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click here for Happy Mondays Greatest Hits
The Happy Mondays - Uncle Dysfunktional
Happy Mondays
Formed in Little Hulton, Manchester 1984
Signed by Anthony Wilson to Factory Records
Disbanded in 1992 - successful spin-off group Black Grape followed
Reformed in 1999 for world tour and supported Oasis but split again in 2000
Reformed again in 2004
The movie, 24 Hour Party People, takes its name from a Happy Mondays track
The band's relationship with Factory Records is featured in the film
The band also penned the theme, 'Playground Superstar' for the movie, 'Goal!'
Dancer, Bez, won Celebrity Big Brother in 2005
Backing singer, Rowetta, came 4th in the first series of X Factor
The band are all avid Manchester United fans
Bez's parents are actually from Liverpool - his father was a policeman
Both Shaun and Bez live in Padfield, Derbyshire, just outside Manchester
Happy Mondays live at G-Mex 2007 - click here for tickets
The debut album from Paul Ryder's Big Arm Happy Mondays - Uncle Dysfunktional - the new album Bez's Madchester Anthems Gorillaz featuring Shaun Ryder live in Manchester Happy Mondays Platinum Collection Happy Mondays - Playground Superstar Rowetta - the debut album Happy Mondays live in Barcelona on CD Happy Mondays live in Barcelona on DVD
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Happy Mondays "Do I think the Mondays will go down in musical history? I couldn't give a fuck!"
- Shaun William Ryder
Happy Mondays History
Happy Mondays - Uncle Dysfunktional - out now
What's On in Manchester
Happy Mondays - The Platinum Collection
The definitive guide to bars in Manchester
Bez - the autobiography
the best budget hotels in Manchester
Hallelujah!  The Extraordinary Story of Shaun Ryder and Happy Mondays
Manchester Restaurant reviews
Happy Mondays - Greatest Hits
Manchester England - The Story of the Pop Cult City
Happy Mondays - Loads - The Singles Collection
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[1984-1992] [1993-2007]
1984
Formed in Little Hulton, Manchester by brothers Shaun Ryder (vocals), Paul Ryder (bass), Mark 'Cow' Day (guitar), Paul Davis (keyboard) and Gary 'Gaz' Whelan (drums). They later admitted to having stolen most of their equipment.
1985
They entered Mike Pickering's Battle Of The Bands at The Hacienda nightclub in Manchester. They came last but Tony Wilson signed them to Factory Records anyway.
Happy Mondays - Forty Five EP Forty-Five EP
Released 3 track EP featuring 'Delightful', 'This Feeling' and 'Oasis' in Sep 2005. Produced by Mike Pickering. Did not chart. 'Oasis' re-appeared on the Monday's debut album 2 years later.
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Friend of the band, Mark 'Bez' Berry, was invited to join the band on stage at The Hacienda. His dancing inspired the next single and he became a permanent member of the group
1986
Happy Mondays - Forty Five EP Freaky Dancin' / The Egg
Released double A-side single in Aug 2006. 12" had extended mixes. Produced by New Order's Bernard Sumner. Did not chart.
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1987
Happy Mondays - Tart Tart Tart Tart listen to soundbites
Released John Cale produced 12" single in March 1987. The centre label on the vinyl had a picture of George Best. B-side Little Matchstick Owen's Rap wasn't on the debut album. Did not chart.
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Happy Mondays - the debut album Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) listen to soundbites
'Tart Tart' appeared on the interestingly titled debut album, originally released in April 1987. The track 'Desmond', a drug-influenced rip-off of The Beatles 'Obla Di, Obla Da' resulted in legal action from The Beatles management so the album was withdrawn and re-issued in Sep 1987 with the new '24 Hour Party People' replacing the offending song. Did not chart.
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Happy Mondays - Twenty Four Hour Party People Twenty Four Hour Party People listen to soundbites
Released 12" single in Oct 1987, from the album. Had 2 new tracks on the B-side, 'Yahoo' and 'Wah Wah (Think Tank)'. Interestingly, the Yahoo company didn't appear until 8 years later. Did not chart.
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1988
Happy Mondays - Wrote For Luck Wrote For Luck listen to soundbites
Released single in Oct 1988, filming the video at Legends nightclub. Later won NME Dance Record of the Year. B-side 'Boom' didn't appear on the 'Bummed' album. Did not chart.
