Cerysmatic.Factory

The Record Peddler's Factory Video Guide Pt 3

2013-09-02T06:00:00.000+01:00

The final part of our guide to Factory Records promo videos with Mark @ The Record Peddler concludes with Fac numbers from 300 to the end plus a few bonus items.

Fac 302: Happy Mondays – Kinky Afro

This tape comes in a blue plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Happy Mondays, Title: Kinky Afro, Release:8/10/90, Fac No: Fac 302 partly printed and partly handwritten A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape. The full video starts from a black screen and features the band miming to the track in a TV studio setting with a group of female models dancing top of the pops style. The picture fades to black before the outro ends and the legend 'C Factory Communications Ltd 1990 appears at the bottom of the screen and fades to black. The full video lasts for 4mins 10secs.

Fac 306: Steve Martland - The World Is In Heaven

This tape comes in a blue plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Steve Martland, Title: The world is in heaven, Planned Release: Is left blank, Fac No: Fac 306 partly printed and partly handwritten. A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape.

The full video starts from a black screen and features a montage of scenes of the artist singing and posing, a ranting and raving man, street scenes, a scrap yard and an area of demolition etc. etc.

The video fades to black at the end and the legend 'C Factory Communications Ltd 1990' appears across the centre of the screen and fades to black. The full video lasts 4 mins 19 secs.

Fac 307: Cath Carroll – Moves Like You

This tape comes in a black plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Cath Carroll, Title: Moves Like You, Planned Release: 5/8/91, Fac No: Fac 307 partly printed and partly handwritten A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape.

The full video starts from a black screen and features a montage of scenes with Cath lip synching on a bed, in a canteen, on the streets. This is interspersed with flashing images of Cath dancing, fingers with flames coming from the fingertips etc.

The video fades to black at the end and the legend 'c Factory Records 1991' appears across the bottom of the screen accompanied by a flashing animated image. The full video lasts 4mins 20 secs.

Fac 308: Northside – Take Five

This tape comes in a black plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Northside, Title: Take 5, Planned Release: 25th May1991, Fac No: Fac 308 partly printed and partly handwritten A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape, which states that this is a 'C Format' version. The full video starts from a black screen and features the band miming to the track on a stage like setting, with newsreel footage projected onto the wall behind the band as a backdrop. The video fades to black before the legend 'C Factory Communications Ltd 1991', the full video lasts 3mins 17secs.

Fac 312: Happy Mondays – Loose Fit

This tape comes in a blue plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Happy Mondays, Title: Loose Fit, Planned Release: 25 Feb '91, Fac No: Fac 312 partly printed and partly handwritten A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape.

The video starts from a black screen and is an amalgamation of three different versions of the band miming to the backing track. The first is the band in a studio under electric white light, the second with more subdued red lighting and a naked flame backdrop. The flame occasionally flares up. The third scenario of the band miming sees the band members wearing long haired wigs ranging from Shaun as a Blonde (possibly with pink lipstick) and others in pony tails!!

The video footage continues for a few seconds after the music track finishes. This fades to black and is replaced by the legend 'C Factory Records 1991' across the bottom of the screen. The whole video lasts 4mins 8 secs.

Fac 313/400: Joy Division – Transmission Film

This tape comes in a black plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Joy Division, Title: Transmission, Planned Release: Nov 91, Fac No: Fac 400 partly printed and partly handwritten. There is no label on the tape itself. NOTE that Fac313 was the number allocated to the clip, but 400 was used when released as a promo only tape to the TV stations. The footage starts, from a black screen, with a brief glimpse of people on an escalator whilst the soundtrack to the footage begins. This is due to the production of the original TV show footage. The track fades to black at the end before the music finishes, again, this is due to the following footage on the original show. This is the iconic footage of the band at Granada TV Studio's which was shown on the Television programme 'Something Else', a weekly programme giving viewers an insight into forthcoming events in the Manchester Area. It was fronted by Anthony Wilson. The full length of this video is 3mins 24secs.

Fac 327: Revenge – Deadbeat (From Gun World Porn EP)

This tape comes in a black plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Revenge, Title: Deadbeat, Planned Release: 20-1-92, Fac No: Fac 327 partly printed and partly handwritten. A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape.

The full video starts from a black screen and features footage of the band in black and white and in colour miming to the backing track. There is footage which looks to have been shot in a derelict, crumbling building. This has a female and a female child who play with numerous objects such as a grasshopper on a string, flowers, cakes, dolls etc. There are falling leaves also.

