artist compilation, which should be the case on the track ‘Talking Loud And Clear’ (Extended Version). But frankly speaking, I’m very satisfied with the sound quality of TLAC there. At least, it is the only place where you get the untruncated extended version in CD-audio quality. Those discontented with the tracklisting and the sound quality of the deluxe reissue had better wait until the release of a super-deluxe edition of ‘Junk Culture’, if there ever should be one.
@William, they just want to get rid of the error CD2 :P CD1 won’t be replaced, so they kind of need those :D
Just to add further ridiculously poor quality control stories to this thread, my friends shop received copies of this with no disc one inside but two 2nd discs, what a complete balls up this has been
@Piet, thanks for the story behind! I was wondering whether you guys will re-do the previous So80s with your stand now (not too loud or compressed)! Perhaps a boxset with many volumes repress with a new master)! Or when people have the old one volume can get a replacement for the new one or discount on the new one!
You might can do that as well for the OMD: do a volume 2, redo volume 1, put them together in a boxset!
About this OMD release! The demo’s (rough mix/raw version of the song) and the bonus tracks won’t do me much! They can be easily put on CD1, right after the full album tracklisting, it’s like listening to the next CD, those won’t affect the pleasure of listening to the original album. And the empty can be used fully. I like the different mixes, versions, dubs, …! There is no other way/chance to get all of these. Unless they do CD Singles Boxes (each CD with all version/mixes of the Single)! Wow, a dream come true!
Bit cross about this but accidents happen – HOWEVER I’ve emaled them at the address above and not had a reply yet – has anyone else?
@SteveW:
Yes, me. I e-mailed them two days ago to the address which had been mentioned then at SDE, and I’ve e-mailed them today to the customer service address. No reply, neither from [email protected] nor from the [email protected]. Business as usual.
You know what? Universal had better withdraw all dodgy copies and re-do the whole Junk Culture deluxe edition, adding bonus tracks to disc 1, removing all the errors from disc 2, reprinting the booklet without any typos, putting it into a standard jewel CD case and releasing it after quality check in autumn this year with a new EAN number. So that the youngsters at Universal learn their lesson.
Or shall we wait until a four-disc super-deluxe-edition is released? Well, I’m not so keen on getting the Jive Bunny Mastermix Edit of ‘Hard Day’, if there is one.
Not yet either
@Lee Carson:
Latest update: I’ve just received the reply from Universal Music UK.
“We will arrange for a replacement disc to be sent out to you once we have received them, we hope to receive them into us by the end of next week.”
Great news, indeed.
@SteveW:
and all others, who have the same question:
Latest update: I’ve just received the reply from Universal Music UK.
“We will arrange for a replacement disc to be sent out to you once we have received them, we hope to receive them into us by the end of next week.”
Great news, indeed.
Piet, I hope you guys will have a chance to do a new OMD volume in the future. Idea: make that a double CD edition with on CD 1 the flat transfers of the tracks you already released. That way we (finally) can obtain them ‘loudnessless’.
Was thinking the same thing, Stefano!
So much reactions underline the disappointment I share about this deluxe release. And yes, experience told me that Universal messed it up a few times before on other deluxe editions of my favourite artists.
One should know that the band was not involved in the remastering process or in the delivery of tapes (except for the unreleased and demo material). Universal dived into the Virgin (EMI) backcatalogue to dig up the original recordings for remastering.
I have no problem with the tracklist (I don’t need five or six slightly different mixes of the same song on my deluxe edition). But the four mistakes (apart from the spelling mistakes in the lyrics) show no respect at tall to the OMD fans. If people are still buying cd’s today, it would be the fans of a band who want to pay a second or a third time to obtain the album the love. You can’t fool with fans.
Tesla Girls is not the 7″ edit, it’s also an alternate take (or mix) because te stutter in the intro is gone. So Universal managed to remaster two alternate takes (Tesla Girls and Love & Violence) instead of the original versions.
Putting Wrappup right in where it belongs is something, but it will not make up for the rest of the mistakes. The best part of the Talking Loud and Clear extended version was cut and not replaced (although the final track listing has enough space to include it).
The only positive things of this release is the sound quality of the original album, the fact that there is unreleased material on it and the liner notes PaulB wrote. He did the same thing on the Dazzle Ships remaster (still a gem in my collection). But also Paul was not involved in the tracklisting or remastering of the album.
@dazzler:
You speak from my heart as far as many things you say are concerned. However, I do not concur with your stance on the different mixes of the same song on the deluxe edition.
I didn’t expect to find all mixes of ‘Tesla Girls’ on this deluxe edition, which might be a little bit boring, especially if one had to listen to them sequentially, as was suggested above in the tracklisting by Karel (posted on February 3rd at 9:03). BUT: I would have expected to find the Razormaid Mixes of ‘Locomotion’ and ‘Tesla girls’ on this deluxe edition.
If Universal digged up the original recordings for the remastering, then how did it occur that Universal have remastered alternate takes of ‘Tesla Girls’ which is stutterless here and ‘Love And Violence’ which misses a line? Maybe two recordings had been made way back in 1984, with the stutterless ‘Tesla Girls’ and the shorter ‘Love And Violence’ as “radio edits”?
