| Joy
Division History |
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| 1976 |
June 4th 1976 - friends Bernard Sumner, Peter
Hook and Terry Mason attend the legendary
Sex Pistols concert at Manchester's Lesser Free Trade Hall. Inspired
by the performance, they decide to form a band. Sumner buys a guitar,
Hook a bass and Mason a drum kit. They then place an advert in Manchester's
Virgin Records store looking for a singer |
 |
I
Swear I Was There: The Gig That Changed the World |
| David
Nolan |
| The truth behind
the legendary gig with interviews from those that were there.
With only 40 people in attendance, many of which who were inspired
to go on and create bands such as Joy Division, New Order, The
Smiths, Buzzcocks, The Fall, Slaughter & The Dogs and of
course Factory Records. |
|
buy the book |
|
|
Ian Curtis replies to the advertisement and, as he
knew Sumner, Hook and Mason from previous gigs, is recruited without
audition. |
The band name themselves Warsaw after the Davd Bowie
song, 'Warszawa' 
|
| 1977 |
|
In May, Terry Mason leaves his role as drummer to become the band's
manager. He is replaced by Tony Tabac |
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29th May 1977 - Warsaw play their first gig, supporting the Buzzcocks
at Manchester's Electric Circus |
| In
June, Steve Brotherdale, who is also a member of
Panik, replaces Tony Tabac on drums |
|
August 1977 - Stephen Morris, who had attended the
same school as Ian Curtis, joins the band as drummer, replacing the
fired Steve Brotherdale, who unsuccessfully attempts to persuade Ian
to also join Panik. |
The band play 9 gigs around Manchester, 1 in Newcastle and a New
Year's Eve performance at The Swinging Apple in Liverpool. |
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Warsaw
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| Warsaw |
| This excellent
bootleg album features 17 early Warsaw and Joy Division tracks,
recorded in 1977 but never released - ironically for a band
that would later become New Order, they weren't happy with the
synthesizers added by the producer. Originally released in 1982 |
|
buy on CD
bid
for original pressings
download |
|
| 1978 |
|
To avoid confusion with the London punk band, Warsaw Pakt, the band
rename themselves Joy Division, after the prostitution
wing of a Nazi concentration camp in the novel 'House Of Dolls' [click
here to buy] |
|
25th January 1978 - the band perform their first gig as Joy Division
at Pips Disco in Manchester |
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May 1978 - Rob Gretton replaces, original member,
Terry Mason as Joy Divison's manager |
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Short
Circuit - Live At The Electric Circus |
| Various
artists |
| The Warsaw track
'At A Later Date' (recorded at the last 2 days of the Electric
Circus on 2nd Oct 1977) is wrongly credited to Joy Division
on this live compilation 10" alongside the The Fall, John
Cooper Clarke, Buzzcocks, The Drones and Steel Pulse. (released
Jun 1978) |
|
buy on CD
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for original pressings |
|
 |
An Ideal For Living |
| Four track EP,
recorded at the Penine Sound Studio in Oldham, Dec 1977. Included
tracks 'Warsaw', 'No Love Lost', 'Leaders Of Men' and 'Failures'.
Released Jun 1978. Did not chart |
|
bid
for the single
buy
rare versions |
|
|
In October 1978, Joy Division join Tony Wilson's Factory Records.
Rob Gretton is made a partner of the label |
1979 |
 |
A Factory Sample |
| Various
artists |
| The first ever
Factory Records release. A five track compilation EP produced
by Martin Hannett and featuring the Joy Division tracks 'Digital'
and 'Glass' alongside b-sides from Durutti Column, John Dowie
and Cabaret Voltaire. Released Jan 1979 |
|
bid
for the single
buy
rare versions |
|
 |
The
Peel Sessions |
|
Joy Division recorded two sessions for John Peel's
BBC Radio 1 show in Jan 1979 performing the tracks 'Exercise
One', 'Insight', 'She's Lost Control' and 'Transmission' and
then in Nov 1979, 'Love Will Tear Us Apart', '24 Hours', 'Colony',
'Sound Of Music', 'Transmission' and 'She's Lost Control'.
They were later released on CD in 1988 and, with an interview,
in 2000. A double CD with New Order's Sessions was also released. |
|
buy on CD
buy rare versions
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for original pressings |
|
 |
Live
At Leigh Rock Festival |
| Various
artists |
|
On the 27th Aug 1979, Joy Division perform at The Leigh Rock
Festival alongside A Certain Ratio, The Teardrop Explodes and
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark. A double CD capturing their
11 tracks and all 4 performances was eventually released in
Aug 2006 |
|
buy on CD
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for the CD |
|
|
Joy Division go on tour, supporting The Cure |
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Unknown
Pleasures |
|
Recorded at Strawberry Studios in Stockport, produced by Martin
Hannett and released in June 1979, Joy Division's debut album
included the tracks 'Disorder', 'Days Of The Lords', 'Candidate',
'Insight', 'New Dawn Fades', 'She's Lost Control', 'Shadowplay',
'Wilderness', 'Interzone' and 'I Remember Nothing'. Did not
chart. It was re-mastered and re-issued in September 2007
with the extra CD, Live at The Factory. |
|
buy on CD
buy rare versions
bid
for original pressings
download |
|
 |
Unknown
Pleasures 33 1/3 |
| Chris
Ott |
| Released in 2004,
this book provides a biographical account of the songs on the
album |
|
buy the book |
|
 |
Joy
Division and The Making of Unknown Pleasures |
| Jake
Kennedy |
| Released in July
2006, this superb book also provides a track-by-track biography
of the album |
|
buy the book |
|
 |
Earcom 2 |
| Various
artists |
| 2 recordings that
never made the album were included on this rare 7" EP.
