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Felt singles - alternate versions/takes

Hi

Thanks for the latest batch of additions to the Multimedia section.

How many of the songs on there are actually different to the freely available versions that are found on the album releases - Mexican Bandits, The World..., A Preacher in New England etc. Are these all specially recorded for each single?

Thanks,
Matt

Re: Felt singles - alternate versions/takes

Hi Matt. Thanks for asking. To get a better glimpse on that issue you need to check out the Discography section...all the alt versions are mentioned in detail, but some singles like Mexican bandits, are taken directly from the original album. You can see a big difference perhaps in songs like Sunlight bathed... have, I believe 3 different versions, with differences on the lyrics and on song structure (one version starts with a guitar, the other with a bass loop), one has a female back vocal, the other just Lawrence. Fortune has a very slightly difference between versions, no big deal. If I'm not mistaken, the alt version of Red indians instead of the original guitar melody, has the same melody played with a kind of harpsichord, I can't recall for certain.

Cheers,
Rui K.

Re: Felt singles - alternate versions/takes

The version of Red Indians to which you refer is melodically played on a guitar by MD, but it has an electronic effect applied to it. No keyboards are involved.

Re: Felt singles - alternate versions/takes

Thanks gents. There's actually more info on the Felt Wikipedia page than I had previously noticed, which says the following:

Something Sends Me to Sleep (Cherry Red, July 1981)
7" "Something Sends Me to Sleep" / "Red Indians" / "Something Sends Me to Sleep" (different version) / "Red Indians"
Both "Red Indians" tracks are identical. It is an earlier version of the song later appearing on the band's second album.

My Face Is on Fire (Cherry Red, September 1982)
7" "My Face Is on Fire" / "Trails of Colour Dissolve"

Penelope Tree (Cherry Red, June 1983)
7" "Penelope Tree" / "A Preacher in New England"
12" "Penelope Tree" / "A Preacher in New England" / "Now Summer's Spread Its Wings Again"
"A Preacher in New England" is a shorter version of the song from the band's second album.

Mexican Bandits (Cherry Red, March 1984)
7" "Mexican Bandits" / "The World Is As Soft As Lace"
Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow (Cherry Red, July 1984)

7" "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow" / "Fortune"
12" "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow" / "Fortune" / "Sunlight Strings"
The title track is different from the album version. "Fortune" is a new recording of the song from the band's first album.

I guess the moral of this story is that if I ever see any original Felt vinyl ... buy it regardless!!

Re: Felt singles - alternate versions/takes

Also of course - "Cathedral" on the Primitive Painters 12" is a 1984 re-recording of the track on the first album (from 1981)

Re: Felt singles - alternate versions/takes

This does make me wonder - was there a project to make an album of re-recordings of early tracks?

Re: Felt singles - alternate versions/takes

I know that it seems a bit fastidious, but I am fairly sure that the B-side recording of Cathedral was produced in 1985. Felt 5 came out in the second half of 1985, and, as you know, Primitive Painters was taken from it and released as the A-side. If Cathedral had been recorded in 1984, then it would have been at least 6 or 7 months before it could have been added to the P.P. single, and Felt would have made it all that time ahead of the intended final result, which does not seem feasible. I apologise for what seems like nit-picking, but my intentions are to afford completely accurate information regarding all matters pertaining to the history of this most important cell of musical genius, and I know that serious Felt lovers like yourselves (no unction intended) will appreciate historically accurate material.

Apropos of the intention to bring out a specialized recording of re-releases, again, I am pretty sure that this was never intended, and certainly not in Mr. Deebank's time. Further to this, he did tell me long ago when I asked him about the issue different recordings of the same songs, that the main reason why they were made was because they saw things that could be improved in certain songs, and therefore wanted to breath new life into them.

Re: Felt singles - alternate versions/takes

Even though - as you correctly state - the "Primitive Painters" 12 inch was released in 1985 - this version of "Cathedral" was produced by John Leckie in 1984

I know the back cover states this but I can't find the image to hand - but scroll down for a picture of the label

http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=887378

and here is the cover of the original CD single - from this 'ere site.....

http://felt-tribute.webs.com/discography/images/primitivecd.jpg

Re: Felt singles - alternate versions/takes

The line up on the label of "Cathedral" also confirms this is a pre-Martin Duffy recording

Purely surmisation - but given the line up and the producer - this could have been recorded during the sessions for "The Strange Idols Pattern And Other short Stories"- wonder if Mr Deebank could confirm this.....

Re: Felt singles - alternate versions/takes

Indeed it is 1984 and not 1985. As I said yesterday, I was not entirely sure and it was last night when I was having a little drink in the local that the facts that you have related came back to me, albeit somewhat vaguely. So I have returned to the forum today in order to correct matters. I also mentioned "Felt 5" yesterday, and this should have been, Felt 4. It does appear that I have messed up this time and it is best that we forget that I ever brought it up in the first place.

Thank you for your comments. Before we do forget about it, I must say that I also have in mind the vaguest of memories that Cathedral 2 was recorded at the same time as Felt 3. I could try and confirm it with Mr. D, but I have to say that I am finding it very difficult these days to get hold of him. We may have to leave things, therefore, as they are.

Re: Felt singles - alternate versions/takes

I am now going to make amends for my error with a correction that is of the same nature as the one that I thought I was bringing historical accuracy to bear on yesterday - only this time I AM sure about the facts. Again it involves a single digit discrepancy. I have seen somewhere on the internet LH saying that MD started in music aged 12; the correct age should be 11.

The king of nit-picking shall now fall into a humble silence.