Paul Haig - The Warp of Pure Fun

Les Disques du Crepuscule
(TWI669: 708527210055)

$30.00

Release date: 11/26/2021.

4xCD box set (64 tracks).

Les Disques du Crepuscule is proud to present a newly remastered and expanded CD box set edition of The Warp of Pure Fun, the acclaimed 1985 album by Scottish songwriter Paul Haig, formerly of influential Postcard/postpunk group Josef K.

Co-produced by Alan Rankine of The Associates, The Warp of Pure Fun followed a brief flirtation with mainstream dance-pop on the Island Records, and marked a return to warmer, more personal songs and arrangements, as well as live drums and ringing guitars, and also embracing emergent digital technology such as Akai sequencers and the Kurzweil sampling keyboard.

The album includes 4 singles in Big Blue World, Heaven Help You Now, Love Eternal and electro-funk stormer The Only Truth, the latter produced with Bernard Sumner of New Order and Donald Johnson (A Certain Ratio). As well as Alan Rankine on luxuriant keyboards, other stellar guests include drummers Steve Goulding, Toby and James Locke, bassist Michael McCann and Blaine L. Reininger of Tuxedomoon, who adds dramatic strings to epic closer Love and War.

The mammoth 64 track box set also includes a raft of extended 12” mixes, including rare US remixes by Man Parrish and Mantronik, and no less than 3 versions of The Executioner, a spooky electro collaboration with Cabaret Voltaire taped at their Western Works Studio in Sheffield. B-sides include Paul’s frantic rockabilly take on Ghost Rider by Suicide, featuring Malcolm Ross and David McClymont of Josef K/Orange Juice.

Disc 2 features a fascinating early album demo recorded at home on 4 track equipment, featuring several previously unheard songs, as well as all tracks from Paul’s legendary ‘lost’ second album from 1984, including sublime standout song Shining Hour.

Disc 4 offers 9 tracks professionally recorded live in Japan in May 1985 (with accompanying radio interview), along with several more demo tracks recorded later that year. Again, several of these songs (Testimony, Wrapped, Bridges) have never heard or released on record before.

Remastered in 2021 by Peter Beckmann at TechnologyWorks London. The booklet includes a detailed track by track commentary by Paul, along with photographs and artwork by Crepuscule design director Benoit Hennebert.

4xCD tracklist:

CD 1: THE WARP OF PURE FUN

1. Silent Motion

2. Heaven Help You Now

3. Love Eternal

4. This Dying Flame

5. Sense of Fun

6. Scare Me

7. Big Blue World

8. The Only Truth

9. One Lifetime Away

10. Love and War

11. Ghost Rider

12. Endless Song

13. Dangerous Life

14. The Executioner (Mix #1)

15. Closer Now

16. Trust

17. World Raw

CD 2: 1984 DEMO + LOST ALBUM TRACKS

1. City Life

2. Judgement Coming

3. Love and War

4. The Only Truth

5. Heart of Song

6. Crawling

7. Fear and Dancing

8. One Lifetime Away

9. Trust

10. Shining Hour

11. World Raw

12. All Our Love

13. Love Eternal

14. Shining Hour

15. One Lifetime Away

16. Fear and Dancing

17. All Our Love

18. Love and War

CD 3: OUTTAKES, REMIXES + RARITIES

1. Heaven Help You Now (12”)

2. This Dying Flame (12” Mix)

3. The Only Truth (12”)

4. The Executioner (Mix #2)

5. Scottish Christmas

6. Theme from ‘The Persuaders’

7. Change of Heart

8. Work the System

9. Heaven Help You Now (Mantronik Mix)

10. The Only Truth (US Remix)

11. The Executioner (Mix #3)

12. The Only Truth (Instrumental)

13. On This Night of Decision

CD 4: LIVE IN JAPAN 4/5/1985 + DEMOS

1. Scare Me (live)

2, Blue For You (live)

3. Heaven Help You Now (live)

4. Love Eternal (live)

5. Interview

6. Ghost Rider (live)

7. Big Blue World (live)

8. Heaven Sent (live)

9. Magdalena 82 (live)

10. The Only Truth (demo)

11. Testimony

12. Wrapped

13. Reach the Top (1985 demo)

14. Eastworld (1985 demo)

15. In-Flight Entertainment (1985 demo)

16. Bridges (1985 demo)