Rave On: A Madchester Retrospective
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What do you get when you mix a period of flux in music trends, a place with a strong musical history and vibrant live music scene, a giant nightclub backed by financially obtuse owners, and a healthy dose of a psychoactive drug? In a word, Madchester.
Let’s fill in the blanks. The period of musical flux was the late 1980s and early 1990s. New wave and its offshoots were falling out of favour and no clear genre was asserting itself. Baby boomers were entering their late twenties and early thirties and pushing a resurgence of 1960s pop, soul, R&B, and psychedelic rock. However, the youth were also embracing electronics, continuing to push the boundaries of what could be done with the ever-evolving capabilities of synthesizers and sequencers. Both of these trends tapped into a return to the dancefloor, spurred, especially in the UK, by the early ‘80s growth of dance music since the success of New Order’s, “Blue Monday.”
The Haçienda, with the stage on the right and the booths under the balcony to the left
The place with a strong musical history was Manchester, which had long been the hub of a music scene supported by the prolific label, Factory Records. It was Factory that was also the provider of the nightclub, The Haçienda, which if run by anyone else probably would have folded long before Madchester arrived; but thanks to its partners’ willingness to pour money into it despite huge losses, helped develop a thriving live music and DJ-centric club scene that changed the music world ever after.
Finally, there was the drug MDMA, best known as ecstasy (or ‘E’, or molly), that took over from cocaine as the drug of choice propelling the nightlife around the UK. Imported from the US and the Mediterranean nightclubs, its high energy and trippy effects increased interest in music that was dreamy, psychedelic, and danceable. The clubs in these places were playing a new form of house music known as acid house, and it went hand in hand with ecstasy.
Put together those conditions and we saw a convergence of bands around Manchester that played trippy mixes of acid house electronics and modernized variants of ‘60s pop, soul, and psychedelia. Mix in some retro, baggy-styled clothing and ‘60s style mop-top haircuts, and the scene had a look to go with it. Driven by a select group of outstanding bands, and once given a nickname, the Madchester scene became a recognizable genre, era, and locale of the modern rock universe, and created a new strain of music that continues to influence music today.
This playlist explores the evolution and primary artists of the Madchester scene up to its peak in 1991. Because of the broadening influence of the music there were many acts that fit with the scene musically but that weren’t from the Manchester area. Therefore, artists that fit with the genre musically but not geographically have been omitted. These include, from Scotland, Primal Scream, Soup Dragons, and The Shamen, and acts from the rest of England such as Blur, Saint Etienne, Ocean Colour Scene, Stereo MC’s, Carter USM, EMF, Jesus Jones, Underworld, The Beloved, Bomb the Bass, and PWEI.
As is evident from this playlist, there were several artists that dominated the Madchester scene. In addition to a collection of stellar singles each of those artists also released landmark albums that defined the Madchester sound. It was those albums that brought the scene such attention and acclaim. Therefore, if you want to dive deeper, and I heartily encourage it, these LPs are the ‘must listens’ which will give you the foundation with which to immerse yourself into Madchester.
