Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus.
John Symon Asher Bruce was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the co-lead vocalist and bassist of British rock band Cream. After the group disbanded in 1968, he pursued a solo career and also played with several bands.
The Durutti Column are an English post-punk band formed in 1978 in Manchester, England. The band is a project of guitarist and occasional pianist Vini Reilly who is often accompanied by Bruce Mitchell on drums and Keir Stewart on bass, keyboards and harmonica. They were among the first acts signed to Factory Records by label founder Tony Wilson.
James Martin Hannett, initially credited as Martin Zero, was an English record producer, musician and an original partner/director at Tony Wilson's Factory Records. Hannett produced music by artists including Joy Division, the Durutti Column, Magazine, John Cooper Clarke, New Order, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Happy Mondays. His distinctive production style used unorthodox sound recording and technology and has been described as sparse, spatial, and cavernous.
Peter Hook is an English musician, best known as the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Joy Division and New Order. Hook often used the bass as a lead instrument, playing melodies on the high strings with a signature heavy chorus effect. In New Order, he would do this, leaving the actual basslines to keyboards or sequencers.
Prism is a Canadian rock band formed in Vancouver in 1977. They were originally active from 1977 to 1984 and have been active again from 1987 to present. Their classic line-up consisted of lead singer Ron Tabak, guitarist Lindsay Mitchell, keyboardist John Hall, bassist Allen Harlow and drummer Rocket Norton.
Vincent Gerard "Vini" Reilly is an English musician and leader of the post-punk group the Durutti Column. He is known for his distinctively clean, fluid guitar style, which stood out from his punk-era contemporaries in its incorporation of jazz, folk, and classical elements. In addition to his work under that group, Reilly has also collaborated with artists such as Morrissey, John Cooper Clarke, Pauline Murray, Anne Clark, and others.
Martin Jackson is a British drummer who has played with several bands from Manchester, although his most successful roles were with Magazine in 1978 with the release of the influential Real Life album, and Swing Out Sister in 1986, with the hit song "Breakout".
Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias were an English comedy rock band, formed in Manchester, England in 1973. Their story is told in CP Lee's book When We Were Thin. The name of the band is a corruption of the Latin American band Alberto y Los Trios Paraguayos.
Ruth-Ann Boyle is an English pop singer. Together with producers Tim Kellett and Robin Taylor-Firth, she formed the British band Olive. The band's single "You're Not Alone" reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart on its second release in 1997.
The Nosebleeds are a punk band formed in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England in 1976. The band is well known in modern rock history for the later successes of its individual members, notably Morrissey, Billy Duffy, and Vini Reilly. During their early days, they were known as Ed Banger and the Nosebleeds, until the departure of singer Ed Banger.
Dave Rowbotham was an English rock musician who played guitar and bass with various Manchester bands in the 1970s and the 1980s, and as a studio musician.
Motivation was a short-lived band formed in Manchester, England by bassist and probably leader Steve Garvey, guitarist Dave Rowbotham, drummer Snuff and vocalist Dave Price. Garvey was a former Buzzcocks, Teardrops and Bok Bok member, while Rowbotham was previously in The Durutti Column and then in The Mothmen.
Chris Joyce is known for being drummer with various groups, and with Simply Red in the 1980s.
Toby Toman, is a drummer who played with various British bands including The Nosebleeds, Ludus, The Durutti Column, Blue Orchids, and Primal Scream, working often with German singer Nico, known for her role with The Velvet Underground, while she was living in Manchester, England through the 1980s.
Colin Ainsley Sharp was an English actor, biographer, percussionist and singer-songwriter, who was part of the Manchester music scene of the late 1970s and dedicated to arts in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Phil Rainford is a British former singer and music producer, who formed part of the Manchester music scene, in late 1970s and early 1980s. He was the original singer of post-punk band The Durutti Column who were signed to Factory Records, having joined the band in early 1978. He was sacked in July of that year, for not being a considered correct choice. He did not release any material with the band other than a couple of pieces on a Factory Records sample release. At the time he was also known as "Phil Raincoat".
LC is the second studio album by English band The Durutti Column. It was released in November 1981 through Manchester record label Factory.
Without Mercy is the fourth studio album by English band The Durutti Column, released in October 1984 on Factory Records. After the band and label boss Tony Wilson were unanimous in their dislike of Another Setting (1983), Wilson pushed the band towards progressing to a new, classical-inspired sound. The band went on to record Short Stories for Pauline, which went unreleased when Wilson refused to release it, though one track, "Little Mercy", kept Wilson's attention. He asked the band to use it as the foundation for a different album, ultimately becoming Without Mercy.
Obey the Time is the eighth studio album by English band The Durutti Column, released in 1990 by Factory Records. Conceived during the middle of the popularity of acid house in the band's native Manchester, band leader Vini Reilly chose to combine acid house, and other electronic dance music styles, with his signature guitar playing on a new album. He created the album in his home studio with engineer Paul Miller. Drummer Bruce Mitchell only plays on one song, with his slot being filled by drum machines on the remaining tracks. As such, critics have described Obey the Time as a Vini Reilly solo album.
