Hall of Fame 8
Joy Division formed in Salford,Manchester in 1976. The original line up was Ian Curtis on vocals, Bernard Sumner on guitar and keyboards, Peter Hook on bass guitar and Stephen Morris on drums.
Joy Division, originally called Warsaw, evolved rapidly from their punk rock beginnings to something more post punk and different. Critics noted this. Their self-released EP in 1978, titled “An Ideal for Living” caught the attention of Manchester TV personality Tony Wilson. Their debut album “Unknown Pleasures” was released in 1979 onWilson’s independent label Factory Records, to much critical acclaim.
The bands name Joy Division was taken from the 1955 novel “The House of Dolls” and is the name given to the prostitution wing of a Nazi concentration camp.
Joy Division sprang from nowhere to gain an impressive following from both the media and fans- who named themselves the “Cult with No Name”. The bands one and only nationwide TV appearance was in 1979 onBBC2’s “Something Else”. They then supported The Buzzcocks on a 24 venue tour that October, and their non-album single “Transmission” was released in November of the same year.
In January 1980, Joy Division began their European tour. The lack of sleep and long hours had a profound affect on Curtis’ epilepsy, and unfortunately fans thought his seizures on stage where just part of the act. Joy Division released their section album “Closer” on 18th July 1980. Curtis had suffered with depression and anxiety for some time, and had attempted suicide previously.
In May 1980, the band was due to commence their first American tour. Curtis wished to take some time off to visit friends but feigned excitement as he didn’t want to disappoint anyone. The band also made the video for “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, the bands most popular and well known single, written by Curtis as his relationship with his wife Deborah was falling apart. Curtis returned to the house he shared with his wife in Macclesfield on18 May 1980, to ask her to drop the divorce suit she was filing and then asking that she leave him alone. When she returned to the house they shared Curtis had hung himself. 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.”
Curtis’ suicide will forever be remembered as tragic and a great loss to music. The remaining members of the band had made a pact previously that they would keep going but under a different name and reformed as New Order with Sumner taking over vocal duties.
Joy Division had a dark and different sound, and was noted especially in the music press for their lyrics, written exclusively by Curtis, being profound in their expression of loss, sadness and losing control. Their music was structured and the surviving members of the band have noted how their music was produced in an expansive way and each section of music was recorded individually to remove any sound bleeding through.
Curtis and the band refused to explain their lyrics in any interviews, Curtis explaining that “We haven’t got a message really; the lyrics are open to interpretation. They’re multidimensional. You can read into them what you like.” I’ve met a lot of people who don’t like Joy Division as they feel they are too dark but I cannot think of anyone who doesn’t recognise what a beautiful, melancholy and heartfelt song “Love Will Tear Us Apart” is. The music, lyrics and production of this song are completely perfect, and it has been used in numerous television and film productions, being as it is such a moving and epic song. Curtis sang in such an unusual way, but it works perfectly on this song. I particularly love “Why is the bedroom so cold? Turn away on your side. Is my timing that flawed?”
Joy Division left a humungous legacy behind them, and has been cited as a very important influence on many a band. Two films have been made about them, the mostly fictional “24 Hour Party People” in which Joy Division serve as background players, and “Closer”, made after Curtis’ wife biography about his life titled “Touching From A Distance”. I have seen both and they are very enjoyable films. I cannot bear to think what music would be like without Factory Records, without Joy Division and New Order. Manchester, you’ve done it again.
