We meet some people for few hours, and they stay in our hearts forever. We listen to some music for one period of our lives, and it changes out whole life. We encounter some artist who take their own life, but they keep on giving us life forever and ever. Music turns tragedy into treasure. And this week’s #SundaySpotlight is nothing less but a diamond in the world’s music collection.
Joy Division were British rock band formed in 1977 in Manchester, UK. They had a short term existence, as the leader and singer Ian Curtis committed suicide. The rest of the band’s members decided to continue working under the new name – New Order. Even though they have raised all the way up to the starry sky during their curt 2-album career, they were celebrated as the most innovative, most evocative and most influential group ever.
British music journalist Thom Jurek wrote: They left us only small portion of their music, but that noise will echo forever. Many characterized them as dark and depressive band due to the pitch-black sound of their music and the suicide of Ian Curtis. The fans and the members of the band were always fighting against this argument. In only three years of their quiddity, they have created more than some bands do in thirty years of their career. It is clear to say that Joy Division reached divine summits.
They were also the first band identified as gothic, since Tony Wilson set them apart in the late 70s by comparing their sound with popular and colorful disco music (he was Manchester media mogul and owner of record label Factory Records). It was the very first time the term gothic was used to described contemporary music.
Some were also considering them as trailblazers of the genre, although they did not dress in sonic garments that we would fashionably call Goth today. During their terse career, the genre was unknown, so it was difficult to connect it with a certain image. Besides, the group’s idiosyncratic sound was also denoted as post-punk and new-wave.
Ian Curtis knew Albrech, Hook and Mason before they formed the band. Richard Boon and Pete Shalley from The Buzzcocks suggested the name Stiff Kittens for them. They didn’t like the name, even though they had used it for the first few concert. The second name was Warsaw, an homage to David Bowie’s song from the album Low. At the end of 1976, the band started practicing and recording in the house of Albrecht’s grandmother. It was the start of a revolution and perfect timing to change the name for the third and last time. Joy Division is taken from Nazi novel The House Of Dolls.
Their debut Unknown Pleasures was dropped after Tony Wilson took 8500 pounds from his life insurance in order to produce first ten thousand physical copies. It was worth it! The album was marked by Hook’s bass and Morris’ unique drums. Unknown Pleasures was highly critically acclaimed, and it stood at the top of British Alternative chart for a long period of time. Live performances were piling up, which represented a huge pressure for Curtis who was suffering from epilepsy. Many concerts were canceled because of his health issue.
In 1980, the world witness release of the legendary single Love Will Tear Us Apart. It was welcomed with worship, and it helped the band move from alternative to mainstream chart where it peaked at no 13. Personally, I believe this is one of the best songs ever.
On May 18th of 1980, Curtis hang himself with Iggy Pop’s record The Idiot on his gramophone. It was only four days before the beginning of their first American tour. The band’s biggest commercial success will come after the singer’s death, which proves that death is a good step in artist career. A little morbid fact, but still true. Few months later, Joy Division’s second album Closer reached 6th spot on UK Album Chart. The world was in deep pain. The music scene lost one of the most iconic singers that has ever lived. Luckily, the music of this legendary band will never die. So go on and live for it!
