6 Sept 2019
A shadowy presence in the Factory Records narrative
TheArtsDesk.com [->] neatly and positively summarises the career and output of Blackpool's Tunnelvision alongside a great review of the recent Factory Benelux anthology 'Watching The Hydroplanes' which is available to buy now via FBN Mailorder [->].
Labels: Factory_Benelux, review, Tunnelvision
18 Aug 2019
Tunnelvision - Watching the Hydroplanes [FBN 38]![Tunnelvision - Watching the Hydroplanes [FBN 38]](https://factoryrecords.org/cerysmatic/images/tunnelvision-watching-the-hydroplanes-fbn-2.jpg)
Factory Benelux presents a limited edition vinyl album by Tunnelvision, the youthful Blackpool band who released cult single Fac 39 Watching the Hydroplanes on Factory Records in 1981. Just 500 copies have been pressed on clear vinyl, matching the original Factory release.
Formed in 1980, the sombre post-punk quartet were mentored by Section 25 before impressing Rob Gretton and Tony Wilson at an early New Order gig in Blackpool in September 1980. Two songs from their first demo were mixed by Martin Hannett at Britannia Row and released as a 7-inch single (Fac 39) in June 1981, sleeved by Martyn Atkins in an opulent sleeve referencing dictionaries and leather-bound books. After several more gigs with New Order and other Factory artists Tunnelvision taped a second strong demo, mixed for release by Peter Hook. However, the turbulent teenage band disintegrated before a second single emerged.
Newly remastered from the original analogue reels, Watching the Hydroplanes features includes all 8 tracks from their two Cargo demos, including the Hannett mixes of the title track and Morbid Fear. The set also features Emotionless, recorded live at Bristol Trinity Hall in March 1981.
The outer sleeve is printed using silver PMS with a matt varnish. The printed inner bag features new liner notes and an attractive facsimile flyer for a gig with New Order at the Forum, London, in May 1981.
Tracklisting
A1. Watching the Hydroplanes
A2. Morbid Fear
A3. Old Comrades
A4. Glenn Miller
A5. Emotionless
B1. The Man Who Would Be King
B2. 100 Men
B3. Guessing the Way
B4. Whitened Sepulchre
![Tunnelvision - Watching the Hydroplanes [FBN 38]](https://factoryrecords.org/cerysmatic/images/tunnelvision-watching-the-hydroplanes-fbn.jpg)
Labels: album, Factory_Benelux, Martin_Hannett, Martyn_Atkins, New_Order, Peter_Hook, Section_25, Tunnelvision, vinyl
5 Nov 2017
To the outside of everythingTo the Outside of Everything is a 5CD box set with extensive liner notes which tells the story of how the UK's post-punk scene evolved from the spirit of 1977 and the arrival of key labels such as Fast, Rough Trade, Zoo, Factory Records and Cherry Red.
The Factory Records line-up is as follows:
Transmission – Joy Division
From the Cradle to the Grave – Crispy Ambulance
Sketch For Summer – The Durutti Column
Girls Don't Count – Section 25
My Mother was a Friend of an Enemy of the People – Blurt
Ceremony – New Order
Watching the Hydroplanes – Tunnel Vision
Heart Disease – Biting Tongues
To the Outside of Everything is available to pre-order now direct from Cherry Red.
Labels: Biting_Tongues, Blurt, Cherry_Red, compilation, Crispy_Ambulance, Joy_Division, New_Order, Section_25, The_Durutti_Column, Tunnelvision
30 May 2017
SAVILLE - the partner's storyHere we have a transcript of the story of Peter Saville (with asides on Martyn Atkins and Stephen Horsfall) as written by Tony Wilson around 1981. Constructivism - check; Praxis - check; hip bourgeois hedonism - check. We'll assume the reference to a FAC 48 coffee table was a gentle jape.
SAVILLE: The Partner's Story
The first time I met Saville was February or March '78 . It was the Apollo Theatre, Manchester, a Patti Smith gig - after she'd gone off - artistically. He said he was at the Poly and was interested in doing graphics work that tied in to music. I took his phone number. Nice suit, nice girlifriend. Bit smooth - sharp eyes tho! The Factory club started in May '78. we needed a poster. His track record at that point; one smart brochure for AMEK1 the Salford PA people, and a nice piece of Neon for the Smirks. AMEK had just brought out a new desk. He had failed to complete the second brochure. Perhaps it was because he was doing our poster (FAC 1; yellow and black industrial constructivist/mid-fifties Jan Tschichold). Perhaps not, perhaps it was the difficult birth. That comes later.
