James Martin Hannett was a British 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 embraced atmospheric sounds and electronics.
John Cooper Clarke is an English performance poet and comedian who styled himself as a "punk poet" in the late 1970s. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums. Around this time, he performed on stage with several punk and post-punk bands and continues to perform regularly.
Disguise in Love is the second studio album by John Cooper Clarke, first released in 1978.. Most of the tracks are spoken over musical accompaniment provided by Clarke's band The Invisible Girls, except "Psycle Sluts 1&2" and "Salome Maloney" — both live recordings from the Ritz Ballroom in Manchester on 8 May 1978, delivered in his trademark a cappella style.
The Psychedelic Furs is the debut studio album by English rock band the Psychedelic Furs, released on 7 March 1980 by Columbia Records. It was reissued with bonus tracks in 2002 by Columbia/Legacy. In 2020, Rolling Stone included the band's debut studio album in their "80 Greatest albums of 1980" list, praising the musicians for sounding like "a grand art project".
The Invisible Girls were a British rock band, formed in Salford, Greater Manchester in 1978, to provide a musical backdrop to the recorded output of Salford punk poet John Cooper Clarke. The band's nucleus was Joy Division and New Order producer Martin Hannett and keyboardist Steve Hopkins, with contributions from, amongst others, Pete Shelley of Buzzcocks and Bill Nelson of Be-Bop Deluxe. The band also played on the first solo album by Pauline Murray, the eponymous Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls and some singles, and later with Nico for the single "Procession".
Paul Burgess is an English rock drummer, notable for his association with a wide range of British rock and folk-rock bands. In addition to extensive session work, he has been an official member of 10cc, Jethro Tull, Camel, Magna Carta, and The Icicle Works.
Walking Back to Happiness is the third album by John Cooper Clarke, originally released on 10" clear vinyl in 1979, and long out of print. All tracks were recorded live, with the exception of the final track, "Gimmix", was re-recorded in studio and became a UK top 40 hit that year. The penultimate track refers to The Marble Index a 1969 album by Nico.
Zip Style Method is the sixth album by John Cooper Clarke, originally released in 1982. He is again backed by The Invisible Girls, a band masterminded by producer Martin Hannett who contributes bass and guitar to the songs.
Où est la maison de fromage is the debut album by John Cooper Clarke, originally released in 1978. It comprises a mix of live performances, demos and rehearsals. The name means "where is the cheese house?" in French.
The Return of the Durutti Column is the debut studio album by English band The Durutti Column. It was released in January 1980, through record label Factory.
"Electricity" is the 1979 debut single by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), featured on their eponymous debut album the following year. Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys sing the lead vocals on the track together in unison. Recognised as one of the most influential singles of its era, "Electricity" was integral to the rise of the UK's synth-pop movement. It has garnered praise from music journalists and other recording artists.
Pauline Murray is best known as the lead vocalist of the punk rock band Penetration, originally formed in 1976.
Some Bizzare Album is the first album issued by Some Bizzare Records. It was released in 1981 as a sampler of the label's musical ethos. The acts were not signed exclusively to the label at the time.
"Searching for Heaven" is the third and final single from Pauline Murray and The Invisible Girls, released in April 1981 on Illusive Records. It was produced by Martin Hannett.
Stephen Hopkins is a British former musician who worked with different Manchester punk and new wave artists including John Cooper Clarke, Pauline Murray, Morrissey and Ed Garrity amongst others. After retiring as a musician, he pursued a career in experimental cold atom physics.
Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls is the only album made by Penetration singer Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls, John Cooper Clarke's backing band. It was released in September 1980 on the RSO label.
Essential Bop were an English, Bristol-based post-punk/art band, formed in early 1978 by Dave Robinson, with an initial line-up of Steve Bush, Mike Fewings, Simon Tyler, Nick Tufnell (drums) and Seng-gye Tombs Curtis (‘visualist’). According to Steve Bush, they were originally going to be called Essence of Bop, but instead opted for Essential Bop.
"Evidently Chickentown" is a poem by the English performance poet John Cooper Clarke. The poem uses repeated profanity to convey a sense of futility and exasperation. Featured on Clarke's 1980 album Snap, Crackle & Bop, the realism of its lyrics is married with haunting, edgy arrangements.
Always Now is the debut studio album by Section 25. It was released in September 1981 through iconic Manchester record label Factory with the catalogue number FACT 45. The album was produced by Martin Hannett, best known for producing both of Joy Division's studio albums. Joy Division front man Ian Curtis has been credited as co-producing the record, in parts produced before his death in May 1980. Recording took place in February 1981 at Britannia Row Studios in Islington, London, owned by Pink Floyd.
"Beasley Street" is a poem by the English poet John Cooper Clarke. Dealing with poverty in inner-city Salford, Cooper Clarke has said that the poem was inspired by Camp Street in Lower Broughton. It has a relentless theme of squalor and despair:
[1] 