The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses (1989)
Life – Inspiral Carpets (1990)
Some Friendly – The Charlatans (UK) (1990)
Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches – Happy Mondays (1990)
ex:el – 808 State (1991)
The Playlist - song \ artist (release date)
Steps of Emotion \ The Farm (1985)
Summer Song \ James (July 1986)
Sally Cinnamon \ The Stone Roses (May 1987)
24 Hour Party People \ Happy Mondays (Oct 1987)
Voodoo Ray \ A Guy Called Gerald (Jun 1988)
Wrote for Luck \ Happy Mondays (Oct 1988)
Elephant Stone \ The Stone Roses (Oct 1988)
Fine Time \ New Order (Nov 1988)
I Wanna Be Adored \ The Stone Roses (Nov 1989)
Move \ Inspiral Carpets (Mar 1990)
Fools Gold \ The Stone Roses (Nov 1989)
Rave On \ Happy Mondays (Nov 1989)
Come Home \ James (Nov 1989)
Pacific 202 \ 808 State (Nov 1989)
Getting Away with It \ Electronic (Dec 1989)
This Is How It Feels \ Inspiral Carpets (Mar 1990)
The Only One I Know \ The Charlatans (UK) (May 1990)
Shall We Take A Trip \ Northside (May 1990)
Perfume (Loved Up) \ Paris Angels (Jun 1990)
Lay Me Down \ The Mock Turtles (Jun 1990)
Groovy Train \ The Farm (Aug 1990)
My Rising Star \ Northside (Oct 1990)
Polar Bear \ The Charlatans (UK) (Oct 1990)
Kinky Afro \ Happy Mondays (Oct 1990)
Cubik \ 808 State (Oct 1990)
Commercial Rain (Reign) \ Inspiral Carpets (1990)
Take Your Time \ The High (1990)
Strawberry Fields Forever \ Candy Flip (1990)
Window Pane \ The Real People (1990)
In Yer Face \ 808 State (Feb 1991)
“Steps of Emotion” \ non-album single \ The Farm (1985)
Though Madchester wouldn’t be a recognizable scene until 1989, the formations of its musical markers had been in development for years. While bands like Joy Division and New Order, The Fall, and The Smiths would give the city its due as a major ‘80s music centre, it was in steep competition with its neighbour Liverpool. Ever since The Beatles put the city on the map, it had fostered a strong music scene and issued forth many quality bands. The 1980s were no exception and at that time acts like Echo & The Bunnymen, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Dead or Alive, Teardrop Explodes, A Flock of Seagulls, and China Crisis were garnering the city as much or more attention than Manchester.
Just starting out amongst those other luminary acts was The Farm, which evolved out of previous bands before settling into a quartet by 1983 of Peter Hooten, John Melvin, Andy McVann, and Steve Grimes. Pursuing a danceable pop, they enlisted ‘Suggs’ McPherson from the band, Madness, to produce their first single, “Hearts and Minds,” released via End Product Records in 1984. “Steps of Emotion” was their second single, issued via PA Records in 1985. The song’s mix of ska, pop, and a loose, bouncy rhythm were ahead of the emerging trends. The song would appear in a different form on the debut LP a few years later as the track, “Very Emotional.” The Farm released four singles between 1984 and 1989 without any success before the music scene caught up to their style and embraced them. They also lost McVann in 1986 to a car accident when we was trying to evade the police. This sound differed from their Liverpudlian contemporaries and was akin to what was coming down the road.
“Summer Song” \ Stutter \ James (July 1986)
One of the longest running, most consistent, and reasonably successful of the Madchester era acts was James. Formed in 1982 in Manchester, they played their first gig at The Haçienda, which was also in its first year. The band built a reputation as a live act, combining a solid pop sensibility with jamming that gave their sound a danceable, varied vibe. After releasing a few singles and EPs, James released their debut LP in 1986, Stutter. While the singles didn’t do much, the LP reached #68 in the UK charts. “Summer Song” was an album track that exhibited the band’s loose groove, mixing Tim Booth’s distinct vocals with lively percussion and quick, strumming guitars, both of which would be common in the Madchester sound.
The Haçienda opened in May 1982, championed by New Order’s manager, Rob Gretton, and financially supported by a partnership that included all the members of New Order and the owning partners of Factory Records, Tony Wilson, Alan Erasmus, and Peter Saville. Taking over a former Yacht dealership, the expansive space was refashioned by Ben Kelly into a mix of live music and dance club within an industrial setting. The early years were lean years, featuring many notable live performances while staring at empty dance floors the rest of the week. Regular experimentation and an increasing embrace of acid house from the US started to build more regular audiences by the late ‘80s paced by the rise of star DJs such as Mike Pickering, Dave Haslam, Hewan Clarke, Graeme Park, and Greg Wilson.
“Sally Cinnamon” \ non-album single \ The Stone Roses (May 1987)
The Stone Roses evolved out of a group of Manchester musicians that had played together through various incarnations of bands since 1980. The constant influence in these acts was interest in older music such as ‘70s glam and ‘60s R&B and soul. The northern soul scene had died out by the early ‘80s but the music still proved popular among many musicians. Settling on a line-up with Ian Brown on vocals, Andy Couzens on vocals and guitar, John Squire on guitar, Peter Garner on bass, and after cycling through a few choices, Alan ‘Reni’ Wren, on drums, The Stone Roses (a name created by Squire due to its pleasing contrasting qualities) were started in 1984. They released their first single, “So Young,” in 1985, produced by the renowned Martin Hannett and issued via Thin Line Records.
