So I have a file of Joy Division stuff that I’ve had for a while and needed posting up, but it seems to be a lot around the song “Love Will Tear Us Apart” – THAT song!!! (Can you play Joy Division, you know, starts to hum/sing the chorus)
I’m not going to go through all the background but there down as a Salford band not a Manchester one. My personal experience was buying “Love Will Tear Us Apart” (the 1983 re-press) and not really liking it even though it had 2 versions, I think I preferred the B-side. The production just sounded weird and make-shift. I did get into New Order a little but again I found the sound samey. The vocals were a little detached and quite stylised into a croon.
Raw and just they had just changed their name, the bands image was a bit of a problem, the gigs were attracting skinheads for the wrong reasons. So much for choosing provocative images to get a buzz around the band.
Recorded in Oldham, Pennine Studio Sound in December 1977. “Warsaw” is garage punk with a deliberate miscounted start. Duet vocals and a wicked, fast tempo. “No Love Lost” is a bit more Joy Division with the tribal drums, slower tempo and guitar effects. Hook said they were influenced by The Banshees at the time. Vocals coming it at 2 minutes. Still punk but with less shout and even some reverb.
“Leaders Of Men” has some gated drums and that familiar Hook bassline, Iggy and Bowie influences abound, I was waiting for them to come in on backing vocals.
“Failures” is very “Neat Neat Neat” by The Damned, punk and rock chords. Sumner power strumming his wrist off and adding a few solo’s too!!
NEW LINK 2021
Enigma – PSS 139 
| A1 | Warsaw | |
| A2 | No Love Lost | |
| B1 | Leaders Of Men | |
| B2 | Failures |
Onwards to the 12″ release with that weird production, etheral production by Martin Hannett, the other version is much more punchy, quicker and with clearer vocals and brighter synths.
So here is that B-side, “These Days”, at the time I was getting into early Ultravox! and the punk came through this, driving bass and weird guitar effects and very early U2 sounding.
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Factory – FAC 23-12 
| A | Love Will Tear Us Apart | |
| B1 | These Days | |
| B2 | Love Will Tear Us Apart |
Here is link to the 1995 re-release which has the Arthur Baker remix as well a the bonus track, “Transmission”.
So as we carry on the vault got plundered again in 2005 including the original version with a new Radio version remixed by American producer Don Gehman who brightens everything up and cleans up all the instrumentation. I think this might be the same version on the ’95 release called the “Permanent Mix” although it is longer and does not fade out the guitar part at the end. Bonus B-side this time is the epic “Atmosphere” – a track that is still haunting after all these years.
NEW LINK 2021
London Records – FAC23CD 
| 1 | Love Will Tear Us Apart (Original Version) | 3:27 |
| 2 | Love Will Tear Us Apart (Radio Version) | 3:39 |
| 3 | Atmosphere | 4:10 |
Proving you can always make a bit of cash and keep a classic in the listening public’s eye. This limited release from 2009 came out on green vinyl (amongst other colours) on the American Cleopatra label. These were advertised as alternative versions mastered from the original Martin Hannett session tapes. Not licensed by the band and sounding a bit soulless.
“Transmission” seems to be recorded from a cassette tape but it does sound quite interesting – a studio outtake with what seems like a bat on backing vocals.
NEW LINK 2021
Cleopatra – CLP 3673 
| A | Love Will Tear Us Apart | 3:17 |
| B | Transmission | 3:40 |
myvinyldreams 
I’m not really a fan of Joy Division, probably mostly because I can’t get past how overplayed “Love Will Tear Us Apart” is. I have the album Substance, which I admit to probably not giving as much of a chance to. That said, having these and the backing tracks or B-sides gives me something different to check out and perhaps a better chance or entry point to the band. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing.
Good day mate. None of the download links worked. Would you mind re-uploading the files? Thanks in advance.
Thanks for having the time to update the download links. Very much appreciated.
always thought the Peel Sessions version of Love was better than the original.