NEWORDERSTORY..the Real Ones!

I have just bought the 5 disc RETRO but still have not played it after nearly 2 weeks.I guess i have not been TOO excited this timeProbably a combination of several things e.g all the hype that went with it.I guess i already know ALL there is to know about it! But what about those times when you did not know what was coming out.You know before the INTERNET and all things NOOL.Do you have any great little anecdotes about NEW additions to your collection?For instance when i first received the MOVEMENT CD with the CARRY CASE for the CD i thought this was marvellous and very inventive.Why?It is only a carboard case.You see all that went on behind the thinking and eventual product being produced with NO information and no one to discuss this with all added to the MYTH!Other times like when i got the DJ PROMO copy of ROUND and ROUND from my mother-in-law was a tremendous present.Today we seem to know and see everything before it is released and i guess this takes the shine of it a little.What do you think?Especially those of you who are young and NEW to the collecting scene.The music is also very important in that when a new mix is first heard e.g MAKING OUT MIX of VANISHING POINT ,the absolute joy of hearing this for the first time and knowing that the ORDER can still get you buzzing is such a high i could never achieve say by drinking alcohol!Please enlighten me with your thoughts cos i used to think i was a bit obsessive over the group but never quite figured out why them and no other group to the same extent.Once i discovered this FORUM i began to realize that even the ROCKET is kinda normal in respect of his love for this group.Strange indeed!Now its your turn and i will give away a ROCKET CLASSIC CD-R in full HI-FI Sound(in other words one of the crappy sounds i usually do) to the best and most INTERESTING piece.An offer you CAN refuse!:D Rocket Mick

Not knowing everything about an artist is one reason I became such a hugh Joy Division fan; back in 78 through 80, the only way I managed to get information on them was in the odd issue of NME that I could find, and by the time of Ian's death, the circumstances surrounding it were largely unknown to me; it took Deborah's book to fully explain the things that were hinted at in the various things I was able to read. I can't really imagine how this, or the whole punk/new wave thing would have played out if the internet were available back then, but it definitely added a lot of mystery and enjoyment to the music, though I'm not condoning IC's treatment of his wife now that I've learned more.

Going back to the spring of 83 and hearing AOC and BM was also a thrill that I wasn't expecting. I thought all of the singles were great, and Movement a good debut, but it was during that season when I didn't know that the new album was coming out, that I truly became excited, even more so when I could walk 5 minutes to the local dept. store and buy the records, instead of having to drive 70 miles, or order them via the mail and Rough Trade.

Buying the box cassettes was a thrill as well, visiting in SF and finding them for sale, knowing that there weren't many things like that around.

I agree RM about knowing the exact setlist before a band takes the stage can take the excitement off of a gig ( I went to a gig by the Church last year, and knew what was coming, but I found myself listening to the music and watching the reaction of others; it was a bit like Christmas with all of the little nieces and nephews who you've hardly ever seen; they sure are excited about what's going on).

The company I work for is Anglo-French-German, and when the Palatine box was released I was working an extended campaign of late shifts with a French colleague. We used to listen to CD's during the quiter periods, so the new Palatine CD's got several outings. One night, my colleague showed me a little piece in a French mag called "Les Inrockutibles" (or something!)that said that anyone taking out a subscription to the mag would get a free "Palatine Sampler" CD as a gift. There were no details of the CD, so my colleague very kindly offered to phone and ask.

He came in the next day with a scribbled bit of paper, and I was immediately drawn to the fact that a piece called "Interemede Musicale", credited to New Order, appeared between all the tracks. It also stated that it was a Factory disc, with the number Fac303.

Dutifully I filled out the subscription request and sent it off with the money, not cheap as I remember. Obviously I was HORRIFIED when the first mag arrived but no CD. Y'see, the CD wasn't available to overseas subscribers...

Luckily my colleague steped in again and sweet talked them into sending the CD anyway.

"Musical Intermede", incidentally, is better known as "The Happy One".

Oh, and I also cashed in some air-miles to fly to France to pick up the 2CD International to replace the one I had got mail order and subsequently traded with Depthcharge.

