NIGHT VERSION COMPANION

A very well chosen tracklist with about 90% of previously unavailable tracks.

1) Save A Prayer (DMC remix) featured already on the Ultra Rare Trax, but here the sound quality has improved.

2) Waterbabies is in fact a remix of 'All Along The Water' and was previously only available on the 'Serious' 12 inch. Most of the Maxi CD's of 'Serious' have 'waterbabies' listed but the CD actually contains the album version of the song. This was probably a misprint. There are however Maxi CD's of Serious that have the actual remix version but they are very rare. Good Remix.

3) My Own Way (Instrumental) was only available on a 12" promo. It's the instrumental Night Version to be precise.

4)Rio (Part 2) is also mainly instrumental. This comes from the regular Rio UK 12". The 'Night Version' of Rio was originally destined for the american market.

5)All She Wants Is (Master Mix) comes from the alternative 12". The original 12" has the 'Euro dub mix on it. These are just 2 of a lot more remixes Shep Pettibone made.

6)I Do What I Do (Final Cut). This is a clever made re-edit. I'm seriously doubting that it is an official remix.

7)Girls On Film (Instrumental) was previously only available on the Greek 12". For some reason it is in mono.

8)White Lines (Funkmaster Flex) : A true rare remix. One of the dozens made.

9)I Don't Want Your Love (Dub Mix) : An alternative mix to the 'Big Mix'. Was only available on the vinyl promo until now.

10)Election Day (Early Rough Mix) : From the b-side of the 'The Flame' 12" . Great Mix !

12)Electric Barbarella (The Americruiser Remix) : from one of the promo 12 inches.

This is perhaps the most discussed CD bootleg ever released.

First of all it was very strange that this CD was released as an extra to 'Night Version Companion'. It seems that it was added at the very last time.

The quality of the demo's is very average. It's still not clear who does the vocals - some claim that it's Andy, some say that it's John. In any case, they are not very good.

Here is a transcript of the original CD inlay liner notes :

July 1983

Summertime in England can be pleasant. Unless, of course, you are Duran Duran and EMI is expecting you to produce an album in time for the Christmas season. Another problem - The band were leaving the country to record songs on their new album, prompting speculation that they would become tax exiles. It was no secret that all five members were loathe to give over 40% of their hard earned cash to the British Government, especially as theyall were aware of the fickleness of pop culture. But the media circus loved it, and printed fact and fiction about in huge quantities.

At the beginning of recording, the band found themselves at a private chateau in the South of France. They remixed some old songs for a live video, wrote new songs for the next album, visited the Cannes Film Festival and also played host to Jools Holland from The Tube. But Duran Duran became bored, feeling isolated and far from civilization or nightlife. So the band flew on to Montserrat to continue recording songs. Air Studios on that island was to become their home, with Alex Sadkin as producer. It was supposed to keep them away from the outside pressures of the media and fans. Again, it truly did not suit the band's style and after 5 weeks there, they hated it.

The majority of the album was recorded in Montserrat, waiting only for the final mix-downs before completion. Regardless, the band was not completely happy with the results. But things had to wait, as the Royal family was calling. Simon, Nick, Andy; Roger and John returned to London to play two well publicized outdoor festivals; the first at London's Dominion Theatre on July 20th and the second at the Aston Villa Park in Birmingham three days later. It was during this period that the band (in one form or another) sneaked into a demo studio in London to continue working on tracks for the new album.

The songs colected here (most completely unfinished) are certainly rough works of art that were never meant to be seen (or heard) outside of the studio. Initial song ideas that were formed in France and in Montserrat are played about with many different sounds morphed into new ones. At the time, Simon had a cold, which prevented him from singing on all the tracks. Perhaps we shall let you guess who the singer is ? The tape these tracks were taken from was really only meant to be used as a one time reference medium to be recorded over the next day, or just simply erased. However, this one wasn't.

Alex Sadkin and Ian Little worked fevershly with the band at 301 Studios in downtown Sydney to transform and rework these rough tracks into the final masterpieces, Seven And The Ragged Tiger, which was to be the band's most pivotal album"

Then on March 12, 1999, John Taylor himself claimed that the demo's are fake.

Here's the message that he sent out :

"Very Interesting! Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make this sound like it's Duran Duran in the studio, work in progress. Not so. Bogus is the word that comes to mind. We were not using drum machines and sequencers at the time except on "Tiger Tiger", which came at the end of the sessions. "Seven And The Ragged Tiger" (the song) is especially interesting as someone has gone to the trouble of replicating the demo's using drum machines. If you really want this song, you will have to look harder for the original!".

(The original is available on 'Perfect Days Now And Then' in low sound quality).

But then again, John could have sent this message out because he was anxious that these recordings had seen the light of day.

In any case it is very strange that it's not Simon singing on the tracks. Although it is commonly known that he only adds his lyrics at the very last moment.

Maybe the demo's are half original, half fake. Until now we can only guess.