After the club: (there were two more posters FAC 3 and 4 (white seriffed type on black - same tune as John Foxx). For some strange reason these posters were always late and usually went up after the gig. Lateness/brute inefficiency became our house style. It's a process called praxis; do something and then find out why you did it. The inefficiency/dedication dialectic was like that and Peter played his part.
We then needed to put a record out, Autumn '78. No-one else would. Praxis. It was FAC 2, a company concept (hand made imitation of Thailand double plastic backed tissue paper for double 7" EP. Saville used silver and black definitive Hi-tech. (c.f. Record Mirror quote on video Chapter 7). Why the lovely sleeves - then and now. Well if you're putting out the best music, it seemed sort of obvious to put out the best sleeves - not just in Indieland. Anywhere. As one of those praxis things it's not clear whether it was for our fun or THEIR (that presence in record shops) value for money. It can in fact be seen, Saville artwork in particular, as a kind of hip bourgeois hedonism. Often is in the comics. Tough. The coffee table is black and red (FAC 48) and will be on mail order (approx £75.00 by Autumn).
For Factory Mr Saville then did his black on black OMITD sleeve (FAC 6). He offered his thermographic conceit to A Certain Ratio first in the coffee bar of the Royal Exchange, March 1979 but the brats turned him down settling for their dead Lenny Bruce and my four Anthony Perkins in a Saville-Warhol piss-take.
A rags to riches story; or rather a mid-Cheshire Bowie to an echt Anthony Price. There followed the odd hand-made sleeve (FAC 18 - five months for the right tracing paper) X-O-Dus (FAC 11) took Denis Bovell seven months to mix, and Peter Saville nine months to design. You have to feel a slight twinge of pity for the poor musicians in all this but they are now warned at the outset.
The Joy Division stuff was usually pretty prompt. Mostly because the one of Saville's partners who managed Joy Division had a bigger stick than the others. Though Transmission 12" - FAC 13 - took 14 months. By this time our hero has gone to Din Disc; apparently it's nearer to the Zanzibar than Factory. Now Factory and Dindins and even, in the extremest of bad taste (not the sleeve, the music) Roxy Music, and lots more late artwork. House style. There was the OMITD first album in the perforated metal outer, the only one we didn't like to see going to a nasty Major - or Minor Major. Incidentally, the first mono set was Barney's idea.
A small mention for Factory's other designers. Mr Atkins whose upcoming Tunnelvision single sleeve (FAC 39) is very fine but who now seems to have deserted to the Liverpool camp which is if anything even more depressing than E.G. retreads. And back in Manchester Steven Horsfall newly elected to the RCA and bitter at the way Saville neutralised his label for the ESG single (FAC 34). He's done FACT 14/Durutti Column/FAC 17 embossed & FACT 24 the Factory Quartet2. Sadly this sleeve was lambasted in January's Peter Saville backlash in the comics. Peter ducks as well as he weaves. The sleeve for ACR's "To Each" was designed by the group with the help of T.G. Sleazy3; it was an anti-arti-Peter effort. "Typically arty farty Factory/Saville sleeve" said the comics. And he thought it was revolting (FACT 35).
And to close I won't indulge in aesthetic adulation of a friend. Sickly. Just like to say, I do think he's the best typographer in town, any town, Factory's company address will not be changing on the new notepaper as Palatine looks too good in the new 30's Italian typeface to change it - apparently. The birth... well when this show4 opened in Liverpool a month ago, I happened to be in Liverpool working for the people I work for so I went along; thought I might be able to find out if he'd done the rough for the Section 25 album. Great opening; cheap wine, expensive accents, and our lad's display. A blank wall. Dada; no just late - not there. No sleeves - no Peter. When the exhibition closed, on a blank Factory wall, and still no Peter, I noticed that Peter's mum, standing in the doorway ready to leave was taking it very stoically. Though it seemed that she like me had been here before. Waiting for Peter. I asked her if his peculiar habit ever troubled her or drove her to physical violence. She smiled and said no, and said she was just glad he was alive. This seemed a bit over the top but she explained that he had been a Caesarian and had his blood changed twice. I'm a caesarian too, but I didn't get any of that. If I had I would have written this next week. "Likely to do well - but often late for school", it should also be pointed out that Peter is a catholic. There is a mafia but it's not the one you think it is.
But is it art?
Notes:
1 - More on AMEK at langley-design.com
2 - there is no other known evidence of Stephen Horsfall having worked on FAC 17 or FACT 24 but I would be interested to know if this did indeed happen.
