Radio Prog 3: Depeche Mode: BBC Studio Session 11 June 1981

Live and Loud! Radio is an occasional series of free downloads, starting January 2017. Radio sessions that never got an official release, sympathetically repaired and remastered and then released onto the internet, all for free.

No theme tune, no intro from me - just the original session, repaired and remastered and available in a downloadable zip file containing each separate track. 


Live and Loud! Radio Prog 3:  Depeche Mode: BBC Studio Session 11 June 1981 

Tracklisting
01. Boys Say Go! (not included - see below*)
02. Big Muff
03. Photographic
04. Tora! Tora! Tora!

The session is available as a zip file, containing each track. You can get it by clicking HERE.

Original files had 30 band EQ to remove mid range muddiness and enhance bass and upper frequencies, creating more "space" in the tracks between the instruments.Other than that, I just edited the end of each track to fade out better than the copies I had.


* Boys Say Go is not included as it was released officially on the "1 And Only - 25 Years Of Radio 1" album in 1992.

Show 93 - Blancmange - The Paradiso Amsterdam - 9 April 1983

I originally intended to remaster a recording from the Manchester Hacienda from 1982 - not realising it was on general DVD release (I assume officially). Which is a shame as I had it sounding really good! Instead I found this one - an interesting (but sadly short) FM broadcast from Dutch radio of a live set by Blancmange from 1983. There are some faults with this - essentially some FM static on the first song in various places (I've removed or lessened what I could) and the last track broadcast, Blind Vision, has had to be faded out rather abruptly by the original taper to remove the radio lead in to the news. But its a little gem, nonetheless, featuring tracks from Happy Families and also Mange Tout which was released a year later.

Apart from working on the static noise and a few clicks, I used EQ to tighten up a rather bass heavy recording and give some space to the instruments and vocals.

Update 2020
While preparing this old show as separate files for a donator to the site, I found I could now improve the sound quality further, over what I’d originally done to the recording several years ago. You can now download this new version (as of 2019) HERE as 1 new 320kbps MP3 file.

If you would like to have separate tagged MP3s, or even lossless files in FLAC format of the new version, head on over to the Donations tab to see how you can obtain these for a very small donation towards the site costs.

Setlist
I've Seen The Word
The Game Above My Head
Kind
Running Thin
Feel Me
Cruel
Murder
Blind Vision

Show 92: Sisters of Mercy - Trojan Horse The Hague - 26 May 1984

A first appearance for The Sisters of Mercy, with a gig recorded in The Netherlands in 1984. There are several versions of this recording around but I believe I was sent an excellent copy of the naked soundboard recording which was a joy to work on - it's benefited from some sympathetic EQ which has improved separation between each of the instruments as well as improving the sound of each - guitars shimmer and sparkle, the drums are crisp and punchy, the bass is more distinct and Eldritch rises from the shadows. I'm really pleased with how this one turned out.

The show is now available to download exclusively for free here as 1 MP3 file.

Or, if you would like to have separate tagged MP3s, or even lossless files in FLAC format, head on over to the Donations tab to see how you can obtain these for a very small donation towards the site costs.

Setlist
Burn
Heartland
Body and Soul
Anaconda
Walk Away
Emma
Floorshow
Adrenochrome
Alice
Body Electric

Encore:
Gimme Shelter
Sister Ray

I can't pretend to be an expert on The Sisters but I am indebted to Ollie, who is! - and it was he who lobbied for me to remaster this recording. He also asked if he could write a piece about this show for me and this is reproduced below (thanks Ollie!). Incidentally, there's an interesting blog piece written by a Sisters fan about this very gig which you can find here.

Now, this is Ollie's piece:

The Sisters of Mercy have a long, wild history. You may think may 1984 is an early stage of their career, but in fact several line-up changes were behind them already.The then popular singles and EPs like "Alice" or "Temple of Love" (the original version, without Ofra Haza of course ;-) ) had been recorded with guitarist Ben Gunn, who joined the group in early 1982 and left in late 1983. So founder members Andrew Eldritch and Gary Marx, supported by Craig Adams on bass since 1981, replaced Gunn with Wayne Hussey, ex Dead or Alive.

Now in early 1984, quite a lot is new for the Sisters: new line-up, new single ("Body and Soul"), a major deal with WEA records, and even Doktor Avalanche, their drum-machine, got a make-over. Compared to 1983, the sound changed. The songs are played straighter, and Wayne Hussey adds a new guitar style by playing a 12 string...here we have the birth of what would become the sound of the "First And Last And Always" album.

The setlist is the standard one for this tour. They serve a mixture of early singles ("Body Electric", "Alice") B-sides ("Heartland", Adrenochrome"), the new single "Body and Soul" and an early version of "Walk Away", the first written by Wayne Hussey, as well as their famous cover versions "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones, "Emma" by Hot Chocolate and their dark and driving interpretation of The Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray". The Velvet's song finished their encore in a guitar orgy, the highlight and climax of a Sisters gig in this era and The Sisters at their best, captured here perfectly now in this remastered soundboard recording.

Unfortunately this line-up, regarded by many fans as the definitive one, didn't last long. They did three long tours and released one legendary album, then in June 1985 did their famous last gig at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams formed The Mission, and Andrew Eldritch entered the charts in 1987 with his "Floodland"- album.

The rest is history...