Our Man In Berlin

Die Unbekannten - Don't Tell Me Stories

Shark Vegas front man Mark Reeder has a finer music pedigree than what originally meets the eye. Many will know of him from the Shark Vegas Factory Records release, You Hurt Me and it's original German release (both recently featured here) plus that he was Bernard Sumner's mate in Germany. Reeder was the founding Frantic Elevator in Manchester in the late seventies (and therefore partly responsible for ginger Manc soul-god-ego Mick Hucknall), he then moved to Germany where he became the Factory Records rep and promoter in the country. Back then, Germany was still split with just a part of the historic capital being a tiny bastion of western democracy (with a highly influential alternative music scene)  enshrouded by what was a Soviet satellite state, the DDR.

Die Unbekannten (translated means The Unknowns) were a British ex-pat trio who released just two fine 12" EPs of quality dark factoryesque post-punk, the self titled debut featuring Casualties, Radio War and Poseidon, and the superb Dangerous Moonlight EP which included The Game and Don't Tell Me Stories. The two EPs are compiled here along with Radio War and Alone. The band also featured at the Berlin Atonal shows at the famous SO36 club. A tape of the performances has surfaced here.

In 1984, Die Unbekannten became Shark Vegas and recorded You Hurt Me for Totenkopf, mixed at Connie Plank's studio. Reeder still records and remixes these days, as well as some soundtrack work, for instance the banned slash/horror flick Nekromantik 2. A fine rip of this long deleted vinyl LP on German label VOD has been kindly supplied by blog contributor and fellow appreciator of fine music thehappyone.

Ripped from a vinyl album released on Vinyl-On-Demand (VOD 17) in 2005 to high quality lossless flac audio.

A1. Don't Tell Me Stories
A2. Against The Wall
A3. Perfect Love
A4. The Game (Video Version)
A5. Radio War (Live)
B1. Radio War
B2. Casualties
B3. Poseidon
B4. The Game
B5. Alone

You Hurt Me - For The First Time

Shark Vegas - You Hurt Me

Courtesy of blog follower, thehappyone here's an excellent rip of the first German release of Shark Vegas' You Hurt Me in three mixes. The original track was recorded at Conny Plank's studio in Cologne during the Summer of 1984 with New Order's Bernard Sumner and A Certain Ratio's Donald Johnson assisting in production duties. On close listen, there are subtle differences between this and the version later remixed by Sumner for a Factory Records release in 1986. Dojo added some backing vocals and Sumner some guitar on both versions, but Sumner's New Order style keyboards are more prominent on the FAC 111 release. Courtesy of Discogs, here's the story of the track...

"Founding members, Mark Reeder and Alistair Gray decided to change their bands name and image after they gained two new members, Leo Walter and Helmut Wittler (previously from poppier band Soif de la Vie) a few weeks before a mammoth New Order tour of Europe in early 1984. 

Their unique, electronically driven, dark-disco-rock sound, warped sense of humour and striking image created a cult following (especially in Berlin) and Shark Vegas performed mainly throughout Europe. 

Mark's self-designed and painted camouflage guitar, a varying array of uniforms and a notoriously infamous backdrop banner always caused controversy. They recorded one single You Hurt Me which was released on UK's legendary label Factory Records (FAC 111) and on the Die Toten Hosen's label Totenkopf (TOT 11) in Germany. 

The demo for this single was recorded at Harris Johns studio in Berlin and these rough tapes were eventually taken to Cologne and to Conny Planks world-famous studio, where they were mixed and co-produced by New Order's Bernard Sumner during the few off days during their tour. 

However, the Cologne recording session was a complete fiasco. The studio engineer had suffered a serious back problem a few days before and had to lie in front of the mixing desk on a specially constructed bed. In-between screams of agony, he shouted his engineering instructions to Bernard. 

Feeling the need for a update for the B-side, Mark, Alistair and Bernard then went to England and remixed the track (it became You Hurt Me... but now your flesh lies rotting in hell) for the Factory version of the single for the UK release. 

Bernard played some additional guitar and A Certain Ratio's Donald Johnson added some backing vocals. 

Mark asked his friend Mark Farrow to design the artwork for both English and German versions of this single and they remain today as two examples of his earliest record sleeve designs. 

Although this single went virtually unnoticed in the UK, it became very popular throughout the indie clubs and gay-disco's of the USA and it gave the band a mysteriously cult following."

I find much like about both releases and it is real pity that it has taken nearly thirty years for this electronic disco classic to get the recognition it truly deserves.

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Totenkopf Records (TOT 11) in 1984 to high quality lossless flac audio.

A. You Hurt Me
B1. You Hurt Me For The First Time
B2. You Hurt Me For The Last Time

Shark Vegas - You Hurt Me

Founding members, Mark Reeder and Alistair Gray decided to change their bands name and image a few weeks before a mammoth New Order tour of Europe in early 1984.Their unique, electronically driven, dark-disco-rock sound, warped sense of humour and striking image created a cult following (especially in Berlin) and Shark Vegas performed mainly throughout Europe.

They recorded one single "You Hurt Me" which was released on UK's legendary label "Factory Records" (FAC 111) and on the Toten Hosen's label "Totenkopf" (TOT 11) in Germany.The demo for this single was originally recorded at Harris Johns studio in Berlin and these rough tapes were eventually taken to Cologne to Conny Planks world-famous studio, to be mixed and co-produced by New Order's Bernard Sumner during the few off days during their tour.

Feeling the need for a update for the B-side, Mark, Alistair and Bernard then went to England and remixed the track (it became "You Hurt Me... but now your flesh lies rotting in hell") for the Factory version of the single for the UK release.Bernard played some additional guitar and A Certain Ratio's Donald Johnson added some backing vocals. Mark asked his friend Mark Farrow to design the artwork for both English and German versions of this single and they remain today as two examples of his earliest record sleeve designs. (text from Shark Vegas MySpace site)

You Hurt Me : ripped from a 12" single released on Factory Records (FAC 111) in 1986

A1. You Hurt Me

B1. You Hurt Me Version

B2. But Now Yor Flesh Lies Rotting In Hell

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