Rummaging in my spare room...

..came across two interesting videos and an audio tape.

Celebration - a video documentary about the whole Manchester thing, seemingly featuring (amongst others) Wilson, NO/JD, Mondays, Northside (remember them ?!), Central Station, 808 State, MC Tunes, Carpets and A Guy called Gerald : lasts about an hour, shown on ITV early 1990

The Rock of Europe - mainly New Order videos but with some interesting conversation between each with Steve and Gillian, with Steve his usual jovial self (eg, just dipping in, I saw this - Interviewer : "Do you do much dancing yourself?", Steve : "Oooh no, not with my back..."). Interview took place Jan 88, broadcast 1989, again 1 hour long-ish

Substance - two 30 minute Radio 4 programmes broadcast in March 1988 about JD/NO, produced by Mark Radcliffe for Radio Manchester

Dontcha just love finding nuggets like this in your collection ? Off to listen to/watch them all the way thru, reports to follow

fabulous, clayts! let us know how they are!

Celebration

A very in-depth look at the whole Madchester thing at the turn of the 1990s. New Order don't feature in it at all (except in passing - references to them being a key Manchester band).

For once Wilson made sense, saying he thought the Beatles sold out by opening Abbey Road studios in London (as did other Scouse bands), whereas the Mancunian bands that did well, especially 10cc, invested their money in the town they came from (hence the existence of Strawberry Studios - my goodness, a studio funded by a bunch of windswept hippies )

Primarily, the documentary was a snapshot of Manchester in late 1989. It featured every aspect of Manchester life : Dry and the Hac got featured, as did Joe Bloggs, design studio Central Station, deConstruction records, bleak council estates, etc, etc.

Artist wise, Northside got plenty of coverage (I'd forgotten how much I liked "My Rising Star", which they were shown rehearsing), as did 808 State (legends - I bought their stuff before they passed over to the mainstream : great acid house stuff in the late 80s, especially the New Build LP) and MC Tunes (including a live studio take of him recording that depressing song on his album about the day in the life of a heroin addict). Inspiral Carpets were also featured briefly, and there was some great coverage of the Happy Mondays (in their tour bus around Europe, and in their dressing room : some of this seems to have been incorporated in the 24HPP movie : e.g. Derek Ryder singing at the soundcheck), and featuring the 1989 GMex gig (live coverage of them and 808 State).

Oddly, the last bit of coverage was Gerald Simpson (A Guy Called Gerald) in Detroit, visiting Derrick May (one of the godfathers of house music, dontcha know) to get some of his Automotion album remixed.

All in all, a very nice 55 minutes spent reminiscing about the role Madchester played in giving the very insipid music biz a much-needed kick up the arse in the late 80s/early 90s : timeless stuff :)

Tomorrow I'll report back on the Gill and Steve interview. Wanted to watch Road to Perdition tonight so didn't have time :)

Originally posted by ShugZV©
That wasn't Celebration Clayts, it was a South Bank Show special. I have that as well somewhereI also have Rock Of Europe, but the quality is shite on mine, if yours is any good, you can send me it along with yer my CDR's you are doing;)As for Substance, one of the OLD guard on here (Muffster) sent loads of us these interviews on CD, this is where the generosity came from this site.

Good call on the South Bank Show, although there are no opening titles (aside from Celebration).

Yeah, my copy of The Rock of Europe is very good (mono only), so I'll slip that in the package back to you, no probs. Nearly done with the audio - just the RAH show to do. Hope to be sending it all Corby-wards on Monday :)