Metamatic Forums News and Announcements John Foxx news Forthcoming Releases...

Next month sees the release of special double disc editions of The Garden, The Golden Section and In Mysterious Ways. Each album will be accompanied by a selection of associated extra tracks from the accompanying singles, together with some previously unreleased material. The booklets feature expanded artwork and lyrics. The full details and track-listings are as follows...

John Foxx : The Garden

Disc One
01. Europe After the Rain
02. Systems of Romance
03. When I Was a Man and You Were a Woman
04. Dancing Like a Gun
05. Pater Noster
06. Night Suit
07. You Were There
08. Fusion / Fission
09. Walk Away
10. The Garden

Disc Two
01. Swimmer II
02. This Jungle
03. Miles Away
04. A Long Time
05. Swimmer I
06. Fog previously unreleased
07. Swimmer III
08. Swimmer IV
09. Dance With Me (early version) previously unreleased
10. A Woman on a Stairway (early version) previously unreleased
11. Fusion / Fission (early version) previously unreleased
12. Miles Away (alternative version) previously unreleased

Tracks 07 and 08 on Disc Two of The Garden were originally titled The Quiet Man 3 and The Quiet Man 4 respectively.

Label : Demon / Edsel Records
Catalogue Number : EDSD 2014
Release Date : 22nd of September, 2008


John Foxx : The Golden Section

Disc One
01. My Wild Love
02. Someone
03. Your Dress
04. Running Across Thin Ice With Tigers
05. Sitting at the Edge of the World
06. Endlessly
07. Ghosts on Water
08. Like a Miracle
09. The Hidden Man
10. Twilight's Last Gleaming

Disc Two
01. Endlessly (single version)
02. My Wild Love (early version) previously unreleased
03. A Long Time (alternative version) previously unreleased
04. Annexe
05. Sitting at the Edge of the World (alternative version) previously unreleased
06. A Kind of Wave
07. Twilight's Last Gleaming (early version) previously unreleased
08. Running Across Thin Ice With Tigers (extended mix) previously unreleased
09. A Woman on a Stairway
10. The Lifting Sky
11. Shine On Me previously unreleased
12. Young Man
13. Wings and a Wind
14. The Hidden Man (alternative version) previously unreleased
15. Dance With Me
16. Endlessly (extended mix) previously unreleased

Label : Demon / Edsel Records
Catalogue Number : EDSD 2015
Release Date : 22nd of September, 2008


John Foxx : In Mysterious Ways

Disc One
01. Stars on Fire
02. Lose All Sense of Time
03. Spin Away previously unreleased
04. Shine On
05. Enter the Angel
06. In Mysterious Ways
07. What Kind of Girl
08. Stepping Softly
09. Enter the Angel II
10. Morning Glory

Disc Two
01. This Side of Paradise
02. Enter the Angel (alternative version) previously unreleased
03. To Be With You (alternative version) previously unreleased
04. And the Sky previously unreleased
05. Magic previously unreleased
06. Hiding in Plain Sight
07. Shine On (alternative version) previously unreleased
08. City of Light
09. Lumen De Lumine

Label : Demon / Edsel Records
Catalogue Number : EDSD 2016
Release Date : 22nd of September, 2008


There's also a new John Foxx compilation album entitled Glimmer...

John Foxx : Glimmer

Disc One
01. Glimmer
02. Plaza
03. No-One Driving (single remix)
04. Underpass
05. Quiet City *
06. Dislocation *
07. 030
08. Twilight's Last Gleaming
09. Sunset Rising
10. Cities of Light 5 (remix) * previously unreleased
11. Europe After the Rain
12. Hiroshima Mon Amour *
13. The Garden

Disc Two
01. Through My Sleeping *
02. Endlessly (single version)
03. My Sex *
04. He's a Liquid
05. Car Crash Flashback V2 *
06. Dancing Like a Gun
07. Just For a Moment *
08. Dislocated [with Jori Hulkkonen]
09. Burning Car
10. Miles Away
11. Stepping Sideways [with Harold Budd]
12. Free Robot [with Metamatics]
13. No-One Driving (early version) previously unreleased
14. Plaza (extended version) previously unreleased
15. Burning Car (Dubterror / Karborn mix) previously unreleased

* Recorded with Louis Gordon

Label : Demon / Edsel Records
Catalogue Number : MCDLX 097
Release Date : 22nd of September, 2008
Pre-order your copy online from Townsend Records .