Anyway, you’re right in saying that it is the people/the fans who are willing to still buy CDs today and who shouldn’t be fooled with. And fans should get what they want to listen to, not what record companies or artists want the fans to listen to. It is the fans who pay for the product. And so it is a shame that disc one has been shortened a bit by using alternate takes and that it has not been filled up with bonus tracks.
If I buy this, how will I know, just from looking at the back cover, if I got the right version or the wrong version? Should I wait several weeks (months?) before buying on Amazon to make sure all the bad copies have gone away? Would it be possible for you to do an alert when it’s safe to buy on Amazon?
i can try to answer the questions regarding our so8os artist edition for OMD: when were asked to compile this collection five years ago we were asked by emi to make it sound loud and “up to date”…as i stated many times, we also learned a lot in past years (as well for mastering as for the wishes of the customers when it comes to the loudness war). as this omd so8os collection was released via emi as a budget (low price..in germany it sells for 5 euro) release, we were asked to deliver a master and a simple artwork only….it had to be one cd only. we always planned a volume 2, but then emi was sold to universal and new a&r people were coming and going…so we decided to license other artist editions in the future for our own label soundcolours…for example “alphaville” was completely financed by us…or “falco”…we invested in large booklets etc…we do have a complete tracklisting for omd volume 2 and of course have all original masters from volume 1 in flat transfer in our archive….would love to continue or extend this journey someday….but to be honest, the market is not that big for collections like that…maybe that is a reason why majors don’t spend too much time with it…
Thank you, Piet, for throwing some light on the reasons for a single-disc volume of OMD so80s 2011 and for answering questions many fans have had. The price is one thing, of course, the market is another.
The market may be the reason why majors don’t spend too much time on remastering or extended versions projects, but in the case of the reissue of ‘Junk Culture’ there should have been plenty of time, more than 30 years. Many fans say so on the OMD forum as well. On the other hand, I was told that remastering albums is not such a complicated thing to do when you know the archives. It can be time-consuming, if one has to search high and low for specific tracks, but it is not a cost-intensive or expensive process. So I was told. Anyway, I hope, like many other fans do, that there will be a so80s OMD vol. 2 someday.
Glad to get your reply here. Just goes to show who reads this great site. Have so many B&J CD singles and mixes in my collection. Hopefully a Volume 2 of OMD someday with a better version of Volume one included! You get some criticism bout the So80’s series and that’s a shame. Sure some earlier CD’s were a little problematic but as you say you have learned. Hope So80’s Volume 10 comes out at some point (yes i know Vol. 9 only came out this week) and some more So80’s Artists compilations can come out. Madonna, Dead or Alive, The B-52’s and Kraftwerk would be good although i know getting the needed clearance for at least 2 of those artists would be nigh-on impossible. Keep up the great work
@NeilKelly:
Not to forget a B&J so80s The Art of Noise artist compilation!
There was a petition for a release of deluxe editions of the Art of Noise China-Records-era albums ‘In Visible Silence’, ‘In No Sense? Nonsense!’ and ‘Below The Waste’. The first petition peaked at 135 signatures. Fur reasons unknown it has been terminated. There is a new one, and now it is just three people who have already signed the petition.
I didn’t know about this release. But with the errors & no replacement for CD1 & the full length 12″ on CD2, I probably won’t buy it!
This is one of the reason why people ripping tracks from their CD collection, making their own CDR’s! If the record companies do their job well, then why bother going through the trouble making our own!
@NeilKelly, you asked but Ronald didn’t answer. I was curious & wanted to know myself. I ordered Fearless as well. I need to find from the pile CD’s I have to listen to those, making sure I got the corrected version now.
“Ronald says:
February 2, 2015 at 19:04
Fourth time I get a replacement disc. After Level 42, Frankie goes to Hollywood and eighth Wonder. Get fan involvement and mistakes like this are more likely not to happen.
NeilKelly says:
February 3, 2015 at 12:56
What Level 42 and Eighth wonder?”
I googled & found these! I included links I found these, but it’s probably not allowed (Your comment is awaiting moderation):
Demon Edsel Level 42 – Guaranteed CD2
Cherry Pop Eighth Wonder – Fearless
Salvo Music FGTH – Sex Mix
Thank you, Griffin
Listening to that So 80’s Presents OMD makes my ears bleed as it’s compressed to hell but by the look of things it’s going to be the only way to get the full version of TLAC. I don’t understand why the band haven’t commented on this situation apart from once by Andy McCluskey on the OMD forum which wasn’t any help when these errors were first discovered as this is a complete shambles and both discs needs corrected.
listening to that SO80S disc again today. you’re right – it is FAR too loud and compressed.
Out of interest – has anyone, that has contacted Universal, had a response from them yet?
I sent an email but have not heard anything (not even an acknowledgement that my email was received)…
@ NeilKelly: The stuttterless version of ‘Tesla Girls’ is probably an alternate take which has been previously unreleased. I’ve never heard the stutterless version before on any other OMD release.
Thanks. Even more bizarre then really. Guess this is the version they wanted included and were happy to try and rewrite history. Don’t think changing an album and not advertising the fact should be allowed TBH. I believe the same thing happened with all subsequent versions of an early Madness album (or two). Not One Step Beyond though
7 is the Madness album you’re thinking of!
