First Lyrics to Closing Lyrics (A Series) Pt.8: I Remember Nothing

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! Been a busy day for me...renovations and stuff.

Hours before 2012 ends and 2013 starts, I figured I'd make another post in my little series. Don't worry; it'll continue on into the new year. Just to recap, this is going to be a part of a  series of posts I'm going to make on this blog. This'll be where I compare an early set of lyrics to a later set of lyrics for one Joy Division song. Sometimes I may compare multiple sets of lyrics of just one song to each other. When you couple in a lot of the live variations to certain songs, you can get all sorts of results.

As I mentioned before, for this post, I was going to do either "I Remember Nothing" or "Exercise One". I decided to do I Remember Nothing.

"I Remember Nothing" was either an opener or a closer (minus encores) to every JD gig it was performed in.  It is also the closer to the first JD album Unknown Pleasures. Along with "In a Lonely Place", this was arguably one of their eeriest, loneliest, darkest songs. This is an interesting song; Ian plays guitar, while Bernard plays synth. Live versions seemed to indicate where New Order would take a lot of their early music, especially with songs like "Temptation" and their version of "In a Lonely Place".

Not too many JD versions of this song exist; like "Candidate", it seemed it wasn't a favorite of either the band or the audience. As such, I have decoded EVERY known version and am posting them here. If I'm missing any version, please let me know.

The song was already in existence and played live before Unknown Pleasures. The lyrics, again, like "Candidate", were fully developed in the album version, but then morphed and amputated slightly for all future versions, which is both a crying shame and really strange for a JD song. True, the album version had overdubs to include more vocals/lyrics and they couldn't exactly replicate that for live versions, but Peter Hook could've sang with Ian during gigs AND Ian could've sang more lyrics than he did for the live versions. Anyway, most versions last about 6 minutes, including the album version, but there are also versions that range from about 5 minutes to 8 minutes long.



First known version, first live version. Closed the concert (or would have, if not for "Sister Ray", which I don't know was an encore or not). Despite the horrendous quality of the recording, you can actually pick out a few of Ian's lyrics. But it was difficult, and I may or may not have gotten some of them wrong. If you have any corrections, please let me know. Also, the date of this version is debatable, but I listed it as its most likely date.

Band on the Wall, Manchester (March 13, 1979) [?]

We were strangers

We were strangers for way too long

For way too long

We were strangers

We strangers

We strangers

Strangers

Strangers

Strangers

Strangers

Strangers

Strangers

Second version, second live version. Closed the concert, with "No Love Lost" as the encore. I find it strange that this version has less lyrics than the last version. Perhaps that could be used to date the previous version more accurately, but I dunno. Probably just Ian still figuring out the song. This version lasts almost exactly 5 minutes and has the least amount of lyrics of any version:

Bowdon Vale Youth Club, Altrincham (March 14, 1979)

We were strangers

We were strangers for way too long

For way too long...

Strangers

Strangers

Ooh...strangers

Third version, studio version. The overdubbed vocals are the ones in parentheses. The line with asterisks was extremely hard to decipher; Ian mumbles it, but that's what it sounds like to me. Let me know if you have a different interpretation. All future versions would only include snippets of these lyrics:

'Unknown Pleasures' Album Version (April 1979)

We were strangers

We were strangers for way too long

For way too long

We were (violent) strangers for way too (violent) long

*In therapy...*

Get weak all the time, may just pass the time

Me in my own world

Yeah, you there beside

The gaps are enormous; we stare from each side

We were strangers for way too long

Violent, more violent, his hand cracks the chair

Moves on reaction, then slumps in despair

Trapped in a cage and surrendered too soon

Me in my own world, the one that you knew

(For way too long)

(We were strangers for way too long)

We were strangers

We were strangers for way too long

For way too, aw, long

Fourth version. The first time the song opened a concert. Also, interesting history with this version. The taper of the gig was Duncan Haysom. Duncan remembers: “A month or so after Ian's death, when I first met Rob Gretton at Rough Trade in London, with six of my Joy Division master tapes, it was the Futurama tape that he wanted to hear first. He put on “I Remember Nothing” and I said he should fast forward to “Wilderness” as he'd be able to assess the tape better. He just smiled and said "I can tell fine with this track". He handed me a copy of Licht Und Blindheit/Sordide Sentimental and about 6 of those Flexi freebies. Rob was a really nice bloke.”:

Futurama One Festival, Leeds (September 8, 1979)

We were strangers

We were strangers for way too long

Way too long

Way too long...

Violent

Violent

Get weak all the time

May just pass the time

Me in my own world

You there beside

We were strangers for way too long

We were strangers, way too long

Fifth version. Also an opener:

Electric Ballroom, London (October 26, 1979)

We were strangers

We were strangers for way too long

For way too long

For way too long...