Tremendous stories here!Have you noticed how DETAILED they are and not just one liners.This could be taking NOOL to NEWER,BETTER HEIGHTS!Well done to all of you and i am already BACK in those heady days of a NEW release and the GREAT anticipation that went with it!The good OLD days.Gone but not forgotten.:D

In the time before t'internet & NOOL, I was chuffed to get hold of a copy of a fanzine called "Paradise" which I guess was the NOOL of it's day. Plenty of poorly photocopied & typeset stuff but a labour of love to be sure.

I also remember receiving a copy of the USA89 programme "Neworder Untitled" from my then girlfriend, completely out of the blue. In the days before Google, Amazon & Ebay, that was quite a little pressie for her to have found.

Ahhh, the memories...

Originally posted by Jordan L In the time before t'internet & NOOL, I was chuffed to get hold of a copy of a fanzine called "Paradise" which I guess was the NOOL of it's day. Plenty of poorly photocopied & typeset stuff but a labour of love to be sure.I also remember receiving a copy of the USA89 programme "Neworder Untitled" from my then girlfriend, completely out of the blue. In the days before Google, Amazon & Ebay, that was quite a little pressie for her to have found.Ahhh, the memories...

Yes i have EVERY copy of PARADISE and indeed this was a BRILLIANT source of information.The covers on these got better and better!Still keep all of them in PLASTIC covers.Sad but true?And why get rid of such a great girl

I remember that time in 89 when Technique was about to be released. I could go to the record shop everyday (Dutchy's record cave for those near Montreal)to see if the awaited thing was out. Finally one day, i entered the shop and the clerk, who knew i was a New Order fan, got that wonderfully packed US import LP out the box and said i have something for you.I think i'll remember that time all my life...

There still are pretty good record shops in MTL but i won't tell you because i don't want you to pick up the gems before me.:D Latest item found: SLY german 2X12"

I agree that it is better to have the internet for keeping up with news, releases, tours, etc. I found it particularly frustrating (still do actually) to be a fan here in the US. Three stories come to mind. First is going into an indie record shop around '94/95 in Davis, CA and seeing on upcoming release white board "New import singles by New Order" - it was of course sadly just the remixes of True Faith, Blue Monday and 1963, but you UK fans have to realize how little coverage the band gets over here. This was actually exciting! Later that year I went to Virgin Megastore in SF for the first time and was blown away by the size of it - had never been in anything like it. Right on display in front was a wall filled with what looked like (best of) New Order, but it was actually the two disc (rest of) set in the "pinkish" cover. Again, not a great release, but at the time a thrilling discovery because I had not heard about this release at all.

Finally, my saddest tale is that despite all the negative chatter regarding Retro on this website, I was actually looking forward to it just for discs 3-5 since my collection includes just the standard releases for the most part. For the first time ever in my life, I went to Tower records at midnight on the eve of release and bought it - to my horror when I got home there was no bonus fifth disc inside. Yhere is nothing more frustrating than to be a NO fan over here in the States!

I used to subscribe to Paradise before 'tinternet great little magazine it was too!

Like many on here i relied on magazines like NME, Melody Maker, Select, Rage, Q, record collector and others for info. I remember stopping a guy in teh street wearing a Technique Tshirt and asking him where he got it, he said HMV in Brighton so i dutifly got the train down there and too my dismay they had about 3 or 4 different t-shirts for sale (as well as copies of Paradise may i add!!) i say to my dismay because i was a poor college student at the time and it was a heartwrenching decision of which ones to leave behind on the rack

I also rang and faxed GioGoi in my 'i must get stuff Barney wears' phase! eventually got a few garments after much trudging round obscure clothes shops which unfortantly are now too small for me so they bit the dust.

Yes the 'tinternet is great as it shares and collaborates like minded people and im positive that much of the rare stuff which i have seen/heard i would never had done so had it not been primarily for this site.