Thanks!
Point of order: track 2 on CD1 of this ‘deluxe’ Junk Culture is NOT the original 7″ single edit (which can be found on OMD’s Greatest Hits albums), despite having identical running length to it – you can quite clearly tell the difference as this ‘deluxe’ version does not have the digital “TES!TES!-T-T-T-T-TES!” stuttter edit at the start of version 1.
Which version is it then?
for the record and NOT that it repairs insult or injury: “Talking Loud And Clear” (Extended Version) 8:56 is available on the SO80S OMD compilation by Blank & Jones. and should the Junk Culture deluxe edition NOT contain the unedited of “Julia’s Song” (Re-recorded Version) 6:08, it can be found on the ZTT compilation The Art of the 12″, Volume Two. both songs are UN-segued and have been lovingly remastered. i haven’t cracked-out my 12″ vinyl in some time – i’m open to corrections and at your mercy!
@ Alan Hansen:
You confirm and repeat what I have said and written in my review on Amazon UK. There I also mention where the “untruncated” extended version of ‘Locomotion’ can be found. Incidentally, the extended version of ‘Julia’s Song’ on the ZTT compilation has a playing time of 8:33, not 6:08.
I also wondered why Blank & Jones did not release an OMD double-disc set in their so80s series way back in 2011, like they did with Hubert Kah and Sandra, and of course, the greatest artist Austria ever has had, Falco.
By the way, there is also a disconnect between the title of Blank & Jones’s so80s OMD artist compilation and their selection for the tracklist. Blank & Jones, for reasons unknown (to me and probably many others), have chosen three tracks from the 90s (‘Sailing On The Seven Seas’, ‘Call My Name’ and the hit-mix ‘Brides Of Frankenstein’). Noone seems to have noticed.
Well they are an 80’s band and i don’t think a great song from 1990 or 1991 shouldn’t be included. But i do get your point
@ Musicator: my bad on the time for “Julia’s Song” – i misread my player with track number 6 as the first number in the timing. please repeat here the info on “Locomotion” (on cd?) as i’m reluctant to dig-out my vinyl. vis-a-vis Blank & Jones: i believe they used OMD just as an “80’s” band, never-minding what decade the tracks were from. wouldn’t it have been nice if they’d indeed done a 2CD set for OMD!
@Alan Hansen:
‘Locomotion’: Extended Version, 5:20 on the 12″ single.
5:20 on Dance Classics Pop Edition Vol. 7, (which is available on the 12″-versions double-disc compilation “Dance Classics Pop Edition Vol. 7” which has been released in 2012 by Rodeo Media (the Netherlands). Here is a link to discogs.com: http://www.discogs.com/Various-Dance-Classics-Pop-Edition-Vol-7/release/3521576
Here is a link to JPC: https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/poprock/detail/-/art/Dance-Classics-Pop-Edition-Vol-7/hnum/4901609
‘Locomotion’ (Extended Version) as featured on OMD’s Junk Culture deluxe edition: 5:17
As for Blank & Jones, they used OMD as an 80’s artist, but given the fact that B&J also have inaugurated a “so90s” compilation series, the concept is then contradictory, indeed.
@Alan Hansen:
Sorry, I have to re-post my reply to your request regarding the info on ‘Locomotion’. It somehow has gone to nowhere land, vanished into the air. There was a line reading “Your comment is awaiting moderation”. So here is my post again:
‘Locomotion’: Extended Version, 5:20 on the 12′′ single.
5:20 on Dance Classics Pop Edition Vol. 7, (which is available on the 12′′-versions double-disc compilation “Dance Classics Pop Edition Vol. 7′′ which has been released in 2012 by Rodeo Media (the Netherlands). Here is a link to discogs.com: http://www.discogs.com/Various-Dance-Classics-Pop-Edition-Vol-7/release/3521576
Here is a link to JPC: https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/poprock/detail/-/art/Dance-Classics-Pop-Edition-Vol-7/hnum/4901609
‘Locomotion’ (Extended Version) as featured on OMD’s Junk Culture deluxe edition: 5:17
As for Blank & Jones, they used OMD as an 80′s artist, but given the fact that B&J also have inaugurated a “so90s” compilation series, the concept is then contradictory, indeed.
@Neil Kelly. A twenty something at a record label is unlikely to know the difference between a 7″ edit and album version of which is twenty seconds longer. Likewise an artist whose music during the 1980s was released in alternate versions to accommodate tastes in varied territories won’t have an encyclopaedic knowledge of all mixes from released around the world.
Todays generation will get one or if lucky two different mixes to download of a single whether they be in Hamburg or Hanoi.
To Universal’s credit they took the trouble via Social Media to contact and involve a couple of ‘obsessive’ fans with the two forthcoming UB40 Deluxe Editions. Both person involved said it was a privilege to be asked and a real pleasure and honour to be part of the input process in choosing the music included.
The real irony is that UB40 had little or no involvement with the compiling of the re-issues.
Record Companies are not always the bad guys and may be the ones with the least knowledge of an artists back catalogue.
