CD with demos of "Actually"

[astrocordoba]

Good evening!
Somebody is selling a set of amazing demos of the "Actually" era for 3000 Euros (!) in ebay. I could listen to some snippets and the quality is stunning. They are not the same that those demos included in some bootlegs some decades ago (e.g. the "Sarm West demos" tapes). It looks like a different, less produced version of "Actually" but clearly mixed in a studio... These demos should have been included in the "Further listening" edition of "Actually". I hope this CD can be available sooner or later elsewhere (like the "Fundamental" instrumental CD some months ago...)
https://www.ebay.es/itm/PET-SHOP-BOYS-A ... Sw~ZlfO0rf

[psbfannyc]

"I love youuuuuuu...You pay my rent."

[Greendrake]

Hmmm.. The snippets are real good quality wavs indeed. But the discs themselves don't look like 33 years old. Neither they look like genuine discs made by Parlophone. Even less it is possible that the concept of "Further Listening" had existed back then.

My assumption is that someone who has access to the sources (tapes/DATs/whatever) has leaked them to the seller who has crafted the discs.

[james23_uk]

Hmmm.. The snippets are real good quality wavs indeed. But the discs themselves don't look like 33 years old. Neither they look like genuine discs made by Parlophone. Even less it is possible that the concept of "Further Listening" had existed back then.

My assumption is that someone who has access to the sources (tapes/DATs/whatever) has leaked them to the seller who has crafted the discs.

Clearly not discs from the 80s but I wondered if they could be in-house test pressings from when Actually - Further Listening was being prepared around 2001?

[goughsjd]

Where can you hear the snippets?

[df118junkie]

They are expensive (bit steep even for me) but this is the sort of unique opportunity to hear stuff we may otherwise never hear. We’ve had all the further listening (twice), so unless we get some super deluxe editions in six or seven years, these are the stuff of holy grails.
Maybe a group of you should purchase them and enjoy them.

[Greendrake]

I wondered if they could be in-house test pressings from when Actually - Further Listening was being prepared around 2001?

Then it would make no sense to create a "Demos" disc along with "Further listening"; all those tracks would have gone on the "Further listening" disc. Also, they would for sure put a demo of It's a sin on it.

Look how unprofessionally inconsistent the typography is:

crap.jpg (267.48 KiB) Viewed 2665 times

The "Actually" line on the "Demos" disc is stretched. The "Further listening" disc doesn't have track list on it (why would they put it on one but not on the other). Clearly the guy just got the WAVs and, because you can't sell digital stuff on eBay, he had to burn it on something that would remotely look like discs from the record company. Such a shoddy job.

this is the sort of unique opportunity to hear stuff we may otherwise never hear. We’ve had all the further listening (twice), so unless we get some super deluxe editions in six or seven years, these are the stuff of holy grails.

I doubt so. If the WAVs have made their way into the hands of someone who's blatant enough to list that sort of thing on eBay I don't think it would take decades for it to leak out in the wild. (Same applies to your Fundamental Instrumental by the way).

Where can you hear the snippets?

Paying some more attention to the listing pays it off.

[y3potential]

Where can you hear the snippets?

If you open the description in the listing the clips are there.

[Harry]

The snippets are interesting.

Maybe the CD-Rs are genuine from the compiling of Actually Further Listening in 2001, but it’s more likely he’s made them himself, especially as the listing is so defensive.

Even if I was willing to spend £2,400 on these, the listing is so angry I wouldn’t give him my business. There’s simply no need for it. It’s very ‘angry Internet forum person from 2005’ which makes me suspicious the seller is from here...

[canveyboy]

Those demos of Shopping and Jealousy have done the rounds already. I have all of the demos of Shopping. Those demos are from late ‘86. The demo of Jealousy is also from late ‘86 which was recorded prior to the ‘Abbey Road Demos’ version which was recorded in mid ‘87 when it was going to appear on Actually. I’m sure most of you have got these yourselves.

Nothing to see here. Move along. Pity the fool who pays £2500 for non official CDs of already leaked music!!

[james23_uk]

It’s very ‘angry Internet forum person from 2005’ which makes me suspicious the seller is from here...

[df118junkie]

I wondered if they could be in-house test pressings from when Actually - Further Listening was being prepared around 2001?

Then it would make no sense to create a "Demos" disc along with "Further listening"; all those tracks would have gone on the "Further listening" disc. Also, they would for sure put a demo of It's a sin on it.

Look how unprofessionally inconsistent the typography is:
crap.jpg
The "Actually" line on the "Demos" disc is stretched. The "Further listening" disc doesn't have track list on it (why would they put it on one but not on the other). Clearly the guy just got the WAVs and, because you can't sell digital stuff on eBay, he had to burn it on something that would remotely look like discs from the record company. Such a shoddy job.

this is the sort of unique opportunity to hear stuff we may otherwise never hear. We’ve had all the further listening (twice), so unless we get some super deluxe editions in six or seven years, these are the stuff of holy grails.

I doubt so. If the WAVs have made their way into the hands of someone who's blatant enough to list that sort of thing on eBay I don't think it would take decades for it to leak out in the wild. (Same applies to your Fundamental Instrumental by the way).

Where can you hear the snippets?

Paying some more attention to the listing pays it off.

Greendrake - you can draw your own conclusions, and shout everything else down while making yourself the font of all truth...in your own eyes. I have these similar discs...and more. I will never share them because that just creates another world of speculation, opinion, and entitlement. I genuinely believe these were created during the compiling of the REMASTERED Further Listening discs a couple of years ago. The versions and quality are nothing like any that have circulated before. PSB have posted many archival hints with pictures and photos of old tapes. I'm holding out hope for a 35th anniversary Please box set next year, but there's no guarantees that I can see. Maybe Actually a year later.
They may sell, and someone may post rips out there on Soulseek etc., but why pay and then distribute for free. I suggest you group together to obtain them if you want to hear them, or just wait for them to circulate if you believe they exist in digital form. And just so we are clear, I am not the seller or have any interest in the sale.

[Greendrake]

I genuinely believe these were created during the compiling of the REMASTERED Further Listening discs a couple of years ago.

The content will probably have been indeed. Not the discs, sorry. However, one may not care that the discs are fake provided that the content on them is genuine as there is no way to sell it on eBay digitally.

[df118junkie]

Looks like the price has just been reduced.

[Oznerol]

Look how unprofessionally inconsistent the typography is:
...

The "Actually" line on the "Demos" disc is stretched. The "Further listening" disc doesn't have track list on it (why would they put it on one but not on the other). Clearly the guy just got the WAVs and, because you can't sell digital stuff on eBay, he had to burn it on something that would remotely look like discs from the record company. Such a shoddy job.

In fact that "unprofessional" look is what give me a hint about the legitimacy of the items. If they were created by somebody who wants to create something hat "looks good" would have put more attention to this. But this inconsistencies are normal for somebody who just created them for internal use, with no commercial intentions...something just casual and functional than aesthetically oriented. Even maybe different persons.