Meta Description: Dive into the captivating history of Factory Records, the revolutionary label that defined the Madchester scene and brought us iconic bands like Joy Division and Happy Mondays.
Ranging from the moody post-punk of Joy Division to the pounding acid house of The Haçienda, the music surrounding Factory Records was not tied to any one genre, style, or era. In fact, Factory Records history is defined by one core commitment: freedom.
The Ethos of Factory Records
“The musicians own everything, the company owns nothing. All our bands have the freedom to f*ck off,” was the essential ethos of the label, penned by Tony Wilson in his own blood. This freedom might have caused the label to eventually collapse, but it also allowed its artists to write about whatever came to mind, regardless of how marketable it might have been.
Factory Records in the 1980s and 1990s
Particularly during the late 1980s and early 1990s, mainstream music was dominated by soulless, marketable pop outfits. These were at odds with the growing rave subculture. The youth of Britain yearned for an alternative to the generic sounds of Stock Aitken Waterman, and revolutionary labels like Factory Records offered that in abundance. Factory Records history is intertwined with the infamous ‘Madchester’ scene, bringing attention to incredible new groups, with Happy Mondays at the forefront of their roster.
The Rise of Happy Mondays
An essential part of what made Happy Mondays so appealing was the fact that Shaun Ryder was just an ordinary kid from Manchester. Worlds away from the glitz and glamour of mainstream pop stars, Ryder had his roots in Little Hulton. Everybody in the UK knows somebody like Ryder or Bez; their image and music were relatable to audiences across the land. Sure, their lyrics weren’t the most poetic or profound, but they captured the zeitgeist of the time.
The band’s magnum opus arrived in 1990 with the release of Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches, via Factory Records. Featuring some of the Mondays’ best-loved tunes, including ‘Step On’, ‘Kinky Afro’, and the ultimate baggy anthem ‘Loose Fit’, the record also signified the band’s rise to mainstream success, reaching number four in the UK album charts. For the album, Ryder and company could seemingly find inspiration anywhere, imbuing the release with an infectious spontaneity.
Iconic Tracks and Their Stories
Perhaps the greatest example of this is the track ‘Bob’s Yer Uncle’, which arose from producer Paul Oakenfold’s instructions to “make this one sexy”. Recalling the recording process to the NME at the time, Ryder said, “Oakie said let’s make this one sexy for the ladies, and the words just spilled out. It was just the way the guitar was…it sounds sexy but it’s really f*cking sick”.
“The words are just like a schoolboy rhyme that any kid could make up,” Ryder continued, before concluding, “It sounds right. I’m not capable of writing something sexy, but I can write something dirty that sounds sexy”. This might explain the compelling sleaze inherent in Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches, reflective of the Madchester era as a whole.
Legacy of Factory Records
Ryder might be underselling his songwriting prowess by saying that “any kid could make up” ‘Bob’s Yer Uncle,’ but that is part of what makes Happy Mondays such an enduring and important band. Their accessibility and embracing of normality set them apart from virtually every other group appearing on Top of the Pops in the early 1990s. They weren’t polished, marketable, or ‘safe’, but they were honest, and they were free.
Factory Records history is a testament to the power of artistic freedom and its impact on the music industry. From Joy Division’s dark post-punk to Happy Mondays’ vibrant anthems, Factory Records remains a symbol of revolutionary music that defied conventional norms.