Saad
I sort of agree with this… but I read somewhere recently that ‘old music’ sells more than ‘new music’ these days. if that is indeed the case then record companies need to try and take the job of compiling reissues very seriously. In other words don’t leave it in the hands of a twenty something intern, or whatever (I’m not totally sure there is any evidence that that happens…). There are many good people who do work for major and independent labels of course. Not everything goes wrong and not everyone is inept. In the discussions here there is an inevitable focus on cock-ups!
@ Paul:
I also assumed that the majority of people working at Universal are in their twenties or almost thirty, but not older than that. Today’s generation, not older than thirty years, probably doesn’t even know what a dub version is. They definitely don’t know the difference between a 7″ edit and an album version. And how should an INTERN know this. Interns are often even younger than twenty years. If this is truly the case, then we have an explanation why so many things go wrong with deluxe editions released by Universal. The young people don’t know the music of the 80s. They probably call songs from the 80s “oldies” or “evergreens”. But don’t quote me on that.
I just don’t get your point TBH. I doubt firstly that anyone working seriously on this project is a late teen, 20 something or even early 30’s. Surely to obtain correct versions for your clients and to generate as many sales as possible in these hard times someone on the project could listen to the original album once and the new version also once. Surely jotting down the track times would indicate whether at the very first glance something is correct or amiss. It surely can’t be that difficult. Anyhow, how did a single version end up in amongst an album. I think this was done on purpose regardless. Hell they can’t even correct the 3 minutes knocked off the start of the 12″ version lol of the repressed CD. I take it this shortened mix is now an entirely new mix (in the fact it has parts missing)?
It happens to the best of them…take the latest Joni Mitchell 4CD boxset…self-compiled because she was fed up after years of “idiots” from the record labels trying to compile it for her. Having worked on it for a couple of years, she gets everything just-so, only to discover at the mastering stage that somehow the track order has been messed-up, and does not match the tracklisting on the box.
She had to choose between altering the running order to match the box, or vice versa. She chose to keep the songs in the sequence she wanted, which was important to her, and hand-wrote a “mea culpa” letter inside the boxset for the listener/purchaser. So, even noted sticklers and perfectionists make mistakes, or discover mistakes in the process of bringing reissues to life.
It’s just she handled it with a bit more integrity than Andy, or even Nik Kershaw last year with Riddlegate.
Utlimately it’s their music, they wrote and recorded it, and yes they can do what the hell they like with it now, but a lot of people out there have invested themselves in this music from 30+ years ago, and it does “upset” them, to use Andy’s phrase.
That’s interesting about Joni. I’d don’t have that so was unaware.
Don’t forget a ‘single version’ is now part of Hounds of Love, thanks to Kate Bush deciding that the ‘special single mix’ of The Big Sky is somehow an improvement over the album version. I only recently picked up the ‘Fish People’ CD of HOL and really HATE how this sounds. I know this is different to OMD since it’s clearly flagged on Kate’s CD but it’s a good example of an artist thinking something is a good idea when IT REALLY ISN”T!!
I’d urge an Kate fans to get the Audio Fidelity vinyl of HOL because I have a feeling that is the last time we’ll see the original track listing remastered.
Totally agree, Paul. The single mix of Big Sky sounds wrong on the album for all sorts of reasons….not only is it inferior to the original LP version (I say that as a huge fan of 7″ mixes generally!), but it’s muddy and messy and just jarrs the way it’s placed in there. It’s very true that quite often an artist is the last person who knows the best thing to be done with their own music.
@NeilKelly:
“How did a single version end up in amongst an album?”
You’re referring to ‘Tesla Girls’, and given the fact that this version is stutterless (without the “Tes- Tes- T- T- T- T- Tes”), it isn’t even the 7″-single-edit, it’s an alternate edit or an alternative mix or a radio edit, which has been previously unreleased.
The remastered version of ‘Love And Violence’, on which one line of the lyrics (I’ve tried – I’ve tried – but she always seems to know) has been edited away, must also be an alternate take or mix, and has been previously unreleased.
The truncated 12″ version is the second part of the extended version of “Talking Loud And Clear”, where OMD have substituted some drums and percussion sounds. It is NOT an entirely new mix. The first instrumental intro part has, for example, a different bass drum. And the instrumental part, lasting for about 2 minutes 42 seconds and gliding into a fade-out before TLAC starts again, is NOT an instrumental version of ‘Talking Loud And Clear’ because it has been done differently. It has a longer saxophone section, for example.
@ Musicator – there will always be fans and then there are FANS! The latter have a ‘Trainspotting Tendency’ bordering on obsessional but many ‘fans’ appreciate as a rich source of knowledge which are even consulted by Artists themselves and Record Companies! My point is that such a rich seam of knowledge could have easily helped with the inclusion and omission of tracks from a fan point of view.
Is that not the whole point of these reissues and the like – FOR THE FANS!!!!
I recently bought the reissued deluxe of Nick Cave and the bad seeds ‘The Good Son’ put on cd1 and it’s ‘The Boatmans Call’ album that is mispressed onto it so this is another example of a complete cock up.
@ Saad:
“Those in the know of the various mixes, B-sides, etc. often tend to be the fans more than the artist themselves!”
