''Some Bizzare Album'' is the first compilation album issued by

Some Bizzare Records Some Records was a British independent record label owned by Stevo Pearce. The label was founded in 1981, with the release of '' Some Bizzare Album'', a compilation of unsigned bands including Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, The The, Neu Electrik ...

. It was released in January

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...

as a sampler of the label's musical ethos. The acts were not signed exclusively to the label at the time.

Information

The album consisted of tracks by unsigned

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

groups, including future alternative icons

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...

, Soft Cell, The The and

Blancmange Blancmange (, from , ) is a sweet dessert popular throughout Europe commonly made with milk or cream, and sugar, thickened with rice flour, gelatin, corn starch, or Chondrus crispus, Irish moss (a source of carrageenan), and often flavoured wit ...

's contribution was their first recording to be released. ''Some Bizzare Album'' was the vision of Stevo Pearce, who believed in the album's music as opposed to fashion or style aspects.Page 100, Marc Almond, Tainted Life, Sidgwick & Jackson ''Some Bizzare Album'' was re-released on CD format in 1992 for a limited time. It was re-released in 2008 with extra bonus tracks.

Soft Cell – "The Girl with the Patent Leather Face"

After meeting with Pearce, Soft Cell decided to include a track on the album. They recorded ''The Girl with the Patent Leather Face'' at a studio owned by John Darling. Almond describes the song as a "tinny-sounding, trashy synthesizer song" that owed much to " Warm Leatherette", a track by the Normal.

Depeche Mode – "Photographic"

Formed in 1980,

were cautious when first approached by Pearce, as they were indecisive about being included on a 'futurist' compilation album. They first brought their demo tape to other record companies but were rejected. In late 1980, Depeche Mode recorded "Photographic" in an East London studio. Daniel Miller of Mute Records, who acted as an informal producer during the recording, wanted to place a good track on the compilation album, but not the band's best.Page 18, Steve Malins, Depeche Mode Biography The track was recorded and mixed in one day.Page 21, Steve Malins, Depeche Mode Biography The song, which differs from the version later found on '' Speak & Spell'', was later included in the 1998 reissue of '' The Singles 81→85'' as a bonus track.

Neu Electrikk – "Lust of Berlin"

London-based Neu Electrikk comprised singer songwriter Derek Morris, guitarist and electronics Steve Parry, bass player Nicholas Chamberlain Hunt, sax/flute/treatments Steve Sherlock and Barry Deller on drums/percussion. Neu Electrikk released two single/EPs on the Synethesia label: "Lust of Berlin"/"Distractions" (1979) and "Cover Girl"/"Practically Isolate"/"Hand"/"Converse of Tapes" (1980). Pearce discovered the band in an advert in '' Sounds'' magazine and contacted them through their distributor,

Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis, who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and ...

. Pearce convinced Parry to contribute to the album by claiming that Pearce managed The The. The version of "Lust of Berlin" on the ''Some Bizzare Album'' was recorded at ARK Studios,

Kingston upon Thames Kingston upon Thames, colloquially known as Kingston, is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, England. It is situated on the River Thames, south-west of Charing Cross. It is an ancient market town, notable as ...

The The – "Untitled"

The The's contribution was recorded at SGS Recording Studio in South London and was originally titled "Strawberry Sunset." Steve Parry suggested the studio to Matt Johnson after having previously recorded there with Neu Electrikk. The recording was complicated by an uncooperative studio engineer who did not appreciate the music. The master tape was given to Parry and remained in his possession until Pearce asked The The to contribute a track to the ''Some Bizzare Album''.

Illustration – "Tidal Flow"

Illustration
was formed in 1979 by Tony Harrison (vocals) and Timm Johnson (guitar). They were joined by Paul Lancaster (Bass) George Terry AKA Morgan King (drums) and Andy Prasher (keyboards) who was soon replaced by Julia Adamson. Together they made various demos for record companies and agreed to release one of these songs, ''Tidal Flow'' onto the ''Some Bizzare Album'' which was engineered, mixed and produced by Phil Ault at Revolution Studios, Stockport. Though Illustration toured to promote the album with the other bands and made a follow-up record "Dancable" with the legendary producer

Martin Hannett James Martin Hannett (31 May 1948 – 18 April 1991) was an English record producer, musician and an original partner/director at Tony Wilson's Factory Records. Hannett produced music by artists including Joy Division, the Durutti Column, A Cert ...

at Strawberry Studios, Stockport, it was never officially released as they broke up in 1981.

Reception

Track listing

Fish side
Illustration
- "Tidal Flow" #

– "Photographic" # The The – "Untitled" #

B-Movie A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...

– "Moles" #Jell – "I Dare Say It Will Hurt a Little" #Blah Blah Blah – "Central Park" Eye Lamp side #

– "Sad Day" # Soft Cell – "The Girl with the Patent Leather Face" # Neu Electrikk – "Lust of Berlin" #

Naked Lunch ''Naked Lunch'' (first published as ''The Naked Lunch'') is a 1959 novel by American author William S. Burroughs. The novel does not follow a clear linear plot, but is instead structured as a series of non-chronological "routines". Many of thes ...

– "La Femme" #The Fast Set – "King of the Rumbling Spires" #The Loved One – "Observations" The 1981 cassette edition positioned the "Eye Lamp" side of the album as Side 1, with the "Fish" side as Side 2, but the 1992 CD edition features "Fish" on Side 1 and "Eye Lamp" on Side 2. 2008 CD reissue bonus tracks # The Normal – "Warm Leatherette" # Fad Gadget – "Back to Nature" #The Residents – "The Act of Being Polite"

Personnel

* Stevo Pearce – Compiler * Steve Bush – Designer

References

External links

Page about Illustration and the track "Tidal Flow"
{{Authority control Record label compilation albums 1981 compilation albums New wave compilation albums Alternative rock compilation albums Some Bizzare Records compilation albums