83 replies · 71,632 views
yes, the famed boxsets.
i have 4/5. and substance is beat up on the outside, so i'll have to get another one.
here's various pictures of them, luckily most are in good shape on the inside, and i've never played the tapes or opened the boxes since i first got them to check.
later -1
Yep, that discolouring with the brown spots, kind of looks like rust spots, is exactly the same way mine have gone. Obviously it’s something that happens with linen?
Fotz wrote: Yep, that discolouring with the brown spots, kind of looks like rust spots, is exactly the same way mine have gone. Obviously it’s something that happens with linen?
probably, but all my copies were used. odd how the oldest one is in the best shape, and the newest one is turning brown.
later -1
Though actually the PC&L isn’t the oldest. The Low Life box was the first of the linen boxes , or at least the first of the New Order ones. The PC&L linen box was released sometime after.
Fotz wrote: Though actually the PC&L isn’t the oldest. The Low Life box was the first of the linen boxes , or at least the first of the New Order ones. The PC&L linen box was released sometime after.
do you remember the marketing, or what was going on. was it some kind of anniversary.
or was it because of substance, they decided to do all of them.
never saw these in the US, because of course we don't get anything cool. (except the dumb republic inflated cd vest).
canada got one of the cassette boxsets.
later -1
negative1 wrote:
Fotz wrote: Though actually the PC&L isn’t the oldest. The Low Life box was the first of the linen boxes , or at least the first of the New Order ones. The PC&L linen box was released sometime after.
do you remember the marketing, or what was going on. was it some kind of anniversary.
or was it because of substance, they decided to do all of them.
never saw these in the US, because of course we don't get anything cool. (except the dumb republic inflated cd vest).
canada got one of the cassette boxsets.
later -1
I just remember that the Low Life one was the first. It was released in September 1985, about 4 months later than the standard release vinyl. The PC&L one definitely came after, but I can’t remember if it was before the Brotherhood and Substance ones or after.
Here are mine (managed to dig them out today):
Movement is in great condition, apart from a tiny mark at the top:
Low Life is also in good condition, but it has discoloured slightly. There's a couple of small brownish marks on the back of the tracing paper too:
Brotherhood is easily the best, without any marks or discolouration:
Substance, on the other hand, is the worst. THere's a ding in the box and the insert is creased:
Excuse the orientation of some of these. I thought I'd rotated them, but something went screwy during the image upload.
Fotz wrote:
negative1 wrote:
Fotz wrote: Though actually the PC&L isn’t the oldest. The Low Life box was the first of the linen boxes , or at least the first of the New Order ones. The PC&L linen box was released sometime after.
do you remember the marketing, or what was going on. was it some kind of anniversary.
or was it because of substance, they decided to do all of them.
never saw these in the US, because of course we don't get anything cool. (except the dumb republic inflated cd vest).
canada got one of the cassette boxsets.
later -1
I just remember that the Low Life one was the first. It was released in September 1985, about 4 months later than the standard release vinyl. The PC&L one definitely came after, but I can’t remember if it was before the Brotherhood and Substance ones or after.
This should answer the question. This is from 'Smash Hits' dated 11-24/09/85.:
Looks like Fotz is correct about both 'Low Life' being first and the date.
perspexorange wrote:
This should answer the question. This is from 'Smash Hits' dated 11-24/09/85.:
Looks like Fotz is correct about both 'Low Life' being first and the date.
thanks and check out willowmans collection !!!
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/joy-division-new-order-albums.738006/page-64#post-26012753
later -1
Nice collection.
Never seen some of those before.
It looks like Substance seems to be the one where everyone’s copy is more battered. I wonder why.
Possibly due to everyone playing it more, maybe?
sorry, don't know anything about linen boxes aging. maybe a chemical reaction.
