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'The Golden Hour of The Future' gets the re-issue treatment - and details of a podcast featuring Martyn Ware discussing the recordings, here's the official PR blurb;

Way back in 2002, Richard X's label Black Melody secured the rights to release previously unheard gems recorded by The Future and Human League MK 1 prior to the release of 'Reproduction' in 1979.

A few thousand CDs were pressed and within a year, copies were ending up on Ebay for extortionate prices.

Black Melody now plans to re-release a remastered 'Golden Hour' for those who missed this blueprint of electro things to come.
Influential producer Richard X contacted us with a few more details...

'After much demand, there is a remastered edition of 'The Golden Hour Of The Future' due out on September 8th 2008 on Black Melody.
The album covers the early electronic recordings of the band pre-their international superstardom.
We've been back to the original 1977 (cassette) mastertapes and what with the advancement of audio restoration software, a little more quality has been squeezed out for your pleasure.
Its going to be available for the first time digitally online through all the usual outlets as well as CD.

There will be more news soon at http://www.myspace.com/thegoldenhourofthefuture. Sign up there for the mailing list, they'll be pre-ordering info shortly.'

An extended podcast with League founder Martyn Ware will be available via the Black Melody website soon in which the electronic innovator explains the ideas behind these early 'Golden Hour' gems

Links to podcast and the blurb here;

http://www.league-online.com/

I've no idea why they've gone to the extra expense of cleaning the tapes up as the hiss, noise and the whole DIY nature is a considerable part of the recordings charm.

Gazza

ok I'll see what I can rustle up!

Wo-hoo!

Thanks for this Garry. Excellent stuff. BTW You fell for the old 'full-stop-at-the-end-of-link' trick. Here is the link: -

http://www.myspace.com/thegoldenhourofthefuture

No. Do they sound like who they were soon to become?

Nay, not a bit. They were still very experimental à la Future / Human League Mk 1. Must get those tracks up somewhere for all to enjoy.

edit: maryann please pvt mail me.

The 'How much is Art worth? debate could rage on; Dare is to be given away free this week in the Daily Mail. Another album also being given away is Heaven 17's The Luxury Gap.

Spandau Ballet's True was also given away free on Saturday. On a personal level, this means I did finally lose an argument I had 20+ years ago when I said that you couldn't give Spandau Ballet away.

Well, I suppose thats all part of having become part of the status quo, any art aspect of it is quickly forgotten, and its accessibility is an ever open door, but the real danger is in the likelihood of being taken for granted, and then possibly becoming completely forgotten for whatever the original art was,
(this is not necessarily my opinion about any of the albums quoted! )

Well they did the same with Tubular bells some months ago didn't they so I s'pose it was only a matter of time.
Is this a 'Virgin' thing BTW?

There's a few Virgin albums in there but it looks like a joint effort between CBS and EMI. The Virgin albums are:

Culture Club - Colour By Numbers
Simple Minds - Once Upon A Time
Human League - Dare
Heaven 17 - The Luxury Gap