The KLF - Last Train.... (1989 Pure Trance Original)

[missalisonhamiltonUK]

Most of these samples were originally from their Chill Out LP, which i think is where LTFT came from eventually. Classic tune though =o)

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@missalisonhamiltonUK Actually, I think they sampled this to put on Chill Out (i.e. the other way around). Chill Out was a 1990 release, I think...

The again, who knows for sure? They were The KLF after all; logical sense seemed to elude them! :P

[6969wicky]

you sure could be camels

[6969wicky]

anybody hear the sheep or is it just me lol

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@6969wicky I hear giraffes! :P

[xxxseXierIkAF4Grlxxx]

@6969wicky I love that part.

[jebeshnick]

This is from the white room album.....

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@jebeshnick Is it? Hmm... plot thickens!

[rainbowinthedark73]

@jebeshnick White room came later mate ('91), it had the chart aimed version (live from the lost continent)

It was scheduled for release with the original versions in '89 but never came out officially as the White room until '91. It was seriously remixed to fit the times and charted.

this was the first version from '89.

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@rainbowinthedark73 Thought it wasn't from The White Room.

One point I feel I have to clarify. "Live From The Lost Continent version - 7Inch" was on the US Arista version of The White Room, "Live From The Lost Continent version - 12Inch" was on the Japanese EMI version (but both omitted the "OK everybody lie down on the floor and keep calm")

The UK version of The White Room had an "LP Mix" of LTTT, which is sort of half-way between this and "Live from..."

[rainbowinthedark73]

@arglwyddanfradwrus True my friend. Drummond and Cauty still got us all confused decades later lol.

A classic regardless. I sold the pictured record years ago.

[bjm72]

as a big fan of the klf's early stuff this is my all time favourite track of theirs and ironically the only one i didnt buy on vinyl at the time due to the financial constraints of a 17yr old.

2-3 years ago i finally found it in a rarities shop for only £8, only took me 20 years but i got it

[johnmodel500]

@bjm72 YOU GOT THIS FOR 8 QUID ,, IAM GONNA BE HONEST ON THIS 1 SIT DOWN AND THINK WAHT YOU GOT FOR 8 QUID YOU LUCKY LUCKY LUCKY SOD,:)- well done

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@johnmodel500 Yes, you lucky beggar! :P

[acidhouse100]

This is definitely the best version of this track. The vocal versions are very tacky, the vocal and lyrics are very cheesy and obvious. They only cheapen the track and reduce it to just another unintelligent commercial piece of music. This version is far more intelligent, it`s deeper, heavier and subtler than any of the commercial vocal versions.

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@acidhouse100 I've got to disagree there, sorry! I find this to be somber, the commercial ones, while the vocals are somewhat cheesy, are far more perkier and dancier.

[acidhouse100]

@arglwyddanfradwrus Each to their own, if you prefer the vocal version that`s cool. Many people also prefer the vocal versions of What Time Is Love whereas i prefer the original completely instrumental version. As i said each to their own.

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@acidhouse100 I will agree on WTIL, though. :) The instrumental original version is way better than the vocal version!

[chechar3dg]

i would love to find the version with train sounds and ricardo da force distorted voice.

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@chechar3dg The only one similar to that that I can think of is the UK LP Mix of the song on the 1991 UK release of The White Room.

watch?v=hWeG5CMYBzU

[EuroNoobz]

@chechar3dg I think you mean this one?

/watch?v=YeZRwAlN12Y

[chechar3dg]

@EuroNoobz indeed, thats the version i meant, thank you very much

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@chechar3dg Oh, the "Live From The Lost Continent" version!

[lilchonny]

I love this and I love the KLF without any reservation, takes me to the special place again and again guys.

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@lilchonny Glad you like it. I find this version too somber, and actually still am amazed it's the 'foundation' of the Live From The Lost Continent version which I totally love!

[taat2d]

GOD!!!! I remember listening to this at 12:00-1:00 the day AFTER the rave trying to mellow out on the way home!!!!! THIS track is FUCKING AWESOME!!!! Brings back ALOT of crazy memories!!!

[Turton34]

love the electric sheep. heard this on headphones when it first came out,after biology rave.the bass shit the life outa me. all nice and calm,then BANG! loved it eversince.

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@Turton34 Glad ya like it. :)

I'm not that keen on it, to be honest. Too sombre for my liking.

[DroiidLife]

thumbs up if blue man group took you here

[discoverydavid]

It was only 'Hailed as the beginning...' by people who hadn't heard the likes of it before...it was already there in Eno, Byrne, Mad Professor, On U Sound, Tangerine Dream, Cabaret Voltaire,Throbbing Gristle, Mike Oldfield, Rick Wakeman, Jethro Tull, ELP, Gong...and what classifies acid House...the TB303? So...listen: /watch?v=No2ukc5V4EM

[lecochonbleu]

Hailed as the beginning of ambient house ("someone said") just within a quite short time of acid house taking on. And well before the real ambient house infatuation (which was + still is a great part of modern electro-accoustic music- really the only part from / in a real physical context)

Though, in truth, acid house in guises was found in America from 1985 & shortly afterwards in The UK in Northern England, Scotland & London, well before Spectrum + Shoom etc. - but randomly + not dependably).

