1979 was a good year for new wave - Blondie’s ‘Heart of Glass’ and Gary Numan’s ‘Cars’ were both in the charts at number one.

Though when Bauhaus recorded together on 26 January 1979, did they have any idea of what they might become?

Well they certainly do in retrospect, and that’s why they’re giving fans a retrospective glimpse of their formative years, through a release called The Bela Sessions. You might already be familiar with some of the tracks that appear on this resurrection of their first demos, like ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’.

It’s 9 minutes long, this original take of ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’. Potentially an incredible jam, and only after six weeks of forming the band as well. Since this is the first time that ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ has been reissued on vinyl in 30 years, this might be a good time to get a copy if you’re a particularly big fan of this track.

There are also three completely unheard, unreleased tracks from the post-punk band here though, with names like ‘Bite My Hip', ‘Some Faces’, and ‘Boys (Original)'.

Or should I say goth band? I mean, they do effectively have a song about The King of Horror himself.
Mandy Parnell (Björk, Brian Eno) remastered the audio from the original analogue tape at Black Saloon Studios. WHO ELSE HAS WORKED AT THE STUDIOS.

This release marks the 40th anniversary of Bauhaus, which means that their legacy still very much continues. It’s through Leaving Records, and will be available to you on 23 November on vinyl and digital platforms. EP tracklist:

1. 'Bela Lugosi’s Dead' - 9:36
2. 'Some Faces' – 2:29 – previously unreleased
3. 'Bite My Hip'– 2:57 – previously unreleased yet later reworked, re-recorded, and released as 'Lagartija Nick' in 1983
4. 'Harry' – 2:56 – later released as a B-side in 1982
5. 'Boys (Original)' – 3:03 – previously unreleased, later re-recorded and released as the B-side of 'Bela Lugosi’s Dead'

Meanwhile, ex-frontman Peter Murphy is on a ’40 Years of Bauhaus’ world tour, calling in at a number of UK venues. You can check out these dates below.

02 Dec – Roadmender, Northampton
04 Dec – 02 Ritz, Manchester
05 Dec – SWG3, Glasgow
06 Dec – Roadmender, Northampton
08 Dec – Leeds Beckett SU, Leeds
09 Dec – 02 Academy Brixton, London