Rob

Cheers Rob,

Loads to look forward to there.

Brian

WOW

Looking forward to hearing all the unreleased tracks. It's fantastic that Quiet Men 3 & 4 (Swimmer 3 & 4) are also included as these are two very good tracks previously only available on bootlegs.

Thanks Rob for posting the track listing.

Better have a word with the bank manager with all these CD's.

Peter

Yeah, that just about sums it up...

You're certainly not going to be disappointed...

Not quite, the track Swimmer 3 (The Quiet Man 3) was previously available on TOUCH Meridians 2 , while Swimmer 4 (The Quiet Man 4) was previously available on TOUCH Meridians 1 . However, both releases have been 'out of print' for many years - so it's really good to have been able to once again make them formally available...

Not a problem...

Rob

Well done, John, Steve & Rob (and all others involved) ... I hope you got the artwork just right. :rolleyes:

I'm sure they've not just got the artwork 'just right' Rodney, I'm sure they will have got it 'absolutely right'.

Great news about the re-releases Rob; thanks so much for letting us have the full track listing as soon as you've had it confirmed.

BLIMEY! AT BLEEDIN' LAST!!!!!

WO-HOOO!

*goes away, calms down...has a nice cup of tea*

Great to see QM3 & 4 available properly and looking forward to hearing ‘Fog’

Some might complain that the 12” of ‘Like A Miracle’ isn’t on there, but quite honestly, for me it goes on just far too long and I’m glad the second CD of ‘The Golden Section’ has missed it off in favour of various unreleased versions and a previously unreleased track.

I’ve said in the past on here that my least favourite track on ‘In Mysterious Ways’ is ‘This Side of Paradise’ and I notice that it’s been removed from the track-list and a completely new track is on the album instead! Blimey! Amending the track selection on an album that’s been around that long is no light decision I expect, so I’m looking forward to hearing ‘Spin Away’.

Many thanks Rob, and many thanks to all involved.

This all sounds very exciting - more from the vaults than we bargained for!

Rob - do you know if these will also be available digitally, either on iTunes or through Townsend?

While I would love to rush out and buy these reissues, I have to admit, I'm happy with my 2001 issues, and moreso (for reasons I won't go into), I simply can't justify buying new versions of albums that I have already just for the extra tracks.

My real interest is in these extra tracks, and this is just the sort of thing I'd be very happy to buy online as MP3 or whatever.

These are impressive double sets. I'm also more in favour of previously unreleased tracks as to 12" mixes.

Like a Miracle 12" is a powerful mix but as RadioBeach points out it goes far too long and it's recording is louder than the others which would break the natural flow of the tracks on side 2 and the general feel of each album. I'm sure it will turn up later on on some other CD. As Steve (Malins) has pointed out there's a series of tapes appearing on which the quality of the recordings has to be worked on but considered for future release. Endlessly indeed, are John's releases.


I'm ecstatic at the sight of Fusion/Fission (early version). I still cannot believe it. I had faith that it existed and Rob once hinted at its existence but also mentioned that it wasn't in a condition for release. Long live technology and human diligence at cleaning some of the previously unreleased tracks.

Thanks to all involved!

Chris

Certainly plenty of tantalising unreleased and alternative material in there, as well as a few intriguing mysteries! For example, the track "A Long Time", which I believe has now appeared as a bonus track in its various incarnations on all of John's first three albums!

I wonder if the various alternative versions of tracks from the Golden Section era form what would have been the mythical "In The Glow" project circa 1982, which John apparently shelved when he had fresh inspiration for what eventually became "The Golden Section"? Now I don't know about you, but I'm quite excited by songs of the quality of the GS material (which were always just a little spoiled by the dated Simmons electronic drum sounds) in the more psychedelic style of the original "Endlessly" single.

