From: weitzman@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Adam J. Weitzman)
Subject: FGTH's _Welcome_To_The_Pleasuredome_: Finally, the definitive answer
Organization: Brandeis University
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 16:52:08 GMT


OK, folks, I *finally* got myself to purchase the newer edition of Frankie
Goes To Hollywood's classic (IMHO) _Welcome_To_The_Pleasuredome_ on CD, the
new Island/Polygram version, on the basis of rumors here on the net that
it might be identical to the 2LP and cassette versions that came out in 1984,
the year of the album's release. Well, (drumroll please)....

It is.

17 tracks, 64:30. Despite the fact that the jewel box has the old track
listing, despite the fact that the listing at the beginning of the booklet
and on the back of the booklet are the old one, despite the fact that the 
printing on the CD has the old track listing, it nevertheless is the original.
I've forgotten the catalog number, but I bought one of the most recent
editions (it was shrink-wrapped on the inside and had a yellow/red sticker
on the longbox). 

The difference between this one and the old CD?

OLD CD					NEW CD
------					------
1. well...				1. well...
   The World Is My Oyster		   The World Is My Oyster
   Snatch Of Fury (stay)		2. Snatch Of Fury (stay) + the 
					   first 1:23 of the title track.*
2. Welcome To The Pleasuredome*		3. The rest of Welcome ttP
3. Relax				4. Relax
4. War					5. War
5. Two Tribes (extended, 9:07)		6. Two Tribes (original, 3:20)
6. The Last Voice			7. the silly bit about orgasm
					8. Ferry
7. Born To Run				9. Born To Run
8. Happy Hi
					10. San Jose
9.-15. the rest of the album		11.-17. the rest of the album

* In this first 1:23 of Welcome, the lyrics "Life goes on day after day" from
Ferry occur. On the old CD, this part was removed. It is returned on the new
one, as it was on the 2LP/cassette.

A note: Despite the fact that Ferry and San Jose were re-added to the CD, 
the credits for these recordings are not to be found anywhere. Also, on both 
CDs, the credits for War and Born To Run are the same on the two CDs, but 
different from what is on the cassette. Finally, all of the pictures and
photos that used to be in color (on the old CD, as well as on the 2LP and
cassette) are reproduced in b&w in the booklet for the new CD (except for
the color on the cover, obviously). And the listing for Welcome To The
Pleasuredome on the back of the new box is whited-out.

Another curiosity: I always thought that the division between Snatch Of Fury
and Welcome was exactly where the first CD cut it (which is why I have 
listed it that way above). However, since the newer CD is cut differently,
I started wondering. On the credits to the cassette, Gerry Marsden is 
credited for writing Ferry, which he did, *and* Snatch Of Fury, which he
probably didn't. On the old CD, they cut the "Life goes on day after day"
(lyrics from Ferry) part out on what I considered to be the intro to Welcome.
I'm now guessing that they did that (as well as cutting Ferry) to be able to
remove the Marsden credit from the CD entirely. Based on the cassette, though,
the piece of music those lyrics appear on is Snatch Of Fury, not Welcome. Is
it possible that the new CD is actually where the divisions of the songs
belong, based on this evidence? (The new cut cuts it *right* before the drums
kick in.)

Also, has *anyone* figured out the division of Well... and Oyster? Well...
isn't listed on any of the CDs, but was on both the cassette and 2LP.

That's all.



-- 
					- Adam J Weitzman
					  weitzman@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu
"All our life is spent in this permanent brainwashed contempt."
	- Meat Beat Manifesto