At the end, the video fades to a white screen and then black with the legend 'C Revenge Ltd. The full video lasts 5mins 8secs.

Fac 328: Electronic – Feel Every Beat

This tape comes in a black plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Electronic, Title: Feel Every Beat, Planned Release: Sept 9.91, Fac No: Fac 328 partly printed and partly handwritten. A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape.

The full video starts from a black screen and features a mixture of images in black and white, colour and negative. Bernard and Johnny Marr miming to the soundtrack, running along a corridor, on a rooftop etc. There is footage of people dancing on a dance floor, a person having water poured over their head (made red to look like blood?) images of Rooftops and Buildings, and many flashing images. The video ends and fades to a black screen before the legend 'Copyright 1991 Factory Communications Ltd.' Appears across the bottom. The whole video lasts 4mins 7secs.

Fac 332: Happy Mondays – Judge Fudge

This tape comes in a black plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Happy Mondays, Title: Judge Fudge, Planned Release: 18.11.91, Fac No: Fac 332 partly printed and partly handwritten A Signal Vision Typed label is on the tape.

The video starts from a black screen and tells the story of a diamond heist. A truck on a highway has the legend 'Enter Access code... Judge Fudge' in computerised imagery imposed scrolling across the screen. The truck, in the rain, enters a secured area by Shaun cutting the padlock on a gate. The band are shown using torches to enter the building and with acetylene cutting gear to cut into something. Some of the band are wearing masks. This is interspersed with the band on a rooftop miming to the backing track in driving rain. There is a rare sight of Bez miming with a guitar! At times, the Co-operative Bank headquarters 'Pyramid' building can be seen in the background behind the band, suggesting that the outdoor footage was on the roof of a building adjacent to both this building in Stockport and the M60 Motorway. The footage then shows the band in more relaxed surroundings laughing and joking, popping the champagne corks and shows a tray of diamonds. The video is a mixture of black and white and colour.

At the end, the video fades to black and the legend 'C Factory Records 1991' appears across the bottom of the screen. The whole video lasts 4mins 7 secs.

Fac 362: Happy Mondays – Stinkin' Thinkin'

This tape comes in a black plastic box with a Factory TM black and white promotional cover which has Artist: Happy Mondays, Title: Stinkin Thinkin, Planned Release: 7.9.92, Fac No: Fac 362 partly printed and partly handwritten. There is a Signal Vision label on the videotape.

The full video starts from a black screen with a small leaflet floating along a rain filled gutter with the words 'Stinkin Thinkin' in black on green paper. A title 'Your Town' appears across the bottom of the screen. The subject of the video is the band miming to the track in a hotel room with some females dancing. Interspersed are several different scenes, from Bez and Shaun having breakfast in a café, In front of a refuse wagon, with Bez handling a white rat; In phone booths and even Bez dressed in a clowns mask dancing in front of school children and in front of a crowd of people whilst the full band steal a gentleman's document pouch! Bez and Shaun, and Rowetta, in the back of police cars handcuffed, etc. Throughout the video, there are cuts to black and white flashed messages with the words: Your town, Father, Home, God, Me, Mother, Happiness, Love, and Enemy. There are also shots of Photo fit pictures of the band members. The video ends with the rat in the gutter with a green leaflet by a grid; this one says 'Kinky Afro.

This fades to black and the words 'Stinkin' and then 'Thinkin' appear across the screen separately. This then becomes an animated credit s screen with the legends 'A wiz music film, C1992 Factory Communications Limited & Electra Entertainment, A division of Warner Communications Inc, which fades to black. The whole video lasts 4mins 50secs.

Fac 372: Happy Mondays – Sunshine & Love

This tape comes in a black plastic box with no details on the cover. A handwritten label has the legend 'Happy Mondays, Sunshine & Love, Fac 372, 9/11/92 written in black felt-tip pen on a white label. Note that this is as it was delivered to me when first released. This is 100% guaranteed genuine.

