Some Bizzare Album
| Some Bizzare Album | ||||
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| Compilation album by Some Bizzare Artists | ||||
| Released | 1981 | |||
| Genre | Synthpop, new wave | |||
| Label | Some Bizzare | |||
| Some Bizzare Artists chronology | ||||
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| Allmusic |   |
Some Bizzare Album was the first album by Some Bizzare Records. It was released in 1981 as a sampler of the label's musical ethos. The acts were not actually signed exclusively to the label at the time.
The album consisted of tracks by unsigned synthpop groups, including future alternative icons Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, The The and Blancmange. The compilation saw the first ever released recording of Depeche Mode.Some Bizzare Album was Stevo Pearce’s vision. He believed in the music that was included on the album as opposed to the fashion or style aspects. Other artists that Pearce wanted to include on the album included The Normal, Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle.Some Bizzare Album was re-released on CD format in 1992 for a limited time. It was re-released again in 2008 with extra bonus tracks. The "Eye Lamp" graphic used on the sleeve is taken from Ridgway Potteries' Homemaker crockery collection.
After meeting with Stevo Pearce, Soft Cell decided to include one of their tracks on the new Some Bizzare Album. They recorded The Girl with the Patent Leather Face at a studio owned by John Darling. Almond describes the song as a "tinny-sounding, trashy synthesizer song" that owed much to "Warm Leatherette", a track by The Normal. The Normal was really Mute Records boss Daniel Miller.
Formed in 1980, Depeche Mode were cautious when first approached by Pearce, they were indecisive about being included on a 'futurist' compilation album. They first decided to take their demo tape to various other record companies, only to be rejected by every one. After a bad first meeting with Daniel Miller of Mute Records (Miller was in a bad mood due to a problem with some Fad Gadget artwork), the door was left open for Pearce to include Depeche Mode on his Some Bizzare Album. During an evening at the Bridgehouse, in Canning Town, Pearce chatted with Depeche Mode about his new label and compilation album. At the time, the band had been supporting Fad Gadget. It was decided that Depeche Mode would record a track for Some Bizzare Album. Pearce had then recommended that the band work with Daniel Miller at Mute Records. In late 1980, Depeche Mode went into an east London recording studio and recorded the track "Photographic". Daniel Miller wanted to put a good track on the compilation album, but not their best track. Miller acted as an informal producer on the recording of the Some Bizzare version of the "Photographic" track. The band set up their equipment in the studio and ran through some of their tracks live in the studio. "Photographic" was recorded and mixed in one day.
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