Factory Dance Series Continue with 'Factory. Dance 02'

Strut records will release the second album in the ‘Fac. Dance’ series bringing together sought after 12” versions and rarities from Manchester’s revered Factory Records imprint. Revisiting the peerless studio work of Martin Hannett, Be Music and ACR drummer Donald Johnson, among others, Fac. Dance 02 fleshes out Factory’s varied early forays into dance territory, widening the spectrum yet further from Volume One. The CD and LP packages feature detailed track notes by Factory biographer James Nice, together with rare photos and they are officially out on September 17th. 

http://www.strut-records.com/ 

Section 25- Retrofit

LTM are delighted to present the seventh studio album from cult Factory Records group Section 25, titled 'Retrofit'. The album was recorded before the untimely death of Larry Cassidy in February 2010, and sees the group revisit 10 key tracks from their estimable back catalogue, remade and remodelled using new technology, and closing with a compelling remix of "Looking From A Hilltop" by New Order member Stephen Morris. The album is going be released on September 13, 2010. Visit the official page for additional info.

www.section25.com

Shadowplayers: The Rise and Fall of Factory Records

'Shadowplayers: The Rise and Fall of Factory Records' celebrates the life of Factory Records and it was released earlier this year in May. The Author of this book is James Nice, a journalist and record-label owner. He once worked for Factory Benelux and now administers much of the former Factory catalogue. Based on both archive and contemporary sources, the book tells the full story of Factory's heroic struggles, its complex web of inventive, idiosyncratic and tragic personalities, and ultimately, the acclaimed and much-loved music it produced.

The Durutti Column- Love In The Time Of Recession

The Durutti Column follow-up 2007’s 'Idiot Savants' with a brand new album, 'Love in the Time of Recession', due for release on March 2nd 2009. Written and played by Vinni Reilly, with drums and percussion from the Guru himself, Bruce Mitchell keyboards by Keir Stewart and Vocals by Poppy. The album opens with the "In Memory of Anthony" which is inspired by Reilly's long friendship with Factory Records impresario, Tony Wilson who died in 2007.

Listen to the tracks here:
http://www.myspace.com/thedurutticolumnmcr

Tony Wilson Dies!

Anthony H. Wilson, co-founder of Factory Records, has died of a heart attack yesterday (August 10th) at the age of 57. Wilson is best known for signing legendary bands including Joy Division and New Order to his label, and as owner of the Hacienda nightclub in Manchester. He played a key role in the Madchester scene of the late 1980's and early 1990's, signing the Happy Mondays.

Wilson passed away on this evening in the hospital after suffering a heart attack that his doctor said was unrelated to his recent battle with cancer.

Thanks for Joy Division, the "Factory" , the music. RIP Tony!

Stockholm Monsters

The youthful Stockholm Monsters came together in Burnage, south Manchester, in the summer of 1980. Initially formed around the core of vocalist Tony France, bassist Jed Duffy and drummer Shan Hira, their name represented a combination of Bowie's Scary Monsters album and a pleasant-sounding Euro City.

As a neglected part of the Factory Records scene, the Stockholm Monsters are a key link between the bristly art-funk of A Certain Ratio and the good-foot indie dance vibe of Happy Mondays and the other Manchester bands of the late 80's. Often seen merely as New Order proteges (Peter Hook produced all but one of their records) and victims of both record company indifference and unnecessary potshots by the cynical British music press, the Stockholm Monsters deserved better treatment than they usually got.

Back then, still in their teens, and with no settled guitarist, the band found it hard to find gigs and be noticed. After linking up with the Manchester Musicians Collective, the Monsters scored a few gigs at local venues such as the Cyprus Tavern, and struck lucky when supporting the Rezillos at Rafters. Both Rob Gretton and New Order bassist Peter Hook were in the audience, and decided that the outstanding song "Fairy Tales" would make a good single for Factory Records. Hook in particular took the fledgling band under his wing, and would go on to produce almost all of their recordings, albeit disguising his identity behind the moniker Be Music.
Just before the release of their first single, the Martin Hannett-produced "Fairy Tales", a 17-year-old trumpet player Lindsay Anderson joined the band. Although "Fairy Tales" was a minor success, hitting the middle reaches of the U.K. indie charts, the Hook-produced follow-up, "Happy Ever After", was a sales disappointment. In April 1982 the band supported New Order on a European tour which took in France, Belgium and Holland.

They released a fine EP, 'Miss Moonlight', in 1983. Unfortunately, despite Hook's continued involvement, Factory Records apparently lost interest in the group and shunted them to their Belgian subsidiary label Factory Benelux, then seen as the label's dumping ground for vanity projects and failed experiments.

The Stockholm Monsters' sole long-player, Alma Mater, came out in September 1984. A low-key record blending jangly guitars and skittering electronic percussion, Alma Mater bridges the gap between the British indie pop and dance scenes of the era much in the same way that New Order would on their next couple of albums.

In August 1985 the group played dates in Spain, but in September disaster struck when the band lost almost all their equipment in a theft from their Manchester rehearsal room. Although the kit was insured the claim was disputed, a dire state of affairs which left the band with little more than a drum kit. With the benefit of hindsight the ex-members agree that the theft knocked the stuffing out of the band, but at the time the Monsters struggled on as best they could with borrowed instruments. The following month the band traveled to Italy for a string of shows with the Durutti Column, and in November again traveled south to play a Factory showcase at the Hammersmith Clarendon in London, together with Section 25 and the then-unknown Happy Mondays (who failed to perform).

The release of "Partyline" was promoted with a couple of live shows in February 1987, including a support slot with New Order in Belfast and a superlative live rendition on Granada TV. A five-song studio demo was also recorded, with "Stupid" and "House is Not a Home" in particular showing that the band still had some of their best material ahead of them. However within a few months the band had effectively split, two years short of the Madchester explosion which propelled Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses onto Top of the Pops.

http://www.prideofmanchester.com/music/stockholmmonsters.htm

Instant Hit: Stockholm Monsters- Fairy Tales

"Fairy Tales" was the first single released by the Manchester group Stockholm Monsters. The single was produced by Martin Hannett for the Factory records and it was released in 1982. The record appeared as a 7" single with purple and green sleeve.