On Thursday 15 June 2017, each BBC local radio station in England will erect a blue plaque on a building to commemorate a local music legend to mark BBC Music Day. In Manchester, the plaque will be on Alan Erasmus's property at 86 Palatine Road, the first home of Factory Records.


Peter Saville will perform the unveiling ceremony and plenty of Factory Records alumni are expected to attend.

Labels: Alan_Erasmus, Factory_Records, history, Peter Saville

Here's a transcript of a full and frank letter from Alan Erasmus to his contact "Yuri" ahead of his trip to the USSR which was famously commemorated by the FAC 126 poster 'Alan Goes To Moscow'. It it is quite unusual in that its stated aim is to "... explain more fully Factory's philosophy, and methods to present our art and ideas into a morally corrupt market place."


"Sunday 9th September 1984

Greetings Yuri

My apologies for the slight delay, but here is the letter you asked me to send you, outlining (briefly) the areas for discussion on my visit to Moscow (23rd to 26th October).

1. To discuss the feasibility of the importing, and/or license, of Soviet cultural achievements in the areas of:-

a) Contemporary Music
b) Film
c) Classical Music
d) Video Recording

2/ To hold talks with regard to, (though not necessarily on a reciprocal basis) the licensing, and/or import, of Factory (F.C.L) productions to the U.S.S.R. in the areas of:

a) Contemporary Music
b) Film
c) Video Recording

During these discussions I will explain more fully Factory's philosophy, and methods to present our art and ideas into a morally corrupt market place. In the west we are treated with a grudging respect, (the Americans admire our honesty and commitment, but find it difficult to relate to, or deal with, what they call "A Marxist Communications Company") but they cannot understand how we continue to remain successful, (2 to 3 million pounds per annum, rising, and yet, do not advertise (no hard sell, or promotion), divide equally the profits (Factory's share is used to finance the making of more films and music, or to fund socialistically aware projects, and has no written agreement, or contracts with the workers it represents (for years we have trusted the people we work for and they have trusted us).

I sincerely hope it is possible to arrange the appropriate meetings during my visit to your country, and look forward with enthusiasm, to my stay in Moscow, and your reply.

Contra Mundi

Alan Erasmus"

Labels: Alan_Erasmus, back_in_the_cellar, Factory_Classical, Factory_Records, Ikon, USSR

Last night saw the London launch of 'Still Breathing - The True Adventures of the Donnelly Brothers' by Anthony and Christopher Donnelly with Simon Spence and interviews by Becky Seward. A healthy troupe of southerners and northerners (including Kevin Cummins, Mike Garry - who performed Saint Anthony and a new poem to commemorate the book) braved the lusty decadent delights of imperial Hackney for a night of planned (and not-so-planned-but-nevertheless-entertaining) entertainment at Casa Negra to celebrate the publication of the book about the remarkable story of the two brothers (the self-styled "Smooth Sex Pistols of the fashion industry") who brought you Gio-Goi, Your Own and much more in between.

The Donnellys had close family ties to Factory Records - their sister Tracey worked for Factory Records as PR Manager (and now works her magic at Donnelly 24) and at the Hacienda/Swing. Her "interview" for the job is famously documented in FAC 229! The Music Week Factorial thus: "There was me and a few other girls on the shortlist, and when we met up at The Hacienda, Tony Wilson sat me down with the others and then told them that I'd got the job, and then proceeded to talk to them about their Hacienda jobs and not a word to me about my new job! They'd already decided. Tony bought me a drink after and then said, 'see you in the office on Monday'."

Oliver Wilson's Foreword explains quite succinctly the significance: "Along with my dad, you had perhaps two dozen other people who made Manchester, 'Madchester'. Chris and Anthony were in at the ground floor on everything...".

Other Factory-related entrants in the extensive Preface include Alan Erasmus ("It seemed like a good idea at the time."), Mike Pickering ("Still lovable scallywags, but they're clever in their business dealings"), Keith Allen ("My first words to Anthony were 'Can you untie me, please' We have been close friends ever since."), Bez ("You can come from nothing and build something important that's relevant to the rest of the world".), Shaun Ryder ("Why not have a go. You know what we like to wear."), Pat Carroll ("They were fucking hilarious and proper ambitious") and many more.