That’s what you think! It was not the case with the OMD mixes. You should have read my review on Amazon carefully and completely. I am an OMD fan, but it wasn’t until 2001 that I read on OMD’s then-website in a section called “Discography – unreleased material” or something like that about the unreleased material. I was astonished how many mixes there were and how many songs that had not been released. How should I know in Europe, which US mixes there are or Australian mixes?
I have four 12″ versions compilations (each being a four-disc set) from a French record company (Wagram Music), one of which features OMD’s extended mix of ‘Secret’ which was made for the French music market and it is different from the UK Extended Version and different from the 1988 New 12″ Mix. – Just saying.
Laying alot the blame at Universal’s door with this seems a little unfair. Those in the know re the various mixes, B-sides etc. often tend to be the fans more than the artist themselves!
With the two forthcoming UB40 Deluxe releases Present Arms and Labour Of Love I know as fact there was fan involvement in the choice of the bonus material which has been met with a lot of good feedback.
‘Fans know more than the artist’? Consult the bloody fans then there is no need for this shoddy mess how can you even slightly defend the label? Ridiculous. To insert a single mix instead of album version is shameful. If you want that 7″ version in (i’m guessing this was deliberate) then as a Deluxe version some 31 years on at £14.99 put the original album in full followed by all 7″ versions and ‘B’ sides (where applicable) as bonus tracks instead of blank space. Now we’re created a new version where the original album version hasn’t even had the remaster treatment it so needed which is surely the main point of this project. How to alienate your client base… Well done Universal
Sorry, Mr Sinclair, should I have offended you or someone else with my comment here. I was thinking of a comment made by someone on Amazon about deluxe editions which did not meet the expectations of the audience (who can often be very ‘completist’) or Universal ignoring the tracklists for re-releases as suggested by the artists.
As far as point 2 is concerned, a ‘substandard’ version of a re-release, I have this to say: first of all, the OMD Junk Culture deluxe edition is not substandard at all. It does have some blunders and it obviously has alternative takes of songs like ‘Tesla Girls’ and ‘Love And Violence’. But given the fact that record companies increasingly suffer from downtrends as far as the turnover of CD sales are concerned and younger generations are not willing anymore to buy CDs, it is only natural and logical to invent a strategy to keep the ball rolling. And older generations are more willingly to buy CDs, re-releases and re-re-releases even.
The crucial point is that fans are very disappointed. Fans do not wait to read the first reviews, they pre-order like I did at my local record shop. And fans had to wait for more than 30 years for this re-release. They have not been given what they wanted or expected. According to my opinion, it is ridiculous to remaster an album without adding bonus tracks on a CD like CD 1 of the OMD’s deluxe edition, which still has space of about 35 minutes. There was plenty of time, more than 30 years, to organise this re-release and to avoid the mistakes that have occurred.
…older generations are more willing to buy CDs, I wanted to say. Could someone build in a function that allows to edit posts here, please?
Don’t worry I’m not offended :) I can understand why people are pissed off about the Junk Culture deluxe. People have different ideas of what a deluxe edition is, that is the problem. Bands or artists often do not appreciate what they’re own fans’ want. I know for a fact that Paul Young hates all his extended remixes which is probably why the “No Parlez” 25th is imperfect. Having said that he was quite happy to promote the Remixes and Rarities set I put together because he probably recognised it had been done with some thought and also having a record or reissue out to promote is good for the ego!
After having written an extensive review on the OMD ‘Junk Culture’ deluxe edition, I have thought about the whole thing and all the comments that had been made. Among other things, it has been mentioned that Universal did similar mess-ups with deluxe releases in the past like Tears For Fears’s ‘Songs From The Big Chair’ which was released last November as a super deluxe edition with four CDs and two DVDs. I wonder whether or not Universal did the mess-up with OMD’s Junk Culture intentionally. It is imaginable that in a few years’ time OMD fans will have to buy the ‘Junk Culture’ album once again, when it is released as a super deluxe edition with three or four discs including all the alternative edits, the previously unreleased and unofficial mixes of tracks like ‘Locomotion’ and ‘Tesla Girls’, the 7″ picture version of ‘Never Turn Away’ which was longer than the album version. Could it be? Could it really be the case that I am possibly right with my conjecture? Anybody know?
Two things… 1) there was no ‘mess-up’ on Tears For Fears. I was involved and the feedback was almost unanimously positive. I actually have no idea what you’re referring to. 2) the idea that Universal would deliberately put out something deliberately ‘wrong’ or make something substandard for future opportunities is rather ridiculous. As a business they want to sell as many copies of Junk Culture deluxe as possible. That is the basic aim. To do that they need to give fans what they want.
Paul, I think he is referring to a difference between what the sleeve/rear of the packaging says is on the fourth disc of the Big Chair super deluxe, and what is actually on the CD. Or something.
I would personally find it highly unlikely that any OMD album, especially Junk Culture, would ever get more than a 2-disc overview. This was surely the best we were going to get, which makes this mess-up even more of an own goal for the label and the band.