Violent

Violent

Get weak all the time

May just pass some time

Me in my own world

You there beside

We were strangers

We were strangers for way too long

Sixth version. Closed the concert, with "Transmission" as the encore. There is video footage of this version, and it's extremely atmospheric, dark, and creepy. Ian is terrifying. This is also the longest version, lasting almost 8 minutes:

Apollo Theatre, Manchester (October 28, 1979)

We were strangers

We were strangers for way too long

For way too long

For way too long...

Violent

Violent

Get weak all the time

May just pass the time

Me in my own world

You there beside

We were strangers

We were strangers

We were strangers, strangers

Way too long, for way too long...

Seventh and final version. Opened the concert:

Winter Gardens, Bournemouth (November 2, 1979) [Last Known Performance]

We were strangers

We were strangers for way too long

For way too long

For way too long...

Violent

Violent

Get weak all the time

May just pass the time

Me in my own world

You there beside

Just like strangers, way too long

And that's all I have today. Thank you all so much for reading my blog and following it. Happy New Year once again. Hope you all have a fantastic year. :)

-Wallflower

First Lyrics to Closing Lyrics (A Series) Pt.7: Candidate

I'm in a pretty prolific mood, so why not another one?

Just to recap, this is going to be a part of an occasional series of posts I'm going to make on this blog. This'll be where I compare an early set of lyrics to a later set of lyrics for one Joy Division song. Sometimes I may compare multiple sets of lyrics of just one song to each other. When you couple in a lot of the live variations to certain songs, you can get all sorts of results.

Today's choice is a lesser known/celebrated song in the JD catalog: Candidate.

This song is one of my friend's personal favorite JD songs. Cheers, Darkman! :)

Despite two studio recordings, "Candidate" was rarely played live. At least, all recordings of gigs we have point to that conclusion. As such, I have decoded EVERY known version and am posting them here. If I'm missing any version, please let me know.

Every version seemed to differ significantly in some way or another, either with length, guitar riffs, or vocals. The earliest known version, the studio version found on Unknown Pleasures, is both the longest running version (about 3 minutes) and the most lyrically complete (with three verses and a closing chorus). After that, all versions seemed to be shorted significantly (to about 2 minutes, two verses, and no chorus).

It's curious as to why they did this. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any other JD song  where Ian established a full set of lyrics for it early on, then started just completely amputating them.

First known version, first studio version:

‘Unknown Pleasures’ Album Version (April 1979)

Forced by the pressure, the territories marked

No longer the pleasure; I've since lost the heart

Corrupted from memory; no longer the power

It’s creeping up slowly, that last fatal hour

Oh, I don’t know what made me, what gave me the right

To mess with your values, and change wrong to right

Please keep your distance, the trail leads to here

There’s blood on your fingers, brought on by fear

I campaigned for nothing; I worked hard for this

I tried to get to you, you treat me like this

It’s just second nature; it’s what we’ve been shown

We’re living by your rules; that’s all that we know

I tried to get to you

I tried to get to you

I tried to get to you

Oh, I tried to get to you

Second version, second studio version:

Piccadilly Radio Session (June 4, 1979)

Forced by the pressure, the territories marked

No longer the pleasure, I've since lost the heart

Corrupted from memory, relinquish the power

It’s creeping up slowly, that last fatal hour

Please keep your distance, the trail leads to here

There’s blood on your fingers, brought on by fear

I campaigned for nothing; I worked hard for this

I tried to get to you, you treat me like this

Third version, first live version. This is the strangest and most unique version of all. It is only about 1:30 minutes long and only has one verse (which, btw, has a break between each of the four lines):

Roots Club, Leeds (July 11, 1979)

Forced by the pressure, the territories marked

No longer the pleasure, I've since lost the heart

Corrupted from memory, relinquish the power

It’s creeping up slowly, that last fatal hour

Fourth version. This is the most familiar live version, because it was included on both the Heart and Soul boxset and the 2007 2CD remaster of Unknown Pleasures. I assume this is the version that the Control movie's live version was based on, given the similar composition:

The Factory/Russell Club, Manchester (July 13, 1979)

Forced by the pressure, the territories marked

No longer the pleasure, I've since lost the heart

Corrupted from memories, no longer the power

It’s creeping up slow, that last fatal hour

Please keep your distance, the trail leads to here

Blood on your fingers, brought on by fear

I campaigned for nothing; I worked hard for this

I tried to get to you, you treat me like this

Fifth version (Ian screws up the last lines of the first verse; I can't make out the final line too well). The taper of this gig was apparently asked to leave the venue. He managed to record just four songs. "Candidate" was the last one he recorded:

Nashville Ballrooms, London (August 13, 1979)

Forced by the pressure, the territories marked

No longer the pleasure, I’ve since lost the heart

Corrupted from memory, I worked hard for this

No one could tell me, the blood on...

