It's taken me a while, but I have finally managed to track down high quality mp3's of the complete set of recordings which Joy Division made, on March 4th, 1979, in the Eden Studios in London (produced by Martin Rushent). Unlike the (too?) clean recordings on the 'Heart & Soul' box set, the sound quality has more of a 'bootleg' feel, but still it's in stereo and it's very enjoyable (comparable to the first 'Transmission' session tape); I have the impression that the guitars aren't as low in the mix as they are on the official release.
Of course, the most special thing about this tape is that it has two songs left off 'Heart & Soul', namely Digital & Exercise One. Digital is a marked improvement over the 'Factory Sampler' version, being presented in its final arrangement (such as it was performed live). It's hard to see why this version (3'01") didn't make the box. Exercise One is a different affair. Its arrangement already resembles the one laid down a month later during the Unknown Pleasures session, but the actual performance sounds like a rehearsal version: there are traces of talking in the background at a few instances, and Ian Curtis' vocal sounds very much like a guide vocal. What's most special is that at the climax of the intro, Ian lets out a loud scream (sounds like "Get a life", but I can't tell for sure) in the ultra-raw grovelling voice that is also in evidence in the '78 live version of 'Leaders of Men' that Hooky played on the radio sometime in the 90s. Quite a surprise when you hear it for the first time!
Now, for the benefit of those who would like to hear those recordings, I will be offering them on a file sharing program called Soulseek (get it at www.slsk.org) from tomorrow (Tuesday) until Friday, between 1 pm and 8 pm (in GMT + 1). You can look for me under my username, waterisnat, or you can do a search with Joy Division + Genetic. Alternatively, you may also contact me via e-mail to set up a trade. Please note: I cannot mail the files themselves.
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