3 - cover painting by Ann Quigley
4 - the Cover Versions exhibition at the Bluecoat, Liverpool in 1981, see thebluecoat.org.uk
Labels: A_Certain_Ratio, back_in_the_cellar, Factory_Records, graphic_design, history, Martyn_Atkins, OMD, Peter Saville, Section_25, Stephen_Horsfall, The_Durutti_Column, Tunnelvision, X-O-Dus
12 Nov 2008
If it's Friday, it must be BelgiumVin: "It was bloody great. The turnout varied, about 600 Os (NL), 800 Brussels (BE), about 400 in Paris (FR) and Krefeld was 350-400 (DE). Michel Duval (Factory Benelux / Crépuscule) and Mark Kamins turned out in Paris. Playing with Hooky is ace cos neither of us drink and it's good not to be the only non-drinker on the firm. Also he taught me some good stuff about tempo, pace and dynamics and I am grateful 'bout that.
"The highlight for me was Krefeld. It all came together and was powerful and at times quite menacing in its intensity. The MO for each show was Kevbo, then S25 for 9 songs then we were joined by Capt Hook. We then do 10 NO/JD then we fuck off. Encore next with just S25 doing 1 song and then the grand finale with Peter joining us for Doubts Even Here.
Quote of tour has to be Mark Kamins in Paris: "Glad to see you guys still got your motherfucking chops".
Ian: "Well for starters, I don't think that I have ever been as nervous as I was before the Paris gig! Had we rehearsed enough..? Will my amp blow up? I shouldn't have worried as by the time we had done our SSXV set we were ready... for anything!
"Hooky and his 'guitar-man', Phil Murphy were great, as their 'attitude' spread like wildfire, and we just 'went for it' on the subsequent nights. Just think 'Punk Rock' and you shall be alright! (as my Granny used to say).
"By the German gig we were chuffin' rocking, so it's a shame it was the last. We had definitely 'nailed it' by that time.
"I joined Tunnelvision in 1981, so I suppose the Joy Division / New Order songs are in my DNA, but it was still bizarre to be on stage playing those songs with Hooky! We also didn't want to do 'straight' versions of the JD/NO songs, so hopefully we put a little 'twist' on them, making them rawer and bringing the SXXV 'edge' to them. Everyone on 'the team', the people working at the venues, were fantastic and also the audiences too. Lets do it again!"
Setlist
Section 25
New Horizon
Wretch
Up To You
Friendly Fires
Charnel Ground
After Image
Can't Let Go
Looking From A Hilltop
Dirty Disco
Peter Hook + Section 25
No Love Lost
She's Lost Control
Temptation
Ceremony
Ultraviolence
Dreams Never End
Love Will Tear Us Apart
Shadowplay
Interzone
Warsaw
--
Poppy Fields (SXXV)
Doubts Even Here (PH + SXXV)
Thanks to Vin and Ian. Stand by for more including Kevin Hewick and photo gallery. Meanwhile, check out Fred's (Fantastique Nights) Flickr photostream and another gallery on soundofviolence.net.
Labels: Factory_Benelux, Joy_Division, Kevin_Hewick, labels, New_Order, Peter_Hook, Section_25, Tunnelvision
10 Nov 2008
Box Set Go-GoingTracklist is as follows:
DISC 1
1. Joy Division: Digital
2. A Certain Ratio: All Night Party
3. OMD: Electricity (Original version)
4. Joy Division: She's Lost Control
5. The Distractions: Time Goes By So Slow
6. Joy Division: Transmission
7. The Durutti Column: Sketch For Summer
8. X-O-Dus: English Black Boys
9. Joy Division: Love Will Tear Us Apart
10. A Certain Ratio: Shack Up
11. Section 25: Girls Don't Count
12. Crawling Chaos: Sex Machine
13. A Certain Ratio: Flight
14. The Names: Night Shift
15. New Order: Ceremony (Original 7" version)
16. Minny Pops: Dolphin's Spurt
17. John Dowie: It's Hard To Be An Egg
18. Crispy Ambulance: Deaf
19. Section 25: Dirty Disco
DISC 2
1. New Order: Everything's Gone Green
2. ESG: Moody
3. Tunnelvision: Watching the Hydroplanes
4. The Durutti Column: Messidor
5. A Certain Ratio: Knife Slits Water (LP version)
6. Royal Family and the Poor: Art on 45
7. Swamp Children: Taste What's Rhythm
8. New Order: Temptation
9. 52nd Street: Cool As Ice
10. New Order: Blue Monday
11. Cabaret Voltaire: Yashar (John Robie Remix)