Just one slight disappointment for me is that "Hanging In The Air" hasn't made it onto the IMW bonus disc, which seems curiously light compared to the other re-releases. Of course this could be because there simply isn't as much unreleased material from that era, but as John thought "Hanging In The Air" good enough to play live on a Radio One session, it's a shame he never got round to making a studio recording of it.


Or did he, and it's buried on one of those cassettes in that big box in his attic?

I presume it is with his version of The Shadow of Your Smile. I wonder if the exclusive Osaka track is on the reissue. Time and Again or something like that?

Chris

The Osaka track sounds like something that was improvised live, so I doubt there's ever been a proper recording of it, live or otherwise.

I wonder if there's a similar reason for not including Hanging in The Air and The Shadow of Your Smile? It would be far too expensive to get the rights from Auntie Beeb for their use and perhaps no proper studio recordings exist anyhow. Afterall, the only versions we know were from a radio session that was recorded just prior to a tour - they may just have been something that grew out of rehearsing the live shows.

It will be interesting to hear the early version of To Be With You, curiously on IMW...

I'm pretty sure they are. This is the other highlight for me.

It's such a wonderful feeling that after so many years, when we were trying to find out as much about the mysterious ex-Ultravox singer who released some solo brilliant albums and singles, a lot of our wishes have now been realised.

I now wish that these reissues sell well so that John can release more of his recordings from the box in his attic, especially for the descerning group of admirers we represent.

Chris

Well Auntie Beeb has a predeliction for releasing their radio sessions. So with the flood of John's releases, but of solid quality of course, who knows.

"That electronic pioneer is very good. What's his name? John Foxx. Let's release them now at the height of the 80s revival!"

Watch this space...

Chris

Was n't there an extended version of "A Kind Of Wave" i'm sure I have a vinyl 12 inch of that in my collection.

"The Golden Section" looks very interesting to me as does "The Garden". IMW looks a little light on CD2 but excellent work in pulling the rare gems together.

Gary

Another solved mystery. The Quiet Man tracks are indeed from the same group of recordings as the Swimmer tracks. (Why didn't I think of that before! :rolleyes: ). To call them Swimmer now is a positive mood. This would leave John to record a fresh set of tracks for his on-going project The Quiet Man which, as we all know, is very much alive these days.

Long live art!

Chris

Why curiously?

I expect that's the period during which it was recorded. Either that or it 'fits' better at that point than anywhere else

Well given that the version we know is on Metamatic, I had associated it with that electronic period. It'll certainly be interesting to se how it differs.

There is along with extended versions of Like A Miracle, Wings and a Wind , Stars on Fire , Stairway (Hiding in Plain Sight) and possibly Enter the Angel .

Anyhow, we have them somewhere in our collection.

Chris

We mustn't forget that this release is a 'best of', not 'just' a collection of all the rare and otherwise unavailable bits and pieces that we think exist somewhere but maybe haven't heard before.

We, as the 'hardcore' of fans, probably have versions of most of these odd tracks anyway. So if they are not of decent quality and don't necessarily fit in with a marketing plan to raise profile etc, there is no point randomly 'adding' them to carefully planned releases that target a generic audience.

That could actually be counter productive

It's curious that from the ten original tracks that made The Golden Section ie Someone, Your Dress, Running Across Thin Ice With Tigers and Ghosts on Water are exclusive to this album. Ghosts on Water and Someone have that psychedelic feel that would make them seem as works-in-progress for the In The Glow project.

Your Dress, believe it or not, is John's audition for Roxy Music or The Explorers. Such were the rumours that they appear to be correct.

Chris

It was all looking good when I checked it through again last night. As usual, I think that Paul Agar has done a great job with all of the artwork...

The Garden contains five previously unreleased tracks and two (Swimmer III and Swimmer IV) which have been unavailable since 1983, The Golden Section contains eight previously unreleased tracks and In Mysterious Ways contains six previously unreleased tracks.