The book covers the whole story from the Donnelly family first coming over from Ireland, setting up home and being scallywags in Wythenshawe, the rise and fall (and rise again in 2005) of Gio-Goi and now the advent of Your Own, all told in words of the main protagonists. The book is a veritable Who's Who of Manchester and it's a right rollicking read.

--

Still Breathing - The True Adventures of the Donnelly Brothers
Black and White Publishing
Hardcover
288 pages

Available from Amazon

Labels: Alan_Erasmus, book, Donnelly_Brothers, Factory_Records, Graeme_Park, Mike_Pickering, Swing, Tracey_Donnelly

The last day of the Factory Records' office at One Charles Street in Manchester is documented in a new dvd entitled 'Black Monday' (as the fateful day became to be known).

The first part of the dvd is a rough but compelling film by Tosh Ryan shot on hand-held video outside the Factory Records office on 23 November 1992 following a tip-off that something was afoot. We see all the comings and goings, including the Factory workers, managers (Phil Saxe, ex-Happy Mondays manager) and the directors (Rob Gretton, Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus). As the day progresses, it becomes clearer that something is going down...

In part two we see inside the newly-vacated offices. Be amazed (but perhaps not surprised) to see loads of now-priceless posters and artefacts strewn over the floor and the FAC 331 Temporary Contemporary Table is in the boardroom in a very broken state.



The extras comprise a piece on the subsequent conversion of the building many years later into the FAC 251 The Factory club plus an excellent short film showing the making of the cast iron FAC 73 anvil (to commemorate 500,000 sales of Blue Monday).

Tom Hewitt and Chris Hewitt put the whole 'Black Monday' project together in conjunction with Peter Hook and with thanks to Tosh Ryan, Aaron Mellor and Tighe Grainger. A donation has been made already from the future sales proceeds of the film to Peter Hook's favoured charity NSPCC.

The 'Black Monday' dvd is available as a pre-release version by mail order only. Paypal GBP 12.00 + 2.00 postage and packing to hawkethos@which.net or telephone +44 (0)1565 734066 to make an order by card.

Total running time: 2 hour 40 minutes
Format: DVD NTSC Region 0

Labels: Alan_Erasmus, artefacts, FAC251_The_Factory, Factory_Records, Tony_Wilson, Tosh_Ryan, video

Sean Harris and Lennie James, who played Ian Curtis and Alan Erasmus in 24 Hour Party People, form part of the supporting cast (to Sean Bean's lead) in the new Nick Love film 'Outlaw'.

Jim White, in The Word, picks out Harris for special commendation and says that he is "in danger of cornering the market in unhinged movie loonies".

Labels: 24_Hour_Party_People, Alan_Erasmus, Ian_Curtis, Lennie_James, Sean_Harris

BBC 6 Music celebrates the life of the former Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, with 'Transmission' - a very special event in Manchester marking 25 years since his tragic death.

The band, originally called 'Warsaw', formed in 1977 and quickly gathered respect from influential people in the industry including Factory Records label owner Tony Wilson who signed them to his label. In 1979 they released their debut album Unknown Pleasures but rumours began to spread of Curtis' ill health: his epilepsy - reflected in his on-stage jerkiness - was becoming an increasingly difficult problem to manage. The group began recording their second album Closer and released the single Love Will Tear Us Apart but on 18 May 1980, just two days before they were due to leave for their first US tour, Curtis took his own life.

Now, 25 years after Ian Curtis' death, BBC 6 Music is holding a very special event at the BBC's Big Screen in Manchester City Centre. They are screening the Fact 37 'Here Are The Young Men' video which includes their performances at Manchester Apollo on 27 and 28 October 1979, and at the Effenaar in Eindhoven, Netherlands on 18 January 1980.

In addition they will be showing the band's full performances of 'Transmission' and 'She's Lost Control' for their only national TV appearance on the BBC's Something Else programme.

