[Final Solution [FSLP001], UK, Vinyl, March 24th 1980]
[Plastic Head [PLAS LP/013], UK, Vinyl, c.Late 80s]
[Plastic Head [PLAS CD/013], UK, CD, May 1989]
track listing
Kyleaking, Making Cars, Narpoth, U.F.O.Report No.1, Sliddery, Singing In The Rain, Only One Me, Shouting 'Nispers', There Over There, Termite Mound, Slepe, Devil's Dyke, Six Mile Bottom, U.F.O.Report No.2, Autumn 80, Duplicate, Pog Track, Thin Line
notes
Other band members include Colin Lloyd Tucker and John Hyde. The Gadgets material is mainly early experimental synth pop. The Gadgets actually have a fair number of albums out but many of them are now hard to find. The liner notes speak about two other Gadgets albums, that being "The Fruits Of Akledama" and "Infantree", but there are others as well. I know Matt didn't have anything to do with "Infantree" and I'm not positive, but I don't think he had any involvement with "Fruits of Akledama" either. I know the CD edition of "Infantree" includes five tracks from Akledama, but makes no mention of Matt having anything to do with the band on those tracks. I have yet to see a copy of Akledama to check this out any further. Some of The Gadgets albums give credit to Matt Johnson for things he wrote. This album doesn't mention which tracks he wrote, so it's hard to judge just how much input he had on this album. The liner notes speak about how Colin and John were in a band called The Plain Characters and how Colin and Matt got together to record "Termite Mound". Apparently this prompted Colin and John to ask Matt to join them for The Gadgets. This release is quite rare, but exact numbers aren't known. Matt is not said to be a huge fan of The Gadgets - his work with them was minimal. Later, re-issues made sure his name appeared in big letters on the cover to try and get them sold more easily. He was basically good friends with Colin Lloyd Tucker, but it was apparently John Hyde that ticked Matt off. He later worked again with Tucker on the Deux Filles project.
graphics
Front Cover [ CD -
CD Sticker ]
Back Cover [ CD ]
Inner Sleeve [ CD ]
Labels [ CD ]
[Final Solution [FSLP 002], UK, Vinyl, December 5th 1980]
[Plastic Head [PLAS LP/014], UK, Vinyl, c.Late 80s]
[Plastic Head [PLAS CD/014], UK, CD, July 1989]
track listing
Bodorgan, Godgetspeak, Checking To Make Sure [Yep], Aaeon, Leave It To Charlie, Prayers, Happy Enido, Quatt, Pictures Of You, An ft, Railway Line Through Blubberhouses, She's Queen Of Toyland, Sex, It Wasn't That Way At All, The Death And Resurrection Of Jennifer Gloom, Bill Posters Will Be Prosecuted
notes
Other band members include Colin Lloyd Tucker and John Hyde, as is the same on most Gadgets albums. It seems Matt contributed to this album a little more than the previous one. He wrote the track, "She's Queen Of Toyland", which could easily be mistaken for some of his "Burning Blue Soul" material. The liner notes of the album also make a reference to Peter Greenaway, possibly the same Peter Greenaway from the UK who is best known for directing films in the late 80's/early 90's like "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover", and "A Zed and Two Noughts". Who knows. This release is quite rare, but exact numbers aren't known. Matt is not said to be a huge fan of The Gadgets - his work with them was apparently minimal. They were originally a couple of studio musicians that asked him to help out with their album. Later, re-issues made sure his name appeared in big letters on the cover to try and get them sold more easily. He was basically good friends with Colin Lloyd Tucker, but it was apparently John Hyde that ticked Matt off. He later worked again with Tucker on the Deux Filles project.
graphics
Front Cover [ Vinyl -
CD ]
Back Cover [ CD ]
Inner Sleeve [ CD ]
Labels [ CD ]
[label unknown [product code unknown], UK, Vinyl, c.1979-198?]
track listing
[track listing currently unknown]
notes
Other band members include Colin Lloyd Tucker and John Hyde. The Gadgets material is mainly early experimental synth pop. This one might be a hoax. I've heard it might be an EP but I've yet to see it confirmed. I saw it listed on a Gadgets discography once, but that's it. I don't think Matt appears on it, but I could be wrong. If it does exist, this release is quite rare, but exact numbers aren't known. I do know that the liner notes of the "Blue Album" talk about an EP that had at least two tracks found on the "Blue Album" ["We Had No Way Of Knowing" and "Broken Fall"] so that could be this - who knows. Matt is not said to be a huge fan of The Gadgets - his work with them was apparently minimal. They were originally a couple of studio musicians that asked him to help out with their album. Later, re-issues made sure his name appeared in big letters on the cover to try and get them sold more easily. He was basically good friends with Colin Lloyd Tucker, but it was apparently John Hyde that ticked Matt off. He later worked again with Tucker on the Deux Filles project.
graphics
None available.
