52nd Street - Look Into My Eyes

The young, funky sound of Manchester in 1982. The original pre-Virgin/Ten Records 52nd Street were a fresh real funk outfit fronted by the late Beverley MacDonald with Derek Johnson on bass and his big brother Donald in production duties.

The band's sound was a hark back to the original funk sound with real guitars, bass and percussion. Subsequent 52nd Street product was heavily sequenced and programmed.

I have the other two Factory releases which need a lot of de-clicking before posting so watch this space.

From a 12" vinyl single released in 1982 on Factory Records (FAC 59)

A. Look Into My Eyes
B. Express

Listen

The Hood & Jumping Jesus - Salvation! Have You Said Your Prayers Today?

I've no clue who The Hood is, but believe Arthur Baker is connected in some way. A forgettable early techno track from a forgettable soundtrack to a forgettable movie.

This is the 12" version which also included a lengthy remix by Junior Vasquez. The Hood did release another single on Crepescule.

Jumping Jesus are just as unknown and this hippy country sound is carried off better by established acts such as Violent Femmes.

Ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Factory Records (FAC 182) in 1987
A1. Salvation! Have You Said Your Prayers Today?
A2. You Can't Blackmail Jesus
B1. Salvation! (Nitro Dub)

Hear

Fadel - N'Sel Fik

Very likely the most unusual Factory Records release. Chaba Fadela Zelmat was an Algerian chanteuse and actress who linked up with French Algerian pop stars Samir and Rachid.

Factory launched this heavily ethnic product in 1987 and attempted to promote it via instore videos sent out to the major chains.

For the record, I'm told N'Sel Fik translates as You Are Mine.

Nobody bought the record, but it has since obtained cult status following a European rerelease in the nineties which appealed to lovers of all things Balearic.

N'sel Fik : ripped from a 12" vinyl single released on Factory Records (FAC 197) in 1987

A. N'Sel Fik

B. Ateni Bniti (Part One)

Fik Here

Stockholm Monsters - All At Once / How Corrupt Is Rough Trade?

All At Once : Ripped from a 7" single released on Factory Records (FAC 107) in 1984
A. All At Once
B. National Pastime

How Corrupt Is Rough Trade? : Ripped from a 12" single released on Factory Benelux (FBN46) in 1985

A. How Corrupt Is Rough Trade?

B. Kan Kill!

Essential

Royal Family & The Poor - We Love The Moon / Live: 1983-1985

I featured an unreleased Factory album by this lot in an earlier post. Though not to everybody's taste, RF&TP have come up with the occasional gem, and We Love The Moon is rather lovely. Regrettably the flip-side White Stains regresses back into post-TG territory and fails to interest me, but included for completeness.

After quite a few requests, I've ripped the limited live album, which I didn't realise until now that I actual was at one of these shows, when the band were supporting New Order at the Michael Sobel Sports Centre in Islington in 1985.

Ripped from a 7" picture disc released on Factory Records (FAC 139) in 1986
A. We Love The Moon
B. White Stains
















Live: 1983-1985 :ripped from a limited edition live vinyl album released in 1986 on Recloose Records (LOOSE 13)
A1. Restrained In A Moment (I Love You)
A2. Dawn Song
A3. Visions
A4. Transparent
B1. Something Someone
B2. Destiny
B3. Heartbeat

Listen

The Wake - Something Outside

There was a time when I proudly stated that this was my favourite single of all time. Now, in my mid-40's, I no longer make such brave statements, nor do I have any faves of all-time. Something Outside still, for me, ranks as one of the most wonderful records I have ever heard and those sublime guitar plucks with wide lush, washover keys still get the hairs on the back of my kneck standing on end.

I first heard this on Kid Jensen's evening show in late 1983, fell in love with it immediately and bought it in Manchester's old Virgin store the following day.

This was Bobby Gillespie's final contribution to The Wake and his top-string reggae bassline is, for me, his most significant. He is no musical genius and was infact sacked from the band for his lack of ability. Anybody who has heard Rock The Shack will no doubt agree. ;-)

Something Outside: Ripped from a 12" single released on Factory Benelux (FBN 24) in 1983
A. Something Outside
B. Host

Hear

Shark Vegas - You Hurt Me

Founding members, Mark Reeder and Alistair Gray decided to change their bands name and image a few weeks before a mammoth New Order tour of Europe in early 1984.Their unique, electronically driven, dark-disco-rock sound, warped sense of humour and striking image created a cult following (especially in Berlin) and Shark Vegas performed mainly throughout Europe.

