| Some Bizzare Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by various artists | ||||
| Released | 1981 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Some Bizzare | |||
| Various artists chronology | ||||
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Some Bizzare Album is the first album issued by Some Bizzare Records. It was released in 1981 as a sampler of the label's musical ethos. The acts were not signed exclusively to the label at the time.
The album consisted of tracks by unsigned synth-pop groups, including future alternative icons Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, The The and Blancmange. Depeche Mode's contribution was their first recording to be released. [1] Some Bizzare Album was the vision of Stevo Pearce, who believed in the album's music as opposed to fashion or style aspects. [2] Some Bizzare Album was re-released on CD format in 1992 for a limited time. It was re-released in 2008 with extra bonus tracks.
After meeting with Pearce, Soft Cell decided to include a track on the album. They recorded The Girl with the Patent Leather Face at a studio owned by John Darling. [2] Almond describes the song as a "tinny-sounding, trashy synthesizer song" that owed much to "Warm Leatherette", a track by the Normal. [2]
Formed in 1980, Depeche Mode were cautious when first approached by Pearce, as they were indecisive about being included on a 'futurist' compilation album. They first brought their demo tape to other record companies but were rejected. [3] In late 1980, Depeche Mode recorded "Photographic" in an East London studio. Daniel Miller of Mute Records, who acted as an informal producer during the recording, wanted to place a good track on the compilation album, but not the band's best. [4] The track was recorded and mixed in one day. [5]
The song, which differs from the version later found on Speak & Spell , was later included in the 1998 reissue of The Singles 81→85 as a bonus track.
London-based Neu Electrikk comprised singer songwriter Derek Morris, guitarist and electronics Steve Parry, bass player Nicholas Chamberlain Hunt, sax/flute/treatments Steve Sherlock and Barry Deller on drums/percussion. Neu Electrikk released two single/EPs on the Synethesia label: "Lust of Berlin"/"Distractions" (1979) and "Cover Girl"/"Practically Isolate"/"Hand"/"Converse of Tapes" (1980). Pearce discovered the band in an advert in Sounds magazine and contacted them through their distributor, Rough Trade Records. Pearce convinced Parry to contribute to the album by claiming that Pearce managed The The. The version of "Lust of Berlin" on the Some Bizzare Album was recorded at ARK Studios, Kingston upon Thames. [6]
The The's contribution was recorded at SGS Recording Studio in South London and was originally titled "Strawberry Sunset." Steve Parry suggested the studio to Matt Johnson after having previously recorded there with Neu Electrikk. The recording was complicated by an uncooperative studio engineer who did not appreciate the music. The master tape was given to Parry and remained in his possession until Pearce asked The The to contribute a track to the Some Bizzare Album.
Illustration was formed in 1979 by Tony Harrison (vocals) and Timm Johnson (guitar). They were joined by Paul Lancaster (Bass) George Terry AKA Morgan King (drums) and Andy Prasher (keyboards) who was soon replaced by Julia Adamson. Together they made various demos for record companies and agreed to release one of these songs, Tidal Flow onto the Some Bizzare Album which was engineered, mixed and produced by Phil Ault at Revolution Studios, Stockport. Though Illustration toured to promote the album with the other bands and made a follow-up record "Dancable" with the legendary producer Martin Hannett at Strawberry Studios, Stockport, it was never officially released as they broke up in 1981.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [7] |
Fish side
Eye Lamp side
The 1981 cassette edition positioned the "Eye Lamp" side of the album as Side 1, with the "Fish" side as Side 2, but the 1992 CD edition features "Fish" on Side 1 and "Eye Lamp" on Side 2.
2008 CD reissue bonus tracks
Violator is the seventh studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was first released on 19 March 1990 by Mute Records internationally, and by Sire and Reprise Records in the United States.
Blancmange are an English synth-pop band formed in Harrow, London, in 1979. The band were a duo for much of their career, composed of Neil Arthur (vocals) and Stephen Luscombe (keyboards). They came to prominence in the early 1980s, releasing four UK top-20 singles: "Living on the Ceiling", "Waves", "Blind Vision" and "Don't Tell Me". They released three studio albums during that decade: Happy Families (1982), Mange Tout (1984) and Believe You Me (1985).