The full video starts from a black screen and features live footage of the band on stage with the studio soundtrack overdubbed. The footage is subjected to a number of different treatments, including a graining effect, black and white and colour. There is also footage of the crowd singing along. The video fades to a black screen at the end and the legend 'C Factory Records 1992' appears in pink lettering across the bottom of the screen. The full video lasts 3mins 32secs. However, if the tape is forwarded to around 11 minutes, there is a very brief section of footage from the video followed by a countdown clock with the legend 'happy mondays, "sunshine & love", duration 3min 20sec, date 31.10.92, 3DTV 101, Portland Mews London W1V 3FH Tel 071 439 1119. The whole thing looks like someone in an editing suite has recorded the above running backwards at a high speed as the countdown clock is running in reverse. At around 11mins 23secs, this goes to a black screen and then some standard colour bars appear and are present until about 19.30 seconds of this 20 minute tape. I had several copies of this tape at the time and all had this anomaly.

The Adventure Babies: Winter Plume / Adventure Baby

This is a promo video issued by the band. The tape comes in a black plastic box with a 'Tape to Tape' promotions company black and white cover which has ** The Adventure Babies** "Winter Plume", "Adventure Baby", Management Danny Macintosh 061-953-4088, Video Production Sparky and Chums 081-348-9003, VHS PAL 625 LINE, 139.91. The video tape has a typed label with the legend: The Adventure Babies, "Winter Plume", "Adventure Baby", VHS PAL 625 LINE. The label also has Tape to Tape, 0713710978/9 Fax 071371 9360 printed down the left and right hand sides.

The full video starts from a black screen with Winter Plume first. This is black and white footage of the band, mainly Maxine, miming to the soundtrack. Dry Ice is used and shots of the rest of the band are spliced into the footage, although they are out of synch and probably not playing the same track! There are also occasional shots of the sea on rocks. This track lasts 3mins 7 secs and fades to a black screen. Adventure baby is next. This again is footage of the band, in colour this time. The band are miming to the soundtrack in what could be a studio location. The track is interspersed with historical footage of what I assume is members of the band from 16mm home movies. This shows a baby in a pram, at the seaside on the sand and paddling in the sea, with what could be ice-cream all over its face, and toddling around a garden. This video lasts approximately 2mins 46 secs. The full video runs for from 6mins 33secs from start to end.

New Order: True Faith – Live in Paris 1987

This is from an unknown source and I don't know anything about its legitimacy. The footage seems to be professionally produced, with multi-camera angles, and comes from a gig in Paris on 8th December 1987. The typed insert in the black plastic box lists production as 'Structure Moderne' (which was a video production collective which also produced videos of The Durutti Column live in rehearsal at the Hacienda and Section 25 live in Minneapolis). This is also shown at the end of the track before it fades to black. The tape has a hand-written label on a Fuji tape sticker. At the start, there is a split screen and titles. The full video runs for 5mins 3secs.

New Order: Regret (London Promotions Label, NOT Factory)

This tape comes in a black plastic box with no cover details. The label on the spine of the tape is branded 'Tele Cine' with a company logo and the phone number 071 916 3711. The title details are New Order, "Regret", 17.04.93, VPL no: GB-F09-93-0010-0 VHS PAL STEREO, London Promotions. At the start of the tape, there is a countdown clock with the legend: New Order, Regret, GB F09 93 0010 0, R/T 4.06, Tele Cine (and logo), Telecine Mcr: 071-916-3720. The clock fades to a black screen.

The full video starts from a black screen. It is a montage of many images. The band members in separate rooms with their instruments and Steve putting together his drum kit and then the band miming to the soundtrack in isolation. This is interspersed with views of the city (Rome?)and statues, Steve as a tourist with a video camera and a multitude of split screen shots of Bernard, Peter, Steve and Gillian, a bride in a wedding dress, motor vehicles, Motel signage, movie theatres, the coliseum?, telephone booths etc. Throughout the video, there are some scripts in Italian and the video ends with a fire with smoke rising into the atmosphere.

The video fades to a black screen and the legend 'C 1993 Qwest Records' appears across the bottom of the screen. The whole video runs for 4mins 31secs from start to end.

New Order: Ruined in a Day (London Promotions Label, NOT Factory)

This tape comes in a blue plastic box with no cover details. The label on the spine of the tape is branded 'Tele Cine' with a company logo and the phone number 071 916 3711. The title details are New Order, "Ruined in a Day", 15.06.93, VHS PAL STEREO, London Promotions, GB-F09-0019-0. At the start of the tape, there is a countdown clock with the legend: 'Wiseman Digital Editing, New Order, Ruined in a Day, English Version, Dur: 3mins 53secs, GB F09 930 0190, London Records, Prod: Nira, Dir: Keith Allen, 9 June 1993, Stereo, Tel 071 439 8901, Fax 071 437 2481, MCR. 071 734 3200. The clock goes to a black screen.