'Auto-suggestion' and 'From Safety To Where...?' featured alongside
tracks from Thursdays and Basczax. |
|
bid
for the single
buy
rare versions |
|
 |
Transmission |
| 7" single
with it's B-side 'Novelty', recorded
at Strawberry Studios in Stockport and produced by Martin Hannett.
Released in October 1979, does not chart. Neither track appear
on the album. |
|
bid
for the single
buy
rare versions |
|
|
In October, Joy Division go on tour, supporting The Buzzcocks,
a tour which allows them to give up their day jobs |
|
1980 |
|
Despite Ian Curtis's epilesy forcing the cancellation of some gigs,
Joy Division tour Holland, Belgium and Germany in January |
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Amsterdam
11 January 1980 |
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Recorded live at the Paradiso Club in Amsterdam in Jan 1980,
this 17 track recording was released on CD as part of the limited
edition 'Refractured' Factory box set, released in 2003. It
also included 'Les Bains Douches' and 'Preston 28 February 1980'
CDs together with tracks recorded in Eindhoven, a black 'Refractured'
T-shirt and a poster. |
|
buy on CD
buy rare versions
bid
for original pressings |
|
|
Ian, married to Debbie Curtis for 5 years and with whom he had a 9
month old baby daughter, starts to have an affair with Annik Honoré,
a fan he meets in Belgium. Together with his worsening epilesy, forcing
him to go into trance-like seizures, this relationship leads to the
breakdown of his marriage. |
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Preston
28 February 1980 |
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Recorded live at Preston Warehouse in Feb 1980, this recording
was released on CD in December 2000. The sound quality is
less than pristine, the band's performance is far from perfect,
and their equipment keeps malfunctioning. Ian can be heard
stating "I think everything's falling apart" whilst
the PA can be heard asking "Anyone 'ere from Burnley?"
in the middle of the set, "cos the coach is going in
five minutes". |
|
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bid
for original pressings |
|
 |
Sordide Sentimental |
| This rare French
7" single, also known as 'Licht und Blindheit', featured
the non-album tracks 'Atmosphere' and
'Dead Souls' together with some
amazing artwork.
Mar 1980 |
|
bid
for the single
buy
rare versions |
|
On April 7th 1980, Ian Curtis tries to commit suicide by overdosing
on phenobarbitone, the drug used to control his epilesy seizures. |
The following night Joy Division take to the stage at the Derby
Hall in Bury. Alan Hempstall of Crispy
Ambulance and Simon Topping of A
Certain Ratio fill in for the recovering singer for the
first few songs with Ian Curtis taking to the stage for only a few
songs. When Simon Topping returns to finish the set, some members
of the audience start throwing bottles at the stage. Rob Gretton
leaps into the crowd and starts a massive brawl. |
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Many April gigs are cancelled to allow Ian Curtis to recover and after
a concert at Birmingham University on the 2nd May 1980, the band take
a break ahead of their planned USA tour. |
In May 1980, Deborah Curtis files for divorce from Ian |
| Ian
returns to the family home on 17th May 1980, the day before he was
due to fly to the USA. He pleads with Deborah to drop the divorce.
When she refuses he tells her to leave him alone in the house until
he catches his train to Manchester the next day. |
At
5am on 18th May 1980, Ian Curtis hangs himself in the kitchen. Deborah
finds the body when she returns at midday |
 |
Love Will Tear Us Apart |
| The posthumous
single reaches number 13 in the UK in June 1980. B-side 'These
Days' and the uncredited alternative take of 'Love Will Tear
Us Apart' also fail to make the album 'Closer', which was recorded
at the same time. It also recharted in 1983, reaching no.19
(March 1980). |
|
bid
for the single
buy
rare versions |
|
 |
Haystack |
| Kevin
Hewick |
| Bernard Sumner,
Peter Hook & Stephen Morris recorded this track in Jun 1980
with Martin Hannett and Factory artist Kevin Hewick. It was
later issued on his 'Tender Bruises and Scars' CD. Tony Wilson
had suggested that the band recruit Kevin as a replacement for
Ian. |
|
buy on CD
bid
for original pressings |
|
 |
Closer
|
|
Recorded in London and produced by Martin Hannett in March
1980, Joy Division's second album is finally released in July
1980, reching UK no.6. It includes the tracks 'Heart And Soul',
'Twenty Four Hours', 'The Eternal' and 'Decades', 'Atrocity
Exhibition', 'Isolation', 'Passover', 'Colony' and 'A Means
To An End'. It was re-mastered and re-issued in September
2007 with the extra CD, Live at The University of London,
8th Feb 1980. |
|
buy on CD
buy rare versions
bid
for original pressings
download |
|
 |
Komakino |
| Mega rare Factory
Records flexi disc featuring tracks 'Komakino', 'Incubation'
and the uncredited 'As You Said', also known as 'And Then Again'.
(July 1980). |
|
bid
for the single
buy
rare versions |
|
 |
Atmosphere / She's Lost Control |
| This previously
unreleased track was released as a single in Sep 1980 with a
re-recorded 12" version of 'She's Lost Control'. Did not
chart. |
|
bid
for the single
buy
rare versions |
|
|
| In
October 1980, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris recruit
Stephen's girlfriend, Gillian Gilbert to play keyboards
in the new line-up. Bernard takes the new role as both vocalist and
guitarist. Rob Gretton reads an article in the Guardian entitled "The
People's New Order of Kampuchea" and the band rename themselves
New Order |
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