DEPECHE MODE MUSEO PART 4 - PERSONAL JESUS BLUE VINYL 12" X14908 (12BONG17)

Welcome to part 2 of the DM Museo Personal Jesus special. The last post concerned GBONG17 and, as well as describing that at alarming length, I also mentioned in passing the various other formats of the single from BONG17 all the way to LCDBONG17. One of the perils of becoming a Depeche Mode fan is that, once you're bitten by the collecting bug, you find that it's very hard to stop. What begins as a simple purchase of the limited edition 12" of Enjoy The Silence turns into a 26 year worldwide hunt for ever increasingly obscure rarities. I say that from very personal experience. There are a number of ultra rare Depeche items that collectors clamour for and one of the rarest is a Personal Jesus item. Today, I give you the Australian only blue vinyl 12" of Personal Jesus. 

X14908 - Front

This version of Personal Jesus was released in 1990 on Australian label Liberation records, under licence from Mute. I recently emailed the label to ask if they knew how many copies were issued, given how scarce this record seems. Their reply was brief - "Not us, sorry." Now, I told them in response that it was them, but I've heard nothing back. If I do learn of the number released, I will let you all know, but for now it's a mystery. I think it's safe to say that there can't have been that many of them given the price this goes for on Ebay or Discogs. More of that later however.

(Since I typed this, Dave Curry, an Australian DM collector, got in touch on the blog's Facebook page to give me some more info. The single was originally released in Australia by BMG in 1989. The Liberation version was a re-release and with Depeche never selling huge quantities in Australia, Dave's guess is that this version of Personal Jesus was released in very limited quantities. Thanks Dave)

X14908 - sticker on front

As you can see, the sticker on this front of this record confirms what we all know by saying it's a collector's edition. I guess the phrase "Outrageously rare and hideously expensive edition for only the most deranged of collectors most of whom don't even live in Australia" would have looked a little odd on the sticker.

X14908 - rear

The rear of the sleeve shows the image we see on 12BONG17, the U.K. catalogue number that also appears on this record. 

X14908 - sticker on rear sleeve

I think that's more than enough chat about the sleeve. What's inside? Well, that's the beautiful thing. Inside, we find a 5 track 12" single pressed on glorious blue vinyl.

X14908 - Side A

Side A features three tracks in total:

X14908 - Side A label

As you can see it's the single version, Holier Than Thou Approach and Acoustic versions of Personal Jesus. One point I haven't managed to get to the bottom of is the word Rondor in brackets after (M L Gore) on the label. If anyone knows what that is or means, let me know.

(That was quick. Thanks to Michal Latajka who pointed out that Rondor is a publishing company. Problem solved)

X14908 - Side B

Side B features two further Personal Jesus remixes - the wonderful God like genius of Pump Mix and Telephone Stomp Mix

X14908 - Side B label

Again, the mysterious (Rondor) is present. A lovely feature on both labels is the Mute logo which tops off the release perfectly.

Usually, I'd show you how many of these are for sale on Discogs and what they'll cost you, but unsurprisingly given this is a rare beast, there are currently none on the market as you can see here https://www.discogs.com/Depeche-Mode-Personal-Jesus/release/1024295 It seems that the most someone has paid for this is £740.49 and the lowest £38.53. The latter person seems to have had the same luck as my friend Scott MacFarlane who managed to get a copy of this in mint condition for a similar if not lower price back in the early 90's. He got it from Ebay and it arrived direct from Australia in a worryingly thing package. Luckily for Scott, the record and sleeve were in perfect condition. He never tires of telling me that story. I mention here in an attempt to end that discussion for ever!

Is this the rarest commercial Depeche Mode release? It's up there with the coloured vinyl versions of Just Can't Get Enough (grey vinyl) and Stripped (white vinyl) at least in terms of price and is certainly as hard to track down as the Japanese CD singles for I Want You Now and Enjoy The Silence. I think it's fair to say that it's in the top 10, if not top 5 DM rarities. If you're a collector, it's one you want, but's it going to be hard to find and very expensive when you do find it.

DEPECHE MODE MUSEO PART 3 - GBONG17, LTD EDITION PERSONAL JESUS GATEFOLD 7"

This week's entry into the Depeche Mode Museo is the first of a three part Personal Jesus special and we begin with the rather lovely limited edition 7" gatefold version which was a U.K. release. As ever, all pictures are of my version and all factual errors sadly mine too. 