[Some Bizarre [BZLP 1], UK, Vinyl 12", February 1981]
[Celluloid [CEL 6596], UK, Vinyl 12", 1981]
[Some Bizarre [510 297-2], UK, CD, 1992]
[Some Bizarre [510 297-4], UK, Cassette, 1992]
track listing
Includes an untitled track, commonly refered to by fans as "Untitled".
notes
This early sampler from the Some Bizarre label, featured the first The The track to be put out
after the 4AD single for "Controversial Subject". The song is terrible and Matt hates it, but
it's rare, and damn it if that don't make it sought after. This sampler also includes rare
early material from Blancmange, Soft Cell, and Depeche Mode, making it very pricy on eBay.
Vinyl copies usually go for around $20 US and up and CD copies usually go for about $40 US and
up. The CD version was a re-issue of the original album and is the only place you can get
"Untitled" on CD. The CD was re-issued around the same time Some Bizarre re-issued "Cold Spell
Ahead" on CD and it was available on cassette as well.
There is some question to the legality of the Celluloid pressings. Celluloid put out a series
of vinyl pressings of existing albums during the early 80s. I know I have a copy of Cabaret
Voltaire's "Nag Nag Nag" single on Celluloid, for example. However, some have said that their
entire catalog is a giant bootleg. Genesis P.Orridge of Throbbing Gristle / Psychic TV fame
once said that Celluloid had made money off of duplicating TG albums and TG never saw a cent.
It could be that the Celluloid editions are bootlegs, officially speaking, but they do exist.
Also be on the lookout for bootleg editions of the CD, some of which have been seen on eBay,
masquerading as the real deal. There are visible differences between the bootleg and the real
deal, which are shown below.
graphics
Front Cover [ Vinyl [ both Some Bizarre and Celluloid ] -
CD -
Cassette ]
Back Cover [ Vinyl [ Celluloid ] -
Celluloid Detail -
CD ]
Inner Sleeve [ CD -
Cassette ]
Labels [ Celluloid -
CD ]
CD Bootleg [ 1 -
2 -
3 ]
[Cherry Red [BRED 15], Europe, Vinyl, 1981]
track listing
Includes the track, "What Stanley Saw".
notes
This is the first place where this track appeared but has since been re-issued on a CD compilation called "Ambitious? Volume One" as well as a follow up compilation that included tracks from all the volumes of the Ambitious series. This is a fairly sought after track and is somewhat hard to find, especially in the vinyl format seen here. One of the most interesting things about this release is the short discography it lists of Matt's work around this period. It's completely wrong of course. It lists a Gadgets album called "The Black Album", which doesn't exist or is a misprint of their later released "Blue Album". It also lists a single for "Waiting For The Upturn", which doesn't exist - it was probably supposed to be a listing for "Uncertain Smile", which may not have come out yet when the discography was written up.
graphics
Front Cover
Back Cover
Inside Cover [ Inside -
Detail ]
Labels
[4AD [CAD117], Japan, Vinyl, November 1981]
[4AD [CAD 117 CD], country unknown, CD, 1997]
track listing
Includes the track, "Controversial Subject". The CD edition also includes the track "Black And White".
notes
Not sure how many copies were pressed, but it was a Japanese release, 500 copies of which were imported back into the UK. The vinyl edition includes "Controversial Subject", where the CD edition contains both "Controversial Subject" and "Black and White". It's the only place you can get "Black and White" in a digtal format and the less rare of two places you can get "Controversial Subject" in a digital format, the other being 4AD's Lilliput compilation. The CD version came out in 1997 as a mail order release and is much more widely available than the vinyl edition. It still can go for a good $20 US plus at least on eBay, just due to the fact that it's part of the 4AD catalog, of which there are many collectors. I've seen two shots of the vinyl cover, one in sepiatone brown and another in black. This could be a scanning glitch or it could mean the vinyl cover comes in different shades. I'd love to know if anybody could verify this.
