Temptation - Which One?

While we are on the subject of different versions of Ceremony I was thinking about that other crowd pleaser Temptation.

I have been a bit surprised to see over the last few months lots of encouraging words said about the Substance version of Temptation which is too 'watered down' for my tastes.

Surely the 'only' version is the original and glorious 12" ?

Out of the 4 versions that I know of, I would rank them in this order:

1. Temptation 12"
2. Temptation Live version from Crystal Japanese CD
3. Temptation 7"
4. Temptation Substance

Substance version is my fave. :D

It's a toss-up, either the 12" or Substance version will suffice :D :D :D

My fav versions of Temptation rank like this:

1. Temptation 87 (Substance)
2. Original 12"
3. Saturday Live 25/08/84

I can take or leave the rest.

I love the version on "Taras Schevenko (or something)". The music is a little different and the lyrics even. I listened to it for the first time just a few months ago and in some weird ways it fell totally new to me. Like if i was discovering this song again.

Originally posted by francois-marc&nbsploze I love the version on "Taras Schevenko (or something)". The music is a little different and the lyrics even. I listened to it for the first time just a few months ago and in some weird ways it fell totally new to me. Like if i was discovering this song again.

Yeah, I love the Taras version, the lyrics are textbook Barney witticisms ("People, people like you hurt people, hurt people like me" is how it goes I think). Just a great ending to the video, really.

I prefer the Substance version, only because it is the only version that is fairly faithful to the live version, and fits nicely into compilations ! I never liked the original, and have to admit that it took me several years to like the song at all :)

Definitely the original 12" single, for that was the version that the local college radio station had. My friends and I would call up and request to hear that song at least twice a day for 3 weeks before we could secure our own copies of the record.

Also really like the Substance version as well as Commonwealth Games live take.

Has it occurred to anybody else that "Temptation" is one of those elusive New Order songs that suffers from poor production in ALL of the recorded versions? I can't seem to make my mind up about any of the versions - thy're so badly recorded. The original just sounded really muddy, and the Substance version just lacked a lot of sparkle for some reason. Why haven't New Order ever done this mighty song justice?

Maybe they will choose it as one of the songs to be remixed - every time they get back together for anything they seem to give license for new treatments to old songs, maybe it's Temptation's turn. Hope so, I would love to hear it given some of the good remix treatment, or even just re-recorded by the band.

original for this one

I believe there is another (longer) version of Temptation that came out at the same time as the original. When I attended Rutgers University from 1983 to 1987, I used to hang around the studios of WRSU, the campus college radio station. They had what seemed to be a 10 to 12 minute studio version of Temptation on a reel to reel tape. I had planned on copying it to a cassette tape back then, but I never got the chance. Does anyone else know of this version?

Substance version. It seems much warmer to me than the original.

Am I the only person who prefers the original 7" ? The vocals on this seem much colder and more detached (like Cries & Whispers)which is how I like my Barney vocals - no whoops for me ! Also gotta agree with the live Taras version being magnificent - captured New Order in that golden experimental phase of late '81 to late '82.

Originally posted by Rocker of the Shack! As I stated in a previous thread...in Taras, I think Barney is just making up words as he goes...of course, we all know that he has never been known to do anything like that!!!!

I think he is definatly making up the words as he goes along on that! - its almost like a work in progress take!! For me certain live versions of Temptation win hands down compared to the studio recordings

Originally posted by bill poster Am I the only person who prefers the original 7" ? The vocals on this seem much colder and more detached (like Cries & Whispers)which is how I like my Barney vocals - no whoops for me ! Also gotta agree with the live Taras version being magnificent - captured New Order in that golden experimental phase of late '81 to late '82.

No, I like the original 7". Back to the whatever-you-heard-first theory for that I guess.

Actually, the best version for me was 60,000 people doing the "ooh ooh ooh" bit at reading 98. I'm not ashamed to say i nearly cried.

definitely the original 7". i think its about 5 mins long itself and is just perfect, one of the many tracks that sound better on vinyl than cd.

One of the best I've heard is thanks to Muffy, he sent me a cd of New Order performing a short set from '84 with Temptation as the closing number. It was incredible to hear, an excellant take.

First and formost - Temptation is the greatest NewOrder song. The original 12" is the version that does it the most justice - especially at the end with Steve's drumming.

The song was used fantastically in the NewOrderStory video, showing an early performance, which was pretty average and then later the live version at the Jazz Festival which showed how they as a band had progressed since the earlier days. Also note the drumming at the end of this live version. It is sooooo goood !! (no i am not a drummer).

PS. I am now less than two weeks away from seeing the band for the first time. I have been waiting ten years !! I will see them twice in one week, and therefore hopefully Temptation twice. sweet.