GBONG17 - front cover

This release of Personal Jesus is unique among Depeche Mode releases in that it is the only 7" gatefold release in the band's U.K. catalogue. The addition of the letter G for gatefold to the catalogue number is a typically delicious touch and one you can't but help but love. The artwork on the front is the same as the artwork for L12BONG17 and LCDBONG17 and the rear picture is the same as you find on those releases too, with Martin hugging the naked lady whilst his bandmates stand around. Dave seems particularly perturbed by the whole thing.

GBONG17 - rear

The rest of the package is simple but very cool. The gatefold sleeve comes with a large D on the left inside flap and an equally large M on the right inside flap. They are of course the letters forming the iconic DM of the time which was later, most wonderfully seen on XL12BONG19 and XLCDBONG19, the Quad:Final Mix of Enjoy The Silence. The gatefold sleeve itself is a heavy gatefold made of much thicker material than a standard 7" as it houses a four page booklet that is stapled into the gatefold sleeve.

GBONG17 inner sleeve left

GBONG17 inner sleeve right

The booklet contains four pictures, two of which can be seen above, Page 1 is Dave with the mysterious woman as seen on the rear of 12BONG17. I also have that as a poster that I bought in my first week at University in 1992. It's still in decent condition too. The fourth page of the booklet shows Martin, as you've no doubt already worked out. It's the same picture you'll find on the standard 7", BONG17.

Andy and Alan aren't overlooked though. They appear in the middle two pages of the booklet. Andy goes first, in the same pose as on the cassette single CBONG17. It looks a bit like he's being lectured by the woman which is a bit unfair as everyone else seems to be getting on just fine with her. Finally, Alan makes an appearance, striking the same pose as you'll see on CDBONG17. I remember being told by what was clearly someone making things up and trying to confuse an impressionable then young Depeche fan that Martin was in fact the woman we see in the pictures, dressed up in a wig and nothing else. The fact that there's a picture of Martin apparently hugging himself and managing to appear to be slightly taller in one of his guises pretty much destroys that theory. Like it was ever anything other than rubbish in the first instance. 

GBONG17 - Side A

Enough art, what about the music? Well, until the boxset reissues in 2004, this was the only place you could find the Hazchemix Edit of Dangerous. The edit is, of course, an edited version of Dangerous (Hazchemix) which appears on L12BONG17 and LCDBONG17. It's a cool edit of a good remix of the track and certainly worth a listen. The A-side features the standard 7" version of Personal Jesus and the b-side gives us the aforementioned Dangerous (Hazchemix Edit) and Personal Jesus (Acoustic) which also appears on 12BONG17 and CDBONG17.

GBONG17 - Side B

As you can see on the photos of my version, the label features the catalogue number GBONG17 on both sides, For some reason, other variations show BONG17, which isn't correct and others have BONG17 on side A and GBONG17 on Side B which is just strange. This sort of fact may not be important to most of you, but it is of great import to many collectors. Why have one variation when you can have three? 

This is a great release to have for many reasons. It's Personal Jesus primarily, one of the greatest songs of any era. Also, it's from the Violator period and ALL releases from that time are worth having due to the sheer majesty of both the art and the music. Finally, it's a unique Depeche release and that makes it a must have. It was released in limited quantities but, as I type, you can pick it up on Discogs for around £15. (https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/191106?ev=rb) I also know for a fact that it's available for $8.99 at Freakbeat Records in Sherman Oaks, CA as Depeche Mode webmaster and general all round top Depeche bloke Daniel Barassi tweeted a picture of it three days ago. If you're near there at all, go and snap it up.

Coming next in this Personal Jesus special, we've got entries from Australia and South Africa. See you soon...

DEPECHE MODE MUSEO PART 2 - IT'S NO GOOD LIVE XLCDBONG26

The second Depeche Mode Museo artefact is a rare promo only CD that looks like a CD single, has a catalogue number like a CD single, yet isn't a CD single. For me, It's No Good is one of the great Depeche singles and really sums up what the band do best - melody, electronics, a typical Depeche bassline and lyrics so perfect they never fail to send a shiver done the spine. You can see why the band chose Barrel Of A Gun over this track for their return post Songs Of Faith And Devotion and post Wilder as they never do things by half measures. Releasing It's No Good as the comeback single would have been to perfect. As an aside, isn't it funny to think of a release less than three years after the end of the 1994 tour as a comeback? We're lucky if we get less than four years between end of tour and new release these days. Anyway, let's move on. 

