It was nearly 20 years ago when a cosmic wrong was corrected…in theory, at least. In 1983 Altered Images released their third album “Bite,” to a rapidly changing environment. While the first single was a top 10 UK hit, the other three were diminishing returns. So that third album was awfully slow in coming to the silver disc. It finally happened in 2004 and when I made my last visit to a Tower Records [r.i.p.] in 2006, I pounced on it.
The trouble was that the CD, as released in 2004, was riven with mastering errors. Track two was the live B-side version of “Another Lost Look” instead of the studio version. “Don’t Talk To Me About Love” and “Change Of Heart” were the single edits instead of the album versions. “Love To Stay” was also the single edit instead of the 12” version included on the album. Even the bonus tracks were compromised with the shorter US edited 12” version of “Don’t Talk To Me About Love” coming in at 7:01 instead of its full UK 8:26 glory.
That’s been it for anyone who wanted to buy the correct version of “Bite” on the silver disc. There was the 4xCD “Epic Years” out on Cherry Red in 2018, and it’s reputed to have corrected the flaws on the earlier mastering, but that would have entailed buying a 4xCD box to get it. Now a proper re-assessment of this intriguing album [I thought it was perverse 40 years ago but now regard it more highly] is coming our way on a proper deluxe remaster in a 7” x 7” gatefold package [also from the Edsel label who issued the 2004 edition] with the full album on disc one and the supplemental materials on disc two. Here’s the run down.
Altered Images: Bite DLX RM – UK – 2xCD [2023]
CD1: Bite original album
- Bring Me Closer
- Another Lost Look
- Love To Stay
- Now That You’re Here
- Don’t Talk To Me About Love
- Stand So Quiet
- Change Of Heart
- Thinking About You
CD2: Bite supplement
- I Don’t Want To Know
- Last Goodbye
- Surprise Me
- Another Lost Look [Recorded Live]
- Don’t Talk To Me About Love [UK Extended Version]
- Bring Me Closer [Extended Version]
- Don’t Talk To Me About Love [Single Edit]
- Love To Stay [Single Edit]
- Change Of Heart [Single Edit]
The second disc began with “I Don’t Want To Know,” a track originally only on the UK cassette of “Bite” 40 years ago. Then “Last Goodbye” was the B-side from “Don’t Talk To Me About Love.” “Surprise Me” was the B-side to “Bring Me Closer.” The live version of “Another Lost Look” was the B-side to “Love To Stay.” Both extended 12” single non-LP remix A-sides were here, followed by the single edits which had erroneously substituted for the album versions on the earlier disc. Cost is $24 with $11.50 shipping from the UK. Less than half the cost of the CDs. Not bad as these things go.
There is also an LP …with no bonus tracks, but there is a print singed by the singer, Ms. Clare Grogan if you’re lacking for her autograph, and it is half-speed mastered for best quality. These are limited to 1000 copies, but really, I have the original LP and haven’t played that for nearly 40 years. I wouldn’t need another, but your mileage may vary. It’s out there for $38.00 with a bundle of both formats for a discounted $58.00. But the shipping of an LP will cost more than $11.50 and you’re on your own, there. While the LP is a limited edition of 1000 copies, there’s no such restrictions for the CD package. In an era when even 500 CDs can be the norm, I’m hopeful that there will be copies of this I can buy a year or so down the line, when I’m back from our vacation next year and there will be money available for buying music again. Meanwhile, the street date for this reissue is October 28th, 2023. If you need to upgrade an earlier, flawed edition of “Bite” then DJ hit that button!
-30-
![Want List: Visage DLX RM […finally!]](https://i0.wp.com/postpunkmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/visage-dlxrmuscda.jpeg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1)
Post-Punk Monk 
I bought the Cherry Red box when I didn’t really need it, and here I am again tempted to do the same thing because the packaging looks so damn good. Maybe three copies of Bite plus all of the band’s singles collecting dust in the music room will finally be enough. Probably not. It’s a sickness.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brian – I also have three copies of “Bite” but am contemplating divesting of all of those Altered Images singles/LPs. After getting this “Big Bite.”