12. Quando Quango: Love Tempo
13. The Wake: Talk About The Past
DISC 3
1. New Order: Confusion
2. Marcel King: Reach For Love
3. Section 25: Looking from A Hilltop (12" Restructure)
4. Stockholm Monsters: All At Once
5. Life: Tell Me
6. The Durutti Column: A Little Mercy (Duet)
7. James: Hymn From A Village
8. Kalima: Trickery
9. A Certain Ratio: Sounds Like Something Dirty
10. Quando Quango: Genius
11. Happy Mondays: Freaky Dancin'
12. Miaow: When It All Comes Down
13. The Railway Children: Brighter
14. Biting Tongues: Compressor
15. New Order: True Faith
16. Happy Mondays: 24 Hour Party People
DISC 4
1. New Order: Fine Time
2. Happy Mondays: WFL (Think About the Future)
3. Revenge: Seven Reasons
4. Happy Mondays: Hallelujah (Club Mix)
5. Electronic: Getting Away With It
6. Happy Mondays: Step On
7. Northside: Shall We Take A Trip
8. England New Order: World In Motion
9. Happy Mondays: Kinky Afro
10. The Durutti Column: Home
11. Electronic: Get The Message (DNA remix)
12. Northside: Take 5
13. Cath Carroll: Moves Like You (Remix)
14. The Other Two: Tasty Fish (12" mix)
15. Happy Mondays: Sunshine and Love (Lionrock Remix)
Labels: A_Certain_Ratio, Biting_Tongues, Cabaret_Voltaire, Crispy_Ambulance, Happy_Mondays, Joy_Division, Miaow, New_Order, Northside, Quando_Quango, Section_25, The_Durutti_Column, The_Names, The_Railway_Children, The_Wake, Tunnelvision
9 Sept 2008
From Blackpool With LovePlus, Section 25 play a special benefit gig for their friend Fes Parker who was recently struck down with cancer. The gig is this Friday 12 September 2008 at the West Coast Rock Café in Blackpool from 8pm. All proceeds go to Mr Parker and other bands are to be confirmed in the line-up.
Finally, the band return to the West Coast Rock Café on 20 December 2008 for a pre-Christmas gig.
Labels: Peter_Hook, Section_25, Tunnelvision
24 May 2008
Section 25 live at Beat Club, Blackpool9pm - 2am
Admission 5.00 GBP
XXV=XXX
Labels: A_Certain_Ratio, Section_25, Tunnelvision
18 Aug 2007
The Guardian gets on the Factory floorLabels: Abecedarians, Adventure_Babies, Tony_Wilson, Tunnelvision
20 Feb 2006
Blackpool Disconnection - Tunnelvision split- Ian Butterworth is working with Section 25 on their new album.
- Chris Anderton was producing / engineering the new Section 25 album but this is no longer the case.
- Chris and Tony Ashworth are now working under the name of FORM.
- Matthew Ashworth is recording as Calpol Child as well as promoting gigs out of Manchester and also playing as one half of a duo Lion Kiosk.
Labels: Tunnelvision
24 Jan 2006
Latest Tunnelvision and Section 25 news"Chris is no longer working on the new Section 25 album due to various reasons which we won't go into here. Ian appears to be now a full time member of Section 25... we await your call on this one Ian. Chris and Tony are therefore looking forward to working with different musicians and singers under a new name."
The new name for Chris and Tony's band is "Form" but no other details at present.
Labels: Tunnelvision
24 Oct 2005
A letter from Larry Cassidy of Section 25Thanks to OMNY for spotting.
Labels: Factory_Records, Larry_Cassidy, Tunnelvision
22 Oct 2005
New Section 25 album?"Ian (Butterworth) is currently working on new material for a new Section 25 album. Chris (Anderton) will be recording and producing the album."
Labels: Tunnelvision
22 May 2005
Watching The Hydroplanes / Guessing The WayJames Nice explains how and why: "Some of you already own 'Guessing the Way' which we released way back in 1998, mixing demos and live tracks. At that time, we did not have access to all master tapes (some were then lost), and the rights to the Factory 7" single were in dispute.
"Since then much has changed, chiefly that the master tapes to both studio demos from 1980 and 1981 were discovered (thanks Peter Hook!), and the 7" is also available. LTM and TV therefore decided to remaster and reissue 2313, and the decided that it would be better still to split GTW into two expanded full length CDs.
