Closer/Unknown Pleasures Re-issues

Just noticed that Fopp Records (one of the bigger 'small chain' stores in the UK) were retailing Closer & Unknown Pleasures at £3 each.

On closer inspection, these were not the London Records Centredate editions but "Released by Sonic Records under licence from Factory Records". The sleeve of Closer (ok they are only CDs) looked more authentic than the horrible yellowy Centredate/London reissues.

Has anyone else seen these - does this mean London don't exclusively own the publishing rights anymore?

Or, could they be boots? (I would find that odd if Fopp were selling bootlegs, plus there were lots of them).

I bought Unknown Pleasures for £3 at Flopp the other day, as I only have it on vinyl and I can't exaclty play a 12" record on a plane!

I think they are must legal copies. Incentaly the same store were selling 12" singles of Blue Monday complete with the original cut out sleeve. They want £8 for them though although were they all brand new.

Which branch was that by the way? I assume it was the Edinburgh branch, I the one I saw Blue Monday in was the new Manchester branch.

Yeah, just spotted the same thing this afternoon in the Bristol branch of Fopp - didn't check out the vinyl section though, but I'll probably pick up a copy of BM if they've got the original cut-outs and are in mint nick. The JD CDs look much better - sparser, and closer to the Factory originals. NO's back catalogue still have the London logo on them though.

Originally posted by Atrocity Exhibit Yeah, just spotted the same thing this afternoon in the Bristol branch of Fopp - didn't check out the vinyl section though, but I'll probably pick up a copy of BM if they've got the original cut-outs and are in mint nick. The JD CDs look much better - sparser, and closer to the Factory originals. NO's back catalogue still have the London logo on them though.

Agreed - the sleeve for closer is also different on the rear - does not say "Joy Division" but has the roman numerals instead. As you say, the artwork and paper are much more nearer to the original. For £3, I will pick up a copy today.

isnt the sonic label austrian/italian? i'm nearly sure the 3inch cds of gutz and at a later date are on the sonic label. i think the actual cds were made in austria for the italian market(maybe not!),the 3" cd includes some bumf in italian and english. i could be wrong tho!

...........................................................i once thought i was wrong but i was right all along.

Those SONIC labels CD was on Ebay recently...and the chap selling them said they were from POLAND.....maybe even direct from Warsaw ;)

ha, just had a look at those 3" cds i mentioned earlier. the label is sconic and NOT sonic. regards

Fopp (in manchester) now have both the substance CDs on sonic. the JD one is £3 and the NO (double!) is £5!

i spotted the Closer cd in fopp in Dundee a few weeks ago selling for £3. the cover was much better than the awful London release - the photograph wasn't nearly as dark - you could see alot more of the detail. I wonder if it has the proper tracklisting on the inside, starting with Atrocity Exhibition and ending with Decades instead of the London release which makes it look like Heart and Soul is the opening track and A Means To An End is the closing track.