Mark Ellis, known by his professional pseudonym Flood, is a British rock and synthpop record producer and audio engineer. Flood's list of work includes projects with New Order, U2, Nine Inch Nails, Marc and the Mambas, Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, Sneaker Pimps, King, Ministry, The Charlatans, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Erasure, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey, Foals, a-ha, Orbital, Sigur Rós, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Killers, White Lies, Pop Will Eat Itself, Warpaint, EOB, and Interpol. His co-production collaborations have included projects with Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, Steve Lillywhite, and longtime collaborator Alan Moulder, with whom he co-founded the Assault & Battery studio complex. In 2006, his work with U2 led to his sharing of the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.
Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure, Einstürzende Neubauten, Fad Gadget, Goldfrapp, Grinderman, Inspiral Carpets, Moby, New Order, Laibach, Nitzer Ebb, Yann Tiersen, Wire, Yeasayer, Fever Ray, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Yazoo, and M83.
Music for the Masses is the sixth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 28 September 1987 by Mute Records. The album was supported by the Music for the Masses Tour, which launched their fame in the US when they performed at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The tour led to the creation and filming of the documentary/live album titled 101. This saw the band using heavy amounts of sampling, much like they did in their previous album Black Celebration.
Songs of Faith and Devotion is the eighth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was first released on 22 March 1993 in the United Kingdom by Mute Records and a day later in the United States by Sire Records and Reprise Records. The album incorporated a more aggressive, darker rock-oriented tone than its predecessor Violator (1990), largely influenced by the emerging alternative rock and grunge scenes in the United States.
Andrew John Fletcher, also known as Fletch, was an English keyboard player and founding member of the electronic band Depeche Mode. In 2020, he and the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Alan Charles Wilder is an English musician, composer, arranger, record producer and former member of the electronic band Depeche Mode from 1982 to 1995. Since his departure from the band, the musical project called Recoil became his primary musical enterprise, which initially started as a side project to Depeche Mode in 1986. Wilder has also provided production and remixing services to the bands Nitzer Ebb and Curve. Alan Wilder was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of Depeche Mode. He is a classically trained musician.
The Singles 81→85 is a greatest hits album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 14 October 1985 by Mute Records. The compilation was not originally released in North America, where it was replaced by its counterpart Catching Up with Depeche Mode. This was the first release to feature a picture of the band on the cover.
Julia Adamson is a Canadian composer, musician and current label manager of Invisiblegirl Records. In 1967 her family moved to Manchester, England.
Stephen John Pearce, commonly known as Stevo, is a British record producer and music industry executive, best known as the owner of indie record label Some Bizzare Records.
Daniel Otto Joachim Miller is an English music producer and founder of Mute Records.
The Crackdown is the fifth studio album by English electronic band Cabaret Voltaire, released in August 1983 jointly through record labels Some Bizzare and Virgin. It was produced by the band themselves and Flood.
Kontour is an English electronic music artist, signed to Some Bizzare Records.
Pedro INF is a Portuguese electronic music artist, currently signed to Some Bizzare Records.
Neu Electrikk are a British experimental music group that were based in Croydon, England, and who formed in 1978.
Some Bizzare [sic] Records was a British independent record label owned by Stevo Pearce. The label was founded in 1981, with the release of Some Bizzare Album, a compilation of unsigned bands including Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, the The, Neu Electrikk and Blancmange.
Steve James Sherlock is a British composer, musician, saxophone player who was a founder member of Neu Electrikk, joined Matt Johnson in the Post punk band The The and notably Marc Almond in Marc and the Mambas.
Naked Lunch are an English band formed in 1979, by Tony Mayo who advertised for like-minded people in the Melody Maker. Mick Clarke replied and they then moved into a flat to work on further material. In preparation to play live further members were advertised for and Tim Yorke, Paul Nicholas Davies and Cliff Chapman joined and then, in 1981, by Mark Irving who replaced Yorke.
Unfurnished Rooms is the ninth studio album by English band Blancmange, released in 2017. It was produced by Neil Arthur and Benge, and reached No. 40 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.
