No idea if this is of any help but I found a Gillian interview with Brooklyn Vegan from September 2015 where she talks about rehearsing for the upcoming BBC session and she says:



That reminded me of the live footage we saw of Singularity back in the days when we briefly thought it was called "Drop The Guitar".
That footage was from Lollapalooza Brazil as per this this link. The video is now "private" but I remember watching it, and I remember the Tom Rowlands middle eight synthy bit could be heard (though we didn't know it was Rowlands' contribution at the time). So they had clearly already worked with him and put it in the can by March/April 2014.

Which prompted me to check setlist FM for both Singularity and Plastic.
Singularity's live debut was shortly before Lollapalooza Brazil, it was apparently at Santiago, Chile on 30th March 2014.

Plastic's live debut was apparently at Aragon ballroom, Chicago on 1st of July 2014. I haven't seen footage of that so I don't how 'complete' it was. But I get the impression they didn't play MC tracks live unless they were fully finished.

As for the end date, I seem to remember Phil tweeting a pic of champagne glasses in front of a mixing desk in 2015 which someone (Andy?) posted here. But Phil subsequently deleted the tweet. There's probably still a reference to that tweet here on the forum from 2015 if you want to search back...

Re: the start date. Not sure. Bernard/Stephen/Gillian had a Mojo front cover/interview for the "February 2012" issue (actually came out on 31st December 2011) which had this PCL covered CD stuck to it. Did they discuss new music at that point? I think I still have the magazine knocking around somewhere. Maybe...

Re: songwriting, we know that Unlearn This Hatred was given to Digitalism around 2007. I don't know when Bernard clawed it back for MC though.

*EDIT*. I found the Mojo magazine. They're asked about new music. On page 86 Stephen suggests no: "They all turn into a big bloody slog...If we did do one it would have to be fantastic...anyway I've got an Other Two record to finish off" (Did he? Or did that become part of MC?).
On page 88 as part of the Troxy (2011) gig review, Bernard says :"we have no plans...to make any new music together. One day at a time sweet Jesus. Me and Stuart [Price] are making a record though. A solo record. It's a 20 year project - a concept album, about darts players. Actually it's not, its just taking us bloody ages to do it"
Hmmm...
Still coming, or nah?

Edited by user 25 July 2022 04:32:12(UTC)  | Reason: Mojo found.

Actually regards Get Ready i do remember an NME news article from i'm fairly sure was October 2000 and which featured Hooky saying they'd started in the studio on the next ( as yet untitled at that time of course) album.I reckon they started Get Ready in September/October 2000. They were still working on it in February 2001 as i remember Bernard for some reason i can't recall was on as a guest on Simon Mayo's show down the phone and he stated the band were working on a new album. I think that was on Radio 1 ( was Simon Mayo still on Radio 1 at that time? I reckon it was Simon Mayo's last ever show on Radio 1 in February 2001 and various famous musicians etc had recorded short best wishes messages which Mayo played and during Bernard's he said the bit about the band working at Real World. In fact im also sure i saw an NME news article in May 2001 saying the band had finished the album. So i think i could say with a fair bit of confidence the recording of Get Ready was September/ October 2000 to May 2001.

I guess you already knew that Temptation '98 was done for the Commonwealth Games handover ceremony on 21/09/98? It seems likely, therefore, that they only recorded that version a month or two before airing it at that gig.

The Haç flexi tracks were probably Nov-Dec '82, but I think we could all guess at that.

As for the others, have you tried tweeting Steve? He does sometimes answer and he's bound to know some of them, even if it's something as generic as 'June 1982' etc.

Looking forward to your book, Dennis!

Ah, i found a scan on the interwebs of the May 2001 NME edition with news article about Get Ready. It's not quite as i remembered. It states a release date for Get Ready but doesn't actually say when they'd finished the album.So i'd not entirely remembered it correctly.Bugger, that may mean i've misrembered all those other dates wrongly too

I do remember the pic in the article though.Looks like at the mixing desk during work on Get Ready. The edition of NME was 26th May 2001

link to Tumblr scan of article

Oh that article mentions Here To Stay which may help to narrow down when it was recorded (with the rest of Get Ready). Though I wonder when the Chems got involved. During the Get Ready sessions or later on after it got held back?

Edited by user 25 July 2022 12:03:33(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I was going to mention this programme, as I knew the tracks were used on it. I thought that must've been either December 1981 or 1982.
But then I checked my spreadsheet of TV programmes, and it says 23/12/83.

I've no idea where I got that date from and I suspect the year I've recorded is a typo.
I really can't see that Tony would've used the tracks as late as 1983.

It could be either 1981 or 1982, with the latter probably more likely, given the fact that they appeared on that year's flexi. However, 1981 is certainly possible. Maybe Tony (or the band) thought it would be a shame to waste the tracks and gave them to punters the following year (i.e. the first Christmas after the club had opened).


Still, I wonder why I have that 1983 date recorded. I'm usually pretty meticulous on things like this.
Very confusing (not to mention very sloppy of me).

Incidentally, the 23rd December 1981, 1982 and 1983 were all weekdays, so could be candidates for 'Granda Reports' showings (I'm guessing that the programme was only on weekdays, not weekends).

If anyone has a copy of the programme, I'd love to see it (I suspect not though; can't see that many people videotaping news snippets in 1982, especially if it was only the music, not the band themselves, appearing).

Dear friends,

I have just about completed my book manuscript for Sonic Bond. The artwork is yet to be finalised, but here is a working mockup:



I can also report that Mark Reeder has provided the Foreword, and it is fascinating!

Now, here is something for you guys. Because the way I've written the book is from a fan's perspective, I would also like the inside colour images section to include a selection of quality photos of the band as taken by fans across the years from the early days to now.

Email me straight away if you're interested and send a lowres pic. I can't promise inclusion, but I'd love to try. My window of opportunity for this is probably only until this weekend.

congratulations, and looking forward to it.

not a fan of pink. but hey, its the words that count.

later
-1

I see that the book is now up for pre-order on Amazon and slated for pre-xmas release

https://www.amazon.co.uk...very-Album/dp/1789522498


I have to say that I've read a couple of books in this series and found them quite disappointing (either badly written, or worse - factually inaccurate), so it will be good to have one that I know to be decent quality

My only real complaint is that the stock artwork template that the publisher uses for the series is terrible. I realise you won't have had a choice in it, but it's incongruous to have such an ugly looking book cover about a band who have routinely used fantastic artwork and design principles

That's very kind. We've just completed final edits, and its off to the printers - should be in time for Xmas I'm told. It's been interesting taking my stream of thought blog writings and turning them into a cohesive book. I think you'll enjoy it - it is very much written from a fan's perspective and what the music means to me/us.



I'm quite OK with the cover. The photo of Bernard is a good one.

Watch this space.

Dennis

Yes - was only a minor niggle based on the publisher's pretty perfunctory approach to their graphic design.
Compared to say the 33 1/3 books (which are equally hit and miss fan-written affairs) - at least they have adopted a nice aesthetic for their covers

In the circumstances I think you've done the best job you can. Good pic of Bernard, coloured to match the Technique sleeve

In actual fact it's largely just the clip art vinyl quadrant in the top left with "on track" written on it that I really take offence to!

Looking forward to getting my copy

Thanks for the update, order placed.