"So, we now have LTMCD 2409 Watching the Hydroplanes, which is essentially a studio CD with all the demo tracks (inc Hook mixes) and the Factory 7", in new artwork based on the excellent Fac 39 sleeve. And then we have LTMCD 2313 Guessing the Way V2.0, which contains the complete Blackpool and Bristol shows, both New Order supports and both mastered from the original sound desk cassettes."
More details of both CDs and the recent Tunnelvision CD single available direct from LTM.
Labels: New_Order, Peter_Hook, Tunnelvision
23 Mar 2005
Tunnelvision cd single and album any day nowTracklisting
Anyday
Where Was I
Stones
It costs £2.95 incl P+P
Further details can be found at tunnelvision.moonfruit.com.
Labels: Tunnelvision
1 Mar 2005
New single and re-released album for TunnelvisionLabels: Tunnelvision
27 Jan 2005
"Unswerving aesthetic dimensions"FACT 37 Joy Division ; as yet untitled. 3hr VHS cassette. Complete J.D. video. three concerts plus three TV's of variable picture/sound quality but unswerving aesthetic dimensions. Mail Order perhaps by June. Don't apply now until price is announced. Buy yourself a cassette player first anyway... doesn't work on the turntable son.
FACT 38 "Reality is 3/4inch wide." One hour VHS of Factory promo U-matics, same deatils as above....WAIT etc.
FAC 39 Tunnelvision; "Watching the hydroplanes" 7" 45rpm. Sum more lads frum Blackpool. Great techno-ballad. Out March/April.
FACT 40 Joy Division: "Still"; double album, one live, one full of all the tracks people keep complaining they haven’t got..bleeding elitists.. ..etc..to seal the past, undercut the bootlegs and leave open the tree-lined avenues for 50 etc.
FAC 41-4 Undetermined except plans for Hewick single and Reilly album underway. ...whaddyamean we're not taking the backlash seriously.
FACT 45 Section 25 ; album, first, to be recorded at Brittannia Road in February. Demos already completed…let’s hope the sleeve concept's...
FACT 50 New Order... an album probably....or maybe just a nice picture of Hookey like what they had in Sounds. Demo's just completed for this one at Cargo. Latest on the announced gig circuit;"Middlesborough is a hole." Surprised.
Of particular note in this final portion of the Analysis is Fact 38 which is the unfinished and unreleased Below The Canal video by A Certain Ratio. The 'Factory Newsletter and Shareholders Analysis No. 5 September 1981' elaborates further on what this would have contained: "2 Hours. Early promos 'Forced Laugh'/'Shack Up', live from Music Machine and Heaven. 'Back to the Start', 'Crippled Child', TV stuff from Manchester and Milan, M. Shambergs 13 minute 'Tribeca' from the New York loft, plus art... lots of art. Post-synched erotica by Johnson. Available by December/January, same price and arrangements as 37 in similar apropos bridge bag with G&L flip-top convertible." The 'Tribeca' video clip eventually surfaced on Soul Jazz Records ACR enhanced CD compilation 'Early'.
Labels: A_Certain_Ratio, Factory_Benelux, Factory_Records, Factory_Shareholders_Analysis, Joy_Division, labels, New_Order, Tunnelvision
6 Sept 2004
Happeninga) anyone with a short film to show [up to 20 mins]
b) any bands interested in participating
c) an original short piece of theatre
d) suggestions for an interesting venue
Comments and suggestions to Tunnelvision.
Labels: Tunnelvision
18 Aug 2004
In visionLabels: Tunnelvision
16 Aug 2004
DazedSetlist
Summerisle
Psychopath
Stones
Any Day
Where Was I?
Labels: Tunnelvision
Use Hearing Protection - Factory Records 1978-1979
Use Hearing Protection Factory Records 1978-1979 review
Hacienda How Not to Run a Club TV series
Use Hearing Protection - Fac 1-50 / 40 exhibition
Out of Order - Curating the Factory Catalogue
The Drifting Cowboys Durutti Column T-Shirt
- Electronic Sound magazine [Issue 54] Factory Records
- May 1980 release schedule
- hallowed articles
- FAC 148
- FAC 148 letter from Quarry Bank Mill to Tony Wilson
- FAC 81 stationery source materials
- FAC 81 stationery
- 86 Palatine Road Blue Plaque
- Joy Divison USA Tour Itinerary
- Tony Wilson letter to Ralph Steadman re John Dowie
- IKON stationery
- The Factory stationery
- In the City badge
- Peter Saville Associates stationery and bill
- Movement of the 24th January stationery


































