OTHER FACTORY BANDS? GREAT ONES / SHITE ONES

How about nominating your other favourite Factory bands apart from The Order/Divison? Here's my short list of good ones and not so good ones IMHO.

THE GOOD: A Certain Ratio - (recommended stuff: "Flight" "Blown Away" "Knife Slits Water" "Wild Party" "Sextet" LP "Force" LP Best sampler: "The Old And The New") James - (recommended: "Jimone" EP / "Village Fire EP") Railway Children - (recommended: "Brighter" "Reunion Wilderness LP" [sadly they blanded out to MOR hell after signing to Virgin and thus ceased to matter]) The Wake - (recommended: "Talk About The Past" "Of The Matter" "Someone That NoOne Else Could Bring EP" "Here Comes Everybody" LP - the most cruelly maligned and underrated of Factory bands, simply dismissed for sounding too much like New Order. So what??) Happy Mondays - (recommended - everything they did up to "Bummed" LP and "Wrote For Luck" and "Lazyitis" - their breakthrough stuff I never really cared for.) Section 25 - (recommended: "Looking From A Hilltop" "Crazy Wisdom" "From The Hip" LP "Dirty Disco") Meatmouth - (recommended: their sole self-titled EP. Meatmouth feature ex-BIG FLAME [legendary mid-80's Manchester Noiseniks] guitarist Greg O'Keeffe) Quando Quango - (recommended: "Genius"/"Go Exciting" 12" "Pigs and Battleships" LP "Tingle" 12" "Atom Rock"
The Quango's Mike Pickering went on to massive success with those fun-lovin' crotch-grabbin' beer-swillin' pineapple-bonced death-metallers M-People of course.....grunt !! grunt!! grunt!!!!)

THE BAD The Adventure Babies (watered down guitar pap and not worth the huge money spent on them Anthony H.) Northside (as cack as they were ugly - they only got signed cos of Madchester!) Life (made no impression on me whatsoever) Crispy Ambulance (the name was dropped far more than the records were heard!!!)

Post your nominations and opinions now!!

No Factory greats list is complete without The Durutti Column, and they are still popping out the odd gem. The godlike genius of ACR (except that Stevie Wonder cover version) The Stockholm Monsters are also up there with the best of them. The Wake (particularly the "Harmony" mini-lp - shortly to be re-released on LTM) were a typical Factory band (nowt wrong with that!) and Section 25's "From The Hip" is worth anyone's money. Lots of fabulous one off singles also, OMD, ESG James, 52nd Street, Cabaret Voltaire, Tunnelvision, Biting Tongues.... I could go on (fucking hated The Railway Children though).

Were the Chamaleons (think that's how you spell it) a Factory band? They have one song that I've heard ("In Shreds"), it seems almost austere enough to be a Factory creation.

No, they weren't on Factory - which was lucky as they were shite. Lots of people liked them at the time but I just didn't "get" them.

Originally posted by FDISK The Wake (particularly the "Harmony" mini-lp - shortly to be re-released on LTM) were a typical Factory band (nowt wrong with that!) and Section 25's "From The Hip" is worth anyone's money.

WOW!!! When did that news come about?? I've been waiting YONKS for some old Factory titles to be issued on CD for the first time. "Harmony" by The Wake and also their second, magnificent opus "Here Comes Everybody". In fact this band brought out so little perhaps both these LPs and their three Factory singles can be fitted onto one CD? There's hope yet....... Pray, FDISK, do tell me more...who's LTM for instance?

The Wendys were pretty cool. "The Sun's Going To Shine For Me Soon" is a classic.

ACR, James and Durutti Column obviously, but I think Life were pretty good, even though they only released two singles

"Sex Machine" by Crawling Chaos is a classic and "Watching the Hydroplanes" by Tunnel Vision is a really odd one which comes to my mind. And I do like Crispy Ambulance. They're a great band and they rereleased two CDs. One on Factory Benelux (FBN 12 CD) with "The Plateau Phase", which is a great record, and other tracks. And there is a live record called "Fin" which is rereleased on "Les Temps Modernes" (LTMCD 2302). This one has a great interpretation of Throbbing Gristle's "United".

You're not the kind that needs to tell me / About the birds and the bees

Originally posted by FDISK No Factory greats list is complete without The Durutti Column, and they are still popping out the odd gem. The godlike genius of ACR (except that Stevie Wonder cover version) The Stockholm Monsters are also up there with the best of them. The Wake (particularly the "Harmony" mini-lp - shortly to be re-released on LTM) were a typical Factory band (nowt wrong with that!) and Section 25's "From The Hip" is worth anyone's money. Lots of fabulous one off singles also, OMD, ESG James, 52nd Street, Cabaret Voltaire, Tunnelvision, Biting Tongues.... I could go on (fucking hated The Railway Children though).