All they are fixing is Wrappup on CD 2 by the way. Universal have confirmed that to me. Don’t know why the full 12″ version of TLC hasn’t been reinstated if there is room, but anyway…
That’s the only fix? Shocking. Not buying ANY more releases from them again. Absolutely appalling
Eric, you are spot on, got it! I referred to Tears For Fears’ double disc edition of ‘Songs From The Big Chair’ released in 2006. It comprised only two discs. 8 years on, fans have to buy a super-deluxe edition with 6 discs.
To be fair, I’m not sure when the 2006 2CD deluxe of Big Chair was made, anyone ever imagined the current, growing market/fashion for extravagant 5 or 6-disc versions of 80s albums (see also: Sparkle in the Rain). Those Universal, plastic-sleeved deluxes were seen as the height of luxury at the time. I doubt they were being slapdash then due to thinking ahead for yet another edition back then.
I echo what someone earlier said about compilers who’ve never made an error casting the first stone..it’s true…even my home-made anthologies, made with apparent care and checked through, often have typos, incorrectly-titled mixes, or stuff like that. But they’re not professional products, so we are entitled to expect more of a multinational corporation’s attempts.
Let’s not get into the old fans ‘having’ to buy something syndrome! No one has to buy anything, of course. The music business is just that, a business. Just like you don’t *need* to upgrade your old VW Golf with a new model which has a paddle gearshift, or brake calipers painted red, or whatever… you also don’t *need* to upgrade your 2006 Tears For Fears deluxe edition.
But if VW didn’t produce new cars, they go out of business. Businesses create new products and have marketing departments whose job it is to convince you that this is something you really can’t live without.
The Music Business can’t live by different rules and shouldn’t be criticised for doing what all businesses do which is creating new products. Obviously we can judge them on how good those products are, but that’s a different argument.
Re:To do that they need to give fans what they want.
And we want deluxe edition like what created me as above.
Your edition include only 2 previously unreleased tracks on CD (Wrappup and Julia’s Song (Re-7inch)) + 4 demos. It is not enough for £15. I own many tracks from this edition on different compilation or singles and I want complete this OMD era on 2 disc. Best reissue for me was Close from Kim Wilde. This reissue included all tracks from era. Good example for other reissue!
Well, the US Remix of Mothers Talk is not the original 1986 mix but a remixed version released in 1990. But it wasn’t noted in the discogs, and I didn’t know about it until I read a review on Amazon…
I’ve ordered this yesterday BECAUSE of the mistakes. But TBH it’s because Disc 2 is going to be replaced FOC (obviously) and i kind of get 3 discs now (and who knows how rare the original disc 2 will be)? Maybe they will recall the album today / tomorrow. Also ordered because of the £2 drop in price i noticed yesterday making it a reasonable price (£12.99). But what a mess. And no official word from OMD on this still. They really need to repress Disc 1 though. I don’t believe in any re-writing of history via changes versions or trac listings of albums. There’s a great review on amazon.co.uk of this mess by Musicator from 02/02/15 BTW. Seems there’s more mistakes than currently listed above. A 12″ version ending 3 seconds early is a mistake in my book. Shame on Universal. So long for such a huge mess
changing and track (corrections to above). Sorry. I wish we could edit posts here.
I think you mean ‘re-press’? Judging from many of the above comments, ‘repress’ might be a better word however.
That’s true Ronald, but by the same token there’s an argument that artists (and labels) should be glad that there are people still prepared to eagerly pay £15+ for special editions of old material, in an era when recorded material is no longer the cash cow it used to be in the old days. And when they screw up, a little graciousness wouldn’t go amiss.
As a fan you deserve nothing more than what an artist, any artist, wants you to hear or to own. It’s not a question of deserving.
As a fan you should be glad artists and recordcompagnies are still willing to release (old) material.
That said the errors on this release are so obvious they never should have passed the quality control. But was there any?
*oops*
Typo – it’s been 30 years since, not 20
Karel nailed it!
Question for Andy McCluskey:
How is the above track list not the deluxe version of Junk Culture?
After 20 years, give us OMD fans what we deserve, not some truncated, incomplete notion of what we should listen to
My ideal reissue:
CD1 (76:45):
Album:
1. Junk Culture
2. Tesla Girls
3. Locomotion
4. Apollo
5. Never Turn Away
6. Love And Violence
7. Hard Day
8. All Wrapped Up
9. White Trash
10. Talking Loud And Clear
11. (The Angels Keep Turning) The Wheels Of The Universe
Bonus B-Sides:
12. Her Body In My Soul
13. The Avenue
14. Garden City
15. Julia’s Song (Re-7inch)
16. Wrappup
17. Telegraph (Live)
18. Waiting For The Man (Live)
CD2 (74+-):
12inch and unreleased
12 inch:
1. Locomotion (12inch)
2. Talking Loud And Clear (Extended Version)
3. Julia’s Song (Extended Version)
4. Tesla Girl (Extended Mix)
5. Tesla Girl (Extra Mix)
6. Tesla Girls (Specially Remixed Version)
7. Tesla Girls (Instrumental Version)
8. Tesla Girls (Video Version)
9. Never Turn Away (Extended Version)
Unreleased:
10. 10 To 1
11. All Or Nothing
12. Heaven Is – Highland Studios Demo
13. Tesla Girls – Highland Studios Demo
15. White Trash – Highland Studios Demo
This compilation create every OMD fan after 20 minutes on PC and Universal after 6 months creates this shit?
