For sale: a bunch of original master tapes from Joy Division, New Order, and more

A former assistant of famed post-punk producer Martin Hannett has allegedly “rescued” a number of recordings by Joy Division, New Order, The Psychedelic Furs, Magazine, and more from his trash, and is now looking to sell them. According to a lengthy post on Julia Adamson’s Facebook page, she somehow managed to get her hands on about 30 boxes of master tapes, presumably while working for the late Hannett in the late ‘80s. (Adamson, formerly known as Julia Nagle, was also a member of The Fall in the late ‘90s.)

The tapes were all digitized in 2008 and include tunes from the aforementioned bands, as well as The Durutti Column, The Names, Slaughter & The Dogs, Minny Pops, Yargo, Easterhouse, and What? Noise (another band Adamson was in). Six of the tape boxes are marked either “Joy Division” or “New Order,” while one is labeled “Joy Division Outtakes.” Adamson further claims that one of these boxes holds the original master tapes of Joy Division’s 1979 album Unknown Pleasures.

To her credit, Adamson says she’s tried to sell the tapes back to the remaining members of Joy Division and to their record companies, but none of the parties are interested. Peter Hook, she says, is “not a happy bunny” (obviously), and the other members haven't returned her calls.

Adamson correctly notes that just because someone might get the tapes from her doesn’t mean they could turn around and release the music on them. The bands and labels still hold copyrights on the material, so the really the tapes just need to be preserved for historical purposes. Says Adamson, “I am keen for a collector to have them (the whole collection ideally) as they are very old and probably deteriorating and should be baked or whatever, nor do I really want to look after them anymore.”

Any interested, likely wealthy parties can e-mail Adamson via her Facebook page.