moving onto another cassette + cd hybrid, the best of promo box: https://www.discogs.com/New-Order-The-Best-Of-New-Order/release/506810
New Order – (The Best Of) New Order Label: London Records – none Format: Box Set, Promo CD, Compilation Cassette, Compilation Country: UK Released: Nov 1994 Genre: Electronic, Rock Style: Synth-pop, Indie Rock TracklistShow Credits CD 1 True Faith-94 5:34 CD 2 Bizarre Love Triangle-94 3:53 CD 3 1963-94 3:47 CD 4 Regret 4:07 CD 5 Fine Time 3:08 CD 6 The Perfect Kiss 4:48 CD 7 Shell Shock 4:26 CD 8 Thieves Like Us 6:35 CD 9 Vanishing Point 5:14 CD 10 Run 4:26 CD 11 Round & Round-94 3:59 CD 12 World (Price Of Love) 3:39 CD 13 Ruined In A Day 3:58 CD 14 Touched By The Hand Of God 3:47 CD 15 Blue Monday-88 4:10 CD 16 World In Motion 4:30 MC A1 True Faith-94 5:34 MC A2 Bizarre Love Triangle-94 3:53 MC A3 1963-94 3:47 MC A4 Regret 4:07 MC A5 Fine Time 3:08 MC A6 The Perfect Kiss 4:48 MC A7 Shellshock 4:26 MC A8 Thieves Like Us 6:35 MC B1 Vanishing Point 5:14 MC B2 Run 4:26 MC B3 Round & Round-94 3:59 MC B4 World (Price Of Love) 3:39 MC B5 Ruined In A Day 3:58 MC B6 Touched By The Hand Of God 3:47 MC B7 Blue Monday-88 4:10 MC B8 World In Motion 4:30 Total Time: 2:20:02 Credits Producer – Mike "Spike" Drake (tracks: CD 1 to CD 3, CD 11, MC A1 to A3, MC B3), New Order (tracks: CD 4 to CD 10, CD 12 to CD 15. MC A4 MC A8, MC B1, MC B2, MC B4 to MC B7), Stephen Hague (tracks: CD 1 to CD 4, CD 11 to CD 13, CD 16, MC A1 to MC A4, MC B3 to MC B5, MC B8) Notes Promo box set.
Includes standard UK retail editions of the CD (828 580-2) and Cassette (828 580-4), plus a fold-out chronological discography card.
"All tracks produced by New Order, except the '94 versions."
Track 10: Run is mistitled Run 2 on both CD and Cassette editions.
I stuck my little moving puzzle in there.
later -1
Wasn’t there a box set that actually contained the puzzle as standard?
I bought one of the puzzles from Record Peddler on Swan Street in Manchester. Probably the week ‘? (best of)’ was released.
That shop used to have all sorts of interesting Factory stuff in it. My mate bought a copy of ‘Technique’ on DAT there. In a display case they had the ‘Twelve Inches Of New Order’ and ‘Blue Monday 1988 Flicker Book’. I may be misremembering, but I think they had one of those ‘Little Lewie’ ‘Round & Round’ busts too.
Thanks for that Smash Hits cutting, P. Is that a cutting you own or did you find that image online somewhere?
Regarding the PC&L linen box, Discogs appears to state it was released in April 1986 which sounds about right.
Fotz wrote: Thanks for that Smash Hits cutting, P. Is that a cutting you own or did you find that image online somewhere?
I found the image online. There are a couple of good sites that have images from 'Smash Hits, 'Record Mirror' and 'No. 1'.
This is actually a cutting I don't own. I know this as, coincidentally, I was actually scanning all my 1985 cuttings only yesterday.
Although I have a tonne of cuttings, most of them are from NME, Melody Maker, Sounds & Record Mirror. I own a lot of the 'main' articles from 'Smash Hits' or 'No. 1', but don't have a lot of the smaller stuff from these publications (single reviews, news articles etc.).
Thankfully though, those websites mentioned above have helped to fill the gaps (digitally speaking, of course).
PS My scanning project is going quite nicely. I'm all the way up to the end of 1985. Some of the scans aren't the best, whilst some have come out quite nicely. All are very legible though.
Over 500 individual images scanned. Crikey, that's a lot.
I must be mad. Still, what else have I got to do these days.
The Nag's Head's loss is the New Order community's gain. ![[:d]](/emoticons/biggrin.gif){kind=small}
Doh, the PC&L box does actually state on the cassette © 1986 Factory Communications. So , deffo 1986 then.
Of the 3 boxes I have ( could have sworn I had the Brotherhood one also..) the Low Life one is in worst condition. Shocking.
Did you have those from new, Fotz?
If so, that's kind of incredible how badly the second two have discoloured. When I've seen similar ones online, I've always assumed they've been sitting on a rack in some small, pokey old record shop for the last 30 years.
The linen must degrade under certain normal conditions (exposure to dust etc.). I think, when I was living at my mum's, mine were out on a shelf, but have been packed away in a box for the last 25+ years. Presumably this has slowed down the discolouration.
Sounds like my kind of party.
I'll whip mine out:
[albumimg]159[/albumimg]
Condition is reasonable; these really weren't designed to last!
A complete JD/NO set! Very impressive.
Again, it looks like Substance is the most discoloured. I wonder why that is. Has to be due to people playing it more frequently. I guess it’s always possible that that particular set was made with slightly different materials.
perspexorange wrote: I guess it’s always possible that that particular set was made with slightly different materials.
Low-life was released in 1985, then Factory started producing the others in 1986 which, if I'm not mistaken, were exclusive to Woolworths?