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Happy Mondays - Bummed Bummed listen to soundbites 
The Martin Hannett produced 2nd album cheekily included another Beatles rip-off with 'Lazyitis' adding a nod to 'Ticket to Ride' - although this time crediting Lennon & McCartney - it featured vocals from their childhood hero Karl Denver. It also boasted singles 'Wrote For Luck' and 'Lazyitis'. Reached number 59 in the charts, Nov 1988
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1989
Happy Mondays - The Peel Sessions The Peel Sessions
The band recorded a session for John Peel's radio show on February 21st 1989, with a 3 track CD released in May 1990 which included 'Tart Tart', 'Mad Cyril' and 'Do It Better'. Reached UK no.79
buy the single bid for the single buy the 1986 & 1989 Peel Session CD collection
Happy Mondays - Lazy Itis Lazyitis (One Armed Boxer) listen to soundbites
Happy Mondays & Karl Denver
Released single in May 1989, sampling and crediting Lennon & McCartney, David Essex and Sly & The Family Stone. Together with B-side, 'Mad Cyril (Hello Girls), was on 'Bummed'. Reached no.85
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Happy Mondays - Wrote For Luck W.F.L. listen to soundbites
'Wrote For Luck' was remixed by Vince Clarke and released as the single, 'W.F.L.' in Sep 1989. The 12" and CD Single also included a Paul Oakenfold remix. Reached UK number 68
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Happy Mondays - Madchester Rave On Madchester Rave On EP listen to soundbites
Nov'89 - the record that labeled a generation and gave the Mondays their first hit. Included tracks 'Hallelujah', 'Holy Ghost', 'Clap Your Hands' and 'Rave On'. Kirsty MacColl, daughter of legendary Salford folk hero, Ewan MaColl, provided backing vocals for 'Hallelujah'. Reached UK no.19
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Happy Mondays - Madchester Madchester Rave On
This VHS video was released in Nov 1989 and offered a mixture of live footage, comical interviews and promo videos of 'Kuff Dam', 'Tart Tart', 'Wrote For Luck', 'Mad Cyril', '24 Hour Party People', 'Performance', 'W.F.L', 'Lazyitis - One Armed Boxer', 'Hallelujah', 'Clap Your Hands' and 'Wrote For Luck (Live at the Ritz, New York)'
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Happy Mondays - Hallelujah Hallejulah listen to soundbites
This USA-only album was released in Nov 1989 and included the tracks from the 'W.F.L.' single and 'Madchester Rave On' EP together with 3 remixes from the 12" versions. Did not chart on the Billboard but successfully introduced the band to America
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1990
After seeing the Happy Mondays performing on Tony Wilson's Granada TV show, 'The Other Side Of Midnight', former Simply Red backing singer, Rowetta, pestered the band to allow her to join. They agreed and her soulful vocals would go on to compliment Shaun's Stretford End chants, taking the group to another level of success.
Happy Mondays - Step On Step On listen to soundbites
This unique rendition of John Kongos 'He's Gonna Step On You Again', together with remixes, was released as a single in March 1990. It reached no.5 in UK and no.57 on the USA Top 100 Billboard
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Happy Mondays - Lazy Itis Lazyitis (One Armed Boxer) listen to soundbites
Happy Mondays & Karl Denver
With the Monday's new found success, they re-released this single in May 1990, still missing out on Top 40 success but scoring higher than before, peaking at UK no.46.
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Happy Mondays Party The Happy Mondays Party - G-MEX 25.3.90
VHS video recorded live at Manchester's G-MEX in March 1990, featuring 'Rave On', 'Step On', 'Tart Tart', 'God's Cop', 'Do It Better', 'Wrote For Luck' and many more (Jul 1990)
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Happy Mondays - Step On Kinky Afro listen to soundbites
Released single in Oct 1990. B-side included live version and 12" remix was called 'Kinky Groovy Afro'. Reached no.5 in UK and no.1 on the USA Modern Rock chart
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Happy Mondays - Pills n Thrills and Bellyaches Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches listen to soundbites
The album that would go down in Manchester musical history was released in November 1990. Featuring the singles 'Step On', 'Kinky Afro', 'Loose Fit' and 'Bob's Yer Uncle', it was produced by Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne and reached number 4 in the UK charts (no.89 on the USA Billboard 100).
