Bill Holding interview (Singles leaf, Designed By Peter Saville etc.)

I've made a special page for the BILL HOLDING interview. Bill Holding is one half of design partnership Morph. Other than designing smart furniture and products and working in team with other designers for top fashion brands like Prada, Mandarina Duck and Louis Vuitton (and realising the new Sky logo), he has worked with the G.O.D. (God Of Design) Peter Saville, creating the wonderful cover for the book 'Designed By Peter Saville' (a tribute to the iconic cover Saville made for Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures) and the fantastic image for the sleeve of New Order's brand new collection, Singles (which is a re-work of the leaf originally appeared on the cover of the True Faith CD single). It is a huge privilege for my amateurish humble site to have a really interesting interview with him. My most heartfelt thanks to Bill for answering my questions through E Mail. Nic of course you can use it for this site if you wish.

"Unfortunately due to the usual record label time and budget restrictions it never saw the light of day"

What a great way of saying "Pete was late again!"

Brilliant, Mick - thanks so much!

Well done mate The sites not too bad, but where's the link to NOOL? suprised nick didn't pull you up on that.

I think the comparison to Blue Monday is just for the colour code. If you click the links on the interview, many bring to images on NOOL, which is also linked at the bottom of the page because, as ever being without a scanner, I've stolen a couple of pics. There's not a permanent link anywhere, mainly because the site is still in development and I haven't thought yet where I can place it, but virtually every time I speak of New Order the link appears somewhere in the post. Also New Order links will appear in the New Order Directory which is still at its very first stages since I have no time... Anyway I'll try to place some links on A New Order Fan too ASAP... :) I've exchanged a couple of mails with Bill and just tried to include some questions, I was amazed from his kind response, I wasn't expecting these thoughtful answers, he has cared enough to make it a really interesting interview and I'm still really excited, and thank you for appreciating it...

Edit: I've placed a link in the "about" section on the home page Yes, there's a link to the other site too (though NOOL is recommended), but it's peace in the New Order web now, isn't it?

Thanks, Mick! That was interesting

thanks a lot !!!

Great READ and i just checked my SAVILLE BY DESIGN to view the original concept for GET READY.Lovely!

i was comparing it to the colour coded font Peter developed which appeared on Blue Monday.

Chris Nash wrote: I got a card reading 'Cold Play'. I didn't have the heart to tell her...

You did the right thing, Chris, just appreciate the kind gesture... still, one of the funniest things I've ever read here.

Hey Bill, happy to see you here... having also Howard, we just miss Peter, tell him to join!

Mick Aneworderfan wrote:

Chris Nash wrote: I got a card reading 'Cold Play'. I didn't have the heart to tell her...

You did the right thing, Chris, just appreciate the kind gesture... still, one of the funniest things I've ever read here.

Hey Bill, happy to see you here... having also Howard, we just miss Peter, tell him to join!

Peter has his emails printed out for him to read (gotta love his style!), so i am guessing getting as far as using an online forum, is probably a long way off!

Bill Holding wrote: Peter has his emails printed out for him to read (gotta love his style!), so i am guessing getting as far as using an online forum, is probably a long way off!

You'll be telling us next if he needs to fax a document to several people, he does as many photo copies of the doc as people. I've seen it done!

Love your avitar by the way (and all the stuff on your site).

Jed Stephens wrote:

Bill Holding wrote: Peter has his emails printed out for him to read (gotta love his style!), so i am guessing getting as far as using an online forum, is probably a long way off!

You'll be telling us next if he needs to fax a document to several people, he does as many photo copies of the doc as people. I've seen it done!

Love your avitar by the way (and all the stuff on your site).

It wouldn't surprise me! I kind of like the anti-technology approach though, especially as i spend the whole day having to use damn computers!

i appreciate the complements as well. you can probably nick the avitar image off my website!

Bill Holding wrote: you can probably nick the avitar image off my website!

Done it

Bill Holding wrote: Peter has his emails printed out for him to read

Can't believe this... But is it a choice or can't he really use Outlook Express?

Thanks for sending the three other pictures (taken at the Saville exhibition) I've added right now to the page with your interview They are Bernard Sumner's astronomy book, your versions of Unknown Pleasures and the real leaves used to make True Faith.

Mick Aneworderfan wrote:

Bill Holding wrote: Peter has his emails printed out for him to read

Can't believe this... But is it a choice or can't he really use Outlook Express?

Thanks for sending the three other pictures (taken at the Saville exhibition) I've added right now to the page with your interview They are Bernard Sumner's astronomy book, your versions of Unknown Pleasures and the real leaves used to make True Faith.

Glad you liked the photos Mick. The exhibition was really great, especially the development sketches of the Blue Monday font (yeah i am a bit geeky like that!) the photos of which didn't come out (Gutted!). It was the first time any of it had seen the light of day for years, so it was a bit of a trip for him unearthing it all again. If anybody hasn't got his book "Designed By Peter Saville", i urge them to do so, as it is a great insight into him and his work, especially the Factory era. It also sheds light on a lot of his ideas, many of which might not have been picked up on.

As for the emails, i guess he just can't be fucked with all that, rather than not being able to, but phone calls always prove more interesting anyway, because it always ends up going off at a tangent, as he launches in some great anecdotes, which i could listen to all day.

Try as I might, I just couldn't get those two off the wall...

Love the latex version - makes nice wallpaper ;).

Cheers Bill.

Love the latex version - makes nice wallpaper ;).

Cheers Bill.

no problem, glad you like it. I have some other variations we did before we settled on the two prints (pictured at the exhibition), and at soem point i am going to put them online, so i will post a thread on this forum site when i have done it.

