On August 17th, 1987 New Order released their singles compilation SUBSTANCE. As the 200th release on Factory Records (Catalog number FACT 200), Substance compiles all the Manchester area band’s singles released to that point in their 12-inch versions.

Prior to the release of Substance, all of New Order’s most popular tracks had been issued on 45s, and generally, the single releases and albums were kept separate in the Factory Records catalog.

Each of the 11 singles released up to that point had their respective B-sides included in the CD edition of the compilation.

The record also included the recently released single “True Faith”, which was recorded as new material for Substance, and is the 12th track on the first disc of the compilation.

Both the singles “Temptation and “Confusion” were re-recorded in 1987 specifically for Substance and none of the original versions appear, and the version of “Ceremony” included in the tracklisting is the one recorded in September of 1981, after Gillian Gilbert had joined the band.

Tracklist

Ceremony Everything’s Gone Green Temptation Blue Monday Confusion Thieves Like Us Perfect Kiss Subculture Shellshock State of the Nation Bizarre Love Triangle True Faith

The CD version of Substance included all the b-sides from the single releases:

Disc 2:

In a Lonely Place Procession Cries and Whispers Hurt The Beach Confused (instrumental) Lonesome Tonight Murder Thieves Like Us (instrumental) Kiss of Death Shame of the Nation 1963

A video version of the compilation titled Substance 1989 was released two years later. It contained the music videos for the tracks:

“Confusion”, “The Perfect Kiss”, “Shellshock”, “Bizzare Love Triangle”, “True Faith”, “Touched by the Hand of God”, and the video for the 1988 remix of “Blue Monday”.