Lol but you are spot on. Why couldn’t they do a proper job on this. I’d happily pay £15 for 2 CD’s full up and mastered correctly. A DVD included of some perfomances would’ve been a great addition too. I’d happily pay £15 for 100 of my fav albums given beautiful treatments much like Songs from the big chair, for example, but with 2-3 CD’s full up.
What a train wreck. How does this happen?
As this is such a common problem, labels should include an exclusive download code so fans who actually buy the CD can get the leftover tracks-in lossless quality-that do not fit on the two discs, and if there is an error in the pressing, a quick remedy can be made. Much better than getting a sorry, that’s all we have excuse. And if an extra recording is found after the cutoff date, it can be rounded up, rather than be forgotten in the archives. This is also good for what might appear to the casual listener as repetitive track listings. If you are a hardcore fan you may want the rejected dub mixes or alternate rough mix here and there that no good curator would normally let see the light of day. The point is if you care enough to download it you can have it rather than have it lost due to the need of making a good product that will have greater appeal to a wider audience. And if you don’t like digital, don’t download it, you still have the original cd artifact.
Hey Paul, changing the subject but since it is also a Universal issue do you know if the repressing of Siouxie And The Banshees “Peepshow” is available yet? I haven’t heard anything from anywhere since the problem was announced in mid-November…
Without the Tesla Girls mixes…. I’m not interested and won’t be buying.
There is plenty of room to include them, so there is no excuse.
Well said.
I am not against making Disc 1 a straight repeat of the original album, without any other added tracks to fill out the running time. If I want to listen to “the album”, I don’t want to press stop when the ‘album material’ stops and the ‘bonus material’ begins. In fact, I’d say I’m ‘FOR’ this, usually, except when there’s more bonus material than what will fit on a Disc 2 and less material than what would require a Disc 3. I’m definitely about getting all previously-released material committed to CD. But, ignoring that:
This might imply that I am in favor of OMD not putting any bonus tracks on Disc 1. However, when Disc 1 is not the original album… when the most recent place to get the original album is on some early 90’s CD pressing… why worry about the ‘sanctity’ of Disc 1? If it’s not the original album, just fill it up with any odd bonus material.
The most important point here is that there’s not even a choice. You can get the original pressing that’s susceptible to disc rot, or you can get this new pressing that doesn’t even have the original album. Neither is agreeable.
It’s difficult to say how people deal with these issues. When the poorly remastered Duran Duran 2CD/1DVD reissues came out, I bought them, knowing their problems, because I wanted the DVD material. At the same time, I’m not listening to the 2CD portion. I’ve got the Singles Boxes and the previous reissues. I’ll listen to the latest Rio reissue because it’s the only digital place for the original album mixes.
Bottom line: ‘Junk Culture’ hasn’t been treated as a deluxe edition album. It’s an incomplete hodgepodge of bonus material in the same vein as Navigation or the So 80’s remix compilation. It helps flesh out many (but not all) of the missing pieces, but (even with the band’s input), it is hardly authoritative.
They probably *thought* that disc one was the original album, hence the idea to keep that as standalone. It has been revealed that this is apparently not the case, which as you say opens the door to appending bonus tracks etc. We did do that with Songs From The Big Chair because there was SO much material to fit on, but I can understand why some artists like to keep the album proper unspoiled by bonus tracks tacked on.
Well, in this case there already was the limited cassette and two previous reissues, so people had gotten used to extra tracks after the regular album, I’d say.
7″ mixes replacing LP versions is not a new phenomenon (Edsel’s reissues of the Blancmange catalogue did this repeatedly), but it’s baffling when Andy had input himself (I assume Neil Arthur was not similarly involved in the Blancmange efforts). Then again, the stuttering samples of Tesla Girls could be a bit naff in Andy’s mind, and this was a chance to rewrite history.
Difficult to say how many of the errors are actual mistakes, from Andy’s (less than gracious) replies on the OMD forum it would appear that the Wrappup mix-up is the extent of the problems. The other tweaks and replaced mixes were intentional?
Someone even pointed out you can see a brushed-out J in front of the O on the new sleeve, and you can! Incredible hamfistedness.
Owners of the original Virgin pressing from the early 90s should also be aware that there are reports of disk rot affecting that particular CD, so back-up (or keep) your LP mix of Tesla Girls from that, because it’s not going to be on this deluxe if only CD2 is getting fixed.
Hi,
You guys are amazing. That’s why, I don’t purchase until the knowledgeable fans have spoken. OMD isn’t my specialty, so, I’m reading all your comments. I’ve said that the fans should have input on songs released and put on albums. Especially, rare or 7″ & 12″ records. Have a group of fans at a listening party.
Get things done right, before the final pressings and release of said album.
Peace everyone.
Hi Paul,
As this omd cd is all about mistakes isn’t this sentence in your review not a big typo either (sorry if not, as English us not mine native tong)
You wrote…. (SDE has not been album to confirm this) … which seems a wrong sentence to me? (sorry about nitpicking).
