Minimal Wave Records

Hi,

I am looking for recordings from the pre-DEPECHE MODE projects

NO ROMANCE IN CHINA
FRENCH LOOK
COMPOSITION OF SOUND

Does anyone have some or know who might ?

I’d be eternally grateful!

COMPOSITION OF SOUND

Hi Marc,

I have a bootleg LP with recordings from COMPOSITION OF SOUND - however I think there is a pic of DM after Vince leaving and the othe guy joining on it, which is a bit lame

Interesting,

what tracks are on that LP?

Hello there… I noticed this - personally I think there isn’t much recorded by the groups you stated except for ‘Composition of Sound’ I once managed to download through Napster - the recording was very very poor and please correct me if I’m wrong, but that sounded like Dave already singing…

From all of the official sources COS were guitar-based trio, nothing to do with synths at the time… But I guess their musical activities were more on a gig basis than actual recordings… Besides ‘No Romance In China’ and ‘French Look’, there is also a mention of the band ‘Norman & the Dwarves’ in which, I think, Martin was involved… Like with the rest, I personally doubt any of it exists in considerable recording form…

I happen to have a decent version of one of DM’s early demos, ‘TV Set’ - i’ll try and put it on soon if you’re interested… It sounds quite authentic pre-Depeche - is it Vince singing? (anybody?)... there was also some info on early recordings by Depeche - ‘Addiction’, ‘Price of Love’, ‘I Like It’, ‘Tomorrow’s Dance’, ‘Reason Man’ and ‘TV Set’ - that these were supposedly written during COS days…  Cheers.

Actually I’m a Depeche Mode collector.
I can assure you that there are NO recordings available from the pre-DM bands you mentioned.

The earliest DM recording I know is a track called “Let’s get together”, something in that vein.  There’s a recorded version with Vince Clarke singing, and a video segment on some documentary, with Dave singing. Some people say that it’s a Composition Of Sound song, but I don’t believe it.

Thanks for the information Claudia!

Claudia,

Thanks for the info.

Q:
I’ve heard a demo of the track “Let’s Get Together Again”, a Glitter Band cover, but with Martin singing? Is this the same recording, or am I confused?

I’m not sure, but you might be right.
It sounds an awful lot like it’s sung by Martin Gore!

[quote author=“Claudia101”]Actually I’m a Depeche Mode collector.
I can assure you that there are NO recordings available from the pre-DM bands you mentioned.

The earliest DM recording I know is a track called “Let’s get together”, something in that vein.  There’s a recorded version with Vince Clarke singing, and a video segment on some documentary, with Dave singing. Some people say that it’s a Composition Of Sound song, but I don’t believe it.

There is a 4 trk demo cassette, pre S&S era.
the songs are sung by Vince Clarke.
Photographic, Television Set and two other instrumental songs.

Someone on my workplace itunes network has 6 DM songs.  I’m trying to find out who it is because they are studio quality, not the shitty live bootlegs that have been circulating.

Television Set
Addiction
Reason Man
Tomorrows Dance
I Like It
The Price Of Love

According to his/her itunes they are from an album called Television Set.

I have the same recordings you talk about titled: Demonstration Tapes (1979)

it’s obviously a bootleg, a personal choice of words to call this selection ‘an album’ with a name from one of the tracks (‘TV Set’) - the six songs you’re bringing to mention are something I downloaded at exactly the same running order from some obscure website five years ago… These are in mono quality, and not complete - not snippets either, each track runs for satisfactory 2-3 minutes… ‘TV Set’ is definitely an outstanding track from the lot…

But are they studio versions then? Most of those songs were played at the Bridgehouse gig, but I haven’t heard them in studio versions…

(TV set, that’s the Roxy music song isn’t it? I know most of those songs are covers, but I can’t remember which one was Roxy… no, I think it was Price of Love? Oh well.)

Personally I cannot tell which is which cover…

Regarding the studio versions - yes, these are studio demos, not the live ones… I think (not sure though) that the Bridgehouse is rather poor live sound or something?

CoS-recordings

Hi!

I have a track called “When Will The New Baby Grow” on a cassette which is said to be Composition Of Sound. It’s clearly not Dave singing at least and it’s pretty awful. Anybody heard it?

Roxy did Price of Love.  TV-Set is original I think.

[quote author=“reactorlgtn”]
(TV set, that’s the Roxy music song isn’t it? I know most of those songs are covers, but I can’t remember which one was Roxy… no, I think it was Price of Love? Oh well.)