Bill Holding wrote:

Love the latex version - makes nice wallpaper ;).

keep us posted Bill. Your Unknown Pleasures is a fine piece of work, and well thought out too. The Black version is my desktop wallpaper (do I owe you royalties )

Good interview Mick. A good approach.

Royalties!!!???!!! Ha. Personally i don't care who uses any of our artwork for personal use, hell i have done the same in the past myself. The only thing that pisses me off is when people use somebody else's work to make money, although somebody told me that they had seen t-shirts using the new version of U. Pleasures, which is news to me! Obviously seen no royalties from that one, but in all honesty i was quite flattered. If anyone has a pic of the t-shirts i would be interested to see how they look.

Thanks Cake, but you better edit your post... something's wrong with the code and the page looks quite messy down there...

I wonder why the proposed Crystal single would be so expensive? I think Electronic did the clear cd for the Late at Night single with respect to the CD. And the cover is just w/o adding any sleeves or backcard. Also the Pet Shop Boys's did a large color layer on the cover case of its Bilingual CD. New Order's single would only be a smaller color bar.

I guess this is b/c this is only the single and not an album...

Eric Wang wrote: I wonder why the proposed Crystal single would be so expensive? I think Electronic did the clear cd for the Late at Night single with respect to the CD. And the cover is just w/o adding any sleeves or backcard. Also the Pet Shop Boys's did a large color layer on the cover case of its Bilingual CD. New Order's single would only be a smaller color bar.

I guess this is b/c this is only the single and not an album...

personally i think the record company didn't want to take the risk of putting out a single with absolutly no text on it whatsoever, and maybe it costs more to print the cd's in that way, although i have a Plastikman CD single which is printed like that, and i imagine that would have had lower projected sales, so couldn't say for sure.

Mick Aneworderfan wrote: Thanks Cake, but you better edit your post... something's wrong with the code and the page looks quite messy down there...

I think its sorted now.

There are problems with the code in the song browser section too - which could be looked at.

Bill: What kind of software do you run to get the 3d graphics? I often use an engineering programme called "i-deas" which is the basis of a finite element solver, but nontheless involves 3d modelling. Id be interested to hear what it is (just for the sakes of messing about on it if its on bearshare or something). Thanks!

CAKE - CLOCK - ZWART wrote:

Mick Aneworderfan wrote: Thanks Cake, but you better edit your post... something's wrong with the code and the page looks quite messy down there...

I think its sorted now.

There are problems with the code in the song browser section too - which could be looked at.

Bill: What kind of software do you run to get the 3d graphics? I often use an engineering programme called "i-deas" which is the basis of a finite element solver, but nontheless involves 3d modelling. Id be interested to hear what it is (just for the sakes of messing about on it if its on bearshare or something). Thanks!

I use 3D Studio max with an improved rendering plugin, although i think the latest release of this program includes it now. This is only available to use on a PC, so if you are Mac based you should look at Maya by Alias, as that is a similar thing, and is the mutts nutts!

Bill Holding wrote:

CAKE - CLOCK - ZWART wrote:

Mick Aneworderfan wrote: Thanks Cake, but you better edit your post... something's wrong with the code and the page looks quite messy down there...

I think its sorted now.

There are problems with the code in the song browser section too - which could be looked at.

Bill: What kind of software do you run to get the 3d graphics? I often use an engineering programme called "i-deas" which is the basis of a finite element solver, but nontheless involves 3d modelling. Id be interested to hear what it is (just for the sakes of messing about on it if its on bearshare or something). Thanks!

I use 3D Studio max with an improved rendering plugin, although i think the latest release of this program includes it now. This is only available to use on a PC, so if you are Mac based you should look at Maya by Alias, as that is a similar thing, and is the mutts nutts!

Thanks for that Bill. Im always intersted in knocking about in an entierly half assed way with programmes like that.

Im on a PC myself, so Ill check out 3D Studio max. I think my friend has a copy.

Bill Holding wrote:

if you are Mac based you should look at Maya by Alias, as that is a similar thing, and is the mutts nutts!

I've heard that mad Serbian lass described in many ways but never as the "mutts nutts"

anyone notice how Urban outfitters are using an image that has an uncanilly resemblence to unknown pleasures on shirts they sell. They also sell 'movement' shirts.

Johnny wrote:

Bill Holding wrote:

if you are Mac based you should look at Maya by Alias, as that is a similar thing, and is the mutts nutts!

I've heard that mad Serbian lass described in many ways but never as the "mutts nutts"

Serbian lass? I was talking about some software, or did i miss something?

ahhh. he talking about his girly. He's always looking for her attention.

Team Szwajkos wrote: ahhh. he talking about his girly. He's always looking for her attention.

well, i`ve not been looking for her attention so much lately.i don't know if you'd noticed?

I prefer Scattermcbrain a lot these days.But i fear i may have to compete with Taboo No.7 for her attention

hey johnny's its me---- Jonathan.

Team Szwajkos wrote: hey johnny's its me---- Jonathan.

WHAT THE?!!!

JEEZ ! I didn`t realise , J!

I was just thinking recently where have you got to? Thought you'd quit this place or something! I didn't notice the Brooklyn adress.I really should pay more attention.How you doin? Still getting stoned at work? What hairstyle do you have these days?

boo!!!

adress?? what's that?

Team Szwajkos wrote: boo!!!

adress?? what's that?

Alright, 'Location' then.

Bill Holding wrote:

Johnny wrote:

Bill Holding wrote:

if you are Mac based you should look at Maya by Alias, as that is a similar thing, and is the mutts nutts!

I've heard that mad Serbian lass described in many ways but never as the "mutts nutts"

Serbian lass? I was talking about some software, or did i miss something?

Bill, Maya is NO Babe, one of the top three sex symbols of the forum!

Holding?

Sorry Bill!