It's been 30 years since Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh teamed up with singer Glenn Gregory to form Heaven 17, following their departure from the Human League. Now, the synth pop pioneers are getting set to celebrate the anniversary with a "super luxury box set" reissue of their debut album, 1981's Penthouse and Pavement.
Ware told Slicing Up Eyeballs that the expanded reissue would include three discs: the original album, a collection of rarities and a newly discovered session of early studio demos.
The latter recordings were only recently unearthed by EMI, as they were in unmarked boxes and the track sheets had been lost. Ware said: "Basically, we went into⦠professional studios in London to re-record the whole album, to start from scratch. So these early versions of the first side of Penthouse and Pavement predated us being introduced to the LinnDrum [drum machine], so it's got the kind of Human League rhythm sounds, but with some funk. It's kind of a weird hybrid⦠It's really good and interesting. It's got completely different takes of John Wilson's bass playing and rhythm guitar. It's just brilliant. It sounds excellent and kind of real groovy."
This isn't the first time that Penthouse and Pavement has been re-released with extra songs. A remastered version from 2006 added a handful of bonus tracks.
Expect to hear the new reissue later this year. Its release will coincide with a UK tour this November. The tour will reportedly feature the original trio, plus four backup musicians playing the entire debut album front to back. There will also be a "live digital visual show," plus a greatest-hits encore. The dates are below:
Tour dates:
11/22 Edinburgh, UK - HMV Picture House
11/23 Glasgow, UK - O2 ABC
11/25 Manchester, UK - Ritz
11/26 Birmingham, UK - HMV Institute
11/28 London, UK - HMV Forum
11/29 Oxford, UK - O2 Academy
11/30 Brighton, UK - Corn Exchange
12/1 Bristol, UK - O2 Academy
Ware told Slicing Up Eyeballs that the expanded reissue would include three discs: the original album, a collection of rarities and a newly discovered session of early studio demos.
The latter recordings were only recently unearthed by EMI, as they were in unmarked boxes and the track sheets had been lost. Ware said: "Basically, we went into⦠professional studios in London to re-record the whole album, to start from scratch. So these early versions of the first side of Penthouse and Pavement predated us being introduced to the LinnDrum [drum machine], so it's got the kind of Human League rhythm sounds, but with some funk. It's kind of a weird hybrid⦠It's really good and interesting. It's got completely different takes of John Wilson's bass playing and rhythm guitar. It's just brilliant. It sounds excellent and kind of real groovy."
This isn't the first time that Penthouse and Pavement has been re-released with extra songs. A remastered version from 2006 added a handful of bonus tracks.
Expect to hear the new reissue later this year. Its release will coincide with a UK tour this November. The tour will reportedly feature the original trio, plus four backup musicians playing the entire debut album front to back. There will also be a "live digital visual show," plus a greatest-hits encore. The dates are below:
Tour dates:
11/22 Edinburgh, UK - HMV Picture House
11/23 Glasgow, UK - O2 ABC
11/25 Manchester, UK - Ritz
11/26 Birmingham, UK - HMV Institute
11/28 London, UK - HMV Forum
11/29 Oxford, UK - O2 Academy
11/30 Brighton, UK - Corn Exchange
12/1 Bristol, UK - O2 Academy