Anyone remember when Temptation originally charted in 1982 and the song was featured in the rundown the first week it entered the top 40...the dj - whoever the hell he was, Tommy Vance I think, played it (the 7 inch version) at 45 - so the intro sounded really speeded up, then quickly corrected the mistake spluttering some words on the lines of..."I don't think that sounds quite right does it?" before playing it at the right speed of 33. Typical perverse Factory marketing that - no info on the rpm either, let alone title or band, I pissed myself when that happened!

original 12 or the really long version thats on that really old live vid the one were he mutters ive never met anyone as drunk as u before i think thats on dvd now i dont have dvd thingo so i wouldnt know if its the same one

I vote for the Temptation 2002 remix! :D

I like the guitars on the intro on the 7", not on any other version afaik. substance easiest one to get hold of on cd for those of us in between record players though....

Originally posted by Taboo # 7 One of the best I've heard is thanks to Muffy, he sent me a cd of New Order performing a short set from '84 with Temptation as the closing number. It was incredible to hear, an excellant take.

Thats from Saturday Live, 25/08/84 Tabsy.

I have to say the Taras version, even with the on-the-spot lyrics, has got to be one of my favorite NO performances.

BTW There's video on this site of New Order doing Ceremony from 1981-ish, I thought it might be the version on TS but it's actually from the Factory Video. Anyone know if that's still available? That would be interesting to have, I remember really liking the performance back when i had an oppertunity (all too brief!!!) to enjoy the multimedia section

Trouble is, I've only got the original Temptation on vinyl, so I tend to listen more to the Substance version...

I can see why they redid the song for Substance. Barney no doubt didn't like his vocals on the original. The ooohs are noticeably out of tune. But there is something about that original 12" that's really special. It has a quality to it that the later version lacks. It's infectious.

Originally posted by Spotnick Well.. nobody talked about the version on 3 16.... it's imho the best one, and it's the only short version of the song....We were told this was done in studio and played for the Commonwealth games, but Bernard was really singing then...Sometimes labeled as Temptation 98...

YES! i guess that's my favourite version, followed by the original 12" version. :D

Originally posted by Spotnick Well.. nobody talked about the version on 3 16.... it's imho the best one, and it's the only short version of the song....We were told this was done in studio and played for the Commonwealth games, but Bernard was really singing then...Sometimes labeled as Temptation 98...

Well, I've got it in mp3, but I couldn't find it on my 316 DVD! Maybe I should try again, but it doesn't appear in the menu when you launch de DVD.

Temptation 98 is good, but the "bolts from above hit the people down below" part is missing, which is a shame.

I never heard the original 7" version. I like the 12" a lot. Is there a big difference between both versions?

Originally posted by Knight of Ni > Originally posted by Spotnick> Well.. nobody talked about the version on 3 16.... it's imho the best one, and it's the only short version of the song....> > We were told this was done in studio and played for the Commonwealth games, but Bernard was really singing then...> > Sometimes labeled as Temptation 98...

Well, I've got it in mp3, but I couldn't find it on my 316 DVD! Maybe I should try again, but it doesn't appear in the menu when you launch de DVD.

Temptation 98 is good, but the "bolts from above hit the people down below" part is missing, which is a shame.

I never heard the original 7" version. I like the 12" a lot. Is there a big difference between both versions?

it IS on the DVD, but not as an Audio-Track! It's put over the Live-Footage before the Interview with NewOrder.

Substance version

Originally posted by Marco Pleil [quoteit IS on the DVD, but not as an Audio-Track! It's put over the Live-Footage before the Interview with NewOrder.

Do you mean it's part of the interview chapter of the DVD? OK, I never watched this part of the DVD. I'll try again.

Originally posted by Knight of Ni > Originally posted by Marco PleilYes! Before the interview starts, you see some live-footage cut together (i guess) from the Reading/Apollo Gigs. they use the audio-track from the Temptation98-version. cheers :D

THE VERY BEST VERSION IS......................the canadian 12" single 1981-83 remix, factory us somthing or other...it also included remixed versions of ,everythings gone green,mesh,cries and whispers and another song i have temp forgotten the title of...i own the record ,by the way.....i remember now its called HURT.....THE ..........7" VERSION IS THE BEST FOR A QUICK FIX

I beg to differ, The version of Temptation from Tower Ballroom B'ham 1983 is just ... Sublime.

Sounds the same as any other Temptation gig version of that era to me ! The Cardiff 83 version was good. The entire Birmingham set was a let-down after LWTUA IMHO though.

Well, my own Factory 7-inch version of Temptation just rocks like no other bastard's anyway. Wanna know why? Because it's a slightly off-centre pressing that's why......and believe me, when you listen to it under the influence of a tab or two it's fookin' mindblowin' man! Ya feel like ya ganna fookin' levitate, know what I'm sayin' ??