Archive for the factory Category

Shark Vegas- You Hurt Me 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1984, 1986, die ubekannten, factory, new order, shark vegas on June 16, 2014 by Frankie Teardrop

Here’s one on the synthpop side of things, a mild obscurity on the otherwise popular Factory imprint.  Some may be familiar with this tune via the club circuit, where it enjoyed massive success in The States and Berlin, despite a relatively cool reception in the UK.

Shark Vegas was a German supergroup of sorts, featuring ex-Die Unbekannten members Mark Reeder on synths/tapes/guitar and Alistair Gray on vocals with two other members of pop band Soif de la Vie.  The original version of this 12” was recorded in 1984 and released on Totenkopf Records (Abwärts, Die Toten Hosen).  After a tour with New Order in 1984, the band decided to rerecord and remix the single with Bernard Summer in to assist on the decks (a very common practice at the time, if you consider New Order’s involvement with Section 25, Thick Pigeon/Stanton Miranda, etc.).  Sumner would also play guitar at the end of the track, while co-producer Donald Johnson (A Certain Ratio) sang backup.  A real family affair!  The Factory version of the 12” (complete with an iconic message on the cover) became a dance club hit overseas.

These two singles would make up the majority of Shark Vegas’ discography, though the band would contribute a handful of tracks to soundtracks and compilations, most notably the track “Pretenders of Love,” which appears on Young, Popular, and Sexy (1987) and was reissued on the FAC.DANCE compilation in 2011.  I just now discovered “Love Habit” on Youtube, and it continues to push the band’s slightly ironic sound to the extreme, with some rather of-the-time synth lines…  If anyone has an mp3 of that one that isn’t sourced from YouTube, feel free to send it my way.  I’m also interested in hearing “11th March”- which apparently hails from an independent film called The Party.  With that in mind, here’s both versions of this excellent 12” for your listening pleasure.

Shark Vegas- You Hurt Me 12” (1984)
1. You Hurt Me
2. You Hurt Me For the First Time
3. You Hurt Me For the Last Time

Shark Vegas- You Hurt Me 12” (1986)
1. You Hurt Me
2. You Hurt Me Version
3. But Now Your Flesh Lies Rotting In Hell

*download both here*

…and here’s some rare footage of the band performing the track in Berlin in the mid-1980s!  Enjoy!

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Abecedarians- Smiling Monarchs 12”

Posted in 1980s, 1985, abecedarians, coldwave, factory, LA, los angeles, post-punk on May 8, 2010 by Frankie Teardrop

Apologies for the overwhelming amount of posts today- feeling a bit productive, I suppose. Here’s the 1985 debut 12” by Los Angeles’ Abecedarians, one of the only American releases on Factory. Of course, the band would sign to Caroline to release the bulk of their material. You can nab the band’s posthumous early recordings collection here on these back pages, where you can read a bit more about the band as well. Without any further ado, here’s the info for this 12”:

Abecedarians- Smiling Monarchs 12”
1. Smiling Monarchs
2. Benway’s Carnival

*DOWNLOAD LINK REMOVED*

This 12” has just been reissued as part of Pylon’s 2xLP & CD reissue of Eureka.  Pick it up!

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Crispy Ambulance

Posted in 1980s, 2000s, british, crispy ambulance, factory, manchester, post-punk on October 15, 2007 by Frankie Teardrop


A large group of cohorts and I just caught the NYC premier of Anton Corbijn’s Control this weekend, a biopic about the life and times of Ian Curtis. Though today’s post doesn’t feature Joy Division OR New Order, it features one of their contemporaries, fellow Manchester based Factory records outfit Crispy Ambulance, whose singer would fill in for Ian Curtis during one ill-fated night, culminating in an audience riot.

The band, formed in 1977 by Alan Hempsall and Robert Davenport, was unfairly dismissed as Joy Division knockoffs during their short recording tenure. Despite these accusations however, Crispy Ambulance had their own innovative style to add to the budding post-punk movement, and often incorporated a more minimal and dreamy sound to their compositions.

The band would flesh out their lineup and record a handful of singles in 1980 and play shows alongside the likes of prominent bands such as Killing Joke. Upon Factory’s request, the band would sign to record the full length record The Plateau Phase and a few assorted singles. Unfairly written off (along with fellow label mates Section 25, previously featured on these pages), the band would split in 1982, releasing a collection of unreleased tracks soon after.

Despite their demise, the band would reunite in 1999 to record two more records into the new millenium, and are together to this day, playing sporadic gigs in their native Manchester.

I’ve uploaded a handful of tracks…The first, a personal favorite from the 1982 record The Plateau Phase and the second, a lone 1984 single compiled on a resissued version of said album.

download Crispy Ambulance- ‘The Force and the Wisdom’
download Crispy Ambulance- ‘Sexus’

…and here’s the video for ‘The Presence’ from A Factory Video.

For more information on Crispy Ambulance, including a full discography, live mp3 downloads and more, here’s a link to their official site:

Crispy Ambulance dot com

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