There is every intention to make all of these albums available digitally. I will post full details of where they can be purchased just as soon as I'm advised myself.

The reason to rename the Quiet Man tracks (which appeared on the Touch Meridians tapes : One and Two ) was so that there wouldn't be any confusion in people thinking that we had included Ultravox tracks on The Garden by mistake. Changing their names (from The Quiet Man 3 to Swimmer III and from The Quiet Man 4 to Swimmer IV) made more sense as there were two tracks entitled Swimmer which had already been ear-marked for inclusion on The Garden. So these two tracks aren't therefore necessarily from the same sessions as their namesakes.

There are NO plans at the moment for the BBC to formally release any of the radio sessions that John did with them. Just wishful thinking I'm afraid.

In The Glow was the name of the album which was to have followed The Garden - for a number of reasons that album (in that format) was never released, but a number of the tracks which were recorded for it came out as B'sides and extra tracks. In the same way Ultravox didn't have a Torque Point project - it was just a 'working title' for the album that eventually became Vienna - so In The Glow was just the name of what ultimately became The Golden Section.

Are you absolutely sure about this? 'Cos I'm not.

Rob

Mmmmmmmmm...all those boxes of tapes that John has archived...in my head I imagine it's like the end scene of the warehouse in Raiders of The Lost Ark

Right, I'll get the stick - who's got the map and that shiny round gold thing with the jewel in it?

The German Guy has it burned onto the inside of his hand - Herr X (Mr Touch & Go) of course!

Right Brian - you get the German, I'll get the stick and round up a few camels - We'll get to that tape collection even if it kills us!

...I just need to ask Hackney City Farm if they've got any camels...

While I fundamentally disagree with most of your post Chris, I do have the radio nottingham interview and can confirm the transcript runs like this:
(bear in mind this was 2003, a question that appeared quite random when John was on air to promote crash and burn, and he was recollecting events from 25 years previously).

The interview does not address 'how' he was asked to join Roxy, it just refers to the fact that he (allegedly) was. More attention is paid to a similar anecdote about The Clash.

NB - Why did you turn down that gig?
JF - well, it wasn't my kind of band, really. Much as I love them (and I think they're a briliant band) it wasn't what I wanted to do, at the time. I was more interested in solo electronics. And I didn't want to be in a band again anyway

There is (and never has been to my knowledge) any hint that John 'auditioned' for Roxy Music.

Dislocated - Jori Hulkonnen:
Records of my actions
Are mostly assumptions
Not observations...

Great stuff Rob et al, many thanks for posting, I look forward to these with watering mouth. I am a Swimmer in my own mouth. Some of my favourite songs in alternative versions, can't wait!

Excellent news!
They better be available over here.

Yes it is excellent news dear.

Glad your in an happy mood. :rolleyes:

YEAH!!!!
And released just in time for my birthday(and nearly a year after the ICA gig )
A good excusse for me to buy the whole lot in one go me thinks!
Will townsend give me a discount for a 'bundle buy'?

Cheers, Rob ... Does Paul's back cover artwork maintain the same theme as used on Metamatic, Metal Beat and A New Kind Of Man or has he taken a different approach? Personally, I've always been really fond of the original artwork for The Garden and its front and back cover photographs, the latter of which was sadly missed on the first Edsel CD release.

Well done on the extensive booklet, though. That's an unprecedented bonus, for sure ... you must have spent a 'bit' of time scanning and touching-up the images for that?!

I actually got 'into' John's solo music with The Garden, so I'm really looking forward to this release and all of the additional material that's been included ... any chance of another 2CD interview disc by John and Steve (as if what's coming isn't enough!) relating to The Garden ... Fusion/Fission perhaps?

Oh ... and the two tracks entitled Swimmer that were ear-marked for inclusion on The Garden were presumably Swimmer I and Swimmer II, that were eventually used as B-side tracks?

Cheers ...

