Thomas Leer - Discography
Compiled By Vladimir Kruglov
Copyright (2005)
Last update on 04/02/2007.
With additions and corrections please write here:
80`s Discogs (fadingeuropeans@mail.ru)
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::: Discography
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Thomas Leer: Private Plane
[1978] single
SP: 1978 UK (Oblique; ER 101) [folded photocopied ps with hand-stamped
labels]
SP: 1978 UK (Company/Oblique; OBCO 001) [double A-sided reissue] [printed
black & white ps]
A - 3.59 Private
Plane
B – 4.00 International
[Review:
PretentiousPrattle.blogspot.com]
Notes: «...I don`t have to go into a studio, the fact that Thomas Leer made his
record at home with
a Revox and on mostly hired equipment, I thought was
marvelous and I like his record a lot. In fact
it`s one of my favourite records
at the moment», – John Foxx, «Ultravox: Past, Present and Future».
«I heard «Private Plane» by Thomas Leer which he did all by himself, all the
playing and writing,
everything. That was the big turning point for me because
it introduced me to a whole new form of
music away from rock and roll covers
we`d been listening to. Leer had all these drum machines and
loops and totally
different instrumentation, and this whole new world opened up, listening to his
experimentation with atmospheres. I realized then that I didn`t have to make
songs that sounded like
everybody else. From a song writing point of view, at this stage there was very
little structure,
it was more based on sound and
rhythms. (...) this new form of music was very exciting to me, and
represented
for me the real punk ethos. Much of punk music left me cold, but the spirit of
doing it
all on your own was what appealed to me most. A lot of punk was about
following a trend and a fashion
and there was very little or no individuality in
that. These newer musical ideas like that of Thomas
Leer, this new post-punk
underground movement was much more interesting. They all looked different,
sounded different and paid for all their records themselves. People would buy a stylophone and a
small tape player and put out a record they had made in their
bedroom. That was really inspiring»,
- Matt Johnson,
«The Right to Imagination
and Madness».
«The fact that Thomas Leer recorded his début single ”Private Plane» with the
most basic of equipment
in his bedroom at home was destined not just to impress The The`s Matt Johnson
and inspire him to
form a band of his own. Today we also know that this song from 1978, together
with The Normal‘s
”Leatherette» and Robert Rental`s ”Double Heart», constituted the first releases
of the synthpop
wave that would not reach its peak until some years later. And should you be
wondering why his voice
on this recording sounds so whispered... Quite simple: when he recorded the
vocals, his girlfriend
was asleep in bed near him and he didn`t want to wake her up», -
V/a 7" UP!
Singles Only, UK 78-82.
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Thomas Leer and Robert Rental: The Bridge
[1979] album
Charts: [UK indie #9]
LP: 1979 UK (Industrial; IR 0007) [some copies went with signed X-Mas card
from Robert Rental]
LP: 1979 FR (Celluloid; LTM 1039)
A – 3.41 Attack
Decay
3.58 Monochrome Days
4.00 Day Breaks, Night
Heals
4.02 Connotations
6.22 Fade Away
B – 7.56 Interferon
3.09 Six A.M.
4.40 The Hard Way in, the
Easy Way out
5.04 Perpetual
CD: 1992 UK (Mute/The Grey Area; BRIDGE 1 CD)
3.44
Attack Decay
4.01
Monochrome Days
3.59 Day
Breaks, Night Heals
4.05
Connotations
6.24 Fade
Away
7.58
Interferon
3.12 Six
A.M.
4.44 The
Hard Way in, the Easy Way out
5.04
Perpetual
[Reviews:
Awrc.com
Discogs.com
Metajour.50megs.com
RateYourMusic.com
Rocklab.it
TheThingontheDoorstep.blogspot.com]
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various artists: Perspectives and Distortion
[1981] compilation
LP: 1981 UK (Cherry Red; BRED 15) [only Thomas Leer track is listed]
B4 - 3.57 Kings of Sham
Note: «Having recorded the brilliant album - «The Bridge» with the late great
Robert Rental for
Throbbing Gristle`s Industrial Records label, Leer comes up with a great
electro-plod stomper which
has a very hypnotic middle eastern melody line running throughout», - Jim Tones,
HeadHeritage.