Substance wouldn't have been released until 1987. I'm guessing it may be a slightly different material, plus the fact that it held 2 cassettes so it required extra handling.
My copy is also beat to hell.
I have 2 copies of the standard cassette shells housed in a little slipcase, making a block. Actually, I have 8 different copies of Substance: US CD "fat boy" jewel case, linen cassette box, 2 UK slipcase blocks, US cassette, US LP with embossing, the gatefold for Factory employees, and one of those bootlegs pressed on blue and yellow vinyl. Side note - those bootlegs use the CD as the master, because The Perfect Kiss is edited.
I've definitely got a distinct memory of buying Brotherhood from either John Menzies or WHSmith, but basically they're the same shop in my town. After Menzies closed, WHSmith opened in the same building. I think the latter purchased the former. Wikipedia states this happened in 1998, but I'm pretty sure our branch changed prior to that. Probably about 1990, I think. Around about the time that I bought the tape.
So, copies of Brotherhood certainly got out to shops other than Woolies, even if they weren't meant to. Maybe they were timed exclusives when first sold, but by 1990, anyone could see them.
I do think, though, that I probably bought one of my tapes from Woolies. Movement maybe (my Low Life and Substance are both second-hand, whilst Movement and Brotherhood were bought new, I think).
I also remember that that Menzies/Smiths shop had a beat up copy of Low Life. I was thinking of buying it, but it was so tatty, I decided against it.
I've also got multiple copies of Substance on tape. Three to be precise.
When I first got into the band, a mate of mine gave me his copy on tape. As he called it, it was on 'permanent loan' to me. It had a slipcase but was pretty battered by the time I got it (I think he must've sat on it as it wasn't old when he leant it to me; it was still 1987). After playing it multiple times, tape 2 got shredded by my player.
I then went out and bought another copy. This also had the slipcase, but were different tapes to the above. I can't remember which one is which now (my tapes aren't to hand) but one set of tapes was made of clear plastic, whilst the other set was made of black plastic.
My third copy (the linen box) was bought a few years later, second-hand.
It does appear that it's very difficult to keep the boxes in good condition. Especially the New Order ones.
My linen boxes ..in decent nick to be fair ..kept in plastic and out of daylight ! JD one in worse nick.
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Wow! That's a really nice collection. A Full House of New Order and a bonus JD one. Yours look in great condition too. Both cards complete for PC&L. Fab stuff.
Substance appears to be the only one showing any sign of age, although it's definitely in much better condition than most copies, it seems.
Again, it prescribes to the theory that Substance was made of slightly different materials than the others, or, possibly has just been handled by fans more.
Did you buy yours from new, second-hand or a combination of both?
thanks for the responses and great pictures everyone.
does anyone listen to these cassettes, or are they just for show.
i've never listened to any of them, or opened up the boxes more than twice now. once when i bought them.
and now to take a picture of what was inside.
did people actually send the postcards.
later -1
No I never listen to them anymore. Probably did back in the day in the 80s, last time I would’ve played one would probably have been in the 90s sometime.Can’t even remember now where the full length TPK and Kiss of Death featured on the Low Life cassette.Was the full length TPK after Sunrise at the end side one? And then the Kiss of Death and Perfect Pit after Face Up at the end of side two? Think It was something like that.
Fotz wrote: No I never listen to them anymore. Probably did back in the day in the 80s, last time I would’ve played one would probably have been in the 90s sometime.Can’t even remember now where the full length TPK and Kiss of Death featured on the Low Life cassette.Was the full length TPK after Sunrise at the end side one? And then the Kiss of Death and Perfect Pit after Face Up at the end of side two? Think It was something like that.
https://www.discogs.com/New-Order-Low-life/release/114331
New Order – Low-life Label: Factory – Fact 100c Format: Cassette, Album Box Set Country: UK Released: 1985 Genre: Electronic Style: Synth-pop Tracklist A1 Love Vigilantes A2 The Perfect Kiss A3 This Time Of Night A4 Sunrise A5 The Perfect Kiss (Fac 123)
B1 Elegia B2 Sooner Than You Think B3 Sub-Culture B4 Face Up B5 The Kiss Of Death B6 Perfect Pit
later -1
I think I may have played Brotherhood (the first one I got) a handful of times and maybe Movement (the second tape I got) once or twice.
To be honest though, after my standard version of Substance getting chewed up, I learned a valuable lesson about playing tapes you considered ‘collectors items’. Instead, I used to have copies of Movement / PC&L and Low Life / Brotherhood on two TDK SA-90s, and used these for my main listening pleasure.
I seem to think I had a standard version of Low Life on cassette too. It had a plain white cover (apart from the text of course).
Don’t think I risked that in my tape player very often either.