Here's more "In the Glow" to wet your appetite. A discussion we had in the Ultravox Forum some "Foxx" years ago. Some excellent comments from Olaf, a full-time dj and Kraftwerk aficionado, and from Roger, now a full-time musician with new wave band Madame Sadowsky:

http://www.ultravox.org.uk/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000184#000001


Chris

I would really like to get this thread back on topic, and so I would like to address this issue (hopefully) once and for all. Ultimately, this thread is to discuss the forthcoming double CD rereleases of The Garden, The Golden Section and In Mysterious Ways, but it seems to have spent more time discussing an album that (to all intents and purposes) doesn't actually even exist.

I've read through the thread (over on EV from four years ago) that's been referenced here, and there's nothing there that can definitely confirm that In The Glow even exists. For a start, the track-listings are only conjecture. Olaf mentioned that he had read somewhere that a catalogue number had been allocated to In The Glow, but he was unable to confirm the source of that information. That's not particularly unique - in fact there are a couple of examples of that already happening, as there was supposed to be a Quiet Man EP (catalogue number IEP 13 ) and the track Someone Else's Closes was considered as being a single (with a catalogue number of WIP 6722 ) as a potential follow-up to the Slow Motion double single.

In an interview for the BBC programme Riverside, John had the following exchange (with Eddie Maelov) about an album he scrapped...

JF : No, what I do is actually I did another album and scrapped it 'cos I didn't like it very much to be honest.

EM : Now did you scrap a whole album?

JF : Yeah...

EM : Non of this appears on The Golden Section?

JF : One or two bits do, but I do that all the time because I record bits all the time and if I don't like them I throw them away.

A few years ago, I catalogued a large number of Johns 1/4", 1/2", 1" and 2" tapes - these were Original Master, Production Master and Multi-Track tapes. I checked though all of that information again last night, and nowhere is there a tape listed for the In The Glow album, nor is there another album (from around 1982) with a different working title.

Back in October 1983 John was interviewed by Richard Skinner for the BBC1 Radio Show Saturday Live...

RS: The end of the song Your Dress from The Golden Section, somebody observed to me that that sounds a little bit like Roxy Music at the end there, with the girls singing. Were you aware of that?

JF: Not at the time, not at all.

Which seems really strange if it been had written specifically as a way of auditioning to join Roxy Music.

Can we please now get back on topic?

Rob

Just to let you all know that the release date for the double disc versions of The Garden, The Golden Section and In Mysterious Ways has just been pushed back to Monday the 6th of October, 2008. Glimmer is still set to be released on Monday the 22nd of September.

Rob

Thanks as always to John, Rob and everyone involved in bringing all these tracks together. If any 'new' tracks turn up after the release date, im sure it will be due to reasons like those of 'no-one driving' and 'plaza' on 'Glimmer'. Like 'Metamatic', i consider these three albums to be the difinitive releases, and im more than happy with the track listings.

Just goes to prove that even John is capable of blatent fibbing for comic effect (as anyone who has read or listened to his recent sleeve notes and/or lectures for "Tiny Colour Movies" will be well aware... )

Now, who was it played all the keyboards on Metamatic again...?
/ducks/

We're on topic Rob. The previously unreleased tracks have us caught up in a whirl! Those early versions of The Golden Section tracks are hypnotic We've been waiting so long for these. We're gushing with excitement (no pun intended!).

Rob what we have on offer is more than what we've ever dreamed of.

One request, perhaps an interview disc (together with the remaining 12" versions) on the making of these albums would be nice. I'm sure that John would again entertain us with his artistic voice and prose.

October the what? Have I said something wrong?!?

Chris (one of John's diehards)

PS Tapes can get deleted or lost eg Danny Mitchell couldn't find his original version of If I Was but found his original version of Call of the Wild, which I've heard. The late Billy MacKenzie discarded the original version of Perhaps and re-recorded the whole set again to the frustration of everyone, a copy of the original which I have. It's a small world.

