I'm a member of that Razormaid mailing list (you know, the chaps that did all those cut-up and messed around with versions of electro tunes in the eighties which were only available to DJs). The chap that still runs Razormaid sends out occasional emails, and the latest one, regarding the putting together of the latest Razormaid compilation had some interesting facts (or rather, criticisms) of New Order, which I've copied and pasted below. It's says a lot about how iffy the band's production processes and methods must have been a few years back (although I don't completely agree with his ethic that sonic quality should be that important)...
> One of our subscribers in England wrote to me about my distaste for New Order, offering up his views on the group that he loves so dearly. I really hope that I have not offended any of you this way, too. Yes, I poke fun at New Order from time to time, but I have an insight (no pun intended) that I'm sure none of you have.> > This "insight" is the basis of my disdain. Let me explain.> > Back in 1985, after Virgin Records moved Razormaid to London for a year (we were under contract with them to produce dance mixes on anyone they chose), we had the luxury of working in the "best of the best" recording studios, throughout Europe and the UK. This is quite an unusual place to be in one's early development stage of remixing, so I took full advantage of the situation. That is why all the remixes during that time were "multi track" remixes, not just editing.> > As first engineer on projects (as well as producer and remixer) I got to choose where I remixed the product. At the time, I had 7 projects to do, all at the same time. We had been working exclusively in all the best studios in London, and decided to take these 7 projects to Berlin, at Hansa studios, where they actually have little apartments upstairs, above the remixing rooms. We would live there for 8 days, while completeing this remixes.> > Anyway, we had finished D.A.F., Gary Numan, Blancmange, Depeche Mode, Hohokam, Paul Hardcastle... which left only the New Order to complete, before heading home. Keep in mind, by this point in my career, I have already worked on at least 100 multi track projects, (including Abba,> Prince, Eurythmics, Madonna and a host of others) and had a VERY keen idea of what to expect from an artist and their producer, when receiving a multi track tape.> > Well, it was about 7pm at night and Sven, my German second engineer and I put on the tape for New Order. We weren't even 2 minutes in, when he turned and said, "I sink dis iz a pre tape... I mean a demo of zum kind??" I returned with, "Whatever it is, its got to be a joke. It sounds like a child made this." We could actually hear people walking around in the background, with the microphone turned on, coughing in the background while the vocal is being recorded.. on and on... I could tell you horror stories. And it wasn't just this track. They had three other songs on this multi track tape - all sounding worse that this track.> > Holy shit! Now what do we do?> > About this time, a British man walked into the room and politely said, "I do hope you don't mind, but is it possible that you turn this down, or stop playing it while we are eating down the hall? It's really making us quite ill?" I burst into laughter and I think we laughed for what seemed an hour, at least.> > Well, the "chap" turned out to be David Harrow, who I had worked on his material, but never actually met him in person. When he asked who I was, you'd think he met royalty. He started stuttering around, turned bright red in the face and apologized profusely for 10 minutes. It was the first time anyone did that to my face and I did not know the appropriate thing to say, other than, "Do you think we can fix this?"> > He called New Order's manager in Manchester at 9pm that night and asked him why he sent Razormaid a "demo" tape and where the hell is the master? After a series of, "Uh huh"... followed by "I see"... and then "Okay then, right-O I will pass that on"..... I was told this IS their master.> > Holy shit!! Now what do we do?> > David ran down the hall, grabbed a blank multi from his stack he had and we linked the two 24 track machines together - to copy the master. He then pulled out his synths and said, "So, where shall we start? Do you want to play or program? Pick one and I'll do the other."> > In the next two hours, we complete rewrote the entire song from sctatch, keeping only the original vocals and one guitar part. Many of the pieces that we used could not be "programmed", like David did for the drums while I played them, so they had to be played live by me. Like the sting orchestras and all the counter melodies.> > It was quite an experience.> > On the following day, while I finished editing the song, David strolled in from WOM (the local record store) with a copy of the finished CD, which had just been released there in Germany, featuring the track we had just rewritten from scratch. He stuck it in the CD player and played it. Oh my God. "It sounds like the tape", I screamed out. He added, "Yes, and it gets worse from here....".> > ***> So you see. when I "slam" New Order - I am not just an envious DJ, or "wanna be" that coaches from the sidelines. No, I have been in the trenches. I have seen hell, first hand and lived to describe it to each of you now. > > Sometimes, it's not pretty, but for the most part, we do what we can with what we are given. In the case of New Order, that just was not good enough for me. My reputation was also on the line, that early in my career, so we had to take matters into our own hands.> > Shortly after that experience, we worked with David on several projects and became very close. When we moved home to SF, he came with us for a short time, where we collaborated on several things, before he returned home.> > I have seen and heard first hand what professional things SHOULD sound like on tape (and in person for that matter). So I feel qualified when I say, "YIKES!, Can't any of you hear what this sounds like?" Because I do. It's my job. I know quality from schmuck and I'm not afraid to expose it. If their stuff was so damn hot, why is it taking me six weeks to prepare it for all of you, when a normal project takes 4 days? Because... that's how long it's taking to make it right.
Please note, the above isn't my opinion on these things, but there you go...
I wonder if he's talking about their remixes of 'Sub-Culture', as they were almost completely re-programmed and mucked around with (and I remember the vocals sounding a bit poorly mixed on the album version of that one).
Andrew Morrison http://www.TrustNoOne.org.uk