Please keep your distance, the trail leads to here

There's blood on your fingers, brought on by fear

I campaigned for nothing; I worked hard for this

I tried to get to you, you treat me like this

Sixth and final version:

Civic Hall, Guildford (November 1, 1979) [Last Known Performance]

Forced by the pressure, the territories marked

No longer the pleasure, I’ve since lost the heart

Corrupted from memory, no longer the power

It’s creeping up slowly, that last final hour

Please keep your distance, the trail leads to here

Blood on your fingers, brought on by fear

I campaigned for nothing; I worked hard for this

I tried to get to you, you treat me like this

And that's all, folks. Again, please let me know if I missed any version. Thanks for reading. Next one will probably be either "I Remember Nothing" or "Exercise One". :)

First Lyrics to Closing Lyrics (A Series) Pt.6: Transmission

A belated Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! And if you don't like either of those, then Happy Shut-The-Fuck-Up. Anyway, here's another lyrical comparison.

Just to recap, this is going to be a part of an occasional series of posts I'm going to make on this blog. This'll be where I compare an early set of lyrics to a later set of lyrics for one Joy Division song. Sometimes I may compare multiple sets of lyrics of just one song to each other. When you couple in a lot of the live variations to certain songs, you can get all sorts of results.

Today's choice is a song that lyrically really didn't receive too much variation through Joy Division's career and is often regarded as one of their poppiest and best songs: Transmission. 

I can think of no other Joy Division song that was recorded in the studio or performed live more times than this song. FIVE different studio recordings (counting the Peel session), a performance live on TV, and ENDLESS amounts of concert performances. Dear God...one of their few songs that attracted a lot of attention to the band, alongside "She's Lost Control" and "Love Will Tear Us Apart".

Deborah Curtis, in her book Touching From a Distance, said this of Transmission: "The Paris gig [Les Bain Douches] later in December was attended by a young Frenchman called Franck Essner. After hearing 'Transmission' on the radio, he and his friends had tried to set up a publication of a fanzine and intended to use this as a means of acquainting themselves with the band that wrote the song they loved so much. Towards the end of the afternoon, Franck managed to talk Rob [Gretton] into the idea of an interview and they exchanged addresses. Later, he sat next to Ian for dinner and they became friends."

It has been documented that Ian only wanted one album (Unknown Pleasures) and one single. After the "Transmission" single was released, his ambitions were realized, and he wanted out of the music business. However, by the time the single was released on November 16, 1979, the band was beginning to get really huge. So Ian persevered, leading to the Closer album and the "Love Will Tear Us Apart" single. This always made me wonder. Ian only wanted ONE album, right? Well, originally, the RCA sessions from May 1978 were going to be the first album, before the deal fell through. Had those sessions been released as a proper album, would Ian have stayed in the music business, due to the band's popularity, and thus still killed himself? Keep in mind, in 1978, they were still very unknown and hadn't played too many gigs. Not to mention, we have no idea how well the album would have been received. My guess is that it would not have gotten the same universally well-received reviews as Unknown Pleasures. If the album had been officially released, followed by a single in 1979, I wonder what would have happened differently. Would Ian have met Annik? Would the material for Closer have been created? Would Ian have been several suicide attempts? One can only wonder...

Anyway, back on track! There's no way I'm going to document every version of "Transmission"; not only because there are so many, but especially given how the song didn't go through much lyrical change, as aforementioned. So, I have decided to include every studio version and a FEW live versions, each with extremely slight variation. I go in chronologically order for the first few versions, so I will be referring to the first few as "first", "second", "third", etc, but then I will start to skip around a bit.

First known version, first studio version. This is the only version that significantly differs from every other version of the song (which is understandable, given how early it is), both musically and lyrically. It has a lot of spacey, weird effects akin to the kind you would perhaps expect from the Moog that they used live for the siren sounds in "Disorder". The guitar riffs differ in some places, and Ian doesn't scream the "And we could dance" line:

RCA Sessions, Arrow Studios, Manchester (May 3-4, 1978)

Radio, live transmission

Radio, live transmission

Listen to the silence; let it ring on

Eyes, dark gray lenses, frightened of the sun

We would make a fine pair, living in the night

Left to blind destruction; take away our sight

We could go on as though nothing was wrong

And hide from the days to remain all alone

Stayed in the same place, staring all the time

Touching from a distance, further all the time

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

And I could call out when the going gets tough

And we could make contact if we just holler

No language, just sound, is all that I know

We'll synchronize love to the beat of the show

And we could dance

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Second version, second studio version. This is when the lyrics and music start becoming more modern, like how you would expect them to be:

