CLOSER LP

Released 18 July 1980, probably, Factory release dates are very hard to pin down. The label states the planned release date 9/5/80 but it was delayed well beyond that.
43:59 minutes
Producer: Martin Hannett
Engineer: Martin Hannett
Photography: Bernard Pierre Wolfe

1	Atrocity Exhibition	6	Heart & Soul
2	Isolation	7	Twenty Four Hours
3	Passover	8	The Eternal
4	Colony	9	Decades
5	A Means To An End

See below for info about the sleeve photo

Groove notations:
Original UK edition: "Old blue?" (side A), supposedly a reference to Frank "old blue eyes" Sinatra.
The original US Closer LP on Factory USA (Factus 6) doesn't have any groove notations.

How to tell an original UK LP from a UK reissue:

• The original pressing has a textured sleeve & inner, the reissues have smooth sleeves & inners.
• The original inner sleeve has rounded corners, the reissues have regular, square inner sleeves.

Brazilian Pirate:

• There was a Brazilian pirate edition with an extra track, and when the official release finally came out that had the track too - click here for details

European Pirate - released 2005:

• Back cover has song titles in large text - click here for details

Picture Disc Pirate - released 2006:

• click here for details

See also: the French Les Coffret Culte Fnac box set

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CLOSER CD Numerous pressings

There have been numerous CD versions of Closer over the years, some better than others, we're not going to try and list them here

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CLOSER (remastered) CD 2007

Released 17 September 2007
2CD Re-mastered feauturing Closer and live University Of London Union 8th February 1980
Digipak in a plastic sleeve + booklet with text by Paul Morley and photographs by Anton Corbijn
This is the latest release of this album on CD. There have been several previous CD versions, all of which were the same as the original LP.

Images show Unknown Pleasures, Closer, and Still which were all re-released on the same day

Closer

1	Atrocity Exhibition	6	Heart & Soul
2	Isolation	7	Twenty Four Hours
3	Passover	8	The Eternal
4	Colony	9	Decades
5	A Means To An End

Live University Of London Union

1	Dead Souls	7	Colony
2	Glass	8	These Days
3	A Means To An End	9	Love Will Tear Us Apart
4	Twenty Four Hours	10	Isolation
5	Passover	11	The Eternal
6	Insight	12	Digital

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CLOSER CD in metal box packaging London Records 2564680682 FACD-XXV 2010

French CD version in a metal box. Sold by Fnac
Released 2010

1	Atrocity Exhibition	6	Heart & Soul
2	Isolation	7	Twenty Four Hours
3	Passover	8	The Eternal
4	Colony	9	Decades
5	A Means To An End

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CLOSER - UNKNOWN PLEASURES 2CD WEA/Warner Music France 5249806162 2010

French version in cardboard slipcase sold by Fnac
Released 2010

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CLOSER LP Warner Records 90 Ltd FACT 25 2015 (also as Rhino R1-56282
in the US)

2015 reissue
Label: Warner Records 90 Ltd
Cat.no.: FACT 25
2 stickers on shrink-wrap; one advertising the included MP3 download code
Barcode (on sticker): 8 25646 18391 3
Matrix numbers:
(Side A): 0826546183913 BE77X14-01 A1
(Side B): 0826546183913 BE77X14-01 B1

Also issued in the US on Rhino - catalogue number R1-56282

1	Atrocity Exhibition	6	Heart & Soul
2	Isolation	7	Twenty Four Hours
3	Passover	8	The Eternal
4	Colony	9	Decades
5	A Means To An End

Stickers:

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CLOSER LP Warner Records 90 Ltd, FACT 25R 2017

1000 copy reissue released 2017
180 gram white vinyl
Cut from the 2007 remasters
Sold exclusively at the Manchester Art Gallery "True Faith" Joy Division & New Order exhibition
Housed in a "True Faith" thick PVC protective sleeve featuring the museum and exhibition logos plus details on the limited edition nature of the pressing
Bar code sticker on the outer "True Faith" PVC Sleeve: 1 9029579711 9
Bar code on sticker on cellophane: 0 190295 797119
Matrix numbers:
Side A: 0825646183913 3E77814-01 A1
Side B: 0825646183913 3E77814-01 B1