graphics
Front Cover [ Vinyl [Sepiatone] -
Vinyl [Black] -
CD ]
Back Cover [ CD ]
Inside Cover [ CD ]
CD Label
![Vinyl [Sepiatone]](images/ttap0601.jpg){kind=link}
![Vinyl [Black]](images/ttap0606.jpg){kind=link}
Various Artists - Best Of The New
Warner Brothers [product code unknown], US, Vinyl, 1982
track listing
Includes the track, "Uncertain Smile [12" Version]".
notes
This promotional sampler from Warner Brothers includes the 12" version of "Uncertain Smile".
graphics
[Papier Mache [PULP31], France, Vinyl, 1982]
[Humbug [BAH1], UK, CD, year unknown]
track listing
The Letter, L'Intrigue, Drinking At A Stream, Oakwood Green, Children Of Clay, Sur la Plage, Her Masters Voice, The Draw In Room, She Slides, Fleurs Dolls, Mortuary, The City Sleeps, Birds, Silence And Wisdom, Festival
notes
This obscure album from the French due Gemini Forque and Claudine Coule includes some
contributions by Matt Johnson, although how much he contributed to this album, I have no idea.
The music has been described as "Vini Reilly meets the Cocteau Twins" and "what Brian Eno might
do if he recorded on 4AD". I've also heard that even though the liner notes tell you this
album is performed by two women, it is actually the two men that make up the driving force
behind The Gadgets. Specifically, Colin Lloyd Tucker is part of the duo, who is probably the
only person out of The Gadgets that Matt actually liked.
The cover design for the CD is quite nice. The booklet has a wraparound onion paper cover
with the band name and album title printed across it, with the cover of the album visible
through the paper.
graphics
Front Cover [ Vinyl -
CD [ Full -
Detail ] ]
Back Cover [ Vinyl -
CD ]
Labels [ Vinyl -
CD ]
CD Booklet [ 1 -
2 -
3 -
4 -
5 ]
[Some Bizzare [BZS 13], UK, Vinyl, September 1982]
[Some Bizzare [BZM 13], UK, Cassette, September 1982]
[Some Bizzare [510-298-2], UK, CD, April 1992]
[Some Bizzare [510-298-4], UK, Cassette, April 1992]
[Some Bizzare [SBZ027CD], UK, CD with Enchanced CD Video for "Sleaze", November 1997]
track listing
Untitled, Empty Eyes, Angels, Big Louise, Caroline Says, Margaret, If You Go Away, Terrapin, Twilight and Lowlifes, Twilight and Lowlifes [Street Walking Soundtrack]
notes
This project primarily paired up Soft Cell front man Marc Almond with Annie Hogan, but also featured Matt on guitars. Matt's overall involvement with the Mambas is somewhat sketchy. I'm told he played guitar on two of their albums and a single, but beyond that, I haven't been able to either verify this for certain for find anything else out. CD re-issues of this album can fetch around $40 US on eBay, sometimes more for the 1992 CD re-issue, which was apparently printed in fewer numbers.
graphics
Front Cover [ CD [1992] -
CD [1997] ]
Back Cover [ CD [1992] ]
![CD [1992]](images/ttap2201.jpg){kind=link}
![CD [1997]](images/ttap2203.jpg){kind=link}
![CD [1992]](images/ttap2202.jpg){kind=link}
[Glass [GLALP 006], UK, Vinyl, June 1983]
[Plastic Head [PLAS LP/016], UK, Vinyl, c.Late 80s]
[Plastic Head [PLAS CD/016], UK, CD, May 1989]
track listing
We Had No Way Of Knowing, Space In My Heart, Bodies Without Heads, The Boyfriend, Uneasy Listening, Juice Of Love, Discuss The Sofa, Long Empty Train, Bite The Sawdust, Broken Fall
notes
Other band members include Colin Lloyd Tucker and John Hyde. This is the third Gadgets album, the material mainly being experimental synth pop. Matt is not credited as having written any of the songs on this album, but considering that Matt was probably working on his own solo material at the time, it's hardly suprising. This release is quite rare, but exact numbers aren't known. Matt is not said to be a huge fan of The Gadgets - his work with them was apparently minimal. They were originally a couple of studio musicians that asked him to help out with their album. Later, re-issues made sure his name appeared in big letters on the cover to try and get them sold more easily. He was basically good friends with Colin Lloyd Tucker, but it was apparently John Hyde that ticked Matt off. He also worked with Tucker on the Deux Filles project. Although Matt's name appears on the cover, it's debatable as to whether he had any involvement with this Gadgets album at all.