They recorded one single "You Hurt Me" which was released on UK's legendary label "Factory Records" (FAC 111) and on the Toten Hosen's label "Totenkopf" (TOT 11) in Germany.The demo for this single was originally recorded at Harris Johns studio in Berlin and these rough tapes were eventually taken to Cologne to Conny Planks world-famous studio, to be mixed and co-produced by New Order's Bernard Sumner during the few off days during their tour.

Feeling the need for a update for the B-side, Mark, Alistair and Bernard then went to England and remixed the track (it became "You Hurt Me... but now your flesh lies rotting in hell") for the Factory version of the single for the UK release.Bernard played some additional guitar and A Certain Ratio's Donald Johnson added some backing vocals. Mark asked his friend Mark Farrow to design the artwork for both English and German versions of this single and they remain today as two examples of his earliest record sleeve designs. (text from Shark Vegas MySpace site)

You Hurt Me : ripped from a 12" single released on Factory Records (FAC 111) in 1986

A1. You Hurt Me

B1. You Hurt Me Version

B2. But Now Yor Flesh Lies Rotting In Hell

Listen

Swamp Children - Little Voices / Taste What's Rhythm

Apart from their superb cover of Shining Hour and the delectable Feeling Fine album, Kalima were, in this scribes opinion, bloody awful. Factory were never a jazz label and no matter how much they tried, Kalima never obtained credibility as a jazz band. Whilst I could never criticise the musicianship of the various band members (which included four fifths of A Certain Ratio), Anne Quigley's voice could never stand up to the close scrutiny following Factory's declaration that she was a "torch singer".

Originally, Kalima were known as Swamp Children with a much rawer and darker jazz/pop/funk sound much akin to Maximum Joy, which worked better. Their debut 12" Little Voices was produced by CV's Stephen Mallinder and ACR's Simon Topping at the Cab's Western Works studio in Sheffield.

The follow up, a latin tinged Taste What's Rhythm on Factory Benelux was a taste of what was to come, but was saved by the superb ACR funk workout of Softly Saying Goodbye with ACR's Dojo on slap bass. There was also an album, So Hot but it wasn't.

Little Voices : ripped from a 12" single released on Factory Records (FAC 49) in 1981
A1. Little Voices
B1. Call Me Honey
B2. Boy

Taste What's Rhythm : ripped from a 12" single released on Factory Benelux (FBN 16) in 1982

A1. Taste What's Rhythm

B1. You Got Me Beat

B2. Softly Saying Goodbye

Hear

Vermorel - Stereo/Porno

I'm now turning to some of the more obscure Factory releases and also focusing on deleted product by some of the more well know Factory bands (not JD or NO - they are well covered elsewhere).

Vermorel were/are punk journos and authors, Judy & Fred Vermorel, and their only output was this dance/pop ditty released in an interesting fold out sleeve. As a bonus I've also included the 7" version ripped from especially poor quality Factory vinyl.

Stereo/Porno : Ripped from 12" single released on Factory Records (FAC 198) in 1988

A1. Stereo/Porno (Extended)
B1. Stereo/Schizo
B2. Stereo/Porno (Ballad)
also..
Stereo/Porno (7" version)

Filth

Win - Unamerican Broadcasting

I love this record!! From the original 12" only release on Swamplands, long before London Records got their sticky hands on the band and turned them into so-so sickly MOR pop-pap.

Most of you will have heard the original as it was deleted very quickly. The track was re-recorded for the debut London album ...Uh! Tears Baby. The album is a fine piece of 80's pop but the re-recording lacked the power and guile of this version.

Also of note was the unusual peel-off sticker sleeve featuring the stars and stripes. Also check out the great use of a speak'n'spell which was missiing on the commercial release.

Ripped from an original Swamplands 12" single (SWX 5) released in 1985

Love it!