Yes!! Durutti Column - but I didn't forget them deliberately, It's just that I've not heard much of their stuff, incredibly, although I do possess the ultra rare square flexi-sampler of their "Guitar and Other Machines" LP from 1987. It's pretty good too... I have six copies of this - I helped myself to loads from the local indie store I used to frequent in Liverpool (Probe records), so I reckon they're worth quite a bit now. Funny to relate, even to this day I keep happening across Vini Reilly and Bruce Mitchell in various cafe bars across Manchester - although, it has to be said, on several separate occasions.... What are the two of them doing these days??

Northside stole my soul. They were the dogs MAN. My Rising Star................flipping norra they were pretty hot.

The Wake, haha haha they thought they where Joy Division, sad loser more like.

The Wake, haha haha they thought they where Joy Division, sad losers more like.

The Wake, haha haha they thought they where Joy Division, sad losers more like.

Originally posted by Mike Garrity The Wake, haha haha they thought they where Joy Division, sad losers more like.

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT!! WE HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME, YER DAFT KUNT!!

Originally posted by Martin Gray Northside (as cack as they were ugly - they only got signed cos of Madchester!)

Oi!! Northside were shit hot, their album 'Chicken Rythms' is a stonking classic!! :p

Okay, so it's a bit fluffy, but I always liked the version of Telstar by Ad Infinitum. Also, Smiling Monarchs by the Abecedarians was pretty good. Have to also agree that I never liked the Railway Children or Miaow much either.

Oh, those wonderful Factory bands. I can only mention one i don't really like and that is James. All the other F-bands are all in their own way unique and typiccaly Factory. Besides J.D./N.O. i think Stockholm Monsters are bloody fucking marvellous. I saw them play in amsterdam, centons ago , and they were brilliant. Not forget to mention the Wake ACR, Crispy Ambulance and what about Section 25 !

Mario

Looking from a hilltop

The Durutti Column have just released their latest, 'Rebellion', on Artful Records. Vini's relationship with Factory has always been "open" - he's done albums for all sorts of labels but has generally come back to the Factory fold. DC were, I think, the first release on the ill-fated Factory Too label.

As for other Fac bands, nice to see the Stockholm Monsters get a mention - me and my mates at high school were really into them - 'Alma Mater' is a really good record. Didn't the singer get banged up ? And of course The Wake - and on that topic, does anyone happen to have a spare copy of their wonderful 'Gruesome Castle' ep - I seem to have lost mine ?

Martin, LTM is the label "Les Temps Moderne" or summat like that. They have re-released several ex-factory / Disque De Crepuscule products by the likes of Section 25. Also, some new releases by ex-Factory bands such as Crispy Ambulance etc. In November the are re-releasing "Harmony" with extra tracks from other recordings. Check out information at: http://www.ltmpub.freeserve.co.uk/ltmhome.html

I have just received the Section 25 live in America CD, which is errrr... interesting. Hope this helps

the chameleons were never signed to factory. However they are a great band. They have just released a new album after a long hiatus.

does anyone remember factory's attempt to move into the classical music market? They released several records, and even a had a classical night at the Hacienda to launch the venture. It never really took off. (Was Russell Watson signed to them?)

Originally posted by Ken Brough The Durutti Column have just released their latest, 'Rebellion', on Artful Records. Vini's relationship with Factory has always been "open" - he's done albums for all sorts of labels but has generally come back to the Factory fold. DC were, I think, the first release on the ill-fated Factory Too label.As for other Fac bands, nice to see the Stockholm Monsters get a mention - me and my mates at high school were really into them - 'Alma Mater' is a really good record. Didn't the singer get banged up ?And of course The Wake - and on that topic, does anyone happen to have a spare copy of their wonderful 'Gruesome Castle' ep - I seem to have lost mine ?

OH NO!!! WHY NOW?? WHY NOW?? WHY NOW, Ken ??? This is going to make you SO SICK!!! But listen anyway: three or four years ago, I was talking to Caesar from the band and mentioned how their back catalogue was always hard to get hold of. Not many people know this, but "Gruesome Castle" was The Wake's last ever Factory offering, they signed to Sarah Records afterwards and brought out two further singles and two LPs before calling it a day. The first of these LP's "Make It Loud" incredibly, gave them their highest profile for years, making the indie charts: the single that trailed it, "Crush The Flowers"/"Carbrain" also got rave reviews (especially from St Etienne's Bob Stanley in the now-deceased Melody Maker) such that it had a second run in the singles charts a few months later. Now about the same time, I happened across THREE brand new original Factory copies of their "Gruesome Castle" 12" EP in a record shop in Leeds, each going for a quid. So I snapped them up. I subsequently gave a copy each to some friends who had never heard of The Wake before. We all checked them out supporting The Field Mice at Sheffield Uni during summer 1990 and were pretty imprssed with their rebirth - no longer sounding like a poor New Order copy, but more like a very eclectic Go-Betweens type direction. Even the Field Mice admitted their song "If You Need Someone" was a direct lift of The Wake around the time of the 1985 LP "Here Comes Everybody" - Infact, The Mice even encored with "Heartburn" from their "Harmony" mini-lp, which came as a total surprise to Caesar and their keyboardist Carolyn Allen (she thought they were actually playing the original record, from where she was backstage...!!!). So, I'm so happy to hear that other people have also favourable words to say about this genuine lost classic from 1987 - It's a fucking shame I no longer have any of these spare copies left, other than my own - which no amount of money will persuade me to part with - because I would have gladly sent you one in the post pronto...... BUT!! I'll keep my eyes peeled in the 2nd hand record shops.......