Whilst I understand your annoyance at the "In The Glow" story resurfacing again, Rob, I'd just like to make a couple of points here. Firstly, it is on topic - this thread is about the forthcoming re-releases of John's first 3 solo albums, and we're discussing the unreleased tracks that are on them and speculating as to where they come from.
Secondly, my understanding of the situation is that back in 1982 shortly after the release of the original "Endlessly" single, a short feature appeared in one of the music papers stating that John was currently working on an album called "In The Glow". I have no idea whether this came from John himself, a Virgin press release or a reporter - it could even be that a pushy journalist insisted on John giving him an album title and John just made one up on the spot, but the fact is an article was published stating that John was working on an album with that title.

In addition to your quoted Riverside interview, John was also asked about it in The Service (the old “fan club” magazine) and the question can still be found online at http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2463/secret.html;

"Q: On Riverside you said that you scrapped an LP. Was this after your original 'Endlessly' single?

A: What actually happened was I'd decorded about eight tracks when I decided not to continue with them because I suddenly got a lot of fresh ideas and songs which I felt I had to pursue. These became the Golden Section songs. All this happened at about the time of the 'Endlessly' single. It's not really a drama, as I tend to do this kind of thing all the time."

Whether or not some of these 8 tracks are the alternative or early versions on the forthcoming re-release of The Golden Section is open to speculation – for all we know, they may no longer exist. However, for many Foxx fans, myself included, John was making the best music of his career between 1981 and 1983, so any unreleased tracks from that era, whether part of an abandoned album or not, represent the “Holy Grail” of John’s lost or unreleased material. Hopefully you can understand our excitement that after 26 years we’re finally going to get to hear it.

I think its brilliant that the JF solo albums are being remastered and re-released but I doubt that they will be released where I live.

Wish I lived in the UK...

Thank you a lot,Rob! (and everyone who has worked on these re-releases too!).

Though I would love to have the 12" inch recordings in digitally quality too, I'm very thankfully for these re-releases. The same goes for the rare session tracks. But I think we should take it as it is : These tracks are rarities - and at least we have them as CDR recordings or on Vinyl!!!

Perhaps one or another track finds the way on later releases - as Chris mentioned on an Interview CD !?...

All I can say is I'm very keen to hear all the new material and I have to admit this is more I have awaited!!
And A special Thanks for including the Quiet Man(Swimmer) tracks on the Garden. Two great tracks finding a worthy home at the end!


You make me ( and I'm sure all the Others too) as a glad man!!! :rolleyes:


THANK YOU ALL A LOT!!!!


Cheers, Andreas

( Puuuh, this took a lot of time for me to writing 'cause my right arm is painful and I'm off from work...)

I'm sorry if I came across as being 'annoyed', 'cos that certainly wasn't my intention.

Instead I was more perplexed as to why everyone was more intent on wanting to discuss an album that doesn't exist as opposed to three albums that do. In the ensuing exchanges, which seem to have been centred around whether or not In The Glow could be discussed - as opposed to actually discussing it - no-one appears to have picked up on the fact that there's an 'alternative version' of A Long Time on the second disc of The Golden Section ("what was it about this track which made John want to revisit it?") and that the 'extended mix' of Endlessly (also on the second disc of The Golden Section) has been marked as being previously unreleased ("could this perhaps be a different version to the one which appeared on the Endlessly 12 inch single?").

In short, I've got absolutely no problem with In The Glow being discussed - the more discussion the better - so if there's someone out there who wants to start a thread, then please do so. But, I will say that the last time this issue was raised (some four years ago over on the EV website), it managed to garner only eight responses.

I'm a fan as well - I have been ever since I first heard Metamatic and Systems of Romance. I think that these releases are a really good balance of the expected and the unexpected. After all, would you really want a predictable release from John - wasn't it that edge that made everyone here a fan of his in the first place?

Rob

As for accompanying interview discs - they're being worked on even as I type. As usual, I'll post more news about them just as soon as I can.

The second disc of The Garden did seem to be the perfect place for them...

Sorry to hear that you've injured your arm - I hope that you'll soon be fully recovered.

Rob

Precisely...

Can we please just get the forthcoming editions of The Garden, The Golden Section, In Mysterious Ways and Glimmer out of the way before we start looking at any future releases?

Rob

Surely you mean 'as cunning as a Foxx' ?..




