Track-by-Track: From Please to Nonetheless

[TallThinMan]

There was this anecdote where the engineer thought In The Night was the A-side and Opportunities the B-side. It's just that good. Also really interesting to see that they made a history lesson track so early in their career already.

I thought it was "Was That What It Was" not "In the Night" and the person was Shep Pettibone, who was remixing Opportunities.

No, it is as 'In The Night's. Definitely remember them saying the mastering engineer though it was the A-side. Guessing it might have been a comment they made in the 'Alternative' booklet.

They also said the concept was to have a B-side with the same tempo and chord changes as the A-side. Although they did deviate from the latter a little.

[telys]

Apparently In The Night was considered for single release in Germany in February 1987 but that idea was shelved.

Wasn't it at least a promo or something in Germany at the time?

[leesmapman]

just checked, it was indeed in the Alternative booklet and it was indeed In The Night.

[Disco.]

Apparently In The Night was considered for single release in Germany in February 1987 but that idea was shelved.

Wasn't it at least a promo or something in Germany at the time?

Yes, it was I have the 7” promo of it, “only” paid 100 Euros for it.
It has the Arthur Baker 7” Edit.

[Tom Angel]

The version of Opportunities they played live for xfm in 2003/4 was a sort-of mash-up with In the Night.

Such a shame these XFM versions have never been released. Opportunities version is stunning. There's a real opportunity (sorry!) for a compilation of new versions of songs, which I'm aware Furthermore touches on, but how about all the Nightlife tour versions , etc

[TwizzleUK]

Apparently In The Night was considered for single release in Germany in February 1987 but that idea was shelved.

Wasn't it at least a promo or something in Germany at the time?

Yes, it was I have the 7” promo of it, “only” paid 100 Euros for it.
It has the Arthur Baker 7” Edit.

Is this the same 7" edit that appeared on the Paninaro 95 CD single?

[telys]

The version of Opportunities they played live for xfm in 2003/4 was a sort-of mash-up with In the Night.

Such a shame these XFM versions have never been released. Opportunities version is stunning. There's a real opportunity (sorry!) for a compilation of new versions of songs, which I'm aware Furthermore touches on, but how about all the Nightlife tour versions , etc

There's a treasure trove there. All the tour versions. At least we got some of the Peel session-material on FL. Maybe one day we'll get box sets for all albums/eras.

The XFM-session was like getting part of the Bobby O-album that never were (Opportunities and Rent)
Discogs mentions a bootleg release
https://www.discogs.com/release/9379120 ... ve-At-X-FM

[Oznerol]

Wasn't it at least a promo or something in Germany at the time?

Yes, it was I have the 7” promo of it, “only” paid 100 Euros for it.
It has the Arthur Baker 7” Edit.

Is this the same 7" edit that appeared on the Paninaro 95 CD single?

Nope, the edit on the German 7" Promo is unique to that release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LwL1SBc1sk

Also, hearing the original first demo of Opportinities is easy to recognise that Opportunities and In the Night came basically from the same idea/demo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHHTy1MENzw

[Drico One]

Track 13: That's my impression

Chronology: Please, Further Listening, Track 9

That's my impression is embryonic ecstasy, throbbing insistently before the climactic explosion reveals torrents of pent-up, propulsive emotion. Neil never sounded angrier, and the rhyming structure is immature by his standards, but it all adds up to a youthful vigour that we rarely hear again. The middle eight is glorious, with our put-out protagonist giving voice to a sense echoed on Please that "going to a club" is more of a notion than a reality. This nicely mirrors the feeling that the idea of escape is better than actually following through. Neil's reserve is to the fore: he doesn't go to the club, he claims, simply because he's not a member. A convenient excuse. The energy at the end of the song is palpable - this relationship is surely dead. There's a venom here, a definitive conclusion being reached. It's over.

Drico.

[Pinhead44]

Track 13: That's my impression

Chronology: Please, Further Listening, Track 9

That's my impression is embryonic ecstasy, throbbing insistently before the climactic explosion reveals torrents of pent-up, propulsive emotion. Neil never sounded angrier, and the rhyming structure is immature by his standards, but it all adds up to a youthful vigour that we rarely hear again. The middle eight is glorious, with our put-out protagonist giving voice to a sense echoed on Please that "going to a club" is more of a notion than a reality. This nicely mirrors the feeling that the idea of escape is better than actually following through. Neil's reserve is to the fore: he doesn't go to the club, he claims, simply because he's not a member. A convenient excuse. The energy at the end of the song is palpable - this relationship is surely dead. There's a venom here, a definitive conclusion being reached. It's over.

Drico.

It's another very good b-side, although the production is very raw on this (I think it was their first track they produced solely by themselves).

You are right about the great middle 8 and Neil finishing the song off in an angry, almost off-the-cuff vocal rage, he would do it again brilliantly on 'After the Event'.

[jasonjohn]

Wonder how many songs we can count with Neil raising his voice in frustration? (in contrast to the rest of the track)

The Way It Used To Be is probably my favorite for this.

[Drico One]

I like it when Neil gets angry. For a while around the '90s and early '00s I used to get frustrated at Neil being an utter drip. He was always the victim. As much as we all like a bit of self-indulgence, the "woe is me" routine gets tired. When he's in valedictory mood, his observations often carry a waspish quality. Through you works in the contrast between the rather simple, almost childish triumphalism and the weaponised character assassination that he indulges in to make his point. Loneliness has a sting, too, in that his concern is loaded with accusatory truths.

Drico.

[Sandy Shaw]

I like it when Neil gets angry. For a while around the '90s and early '00s I used to get frustrated at Neil being an utter drip. He was always the victim. As much as we all like a bit of self-indulgence, the "woe is me" routine gets tired. When he's in valedictory mood, his observations often carry a waspish quality. Through you works in the contrast between the rather simple, almost childish triumphalism and the weaponised character assassination that he indulges in to make his point. Loneliness has a sting, too, in that his concern is loaded with accusatory truths.

Drico.

Yes, I don't know whether the opening line of Loneliness has been discussed anywhere. The "better fight" may imply that Neil's character and the subject of the song have just been arguing...

[Disco.]

That’s my impression, their Italian disco phase.

[daveid]

Never been a big fan of this one. I'd say it's their least good B side of the 80s, apart from TSOTAS.