Here's my list
Stockholm Monsters Tunnelvision Streetlife Happy Mondays (after Pills, Thrills) Northside The Wendys
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Worst bands on Factory
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The Stockholm Monsters are as good as New Order. (IMHO!) The others on yr list are not great, I admit.
Virtually everything on FAC was great in it's own way, but here's 3 who didn't work for me :
Kalima - sorry but Ann Q sings (very) flat. You might get away with it in a rumbling guitar band, but not in a jazz troupe.
Nyam Nyam - no melodies and a thin gruel of a sound.
Royal Family and The Poor - especially the later stuff.
Quando Quango
I bought Love Tempo 12" cos it was on Factory, and produced by Barney I think (that's what the guy on the record stall said to me) and it was shite.
That bastard should be ashamed taking £6 off an innocent 15 year old!
Talking to James Nice of Factory-recycler LTM, the two acts who's reissued material is impossible to give away are Biting Tongues [Graham Massey-808 State] and Royal Family and the Poor.
The Stockholm Monsters are a good band, sound like an early version of The Mondays at times. And if you think Northside are bad, you should hear some of the obscure offerings consigned to Factory Benelux.
More info on the Biting Tongues at http://www.bitingtongues.com/ Must say they were a 'one listen band'. I weren't that fond of Crawling Chaos(except the 'sex machine' single), or Kevin Hewick either - thank Juninho he never ended up the New Order vocalist! No disrespect if you are reading this Mr Hewick, sir .
Stockholm Monsters album "Alma Mater" was on my turntable solid for about erm.. 2-3 weeks in December 1985.
The Wendys.
Firstly they were from Edinburgh. Secondly they were all in their 30's. Thirdly, the drummer (or was it the bassist?) was bald with glasses. Fourthly, I remember them trying really hard to be noticed at the Electronic gig in the Barrowlands in '91 by all wearing "Wendys" t-shirts!!!!
And that's without even mentioning that their music was total gash.
Originally posted by Johnny Giles Talking to James Nice of Factory-recycler LTM, the two acts who's reissued material is impossible to give away are Biting Tongues [Graham Massey-808 State] and Royal Family and the Poor.The Stockholm Monsters are a good band, sound like an early version of The Mondays at times. And if you think Northside are bad, you should hear some of the obscure offerings consigned to Factory Benelux.
Hi Johnny if you are speaking terms with Mr Nice, can you ask him if LTM can acquire the rights to the first two singles by James and get them issued on cd?
Can't believe no one's mentioned the Adventure Babies yet!
...and Section 25 as well. "Always Now" was just a poor JD rip-off imo. Sorry, Mister Hannett...
**The Wake are/were pretty shite.**
I can't agree with that. They were flawed, I'll admit (but who isn't?) but their best work is ace - An Immaculate Conception, Talk About The Past, Something Outside, for ex. Even 'Make It Loud' on that most wretched of labels, Sarah, is great - a more beefed up guitar sound and some nicely biting sarcasm to go with the angst. I think the problem with a lot of their early work was sameyness and lack of really memorable hooks to go along with some nicely subtle geetar n' keybds work. I do like Caesar's voice though. I was listening to the first Altered Images album the other day and the one track recorded when Caesar was still in the band sounds musically exactly like the Wake - can't remember the bloody title though.
The Wendys were, on the whole, fairly dull. 'Fingers Off' was a good single though.
Section 25 as a poor JD rip-off? Hardly. Less directly narrative, more diffuse...Also I think they were coming more from a Can/Krautrock direction e.g Monster Movies and the second side of Neu 75. Actually the Krautrock influence is something that seems to be downplayed in the Factory story - you can definitely hear it in SXV, early Mondays, ACR (check 'Knife Slits Water's bassline vs Holger Czukay's bassline in Can's 'Aspectacle'!) Key Of Dreams is also really Can-like.
I once (very briefly) played with one of the bands mentioned on this thread - and yes, they were truly shite!
I've given this some thought , some Factory tunes are not my cup of tea at all , yet to pick a ' Worst ' is proving a tad difficult , because the only thing/image that comes to mind when Factory Worst is mentioned is that fuckin dance of Andy McCluskey's when playing Electricity with OMD. Nice tune , catchy etc .... forever linked in me minds eye to that fuckin dancing prat
Originally posted by Al Jarvis Can't believe no one's mentioned the Adventure Babies yet!
or The Minny Pops.
Bang on. Worse than your uncle dancing at a wedding.
OMD were a great band, but never let it be forgotten that Mr McClusky went on to become the mastermind behind Atomic Kitten...
Originally posted by Casey Ryback > Originally posted by Al Jarvis Can't believe no one's mentioned the Adventure Babies yet!
or The Minny Pops.
I think James Nice said they were by far and away the worst seller on LTM.
Them, and Biting Tongues.
Am sure that's what he said!
Originally posted by Old Blue McClusky went on to become the mastermind behind Atomic Kitten...
Once a cunt .....
Originally posted by Garymac when Factory Worst is mentioned is that fuckin dance of Andy McCluskey's when playing Electricity with OMD.Nice tune , catchy etc .... forever linked in me minds eye to that fuckin dancing prat
A true one off dance - although Barney's is similar
Big hand for Crispy Ambulance!!!.Surely due an award for the THE WORST BAND NAME EVER IN THE HISTORY OF MUSIC!?
Originally posted by Digital Mike Binoche The Wake Happy MondaysStockholm Monsters
The Mondays? Surely you jest Mike? Fuckin great band.
Shug
Well perhaps not
But the Mondays are headlining a festival soon.
What a joke, Ryder is a fucking mess
Mike
Does anyone believe Revenge would have been signed to Factory if Hooky wasn't in them? I don't.
