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New Order “Blue Monday”

sfilzen — Thu, 28 May 2020 21:02:40 +0000

New Order “Blue Monday” 1983. Original UK 12″ single, Factory Records. Considered by many as the ultimate synthpop dance single, it hit the top of the dance charts it both ‘83, again in ‘88 with a new version (“Blue Monday 88″) remixed by Quincy Jones and then another in ‘95 (remixed by Hardfloor), making it one of the best-selling singles of all-time. On the official single charts, it initially went to #12 in the UK in ‘83 and then again to #9 later that same year; the ‘88 version went to #3 in the UK and to #68 in the US; in ‘95 it went to #17 in the UK. Oh, and another reissue in 2006 took it back on the UK charts to #73. It’s the single that never truly goes away. For good reason – it’s catchy, hypnotic, layered and interesting and has the perfect beat for dancing. The 12″ single’s b-side is an instrumental re-working of “Blue Monday” – “The Beach.” The sleeve of the 12″ has become iconic despite the fact that the neither the band’s name nor the name of the song appears anywhere, including the spine. Its die-cut sleeve designed to mimic a floppy disc was so expensive to make that Factory Records lost money on each record sold, only one of many many many financial woes of the label, some of which I just learned about.

Last night I finally finished reading Peter Hook’s book Substance: Inside New Order that I picked up at Rough Trade Records in London last summer. It’s massive, with a dizzying amount of personal and band stories, snark (mainly aimed at Bernard Sumner) and technical details about synths, recording equipment, every single concert New Order performed and each release. I’m nowhere even close to a New Order geek but I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to any New Order fan as a one-stop shop for all the techy details about the band.

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Joy Division “Ideal for Living”

sfilzen — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 19:16:04 +0000

Joy Division “Ideal for Living” recorded in 1977, originally released as a 7″ on Enigma (Joy Division’s label) in 1978. A 4-track EP of super-early Joy Division just after they changed their name from Warsaw. It’s raw, really lo-fi, snotty punk, especially the tracks “Warsaw” and “Failures” which are messy with sometimes indistinguishable lyrics which simultaneously predate the American hardcore sound, give nods to the protopunk sound of bands like MC5 and The Stooges and mirror the late 70′s British power pop of groups like the Buzzcocks. “Leaders of Men” leans into post-punk, with art punk glam sensibility: dissonance and whispers of Bowie. “No Love Lost” is my favorite track on the EP with its grooving, droning bass line, competent guitar licks and a hypnotic beat that hints at the band’s future at The Factory and the eventual evolution to New Order after Ian Curtis’ death in 1980.

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New Order “Blue Monday”

sfilzen — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 22:44:41 +0000

New Order “Blue Monday” 1983. Factory Records/Qwest. Best-selling 12″ single of all time, b/w “The Beach,” which is an instrumental remix of “Blue Monday.” Our copy does not have the original floppy disk styled sleeve (that artwork was die-cut with silver and Factory Records lost money on its production) so I did a quick screen shot of what the cover should look like. “Blue Monday” hit the charts several times in the UK: first at #12 in early ‘83, then again later in ‘83 at #9. In 1988 Quincy Jones and John Potoker remixed it as “Blue Monday 88″ and this time it reached #3 and hit #1 on the US dance charts (and #68 on the singles chart). In ‘95 the song was remixed again and it went to #17 in the UK, and yet another reissue in 2006 sent it to #73. It’s really not surprising that “Blue Monday” has had such enduring success. The beat is hypnotic and addictive and the track is long enough, without being too repetitive, to get a really good groove on the dance floor. The vocals and lyrics are chilly and aloof, an invitation for even the most reticent dancer to get out there and and do the industrial fist-pump, stomp dance, which is what we did at alternative dance clubs in the late 80′s when goth, industrial and heavy synth pop were the musical staples.

How does it feel to treat me like you do?
When you’ve laid your hands upon me and told me who you are
I thought I was mistaken, I thought I heard your words
Tell me how do I feel
Tell me now, how do I feel
Those who came before me lived through their vocations
From the past until completion, they’ll turn away no more
And still I find it so hard to say what I need to say
But I’m quite sure that you’ll tell me just how I should feel today
I see a ship in the harbor
I can and shall obey
But if it wasn’t for your misfortune, I’d be a heavenly person today
And I thought I was mistaken, and I thought I heard you speak
Tell me, how do I feel
Tell me now, how should I feel
Now I stand here waiting
I thought I told you to leave me when I walked down to the beach
Tell me how does it feel, when your heart grows cold, grows cold, cold

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