EG

Absolutely! Isn't he cunning?

Not a lot of people have talked about the alternative versions of Miles Way and A Long Time . Some of us have had the pleasure of listening to this other version of Miles Away before. Did John record these as part of the original sessions of these two tracks or were they remixed or re-recorded at a later date?

A Long Time seems like it's lost in time. After recording this track, it's funny how John did not pursue psychedelia for the second album but for his third. He's our music chameleon!

Chris

Still on these reissues (and thanks for the hint on Steve Malins working overtime! ), Metamatic and The Garden are each distinct works. The Golden Section is also distinct but not In Mysterious Ways which flows from where The Golden Section left off but more acoustic and romantic in places .

What effect did Brussels have on John's work? It all may have started in 1982 when he first worked with Antena. Was John ever romantically linked with Isabelle?

Chris

I don't live in the UK either, but I've bought John's cds online from Townsend Records. I pre-ordered the 3 new releases from that site several days ago.

Looking forward to receiving them very much. It's also great that both versions of 'Miles Away' are now officially released on the same cd.

In Mysterious Ways is not yet available to pre-order at Townsend unless you've pre-ordered it from another site.

Chris

Hi Chris - I did pre-order In Mysterious Ways from Townsend.

When you go to Townsend, if you type "John Foxx" in the search box, In Mysterious Ways doesn't appear on the first page with The Garden & The Golden Section albums. But click on "View All" & you'll see it's there.

Alternatively, type in Townsend & John Foxx into Google, click on the link & all of John's latest albums appear along with the album covers.

I've just done that.

Did not spot the "View all" button.

Anyhow, it should have been in the summary section.

Chris

Yeah, I agree. It's easily missed if it's not on the first page.

Ah, so that's how you do it. I nearly bought an original version off eBay (my old one is a little worn now). Might as well get the new one instead.

As far as I'm aware, the image you’re referring to...



... has appeared on all of the CD incarnations of The Garden.

It was on the back of the inlay (showing through the jewel-case) when it first appeared on CD (both for the UK release in 1993 and the Japanese release in 1995) and on the back of the card sleeve for the Japanese release in 2003. Although it wasn’t on the back of the inlay when Edsel released it in 2001, instead it was featured on the back of the booklet. It’s a very strong image, and there’s no reason why it would ever be omitted. And, you’ll be pleased to know that the forthcoming release will be no exception. As for its positioning...

Yes, a huge amount of time has been spent (by both myself and Paul Agar) scanning and retouching images for all of these forthcoming releases - so no change there then...

You’ll be pleased to know that it’s already in-hand, and it’s being worked upon even as I type...

I'm not sure about the title Fusion/Fission though as it does have some very strong connections with the Metamatic album...

Yes, these two Swimmer tracks (Swimmer I and Swimmer II) are the ones which appear on the 7 inch and 12 inch versions (respectively) of the Dancing Like a Gun single.

Rob

Here's the link with the album covers that I like ... The Garden is currently the featured album. In Mysterious Ways & The Golden Section are then the next albums shown.

http://www.townsend-records.co.uk/artist.php?artist=John+Foxx

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply, Rob. Yes, that's the back cover image I was referring to and, yes, I should have said, "...sadly missed on the back cover of the first Edsel CD release". Personally, I don't think the image looks quite right placed over the stained-glass window image, presumably from The Church booklet. I would preferred to have seen the image on the back cover with the tracklisting presented in the way it was on the original sleeve, as reproduced on the 1993 Virgin CD. But, I guess that's always the dilemma ... trying to balance between reinstating originally released artwork and tracklistings to appease the long-term fans who know the material intimately ... or trying to incorporate fresh ideas (or corrections) from designers and/or the artist themselves.

Your direct input into this is certainly appreciated, Rob. As has been said a number of times before, we can only imagine what may have become of these various releases otherwise.

Well, Swimmer then, perhaps?