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CLOSER LP 40th Anniversary edition"Factory Records FACT XXV", Warner Music UK Ltd  - 2020

Released 17 July 2020
Crystal clear 180g vinyl
Replicas of original outer and printed inner sleeves, except:

• Outer back cover has "FACT XXV  MCMLXXX  MMXX" along the bottom where the original had FACT XXV and A FACTORY RECORDS PRODUCT. The MMXX is in red text.
• Printed inner has "PRINTED BY OPTIMAL" where the original had PRINTED BY GARROD AND LOFTHOUSE LIMITED
• The inside of both sleeves is red

Red labels with black print
Front sticker has barcode: 0 190295 269456

1	Atrocity Exhibition	6	Heart & Soul
2	Isolation	7	Twenty Four Hours
3	Passover	8	The Eternal
4	Colony	9	Decades
5	A Means To An End

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The sleeve photo:

Peter Saville was inspired by an article in a photography magazine called Zoom (#10) March / April 1980 . The article features Bernard-Pierre Wolff's photos of the Staglieno Cemetary in Italy where there is a tradition of lifelike statues and tableaus. Peter lifted one of the photos and put it on the album sleeve. Another Staglieno tomb appears on the cover of the Love Will Tear Us Apart 12" single.

International discography for the vinyl releases of Closer:       Country of Origin Distribution & Catalogue Number             Australia FACOZ 1001 Issued by EMI Inner sleeve is a 24" x 12" insert folded once. Labels are silver on black like UK edition, but has "Sound recording by Factory Records. First published in UK. (P) 1980, Factory Records" printed across the label. There are red-stamped promo copies that often come with a similarly stamped LWTUA 7", an A4 booklet and a couple of 10" x 8" b/w photographs. Rarer yet - there is an official EMI promo poster for this LP. Australia FACOZ 1001 Issued by CBS Labels are silver on black, but the "(P) Factory Records" notice is missing. This edition has a matrix number (the EMI edition does not) 207719/20. The reference on the inner sleeve (manufactured & distributed by EMI) is generally over-stickered by one that reads "M&D by CBS Australia"   Holland / Belgium Factory Benelux FACT XXV Shiny/semi-glossy sleeve, FACT 25 printed in top right corner on back cover and in bottom left corner on thin paper printed inner. Sleeve is similar to Swedish pressing, LP also has similar stamped matrix numbers as Swedish issue: FACT-25-A//48507-1Y / FACT-25-B//48508-1Y   Holland Factory FACT 25 Silver on black labels with "VR22495 STEMRA" Matrix : 08-22495-1A-1 A NL // 08-22495-1B-1 A NL Cardboard inner has "Printed by Garrod and Lofthouse Limited", as well as "VR22495" in the bottom right corner.   Japan Nippon Columbia YX-7338 AX Silver on black labels. Black & white on green OBI sash. 4 page insert including short biography and lyrics in Japanese and English. This was released in July 1984. Promo copies are identified by a tiny red sticker - normally on the rear sleeve. Incidentally, Japanese releases originally retailed at LP's - 2500 Yen 12" singles - 1500 Yen Still 2LP - 4000 Yen   France Factory via Virgin 70162 Silver on black labels   France Factory via Virgin 201882 Silver on black labels. The two French editions are almost identical. Although the printer's logo is on the inner sleeve of 201882, the outer of 70162. 70162 seems to have a slightly yellow cast to the card.   Greece Factory via Virgin VG 50086 Black on white labels Sweden NCB LP labels have got NCB printed on them Back cover has FACT 25 printed in the top right corner Inner has FACT 25 printed in the bottom right corner The matrix numbers are: FACT-25-A//48507-1Y (side A) FACT-25-B//48508-1Y (side B) Other differences; glossy sleeve, thin paper inner.   