graphics
Front Cover [ CD -
CD Sticker ]
Back Cover [ CD ]
Inner Sleeve [ CD ]
Labels [ CD ]
[Glass [GLASS 026], UK, Vinyl 7", June 1983]
[Glass [GLASS 12-026], UK, Vinyl 12", June 1983]
track listing
We Had No Way Of Knowing, Acid Bath
notes
Other band members include Colin Lloyd Tucker and John Hyde. This is the single off the Gadgets' "Blue Album". Their material is mainly experimental synth pop. Matt is not credited as having written any of the songs on the "Blue Album", but considering that Matt was probably working on his own solo material at the time, it's hardly suprising. This release is quite rare, but exact numbers aren't known. Matt is not said to be a huge fan of The Gadgets - his work with them was apparently minimal. They were originally a couple of studio musicians that asked him to help out with their album. Later, re-issues made sure his name appeared in big letters on the cover to try and get them sold more easily. He was basically good friends with Colin Lloyd Tucker, but it was apparently John Hyde that ticked Matt off. He also worked with Tucker on the Deux Filles project. Although Matt's name appears on the cover, it's debatable as to whether he had any involvement with this Gadgets album at all. The B side is exclusive to the single as far as I know.
graphics
None available.
See individual track listings for product codes.
track listing 1
Black Heart, Your Aura
[Some Bizzare [BZS 19], UK, Vinyl 7" with post card, June 1983]
track listing 2
Black Heart, Your Aura, Mamba
[Some Bizzare [BZS 1912], UK, Vinyl 12", June 1983]
notes
This project primarily paired up Soft Cell front man Marc Almond with Annie Hogan, but also featured Matt on guitars. Matt's overall involvement with the Mambas is somewhat sketchy. I'm told he played guitar on two of their albums and a single, but beyond that, I haven't been able to either verify this for certain for find anything else out.
graphics
Dumb As Death's Head
[Melody Maker Magazine, UK, Vinyl Flexidisc, September 1983]
track listing
Includes the track, "Dumb As Death's Head".
notes
This promotional flexidisc given away with the May 21st, 1983 issue of Melody Maker magazine and includes the rare track "Dumb As Death's Head", which was from the unreleased "Pornography Of Despair" album. This is fairly sought after stuff. The B-side to this flexi was a track by a band called The Sines. Finding the magazine with the flexi intact is a bit of a chore but it sometimes is possible.
graphics
[Some Bizzare [BIZL 4], UK, Vinyl, August 1983]
[Some Bizzare [BIZLC 4], UK, Cassette, August 1983]
[Some Bizzare [812-872-2], UK, CD, April 1992]
[Some Bizzare [812-872-4], UK, Cassette, April 1992]
[Some Bizzare [SBZ028CD], UK, CD, November 1997]
track listing
Intro, Boss Cat, The Bulls, Catch A Fallen Star, The Animal In You, In My Room, First Time, [Your Love Is A] Lesion, My Former Self, Once Was, The Untouchable One, Blood Wedding, Black Heart, Medley: Narcissus/Gloomy Sunday/Vision, Torment, A Million Manias, My Little Book Of Sorrows, Beat Out That Rythm On A Drum
notes
This project primarily paired up Soft Cell front man Marc Almond with Annie Hogan, but also featured Matt on guitars. Matt's overall involvement with the Mambas is somewhat sketchy. I'm told he played guitar on two of their albums and a single, but beyond that, I haven't been able to either verify this for certain for find anything else out. CD re-issues of this album can fetch around $25 US on eBay.
graphics
Front Cover [ CD [1992] ]
![CD [1992]](images/ttap2301.jpg){kind=link}
[Some Bizzare [BZS 2112], UK, Vinyl 12", November 1983]
track listing
Torment, First Time, You'll Never See Me On A Sunday, Megamillionmania [Multimania Mix]
notes
This project primarily paired up Soft Cell front man Marc Almond with Annie Hogan, but also featured Matt on guitars. Matt's overall involvement with the Mambas is somewhat sketchy. I'm told he played guitar on two of their albums and a few singles, but beyond that, I haven't been able to either verify this for certain for find anything else out.
graphics
None available.
