Heartland

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Wow. A genuine new rarity - hope it has survived and not self-immolated into a brown rusty mush like a lot of my old bootleg cassettes in the garage (in case you can't make it out on that image, the white box above the two yellow Psychedelic Furs ones is labelled Sisters of Mercy in scrawled blue biro).

You can make it out here (thanks to Big Si for finding the image)

WOW! indeed. what a fantastic hoard. would love to know whats on the sisters tape.

Aren't all of these tapes supposed to have been recorded by Martin Hannett?
Or maybe the Sisters' one ended up in the lot by accident because it was also recorded at Strawberry Studios.

It must have just ended up in there by accident. I've messaged Julia asking if she knows what's on it but I doubt I'll get a reply.

What could be on it?

Red Skies Disappear/etc demos
Something from the F&L&A sessions
Something from Floodland


Anything else?

Aha, the band also recorded there in 1982 with John Ashton (http://sisterswiki.org/Portastudio_Demos).

So, given the time period of the other tapes in that pile, my money would be on the Sisters tape coming from that session

As it omits the S from Sisters (not to mention the definite article) could it be sessions for the Thompson Twins single "Sister Of Mercy" ?

Dan wrote:As it omits the S from Sisters (not to mention the definite article) could it be sessions for the Thompson Twins single "Sister Of Mercy" ?

I think The Thompson Twins single was much later. I ahem bought it at the time.

Recorded in the Bahamas, if Wikipedia is to be trusted.

Could we not buy this tape?
If interested folk at Heartland chuck in a tenner or whatever and get a weeded CD in return.

If it's stuff that's already out there than there might not be much interest - just a thought.

agree to million voices, would throw in some bucks, too

Do consider this is not just a tape you are going to burn on CD with Audacity

A tape like these needs very careful handling and specialsist equipment.

You need someone with a mastering/restoration studio or the tape will be lost forever.

IZ.

Izzy HaveMercy wrote:Do consider this is not just a tape you are going to burn on CD with Audacity

A tape like these needs very careful handling and specialsist equipment.

You need someone with a mastering/restoration studio or the tape will be lost forever.

IZ.

Get the tape first, then find expert. Someone will know someone who can help. Provided the tape is in good enough condition for the recordings to be saved.

If the UK Heritage Lottery Fund can spend £12 million on Winston Chuchill's Papers, surely it could bung this lady a few quid to save this musical heritage for the nation

Izzy HaveMercy wrote:Do consider this is not just a tape you are going to burn on CD with Audacity

A tape like these needs very careful handling and specialsist equipment.

You need someone with a mastering/restoration studio or the tape will be lost forever.

IZ.

Tapes aren't that fragile. I've played tapes from the 50's and the quality was beautiful although some were a bit dry and less flexible than it should have been.
I suppose it depends on whether they've been stored properly or just shoved in a damp shed.

abridged wrote:

Dan wrote:As it omits the S from Sisters (not to mention the definite article) could it be sessions for the Thompson Twins single "Sister Of Mercy" ?

I think The Thompson Twins single was much later. I ahem bought it at the time.

1984. I bought it too.

Made an inquiry myself, just received this with regards to the tape:

"Hi Chris

The SOM is a copy master of the 12" Heartland"

So a master of ToL then I assume? or not? Interesting....

Memnarch wrote:Made an inquiry myself, just received this with regards to the tape:

"Hi Chris

The SOM is a copy master of the 12" Heartland"

So a master of ToL then I assume? or not? Interesting....

Good work, @Memnarch. Could just contain the one track, but the mention of 12" is intriguing, given the fade on the TOL version. Does this mean there is a studio version with a proper ending, like pretty much all the other songs of that era ??