The full video starts from a black screen and is set in a temple in the Far East. The band are in various guises with Bernard sat negotiating with a Monk, whilst Steven looks like a film producer with a video camera, Gillian is dressed in a white and black dress suit and Peter dressed as an explorer with a still camera. A group of Monks are playing 'Charades'. Bernard mimes to the music and Steven, Peter and Gillian join in the game with the monks, miming playing bass drums and violins. Bernard joins them to mime the last chorus. Throughout, the monks are guessing the title and their words are conveyed via sub-titles at the bottom of the screen. Eventually, the monks are called away by their leader and leave the scene, in conger like fashion, dancing to the music.

At the end, the video fades to black and the legend 'C 1993 London Records 90 Limited, The copyright on this film is owned by London Records Limited appears across the bottom of the screen and fades to black. The full video lasts 4 mins 25secs

New Order: World (London Promotions Label, NOT Factory)

This tape comes in a blue plastic box with no cover details. The label on the spine of the tape is branded 'Tele Cine' with a company logo and the phone number 071 916 3711.

The title details are New Order, "World", 15.06.93, VHS PAL STEREO, London Promotions, GB-F09-0019-0.

At the start of the tape, there is a countdown clock with the legend: Edit Suite One, 23/07/93, New Order, World, Dir: Baillie Walsh, Prod: Howie Nichol Anita Staines, Limelight Productions, ISRC: GBF099300240, Intro Dur 20 secs, Track Dur: 4mins 3 secs, Soho601, Digital Productions, Tel: 071-439 2730, Dol: 071-287 0813. Stereo. The clock goes to a black screen.

The full video starts from a black screen with black and white footage of the sea front at Cannes in the South of France. The camera follows an elderly female as she strolls along a pier to a seat at a restaurant table. She passes Peter sat at a table on the way. The camera pans to a gentleman getting up from a table and Bernard can be seen miming to the track as he approaches steps and ascends to the promenade and crosses the road passing a fire brigade putting hoses away. The next subject is a female entering a hotel lobby and the camera goes down a corridor filled with people including a couple who climb stairs and go into a room. Along another corridor, a male walks out of a room and passes the camera. The camera goes into the same room and shows a female wringing her hands and looking worried. She looks out to a view of the bay and the camera follows.

The video ends by fading to black and the legend 'C 1993 London Records 90 Ltd' appears across the bottom of the screen and fades to black. The full video lasts 4mins 48secs.

The Record Peddler's Factory Video Guide Pt 1

2013-08-26T20:13:00.000+01:00

Factory Records released many retail videos but what about those hard-to-find promos they also did?
These were mainly one-track (with the odd compilation thrown in) original videos that were used as promotional tools for singles and other releases.

Many of these found there way onto the consumer market through one route or another. And if you were in Manchester, your go-to place for Factory product was, of course, The Record Peddler. Sadly the Peddler is long gone from Swan Street but the legacy lingers on and Mark from the shop has provided Cerysmatic Factory with detailed information on several releases which should help distinguish the genuine articles from the knock-offs. Catalogue numbers, credits, oddities and, in some cases, a brief description of the video itself are all here.

Factory's promo videos generally came as VHS tapes in in hard plastic cases with the release information specified in one or more of the following ways:

- chopped down sleeves from a 12" single inserted into the pocket on the case to create an impromptu cover
- generic Factory black and white sleeve with the title details hand-written
- a title sticker typed and adhered to the actual tape
- a typed title sticker adhered to the spine of the tape
- a countdown clock at the beginning of the video
- none of the above and are simply a VHS tape in a box with no identifying marks!

So, here we go with selected releases up to Fac 247...

Fac 73R: New Order – Blue Monday (1988 Breer & Wegman version)

Starts with colour bars and sound level continuous beep, then to black screen and video start. Full video and then to black screen. Tape is complete in clear plastic box. The tape has ANS International Video Ltd labelling to front and spine.

Fac 176: Happy Mondays – Tart Tart

Starts with Colour Bars and beep, then countdown clock with the legend 'Happy Mondays, Tart Tart, Fac 176, A film directed by Michael Avatar and Donald Guy, March 1987'. Full video finishes and fades to black screen. This tape comes in a genuine IKON black video box

Fact 180/1: Various – Factory Instore video No.1

This is a genuine original VHS tape, with glossy card title cover and IKON label on the tape. The box is a black IKON video box. The full tape lasts 63 minutes. Each track is preceded by a flashing IKON/Factory logo and black and white title. Following the William S. Burroughs final track, the legend 'The End' precedes the flashing IKON/Factory slide and the 'Factory Communications 1987' in white on a black background. This stays on the screen for several minutes before cutting to black.

