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Hi, Can anybody tell me if the original version of NO's Ceremony (pre Gillian Gilbert) is available anywhere on CD.
Also, I'm interested in JD's Refractured box set but have read about gaps between the tracks and the seemingly naff idea of including a non JD T-shirt. Can anybody elaborate on this? Thanks Derm
If i'm correct, the new 'Singles' album has the original 7" Ceremony, the version minus Gillian.
If i'm wrong, shoot me
Refractured was cancelled, wasn't it? Copyright problems...
Fractured was Les Bains Douche and Preston together.. I own both separatly and they are fine, no gaps that I noticed... 
Thanks for the replies. I'm delighted the original version is finally available on CD. As far as Refractured goes, Paradiso Amsterdam (1/11/80) is also included,its a 3 disc set. I came across remarks on the World In Motion site, and elsewhere, about gaps between the tracks. Refractured is a nice way to collect the 3 recent live releases, but I would rather buy the individual CD's if there is a problem with ReF
Thanks for the links, they clear things up considerably. I'll probably go for Fractured or Les Bains. Just out of curiousty, I know there is a rough take of Ceremony by JD on Heart & Soul (is it good?) and a live version included on Still, are there any more JD performances available out there? I've never come across any.
The vocal on the Ceremony demo is very muffled. In terms of fidelity, the In A Lonely Place demo is of better quality. There are some very compelling live tracks on the fourth disc of Heart & Soul; Novelty and Isolation come to mind at the moment.
the version of ceremony offered on itunes, with singles, is the Gillian version.
but itunes has screwed up track lists before, so, i dunno.
The 7 inch version without Gillian has a certain beauty to it that the 12" or substance version.
I think the worst version I've ever heard is the demo version with morris singing.
Derm wrote: Thanks for the links, they clear things up considerably. I'll probably go for Fractured or Les Bains. Just out of curiousty, I know there is a rough take of Ceremony by JD on Heart & Soul (is it good?) and a live version included on Still, are there any more JD performances available out there? I've never come across any.
You'll regret buying Fractured - sound quality is not great and the recording has been butchered by the producers and compressed to fuck! Les Bains is ok though, if overcompresed.
There were no more JD performances of Ceremony, sadly.
Joseph Raciciot wrote: The 7 inch version without Gillian has a certain beauty to it that the 12" or substance version.
.
Yes, I think the original release is in a league of its own and I dont understand why it has been so hard to track down on cd for so long.
Old monkey, Just how bad is it? My expectations are pretty low. At the moment I've got the live disc from Still (out of tune instruments and missing vocals in many places) and an old cassette copy of Paradiso which is pretty bad. Are we talking worse than these?
Bob, I'll have to check this out further, I dont want a compilation with the Gillian version
Thanks All
Oddly enough, I like Steve's vocals on his version. Okay, everything up to the chorus bit cos he gets all screamy/strained... but the verses aren't so bad.
Nothing to put an award on, but not absolutely revolting.
I would have preferred hearing more of him and less of the guitar and softening the bass a tad so his voice would come out a bit better. A good effort, but I think we're all happy that Bernard drew that short straw. Bet Steve's pleased with the outcome, too. 
maybe it's just me or the curio factor but the Still version of Ceremony is exceptional. Decades apart, that Birmingham performance is blinding - must be somethigh about Birmingham and JD/NO.
Solly wrote: maybe it's just me or the curio factor but the Still version of Ceremony is exceptional. Decades apart, that Birmingham performance is blinding - must be somethigh about Birmingham and JD/NO.
I agree, I love it and my crappy Paradiso tape.I'm a recording musician and a bit of a hi-fi fan, so from a technical perspective everything is wrong. Maybe its the energy, I dont know. Thats why I said my expectations are pretty low, if its as good as Birmingham, it will do me. The consensus seems to be that Les Bains is the best of the bunch.
The version of Ceremony on Singles is indeed the original recording, however it is ruined completely by overcompression, and the left and right channels are switched.
Solly wrote: maybe it's just me or the curio factor but the Still version of Ceremony is exceptional. Decades apart, that Birmingham performance is blinding - must be somethigh about Birmingham and JD/NO.
I love the version of Decades on Still! The odd out of tune synth - love it 
That gig is a cracker.
I'm not saying his vocals are bad I'm just saying that is the worst quality reccording i've heard, it also sounds like the song is sped up at least 2 steps from the reccorded versions that were released.
The demo version that's commonly available runs way too fast. I've heard it once it's been speed corrected and it sounds much better.
