Charlie's Fretless Bass

"Couldn't make it fit in France (Juan-le-Pins)? I’m unsure of the meaning of that."

...they couldn't get the new neck to fit the body of the bass guitar...I would assume.

Personally, I don't think a fretless bass would have suited the overall Drastic Plastic vibe/sound..It had somewhat of a hard, angular edge.

A fretless may have sounded ok on 'Visions of Endless Hopes' and 'Islands of the Dead', but I think that then, that would have seemed rather disjointed and out of place, with the rest of the recordings..No, imo, much better the way it was/is....Just my opinion ofc.

Good points, Tourist.

It is difficult to imagine it. I keep thinking of "Glow World" and "Metaphysical Jerks" but that was a different style entirely and those two are a different style from one another. "Metaphysical Jerks" is pretty hard and crunchy.

Thinking on it, along with those you mentioned Tourist, I could also imagine the fretless employed on "Japan" and on "Surreal Estate" as well as on "New Precision" . . .

Yes, I agree with the Be Bop single, Japan. Fretless bass played Mick Karn-ish/Japan (band) style, that would've been interesting...May possibly work on Surreal Estate as well, but I think New Precision is a bit too hard-edged for that.

I really like the production on Drastic Plastic, I think Bill and John Leckie nailed it.😎