[zuki19781221]

The BEST!!!

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@zuki19781221 Not my favourite version of the track, I have to say. :(

[Caddl123]

Hello..The KLF was m "Firt Contact" to Trance Acid and Co.

In 1988 i was at school in South German,iat Öhringen and our new pupil came from Austrice,she brang us the new Style..

At the same time around Öhringen begins the "Culture" of Poppers and other styles..Their discothecs are allready DEAD since 15 years or more,but the buildings are standing..The Fans of Acid Trance and so on were going to Frankfurt and Stuttgart and Munic..

Now i remember these old times..i want them back..

[xxxseXierIkAF4Grlxxx]

This is Off cHillout

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@xxxseXierIkAF4Grlxxx No, not quite. Parts of it are used on Chillout, certainly. But this, so it claims on the CD label, is the original 1989 version. It's hard to believe this sombre track is the base-track for the much more cheerful and dancy "Live From The Lost Continent" version!

[Raflinger1]

So great !!

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@Raflinger1 Glad ya like it! :D

[MinistryofWeed]

beautiful

[daftpunk674]

@MinistryofWeed Sorry to bother you but i too agree on your comments on KLF's last train to transcentral. A fine taste you have boss!

[kbdkbd99]

anyone know what is the sample that starts at around 3:05 ?

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@kbdkbd99 I take it you mean the violins/strings? I've wondered that for a long time also. I know it's featured on the White Room LP Mix, the Mu-D Vari-Speed Mix, and the Live From The Lost Continent Mix too.

The irony is that this version and the Live From The Lost Continent are really different (this is sombre and depressing, Lost Continent is much much more perky and get-up-and-go) yet the only obvious "connection" between the two is the violins/strings part!

[kbdkbd99]

@arglwyddanfradwrus I like you're avatar !!

Regarding the mood - something that jumps into my head is when Jimmy or Bill talked about being on top of the pennines (up north) travelling across to different towns in their car to venues where they were DJing - the music kind of fits into that - and I think that's how "It's Grim Up North" was inspired.

Back to the sample: It's kind of sounds like it could be from an 80s American Soap like Falcon Crest or the The Colbys - but I checked and no luck

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@kbdkbd99 Hmmm. I didnt think of that!

[mrnebb01]

@kbdkbd99 Why do you think it's a sample. Cauty & Drummond were able to write their own music too.. Both the "Ambient" and "Trance" versions of this were used on the "Chill Out" album (The best they ever made). There were other mixes that were never released, for instance this is Pure Trance 5. E-Train to Trancentral was never released, nor were PT3 + PT4. Pure Trance 2 being 3AM Eternal Basically these are re-worked versions of "Go To Sleep" which they made for the afore mentioned "Chill Out"

[kbdkbd99]

@mrnebb01 yeh - fair comment.

[kbdkbd99]

@mrnebb01 It's sampled from Big Country (film.)

[HagbardCeline42]

@kbdkbd99 I don't think it's a sample at all. I think it's just a riff they played on a keyboard.

[kbdkbd99]

@HagbardCeline42 I thought it was surely a sample - and I've finally tracked it down :

It's from the theme of the film "Big Country" - watch?v=AQTH3a0mjR8

[JoshuaWinkleman]

This is the most rare version, that's all peep. I love. You love it. We love it.

[OzNormandy]

I've kept this for years as a stereo test disk for friends equipment, and every time I put it on people go WOW WOTS THAT! That's great.......

And then the sonic boom then destroys the speakers..........

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@OzNormandy LMAO... Heavy on speakers, aye? :P To be honest, I'm not at all keen on this version. Very sombre and depressing! :(

[OzNormandy]

I've kept this for years as a stereo test disk, and every time I put it on people go WOW WOTS THAT!

[tormentummalorum]

Undoubtedly the best version!

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@tormentummalorum I can't agree with you there at all! This version's very sombre! :(

[tormentummalorum]

@arglwyddanfradwrus I respect your opinion. :)

[simonjohnpalmer]

This is the original. It's the acid house type version that was then stripped down and used in 1990's Chill Out album.

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@simonjohnpalmer Thanks, another one who confirms what I have heard!

[konspiracykid]

apparently there were only 100 copies of this pressed at the time, I'd pay proper money for a copy

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@konspiracykid I'm not sure, but I think 200 were pressed, but half (i.e. 100) were damaged (warped, I think)

[discodave]

Sasha used start all his mix tapes with this way back when!!