But it does somewhat take the romance and excitement about seeing a remix in a shop or seeing a show on telly featuring NO and it totally taking you by suprise - that was alway such a buzz :)

Such a BUZZ DON.I know that feeling and still hope to recreate this next week on my birthday by visiting an old stall on a car boot market in PRESTON.This guy might have some rare CDs.PROMO will do as long as i ain't seen the cover.Then i can relax and be smug with myself for finding a little treasure.The glow wont last but it will be nice when it first happens!Now remember folks a CD-R to the best story....so far there ae a few contenders so we could have MULTIPLE WINNERS again.Great...trashy CD-Rs from ROCKET MICK.That all you bloody need !Roll up...u cant win if you don't enter in the spirit of the game.No CHEATING now :D

The big joy for me was not actually knowing when something was due out, especially cos most of the music press used to ignore the good stuff in favour of the fad of the moment. I remember quite well my heart jumping when I saw Technique on the day of it's release. All the stories I'd heard about it from me mates and other sources, how it was gonna be half house music and half trad NO, etc etc etc. You definitely got a massive buzz of anticipation back then. Nowadays I can compile a wants list and just walk into a record shop once a month, but in the old days I used to practically live in them. Wishing that some crappy indie distributor would remember to send a few copies over here, hoping that the shop management would pick up some thinking they'd perhaps sell, hunting down obscurities in collectors shops and at record fairs, trying to get a few quid off the price cos the sleeve was a bit scuffed, finding something I never ever thought I'd ever see in me life. Ahhhh, fair brings me back.

I'm with Shugzv about getting information on New Order - it actually helped when I worked in London as NME was generally available on a Wednesday there than a Thursday so you could get prior notice of news. So many of the gigs in mid 80s were advertised with very little notice, and in pre-credit card days it was a nervous wait once cheques had been posted to see if the ticket application was successful.

Paradise was a good source of information, and some visitors to NOOL were contributors way back then

Using the net does make things so much easier though - niggly questions, news, gossip - it seems a lifetime ago that this was often really difficult stuff to catch wind of - today's young 'uns don't know how lucky they are!!

Before 1990, there weren't any indie record stores in Zagreb at all, you'd have to: a) order stuff from abroad from a catalogue that accepted cash (because you couldn't send checques or anything in foregin currency, but you could buy foregin currency on black market). Something called Gema springs to mind, they gladly accepted cash, the only problem was how to hide it from our customs service (wew weren't allowed to send cash out of the country, remember), but there was a technique to fold the form so the money wouldn't show on the x-ray machine. We got the catalogue from a friend, and we were extatic only to see the titles, let alone collect the money and actually order the records. And when the goods would finally arrive, five or six of us would have a listening session at my place after school. I got my Ceremony that way, also Confusion, and non-NO related stuff. b) Beg and beg mates who went abroad to bring you records, if they were rich you cuold gat away with not even paying for them-that's how I got most of my Joy Division collection c) make a tourist trip to Trieste or Graz-Graz had some very good specialist indie shops. I still have Low Life from then, and it's far prettier then the CDs of nowadays (It's silky, and Barney's picture is much bigger. As you have to pull out the inner cover to see him, it just begs to be listened to). d) Buy records off street stalls. Back then there was this fair at the Flower Square every spring and Christmass and you could buy comics and records as well. Probably the first thing I've ever bought was a Here Are The Young Men copy on VHS,although I didn't even have a video yet. We were most impressed by the you're-free-to-do-whatever-you-like-with-this-video bit at the end, although the friend at whose home we watched it said that Ian looked like Captain Spock. Later I made friends with several salesmen, so they actually kept the records to offer to me first. Unfortunately, they later turned to copynig popular tapes and they were eventually banned from the fair. You could also buy second-hand records at several places, that also came handy. Somewhere in 1990 the first independent record store had opened, so the records were more widely available. We'd go to the store after school, look at the records, sometimes buy some, and stop for a drink on our way home. Then shops started to open more and CDs arrived, I was idiotic enough to sell some of my record collection (fortunately not all). But just as things started to get better war broke out and we were thrown back a good decade. By the time we recomposed, MTV had taken over the indie scene, Republic wasn't very good, the Gallagher idiots represented Manchester and a lot of magic was gone. I do notice that now it's relatively easy to get to new music, kids just don't care about it the way we did. It's like the less effort you have to put into achieving something, the less you appreciate it. I guess it's the same with everything in life.

