#factory records
New on Rock’s Backpages this week
ON RBP this week we’re marking the release of Duran Duran’s first new album in six years with three great pieces by the gal who discovered the “Beau Brummies” in late 1980: New Romantic champion Beverly “Betty Page” Glick recalls her first enounter with Simon, Nick, John et al., plus we’re running her 1982 Sounds piece on the jet-setting video pin-ups.
Also free for a week are pieces about Radiohead’s radical self-reinvention at the dawn of this century: two great interviews with Thom, Jonny et al., plus reviews of Kid A andAmnesiac – expanded versions of which are released as Kid A Mnesia on November 5th. And you can read three pieces that reference departed legends Alan Hawkshaw,Ronnie Tutt&Dee Pop…
The week’s new audio interview finds Don McLeantalking to John Tobler in 1989 about his folkie years, the Weavers, recording in Nashville, and the American Pie album, which is 50 years old this week. Subscribers can also dive deep into the 50+ articles we’ve added to the RBP library this week, including…
- Robert Shelton reviewing Johnny Cash at Carnegie Hall n 1962;
- Lillian Roxon introducing her fellow Ozzies to T. Rex in 1971;
- Ed Jones interviewing Elton John’s managerJohn Reidin 1977;
- John Morthland reporting on the Parents Music Resource Centerin 1985;
- John Harris hanging out with Suede in 1993;
- Angus Batey revisiting DJ Kool Herc’s first-ever block party;
- and Bud Scoppa paying homage to Neil Young’s legendary manager Elliot Roberts in 2019.
Don’t miss the latest episode of the RBP podcast, with special guest Paul Morley talking about Joy Division, Factory’s Tony Wilson and krautrockers Faust.
Straddle the line in discord and rhyme
I’m on the hunt down, I’m after you…
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The RBP Podcast
Inthe new episode of our podcast, the legendary Paul Morley joins us to talk about his native Manchester, Joy Division and his epic new biography of Factory Records founder Tony Wilson.
Paul recounts his early pop epiphanies and discovery of the UK’s music press, culminating in the one & only issue of his 1976 fanzine Out There — not to mention his first reviews for the NME in 1976. The conversation then turns to “Anthony H.” Wilson and the formation of Factory, taking in Paul’s championing of Joy Division before leading into a discussion of Martin Aston’s 1986 audio interview with New Order’s Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris.
From there we consider the week’s featured act Faust, spinning off from pieces about the German enigmas by Ian MacDonald, Andy Gill and David Stubbs, and prompting general thoughts on “Krautrock” from both guest and hosts. After saying goodbye to chief Chieftain Paddy Moloney, and to three veteran RBP writers on soul and R&B (Pete Grendysa, Bob Fisher andRoger St. Pierre), Mark leads us through his personal favourites among the 100+ articles added to the RBP library over the past fortnight, including pieces about the Stones’ pad in Edith Grove, Lorraine Ellison’s volcanic single ‘Stay With Me’ and Charlie Watts on drummers & drumming. Finally, Jasper talks us out with his thoughts on pieces about Primal Scream’s 2000 XTRMNTR and John Sinclair taking The Wire’s “Invisible Jukebox” text in 2003.
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New on RBP
It’s a Manchester special this week – with a bit of Krautrock and Celtic tradition added for good measure. To celebrate the imminent publication of his epic Tony Wilson biography From Manchester With Love, we’ve made Paul Morleywriter of the week and made three of his classic NME pieces free on the home page. All touch on the triumph and tragedy ofJoy Division…and the endurance ofNew Order, whose Bernard Sumner & Stephen Morris are (from 1986) the week’s featured audio interviewees.
The act featured in the Free On RBP section is the radical German kollectiv that was early ‘70s Faust. Interviews by Ian MacDonald (1973) and Andy Gill (1997) tell the wild and crazy story of Uwe Nettelbeck and friends, while Krautrock chronicler David Stubbs describes his teenage Faustian pact.
We’re saying goodbye to chief Chieftain and beloved Irish rover Paddy Moloney via interviews from 1998 and 2010, plus we’ve also lost three of RBP’s veteran specialists on rhythm 'n’ blues and soul: Bob Fisher,Pete Grendysa&Roger St. Pierre, pieces by all of whom we’re spotlighting on the home page.
RBP subscribers can enjoy almost 60 new additions to the library, including:
- Dusty Springfield getting personal with Penny Valentine in 1967;
- Rob Partridge visiting Atlantic’s London offices in 1974;
- Bill Holdship bidding farewell to Del Shannon after the latter’s 1990 suicide;
- Andrew Smith talking to techno magus the Aphex Twin in 1992;
- Former MC5 manager John SinclairtakingThe Wire’s invisible jukebox test;
- Kandia Crazy Horse questioning the New Afrophilia of Vampire Weekend et al.;
- andNick Cave bearing his soul to GQ’s Chris Heath in 2017.
If you could just see the beauty,
These things I could never describe,
These pleasures a wayward distraction,
This is my one lucky prize…
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Free for a week on RBP
Manchester special, Pt 1: Paul Morley(pictured in 1977) reports on the rise of Manchester’s music sceneforNME in early 1979. Plus Paul sees Joy Division live at the city’s Band On The Wall in 1978, witnesses New Order’s 1981 “haunting” of London’s Heaven after Ian Curtis’ suicide, and pens the Guardian obituary for Factory Records founder Tony Wilson, the subject of his remarkable new biography From Manchester with Love…
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New Order ‘Substance 1987’, Factory Records, 1987. Designed by Peter Saville and Trevor Key.
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Following on from my current zeitgeist.. Here is Donna Summer’s “Our Love” written by Giorgio Moroder. A slice of the drums track was lifted by New Order’s Blue Monday that went on to be the biggest-selling 12in single ever.
One of the more mysterious artists to record for the stylish Crépuscule/Factory axis, New York City’s Thick Pigeon was a vehicle for songwriter Stanton Miranda and arranger Carter Burwell. The pop-art duo recorded a brace of oblique, minimalist singles for Les Disques du Crépuscule before moving to Factory Records (home of New Order) for their first album. I’ve been listening to alot of Factory records recently. It’s the time of year…
