(sorta) Friend of the Hall: Keith Levene contacts The Back Office (me)

Actually Yes! The real Keith Levene. I’m doing an indiegogo campaign to record the lost 4th PiL album commercial Zone. Take a look if you’re interested. http://igg.me/at/KeiThLeVeNeCZ2014/x/2194670 I’m doing everything I can to spread the word. Anyway the real Keith Levene says see what you think.

This is almost one of those great lost album deals and, honestly, I don’t completely understand the facts/history of it. Wikipedia (the holy grail of truth) says:

Levene was heavily involved in the writing, performing and producing of PiL’s early ground-breaking albums: First Issue, Metal Box and Flowers of Romance. However, he left PiL in 1983 over creative differences concerning the band’s fourth album, This is What You Want… This is What You Get. Levene has stated this was a very difficult decision for him to make but he felt he had to in order to maintain the integrity of the project.

This much I get. After this though I’m confounded. Allmusic says:

This takes some explaining. Commercial Zone was the album Public Image Limited were finishing when Keith Levene left the group. John Lydon’s new lineup of PiL later returned to the studio and rerecorded several of the tracks here on This Is What You Want…This Is what You Get, replacing two songs with newer material. Meanwhile, Levene was basically left to press Commercial Zone himself.

So didn’t he already release this? On his indiegogo page he says:

CommercialZone’84 was never properly realised_i intend to record CZ2014 & enhance the original release with new work & put it out properly after 30years_CZ2014

So, I guess, I kinda get it.

He offers all kinds of extras if you donate so if you’re a fan, check it out, make a donation for as little as $10 and:

Get a shout out from Keith on his twitter and facebook accounts thanking you for supporting the CommercialZone 2014 initiative.

Call me a rock-nerd, but I think this is cool and will be doing it.

Keef: If you are reading this and want to chime in, please do so. You can login with the username/password I sent you.

Bonus