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1991
Happy Mondays One Louder One Louder - Live At Manchester Free Trade Hall
VHS video recorded live at the Manchester Free Trade Hall on the 18th November 1989. 12 tracks featured including 'Rave On', 'Do It Better', 'Clap Your Hands', '24 Hour Party People' and 'Kuff Dam' (Jan 1991)
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Happy Mondays - Step On Loose Fit listen to soundbites
Released single in Feb 1991 with B-side 'Bob's Yer Uncle'. Re-mix versions were named 'Loose Fix' and 'Bob's Yer Tune'. Because of the 1991 Iraq war, the lyrics "Gonna buy an airforce base, Gonna wipe out your race" were replaced by music on the radio version. Reached UK no.17
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Happy Mondays - Live Live listen to soundbites
On June 1st 1991, the Mondays played a massive concert at Leeds United's Elland Road Stadium. It was an interesting venue to choose given that all the band, and the majority of their hardcore fanbase, were avid Manchester United fans - Leeds deadliest rivals. This recording of the gig was released in September 1991 and featured 13 songs, many funkier than the original album tracks. It reached number 21 in the UK charts in Oct 1991
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Happy Mondays - Judge Fudge Judge Fudge listen to soundbites
Released this single with 3 new tracks in Nov 1991. Featured B-side 'Tokoloshe Man' and a cover of 'Stayin Alive', originally from fellow Mancunians, The Bee Gees. Reached UK no.24
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Happy Mondays - The Peel Sessions 91 The Peel Sessions
Recorded as far back as April 1986 for John Peel's radio show, this very early session of the band featured 'Freaky Dancing' together with 3 tracks from their debut album 'Kuff Dam', 'Olive Oil' and 'Cob 20' - all unreleased tracks at the time of performing. Released in Dec 1991
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By now Shaun Ryder had become addicted to heroin, so the band were sent to Barbados to record a new album where it was believed the drug would be harder to obtain. Unfortunately the band spent all of Factory Records recording money on cocaine instead.
On their return to Manchester, Shaun Ryder blackmailed Factory Records to obtain more money for drugs. He refused to hand over the master recordings unless extra money was paid. In an infamous incident at Manchester's Dry Bar, brandishing a pistol, he shot a hole through the window in an attempt to scare Tony Wlson to pay up, which he duly did.
The Ghosts of Oxford Street The Ghosts Of Oxford Street
The Happy Mondays acted and sang in Malcolm McLaren's musical Christmas story charting the history of London's Oxford Street. Playing a gang of Victorian thugs, they sing their cover of The Bee Gees 'Staying Alive'. Produced by Andy Harries (Cold Feet & The Queen), other actors included Kirsty McColl, the daughter of Salford-legend Ewan McColl, The Pogues, Tom Jones, Rebel MC, John Altman and Sinead O'Connor. (25 Dec 1991)
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1992
Happy Mondays - Stinkin Thinkin Stinkin Thinkin listen to soundbites
Ahead of the new album, this single with it's re-mixes and B-side 'Baby Big Head' was released in September 1992. It only reached no.31 in the UK although topped the US dance chart
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Happy Mondays - Yes Please Yes Please! listen to soundbites
The album that would bankrupt Factory Records was eventually released in Oct 1992. Reportedly costing the label over £250,000, Talking Heads duo Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth produced the album which flopped, failing to chart higher than UK no.14. It spawned the two failed singles, 'Stinkin Thinkin' and 'Sunshine & Love'.
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Happy Mondays - Sunshine & Love Sunshine & Love listen to soundbites
Another track from the new album, this Nov 92 single featured B-sides 'Stayin Alive' and an M People remix of '24 Hour Party People'. It reached UK no.62 & no.5 in the US dance charts
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Factory Records declared bankruptcy in November 1992. Blame was placed on the costs of 'Yes Please' together with the debts of The Hacienda and New Order's 'Ceremony' album, which had taken just as long to produce.
Factory had planned to release the track 'Angel' as the next single of the 'Yes Please!' album
[1984-1992] [1993-2007]
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