It's No Good XLCDBONG26 - front

Prior to this release, the XLCDBONG title had been reserved for the apparently super rare CD single featuring The Quad: Final Mix of Enjoy The Silence (XLCDBONG18) and the third in the trilogy, crucifix pack completing XLCDBONG24 release for In Your Room which featured two good remixes of that track (The Jeep Rock Mix and Apex Mix) and the wholly forgettable Adrenaline Mix of the otherwise lovely Higher Love. Both these releases were commercially available however. XLCDBONG26 a.k.a. It's No Good Live somewhat perplexingly has a commercial catalogue number but wasn't commercially available. Odd and somewhat frustrating given that promo CD's had and thereafter had unique promo catalogue numbers that made it nice and straightforward for people like me to collect them. The good thing about typing that is that I know half of you are nodding your heads in agreement as you read that. Depeche Mode fans really are a strange bunch.

It's No Good XLCDBONG26 - Inner Sleeve

One of the odd things about this release is that it is a beautiful thing. Arguably, the sleeve is superior to the commercial release and the full sleeve, printed CD and, overall, the effort that has gone into this package, makes it a lovely thing to have. It's very rare, indeed, it's far rarer than any other promo CD from the Ultra singles and, at the time of writing, the cheapest version of the five available on Discogs will set you back around £82 (https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/156709?ev=rb). Why is it so rare though? Does it contain some magical, lost Depeche track that you MUST have?

XLCDBONG26

No, no it doesn't. It only has one track and that's a live version of, yes you guessed it, It's No Good from the Ultra party at London's Adrenaline Village on 10 April 1997. Five tracks were played that night - the Ultra singles and Never Let Me Down Again and one of them is preserved here on this release. The odd thing is that the next single from Ultra was Home and the LCD release of that featured the same version of It's No Good live from the Ultra party albeit there was one crucial difference. The version on XLCDBONG26 clocks in at 4 minutes 7 seconds whereas the commercially released version on the Home single clocks in at 4 minutes 6 seconds. I asked earlier why this release was so rare and there's your answer - ONE EXTRA SECOND OF DEPECHE MODE LIVE! 

Alternatively, it may just be because there really aren't that many versions of XLCDBONG26 in existence. I'll leave you to make your mind up.

XLCDBONG26 - Spine

Anyway, as the picture above leaves you in no doubt, this was a promo only release despite the confusing catalogue number, All of the Ultra era promos were superb (see future blogs) but this is the one that stands out. The cover, the inlay, the gorgeous CD and the spine are all majestic and it's a delight to have in my collection, despite the fact it's in the box of CD's that I never play. A welcome and indeed necessary addition to the Depeche Mode Museo, I give you It's No Good Live, XLCDBONG26. The XLCDBONG that should have been an XLCDBONG.

DEPECHE MODE MUESO PART 1 - EVERYTHING COUNTS LIVE LIMITED EDITION FILOFAX PACK LCDBONG16

The Spanish word museo means museum in English and, like far too many things in my life, I discovered that word via Depeche Mode. It appears in the video for Pimpf, as you can see above, where the lads are having a wonderful time, laughing and enjoying another Anton Corbijn videoshoot. Anyway, the idea of a Depeche Mode museum is something that appeals to me and, if you've read this blog for a while, no doubt you too, so this is my attempt at it. Kind of. 

Every so often I'm going to write a blog that has a look at unusual releases in the Depeche catalogue. Some are rare, some stupidly rare and others fairly standard, but overall hopefully interesting. I know that when I started collecting DM items, I always loved looking at photos of what I still had to collect and that's still true now even though my collection has grown somewhat in the last few years. Other people seem to like that sort of thing too, hence the Depeche Mode Museo series. 