1^st Peel Session (January 31, 1979)

Radio, live transmission

Radio, live transmission

Listen to the silence; let it ring on

Eyes, dark gray lenses, frightened of the sun

We would have a fine time, living in the night

Left to blind destruction, waiting for our sight

We would go on as though nothing was wrong

Hide from these days to remain all alone

Stayed in the same place, just staying out the time

Touching from a distance, further all the time

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

And I would call out when the going gets tough

The things that we've learned are no longer enough

No language, just sound, is all we need know

To synchronize love to the beat of the show

And we could DANCE!

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Third version, third studio version. I ALWAYS loved the double guitar riff after the second "Radio, live transmission" line in this version (and I think it's pretty exclusive to this version as well). There are also a few changes in the bass riff, which I also like:

Genetic Demo, Eden Studios, London (March 4, 1979)

Radio, live transmission

Radio, live transmission

Listen to the silence; let it ring on

Eyes, dark gray lenses, frightened of the sun

We would have a fine time, living in the night

Left to blind destruction, waiting for our sight

We would go on as though nothing was wrong

Hide from these days, we remained all alone

Stayed in the same place, just staying out the time

Touching from a distance, further all the time

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

I would call out when the going gets tough

The things that we've learned are no longer enough

No language, just sound, is all we need know

To synchronize love to the beat of the show

And we could DANCE!

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Fourth version, first known live version. I'm pretty sure this is also the earliest version where you can hear Peter Hook singing backing vocals on the choruses. Bernard Sumner might also be doing this, but I can't really distinguish his voice. Ian sings like his normal enigmatic self, while Peter pretty much barks and growls through the song:

Live at the Bowdown Vale Youth Club, Altrincham (March 14, 1979)

Radio, live transmission

Radio, live transmission

Listen to the silence; let it ring on

Eyes, dark gray lenses, frightened of the sun

We would have a fine time, living in the night

Left a blind destruction, waiting for our sight

We would go on as though nothing was wrong

Hide from these days, we remained all alone

Stayed in the same place, just staying out the time

Touching from a distance, further all the time

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Oh, I would call out when the going gets tough

The things that we've learned are no longer enough

No language, just sound; all we need know

To synchronize love to the beat of the show

And we could DANCE!

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Alright, I'm skipping ahead now to the fourth studio version. This was the demo version they recorded before the Single version. Ian sings really badly here, and his voice cracks on the word "beat":

1^st Transmission Single session, Central Sound Studios, Manchester (Mid-July 1979)

Radio, live transmission

Radio, live transmission

Listen to the silence; let it ring on

Eyes, dark gray lenses, frightened of the sun

We would have a fine time, living in the night

Left to blind destruction, waiting for our sight

We would go on as though nothing was wrong

Hide from these days, we remained all alone

Staying in the same place, staring out the time

Touching from a distance, further all the time

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

I would call out when the going gets tough

The things that we've learned are no longer enough

No language, just sound, is all we need know

To synchronize love to the beat of the show

And we could DANCE!

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

And here is the fifth and final studio version, which became the "Transmission" single version:

“Transmission” Single, Strawberry Studios, Stockport (July 28-August 4, 1979)

Radio, live transmission

Radio, live transmission

Listen to the silence; let it ring on

Eyes, dark gray lenses, frightened of the sun

We would have a fine time, living in the night

Left to blind destruction, waiting for our sight

We would go on as though nothing was wrong

Hide from these days, to remain all alone

Stay in the same place, just staying out the time

Touching from a distance, further all the time

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Well, I could call out when the going gets tough

The things that we've learned are no longer enough

No language, just sound, is all we need know

To synchronize love to the beat of the show

And we could DANCE!

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

And let's skip ahead again. From here on out, these are all just random live versions with slight differences here and there:

Futurama One Festival, Leeds (September 8, 1979)

Radio, live transmission

Radio, live transmission

Listen to the silence; let it ring on

Eyes, dark gray lenses, frightened of the sun

We would have a fine time, living in the night

Left to blind destruction, waiting for our sight...

Sight

We would go on as though nothing was wrong

Hide from these days, we remained all alone

Stayed in the same place, just stayed out the time

Touching from a distance, further all the time

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

I would call out when the going gets tough

Things that we've learned seemed no longer enough

No language, just sound, is all we need know

To synchronize love to the beat of the show

And we could DANCE!

