Gillian's Vocals

The last few days, I've been revisiting the wonderful Recycle project and listening to the various mixes included on them.

I'd forgotten how good some of these are: TLU Instrumental, Kiss Of Death, Dub-Vulture*, Shame Of The Nation, Paradise Remix etc.

Anyway, listening to 'Shellcock', I'm convinced that Gillian's vocals are on it in one place. I had always assumed that the only songs she sang on were Procession, Doubts Even Here and Avalanche.

I'd be interested to hear whether anyone else thinks I'm right.

It occurs around the 2:55-3:00 minute mark, where she says 'That's The Way' a couple of times, as backing vocals to Barney.

Here's a copy of the song if you don't have it (it was the B-side to the 12", if you didn't already know):

So, I'm wondering that if her vocals appear on this, maybe they're on the actual 7" or 12" and these old ears can't pick them out. Anyone know?

Just checked Wikipedia and it says her vocals appear on Confusion too. Can't say I've noticed them. Anyone know?

* Yeah, yeah, yeah - I know that Dub-Vulture (and it's A-Side) aren't liked by many, but I really love how the mix devolves from pop song to rampaging monster by the end of it.

I doubt it's Gillian.

Shellshock was recorded for Pretty In Pink, which hit theaters in January 1986 (although the soundtrack wasn't released until February, and New Order's 12" was released in March).

It was produced by John Robie, who also did the remixes of Subculture, released in October 1985. He brought in a female vocalist for Subculture, and he likely was working on both tracks during those sessions, since Shellshock would need a bit of lead time to hit the January release date. It's probably the same singer.

Alternately, it might be Bernard singing falsetto. I always thought Gillian was singing an octave above Bernard on the chorus of True Faith, but it's Barney doubling his vocal using falsetto.

I do love Gillian's voice, and always wondered why she never took the lead vocal on a New Order song.

Yeah. I’d have really liked her to sing lead on a track or two. She has a really sweet voice.

I see what you’re saying, but it still really sounds like her to me. Especially on the ‘way’ part. Sounds just like her vocals on Tasty Fish. You can almost hear the Manc accent. It certainly sounds like a different vocalist to Sub-Culture to me. But I’m probably wrong.

I think you’re right about Barney doing falsetto on True Faith. I was listening to True Dub earlier and it’s really noticeable on that mix (from around the 4:43 mark onwards). Quite odd.

Can't be Gillian. Robie was a whore-monger and always picking up girls by offering them a shot. At stardom.

Just read the following interview with Stephen Hague on True Faith:

http://web.archive.org/web/20110514082750/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar05/articles/classictracks.htm

"'True Faith' didn't have much in the way of backing vocals — Barney and I both sang the high octave part on the chorus, and he was fairly quick with whatever vocals he did. When we did lead vocals he recorded five or six takes and I compiled them."

So it looks like both Barney and Hague did the high parts of the chorus.

I listened to Shellcock.Yeah i get what you're hearing perspexorange.Around the 2.55 -3.00 mark.Kind of sounds like Gillian but who knows...

Reminds me a bit of the debate on here years ago about if it's her doing backing vocals on the album version of Waiting For The Sirens' Call.Can't remember exactly what everyone or some concluded.

I do like her singing on The Other Two stuff but would it have been good to have her sing a complete vocal on a New Order song? (I don't count Procession, Doubts Even Here and Avalanche) Well... it would be good to have given her a chance.Can't see it ever happening which is a shame.

Yep, Dub Vulture is great.

perspexorange wrote:

http://web.archive.org/web/20110514082750/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar05/articles/classictracks.htm

'After the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis, Joy Division bass player Peter Hook, guitarist Bernard Sumner and drummer Stephen Morris had recruited keyboardist Gillian Gilbert and formed New Order, with Sumner on vocals.' I always liked DubVulture, though it's not one for the purists. Kiss of Death is good too, especially the orgasm bit, but WTF is Perfect Pit? Good stuff, though as even Morris admitted in 1993, dub excursions are essentially filler. FOUR World instrumentals was milking it...

Michael Monkhouse wrote:

perspexorange wrote:

http://web.archive.org/web/20110514082750/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar05/articles/classictracks.htm

I’ve tried reading that article before, many moons ago. But I just can’t get into it. Too technical for me, all that detail about music gear. Whoosh.An article just for musicians really.

perspexorange wrote: Just read the following interview with Stephen Hague on True Faith:

http://web.archive.org/web/20110514082750/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar05/articles/classictracks.htm

"'True Faith' didn't have much in the way of backing vocals — Barney and I both sang the high octave part on the chorus, and he was fairly quick with whatever vocals he did. When we did lead vocals he recorded five or six takes and I compiled them."

So it looks like both Barney and Hague did the high parts of the chorus.

This part of the article struck me:

Gillian didn't run ideas by me as we went along. There just came a time when I said 'Tomorrow let's work on your keyboard parts,' and she said 'OK, great.' The next day, when it was finally her turn, she had all these fully formed ideas for both tracks. We just got sounds and she recorded them, all hand-played. It was so painless. Although she seemed to be quietly distracted in the back of the room each day, she had completely plotted out her parts for the songs. She's a real joy to work with.

I really think Gillian is the secret weapon in the band (despite what Peter says).

Fotzepolitic wrote:

Michael Monkhouse wrote:

perspexorange wrote:

http://web.archive.org/web/20110514082750/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar05/articles/classictracks.htm

I’ve tried reading that article before, many moons ago. But I just can’t get into it. Too technical for me, all that detail about music gear. Whoosh.An article just for musicians really.

Nor me.So why's everyone getting so excited about Steve's forthcumming buke?

Alexey Fyodorovich wrote: I really think Gillian is the secret weapon in the band (despite what Peter says).

^^^^^ THIS times 1,000

Gillian is the heart of the band.

Agreed. So glad she’s back. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the album she returned to was the band’s best since Technique.

Also, Hague isn’t the only one singing the praises of Ms Gilbert. Michael Butterworth’s book states that she was pretty much the hardest worker in the band, staying late in the studio to programme sequencers etc.

Quite different from the ‘wonky table leg’ (or similar) comment from Hooky.

Nice to see positive comments about her contribution (i.e. from people without personal grudges and lawsuits to win).