1. Dumb As Death's Head - The The
2. Johnathon - The Sines
This free flexidisc came sellotaped on to the cover of Melody Maker 1983 and contained two tracks licensed to Cherry Red Records, the main draw here being the ultra rare The The cut.
Matt Johnson recorded his debut album Burning Blue Soul in 1981 under his own name (since reissued as an official The The album) and became one of the most captivating and darkest new wave/post-punk releases of its era. His first album under the The The name, the synth-noir classic Soul Mining was released two years later and came after a clutch of classic singles including Uncertain Smile and, recently covered by the Manics, This Is The Day.
In between these releases, Johnson recorded another The The album, intended to be the band's debut, The Pornography Of Despair. However, as the finishing touches were being put to the album, Johnson began to write the tracks for Soul Mining and the unmixed album was scrapped and remains unreleased to this day apart from a selection of tracks finding their way on to later B sides.
One of these tracks was Dumb As Death's Head and this double-tracker remains the only legit place to find this rarity. Very dark in tone, but adding a dash more colour to the icy soundscapes of Burning Blue Soul, this does indeed sound like the middle ground between his debut and the more accessible Soul Mining.
On to The Sines, and, well, let's start with The Slaves. The Slaves were a Teeside punk band formed by Gloria, a former member of punk "legends" Blitzkrieg Bop. When she quit, the remaining members stuck around and renamed themselves, yes, The Sines. This track remains the band's only release before they changed their name to Glory and released a single or two on Riva Records in the mid 80s.
Got all that?
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