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

“Something Else” BBC2 TV (September 15, 1979)

Radio, live transmission 

Radio, live transmission 

Listen to the silence; let it ring on 

Eyes, dark gray lenses, frightened of the sun 

We would have a fine time, living in the night 

Left to blind destruction, waiting for our sight 

We would go on as though nothing was wrong 

Hide from these days, we remained all alone 

Stayed in the same place, just staying out the time 

Touching from a distance, further all the time 

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio 

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio 

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio 

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio 

Oh, I would call out when the going gets tough 

The things that you’ve learned are no longer enough 

No language, just sound, is all we need know 

To synchronize love to the beat of the show 

And we could DANCE! 

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio 

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio 

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio 

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Live at The Warehouse, Preston (February 28, 1980)

Radio, live transmission

Listen to the silence; let it ring on

Eyes, dark gray lenses, frightened of the sun

We would have a fine time, living in the night

Left to blind destruction, waiting four our sight

We would go on as though nothing was wrong

Hide from these days, we remained all alone

Staying in the same place, just staring all the time

Touching from a distance, further all the time

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

I would call out when the going gets tough

The things that we've learned seem no longer enough

No language, just sound, is all we need know

To synchronize love to the beat of the show

And we could DANCE!

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

Now this very last version actually DOES differ significantly in the last verse. It's hard to tell what Ian is saying, since he mumbles through it (given how many times he's sang the song up to this point, how could he forget the lyrics?), but I did my best to decode it (if anyone has a different interpretation  please let me know). Just read it and you'll see just how weird it is:

High Hall, Birmingham University (May 2, 1980) [Last Live Performance/Version]

Radio, live transmission
Radio, live transmission

Listen to the silence, let it ring on
Eyes, dark gray lenses, frightened of the sun
We could have a fine time, living in the night
Left to blind destruction, waiting for our sight
Sight...

We would go on as though nothing was wrong
Hide from these days, we remained all alone
Stayed in the same place, just staying out the time
Touching from a distance, further all the time

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio

I would go on as though nothing was wrong
And hide from these days where Zeus was wrong
Head to the same place, just staring at no lie
Get to the bottom of, we wouldn't shine
And we could DANCE!

Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance to the radio!

Well, that about wraps it up. Thanks for reading, I hope you found this post informative and thought-provoking, and have a glorious New Year! :)

-Wallflower

First Lyrics to Closing Lyrics (A Series) Pt.5: Atmosphere

It's been a while...here's another one.

Just to recap, this is going to be a part of an occasional series of posts I'm going to make on this blog. This'll be where I compare an early set of lyrics to a later set of lyrics for one Joy Division song. Sometimes I may compare multiple sets of lyrics of just one song to each other. When you couple in a lot of the live variations to certain songs, you can get all sorts of results.

Today's choice is going to be a little bit shorter. Like the very first "First To Closing Lyrics" post, I will only be taking a look at one song's two studio versions: Chance/Atmosphere. 

Often regarded as one of JD's best songs, "Atmosphere" is a time-honored capsule of JD itself. It's one of my personal favorite songs of theirs, like anyone.

Most people nowadays know that the first version of the song was originally called "Chance", as that version was included on the Heart and Soul boxset. The song was an in-studio improvisation, done during the Piccadilly Radio Sessions on June 4, 1979. At the time, no name was given to it, so Martin Hannet dubbed the song "Chance". The lyrics of that early version were pretty different than what they would ultimately become.

The song held its name for live shows, apparently until the gig at Royalty Theatre, Kingsway, London on June 17, 1979. Rob Gretton’s physical set-list from that show was published in 2006 and apparently the name “Chance” was crossed out and replaced with the name “Atmosphere”. Who renamed it, I don't know, but from then on, the song was known by that name.

First version:

Piccadilly Radio Session (June 4, 1979) (First Studio Session) 

Walk in silence 

Walk away in silence 

See the danger, always danger 

Endless talking, life rebuilding 

Don’t walk away 

Face the danger 

Walk in silence 

Don’t walk away in silence 

See the danger, always danger 

Rules are broken 

False emotions 

Don’t walk away 

People like you find it easy 

Always in tune, walking on air 

They’re hunting in pacts, by the rivers through the streets 

It may happen soon, then maybe you’ll care 

Walk away, walk away 

From danger 

I…I’m just crossing the line 

Just crossing the line 

Trying to get by 

Back where I was, back where I was… 

See me crossing the line 

Don’t walk away 

Don’t walk away 

Don’t walk away 

Don’t walk away 

From the danger… 

Just crossing the line… 

Just crossing the line…

(The full version has never been released in any form, unfortunately...the song fades out with the closing "Just crossing the line..." lines.)