[What's So Funny About.. [SF 18], Germany, Vinyl, 1985]
[What's So Funny About.. [SF 18], Germany, CD, 1992]
track listing
Includes the track, "Three Orange Kisses From Kazan".
notes
"Decoder" was an underground German film that starred all kinds of bizarre manner of people, including F.M.Einheit of Einsturzende Neubauten and Genesis P.Orridge of Psychic TV fame. Although I managed to get my hands on a pirate copy of the film years ago, I've never seen it subtitled - it is entirely in German, making it next to impossible for me to understand. Matt does not appear in the film, but his music does, as well as on this soundtrack. The soundtrack was re-issued some years later on CD, the CD version being the slightly harder of the two versions to find. A copy of "Decoder" on vinyl or CD can easily fetch $20 US on auction sites like eBay as it includes lots of other rare material from other artists as well.
graphics
Front Cover [ Vinyl -
CD ]
Back Cover [ Vinyl -
CD ]
Inner Sleeve [ Vinyl -
CD ]
Labels [ Vinyl -
CD ]
[label unknown [product code unknown], country unknown, format unknown, c.1985]
track listing
Includes the track, "This Is The Day", if this soundtrack even exists.
notes
"Static" is an American movie from 1985, also known as "Necessity". It had music in it from Matt Johnson, as well as Brian Eno and a few others. Apparently "This Is The Day" is featured during the opening credits. I have no idea if a soundtrack was ever made, but I'm assuming there was one and listing it here just in case. I have never verified a copy out though. Mark Romanek, the director of "Static", also directedd The The's video for "Sweet Bird of Truth" and later went on to direct videos for artists like Madonna, Nine Inch Nails, and Lenny Kravitz.
graphics
None available.
[Some Bizarre [product code unknown], UK, Vinyl, 1985]
[Capitol [ST 12439], Canada, Vinyl, 1985]
[Some Bizarre / Thirsty Ear [SBZCD001 / THI 57028.2], UK, CD, 1997]
track listing
Includes the track, "Flesh and Bones".
notes
This was Matt's second contribution to a compilation from Some Bizarre. This is a much better collection of tracks in my opinion. Matt's contribution, "Flesh and Bones", is a classic B side to the "Heartland" single, but it's important here because it's the only place you can get "Flesh and Bones" in a digital format. For this reason, CD pressings of this album fetch a good $20 US on eBay when they appear. This sampler also features a lot of other rare material from other artists, so it's in demand for that reason as well. The CD has two product codes, one from Some Bizarre, and one from Thirsty Ear, who licensed the rights to reprint the album on CD from Some Bizarre.
graphics
Front Cover [ Vinyl -
CD ]
Back Cover [ Vinyl -
CD ]
Inner Sleeve [ Vinyl [ 1 -
2 ] -
CD [ Inside -
Detail ] ]
Labels [ Vinyl -
CD ]
[Plastic Head [PLAS LP/007], UK, Vinyl, November 1986]
[Plastic Head [PLAS CD/007], UK, Vinyl, July 1989]
track listing
[track listing currently unknown]
notes
Other band members include Colin Lloyd Tucker and John Hyde. The Gadgets material is mainly early experimental synth pop. Debatable as to whether Matt appears on this album, but I'm doubting it until I get a copy in my hands. This release is rare, but exact numbers aren't known. I know five tracks from this album also appear on the CD release of the last Gadgets album, "Infantree", which Matt had nothing to do with. He's not mentioned as contributing to those five tracks, so I'd assume he had nothing to do with this album either. Matt is not said to be a huge fan of The Gadgets - his work with them was apparently minimal. They were originally a couple of studio musicians that asked him to help out with their album. Later, re-issues made sure his name appeared in big letters on the cover to try and get them sold more easily. He was basically good friends with Colin Lloyd Tucker, but it was apparently John Hyde that ticked Matt off. He also worked with Tucker on the Deux Filles project.
graphics
None available.
Various Artists - Certain Damage #23
[CMJ [CMJ CD-023/2], US, CD, October 1989]
track listing
Includes the track, "Beyond Love".
notes
This promotional CD from CMJ magazine [College Music Journal] includes the track "Beyond Love". I'm assuming it's the same as the one on "Mind Bomb" and was probably put out in order to further promote the album, which is mainly what magazines like CMJ are for anyway.
graphics
None available.