1. EVERYTHING COUNTS LIVE - LIMITED EDITION FILOFAX PACK LCDBONG16

LCDBONG16 front

Ah the 1980's. During that decade, Britain was ruled by a tyrannical beast named Margaret Thatcher whose hobbies included crushing the working class, closing or selling off most forms of traditional British industry and inspiring a culture of greed which resulted in the emergence of a group of people known as "yuppies." Primarily, they were young, increasingly wealthy city workers who wore red braces, drank champagne and generally acted offensively as many parts of the country suffered under the rule of Thatcher. One thing they were noted for was their use of Filofaxes which were essentially diaries with mini ring binders in them allowing you to store all manner of things from the address of your coke dealer to the price of rare champagne. 

Never ones to be blind to a trend, Depeche Mode released a bewildering limited edition remix cd pack as part of the Everything Counts (Live) release known as a Filofax pack. As you can see from the pictures, the release complete complete with holes, if that's not a contradiction in terms, allowing you to safely pop it into your Filofax. Quite why anyone would want to do this is beyond me. Perhaps it would make sense to do that if you'd just bought the Filofax pack and you wanted to keep it safe until you got home? I really don't know.

LCDBONG16 rear

The Filofax pack came with a 3" cd containing three rather excellent, brand new remixes of Everything Counts, Nothing and Strangelove. As you can see, that cd was housed in the lower of the two slots on the rear of the release. The upper slot was there to hold the standard release 3" cd on which you'll find live versions of Everything Counts, Nothing, Sacred and A Question Of Lust all of which were of course recorded at the Pasadena Rose Bowl on 18 June 1988. My version of the standard cd (CDBONG16) remains in its own case, as I've never quite felt the need to add it to my Filofax pack. Getting the LCDBONG16 out of its cardboard home is tricky enough as the pack isn't what you'd call robust and I'd rather preserve it than damage it.

LCDBONG16

Ultimately, the Filofax pack is a nice, quirky release. I've done a lot of looking but can only find one other Filofax release, Wire's Silk Skin Paws (https://www.discogs.com/Wire-Silk-Skin-Paws/release/309818). Interestingly, that was also on Mute. It seems someone at the label must have had a problem involving love of a Filofax and storage of cd's and this was their solution.

Given that LCDBONG16 was a limited edition release, finding a copy now is pretty tricky, especially if you want a copy in mint condition. At the time of writing this, Discogs have four for sale starting at £58 (https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/59504?ev=rb) but none of them seem to be in mint condition. As you can see above, mine has a few creases but overall it's in decent shape. 

On the wonderful depmod.com, there is some debate as to whether or not a few LCDBONG16's were released in a card sleeve alone i.e. not as part of the Filofax thing and without holes. Most people say no, but some say yes. Even when photos of this apparent release are produced, it's generally thought that the package has been skillfully cut from the Filofax pack. I've never seen any version of LCDBONG16 other than the Filofax pack, so I think a separate LCDBONG16 card sleeve release is unlikely. If you have it though, and if it's definitely not harvested from the Filofax pack, do let me know.

So there we are. The Depeche Mode Museo is officially open and the first artefact is the curious, almost pointless, but ultimately lovely Filofax pack. The next addition to the Museo will be along soon..

PRIEST - WE'RE THE SAME

Last year's winners of the Almost Predictable for best album of 2015, Priest, return with a new free download single We're The Same. The track still shows off Priest's masterful grasp of synthpop, but this time there's more steel to it with the addition of more muscular beats and something of a more aggressive feel to the music. They've not quite turned into Nine Inch Nails, but by adding some power to their sound, Priest have simultaneously retained what made them so appealing in the first instance whilst adding new dimensions to their music. Once again, they show that they're genuine contenders and a breakthrough is only a matter of time.

Go and grab your free download on the band's Soundcloud page.

Priest Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/xpriestx/were-the-same-2

MT. DOUBT - IN AWE OF NOTHING

Mt. Doubt's 2015 debut album My Past Is A Quiet Beast was one of my favourite albums of last year with its blend of deep lyrics and dark, intriguing guitar pop a real breath of fresh air. Leo Bargery quickly established himself as one of Scotland's most interesting new singer-songwriters, and In Awe Of Nothing, a quick follow up to My Past..., shows that the last twelve have only scratched the surface of what Mt Doubt is capable of. Merging dark pop with indie rock, bits of post punk and powerful, affecting songwriting, In Awe Of Nothing is yet another, tremendous Mt. Doubt release.

