Recorded during down-time at Revolution Studios, Cheadle Hulme, Fact and Fiction was engineered by Stuart Rickering, Johnny Gluck, and Pablo, and produced by Twelfth Night and Andy MacPherson. Tape effects remixed at Twilight Studios, Salford, England, with engineer Frank Walsh. Originally to be released on the REVO label, but while Revolution was financing it the band did not feel they were getting the artistic control they would have liked, so they bought the tapes themselves, throwing their financial position into chaos. The first pressing, of 1000 LPs, sold out in 4 weeks. When French label MSI Distribution wanted to re-issue Fact and Fiction on CD, they did talk to drummer and archivist Brian Devoil about it, but, as was the case with their Live at the Target re-issue, released it before a formal contract was made and signed. The songs "We Are Sane" and "Creepshow" from this release are included on the compilation albumCollector's Item. The official CD was released in August 2002 with seven bonus tracks and again in June 2018 with 31 bonus tracks.
Track listing
All songs written by Twelfth Night except "Eleanor Rigby" by Lennon-McCartney.
"We Are Sane"
"Human Being"
"This City"
"World Without End"
"Fact and Fiction"
"The Poet Sniffs a Flower"
"Creepshow"
"Love Song"
First Reissue
As above, with seven bonus tracks:
"East of Eden"
"Eleanor Rigby"
"Constant "
"Fistful of Bubbles"
"Leader"
"Dancing in the Dream"
"Human Being"
Second Reissue, 2018 Definitive Edition
Disc 1, original studio album with 4 bonus tracks:
"Being Human"
"Paradise Locked" - previously unreleased
"East of Eden"
"Eleanor Rigby"
Disc 2, live 1983-2012 + demos
We Are Sane - live 1983 - previously unreleased
Human Being - live 1984
This City - live 2010
World Without End - live 2012 - previously unreleased
Fact and Fiction - live 1983 - previously unreleased
The Poet Sniffs a Flower - live 1983 - previously unreleased
Creepshow - live 2012 - previously unreleased
Love Song - live 1983
Fact and Fiction - live 2012 - previously unreleased
Constant - demo
Fistful of Bubbles - demo
Leader - demo
Dancing in the Dream - demo
Creepshow - demo - previously unreleased
Disc 3, covers and interpretations
DEAN BAKER - Electro Sane
MARK SPENCER - We Are Sane - new recording, previously unreleased
An early version of "Human Being", recorded 16 March 1982 during the same sessions as "Constant ", "Fistful of Bubbles", "Leader" and "Dancing in the Dream", is available on Voices in the Night.
Three tracks recorded by the band in July 1983 as demos for CBS have been released; two on Collector's Item and one on Voices in the Night.