Originally posted by Julijana Zitnjak Before 1990, there weren't any indie record stores in Zagreb at all, you'd have to:a) order stuff from abroad from a catalogue that accepted cash (because you couldn't send checques or anything in foregin currency, but you could buy foregin currency on black market). Something called Gema springs to mind, they gladly accepted cash, the only problem was how to hide it from our customs service (wew weren't allowed to send cash out of the country, remember), but there was a technique to fold the form so the money wouldn't show on the x-ray machine. We got the catalogue from a friend, and we were extatic only to see the titles, let alone collect the money and actually order the records. And when the goods would finally arrive, five or six of us would have a listening session at my place after school. I got my Ceremony that way, also Confusion, and non-NO related stuff.b) Beg and beg mates who went abroad to bring you records, if they were rich you cuold gat away with not even paying for them-that's how I got most of my Joy Division collectionc) make a tourist trip to Trieste or Graz-Graz had some very good specialist indie shops. I still have Low Life from then, and it's far prettier then the CDs of nowadays (It's silky, and Barney's picture is much bigger. As you have to pull out the inner cover to see him, it just begs to be listened to).d) Buy records off street stalls. Back then there was this fair at the Flower Square every spring and Christmass and you could buy comics and records as well. Probably the first thing I've ever bought was a Here Are The Young Men copy on VHS,although I didn't even have a video yet. We were most impressed by the you're-free-to-do-whatever-you-like-with-this-video bit at the end, although the friend at whose home we watched it said that Ian looked like Captain Spock. Later I made friends with several salesmen, so they actually kept the records to offer to me first. Unfortunately, they later turned to copynig popular tapes and they were eventually banned from the fair.You could also buy second-hand records at several places, that also came handy.Somewhere in 1990 the first independent record store had opened, so the records were more widely available. We'd go to the store after school, look at the records, sometimes buy some, and stop for a drink on our way home. Then shops started to open more and CDs arrived, I was idiotic enough to sell some of my record collection (fortunately not all). But just as things started to get better war broke out and we were thrown back a good decade. By the time we recomposed, MTV had taken over the indie scene, Republic wasn't very good, the Gallagher idiots represented Manchester and a lot of magic was gone. I do notice that now it's relatively easy to get to new music, kids just don't care about it the way we did. It's like the less effort you have to put into achieving something, the less you appreciate it. I guess it's the same with everything in life.

Wow you had it tough.If i am ALLOWED to send you a CD-R or two to your country without fear of it being nicked by customs then send me your home or work address and i will send you some of ROCKET MICK's PLANET ROCKET PRODUCTIONS.Fine specimens too!If you want to send a WANTS list i will try to get you some of them.I may even send you a GENUINE artifact from the VAULTS of my vast collection cos i have got enough to last me a lifetime already.Great story and what efforts you went to.A TRUE fan and NOOL'er.Well done...top of the class!:D More winners to follow so carry on posting.

Originally posted by Majestic Head Swings The big joy for me was not actually knowing when something was due out, especially cos most of the music press used to ignore the good stuff in favour of the fad of the moment. I remember quite well my heart jumping when I saw Technique on the day of it's release. All the stories I'd heard about it from me mates and other sources, how it was gonna be half house music and half trad NO, etc etc etc. You definitely got a massive buzz of anticipation back then. Nowadays I can compile a wants list and just walk into a record shop once a month, but in the old days I used to practically live in them. Wishing that some crappy indie distributor would remember to send a few copies over here, hoping that the shop management would pick up some thinking they'd perhaps sell, hunting down obscurities in collectors shops and at record fairs, trying to get a few quid off the price cos the sleeve was a bit scuffed, finding something I never ever thought I'd ever see in me life. Ahhhh, fair brings me back.

Excellent and will bear you in mind when sending out the goodies.TOTAL TRASH FOR TOTAL TRASH...got a ring to it!:D

Hey, Julijana, I just realised that I visited Zagreb one Saturday night in September 1975. I could have bought you loads of stuff over. Just a minute, 1975? Well perhaps not.

In the early days, we'll call them 1980 on, you looked through the bins everytime you visited an independent record store to find new JD/NO material. That was usually about 4 - 6 times a week. Luckily for those of us here in Austin, Factory material came through pretty steady including the Shark Vegas, Thick Pigeon, A Certain Ration, Section 25, Cabaret Voltaire, and of course our all-time favorites. Austin has always been a way hip music town, not all of it necessarily roots rock, or hillbilly cowboy. From PCL on, most of the NO material was promoted in advance after they signed with Quest – a 4 track tape cassette of Low Life made the club circuit easily a month before the album came out. Ditto on Brotherhood, Substance, and Technique. It was a lot more exciting back then because there was a mystery in discovery. I remember finding the Everything’s Gone Green 12” w/Cries & Whisper in Boulder, Colorado. Before that I never knew it existed. The album art was the give away. My personal favorite being the Thieves Like Us 12” and Murder 12” back to back with the same art theme. All the 12”ers from JD were holy - Transmission, Love Will Tear Us Apart, and Atmosphere. Nothing still comes close nor ever will. What a great time to be young.