Cheers… edward
Noticed today that the price on Amazon has gone down to £12.99; I ordered this with such excitement months ago at £14.99, thinking the pre-order price would be cheaper than when it was released. Why do you get penalised if you pre-order, and because it has gone down after it was released, you won’t get the difference back – not right.
Paul, this seems like an opportunity for you, since you have a big audience of people who desperately care about issues like this:
Offer a “mechanical Turk” type of service where people who know these tracks inside and out can sign up to be part of a “final listen,” and inform the record companies about it. They can then put up low-res streaming versions of the songs for the people who sign up, and they can confirm whether the label got the correct versions of the songs or not. While the record companies ought to be able to do this themselves, clearly too many of them are asleep at the wheel to some extent.
Normally I’d be against this, as crowdsourcing is generally a way for big companies to exploit free labor. But it would be a labor of love for the likes of the denizens of this site.
^THIS!
I got my copy today from Amazon and what a really great album it is and sounds pretty good even today seeing it is 31 years old! Ok, it’s a bit naff that the discs have been pressed with the wrong versions. At least Universal are repressing disc 2 which I think is good on their part. I think through SDE, the record companies should ask some of us avid readers of the site to maybe form a listening group to listen to discs so that we can spot any errors or wrong versions before they get pressed for general release and maybe help to stop anything like this happening again. Just an idea!
Good on their part lol? A track repeated 2 12″ versions shortened by a few seconds (not mentioned above) and 3 minutes of one 12″ missing. Horrendous
All in all glad that some errors are going to be fixed by Universal, but still it’s a big miss that the original Tesla Girls album version is omitted (and which is not to be found remastered on any other CD compilation).
If you remaster the album, why on earth should you change the master tape during the transfer process, take the 7 inch single master for just one track and put the album master back on the machine to do the rest of the album. Until Love and Violence, just to do it all over again. Makes no sense to me.
REALLY hope they reinstate the 12 inch of Talking Loud and Clear. The full version deserves to be included here.
Agreed. How can you get the Single version inserted. This is such a mess and BOTH discs need to be redone. How about adding missing mixes on disc one and giving a paper insert to new tracklisting. Such a missed opportunity
Sometimes the master is on more than one tape.
I see.
Ordered this back when in Nov last year it was first announced.
Finally delivered today.
Haven’t even had a chance to open it yet and I’m disappointed already…
Oh well, hopefully Universal will come through.
Andy McCluskey seems to have been involved with this project… could he not have spent 2 hours checking the tracks before they went to press?
Also, leaving out tracks due to “time constraints” is just ridiculous when there is plenty of free space on disc 1.
Glad I didn’t bother pre-ordering it
I wanted to buy the HD Version today from highresaudio in 96/24 but there seem to be some problems too. Instead of a native 96/24 universal apparently delivered an upscale from 44.1 which fell trough the quality control at highresaudio. I`m no expert but if the Album was remastered from the original analog tapes a native 96/24 should have been possible…..
This is actually fairly common. HDtracks carries a lot of upsampled product. They say it’s what the label sends so that’s what they sell.
Fourth time I get a replacement disc. After Level 42, Frankie goes to Hollywood and eighth Wonder. Get fan involvement and mistakes like this are more likely not to happen.
What Level 42 and Eighth wonder?
The amount of errors in both audio and text on deluxe editions and box sets is farcical.
These are supposed to be definitive editions of albums but seem to be put together by clowns with no checking through of audio or proof reading of text.
It is clear on quite a few releases that speed of production and cost cutting comes before a decent end product.
It should be industry practice for a group of at least 10 fans of a band to go over deluxe reissues before final production as fans are the only ones that pick up on these glaring errors.
Having been involved in a few sets in the last few years (Tears For Fears in particular) I know how hard it is, particularly when you get to 4, 5, 6 discs. You get so paranoid about *not* making errors, it leads to errors… There but for the grace of God go I, and all that.
Even so four apparent errors across two CDs – that’s got to be a bit disappointing for the band and the label.
On the up side they’ve sat up and are fixing it. Many SDE’s come out and it’s “like it or lump it” if there’s an issue.
What a shame!
I ask myself: only fools were working on a “Deluxe Edition” like that ?
They spent months for collecting and re-mastering and then such
big mistakes!
I can’t believe it.
OMD have not understand what the fans are looking for ?
They are in the business for over 35 years now.
Use an “edited version” of “Talking Loud And Clear” to put 5 unreleased tracks on CD #2 ?
What is with the 36 minutes space on CD # 1 ?
Soooo much time!
They should replace the whole thing with a real “Deluxe Edition”
of “Junk Culture”.
Those unprofessional negligences of professional people
making me really angry!
I will not buy that awkwardness.
And the labels wonder why people would prefer to download things for free…
Just received this set from Amazon…guess I should leave it sealed till I know what Universal are doing. Wonder if they want us to send the wrong set to them first?
They don’t normally ask for that. Probably just need some proof of purchase.
seems to be quite a few of these ‘mistakes’ happening with deluxe editions. Is there no-one on quality control duty these days?
This is what happens when the labels get rid of all the old guys that knew about the catalogue.
so the version that’s on it’s way to me is potentially gonna be a rather nice OMD rarity, by default. jings.