Fac 183: New Order – True Faith

This is a genuine copy which comes in a black plastic IKON video box. It begins with a countdown clock with the legend 'New Order, True Faith, 4mins 22 secs, Factory Communications Limited, RX 14/7/87. The full video fades to scrambled lines on the screen and the legend 'Factory Communications ltd. 1987'. This is followed by slide titles: New Order True Faith / Director Philipe Decoufle / Producer Michael H. Shamberg / Executive Producer Anthony H. Wilson / Production, Paris Jean-Luc Ormieres for Titane / Production Glastonbury Anthony H. Wilson / Post production Mark Eskenazi, Craig Price (SVC London).

Fac 188: Biting Tongues – Compressor

Wrongly titled 'Compression' on the title card. Starts with a countdown clock and the legend 'Ikon Productions, Biting Tongues, Compressor, Dur: 4 min 52 secs, Media Communications. Bizarrely it also has a copy of ACR 'Shack-up' Video after the compressor video. This is complete from the mesh at the start to a still fade out at the end. I have no idea why this is. The tape and contents are just as I received them from a promoter.

Fac 192: Happy Mondays – 24 Hour Party People

This video comes in a 'Media Communications' box and the videotape has matching labels (wrongly labelled as FACT 192). The complete video from a still start to a fade-out at the end.

Fac 193: New Order – Touched by the Hand of God

Comes in a blue plastic box. The tape has a Media Communications labels on front and spine with title, date, etc (title is misspelt 'hands'). The video is full and continues after the music track ends, until Peter Hook kicks away some debris on the stage and comes to a still and fades. % minutes in total according to the label!

Fac 197: Fadela – N'sel Fik

Comes in a black plastic box with the title typed on the cover and label. There is also a promoters label on the tape. The full video of a 'belly dancer' with montage of middle-eastern life lasts approximately 3 mins 06 secs.

Fac 211: 'Wired' feature - Joy Division, Channel 4 documentary, July 1988

This is a TV copy, not a promotional copy from a Media Company.

Fac 212: Happy Mondays – "Wrote for Luck, the movies, work in progress by the Bailey Brothers for Happy Mondays and Factory Communications"

This video comes in a black plastic box with a cover featuring a cut-down 12" sleeve. The label on the front of the tape has all of the above titling printed in black on a lime green background. The video starts with the word 'Performance' appearing across the screen from left to right and flashing blue and pink. This fades to a nightclub setting and the legend 'Manchester, Legends, 191088'scrolls across the screen from left to right over the intro music of the track. The video continues with the band and adult friends on the dance floor of the club. The full video is followed by individual appearances of each of the band members, Paul, Shaun. Gary, Mark, Bez, and then the legend 'That's all folks' scrolls across the screen from left to right. The picture then scrolls to the right leaving a black screen. The whole video lasts approximately 4 minutes in length.

Fac 213: Joy Division – Atmosphere

Starts with the Legend 'Joy Division' with a plus sign above and a minus sign below. The full video fades in at the beginning and out at end. This is followed by a plus sign above a minus sign, which fades to black and the legend 'Copy write MCMLXV111, Factory Communications' Fades to black.

Fac 222: Happy Mondays & Karl Denver – Lazyitis

This video comes in a blue plastic box with a cover featuring a cut-down 12" sleeve. The tape has a Media Communications typed title sticker on the front. The full length video lasting around 4 minutes continues after the soundtrack finishes and fades from a view of a barbed wire fence in the rain

Fac 223: New Order – Fine Time

This video comes in a blue plastic box with a cover featuring a cut-down 12" sleeve. The tape has a Media Communications typed title sticker on the front. The full length video continues to fade after the soundtrack has finished and then the legend 'TM 1988 Factory Communications' appears across the bottom of the screen. The video lasts 3 mins 27 secs.

Fac 228: Karl Denver – Wimoweh

This video comes in a blue plastic box with a cover featuring a cut-down 12" sleeve. The tape has a Signal Vision typed title sticker on the front of the box and also on the tape. The video begins with an intro by DJ Alan Freeman and continues into the animated cartoon and costumed dancers fading to black at the end. The full version lasts 3mins 54 secs.