Lyrically, "Chance" is a lot longer and more fragile than the later version. Ian sings it with a great deal of insecurity, it seems. I guess he wasn't used to improvising with lyrics (as you can tell in some of the IALP rehearsals). I actually prefer these lyrics. I wish Ian had kept the choruses. FYI, I plan on covering the constant "line" imagery that I keep seeing in Ian's lyrics sometime...

The second, more famous version (that Anton Corbijn's video used):

‘Sordide Sentimental’ Studio Session (October-November 1979)

Walk in silence

Don’t walk away in silence

See the danger, always danger

Endless talking, life rebuilding

Don’t walk away

Walk in silence

Don’t turn away in silence

Your confusion, my illusion

Worn like a mask of self hate

Confronts and then dies

Don’t walk away

People like you find it easy

Naked to see, walking on air

Hunting by the rivers, through the streets; every corner

Abandoned too soon, set down with due care

Don’t walk away in silence

Don’t walk away

And there you have it! Atmosphere's evolution. I plan on covering the many live versions of "Atmosphere" some other time. Ian would change the lyrics and combine these two drafts CONSTANTLY during live shows.

Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading.

-Wallflower

First Lyrics to Closing Lyrics (A Series) Pt.4: No Love Lost

Another one!

Just to recap, this is going to be a part of an occasional series of posts I'm going to make on this blog. This'll be where I compare an early set of lyrics to a later set of lyrics for one Joy Division song. Sometimes I may compare multiple sets of lyrics of just one song to each other. When you couple in a lot of the live variations to certain songs, you can get all sorts of results.
So...today's song is an easier one to track. No Love Lost. An extremely underrated Joy Division song that was criminally and largely ignored by the band throughout their career.

I've decoded all but ONE version of the versions of the song that I know of (although I am aware that there is an instrumental version from a 1977 rehearsal floating around out there somewhere). The one version that I didn't decode was "Live at the Roots Club, Leeds (July 11, 1979)". I do not have this gig in my possession but I have heard it once before; pretty bad quality. If there any variations in lyrics for No Love Lost, I'm guessing they're relatively minor.

Here's the first version (with lyrics, anyway), which also happens to be the first studio version:

‘An Ideal For Living’ EP Version (December 1977)

So long, sitting here; didn’t hear the warning

Waiting for the tape to run

We’ve been moving ‘round in different situations

Knowing that the time would come

Just to see you torn apart, witness to your empty heart

I need it

I need it

I need it

Through the wire screen, the eyes of those standing outside looked in at her

As into the cages of some rare creature in a zoo

In the hand of one of the assistants, she saw the same instrument

Which they had, that morning, inserted deep into her body

She shuddered instinctively

No life at all, in the house of dolls

No love lost, no love lost

You’ve been seeing things in darkness, not in learning

Hoping that the truth will pass

No life underground, wasted, never changing

Wishing that this day won’t last

To never see you show your age, to watch until the beauty fades

I need it

I need it

I need it

Legendarily, the second verse of this version is almost completely and directly quoted from the book "House of Dolls", a book about Nazi prison compounds during WWII. Ian Curtis was very informed about the past, wasn't he? The next version skips directly to the second studio version; I have no idea if there are live versions that took place in between the two. This is curious, because Ian changed the second verse for this second version:

RCA Studio Sessions (May 3 and 4, 1978)

So long, sitting here; didn’t hear the warning

Waiting for the tape to run

We’ve been moving ‘round in different situations

Knowing that the time would come

Just to see you torn apart, witness to your empty heart

I need it

I need it

I need it

Two way mirror in the hall

They like to watch everything you do

Transmitters, hidden in the wall

So they know everything you say is true

Turn it on

Don’t turn it on

Turn it on

You’ve been seeing things in darkness not in learning

Hoping that the truth will pass

No life underground, wasted, never changing

Wishing that this day won’t last

To never see you show your age, to watch until the beauty fades

I need it

I need it

I need it

I assume Ian changed the second verse because it was in bad taste. It was quoted from a portion of "House of Dolls" about the brothel Joy Division, after all. Hell, the original artwork for An Ideal For Living featured a Nazi youth member.

When Rob Gretton became their manager he wanted to remove any negative publicity from the band that they were a group of Nazis; I assume in whatever ways he could manage. Whether he commissioned Ian directly to change the second verse of No Love Lost to remove the Nazi element, I don't know, but it'd make sense to me. From then on, all the following versions would have the alternate second verse.