Portugal Vimusica VFACT 111-2 Silver on black labels. Rear sleeve tells us that it is also available on cassette - VFACT 112-2 There were two pressings of this LP: One had a plain inner sleeve (and stated the printers name on the back). The other had a lightweight 24" x 12" paper insert, folded once with song titles/ etc.. Both records have the same matrix No.   Brazil Counterfeit edition LPJD10.006 Labels printed black on white with song titles/ etc on label. Copy of UK sleeve - issued without inner. Adds LWTUA as track 5 side 2. Brazil Stilletto Silver on black labels. Issued with inner sleeve. Adds LWTUA as track 5 side 2. Promo copies exist with a square sticker on the rear sleeve.   Poland Tonpress SX-T 108 Black on red labels. Inner sleeves only on early pressings.   Italy Factory via Base Records First editions list address as 'Via Castiglione'. Silver on black labels. Labels state "Made in Italy 1980".   Italy Factory via Base Records Later editions show address as 'Via Collamarini'. Issued without inner sleeve. Labels have white lettering on black background with song titles/ timings on them. The people at Base Records obviously had trouble with Bernard's ever-changing surname. A credit on the label reads "Written by Curtis/ Albrecht-Dickens/ Morris/ Hook".   New Zealand GAP Records M&D by EMI EMC 225 Completely different red/ buff/ black EMI labels.   New Zealand Rough Trade Looks inside and out as if it is a UK copy. Although the only groove notation is FACT 25 A/ B. Printed on coarser/ lighter-weight card than UK edition. Small RTC logo on rear of inner sleeve.   Spain Edigsa 19L0094 Silver/grey on black labels Inner sleeve has "Edita por Edigsa" added to the credits in the same type-face. There is writing on the spine   Spain Edigsa 19L0094 Black on white labels. Inner sleeve has "Edita por Edigsa" added to the credits in the same type-face. No writing on spine   Lituania Zona ZN V11 Silver on black labels in a simple type-face. Single sheet 12" x 12" insert for song titles/ etc.   Germany Metronome 0060.361 Silver on black labels. Germany Rough Trade RTD     Canada Factory via Polygram FACD 01 Silver on black labels. Label dated 19/6/1981. UK Factory FACT 25 Silver on black labels. Originals are printed on a coarse fibre-board paper. Inner sleeve has rounded corners and "Garrod & Lofthouse" in the credits.   UK Factory FACT 25 Later UK editions are printed on a smoother card. Inner sleeve has square corners. No "Garrod & Lofthouse" in credits on some versions.   UK Factory FACT 25 There is a small batch of mispressings that have Side 2 tracks on BOTH sides.   UK Factory FACT 25 White label test-pressings exist on heavy vinyl.   UK Factory FACT 25 2007 re-pressing. Remastered and on 180gm vinyl. Otherwise identical to the original pressing.   US Factory FACTUS 6 Silver on black labels. Has "ASCAP" printed where UK copies have "9/5/1980" - the UK label was designed with the USA in mind. ASCAP must appear on US releases of this era, whereas, there was no such requirement on UK pressings. Peter Saville, didn't want to re-design the labels to accommodate this - hence the dates on 'Closer', 'Ceremony' and the 'For M.L.' on LWTUA. "Distributed by Rough Trade" printed in credits on inner sleeve. There are various 'translucent' editions, on red, brown, purple, green and (maybe ?) other colours.   US Qwest 25841-1 Buff/ multi-colour Qwest label - features song titles and timings. Small "© Factory Communications, made in USA" on inner. There are gold-stamped promo editions of this.                   Some other versions and related items ... one day we'll extend the discography to cassettes and CDs:           Factory UK cassette CentreData cassette Italian cassette New Zealand cassette UK Factory cassette           Sonic CD US longbox CD FACTUS 6 CD German Rough Trade CD Zona CD           Closer Still CD from russia Factory UK & CentreData cassettes (again) : Australian Promo Poster           Spanish pirate cassette Russian CD               Early CD versions came with a car carry case: