Joy Division
Joy Division in 1979. Left to right: Stephen Morris, Peter Hook, Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner
Background information
Also known as	Warsaw
Origin	Salford, Greater Manchester, England
Genre(s)	Post-punk
Years active	1976–1980
Label(s)	Factory
Associated acts	New Order
Former members
Ian Curtis Peter Hook Stephen Morris Bernard Sumner

Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis (vocals and occasional guitar), Bernard Sumner (guitar and keyboards),^[1] Peter Hook (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Stephen Morris (drums and percussion). Look up dojo in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Image:Joy Division. ... Stephen Morris on the cover of Low-Life This article is about the musician Stephen Morris. ... Peter Hooky Hook (born February 13, 1956 in Salford, Lancashire) is an English bass player. ... Ian Kevin Curtis (15 July 1956 – 18 May 1980) was the vocalist and lyricist of the band Joy Division, which he joined in 1976. ... Bernard Sumner (born 4 January 1956 in Broughton, Salford, Lancashire, England, and also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken, Bernard Albrecht and Bernard Albrecht-Dicken) is a British singer, guitarist and keyboardist, originally with Joy Division and a former member of New Order. ... For other uses, see Salford (disambiguation). ... Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England which has a population of 2. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Post punk generally refers to the particularly fertile and creative period following the initial punk rock explosion. During the first wave of punk, roughly spanning 1976-1983, bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones and The Damned began to challenge the current styles and conventions of rock... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... FAC 115: Factory Records Stationery (1984) Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, and (briefly) James and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the... This article is about the alternative rock/electronic band New Order. ... Ian Kevin Curtis (15 July 1956 – 18 May 1980) was the vocalist and lyricist of the band Joy Division, which he joined in 1976. ... Peter Hooky Hook (born February 13, 1956 in Salford, Lancashire) is an English bass player. ... Stephen Morris on the cover of Low-Life This article is about the musician Stephen Morris. ... Bernard Sumner (born 4 January 1956 in Broughton, Salford, Lancashire, England, and also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken, Bernard Albrecht and Bernard Albrecht-Dicken) is a British singer, guitarist and keyboardist, originally with Joy Division and a former member of New Order. ... This article is about the genre. ... For other uses, see Salford (disambiguation). ... Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England which has a population of 2. ... Ian Kevin Curtis (15 July 1956 – 18 May 1980) was the vocalist and lyricist of the band Joy Division, which he joined in 1976. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... Bernard Sumner (born 4 January 1956 in Broughton, Salford, Lancashire, England, and also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken, Bernard Albrecht and Bernard Albrecht-Dicken) is a British singer, guitarist and keyboardist, originally with Joy Division and a former member of New Order. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Peter Hooky Hook (born February 13, 1956 in Salford, Lancashire) is an English bass player. ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... A backup vocalist is a vocalist that sings in harmony with the lead vocalist, with other backup vocalists, or alone but in the background of a song. ... Stephen Morris on the cover of Low-Life This article is about the musician Stephen Morris. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as a cowbell, wood block, chimes or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer. ... Percussion redirects here. ...

Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences, to develop a sound and style that pioneered the post-punk movement of the late 1970s. According to music critic Jon Savage, the band "were not punk but were directly inspired by its energy."^[2] Their self-released 1978 debut EP, An Ideal for Living, caught the attention of the Manchester television personality Tony Wilson. Joy Division's debut album, Unknown Pleasures, was released in 1979 on Wilson's independent record label Factory Records, and drew critical acclaim from the British press. Despite the band's growing success, vocalist Ian Curtis was beset with depression and personal difficulties, including a dissolving marriage and his diagnosis with epilepsy. Curtis found it increasingly difficult to perform at live concerts, and often had seizures during performances. Post punk generally refers to the particularly fertile and creative period following the initial punk rock explosion. During the first wave of punk, roughly spanning 1976-1983, bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones and The Damned began to challenge the current styles and conventions of rock... Jon Savage real name Jonathan Sage (born 1953) is a writer, broadcaster and music journalist, best known for his award winning history of the Sex Pistols and punk music, Englands Dreaming (1991). ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... // Extended play (EP) is the name typically given to vinyl records or CDs which contain more than one single but are too short to qualify as albums. ... An Ideal For Living is an EP released by Joy Division in 1978, shortly after changing their name from Warsaw. All tracks were recorded at the Penine Sound Studios, Oldham, on December 14, 1977. ... Anthony Howard Wilson (20 February 1950 – 10 August 2007) was an English record label owner, radio presenter, TV show host, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC. Wilson, commonly known as Tony Wilson, was the music mogul behind some of Manchesters most successful bands. ... This article is about the album by Joy Division. ... An independent record label is variously described as a record label operating without the funding (or outside the organizations) of the major record labels, and/or a label that subscribes to indie philosophies such as DIY and anti-corporate art. ... FAC 115: Factory Records Stationery (1984) Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, and (briefly) James and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the... This article is about epileptic seizures. ...

In May 1980, on the eve of the band's first American tour, Curtis, overwhelmed with depression, committed suicide. Joy Division's posthumously released second album, Closer (1980), and the single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" became the band's highest charting releases. After the death of Curtis, the remaining members reformed as New Order, achieving critical and commercial success. Closer is a 1980 album by Joy Division. ... Love Will Tear Us Apart Original single sleeve Love Will Tear Us Apart is the best known song by the band Joy Division. ... This article is about the alternative rock/electronic band New Order. ...

History

Formation

On 4 June 1976, Sumner and Hook separately attended a Sex Pistols show at the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall. While only an estimated 35 to 40 people were present, the performance has since been credited with igniting the Manchester punk music scene, inspiring many of the attendants to form their own groups.^[3] Sumner later said that he felt that the Pistols "destroyed the myth of being a pop star, of a musician being some kind of god that you had to worship."^[4] Inspired by the performance, Sumner and Hook formed a band with their friend Terry Mason, who had also attended the show. Sumner bought a guitar, Hook a bass, and Mason a drum kit. An advertisement was placed in the Virgin Records store in Manchester for a vocalist. Ian Curtis, who knew the three from meeting at earlier gigs, responded and was hired without audition.^[4] According to Sumner, "I knew he was all right to get on with and that's what we based the whole group on. If we liked someone, they were in."^[5] is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sex Pistols are an iconic and highly influential English punk rock band, formed in London in 1975. ... The Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England, was for many years a focal point for public debate and cultural activity in the city. ... Virgin Records was a British recording label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, and Nik Powell in 1972. ...

While Buzzcocks manager Richard Boon suggested the band call themselves the Stiff Kittens, the band instead chose the name Warsaw, in reference to the song "Warszawa" by David Bowie.^[6] Warsaw played their first gig on 29 May 1977, supporting the Buzzcocks and Penetration at the Electric Circus. Tony Tabac played drums that night.^[7] Mason was soon made the band's manager and was replaced on drums by Steve Brotherdale, who also played in the punk band Panik. During his tenure with Warsaw, Brotherdale tried to get Curtis to leave the band and join Panik but Curtis declined.^[8] During July 1977, Warsaw recorded a set of demos at Oldham.^[9] Uneasy with Brotherdale's aggressive personality, the band fired him soon after the demo sessions. Driving home from the studio one night, they pulled over and asked Brotherdale to check on a flat tyre; when he got out of the car, they sped off.^[10] For the panel game, see Never Mind the Buzzcocks. ... Warszawa is a mostly instrumental song by David Bowie, co-written with Brian Eno and originally released in 1977 on the album Low. ... David Bowie (pronounced ) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English musician, actor, producer, arranger, and audio engineer. ... is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... For the panel game, see Never Mind the Buzzcocks. ... Penetration were a punk rock band originally formed in 1976. ... For the larger local government district, see Metropolitan Borough of Oldham. ...

In August 1977, the band placed an advertisement in a music shop window seeking a replacement drummer. Stephen Morris, who had attended the same school as Curtis, was the sole respondent. Deborah Curtis, Ian's wife, stated that Morris "fitted perfectly" with the other men, and that with his addition Warsaw became a "complete 'family'".^[11] In order to avoid confusion with the London punk band Warsaw Pakt, the band renamed themselves Joy Division in late 1977, borrowing their new name from the prostitution wing of a Nazi concentration camp mentioned in the 1955 novel The House of Dolls.^[12] The group played their first gig as Joy Division on 25 January 1978.^[13] Deborah Curtis is the widow of Joy Divisions singer and lyricist, Ian Curtis, who committed suicide in 1980. ... Warsaw Pakt was a short-lived punk group (1977-8), though some of its members had heritages linking them to the 1960s underground. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... It has been suggested that Internment be merged into this article or section. ... The House of Dolls is a 1955 novel by Ka-tzetnik 135633. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ...

Early releases

Joy Division was approached by RCA Records to record a cover of Nolan "N.F." Porter's "Keep On Keepin' On" and was afforded recording time at a professional Manchester studio in return. Joy Division spent late March and April 1978 writing and rehearsing material.^[14] During a concert on 14 April, the group caught the attention of Tony Wilson and Rob Gretton, who became supporters of the band. Curtis berated Wilson for not putting the group on his defunct Granada Television show So It Goes; Wilson responded that Joy Division would be the next band he would showcase on TV.^[15] Joy Division spent the first week of May 1978 recording at Manchester's Arrow Studios; Gretton became the band's manager soon after recording was completed. The band were unhappy with the result of the recording sessions and asked to be dropped from their contract.^[16] RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. ... is the 104th day of the year (105th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Anthony Howard Wilson (20 February 1950 – 10 August 2007) was an English record label owner, radio presenter, TV show host, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC. Wilson, commonly known as Tony Wilson, was the music mogul behind some of Manchesters most successful bands. ... Rob Gretton (January 15, 1953 - May 15, 1999) was best known as the manager of the post punk bands Joy Division and New Order. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Tony Wilson presents So It Goes in 1976 So It Goes was a British TV music show presented by the late Tony Wilson on Granada Television between 1976 and 1977. ...

Joy Division made their recorded debut in June 1978 when a track of theirs, "At a Later Date", was featured on the compilation album Short Circuit: Live at the Electric Circus, which had been recorded live on 2 October 1977.^[17] That same month, Joy Division self-released their debut EP, An Ideal for Living. In the Melody Maker review of the EP, Chris Brazier said that it "has the familiar rough-hewn nature of home-produced records but they're no mere drone-vendors—there are a lot of good ideas here, and they could be a very interesting band by now, seven months on."^[18] The packaging—which featured a drawing of a Hitler Youth member on the cover—coupled with the nature of the band's name, fueled speculation about their political affiliations.^[19] While Hook and Sumner later admitted to being intrigued by fascism at the time, Morris insisted that the group's obsession with Nazi imagery came from a desire to keep memories of the sacrifices of their parents and grandparents during World War II alive. He argued that accusations of neo-Nazi sympathies merely provoked the band "to keep on doing it, because that's the kind of people we are."^[12] is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... // Extended play (EP) is the name typically given to vinyl records or CDs which contain more than one single but are too short to qualify as albums. ... An Ideal For Living is an EP released by Joy Division in 1978, shortly after changing their name from Warsaw. All tracks were recorded at the Penine Sound Studios, Oldham, on December 14, 1977. ... Nazism in history Nazi ideology Nazism and race Outside Germany Related subjects Lists Politics Portal         For the SS division with the nickname Hitlerjugend see; 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend The Hitler Youth (German:   , abbreviated HJ) was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. ... Fascism is a term used to describe authoritarian nationalist political ideologies or mass movements that are concerned with notions of cultural decline or decadence. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The terms Neo-Nazism and Neo-Fascism refer to any social or political movement to revive Nazism or Fascism, respectively, and postdates the Second World War. ...

In September 1978, Joy Division made their television performance debut on the local news show Granada Reports, hosted by Tony Wilson.^[20] Later in the month, Joy Division contributed two tracks recorded with producer Martin Hannett to the compilation double-7" EP A Factory Sample, the first release by Tony Wilson's record label, Factory Records. Joy Division soon joined Factory's roster.^[21] Rob Gretton was made a partner in the label to represent the interests of the band.^[22] On 27 December, Ian Curtis suffered his first recognisable epileptic episode. During the ride home after a show, Curtis had a seizure and was taken to a hospital.^[23] In spite of his illness, Joy Division's career continued to progress. Curtis appeared on the front cover of the 13 January 1979, issue of the NME due to the persistence of music journalist Paul Morley; that same month the band recorded their first radio session for BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel. According to Deborah Curtis, "Sandwiched in between these two important landmarks was the realization that Ian's illness was something we would have to learn to accommodate."^[24] Granada Reports is the flagship news programme of ITV franchisee Granada, presented by Tony Morris (formerly of BBC North West) and Lucy Meacock, and transmitting to the North West of England. ... Martin Hannett (May 31, 1948) – April 18, 1991 )), sometimes credited as Martin Zero, was a record producer who helped develop Joy Division and co-founded Factory Records with Tony Wilson. ... FAC 115: Factory Records Stationery (1984) Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, and (briefly) James and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (362nd in leap years). ... is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... For other uses, see NME (disambiguation). ... Paul Morley Paul Morley (born 26 March 1957 in Stockport, Cheshire) is an English journalist, who wrote for the New Musical Express from 1977 to 1983, during one of its most successful and relatively notorious periods, and has since written for a wide range of publications. ... BBC Radio 1 (commonly referred to as just Radio 1) is a British national radio station operated by the BBC, specialising in popular music and speech and is aimed primarily at the 14-29[1] age group. ... For other persons named John Peel, see John Peel (disambiguation). ...

Unknown Pleasures

 Music sample:

"Transmission"

Sample of "Transmission", a non-album single released in 1979 and later compiled on the compilation Substance (1988).

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

In April 1979, the band began recording their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, at Strawberry Studios in Stockport. Producer Martin Hannett contributed significantly to the final sound. The band initially disliked the "spacious, atmospheric sound" of the album, which did not reflect their more aggressive live sound. Hook said in 2006, "It definitely didn't turn out sounding the way I wanted it.... But now I can see that Martin did a good job on it.... There's no two ways about it, Martin Hannett created the Joy Division sound."^[25] The album cover was designed by Peter Saville, who would go on to provide artwork for future Joy Division releases. Unknown Pleasures was released in June and sold through its initial pressing of 10,000 copies. Tony Wilson said that the relative success of the album turned the indie label into a true business and a "revolutionary force" that operated outside of the major record label system.^[22] Reviewing the album for Melody Maker, writer Jon Savage called Unknown Pleasures an "opaque manifesto" and declared "[leaving] the twentieth century is difficult; most people prefer to go back and nostalgize, Oh boy. Joy Division at least set a course in the present with contrails for the future—perhaps you can’t ask for much more. Indeed, Unknown Pleasures may very well be one of the best, white, English, debut LPs of the year."^[26] Substance is a 1988 Joy Division compilation, released by Factory Records. ... This article is about the album by Joy Division. ... Strawberry Studios is a recording studio in Stockport, England. ... Stockport is a large town in the north west of England. ... Martin Hannett (May 31, 1948) – April 18, 1991 )), sometimes credited as Martin Zero, was a record producer who helped develop Joy Division and co-founded Factory Records with Tony Wilson. ... Peter Saville (born 1955 in Manchester[1]) is an English graphic designer based in London. ... Jon Savage real name Jonathan Sage (born 1953) is a writer, broadcaster and music journalist, best known for his award winning history of the Sex Pistols and punk music, Englands Dreaming (1991). ...

Joy Division performed on Granada TV again in July 1979, and made their only nationwide TV appearance in September on BBC2. They supported the Buzzcocks in a 24-venue UK tour that began that October, which allowed the band to quit their regular jobs.^[4] The non-album single "Transmission" was released in November. Joy Division's burgeoning success drew a devoted following nicknamed the "Cult With No Name", who were stereotyped as "intense young men dressed in gray overcoats."^[27] For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 2. ... Transmission was a single by post-punk band Joy Division, released on Factory Records in 1979. ...

Closer and Curtis's suicide

In January 1980, Joy Division set out on a European tour. While the tour was difficult, Curtis experienced only two grand mal seizures in the two months preceding the tour's final date.^[28] With Martin Hannett again producing, the band recorded their second album, Closer, in March at London's Britannia Row Studios.^[29] March also saw the release of the Licht und Blindheit single (featuring the songs "Dead Souls" and "Atmosphere") on the small French label Sordide Sentimental. Closer is a 1980 album by Joy Division. ... Licht und Blindheit (German; Light and blindness in English) was a single by post-punk band Joy Division, released by Sordide Sentimental in France in 1980. ...