Fac 232: Happy Mondays – Wrote for Luck (Raw mix)

This video comes in a black plastic box with no cover but has a Media Communications typed title sticker on the front of the tape. The full video contains slightly different Legends footage to Fac 209, some sped up and is followed by individual appearances of each of the band members, Paul, Shaun. Gary, Mark, Bez, and then the legend 'That's all folks' scrolls across the screen from left to right. The picture then scrolls to the right leaving a black screen. The whole video lasts approximately 4 mins 7secs in length.

Fac 232: Happy Mondays – WFL (Vince Clarke Mix)

This video comes in a blue plastic box with a cover similar to the release, but on good stock paper and states 'The Vince Clarke Mix'. The tape has a Signal Vision (Different production company to the above) typed title sticker on the front of the cassette. This is a different version of the song and although the footage is from Legends as with Fac 209, some different footage is used during this video. The full length of the track is 3 mins 13 secs.

Fac 242: Happy Mondays – Hallelujah

This tape comes in a blue plastic cover with Signal vision typed labels on the front of the box and tape. Dated 24.10.89, The full sepia coloured video of the band in a warehouse, in slow motion and normal speed, with dry ice and feathers on the floor and falling from above and hand held flares lasts approximately 3mins 13 secs and fades to black at the end.

Fac 242R: Happy Mondays – Clap Your Hands

This tape comes in a blue plastic cover with Signal Vision typed labels on the front of the box and tape. The full length sepia coloured video of the band in a warehouse, in slow motion and normal speed, with dry-ice and feathers on the floor and falling from above and hand held flares lasts approximately 3mins 33 secs and fades to white at the end.

Fac 247: Revenge – 7 Reasons / Jesus I Love You

This tape comes in a blue plastic cover with Signal Vision typed labels on the front of the box and tape. The full length video of 7 Reasons, in a mixture of colour and black and white, features footage of an urban and suburban nature interspersed with footage of the band underwater with fruit and flowers! The full length video lasts approximately 4mins and 5 secs. The video for Jesus I Love You, whilst obviously shot at the same time and containing some similar footage does not have industrial images and has different footage interspersed with some footage from 7 reasons. Jesus lasts approximately 4mins and 5secs also.

--

That's all for Part One but we'll be back with more later...

Many thanks to Mark @ The Record Peddler for info.

The very very very very last gig?

2011-09-10T16:35:00.000+01:00

The Adventure Babies come out of previously-apparently permanent retirement to play the IAStival Festival in Manchester's Heaton Park today. Jez Bramwell writes on the Festival's official blog of the parallels with the AdBabs' previous Heaton Park appearance as part of the Cities In The Park Factory day back in 1991. Jez also assures Cerysmatic that it's "not a comeback - just for fun".

Quiz Night

2007-10-02T17:16:00.000+01:00

As promised, the 'official' answers to the Urbis Haçienda quiz:

Round One

1. Name the first DJ and the first live act at The Haçienda.

Hewan Clarke; Bernard Manning (2 points).

2. Which famous spy was 'The Gay Traitor' bar named after?

Anthony Blunt (1 point).

3. Give the name (or type) of two businesses that were run from The Haçienda during the day.

Sandwich Express (sandwich delivery); Swing (hairdressers) (2 points).

4. Name the last DJ and the last live act at The Haçienda.

Elliot Eastwick (for it was he); Spiritualised (2 points).

5. 'Flesh' was the second gay night at The Haçienda. Name the first.

Gay Monday (1 point).

6. The Pet Shop Boys used an artist's films as a backdrop at their Haçienda concert. Name the artist.

Derek Jarman (1 point).

7. Name the two resident DJs at 'Wide'.

Dean Johnson; Dave Haslam (2 points).

8. Name the three designers of The Haçienda trainers.

Ben Kelly; Peter Saville; Yohji Yamamoto (1 point).

9. What was the building originally used for before becoming The Haçienda?

Yacht showroom (1 point).

10. Name the person that co-promoted 'Flesh' with Paul Cons.

Lucy Sher (1 point).

Round Two

1. Following closure, The Haçienda reopened with three new nights. Name them.

Beautiful 2000; Shine; Saturday at the Haçienda (3 points).

2. Name either the author or the work from which The Haçienda name was taken.

Ivan Chtchteglov: 'Formulaire Pour Un Urbanisme Nouveau' (1 point).

3. What was the name of The Haçienda's 1989 US tour?

United States of the Haçienda (1 point).

