News

Awhile back, the super-fantastic folks at Slicing Up Eyeballs had a chat with Martyn Ware of synthpop band Heaven 17, in which Ware discussed a series of recently unearthed demos of tunes from the band’s debut album, 1980’s Penthouse and Pavement. That set will be available on November 22 from EMI Music.

The demos, Ware said in the interview, were recorded on an Ampex 1″ tape machine – of which only one allegedly still exists, at Abbey Road Studios. The tapes feature early sketches of songs like “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang” and “Play to Win,” and they will feature in this package instead of the typical 12″ remixes that usually accompany ’80s reissues. (Previous reissues of Penthouse and Pavement included such mixes; hold onto those copies if you’re getting the new version.)

Penthouse and Pavement: Collector’s Edition will also include a DVD featuring one music video and a documentary on the making of the LP. See the track list after the jump.

Heaven 17, Penthouse and Pavement: Collector’s Edition (Virgin/EMI 50999 629325 2 3, 2010)

Disc 1: Original LP (Virgin (U.K.) V-2208, 1981)

1. (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang
2. Penthouse and Pavement
3. Play to Win
4. Soul Warfare
5. Geisha Boys and Temple Girls
6. Let’s All Make a Bomb
7. The Height of the Fighting
8. Song with No Name
9. We’re Going to Live for a Very Long Time

Disc 2: Demos and early material *

1. Penthouse and Pavement (Original Demo)
2. (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang (Original Demo)
3. Play to Win (Original Demo Instrumental)
4. Soul Warfare (Original Demo)
5. Are Everything(Original Demo)
6. B.E.F. Ident (Alternate Version)
7. Decline of the West (Alternate Version)
8. Rise of the East (Alternate Version)
9. Music to Kill Your Parents By (Alternate Version)
10. Uptown Apocalypse (Alternate Version)
11. A Baby Called Billy (Alternate Version)
12. Rhythmic Experiment 1
13. Rhythmic Experiment 2
14. Boys of Buddha Experiment
15. At the Height of the Fighting (Original Rhythm Track)
16. Rhythmic Loop Experiment
17. Funky Experiment
18. Song Experiment
19. Heavy Drum Experiment
20. Play to Win (Original Demo with Vocals)

Original versions of Disc 2, Tracks 1-4, 15 and 20 from original LP
Original versions of Disc 2, Track 5 from “I’m Your Money” single (Virgin, 1981)
Original versions of Disc 2, Tracks 6-11 from B.E.F.’s Music for Stowaways (Virgin, 1981)

Disc 3: DVD

1. Penthouse and Pavement (music video)
2. Heaven 17: The Story of Penthouse and Pavement (documentary)