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Thomas Leer: 4 Movements
[1981] mini-album
Charts: [UK indie #39]
EP: 1981 UK (Cherry Red; 12 CHERRY 28)
A – 5.28 Don`t
4.02 Letter from America
B – 4.37 Tight as a Drum
4.28 West End
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Thomas Leer: Contradictions
[January 1982] album
Charts: [UK indie #8]
DEP: 1982 UK (Cherry Red; ERED 26) [double pack]
[1st EP:]
A - 5.17 Hear What
I Say
5.21 Mr. Nobody
B - 14.01 Contradictions
[2nd EP:]
A - 4.57 Looks That Kill
5.15 Soul Gypsy
B - 6.09 Choices
5.40 Gulf Stream
[Reviews:
Discogs.com
FriendsElectric.blogspot.com
RateYourMusic.com]
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Thomas Leer/Cocteau Twins: Who`s Fooling Who?/Speak No Evil
[1982] split single
SP: 1982 NL (Vinyl Records; SHOL 3353) [double-sided black flexi in printed
white sleeve with
holes for the labels]
A – 5.35 Who`s
Fooling Who? [by Thomas Leer]
B – 3.55 Speak No
Evil [by Cocteau Twins]
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Thomas Leer: All About You
[1982] single
Charts: [UK indie #11]
SP: 1982 UK (Cherry Red; CHERRY 52)
A – 3.46 All About You
B – 3.45 Saving Grace
EP: 1982 UK (Cherry Red; 12 CHERRY 52)
EP: 1982 IT (Expanded Music; EX 37 Y)
A – 5.12 All About You (extended)
B – 5.13 Saving Grace (extended)
Note: «Saving Grace» is an instrumental version of «All About You».
[Review:
Cookham.blogspot.com]
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Thomas Leer: Letter from America
[1982] double-album compilation
DLP: 1982 US (Cherry Red/Cachalot; A RIPE 1)
MC: 1982 US (Cherry Red/Jem; A RIPE 1 C)
[1st LP:]
A – 4.52 Looks That Kill
5.15 Soul Gypsy
5.10 Mr. Nobody
B – 4.03 Letter from America
13.46 Contradictions
[2nd LP:]
A – 5.17 Hear What I Say
5.58 Choices
5.43 Gulf Stream
B – 5.30 Don`t
4.30 West End
5.00 Tight as a Drum
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May 1983 – Leer takes part in the series of concerts of The The, a project of
his close friend and
a long-time admirer Matt Johnson, in London Marquee club.
Matt: «I wanted a blend between my friends like Zeke Manyika and Thomas Leer,
who are very soulful
with that feel of session confidence and technical
competence. They weren`t your stereotype session
players though. (...) I`d like to
marry electronic stuff with acoustic sounds. Use technology as
opposed to
letting it use me. Thomas Leer is a good example of that, he`s got so much soul
but he
utilizes technology too. Actually he`s just bought himself a Fairlight.
Record company advances are
wonderful things! (...) I`d wanted to form a
super-group so I took people from Soft Cell, Orange
Juice, Cabaret Voltaire and
we played a residency at the Marquee, which was the most unlikely place
I could
think of, so we played every Thursday for four weeks last May. It was all quite
tongue–in–
cheek and although I lost money it was a great laugh» -
«International
Musician», January 1984.
Continuing the The theme, Thomas guested on their first album «Soul Mining»
playing synthesizer on
three tracks: «I`ve Been Waiting for Tomorrow (All of My Life)», «The Twilight
Hour» & «Giant».
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Thomas Leer: International
[August 1984] single
Charts: [UK official #96]
SP: 1984 UK (Oblique/Arista; LEER 1)
SPD: 1984 UK (Oblique/Arista; LERSD 1) [shaped picture disc – plane shape +
plinth & wings]
A – 4.38 International
B – x.xx Easy Way
EP: 1984 UK (Oblique/Arista; LEER 12-1)
PD: 1984 UK (Oblique/Arista; LERPD 1) [picture disc in PVC cover]
A – 7.07 International (global mix)
B – 5.10 Easy Way (extended version)
Note: Produced by Paul Hardiman.
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various artists: Debut Magazine LP - Issue 07
[1984] compilation
LP: 1984 UK (CBS; MAG 7) [only Thomas Leer track is listed]
B1 - 3.48 Transition
Note: Compilation LP pressed on the back cover of a large thick music magazine.
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Thomas Leer: Heartbeat
[February 1985] single
SP: 1985 UK (Arista; LEER 2)
SP: 1985 DE (Arista; 107.343)
SP: 1985 IT (CGD; ARS 37128)
SE: 1985 SE (Arista; ARI 8418)
A – 4.02 Heartbeat (single edit)
B – 4.42 Control Yourself
EP: 1985 UK (Arista; LEER 12-2)
A – 8.54 Heartbeat (extended mix)
B – 4.39 Control Yourself
Note: Produced by Paul Hardiman.