As well as these rare performances, BBC 6 Music will also be showing the Fac 211 Wired Joy Division feature, a documentary originally made for Channel 4's Wired TV programme in 1988, looking back at the legacy of Joy Division and the effect Ian's Death had on the remainder of the band, who went on of course to form New Order. The documentary includes interviews with Alan Erasmus, Tony Wilson, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Steve Morris, Paul Morley and the late Rob Gretton.

The event is being held on Wednesday 18 May at 7pm. It will be a chance to remember Ian Curtis and the legacy he left for music both in Manchester and beyond, as well as an opportunity to see rare performances from the band's tragically short two year career.

BBC 6 Music will also be remembering the life of Ian Curtis on air throughout the day. This will include the band's classic Peel Sessions from the BBC archive; showing the huge legacy the band left with unusual cover versions of Joy Division tracks, as well as talking to key figures in the band's career including Tony Wilson and Anton Corbijn.

Labels: Alan_Erasmus, Factory_Records, Joy_Division, New_Order, Peter_Hook, Tony_Wilson

The inception of Factory is recorded in Fac 229! The Music Week Factorial as follows: "24 January 1978 - Tony Wilson partners with Alan Erasmus for the first time under the name of the Movement of the 24th January, to manage The Durutti Column."

The name was appropriated from from the Situationist International Movement Of March 22nd.

Different date, same ideals.

Labels: Alan_Erasmus, The_Durutti_Column, Tony_Wilson

Having no party, sending no cards, & giving no presents

The History Lesson continues with this extract from the SHAREHOLDER'S ANALYSIS END OF YEAR '80.

FACT 25 Joy Division/Closer. Here are the young men. 12" 33 rpm

FAC 26 Paris Poster by Steve Horsfall after an idea by Alan Erasmus. Battle plans, silver on black, horizontal. Gig cancelled. Only 7 made. All gone. It's called taking limited editions to logical conclusions. Cfg FAC 28.

FAC 27 £500.00. Rob's got it. Cancelled Saville revenge project for alternate FAC17 sleeve.

FAC 28 Joy Division/"Komakino", flexi disc. Now done 75,000. The "totally free at point of sale" device still working wonderfully stirring greed and disillusion in the anti-realistic heart. We give them in massive quantities to our two distributors who give them to shops with the instruction. Not for sale xx or as sales incentive. Watch commodities being created before your very eyes. 7" 45 rpm

FAC 29 The names/"Night Shift". Perfect new pop from Brussels. 7" 45 rpm. The Names already have single out in Belgium with Warner's Benelux. Oooooh. Picture sleeve apparently relates to the B side, it's people at a party having conversations. Could have fooled me.

FACT 30 Sex Pistols/"The Heyday" interview tapes by Judy Vermorel, mid ’77. Should retail around £3.00. Can be taken as capitalist surge (if you don’t know the unit cost) or cultural rehabilitation or ghetto crawling. 5,000 done for mid December release. Plus advert. Factory Records is this year having no party, sending no cards, and giving no presents. Instead we are taking an ad,,,,Happy Christmas. Cassette, pronounced cASS-ette.(M.Mac)

Thanks to Sebfact for trancription duties.

Labels: Alan_Erasmus, artefacts, Christmas, Factory_Benelux, Factory_Records, Factory_Shareholders_Analysis, Joy_Division, labels, poster, The_Names, Vermorel

Bruce Mitchell of The Durutti Column remembers Rob Gretton (from 'The Observer Music Monthly Fac 511'): "The Durutti Column were recording 'Another Setting' in Strawberry Studios. Rob quietly entered, sat behind the desk, and settled into a smoking reverie. Thirty minutes passed before 'Are you still being managed by Wilson and Erasmus?' he asked. 'You need to get yourself better than that pair of monkeys.' He smiled, beaming around the room waiting for a reaction. But before we could offer him the job, he took a Jimmy Page drag on his cigarette, shouted 'Sorry, I'm busy', pushed his glasses up his nose and walked out gurgling happily."