[4AD [lilliput one], UK, 2 X CD, May 1992]
track listing
Includes the track, "Controversial Subject".
notes
This is a beautiful piece of 4AD collectability. It's a double CD package with a 10" book.
The CDs are inserted into the front and back of the book. The covers of the book are made of
thick chipboard with artwork by Chris Bigg on the front. The book explains a lot of 4AD label
history, with photos, as well as describing the bands. The book is then bound with tape, and
comes with a t-shirt [no joke]. The sampler is limited to 3000 copies, 2000 of which were
imported into the US as promotional items for Warner Brothers and US retailers. It's also
been seen in Taiwan as "The Sounds Of 4AD" [possibly a bootleg]. Because of it's low pressing
numbers and it's delicate packaging, it fetches quite a lot on the collectors market
[aproximately $100 US or so is not uncommon].
As a piece of The The collectability, it's one of two places you can get the rare track
"Controversial Subject" in a digital format but it's probably better to collect the "Natures
Mortes-Still Lives" sampler from 4AD. It too, is rare, but it's CD version came out in 1997,
making it easier to collect. The CD version of "Natures Mortes-Still Lives" also includes
"Black And White", killing two birds with one, stone so to speak.
graphics
Various Artists - Volume Six
[World's End Limited/Total Record Company [6VCD6], UK, CD, April 1993]
track listing
Includes the track, "Lip Tripping".
notes
This CD is part of an excellent compilation series called Volume, each numbered individually. It includes the exclusive track "Lip Tripping". As with most Volume samplers, it comes with a large booklet talking at length about the bands, their histories, discographies, etc. and The The get quite a large section in the booklet for this issue.
graphics
Front Cover
Back Cover
Spine
CD Label
Booklet Pages [ 1 -
2 -
3 -
4 -
5 -
6 -
7 -
8 -
9 ]
Various Artists - Sharks Patrol These Waters, The Best Of
Volume Part Two
[Total Record Company [BOV CD2], UK, Double CD, July 1993]
track listing
Includes the track, "Lip Tripping".
notes
This double CD compiles some of the best stuff released on the excellent UK sampler series Volume, which exclusively released the track "Lip Tripping" on their Volume 6 sampler. This sampler comes with a 192 paged booklet with discographies, color photos and information on each band. To date I've seen two different covers when this has shown up on eBay [shown below] so I'm not sure what's up with that. Maybe one is a back cover and one is for the front.
graphics
Various - Mai Pen Rai
[4AD [NONIPR1], UK, CD, 1993]
track listing
Includes the track, "Another Boy Drowning".
notes
This 4AD CD sampler is a beautiful little package, even if it doesn't include anything incredibly rare from The The. It comes in a nifty cardboard fold-out cover designed by Bruce Licher of Independant Project Records. Eight different colour combinations are available for the cover and this one is somewhat rare. When it appears on eBay, it goes for good money, not because of the fact that The The appears on it, but that it's a rarity of the 4AD label, of which there are many rabid collectors.
graphics
Threesome Soundtrack
[Epic [H.CEK 57881], US, CD, 1994]
[Epic [CDNK 933], US, CD, 1994]
track listing
Includes the track, "That Was The Day".
notes
This soundtrack to the largely forgettable movie "Threesome" includes "That Was The Day". Although I don't own it, I'm assuming it's exactly the same as the versions on "Solitude" and everywhere else. The soundtrack comes in two formats, a full soundtrack and a short sampler that only includes The The's track and a track by General Public.
graphics
.O.Rang - Herd Of Instinct
[Echo [ECHCD 2], UK, CD, 1994]
track listing
Orang, Little Brother, Mind On Pleasure, All Change, Anaon: The Oasis, Loaded Values, Nahoojek - Fogou
notes
This was the aftermath of Talk Talk, another absolutely fantastic band. It's mainly Lee Harris and Paul Webb at the controls, but there's a whole slew of people helping them out, including Beth Gibbons and, you guessed it, Matt Johnson. Matt appears on "Anaon: The Oasis" and "Loaded Values" playing organ and guitar. The album has a really nice booklet with all kinds of beautiful photography art. At one point there's a page in the booklet where every contributor was asked to make what appears to be a mask self-portrait. Matt's is among them - similar to the style of his brother methinks.