Here's the third version, which is also the earliest known live version (again, I don't know if Ian ever sang the "House of Dolls" second verse live; Peter Hook and the Light eventually would, though, when they covered the song):

Live at the Bowdon Vale Youth Club, Altrincham (March 14, 1979)

So long, sitting here; didn’t hear the warning

Waiting for the tape to run

We’ve been moving ‘round in different situations

Knowing that the time would come

Just to see you torn apart, witness to your empty heart

I need it

I need it

I need it

Two way mirror in the hall

They like to watch everything you do

Transmitters, hidden in the wall

So they know everything you say is true

Turn it on

Turn it on

Turn it on

(The version is unfortunately incomplete; the soundboard tape ran out...)

And, finally, the last known version:

Live at Civic Hall, Guildford (November 1, 1979) [Last Version]

So long, sitting here; didn’t hear the warning

Waiting for the truth to pass

We’ve been moving ‘round in different situations

Hoping that the truth would pass

Just to see you torn apart, witness to your empty heart

I need it

I need it

I need it

Two way mirror in the hall

They like to watch everything you do

Transmitters, hidden in the walls

So they know everything you say is true

Turn it on

Turn it on

Turn it on

You’ve been hearing things in darkness, not in learning

Knowing that the truth will pass

No life underground, wasted, never changing

Wishing that this day would last

Never see you show your age, watch until the beauty fades

I need it

I need it

I need it

And there you have it. Lyrics to almost every version of the song. I hope you enjoyed reading this and found it interesting! : )

First Lyrics to Closing Lyrics (A Series) Pt.3: Novelty

It's been a long time since I made the last post, I know. Well, I'm here now, ready to make another lyrical comparison!

Just to recap, this is going to be a part of an occasional series of posts I'm going to make on this blog. This'll be where I compare an early set of lyrics to a later set of lyrics for one Joy Division song. Sometimes I may compare multiple sets of lyrics of just one song to each other. When you couple in a lot of the live variations to certain songs, you can get all sorts of results.
Today's song is a song that stuck with Joy Division all the way from the humblest of beginnings to about one year before it all ended... Novelty.

I've decoded just about every JD version of Novelty I could find, including the oldest rehearsal versions from August-September 1977, which really didn't have the best vocal quality. My main strategy for decoding all these songs was to decode one version that has good vocal quality, then use it as a guide to decode the other versions. This mainly helped with all the versions from before 1978. Later versions of the song (from 1979) would completely change lyrically from version to version.

Here's the first, earliest known version:

Rehearsals (August-September 1977) (Take 1)

When people listen to you, it means a lot

'Cause you've got to work so hard for everything you got

Can't rest on our laurels now, not when you've got none

You find yourself in at the gutter, right back where you came from

Someone told me being in the know is a main thing

We all need the security that belonging brings

Can't stand on your own in these times, 'gainst all the odds

I don't wanna act all cool, like all the other sods

So you slap our backs and pretend you knew

About all the things that we were gonna do

Well, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do

When it's over?

(If there are any more lyrics in this version, I can't hear them.)

Here's the second version. It was during the same rehearsal as the version above, but I think the band took a break so that Ian could come up with a few more verses for a second take:

Rehearsals (August-September 1977) (Take 2)

When people listen to you, don't you know it means a lot?

'Cause you've got to work so hard for everything you got

Can't rest on our laurels now, not when you've got none

You find yourself in at the gutter, right back where you came from

Someone told me being in the know is a main thing

We all need the security that belonging brings

Can't stand on your own in these times, 'gainst all the odds

I don't wanna act all cool, like all the other sods

You slap our backs and pretend you knew

About all the things that we were gonna do

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do

When it's over?

Standing on your own, now; don'tcha think that it's a shame?

But you're the only one responsible that's to blame

When you gonna grow and act, and be yourself?

But pretty soon you find yourself nailed to the shelf

*Born in a half onto the wall, you wanna crawl*

*Oh, I never happened to the drawers, that they explored*

Whatcha gonna do when the novelty has gone?

Whatcha gonna do when the novelty has gone?

Grab it while you can, but don't ever relax

'Cause there's always someone gonna stab your back

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do

When it's over?

Grab it while you can, but don't...ooh...

(Lines with asterisks around them mean I'm not 100% sure)

So by this point, the first draft of lyrics for the song (which I call the "Warsaw" lyrics) was complete. Ian would use them for the following live version and studio session. Here's the third version:

Live at Rock Garden, Middlesbrough (September 14, 1977) [First Live Version]

When people listen to you, don't you know it means a lot?

'Cause you've got to work so hard for everything you got

Can't rest on our laurels now, not when you've got none

You find yourself in a, the gutter, right back where you came from

Someone told me being in the know is a main thing

We all need the security that belonging brings

Can't stand on your own in these times, 'gainst all the odds

I don't wanna act all cool, like all the other sods

You slap our backs and pretend you knew

About all the things that we were gonna do

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do

When it's over?

