Formed from the ashes of Joy Division following the tragic suicide of singer Ian Curtis in 1980, New Order’s initial sound on their debut LP ‘Movement’ mirrored the somewhat gloomy output of their previous incarnation. However the increasing use (and decreasing cost) of synthesisers combined with a trip to New York in 1981 saw a seismic shift in their musical template. Although hinted at by the use of additional electronics in their two earlier singles ‘Everything’s Gone Green’ and ‘Temptation’ , no-one had an inkling of what was to follow. On 7th March 1983 ‘Blue Monday’ was released and ushered in a completely new musical style for the band based almost wholly on sequencers and drum machines, albeit augmented with additional bass and vocals. A precursor of dance music’s synthesiser obsession, it showed that machines could be utilised to make strikingly powerful music and its unmissable stuttering kick drum intro and ice-cold electronics remain iconic over 20 years later. Clocking in at 7m23s, ‘Blue Monday’ went on to become the biggest selling 12″ single of all time establishing New Order as bona fide musical pioneers.
Martin Gadgil Shazam In The Vaults New Order
In the extremely unlikely event that you haven’t already noticed, today sees the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. As usual anticipation for the event has reached feverish levels as England prepare for their first match against the U.S.A. on Saturday. Traditionally the event inspires a cross section of musicians (and even footballers themselves) to produce musical works that hope to evoke the passion of the occasion.
While every major national team will have their own individual tracks, the concept of a World Cup song seems to take particular resonance with England fans. From the 1970’s squad rabble rousing ‘Back Home’ to New Order’s timeless ‘World In Motion’ – featuring John Barnes’ era defining rap - every major tournament sees a host of artists all vying to conceive the year’s defining anthem.
However, for this year’s tournament things are a little different. In keeping with manager Fabio Capello’s no nonsense approach to management, the Italian has stopped an official theme for this year’s tournament. Undeterred by this, several artists have chanced their hand and tried to capture the public’s imagination before the tournament kicks off. Here are a few of the most interesting attempts:
Read more…
Jon Davies News Dizzee Rascal, New Order, Terry Venables, The Squad, World Cup 2010
While stamp collecting might not be high on many music fans list of interests, this month may see a few people change their tune. Royal Mail have issued a collection stamps, decorated with the artwork of ten classic albums. While we’re not expecting crate diggers to trade in their rare 7”s for Penny Blacks, the limited run of stamps is sure to attract the attention of many music aficionados. The albums chosen cover some of the most revered albums by British bands over the last 40 years. The full list of the albums chosen for the collection is:
Blur – ‘Parklife’
Coldplay – ‘A Rush Of Blood To The Head’
David Bowie – ‘The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars’
Led Zeppelin – ‘IV’
Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells’
New Order – ‘Power, Corruption And Lies’
Pink Floyd – ‘The Division Bell’
The Clash – ‘London Calling’
The Rolling Stones – ‘Let It Bleed’
The series is available to order from Royal Mail now.
Jon Davies News Blur, Coldplay, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Mike Oldfield, New Order, Pink Floyd, The Clash, The Rolling Stones
