FOUND IN AN ATTIC - the original tape, without 'mud'! This classic punk album, made in London by New York Dolls Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan's new band the Heartbreakers, was always controversial - and not just for the acronym. Upon release on Track Records in 1977, it was universally condemned in the music press for having a 'muddy mix' - later found to be a mastering fault. When Track went bust the following year, manager Leee Black Childers burgled the Track Records' Carnaby Street office and liberated the tapes that belonged to him and the band - but he found everything except the master-tape.
Deluxe 2CD version now on sale, here: jungle-records...
45th Anniversary neon pink & white LP pre-selling soon too!
Subsequent releases were remixed from the multi-tracks ('Revisted', 1984) or compiled from outtake mixes - the 'lost '77 mixes' (1994) being the version most known since. A tweaked needle lift from vinyl for a 'definitive' box set removed a lot of the 'mud' but still didn't achieve full clarity. Meanwhile, fans found that the 1977 cassette version didn't have that infamous 'mud', nor did certain European vinyl matrixes.
Unexpectedly, in 2020 a chance meeting led Jungle to Daniel Secunda's archives. Danny was an old-school music biz pioneer who became a Track Records director - and the Heartbreakers 'L.A.M.F.' co-producer. In amongst his archives stored in his attic were numerous tape boxes, including two with no artist name, marked: 'Copy Master 12.7.77'. They turned out to be a crystal-clear 'L.A.M.F.', just as the band and producers intended it.
Sadly, in August 2020 the Heartbreakers co-lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Walter passed away. He was the last of the Heartbreakers 'L.A.M.F.' line-up - Johnny Thunders died in 1991, Jerry Nolan in 1992, and Billy Rath in 2014. Walter's punk memoir autobiography is published in paperback in June 2021, and his band The Waldos also get their album 'Rent Party' reissued on blue vinyl for Record Store Day's RSD Drop2, followed by a CD reissue.
So - is it much different? Vive Le Rock's Joe Whyte's review says:- "the sound is clearer, sharper, more focused but it's fairly subtle too. If the songs are ingrained in your DNA, you'll feel the difference straight away. Punchier and clearer with Nolan's drums and cymbals cutting through, Billy Rath's bass slinkier and ballsier than the original mixes. The buccaneering guitar licks of Thunders guitar are right in your face, and Walter Lure's choppy, sinuous leads wind in and out."
An example: 'It's Not Enough' - when choosing tracks for 'the Lost mixes' from the attempts at assorted studios, there were only two versions to choose from. One had vocals mixed far too high; the other very low. We went with the low vocals version - they almost fade away at one point. Now, we can hear the correctly balanced mix.
Tracks: Born To Lose, Baby Talk, All By Myself, I Wanna Be Loved, It's Not Enough, Chinese Rocks, Get Off The Phone, Pirate Love, One Track Mind, I Love You, Goin' Steady, Let Go, Can't Keep My Eyes On You*, Do You Love Me*. Cat. no: TRACKLP77. *Includes two tracks originally released as single b-sides. Vinyl is Direct Metal Mastered from 24-bit analogue tape transfers.
WHERE TO BUY?
The CD edition - with a bonus disc of four demo sessions 1976-77 and a 32-page booklet in a hardback book - is available now at our Direct Webstore:-
jungle-records...
USA buylink: mvdshop.com/
The vinyl has sold out. 'L.A.M.F. - the found '77 masters' was first released on vinyl for Record Store Day 2021 on July 17 as a limited edition in transparent purple vinyl, with inner bag and new notes by Simon Wright, plus a 12" poster of a Roberta Bayley cover outtake pic. Don't pay stupid prices; there'll be another pressing in summer 2022. A deluxe 2CD version is now released - see above.
Video slideshow: all Heartbreakers photos from the sleeve and inner bag, thanks to and (c) Roberta Bayley.
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