Recent single Afterglow (below) shows Mt. Doubt at their best with its irresistible melodies encased warm but edgy guitars. Thirst, Sheer And Utter and Soak are in a similar vein, each one distinct from the other, but all following one of Mt. Doubt's key paths - emotional, guitar led, anthemic indie pop with a near the surface undertone of sheer power that is only revealed when the song's are played live. There, songs which grab you on record take on a new life and that's one of the most intriguing things about Mt. Doubt. Both in their recorded and live versions, these songs are impossible to ignore.  Closing track Bastard Sea comes closest to combining the two and it's a thrilling end to the album. Bargery gives us the full Matt Beringer meets Eddie Vedder vocal style that sounds so huge live and it's a real treat.

In Awe Of Nothing is a noticeable step on from My Past Is A Quiet Beast, mainly because the songs here have a fresh confidence to them, feeling less confessional and private that the tracks on the debut. That's not to belittle that album of course because, as I mentioned above, I love it and you really should hear it, but In Awe Of Nothing adds new dimensions to Mt. Doubt's sound and is yet more evidence that this is a very special band indeed. It's a special album too - give it a listen.

In Awe Of Nothing by Mt. Doubt is out now on Scottish Fiction on very limited vinyl, cd and download. Mt. Doubt are playing the T-Break stage this Saturday (9 July) at 2 p.m at T In the Park. Check out their Facebook page below for more details and for all news and upcoming gigs.

Mt Doubt Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MtDoubt/?fref=ts
Mt Doubt Bandcamp https://mtdoubt.bandcamp.com/album/in-awe-of-nothing

MACHINES IN HEAVEN - PHENOMENOLOGY

One of the most thrilling things about Glasgow trio Machines In Heaven is the near relentless way in which they develop. Never shy to push their own boundaries, the band have moved on quickly from their debut album bordersbreakdown, altering shapes and styles through the superb Hindu Milk and Displacer  releases and now we find them at Phenomenology.  As second albums go, it's hugely ambitious, mixing styles, jumping around here and there and sending you deep into a world of electronics. Happily though, it's wonderful album. There's none of the Machines do pop of Displacer or Feel Slow here but this band are all about development and trying new things so that's fine. Welcome to an entirely different world.

On first listen the album can seem a bit challenging. There's a lot going on all over the place and it's probably not designed to be taken in in one fell swoop. Once you've absorbed the whole thing though, you're hooked and each listen reveals further delights. Let's Hang Out At Pluto for example is a wonderful track built around a vocal that's distorted and treated, with electronic sounds and guitars bounding around either side of it, taking you on a cosmic journey. Logarithm  is my personal favourite, a wonderful electro symphony that stands up easily with the band's best work. It's a joyous track, bursting with synthy delights. The heavily vocodered vocals only add to the experience. A must hear.

Elsewhere on the album, you dip your toe into dark electronic waters with Ruix Con with its despairing lyrics ("I wish I'd known you/I wish I'd never known you")  set against a background of the kind of chilling noises that strike an immediate chord with you. Davey's vocals are really impressive here too, showing a real depth that matches the song. 8034 sees the band produce one of their heaviest sounds yet, as the track explodes into life in the last few minutes with the mix of electronics giving way to a full on post punk explosion of guitars and bass. It's exhilarating. Dr Whit follows a similar plan, but instead it's proggy, meandering electronics drag you in, before a burst of noisy but uplifting melody takes you home. Again, it's another track you want to here. The band even dabble in cosmic dicso with 20-XX and that too works beautifully.

Elsewhere, you'll find tracks with a space jazz feel to them, tracks with a Krautrock feel in places and, as you'd hope, scorching electronica. 

There aren't many bands like Machines In Heaven really. Their ability to make experimental music whilst simultaneously keeping it melodic enough to grab the ear and refusing to compromise on anything is quite brilliant. Phenomenology is yet another step forward for the Machines and they show no signs of slowing down or doing anything other than continuing to boldy go where very few other artists are brave enough to go. This is a proper, full on magnum opus of an album and, once you crack Phenomenology's code, you are going to be hooked.

Phenomenology by Machines In Heaven is out now on Hot Gem Tunes and is available in all the usual digital places.

Machines In Heaven Facebook https://www.facebook.com/machinesinheaven/?fref=ts

Hot Gem Tunes http://hotgem.co.uk/