Lack of sleep and long hours destabilised Curtis's epilepsy and his seizures became almost uncontrollable.^[30] Curtis would often have seizures during shows, which left him feeling ashamed and depressed. While the band was concerned about their singer, audience members on occasion thought his behaviour was part of the show.^[31] On 7 April, Curtis attempted suicide by overdosing on phenobarbitone.^[4] The next evening, Joy Division was set to play a gig at the Derby Hall in Bury. With Curtis recovering, it was decided that the band would play a combined set with Alan Hempstall of Crispy Ambulance and Simon Topping of A Certain Ratio filling in on vocals for the first few songs. Curtis came onstage to perform for part of the set. When Topping came back out to finish the set for Curtis, some in the audience started throwing bottles at the stage. Gretton leapt into the crowd and a riot ensued.^[22] Several April gigs were cancelled due to the continuing ill health of Curtis. The band played what would be their final show at the University of Birmingham's High Hall on 2 May.^[32] On the Threshold of Eternity. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Phenobarbital (INN) or phenobarbitone (former BAN) is a barbiturate, first marketed as Luminal by Friedr. ... The Derby Hall, Bury in June 2003 The Derby Hall is a large Victorian neo-classical building situated on Market Street in the centre of Bury, Greater Manchester. ... This article is about the town of Bury in North West England. ... The band Crispy Ambulance were formed in Manchester (UK) in 1978 by Alan Hempsall (vocals), Keith Darbyshire (bass), Gary Madeley (drums) and Robert Davenport (guitar). ... No U.K. act crystallized independent, punk-influenced funk more than Manchesters A Certain Ratio. ... Website http://www. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Joy Division were due to begin their first American tour in May 1980. While Curtis had expressed a desire to take time off to a few acquaintances, he feigned excitement about the tour around the band because he did not want to disappoint his band mates or Factory Records.^[33] At the time, Curtis's relationship with his wife, Deborah Curtis (the couple married in 1975 as teenagers), was collapsing. Contributing factors were his ill health, her being mostly excluded from his life with the band, and his relationship with a young Belgian woman named Annik Honoré whom he had met on European tour. The evening before Joy Division were to embark on the American tour, Curtis returned to his home in Macclesfield in order to talk to his estranged wife. He asked her to drop the divorce suit she had filed; later, he told her to leave him alone in the house until he caught his train to Manchester the next morning.^[34] Early on the morning of 18 May 1980, Curtis hanged himself in his kitchen; Deborah Curtis discovered his body when she returned around midday.^[35] Tony Wilson said in 2005, "I think all of us made the mistake of not thinking his suicide was going to happen.... We all completely underestimated the danger. We didn't take it seriously. That's how stupid we were."^[29] Deborah Curtis is the widow of Joy Divisions singer and lyricist, Ian Curtis, who committed suicide in 1980. ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ...

Aftermath

Curtis's suicide "made for instant myth", in music critic Simon Reynolds's words.^[36] Jon Savage wrote in his obituary for Curtis in Melody Maker, "Now no one will remember what his work with Joy Division was like when he was alive; it will be perceived as tragic rather than courageous."^[37] In June 1980, the posthumous single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was released, which hit number thirteen on the British singles chart.^[38] In July 1980, Closer finally came out, peaking at number six on the British album chart.^[4] NME reviewer Charles Shaar Murrary wrote, "Closer is as magnificent a memorial (for 'Joy Division' as much as for Ian Curtis) as any post-Presley popular musician could have."^[39] Image File history File links Joy_Division_Love_Will_Tear_Us_Apart. ... Substance is a 1988 Joy Division compilation, released by Factory Records. ... Image File history File links Joy_Division-24_hours. ... Closer is a 1980 album by Joy Division. ... Simon Reynolds (born 1963 in London), is an influential British music critic who is well-known for his writings on electronic dance music and for coining the term post-rock. ... Love Will Tear Us Apart Original single sleeve Love Will Tear Us Apart is the best known song by the band Joy Division. ... Elvis redirects here. ...