LikeLike
I had Bite on vinyl, but didn’t buy it on CD because I’ve long thought it was a bit too muted-bordering-on-dull for me, and I had the excellent Reflected Images CD which contained what I liked on Bite. https://www.discogs.com/release/712836-Altered-Images-Reflected-Images-The-Best-Of-Altered-Images
You’ve convinced me that I was right not to buy it, but this reissue sounds very sttractive. I may well buy it, though the 7″ x 7″ package sounds annoying.
LikeLike
Well, I bought it, and the packaging is so annoying that both discs are now housed in a double-disc jewel case. The cover is a cardboard gatefold with a pocket for each disc, pockets which would soon get damaged, plus you need to touch the playing surfaces to extract the discs.
LikeLike
David Simpson – Ooof! The peril of the too-tight disc pockets! Not our favorite thing but I’m committed to buying one, eventually, since I’ve already sold off my Edsel CD!
LikeLike
How does this now fairly rare 8-song Japanese CD release, also from 2004, stack up? https://www.discogs.com/release/2350259-Altered-Images-Bite
LikeLiked by 1 person
Scott Klapman – “Don’t Talk To Me About Love” is the 7″ edit version. If it were the album version it would have a timing of 4:50 instead of 3:48. It’s the correct long version of “Love To Stay” at 5:34. “Change of Heart” also looks like the album version. One can’t tell from the timing if it the right or wrong version of “Another Lost Look.” You’d have to A/B the “Love To Stay” B-side and get back to me. So it looks like Japan got yet another variation then? With “Don’t Talk To Me About Love” definitely being the 7″ edit.
LikeLike
I enjoyed this album, but do I really want to buy it again? Or should I wait for a possible “everything box” from this band, since it seems likely one will exist someday?
LikeLiked by 1 person
chasinvictoria – Good thought on the mega box as these things are almost inevitable.
LikeLike
This is one of my favourite albums of all time.
I bought it on cassette upon release,which I still have and then much later on CD.
I also have the superb “Reflected Images” CD compilation and all of the singles on vinyl,so I dont really need this package but it is very tempting. I will see if a special deal pops up some day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gavin – I’m happy to have the errors on the first CD corrected. And the full 8:26 “Don’t Talk To Me About Love” finally present. I only found out that the US 12” single was an edit in recent years! Back in the day that was all I had. I have a mix of US and UK 12” singles for the band in my collection. Where the local US label issued a single, imports are usually hard to find in many cases.
LikeLike
I have the Japan CD, and to date it’s the best option out there. Everything is correct, and sounds really nice, other than that 7″ version of Don’t Talk, which was on the original Japan LP so I’m not surprised that’s how the CD was represented. For correction, the previously truncated 12″ mix of Don’t Talk on CD was not the U.S. version, it was the UK 12″ version but faded out quite early. It was in full in the CR box, which I no longer own because of other mastering issues. While this new repackaging looks nice, after I read that Barry Grint remastered it, I said hell no after what he did on the Soft Cell box from a few years back. Plus, someone needs to plunder the vaults and give us something ‘previously unreleased’. That Razzamatazz version of Bring Me Closer without the strings and horns was fantastic, far less dated than the standard version, so that could have been a bonus candidate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Scott Davies – So you are telling me that the US “Don’t Talk To Me About Love” is not an edit of the UK 12”, but a different mix entirely? Not too shocking since this happened a lot back then. But I’ve never seen a UK 12” to buy and find out with. Not shocking to find that the 7” on the JPN CD follows on from the choices made for the JPN album. But annoying that with so many CDs of AI material out there, a percentage of zero reflect the 1983 LP contents. But it could be worse. There’s always Associates “Sulk” we can point to for the inability to deliver the original LP experience on the silver disc! That one really, really annoys me.
LikeLike
The USA 12″ is literally the UK LP version, but just where that version would end they spliced in a couple of minutes of the end of the UK 12″ version to finish it out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Scott Davies – So now we know! I might have played that 12” once when I got it 39 or so years ago.
LikeLike
Pingback: Altered Images Get Another DLX Remastering To [Hopefully] Correct Long-Standing Flaws | Post-Punk Monk