[konspiracykid]

@discodave yeah those were the days....Jay Wearden used to HAMMER this track at the Thunderdome and the House in mancland! This takes me right back, what a fucking brilliant track, takes my head into the clouds. Those chemically enhanced clouds...doves anyone?

[bassmingo]

Wow I'm amongst total klf experts here, and I'm learning a lot. I started with the White room when it was released and worked back but in pre Internet days all I got my hands on was a cassette copy of chill out (still have) and a dubbed copy of shag times ( now long gone) I think chill out is a masterpiece

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@bassmingo Well, some tracks have undoubted and totally accepted histories, this track seems to be one of them whose history is not entirely 100% certain!

[XenousPrime]

@arglwyddanfradwrus I sounds alot like "Go to sleep" from the White Room demotape.

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@XenousPrime It would. I think Go To Sleep is basically an extension of Last train...

[XenousPrime]

@arglwyddanfradwrus Interesting, but once I found the White Room Demo Tape on the net, so "Go to sleep" seemed to came out before "LTTT". Perhaps I will find more information on this issue.

[bassmingo]

I dont think its the original but its a remix of a track from their "chill out" ambient album that has been renamed. they did take some parts from it and used it in the stadium house version.

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@bassmingo I think it's more that they lifted and remixed this to put onto the chill out album. I'm still not sure if this is THE true original, though others insist it is...

[hfdeheus]

@bassmingo I think this is te most original you can get. Earlier version contained less less reconizable part to be sure this it would related to the later Smash hit version. I more think this is one of the many demo's on the way of becomimg a full hit song. It's like one of the many progress recording allong the way the final version has been shaped.

Still everytime this version comes around on my MD or MP3 player. I don't feel the need to skip it for the next song.

[dmmh]

oh lord, the memories!

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@dmmh Good or bad? :P

[DjNforce90]

@dmmh one of my favs still play it today ! just one from my collection , go it on cd aswell love it

[itchyscratchwood]

This track was literally the first 12" single I bought in my life and what a record. I heard rumour that there was only 1000 (or was it 5000?) pressed and so I felt very priveledged. Although, a friend borrowed it and left it on the parcel shelf of thier car on a hot summer day and I got it back warped and cracked.

Then bizarrely, a mate found a few of them in a tiny record shop in surburban London (Stoneleigh to be precise) and gave me another copy!

Definitely sounds different on drugs!! x

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@itchyscratchwood A pity your friend damaged the first one! :(

Glad ya got a replacement copy tho! It's from the original batch pressing? If so, insure it!

[konspiracykid]

@itchyscratchwood Drugs? What are they? ;) I thought doves were birds!

[MrFes888]

when i bought this in 89 i got a a4 letter in with the record ,saying some thing like this tune sounds will sound different with the infulance of drugs,or some thing along them lines,

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@MrFes888 Bleeding heck! :-S

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

@MrFes888 Never knew that!

[MrSNOWBLAST]

i once owned the cd single (or mini cd) of last train.. (hope to find it somewhere again) this is 1 of the versions that was on that cd. i believe it had 3 or 4 different mixes of this song. so it is indeed not the "original" radio edit, but i agree it is very nice and maybe even the better of the 2. you might also like the klf ambient mix which can be found here or in google

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

Thnx for that! :)

[sakaspuds]

i've always had a softspot for this mix

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

Hmm, I do too, though it's a quite sombre version!

[Output9]

Think this is as original as your going to get, It sez remix but there was no "original" so to speak only the GTS version, Discogs has good record of what happened.

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

Thnx. Proves I'm not losing my marbles... not completely anyhow!

[xxxgiuliano]

100%!!!

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

Thnx!

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

Or did they make 'Go to Sleep' using LTTT AFTER LTTT was made? I am not saying you are wrong, I am merely conjecturing, as I seem to be getting different reports on this from different sources! :-S

[thewhiteroom23]

Not sure, but I do know that Go To Sleep was on the white room demo tape whereas LTTT wasn't. But those arpeggiated violins seem to have been around forever....so who knows.

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

true!

Maybe, in true KLF style, we should accept the contradicitons and realise asking questions only brings up even more! :P

[thewhiteroom23]

LOL yes! Was listening to the demo tape again last night and thought that they should have done something with The Lovers Side, would have made a good pop tune given a production overhaul. If only their stuff was available as FLStudio project files...I'd have a right go at doing a tribute/remix album. There's a breakbeat version of WTIL on my profile somewhere if you'd care to have a listen -:)

[arglwyddanfradwrus]

I love that What Time Is Xmas on your profile! :)

[madrugadaxeterna]

They certainly took a swing at a Stadium House version of The Lovers Side; wasn't that the one that showed up in the Omnibus documentary with RDF rapping about being the Sheriff of Mu-Mu County over it?

[thewhiteroom23]

Can't remember...Is that doc on youtube I wonder. Need to see it again.

[thewhiteroom23]

Thr original was called Go To Sleep I think and it became Last Train.