Low-Life

Fact 100
May 1985


    LP: AR 1987 (Buelax VLX10002) [titled "Vida Pobre", all info in Spanish]
    LP: AU 1985 (Factory FACT 100)
    LP: AU 1985 (Factory FACT 100) [promo]
    LP: AU 1985 (CBS Records FACT 100) [white label pressing]
    LP: BL 1985 (Factory Benelux FBN 100)
    LP: BZ 1987 (WEA 670.0022)
    LP: CA 1985 (PolyGram FACD 21)
    LP: FR 1985 (Factory/Virgin 70366)
    LP: GE 1985 (Rough Trade RTD30/EFA3030)
    LP: GR 1985 (Virgin VG 50121)
    LP: IS 1985 (Acum FAC 100)
    LP: IT 1985 (Factory/Base Records FAC 100)
    LP: JP 1985 (Factory/Nippon Columbia YX-7352-AX)
    LP: NZ 1985 (EMI EMC258)
    LP: PL 1988 (Tonpress SX T63) ***
    LP: SP 1985 (Iberophon 33138L)
    LP: SW 1985 (Factory/MNW FACT 100)
    LP: UK 1985 (Factory FACT 100)
    LP: US 1985 (Qwest 9 25289-1)
    LP: US 1985 (Qwest Records) [double sided acetate]
    CS: AR 1986 (Buelax BLX 10002-1)
    CS: AU 1985 (Factory FACT 100C)
    CS: AU 1990 (Factory/Festival C30407)
    CS: BL 1985 (Factory Benelux FBNC 100)
    CS: CA 198? (PolyGram 836 954-4)
    CS: CA 1985 (PolyGram FACD4-21) **
    CS: FR 1986 (Virgin 50467PM462)
    CS: ID 198? (Thomsum EN304)
    CS: JP 1985 (Columbia CCK-5090)
    CS: MA 1985 (??? TC-FACT 100)
    CS: NZ 1985 (EMI TC-EMC-258)
    CS: UK 1985 (Factory FACT 100C) */****
    CS: UR 1988 (Renew Variety 465901) [titled "Vida Pobre", Uruguay]
    CS: US 1985 (Qwest 9 25289-4)
    CS: US 1985 (Warner Bros. WB-25289) [promo]
    CD: AU 1987 (Factory/CBS FACD 100)
    CD: AU 1990 (Factory/Festival D30407)
    CD: AU 1993 (Warner Music Australia/CentreDate 520 020.2)
    CD: AU 200? (Warner Music Australia/CentreDate 8573 81313-2) +++
    CD: BZ 1996 (PolyGram 520 020-2)
    CD: CA 1989 (PolyGram 836 954-2)
    CD: GE 19?? (Factory/Rough Trade 410.0006.2)
    CD: JP 1989 (Factory/Nippon Columbia 25CY-3110)
    CD: JP 198? (Factory/Columbia 33C38-7413) +
    CD: JP 1993 (Polydor K.K. POCD-1885)
    CD: JP 2000 (EastWest Japan AMCE-6102)
    CD: PL 19?? (Sonic SON 16)
    CD: UK 1985 (Factory FACD 100) ++
    CD: UK 1993 (London/CentreDate Co Ltd. 520 020.2)
    CD: UK 2001 (London/Centredate Co Ltd. 8573 81313-2)
    CD: US 1985 (Qwest 9 25289-2)
 DLOAD:    200? (Napster) [US, ...]
        4:18    Love Vigilantes
        4:48    The Perfect Kiss
        4:43    This Time of Night
        5:58    Sunrise
        4:53    Elegia
        5:11    Sooner Than You Think
        4:54    Sub-culture
        5:03    Face Up
                The Perfect Kiss (12" version) */**
                The Kiss of Death *
                Perfect Pit *

   12": US 1985 (Warner Bros.)
    CS: US 1985 (Warner Bros.) [promo]
        4:17    Love Vigilantes
        4:41    This Time of Night
        4:54    Subculture
        8:24    The Perfect Kiss

+    CD shows "FACD100"
++   Also as a limited edition with CD car carry case.
+++  Unique sleeve. Released in a 2-CD box-set (5101 10814-2) together
     with "Get Ready".
***  Also available as limited edition of 5 postcard flexi's.
**** Original boxed-cassette format with unique packaging deleted.

-    "This Time of Night", "Sunrise", "Elegia", and "Face Up" (PUR 000823)
     also appears on Polish postcard single (B+H Records) [bootleg]. "Sooner
     Than You Think" appears as a Polish flexi (PUR 000825).

For the longest, the existence of a 20 minute version of Elegia was rumored. Stephen Morris mentioned in an interview in Select (September 1993) that ".. the album version [of Elegia] are the highlights of the 20 minute song." The track finally surfaced on the bonus CD of Retro.

Q: What is said between Perfect Kiss and the beginning of This Time of Night on Low Life?
A: [FAQ] Well, if you turn the volume up enough, you should hear:
"I'm one of the few people who lives what's called a low life"
The sample was taken from Jeffrey Bernard, a columnist for the UK magazine The Spectator. However, Jeffrey tried to sue, and the sample was removed - or rather recorded over, which is why if you turn the volume up, you can just about hear it (especially on CD).

Q: Why does my Factory Low-Life CD have less low-frequency and more high-frequency sounds (volume wise) than my US Best Of CD?
A: [Darren Prior] "The reason for this is that the whole of Low-Life has the emphasis flag set. It was recorded the way you hear it now and your cd player turns on a filter when it sees the flag.
The way to get round this is to use something like CDRWin where you can set the flag manually for each track, or to use a wav editor and filter the file - for that you would need to know the filter characteristics (which I don't.)"

Q: What are the song titles of "Vida Pobre"?
A: The song titles on the unique sleeve from Argentina are:

Sleeves:

Fact 100

Fact 100C - Box

Facd 4-21

Car Carry Case

US CD Long Box

"Vida Pobre"

PL LP

Misc LP releases

Misc labels

JP CD

AU CD re-release

WB-25289

UR CS

AR CS

ID CS

Polish flexi

Polish postcards


Cross-reference:

[singles]
 
The Perfect Kiss
Sub-Culture
[albums]
 
? - (The Best Of) New Order
1981-1985
Get Ready
In Concert 422
In Concert New Rock 90-48
iTunes Essentials
Retro
The Very Best of New Order
Very Best of New Order
 
[compilations]
 
Debut #11
Discreet Campaign
The Cornerstone Player 025
 
[video]
 
Pumped Full Of Drugs
Academy