''The Bedsit Tapes'' is a compilation of songs recorded by the

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/ new wave duo

Soft Cell Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their plat ...

before their record contract with

Some Bizzare Records Some Bizzare Records was a British independent record label owned by Stevo Pearce. The label was founded in 1981, with the release of ''Some Bizzare Album'', a compilation of unsigned bands including Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, the The, Neu Elect ...

. The album, released on 1 August 2005, collects various songs recorded in an amateur studio at Leeds Metropolitan University, then called Leeds Polytechnic, in

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

. The album includes three tracks which appeared on their rare independent 1980 release, ''

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''. The album has received criticism for not being comprehensive enough, excluding several rare cuts which have appeared on previous bootlegs. David Ball, the keyboardist, comments on the album in the liner notes. The album includes a

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of the song "

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", originally recorded by British heavy metal band

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Track listing

#"Potential" (edited version with fade-out; the original segues into "L.O.V.E. Feelings") #"L.O.V.E. Feelings" (edited version) #"Metro MRX" #"Bleak Is My Favourite Cliché" #"Occupational Hazard" #"Mix" #"Factory Fun" #"Science Fiction Stories" #"Purely Functional" #"A Cut Above the Rest" #"

" ( Geezer Butler,

Tony Iommi Anthony Frank Iommi () (born 19 February 1948) is a British musician. He co-founded the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and was the band's guitarist, leader and primary composer and sole continuous member for nearly five decades. I ...

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...

, Bill Ward) #"Excretory Eat Anorexia Nervosa" #"Cleansing Fanatic" #"Walking Make-Up Counter" #"Pyrex My Cuisine" #"Tupperware Party"

Notes

Tracks were recorded in bedrooms and the polytechnic art department studio in a very basic fashion between 1978 and 1980. Sleeve notes by Dave Ball.

References

2005 compilation albums Soft Cell albums {{2000s-pop-rock-album-stub