The members of Joy Division had made a pact long before Curtis's death that, should any member leave, the remaining members would change the name of the group.^[32] Eventually renaming themselves New Order, the band was reborn as a three-piece with Sumner assuming vocal duties; the group later recruited Morris's girlfriend Gillian Gilbert to round out the lineup as keyboardist and second guitarist. New Order's first single, the 1981 release "Ceremony", featured the last two songs written with Ian Curtis.^[40] While the group struggled in its early years to escape the shadow of Joy Division, New Order eventually went on to much greater success than their predecessor band. This article is about the alternative rock/electronic band New Order. ... Gillian Gilbert (born Gillian Lesley Gilbert, 27 January 1961 in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England) is a British musician, best known as a member of the Manchester band New Order and a founder member of The Other Two. ... Ceremony is a song written by Ian Curtis, vocalist in the band Joy Division. ...

Further Joy Division material has been released since the band's demise. Still, a compilation of live tracks and rare recordings, was issued in 1981. Factory put out the Substance compilation in 1988, which included several out-of-print singles.^[41] Another compilation, Permanent, was released in 1995 by London Records, which had acquired the Joy Division catalogue after Factory Records went bankrupt in 1992. A comprehensive box set, Heart and Soul, came out in 1997. Still is a compilation album by Joy Division, consisting of rare songs along with a recording of their last ever performance which took place at High Hall Birmingham University on 2 May 1980. ... Substance is a 1988 Joy Division compilation, released by Factory Records. ... Permanent is a compilation by Joy Division, featuring tracks from the bands two studio albums, Unknown Pleasures and Closer, as well as other tracks previously released on the compilations Substance and Still. ... London Records is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 through the 1980s. ... Heart and Soul is a Joy Division box set containing nearly every track the band recorded. ...

Musical style

 Music sample:

"She's Lost Control" Image File history File links Joy_Division_She's_Lost_Control. ...

Sample of "She's Lost Control", taken from the band's debut album Unknown Pleasures (1979). Curtis's baritone voice is accompanied by Hook's bass riff and Morris's drum beat, which was the result of producer Martin Hannett recording each part of the drumkit separately.

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

Joy Division took time to develop their sound. As Warsaw, the band played "fairly undistinguished punk-inflected hard-rock". Critic Simon Reynolds asserted that "Joy Division's originality really became apparent as the songs got slower." The group's music took on a "sparse" quality; in Reynolds's description, "Peter Hook's bass carried the melody, Bernard Sumner's guitar left gaps rather than filling up the group's sound with dense riffage, and Steve Morris's drums seemed to circle the rim of a crater."^[42] Sumner described the band's characteristic sound in 1994: "It came out naturally: I'm more rhythm and chords, and Hooky was melody. He used to play high lead bass because I liked my guitar to sound distorted, and the amplifier I had would only work when it was at full volume. When Hooky played low, he couldn't hear himself. Steve has his own style which is different to other drummers. To me, a drummer in the band is the clock, but Steve wouldn't be the clock, because he's passive: he would follow the rhythm of the band, which gave us our own edge."^[4] Over time, Ian Curtis began to sing in a low, baritone voice, which often drew comparisons to Jim Morrison of The Doors (one of Curtis's favourite bands).^[43] For other persons named James or Jim Morrison, see James Morrison. ... The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles by vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger. ...

Sumner acted as the unofficial musical director of the band, a role that he carried over into New Order.^[44] While Sumner was the group's primary guitarist, Curtis played the instrument on a few recorded songs and during a few shows. Curtis hated playing guitar, but the band insisted he do so. Sumner said, "He played in quite a bizarre way and that to us was interesting, because no one else would play like Ian."^[45] During the recording sessions for Closer, Sumner began using self-built synthesizers and Hook used a six-string bass for more melody.^[46]

Producer Martin Hannett "dedicated himself to capturing and intensifying Joy Division's eerie spatiality". Hannett believed punk rock was sonically conservative because of its refusal to utilise studio technology to create sonic space.^[43] The producer instead aimed to create a more expansive sound on the group's records. Hannett said, "[Joy Division] were a gift to a producer, because they didn't have a clue. They didn't argue."^[4] Hannett demanded clean and clear "sound separation" not only for individual instruments, but even for individual pieces of Morris's drumkit. Morris recalled, "Typically on tracks he considered to be potential singles, he'd get me to play each drum on its own to avoid any bleed-through of sound."^[47]