4. Name the band formed by Paul Morley and Trevor Horn.

Art Of Noise (1 point).

5. Name the building company responsible for The Haçienda flats.

Crosby Homes (1 point).

6. When Frankie Knuckles played The Haçienda on New Year's Eve 1996 was he paid:
a. GBP 5k?
b. GBP 15k?
c. GBP 25k?

b. GBP 15k (1 point).

7. Who bought The Haçienda DJ booth at the auction (and then lost it)?

Bobby Langley (1 point).

8. A regular performer at The Haçienda, born Alexander Coe in Bangor, worked at Shelley's in the mid-eighties, now a superstar DJ. Who am I?

Sasha (1 point).

9. Which internationally famous ex-Haçienda DJ started out as a chef at Dry Bar?

Laurent Garnier (1 point).

10. What was the Factory catalogue number of The Haçienda cat?

FAC 191 (1 point).

11. Which famous television music programme was recorded at The Haçienda in the mid-eighties?

The Tube (1 point).

Depending upon your score, award yourself the following title:

1-5: Thick Pigeon
6-10: Railway Children
11-15: Minny Pops
16-20: Adventure Babies
21-25: New Orders
26-27: Happy Mondays (You win The Shaun Ryder Cup!)

The Guardian gets on the Factory floor

2007-08-18T09:33:00.000+01:00

Chris Salmon in yesterday's Guardian showcases the NYC-based Sound Bites mp3 blog which has compiled an excellent tribute to Tony Wilson by way of a compilation of some of the lesser-known Factory bands including The Adventure Babies, Abecedarians and Tunnelvision plus ten others.

The Adventure Babies - new website online

2005-09-22T00:32:00.000+01:00

www.adbabs.com

Listen to mp3 clips, buy the new album 'Once Upon A Time The End' and much more.

Summer Season - 7 obscure Fac Facts

2005-08-16T08:09:00.000+01:00

1. Brian Eno's 'Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)' was recorded at Island studios in 1974. This studio was bought by Trevor Horn and became uber-studio Sarm West in the Eighties. Most of A Certain Ratio's 'Good Together' album was recorded in the basement studio of Sarm West - the old Island studio live room. So the Good Together album was recorded in the same room in which Eno recorded the track that inspired their name!

2. John Rhodes, who replaced Lita Hira in Stockholm Monsters, was originally in a band called Delhi Polo Club.

3. The late Ritchie Close wrote the theme music for the seminal Seventies music show 'So It Goes' which was presented by Tony Wilson. Close also played piano for Mike Pickering and Simon Topping's T-Coy.

4. 50 Newton Street, the current home of the highly recommended Hatters Hostel in Manchester, was once the home of 'City Fun' fanzine and the Buzzcocks' 'New Hormones' record label.

5. Alec Sidebottom, one of the drummers in The Distractions, used to be in Sixties band The Purple Gang.

6. Rumour has it that most of the individually signed, 6 foot long, guitar cut-outs designed by Peter Saville and randomly left around town have been, erm, destroyed by over-zealous bin men!

7. In 1992, The Adventure Babies played on France's Inter-Radio on a show called The Black Sessions. Little did they know that the radio station released a CD of the live performance. This included the previously unrecorded tracks 'Sunday Girl' (yes, a Blondie cover!) and 'Time'.

The Adventure Babies live in Stafford

2005-06-22T21:03:00.000+01:00

The very very very last gig this Saturday at Stafford Rangers Social Club approaches and here's the latest on the possible line-up:

The 'full time' band on the night should be something like:

Matt Tedstone (vocals, possible Wurlitzer)
Dave Atherton (guitar, vocals)
Ken Hughes (keys)
Roger Johns (drums, bv's)
Dave Hall (bass, bv's)

Plus various cameo appearances are rumoured (with various levels of possibility from * to *****) by:

Phil Goodall (vocals) *****
Scott Kennedy (percussion) *****
Eddie Morton (guitar, vocals) ***
Rich Hall (bass, no relation to Dave, and not the craggy faced US comedian) **
Dave Birch (AdBabs other drummer who also played with Dave Hall, Dave Atherton, and Ken in 'Parker', our other band) *
Maxine Bailey (vocals)... very very slight possibility *

Astute sports fans will note that this is equivalent to a footy team. Yet Dave H's suggestion of getting a full set of Brazil shirts was not taken seriously for some reason...