When I met John and Steve in Sydney, I specifically mentioned to them both (as feedback) that I thought the interviews discs were worth their weight in gold (well, more than that, actually ). I actually listen to the interview discs more than the music! Oh, and has someone since advised John that it was actually Metamatic that was entitled Fusion/Fission at one point (since there was artwork produced for it), although for all I know, he may very well have intended to name The Garden as Fusion/Fission as well, although I can't imagine that fitting too well.

Just checking ... so, thanks very much for the confirmation, Rob.

Cheers ...

No, I totally agree. I always thought that that idea didn't really add anything to what had gone before.

The real problem is that album artwork was always originally designed to look good at twelve inches across, and now it has to work on something less than half that size. Moreover, this time around there are more than twice the number of tracks on The Garden to list than there were back in 1981.

Thank you...

That's probably a little too close to Glimmer...

Yes they have...

No, I can't imagine that working either...

Rob

Originally posted by Chris C:

Hiya Chris

Please pardon my ignorance but who's Isabelle?

Is it a song? If it's from The Golden Section or In Mysterious Ways then it will at least explain why i'm not sure, I haven't heard all of the songs from those albums - yet.

Cheers

Antoinette

Isabelle was the lead singer with the Brussels jazz-electro based group Antena. John produced their first single back in 1982, The Boy From Ipanema...yes embarrasingly enough a cover version of that Brazilian famous song. Also, Isabelle's claim to fame is appearing on backing vocals on Paul Haig's debut solo single and on the video Running Away. It's a great video. Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ew7rtY22TQ

John did spend a considerable time in the Belgian capital and was dating a Belgian woman at the time. Out of this relationship his son John was born.

As you are aware John doesn't talk much about his private life. The only fact that I've raised this is that certain happenings in one own's private life can influence one's songwriting and it's direction. John from 1982 onwards appeared to be struck by Cupid. You see, one also has to consider the underlying matters behind an artist's creations.

Chris

Hiya Chris

Thanks for your reply and for the link (and so soon too!)

Currently waiting for the clip to load, but my computer is soooooooooo sloooowww . :rolleyes:

But when it does fully load, I'll watch it.


Cheers

Antoinette

Just because I felt this thread was going all over the place (and to reserve this section for 'announcements' as it says on the tin), I've opened new ones for each of the three individual albums in the John Foxx section of this forum.

OK, I've opened two. The Garden thread was already there...

That would be an excellent idea to have a compilation of John's twelve inch mixes/singles.

Gary

Has anyone found any good prices for the remastered albums??

Got a question for Rob, if I may. Are the Glimmer CD and the Remastered CDs going to be available at the Japanese shows this month?

They're already 'good' prices surely??

This quest for cheapness ultimately de-values the product...

Agree with you there, Martin.

As I can't work due to health reasons cost is important to me so that is why I asked the question.

Gary

And it's a perfectly reasonable question to ask.

They have come down to £8.99 at Townsend Records

Thanks Brian

Since they're not officially out until October, its unlikely. However, it would be interesting to see what they do have on sale at the merchandise desk during the shows.

If you get a chance, can you wish John a happy birthday too?

Sorry for not replying sooner... been very busy with 'stuff'...

No, it's VERY unlikly that the remastered CDs and Glimmer will be ready in time for the Japanese shows. Sorry about that.

I know that there's likely to be some merchandise available (probably only t-shirts), but I don't know (specific) details at this stage.

Rob

Thanks for the answer, Rob. No need to apologise.

It is a missed opportunity though - a couple of hundred or so copies of each of the CDs at 2000Yen apiece would have been a nice little earner for the lads. Ah, well.

Just to let people know all 3 of the re-issues (2 CDs) are available to pre-order at £6.99 at HMV an excellent price considering they are 2 CD sets.

Also "Glimmer" is available on there at £5.99

Gary Gary Hunter Myspace Page

No. You don't.

Postman came just now and nothing...

typical I thought, then 2 minutes later he returned and dropped a package through the box!

The BIG '3' have arrived

No time to listen to anything before heading out for work, and don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone waiting but I had a look at all the booklets and they are superb. Great presentation for the albums, (but why are booklets so difficult to get out of the jewel cases in order to avoid wrecking them )