graphics
Front Cover
Back Cover
Inset
CD Label
Booklet Page Of Contributor Masks [Matt's is third from
the left along the top row]
![Booklet Page Of Contributor Masks [Matt's is third from the left along the top row]](images/ttap1902.jpg){kind=link}
Hank Williams - Alone and Forsaken
[Mercury [product code unknown], US, CD, April 1995]
track listing
Includes a spoken word intro from Matt at the very beginning of the CD.
notes
This is a Hank Williams album, but it includes a short spoken word introduction from Matt at the beginning of the album. He expresses his love for the music of Hank Williams and speaks about how it has inspired him.
graphics
Various Artists - Certain Damage #62
[CMJ [product code unknown], US, CD, 1995]
track listing
Includes the track, "I Saw The Light".
notes
This promotional CD from CMJ magazine [College Music Journal] includes the track "I Saw The Light". I'm assuming it's the same as the one on "Hanky Panky" and was probably put out in order to further promote the album, which is mainly what magazines like CMJ are for anyway.
graphics
None available.
Various Artists - The Final Four
[Epic [product code unknown], US, CD, 1995]
track listing
Includes the tracks, "I Saw The Light", "I'm A Long Gone Daddy", and "I Can't Get You Off My Mind".
notes
This Epic sampler includes three tracks from "Hanky Panky", but also includes music from Mike Watt, Korn, Sponge, Corrosion Of Conformity, and Shudder To Think. Never thought I'd see The The on the same album as Corrosion Of Conformity, but there you go.
graphics
None available.
Various Artists - Judge Dredd Soundtrack
[Sony [product code unknown], US, CD, 1995]
track listing
Includes the track, "Darkness Falls".
notes
This soundtrack includes the exclusive track "Darkness Falls" which appears on no other releases.
graphics
[C&S [CS-8529-2], US, CD, 1996]
track listing
Includes the track, "What Stanley Saw".
notes
This one of the only places you can get the rare track, "What Stanley Saw" and also one of the only places you can get it on compact disc. It originally was released on the old Cherry Red compilation, "Perspectives and Distortion" in 1981 as a track by Matt Johnson and is noted on this compilation as a Matt Johnson track as well. As rarities go, it's a good track, and in my opinion, one worth looking out for. Apparently it's an outtake from the unreleased "Spirits" album, but nobody's really sure. You can sometimes find this CD being sold on eBay but if it's being sold with "The The" or "Matt Johnson" in it's description, expect it to sell for much more than it would without. For people looking for a re-issue of "Perspectives and Distortion", this isn't it. This is a completely different compilation of tracks and artists, however, there was a second volume of Ambitious that did contain more of "Perspectives and Distortion". There was also another Ambitious compilation that compiled several of the volumes, which also has this track on it.
graphics
[Epic [EK 69029], US, CD, 1998]
track listing
Includes the track, "Jelly On The Table".
notes
This is essentially the only place you can get this track. "First Love, Last Rites" was a movie, for which this was the soundtrack. All the music is performed by a band called Shudder To Think, but Matt makes an appearance on one track doing vocals.
graphics
CMJ New Music Monthly
[CMJ [product code unknown], US, CD, c.Jan-Feb 2000]
track listing
Includes the track, "Shrunken Man".
notes
This is New Music Monthly magazine released by CMJ to promote new and upcoming material. It was released early in 2000 to promote the upcoming Naked Self album. It includes "Shrunken Man" but I don't know whether it's the Radio Mix, the Interpretations Mix, or Album Mix. My guess is it's the Radio Mix.
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Lloyd Cole - etc.
[Megaworld [139012], UK, CD, 2001]
track listing
Matt contributes to the track, "Memphis".
notes
Matt and Lloyd are good friends. They met in New York City and lived close to each other. Often they'd get together, talk about their former country of origin, England, and discuss music or anything else they shared an interest in. I suppose as a result of this, they did some work together. I believe Matt sings on the track, "Memphis" on this album. Lloyd has apparently also lended some of his vocals to a track or two on "Naked Self" but I can't remember which. "etc." also appears in other forms - it's compiled into boxed sets, for example. I won't mention all the other places "etc." appears, just this album - hopefully that's enough for the most rabid of The The collectors.
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