Gothic Text files Potted history of Rosetta Stone

Potted history of Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone are :

Porl and Karl come from Liverpool, city that gave us the slightly less-famous popular band "The Beatles". They started the band in 1988, gigging in lots of dodgy places and releasing three cassettes:

After appearing at The Mission's fan club Shindig thing in 1989, Wayne Hussey offered to produce their first offical release, Darkness and Light. Due the Mission's falling popularity, Wayne had to pull out leaving someone to produce. Can't remember who. The record was made at the Slaughterhouse Studio in Drifield, Yorkshire and released on Futurity Records FT001 in 1990. Track listing:

  1. Cimmerian
  2. If Only and Sometimes
  3. Chapter and Verse

The next release was Leave Me For Dead, on Expression Records in May 1991. Track listings: 

          7inch:Leave Me For Dead (Chapter One)
                When The Levee Breaks
         12inch:Leave Me For Dead (Chapter Two)
                When The Levee Breaks
                If Only and Sometimes (Turn-Away Mix)

This was followed up by the release of An Eye For The Main Chance, the title track of the first album, released Sept 1991. The single was released on 12inch and CD.
         12inch:An Eye For The Main Chance
                Darkside (Premonition Mix)
             CD:An Eye For The Main Chance
                Darkside (Premonition Mix)
                Darkside

The album listing is:

  1. Shadow
  2. Leave Me For Dead
  3. Sense of Purpose
  4. Deeper
  5. An Eye For The Main Chance
  6. Reason
  7. Heart and Soul
  8. Forevermore
  9. Subterfuge
The CD contains extra tracks, When the Levee Breaks and If Only from the LMFD 12". About this time, Porl Young joined the band as an extra guitarist, to allow all the intricate guitar bits from the album to be recreated live. Next came Adrenaline in April 1993. This was released on two 12"s.
12" #1  Adrenaline (mainline mix)
  Adrenaline (xenophobe mix)
  Sense of Purpose (omegeddon mix)
12" #2  Adrenaline (deadline mix)
  Adrenaline (xenophobe mix)
  Sense of Purpose (omegaeddon mix)

Then it was The Witch. Cover version of not very famous song by the Ruffles (who?) This came on two 12"s and a CD single
12" #1 The Witch (edit) The Witch (remix edit) Come Hell or High Water 12" #2 The Witch (extended dub remix) The Witch (remix edit) The Witch (remix extended) CD same as 12" #1

In feb 93 they released a compilation of all the single tracks not available on CD under the title "On the Side of Angels". That is all the UK releases so far. The album AEFTMC was released in Germany by Bellaphon records with an "Additional Bonustrack"- Adrenaline (xenophobe mix)- its listed just as Adrenaline though.

US releases: A couple of compilation albums were released by Cleopatra records when Rosetta signed with them in 1993. They are "Foundation Stone", a compilation of early tracks all of which are available in the UK except for one "Fatherland"; and "Adrenaline", later single releases and tracks for the AEFTMC album. An EP called "Epitome" was also realeased in the States. This is just all the Adrenaline and Witch remixes plus Sisters are Doing It For Themselves.

Also available in the UK are; The Early Stuff EP : some early songs, released by semi-offical means on Depression records, track listing:

Under The Rose : cassette of live concert in Leeds, october 1992 most of An Eye For The Main Chance album is performed plus 

                Sisters are Doing it For Themselves
                    (only UK release of this song)
                Evolution
                When the Levee Breaks
                Chapter and Verse
                Darkside
                If Only and Sometimes
This tape captures the live experience that is Rosetta Stone, or something.

The band released nothing new for bloody ages, but they have been hard at work on new stuff. Some of this was performed at their only gig of 1993, in Nottingham on Dec 29. The new tracks are more "Industrial" but still have that tounge in check Goff feel. Porl and Karl did not wear any make-up or pointy boots, so maybe they don't want to be goffs anymore? They also played a cover of that Velvet Underground chestnut "Venus in Furs" which was rather good. The high point of the new stuff must have been a very 2-Unlimited style "No, No, No, No, No, ..etc" style chorus to one song. Oh yes, Porl Young is no longer in the band.


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