You're on your own, now; don'tcha think that it's a shame?

But you're the only one responsible that's to blame

When you gonna grow up and act, and be yourself?

But pretty soon you find yourself nailed to the shelf

*Born in a half into the prime, you wanna crawl*

*I never happened to the drawers, you went explored*

Whatcha gonna do when the novelty has gone?

Whatcha gonna do when the novelty has gone?

Grab it while you can, but don't ever relax

'Cause there's always someone gonna stab your back

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do

When it's over?

Fourth Version:

RCA Studio Sessions (May 3-4, 1978) [First Studio Version]

When people listen to you, don't you know it means a lot?

'Cause you've got to work so hard for everything you got

Can't rest on your laurels now, not when you've got none

You find yourself in the gutter, right back where you came from

Someone told me being in the know is the main thing

We all need the security that belonging brings

Can't stand on your own in these times, 'gainst all the odds

I don't wanna act all cool, like all the other sods

You slap our backs and pretend you knew

About all the things that we were gonna do

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do

When it's over?

You're on your own, now; don'tcha think that it's a shame?

But you're the only one responsible that's to blame

When you gonna grow up and act, and be yourself?

But pretty soon you find yourself nailed to the shelf

Grab it while you can, but don't ever relax

'Cause there's always someone gonna stab your back

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do

When it's over?

From here, as far as I can tell, the song was ostensibly dropped (or there just aren't any recorded/released versions) until July 1979, when the song was chosen to be the B-Side for the "Transmission" single. Why they chose that song, I'm not sure, but I'm so glad that they did.

The band had TWO recording sessions, trying to create good versions of the songs Transmission and Novelty for release on the single. Here's the 1st session take from the "Transmission" single sessions and also the fifth version of the song:

1st Transmission Session (July 1979)

When people listen to you, don't you know it means a lot?

'Cause you've got to work so hard for everything you've got

Can't rest on your laurels now, not when you've got none

You find yourself in the gutter, right back where you came from

Where you gonna run to now, where you gonna hide?

All the dreams you ever had in tatters, at the side

Thinking on your own at last of every small mistake

Never took a chance at all with everything at stake

Then you slap our backs and pretend you knew

About all the things that we were gonna do

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do

When it's over?

You're on your own, now; don't ya think that it's a shame?

But you're the only one responsible to take the blame

Staring in the mirror now, at everything you've seen

Look into the future too, and see what might have been

And you slap our backs and pretend you knew

About all the things that we were gonna do

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do

When it's over?

As you can tell, Ian had remade pretty much all of the lyrics for the single. For the 2nd session take, however, Ian used another set of lyrics that more or less combined the "Warsaw" version and this new draft version of the song. Here's the sixth version:

2^nd Transmission Session/Transmission Single Version (July-August 1979)

When people listen to you, don't you know it means a lot?

'Cause you've got to work so hard for everything you got

Can't rest on your laurels now, not when you've got none

You find yourself in the gutter, drive back where you came from

Someone told me being in the know is the main thing

We all need the security that belonging brings

Can't stand on your own in these times, 'gainst all the odds

You'll just fall behind, like all the other sods

You slap our backs and pretend you knew

About all the things that we were gonna do

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do

When it's over?

You're on your own, now; don'tcha think that it's a shame?

But you're the only one responsible that's to blame

So whatcha gonna when the novelty has gone?

Yeah, whatcha gonna do when the novelty has gone?

You slap our backs and pretend you knew

About all the things that we were gonna do

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do

When it's over?

Novelty, being the B-Side for the new single, was likely played live at least a few times to promote it. Here is the only live version from around this time, and also the very last and final known/released version of the song:

Live at The Factory-Russel Club (July 13, 1979) [Last Version]

Ian: Um...heh heh...this... th-this one's a very old song. Um...about two years old. Some of you might remember it.

When people listen to you, don't you know it means a lot?

'Cause you've got to work so hard for everything you've got

Can't rest on your laurels now, not when you've got none

You find yourself in the gutter, right back where you came from

Where you gonna run to now, where you gonna hide?

All the dreams you ever had in tatters, at the side

Staring in the mirror now, at everything you've seen

Looking by the daylight now, just what might have been

There you slap our backs and pretend you knew

About all the things that we were gonna do

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do

When it's over?

You're on your own, now; don'tcha think that it's a shame?

But you're the only one responsible to take the blame

Whatcha gonna when the novelty fades away?

Yeah, whatcha gonna do when the novelty fades away?

There you slap our backs and pretend you knew

About all the things that we were gonna do

Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do

When it's over?

And there you have it! Lyrics to all seven JD versions of the classic song. Hope you found this as interesting as I did and thanks for reading! : )