Originally posted by a very small boy Hey, Julijana, I just realised that I visited Zagreb one Saturday night in September 1975. I could have bought you loads of stuff over. Just a minute, 1975? Well perhaps not.

Well I was about 2 then, if JD were around it would have given me a head start. What was the happy occasion (I hope it was happy) ?

Hells Bells Julijana - that is one helluva story!!

I thought my weekly trips to the Our Price at the bottom of Market St were a bind!! "Is it out yet?" "Nah, next week mate. Been delayed. Again."

I remember walking up to the shop in my dinner break from college & seeing the cherub image for the 1st time. I instinctively knew this was the new album.

A wee while later, I walked in on the day R&R was eventually due out to hear the instrumental extended intro of the track. It seemed to go on for about 10 minutes before the album intro kicked in - the very memory makes the hairs stand up on my neck.

Last snippet - the small CD store in the Arndale called Compact in 1989/90 (was near where Time computers are now.) The guys seemed to know Neworder were a goldmine of info & rarities. This is where I got my True Faith CDV,US PC&L and the Salvation OST, oh and a 12" of Run2 signed by Hooky. These were also the guys that assured me they were going back into the studio to record what turned out to be Republic.

Oh happy days, but without t'internet, i wouldn't have met allk yous guys ;)

Originally posted by Julijana Zitnjak > Originally posted by a very small boy> Hey, Julijana, I just realised that I visited Zagreb one Saturday night in September 1975. I could have bought you loads of stuff over. Just a minute, 1975? Well perhaps not.

Well I was about 2 then, if JD were around it would have given me a head start. What was the happy occasion (I hope it was happy) ?

Didn't really visit Zagreb by choice. We were travelling from Split to Rijeka by train and the only route seemed to be inland via Zagreb. We pitched up in Zagreb in the early evening and I seem to recall it was a big army garrison town. Hundreds of young men in uniform were walking up and down one side of the street while the same number of girls walked up and down the other side all eyeing each other up. Known as a monkey run around here. We were only able to stay for a few hours before catching the next train. Cant remember much else other than buying a tin of ham and what we thought was a loaf of bread which turned out to be a cake...didnt go together at all well! I believe Zagreb is quite a smart city now but unfortunately we didnt get the opportunity to do it justice in 1975. JD obviously hadnt started then but I could have told you all about Barney and Hooky and their delinquent ways!

this thread has made me want to dig some of the old stuff out &put it on & just think about when i bought it & the not knowing what it would sound like or if it would top their previous releases when i bought my house i had republic in the car as it had just come out, when i was thirty they played reading after phoenix had been rearranged & i remember thinking after their set & watching the thousands of people leave "follow that" & garbage waited what seemed like hours before coming on because they knew they couldnt of talking to smoe american who had flown over for just for the gig before it started & we were wondering what they would start with & i thought regret would be a good choice & then they came on "we're new order, you're the audience, let's rock the fucking house" & then the majesty of a new order set when everything goes right, from the reworkings of joy division songs that sounded right up to date to the ae old classics, sheer heaven. my best 30th birthday present ever.

Originally posted by Hibster this thread has made me want to dig some of the old stuff out &put it on & just think about when i bought it & the not knowing what it would sound like or if it would top their previous releaseswhen i bought my house i had republic in the car as it had just come out, when i was thirty they played reading after phoenix had been rearranged & i remember thinking after their set & watching the thousands of people leave "follow that" & garbage waited what seemed like hours before coming on because they knew they couldntof talking to smoe american who had flown over for just for the gig before it started & we were wondering what they would start with & i thought regret would be a good choice & then they came on "we're new order, you're the audience, let's rock the fucking house"& then the majesty of a new order set when everything goes right, from the reworkings of joy division songs that sounded right up to date to the ae old classics, sheer heaven.my best 30th birthday present ever.

Heres hoping theres a New album in time for my 30th next summer it will go someway to softening the blow of not being a "20 something" any more