He's doing the rounds.

Thanks Debaser. Was able to download the audio too.

I had a bit of an issue with the 'Closer' package. But that was mainly due to the courier used (Royal Mail). They seemed to dispatch in time (or, at least, that's what it said on their website). It just took about a week to get here.

I must be a glutton for punishment, as I've ordered PC&L through them. Fingers crossed that, due its price, they'll opt for a better courier.

Dug my copy of Heaven To Heaven out and have been re-reading a lot of it over the last day or two.Don't think i'd even looked at it for a number of years.Incredible book. those transcripts of Dec talking to the band in the dressing room after many gigs in the early 80s i found a great read again.

Hadn't remembered but his transcripts of between song banter from Barney and Hooky at the Kilkenny gig i now realise some parts were edited out of the Radio 1 broadcast.Wonder if they'd they've made it onto the DVD???....

Fantastic book and i by chance met Dec outside the Birmingham Ballroom 29.04.2012 gig when i was in the queue.He was giving flyers out for his book and when i realised it was him i told him i already had a copy of his book and was honoured to tell him what an amazing piece of work he'd created with Heaven To Heaven.

Yeah it's a pretty heavy book, physically i mean obviously.I struggle at times also to read some of the text, don't know if it's the text is small in places or if it's because it's black on grey in some parts (the dressing room transcripts bits) and my eyesight isn't the best.Have to illuminate the text with the light on my phone at times to read it clearly.Maybe an ebook version would be good so i could zoom in more.How many copies were there printed? My signed copy by Dec "To John.The coolest of road trips! Best, Dec" also has the numbered sticker in bottom right stating it's number 542 out of 750.Were there only 750 copies printed? Or is that 750 figure just the number of signed copies Dec did? I know there was an earlier limited edition run with a silver(?) cover and some different pics from the version that i have and that copies were printed in a larger amount of the version i have.So if it reaally was only 750 copies made then yes, there must be a lot of fans who don't have a copy.

I feel your pain.

That must be very frustrating.

Wow , Gideon Coe on 6Music just now played one of the versions of Thieves Like Us from the box set. Think he said it’s one of the writing session ones. Only a couple of minutes long but sounded great. Quite funky and slightly different bass sequencer (?) backing driving the track along . Same synth melody as released version but a different synth sound. Was played about 1 hour 35 mins into the show.Think you can rewind the live show on BBC Sounds right now or on catch up after the show finishes at midnight.

Edited by user 01 September 2020 13:43:16(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

So just 2 minutes long, from 1hr33 to 1hr35. Not as good as the finished article, but a nice bit of fan-bait. I imagine if you're outside the uk you need a VPN. Anyway here's a link:

I quite liked it.Promising ideas in it, much but not all of which made it to the final cut.It had a much funkier feel than the finished version, especially the bass synth/sequencer thing whatever the technical name is.And interesting to hear the intro without any Hooky bass.

Gideon Coe seemed to say the demo was from 1982 so either he got the year wrong or NO actually had ideas and a demo for the song as early as that???.....

Edited by user 02 September 2020 06:41:17(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Are any of the box set versions of 'Thieves' recorded with Arthur Baker present? He's down as a co-writer, but the single version doesn't seem to have been produced by him. Wondered if there's a version they made with him?

Yes, and that demo is on the box (New York demo #1). They started TLU with Arthur at the same time as doing Confusion in NY, hence co-writer. Once they came back with this very stripped down idea they reworked it into the track you know. The one played on the radio is part of that rewriting process.

Really interesting - looking forward to hearing these. Johnny, a couple of previous questions reposted that you may have missed earlier in this thread:

Are these sections that were edited into the original 12" version of 'The Beach' included in the 'Instrumental Outtake' version on the Definitive Edition, or was there another version of 'The Beach' mixed down (a bit like how the released 'Thieves Like Us Instrumental' is a combined edit of two different mixdowns)? If there were two different mixdowns of 'The Beach', which was was "Take 1", and which "Take 2"?

Having heard this longer drum intro on the Collector's Edition CD2, it made me wonder why they clipped the start on the original 12" version, as the unedited version has drums that start on the beat - whereas the 12" starts on an offbeat and always felt like it kind of 'tripped over' into the beat a little when it started. Wonder why they removed those first few seconds originally?

Cheers!