Originally posted by FDISK Martin, LTM is the label "Les Temps Moderne" or summat like that. They have re-released several ex-factory / Disque De Crepuscule products by the likes of Section 25. Also, some new releases by ex-Factory bands such as Crispy Ambulance etc. In November the are re-releasing "Harmony" with extra tracks from other recordings. Check out information at: http://www.ltmpub.freeserve.co.uk/ltmhome.htmlI have just received the Section 25 live in America CD, which is errrr... interesting. Hope this helps

Gee......many many thanks FDISK ..... I do hope "Here Comes Everybody"/"Talk About The Past/Of The Matter" will be amongst the reissues - it's about time that came out on CD my vinyl is so crackly now it's almost unplayable!!! I will keep a look out on all channels for this one.

By the way there's a couple of great looking Cabaret Voltaire re-releases coming up in November and December. They're on amazon.co.uk anyone who fancies it will find them. If only the re-release of Yashar (the Factory 12 inch) was available anywhere. Grrr.

Originally posted by Shug Northside Good

That's a good one, Shuggy !

Shall we take a trip, then ?

Is Wilson still running his Factory 2 thingy? If this counts as Factory, the Space Monkeys released a couple of decent singles, 'Sugar Cane' being the best, about 4 years ago.

How about Happy Mondays first release(to my knowledge): freaky dancing/the egg? I think that is absolutely fucking brilliant!! Same goes for the Wake-here comes everybody and of course section 25 - looking from a hilltop. But i do miss some apreciation for Crispy Ambulance. I really find their "live on a hot august night" fucking wonderful!These are the gems in my vinyl Fact collection!!

Their first release was actually a three-track ep in 1985 called "DELIGHTFUL" which contained the title track plus an early version of "OASIS" which ended up in rerecorded form on the "Squirrel and G-Man" debut LP, plus another track "THIS FEELING". The whole record is loud, shambolic and yobbish, but in a good way. They found the funk shortly after this and FREAKY DANCIN' - produced by Barney - was the result: yep, what a top tune! But even this was small fry compared to TART TART/LITTLE MATCHSTICK OWEN'S RAP which followed: that remains my favourite Mondays single EVER!

"TWATT ON...." !!! as they used to say in those pre-Madchester /pre-AcidHouse days!! :) :)

Originally posted by Martin Gray Their first release was actually a three-track ep in 1985 called "DELIGHTFUL" which contained the title track plus an early version of "OASIS" which ended up in rerecorded form on the "Squirrel and G-Man" debut LP, plus another track "THIS FEELING". The whole record is loud, shambolic and yobbish, but in a good way. They found the funk shortly after this and FREAKY DANCIN' - produced by Barney - was the result: yep, what a top tune!But even this was small fry compared to TART TART/LITTLE MATCHSTICK OWEN'S RAP which followed: that remains my favourite Mondays single EVER! "TWATT ON...." !!! as they used to say in those pre-Madchester /pre-AcidHouse days!! :) :)

This Feeling was a great track on that EP - what a corker

As always you are so right Martin. And the funny thing is, i even posess that ep!! Gonna look it up straight away once i get home tonight.

Mario

Your freaky dancing just turns me on

THE GOOD:

Stockholm Monsters E.S.G Kalima OMD

THE BAD:

Royal Family And The Poor A Certain Ratio Section 25 Durutti Column

AND THE UGLY:

Happy Mondays

Favourite factory bands:

Joy Div/New Order A Certain ratio Durutti Column Section 25 Happy Mondays James (they did a couple of singles for Factory didn't they?)

Least Favourite Factory bands

Adventure Babies Wendys Northside Royal Family and the poor Miaow

Anyone else agrre with me that Cath Carroll's England Made Me is an underrated gem ?

She looks dead cute on the cover as well

Ian, nice to see somebody mention Kalima! I've got one album ofthem/her(?) and ireally like it. Very danceable (if you are with the right chick)

Would that be Night-Time Shadows by any chance? I wonder whatever happened to them?

yep, haven't got a clue whatever happened to them.