Labels: Alan_Erasmus, Rob_Gretton, The_Durutti_Column, Tony_Wilson

This extract from the book 'The A-Z of Record Labels' by Brian Southall [ISBN 1-86074-281-5] somewhat bluntly details the history of Factory Records. It also distinctly prematurely records the demise of New Order:

"Following a distinctly unique route which didn't include such traditional record company trappings as contracts and advances, Factory Records emerged out of Manchester's renewed and sometimes hectic music business in 1978. Cambridge graduate turned TV presenter and producer Tony Wilson was the leading light behind Factory Records and the short-lived Factory Club. The Durutti Column - who were managed by Wilson and partner Alan Erasmus - launched the label, but the first taste of success came with Joy Division, OMD, James and New Order, which then led to the opening of the notorious Hacienda Club.

Despite a host of hit records, Factory suffered drastically when their un-contracted bands started to leave, and even though new acts broke through, such as Happy Mondays, the label was in serious financial straits by the early Nineties. While an attempt to sell the label fell through, both New Order and Happy Mondays sold their catalogues before splitting up and Wilson was forced to dissolve the label in 1993, although the sequel, Factory Too, made a brief appearance in the mid Nineties.

Labels: Alan_Erasmus, FAC51_The_Hacienda, Factory_Records, Happy_Mondays, Joy_Division, New_Order, The_Durutti_Column, Tony_Wilson

On the 24 Hour Party People dvd there's a deleted scene in which Morrissey talks to Tony Wilson on the street. It turns out that in the lost scene from the original script Moz goes back to Tony and Lindsay's for a spliff - and hands him a copy of the New York Dolls LP. Furthermore it includes another conversation between Morrissey and Alan Erasmus about scoring dope from Rhyl Sun Centre! (a bit which appears in the final film without Mozzer). Thanks to Adelle for info.

Labels: 24_Hour_Party_People, Alan_Erasmus, Morrissey, Tony_Wilson

Inspired by Tony (or Anthony H) Wilson's All Time Factory Top Ten, Cerysmatic Factory presents one of its own.

1. Fact 45 Always Now by Section 25: Quite possibly the all time classic piece produced by Factory. Designed by Peter Saville.

2. Fact 75 'Power Corruption and Lies' by New Order: Along with the die cut Fac 73 'Blue Monday' sleeve, the first New Order covers of pure genius by Peter Saville.

3. James at Riverside Studios 12 May 1985: James had just finished a UK tour supporting The Smiths (who covered one of James's songs) this was great gig.

4. Haçienda 4th birthday poster by 8vo 1986: A stunning design assembled as a collage of many pieces of coloured paper.

5. New Order at Fac 51 the Haçienda Wednesday June 10th 1987.

6. Fact/d 144 'Domo Arigato' by The Durutti Column: A favourite 8vo sleeve for the video and compact disc of Durutti's Japanese concert.

7. Fac 318 'Classics In Motion' at Fac 51 The Haçienda, 16 October 1990: To celebrate the launch on October 29 of their five new releases on the Factory Classical strand 1990 there were five showcases, in Glasgow, Manchester and London. The Manchester involved The Durutti Column and Steve Martland. Classical music on the Haçienda dancefloor.

8. The artwork and advertising for Fact 275 'Technique' by New Order 1989: Factory turns into an advertising behemoth! Inserts in the NME, giant billboard posters, headed notepaper all featuring Peter Saville's dazzling artwork
.
9. Fac 211 Wired documentary: Short television documentary centred around the re-release of Joy Division's Atmosphere and the Subtance 1989 compilation. Particularly splendid for featuring Alan Erasmus being interviewed whilst wearing a construction worker's hard hat!

10. Fac 281 'The Area': An afternoon's shopping in Manchester was not complete without a visit to the Area which was tucked away in a corner of Manchester's Afflecks Palace. Fiona Allen, who doubled as box office person at the Haçienda was always game for a chat over the latest Factory developments and a choice range of goodies was on offer. Prenez Votre Desirs indeed.

Labels: 8vo, Alan_Erasmus, Factory_Classical, Joy_Division, labels, New_Order, poster, Red_Turns_To, Steve_Martland, The_Durutti_Column, Tony_Wilson

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