Lyrics

Ian Curtis was the group's sole lyricist. Curtis would write frantically when the mood took him; he would then listen to the band's music (which was often arranged by Sumner) and would choose the lyrics that seemed appropriate.^[48] Words and images such as "coldness, pressure, darkness, crisis, failure, collapse, loss of control" reoccur in his songs.^[42] In 1979, NME journalist Paul Rambali wrote, "The themes of Joy Division's music are sorrowful, painful, and sometimes deeply sad."^[49]

The band refused to explain their lyrics to the press or print the words on lyrics sheets.^[49] Curtis told the fanzine Printed Noise, "We haven't got a message really; the lyrics are open to interpretation. They're multidimensional. You can read into them what you like."^[50] The other band members later admitted they paid little attention to what Curtis was writing.^[44] Deborah Curtis recalled that only with the release of Closer did many who were close to the singer realise "[h]is intentions and feelings were all there within the lyrics."^[51] The surviving members of the band in retrospect regret not seeing warning signs in Curtis's lyrics. "This sounds awful but it was only after Ian died that we sat down and listened to the lyrics," Morris said in 2007. "You'd find yourself thinking, 'Oh my God, I missed this one.' Because I'd look at Ian's lyrics and think how clever he was putting himself in the position of someone else. I never believed he was writing about himself. Looking back, how could I have been so bleedin' stupid? Of course he was writing about himself. But I didn't go in and grab him and ask, 'What's up?' I have to live with that."^[44]

Live performances

In contrast to the sound of their studio recordings, Joy Division typically played loud and aggressively during live performances. The band were unhappy with Hannett's mixing of Unknown Pleasures, which reduced the abrasiveness of their sound. According to Sumner, "the music was loud and heavy, and we felt that Martin had toned it down, especially with the guitars."^[4] In concert, the group interacted little with the crowd; Paul Morley wrote, "[D]uring a Joy Division set, outside of the songs, you'll be lucky to hear more than two or three words. Hello and goodbye. No introductions, no promotion."^[52] While singing, Curtis would often perform what was referred to as his "'dead fly' dance", where the singer's arms would "start flying in [a] semicircular, hypnotic curve".^[4] Simon Reynolds noted that Curtis's dancing style was reminiscent of an epileptic fit, and that he was dancing in that manner for some months before he was diagnosed with epilepsy.^[27] Live performances became problematic for Joy Division, due to Curtis's condition. Sumner later said, "We didn't have flashing lights, but sometimes a particular drum beat would do something to him. He'd go off in a trance for a bit, then he'd lose it and have a[n epileptic] fit. We'd have to stop the show and carry him off to the dressing-room where he'd cry his eyes out because this appalling thing had just happened to him."^[53] Paul Morley Paul Morley (born 26 March 1957 in Stockport, Cheshire) is an English journalist, who wrote for the New Musical Express from 1977 to 1983, during one of its most successful and relatively notorious periods, and has since written for a wide range of publications. ...

Legacy

Despite their short career and cult status, Joy Division have exerted a wide-reaching influence. John Bush of All Music Guide argues that Joy Division "became the first band in the post-punk movement by...emphasizing not anger and energy but mood and expression, pointing ahead to the rise of melancholy alternative music in the '80s."^[54] The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Alternative music redirects here. ...