The Young Offenders Institute plus others live

2005-06-08T08:29:00.000+01:00

Two gigs by The Young Offenders Institute top and tail a busy June for (ex-) Factory bands. They play Club Nirvana in Wigan on 11 June (this Saturday) and return to Manchester on 16 July where they play Dry Bar.

June

11 - The Young Offenders Institute, Club Nirvana, Wigan
16 - The Durutti Column - Sonar Festival, Barcelona
16 - Kevin Hewick, Acoustic Night at Firefly
24 - Biting Tongues - Film Event, The Green Room, Manchester
24 - Blurt - And Did We Mention Our Disco, Plastic People, London
24 - Kevin Hewick, Firefly, Leicester
24 - New Order - Wireless Festival, Hyde Park
25 - The Adventure Babies - Stafford Rangers Social Club, Stafford
25 - Kevin Hewick, The Criterion, Leicester (15:00-17:00)
25 - Kevin Hewick, The Pride of Leicester (20:30-23:00)
29 - Kevin Hewick, Progress Bar, Tufnell Park, London
30 - Kevin Hewick, Kevin Hewick, The Half Time Orange, Leicester

July

16 - The Young Offenders Institute, Dry Bar, Manchester

The New Worthy Originals

2005-06-05T20:48:00.000+01:00

An unforeseen glitch in the first of the mp3s of The Adventure Babies' album 'Worthy Originals' has now been corrected. The track now runs for its full length instead of stopping short on 1'22".

The Adventure Babies free mp3 downloads

2005-06-04T12:35:00.000+01:00

Check out the free mp3 downloads of the long-lost second album by The Adventure Babies. When Factory went bust not only was their third single Fac 357 'Laugh' scuppered but the band went back to their day jobs. However, they continued to make music. Matt Tedstone and Dave Atherton recruited more mates, and went back to the studio to record the self-financed album 'Worthy Originals'. With thanks to Dave.

The Adventure Babies: the very very very last gig

2005-05-23T18:25:00.000+01:00

The Adventure Babies are getting the band back together to play live for one last time. The gig is at Stafford Rangers Social Club (in Stafford) on Saturday 25 June and tickets are only two pounds.

According to Redspot.org, "this is to be the very very very last gig the adbabs will ever perform. This combination of Stafford and Manchester based musicians was the last ever band signed to the legendary FACTORY RECORDS. Tony Wilson is reported to have insisted on seeing the band practice in a living room somewhere in town.."

Stafford Rangers Social Club
Marston Road
Stafford
Staffordshire
ST16 3BX
Map
Sat 25 June 2005
Doors: 8pm
Tickets: 2.00 GBP
Tel: 01785 602430

No Pain, No Gain

2004-10-19T22:16:00.000+01:00

This is the title of a forthcoming live album by Revenge to be released on LTM in February 2005. It features the whole of their 1991 performance at Cities In The Park in Manchester's Heaton Park, an event which also featured Electronic (with guests Pet Shop Boys), Happy Mondays (finishing the Pills 'n' Thrills tour), The Durutti Column, The Wendys, The Adventure Babies, Cath Carroll and by-then-non-Factory acts A Certain Ratio and The Railway Children. The remainder of the 14-track CD is from a show in Kawasaki, Japan, several months later.

Artist: Revenge
Title: No Pain, No Gain (Live 1991)
Label: LTM
Format: 1CD (14 tracks)
Catalogue number: LTMCD 2413
Release date: 7 February 2005

LTM also has the following new CD titles in stock (as usual, you can order any of them direct from LTM ahead of the store release dates):

Paul Haig LTMCD 2408 Rhythm of Life / New York Remix
Severed Heads LTMCD 2404 Rotund for Success
The Room LTMCD 2416 In Evil Hour/Clear

Also in the works at LTM are two new dvd releases. The Wake (Live at the Hacienda and Section 25 (A SXVV DVD) are slated for release early next year. More details soon.

Thanks to James at LTM.

August - when it was

2003-08-31T12:07:00.000+01:00

Twenty years ago, in August 1983, Fac 51 The Haçienda played host to such varied delights as Roman Holiday, Lydia Lunch, Einstürzende Neubaten, King (with DJ Gary Crowley) and Factory stalwarts Cabaret Voltaire.

On the 4th of August 1991, the second day of Cities in the Park took place in Heaton Park, Manchester. Factory bands took over the line-up and there were performances from Electronic, Happy Mondays, Revenge, Cath Carroll, The Adventure Babies, The Durutti Column.

"Manchester is still alive... and London, New York and all the rest are still dead"