EP: 1985 UK (Arista; LEER 222)
EP: 1985 DE (Arista/Ariola; 601.691-213)
A – 7.50 Heartbeat (cardiac mix)
B – 8.14 Control Yourself (out of control mix)
Note: Produced by Dave Allen.
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Thomas Leer: No. 1
[May 1985] single
SP: 1985 UK (Arista; LEER 3)
SP: 1985 AU (Arista; K 9808)
A – 4.06 No. 1
B – 3.40 Chasing the Dragon
EP: 1985 UK (Arista; LEER 12-3) [Leer smoking ps]
A – 7.43 No. 1 (extended version)
B – 3.40 Chasing the Dragon
6.02 Trust Me (Dave Allen remix)
Note: «Trust Me» is a remixed version of «Mistrust».
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Thomas Leer: Thomas Leer
[1985] promo sampler
EP: 1985 UK (Arista; LERSP 322)
A – 4.38 International
3.52 Warm
B – 4.32 Heartbeat
4.08 Lust for Loneliness
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Thomas Leer: The Scale of Ten
[June 1985] album
LP: 1985 UK (Arista; 207.208) [with inner lyric sleeve] [deleted May 89]
MC: 1985 UK (Arista; ??)
A – 4.00 Searcher
4.08 Lust for Loneliness
3.52 Warm
4.04 Memories of Reason
4.38 International
B – 4.32 Heartbeat
4.12 Sweet Surrender
4.06 No. 1
4.58 Mistrust
4.12 Passing Through
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Thomas Leer: Contradictions - The Cherry Red Compilation
[1994] compilation
CD: 1994 UK (Cherry Red/Pinnacle; CD BRED 105)
4.00 Private Plane
4.01 International
3.57 Kings of Sham
3.26 Dry Land
5.29 Don`t
4.03 Letter from America
4.38 Tight as a Drum
4.28 West End
5.17 Hear What I Say
5.22 Mr. Nobody
4.48 Contradictions [edit]
4.57 Looks That Kill
5.16 Soul Gypsy
6.10 Choices
5.41 Gulf Stream [hidden track]
5.12 All About You
[Reviews:
Awrc.com
CherryRed.co.uk
MusicMatic.net]
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Thomas Leer: Parts of a Greater Hole
[2001] album
CD: 2001 UK (Future Historic; CD 001)
4.32 Cell Structure
5.19 It`s Luv Folks
5.16 Gil`s Song
2.33 Rockmaninov
3.18 Big Sur
2.08 Over Unity Energy
1.59 Exploramental Surgery
3.27 Bullet Train Daydream
5.26 Flip Hop
1.44 In Control
3.33 Interlude
0.23 Synthetic World
1.52 Nervy
9.01 Restructured Cells
[Reviews:
CDBaby.com
IReallyLoveMusic.co.uk
Noiseloop.com
Sonomu.net
StylusMagazine.com]
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Thomas Leer: Conversation Peace
[May 2003] album
CD: 2003 IL (Avatar; AVA 019)
4.23 Your Dream or Mine
8.39 Somnatic
3.57 Dream 2
2.44 Glimmer
8.38 Gulf Breeze
7.38 Sad Telepath
3.08 Weazy Baby
2.49 Indoor Forests
3.19 Miss Berlin
5.07 Freidrich Strasse
8.40 Crash Aesthetic Reclyner
5.55 Drowsy Space
3.38 Somnatic (bonus mix)
Note: «Somnatic (bonus mix)» also included on Avatar Records` promo «Sampler
2002» (as «short mix»).
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Thomas Leer: The Scale of Ten
[September 2004] album reissue
CD: 2004 UK (BMG/Universal; 82876 62596 2) [digitally
remastered with bonus tracks]
4.03 Searcher
4.07 Lust for Loneliness
3.52 Warm
4.06 Memories of Reason
7.08 International (12” global mix)
4.33 Heartbeat
4.14 Sweet Surrender
7.56 No. 1 (12” extended mix)
4.55 Mistrust
4.13 Passing Through
[Bonus Tracks:]
5.10 Easy Way
8.15 Control Yourself (out of control mix)
3.47 Chasing the Dragon
3.48 Transition
3.32 Time Heals
4.06 Listen
Note: First time on CD. Two 12” mixes are full length versions replacing tracks
edited for the LP
release. Sleeve notes written by Matt Johnson of The The.
[Reviews:
Amazon.com
Discogs.com
MusicMatic.net]
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::: Links
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Official web site
Long biography
Short
Biography
Another discography
Thomas Leer discussion
Small article from ZigZag
magazine
Some
bits at Tangents (check under THREE)
Reviews at TrouserPress
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::: End of Discography
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