The band's dark and gloomy sound, which Martin Hannett described in 1979 as "dancing music with Gothic overtones", presaged the gothic rock genre. While the term "gothic" originally described a "doomy atmosphere" in music of the late 1970s, the term was soon applied to specific bands like Bauhaus that followed in Joy Division's wake.^[55] Standard musical fixtures of early gothic rock bands included "high-pitched post-Joy Division basslines usurp[ing] the melodic role" and "vocals that were either near operatic and Teutonic or deep, droning alloys of Jim Morrison and Ian Curtis."^[56] Joy Division has influenced bands ranging from contemporaries U2 and The Cure to post-punk revival artists such as Interpol, Bloc Party and Editors.^[57] U2 frontman Bono stated that his group "worshipped" Joy Division.^[58] The singer said in the band's 2006 autobiography U2 by U2, "It would be harder to find a darker place in music than Joy Division. Their name, their lyrics and their singer were as big a black cloud as you could find in the sky. And yet I sensed the pursuit of God, or light, or reason...a reason to be. With Joy Division, you felt from this singer, beauty was truth and truth was beauty, and theirs was a search for both."^[59] Artists including electronica performer Moby and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante have described their appreciation for Joy Division's music and the influence it has had on their own material.^[60][61] In 2005, Joy Division were inducted along with New Order into the UK Music Hall of Fame.^[62] Gothic rock (sometimes called goth rock or simply goth) is a genre of alternative rock that originated during the late 1970s. ... Bauhaus were an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. ... This article is about the Irish rock band. ... This article is about the English rock band. ... The post-punk revival is a movement in modern rock music consisting of Indie Rock, Punk Rock, Goth Rock, and Electronic bands that draw from the conventions of the original Post-Punk sound of the early 1980s, as well as the early 90s Britpop, 80s New Wave and... For the international organisation, see Interpol. ... This article is about the English alternative rock band. ... For other uses, see editor. ... For other uses, see Bono (disambiguation). ... Electronica refers to a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; but unlike electronic dance music, is not specifically focused on the dance floor. ... Moby (born Richard Melville Hall, September 11, 1965) is an American DJ, songwriter, musician and singer. ... -1... John Anthony Frusciante (IPA pronunciation: ) (born March 5, 1970) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer. ... The UK Music Hall of Fame honours musicians for their lifetime fame in music. ...

Two biopics have been released that dramatise Joy Division on film. 24 Hour Party People (2002) presented a somewhat fictionalised account of the rise and fall of Factory Records, in which the members of Joy Division served as supporting characters. Tony Wilson said of the film, "It's all true, it's all not true. It's not a fucking documentary", insisting that whenever possible during the production of the film, he favoured the "myth" over the truth.^[63] The 2007 film Control, directed by Anton Corbijn, is a biography of Ian Curtis (portrayed by Sam Riley) that uses Deborah Curtis's biography of her late husband, Touching from a Distance (1995), as its basis;^[64] others consulted for the picture included Tony Wilson and New Order, who scored the film. Control had its international premiere on the opening night of Director's Fortnight at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, where it was critically well-received.^[65] The same year Grant Gee directed a documentary about the band, simply entitled Joy Division. Poster for Man on the Moon (1999), a biopic A biographical picture— often shortened to biopic— is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Control is a black and white biopic about the late Ian Curtis (1956-1980), lead singer of the post-punk rock band Joy Division. ... Anton Corbijn (pronounced ) (born May 20, 1955) is a photographer from Strijen, the Netherlands. ... Sam Riley (born 8 January 1980 - Leeds) is a British actor who will play the lead role of Ian Curtis in the upcoming movie, Control, a biopic about the tragic but genius lead singer of the 1970s post-punk band Joy Division, who committed suicide on the eve of... Each year the Cannes Film Festival is held in Cannes, France. ... Grant Gee is a film director most noted for his documentary about the britpop rock group Radiohead, Meeting People Is Easy (1999), which followed the band on their tour for their highly acclaimed third album, OK Computer (1997). ...

Discography

Main article: Joy Division discography

This is a discography of Joy Division, a Manchester, England-based post-punk group. ...

Studio albums

• Unknown Pleasures (1979)
• Closer (1980)

This article is about the album by Joy Division. ... Closer is a 1980 album by Joy Division. ...

References

• Curtis, Deborah. Touching from a Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division. London: Faber, 1995 (2nd ed. 2001, 3rd ed. 2005). ISBN 0-571-17445-0
• Ott, Chris. Unknown Pleasures. (33⅓ series) New York: Continuum, 2004. ISBN 0-8264-1549-0
• Reynolds, Simon. Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984. Penguin, 2005. ISBN 0-14-303672-6
• Savage, Jon. "Joy Division: Someone Take These Dreams Away". Mojo. July 1994.

Notes

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