Joy Division - The Band
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
It seems inevitable that any band whose lead singer commits suicide at a young
age is going to be surrounded by myth and legend,
and Joy Division were no exception.
But let's start at the beginning:
Who were Joy Division?
Joy Division was the name of a band from the Manchester area,
England, who released two albums and three singles between
1979 and 19801.
The band consisted of:
Ian Curtis - Vocals/Lyric Writer
Bernard Sumner - Guitar
Peter Hook - Bass
Stephen Morris - Drums/Synthesizer
Before their first official release as Joy Division,
the band had started life in 1977 as "Warsaw" and having gone
through some minor changes in line-up,
settled on the personnel that were later to become "Joy Division."
As "Warsaw" they recorded and released an EP called
"An Ideal For Living", which was also later to be released under
the name "Joy Division."
In January 1978, "Warsaw" changed their name to "Joy Division."
The Music
Describing Joy Division's music is a near-impossible task.
The band immerged out of the UK punk scene,
and much of their early material was very punk
influenced. However, they later developed a definite
style of their own, characterised by Peter Hook's
unique style of bass playing (he played it like a
"normal" guitar), Stephen Morris's driving drum beat
and Ian Curtis's amazing vocal style
(very deep-voiced, yet full of contrast and emotion).
All of this was topped off by some searing guitar work
by Bernard Sumner. The music has been described as "depressing" by some, but others find it envigorating and uplifting. In fact, it's quite diverse, and ranges from slow, melodic and atmospheric to fast and furious.
Ian Curtis's lyrics were a vital part of the overall effect.
Often poetical, and drawn from literary sources,
they sometimes took a lot of listening to, but were always worth it.
As an example, here is the lyric from the song
"Shadowplay2"
"To the centre of the city where all roads meet - waiting for you
To the depths of the ocean where all hopes sank - searching for you
Moving through the silence without motion - waiting for you
In a room with a window in the corner I found truthIn the shadowplay, acting out your own death - knowing no more
As the assassins all grouped in four lines, dancing on the floor
And with cold steel, odour on their bodies, made a move to connect
I could only stare in disbelief as the crowds all leftI did everything, everything I wanted to
I let them use you for their own ends
To the centre of the city in the night - waiting for you
To the centre of the city in the night - waiting for you."
Discography
Albums:
June 1979: "Unknown Pleasures"
1.Disorder 2.Day of the Lords 3.Candidate
4.Insight 5.New Dawn Fades 6.She's Lost Control
7.Shadowplay 8.Wilderness 9.Interzone 10.I Remember Nothing
July 1980: "Closer"
1.Atrocity Exhibition 2.Isolation 3.Passover
4.Colony 5.A Means to an End 6.Heart and Soul
7.Twenty Four Hours 8.The Eternal 9.Decades
Singles:
October 1979: "Transmission"
1.Transmission 2.Novelty
April 1980: "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
1.Love Will Tear Us Apart 2.These Days 3.Love Will Tear Us Apart
August 1980: "She's Lost Control3
1.She's Lost Control 2.Atmosphere
Compilation Albums:
October 1981: "Still"
June 1988: "Substance"
June 1995: "Permanent"
December 1997 "Heart and soul" - 4 CD box set
A New Order
On 18th May 1980, Ian Curtis committed suicide
4.
After a period of mourning, the rest of the band
recruited a new member5,
Bernard Sumner took over vocals, and they changed
their name to "New Order6."
The Myths
There has always been a lot of mystery surrounding
Joy Division, mainly because the band were considered to be
"faceless." They never appeared on their record
7 sleeves,
instead preferring to use the innovative and often
brilliant designs of Peter Saville.
The other main rumour was that they were fascists.
This was due to their name, which was taken from a
book about the concentration camps in world-war two called
"The House Of Dolls" by Karol Cetinsky.
In fact, if you listen carefully to some of
the lyrics you will understand that the band were
very far from being Fascists and the rumour was totally unfounded.
Fortunately, the rumours do not seem to have done the band any lasting harm, and for the people who love them, Joy Division continue to hold an important place in the history of popular music in the UK.
on Tony Wilson's "Factory" record label2From the 1979 album "Unknown Pleasures"3This single
was later re-released with the 'A' and 'B' side reversed.
Grace Jones released a well-known cover version of this
song in 19804He was 23 years old.
Curtis had previously been diagnosed with Epilepsy in
January 1979, and it is generally believed that his
condition took a major toll on him.5Gillian Gilbert.6New Order's most notable
hit was "Blue Monday",
released in March 1983 and the first single in the
UK to be released only in the 12" format7Those things made from vinyl that were
around before CDs.
