Ian Curtis
- jamesgeraghty
- 7 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Ian Curtis would have been 70 today (15 July), which is possibly a ridiculous statement given that he didn't even see 24; but even in such a brief moment, his star shone brightly enough to influence just about every British (and more than a fair few American ones) guitar band, directly or indirectly, for the next... well, 46 years.
It is a strange (or maybe not) impact that a man noted for his intense, fixed stare while singing, and dark, emotionally isolated lyrics, would become a totem for every young and disillusioned, wannabe musician for the next few decades.
Now, I could have done this edition of 6 Degrees of Kevin Shields in one swift move - because fellow Joy Division member, Bernard Sumner (known as Bernard Albrecht back then), like Shields, contributed (guitar) to Primal Scream's 2000 record, XTRMNTR. But that would be too easy (and a pointless article), so, instead we will find another, more meandering route between the two....
Ian Curtis, born in July 1956, grew up in Macclesfield, just to the southwest of Manchester. He crammed a lot into his less than 24 years; several civil service jobs, a marriage to Deborah Woodruff (who met as 16 year olds), a daughter (born in 1979), the development of epilepsy, and of course being the lead singer and lyricist of one of the most influential British bands of all time.
The group, Joy Division (initially known as Warsaw), took shape in late 1977, signed with the fledgling Factory Records in 1978. Despite the success of first album Unknown Pleasures, his worsening epileptic seizures and the variety of medicines he was being prescribed to manage them - coupled with drinking, smoking, an intensive touring schedule and erratic sleep patterns - led to bad mood swings. He even collapsed on stage several times as a result of seizures. His marriage was in big trouble (accusations of an affair) and he continued to try and balance personal issues with musical ambition. A suicide attempt in April 1980 gave everyone a warning, but nonetheless he was ready to go on their first US tour on 18 May. But in the early hours of that morning he took his own life.
Joy Division: Transmission (official video - live on Something Else, 1979)
Factory Records was formed in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus. As well as Joy Division, over their 14 year existence they would sign other luminaries like A Certain Ratio, Happy Mondays, OMD (briefly) and Joy Division's successor, New Order.
OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, to give them their full name) had been formed in Meols, Liverpool, stemming from a previous band called Equinox and a growing love of electronic music from the likes of Kraftwerk. When they eventually morphed from The Id into OMD in late 1978, they only intended to play one gig, before moving on again. Luckily they hung around, despite thinking their new name was a bit silly, and released debut single Electricity on Factory.
OMD: Electricity (audio - original Factory version)
The sleeve for that OMD debut single, Electricity, had been designed by Peter Saville, an up and coming graphic designer, who fell in with Tony Wilson's crowd and became the in-house artist for Factory (and later a partner). Through that he would do pretty much everything for Joy Division and later New Order, and lesser known acts like Section 25.
He would go on to do work for other labels too, leading him to also create iconic works for Roxy Music (Flesh & Blood), Wham! (Music From The Edge Of Heaven), Ultravox (Rage in Eden) and Peter Gabriel (the album So). Outside of music he also worked with several ad agencies and became the design consultants for brands like Selfridges and Pringle. He has also forayed into the world of fashion, working with top designers like John Galliano, Christian Dior and Stella McCartney.
Roxy Music: Over You (audio only - from Flesh & Blood)
Peter Saville also produced the artwork for both Coming Up and Head Music by 90s indie favourites Suede, before also doing the sleeve for lead singer Brett Anderson's debut self-titled solo album in 2007. Despite Anderson's pride in his record, it garnered mixed reviews and didn't make the UK Top 40.
The record was produced by Anderson with Fred Ball, a noted producer and songwriter from Fredrikstad, Norway. He first came to the UK with his solo project Pleasure, which got good reviews, and included contributions by Justine Frischmann (Elastica), Dr. Fink and Ed Harcourt.
Brett Anderson: Love Is Dead (official music video)
He has gone on to huge success working with others; he co-wrote and produced Love On The Brain for Rihanna's debut record, and worked with Beyonce, Jay-Z, Eminem, Raye, Alicia Keys and many more, and also picking up five Grammy nominations along the way.
Ed Harcourt, who appeared on Ball's album Pleasure, is an English singer songwriter with ten albums under his belt since around 2000, including the Mercury Prize nominated Here Be Monsters (2001).
As well as writing for himself, he has worked with many others, such as Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Paloma Faith, Jamie Cullum, James Bay and Marianne Faithful. When The Libertines were a surprise addition to 2015s Glastonbury Festival line-up, Harcourt joined them on stage, playing piano.
Ed Harcourt: Something In My Eye (live at Glastonbury, 2013)
When supporting The Afghan Whigs in 2017, he got to join them for their set at the North Side Festival in Copenhagen. He also opened for The Gutter Twins on a European tour in 2008, also playing guitar with them for some of their set.
This is a bit of a double link, as Greg Dulli is the leader of The Afghan Whigs (since 1986), but was also in The Gutter Twins with Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees) between 2003 and 2011.
The Gutter Twins got their name from a pseudonym used by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards when producing stuff for the Rolling Stones. The pair had collaborated since around 2000, when Lanegan contributed to Dulli's side project, Twilight Singers.
What would turn out to be their only studio album, Saturnalia, came out in 2008 to much praise, with Blast magazine calling it, "an audial descent into the dark emotions that often lurk beneath the surface." The record included guest appearances by a number of musicians; David Catching and Troy Van Leeuwen (both in Queens of the Stone Age at different points in time), Natasha Shneider (Eleven), Brian Young (Fountains Of Wayne, The Posies) and the singer Martina Topley-Bird.
The Gutter Twins: Idle Hands (live on Jools Holland, 2008)
Martina Topley-Bird, a London born singer, first made her name as the lead vocalist on Tricky's debut Maxinquaye (1995), also working on his following two records. Her own debut record had come out in 2003 (getting a Mercury nomination), and she has gone on to collaborate with Gorillaz and Massive Attack (Tricky's former band). Her contribution to Saturnalia was to add her vocals to the song The Body.
The Gutter Twins: The Body (audio only)
She collaborated with a pirate-punk band called The Wounded Knees, who released the All Rise EP in 2004. The band was a trio consisting of Jimi Shields (Rollerskate Skinny), Phil Williams (Hopewell) and Suzanne Thorpe (Mercury Rev) - and Topley-Bird would sometimes play live with them, having had Shields as her touring drummer a few years before. While this particular EP was produced by the band themselves, it was mixed by Jimi's brother KEVIN SHIELDS.
The Wounded Knees: Dirty (audio only - it's a bit 'out there' sonically, but does feature J. Mascis)
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