New Order by Alan Cross

Author:Alan Cross [Cross, Alan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781927002063
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada
Published: 2011-04-18T04:00:00+00:00

Fast Facts

There are many theories on the inspiration for “Blue Monday.” One is that the Monday in question was May 19, 1980, the day after Ian Curtis committed suicide. Another suggestion (often trotted out by Rob Gretton) is that the song is about a series of student suicides that occurred in Sweden in the 1950s. According to this story, six very depressed students took their own lives after listening to “Blue Monday” by Fats Domino. Others suggest the song is somehow related to the work and subsequent suicide of Hungarian author Arthur Koestler. That, however, is unlikely; his death was reported on March 3, 1983, just six days before “Blue Monday” was released. The song had already been recorded.

Legend has it that due to some superstition, “Blue Monday” has never been played at the Hacienda.

Fellow Mancunians the Happy Mondays chose their name as a counterpoint to “Blue Monday.”

During the “Blue Monday” era, each member of New Order agreed to a financial plan whereby everyone was paid a salary of £70 a week. Any profits were reinvested in new equipment. At one point, money was so tight that Hooky was restricted to spending £2 a week on gas for his car.

The Hacienda (FAC 51, 11–13 Whitworth Street) was a former yacht showroom. It was joined by a more upscale bar called Dry 201 (FAC 201, 28 Oldham Street) designed for the day crowd. Oasis’s Liam Gallagher has been tossed out of it many times.

Although they were involved in the ownership structure of the Hacienda (they liked the idea of a nightclub where local bands could perform), New Order soon ran into disagreements with Factory on how the place should be run. When there was a dispute over whether to invest in an expensive studio keyboard (a Fairlight) or the club, a long-running—and ultimately fatal—schism developed over finances.

Despite the disagreements, the Hacienda transformed nightlife in Manchester. It became the physical and spiritual birthplace for many different sounds and groups, including the rave scene (think Happy Mondays and Primal Scream) and “Madchester” (Stone Roses, Charlatans, et al.). The club has also hosted shows by Grandmaster Flash, the Smiths and Madonna.

The Hacienda was temporarily forced to close in 1991 after a 16-year-old died after taking ecstasy. More problems erupted when an alleged drug dealer pulled a machine gun when told to take his business elsewhere. The Hacienda has remained vacant since mid-1997 because of a crushing debt load of more than £500,000. On June 5, 1999, more than a thousand people clashed with police after squatters took over the abandoned building and started a party.

Substance 1987 is New Order’s largest-selling album. The rarest must be the flexi-disc given out at the Hacienda on Christmas Eve 1982. One side features “Rocking Carol” while the B-side is New Order’s version of “Ode to Joy.”

Both Joy Division and New Order were known for their innovative sleeve designs, thanks to artist Peter Saville. “Blue Monday” was originally released in an expensive sleeve shaped to look like a floppy disc.

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