As their reputation grew thanks to favourable performances around Manchester and some limited tours, they began recording an album but were dissatisfied with the results. As Squire and Brown assumed more control over the song writing, Couzens left (or was pushed out) the band. They released their next single, “Sally Cinnamon,” in 1987 on Black Records. Though it sold out its 1,000 copy run, it didn’t drive the broader attention they’d anticipated. However, its ‘60s psychedelic sound mixed with a modern pop element showed where they were headed musically. Shortly after its release Garner left the band and was replaced by Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield on bass, a change that further changed their sound and moved them towards a breakthrough.
“24 Hour Party People” \ Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) \ Happy Mondays (October 1987)
One of the most inventive and unpredictable acts of the era was Happy Mondays. Formed in 1982 in the Salford area of Greater Manchester, the band was formed around the Ryder brothers, with Shaun on vocals and Paul on bass. They were joined by Paul Davis on keyboards, Gary Whelan on drums, and Mark Day on guitar. Soon after their formation they added Mark ‘Bez’ Berry, who didn’t play any instruments (okay, he would often shake maracas) but rather danced around on stage in his peculiar fashion. An interesting component to the band’s brand, he helped propel the band’s loose, dance vibe and give audiences something to fix on rather than Shaun, who could be unpredictable and often unlively on stage due to his drug use.
The band’s appeal came through an uncanny ability to mix a wide variety of musical styles into a singular sound that also embodied the dual facets of the emerging Manchester music scene. The repetitive, trippy dance vibes of acid house were mixed with psychedelic pop styles of the ‘60s and driven by funky basslines and inventive percussion. Ryder wasn’t a refined singer, prone more to wailing and shouting, but caught the music’s vibe with his distinct, accented vocals. Signed to Factory Records, the band recorded their first LP with Velvet Underground’s John Cale, and gave it the impossibly bizarre and long name, Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out). The album managed a #4 spot in the UK indie chart.
The song, “24 Hour Party People,” was not originally included on the LP. When a song was forced off due to copyright infringement of The Beatle’s, “Ob-La-Di,Ob-La-Da,” it was brought on as a replacement and eventually issued as the album’s second single. It would later be the title track for the 2002 film by Michael Winterbottom that chronicled the rise and fall of Factory Records.
“Voodoo Ray” \ non-album single \ A Guy Galled Gerald (June 1988)
If there was a single song that galvanized the acid house scene and drove the new crowds at The Haçienda, it was “Voodoo Ray” by A Guy Called Gerald, which was the performing name for DJ, producer, and musician, Gerald Simpson. A founding member of electronica act, 808 State, Simpson drew on his Jamaican heritage and had been mixing beats with the ska, jazz, and funk music on which he’d been raised.
The original 808 State: Graham Massey, Gerald Simpson, & Martin Price. Simpson went solo to become A Guy Called Gerald.
In 1987 there was the rise of an underground scene across England in which dance parties were held in fields and abandoned factories, fuelled by variations of soul, hip hop, funk, and house music coming out of Detroit. Clubs quickly picked up on this and American DJs came over to play the clubs to great response. This was also the time ecstasy started to make the rounds. This was the arrival of raves and rave culture, and it harkened a new Summer of Love, giving a nod to the original twenty years prior.
Gerald Simpson, along with Martin Price, who owned a popular record store, Eastern Bloc, and ran an indie label, Creed, joined with fellow store customer Graham Massey to form a hip hop act, Hit Squad Manchester. As their sound moved into house music they renamed themselves, 808 State, after the Roland TR-808 drum machine.
Simpson left 808 State shortly after their first LP, Newbuild, was released in September 1988. But earlier that year he had already been working on his own music, recording the single, “Voodoo Ray,” in June and releasing it on Rham! Records, an indie label that specialized in dance, hip hip and soul music. The song made its debut at The Haçienda, and quickly became a hit in the club, becoming the club’s de facto house song. Built on a simple synth and drum track with samples from a Peter Cook and Dudley Moore sketch, the song’s signature element was singer Nicola Collier’s echoey vocal. The song captured the dreamy, hypnotic vibe of the ecstasy-rave culture and became one of the best-known house songs ever, as well as a calling card for the new scene blossoming around the Manchester clubs. As the rest of the country caught on to the rave scene and the Manchester clubs, “Voodoo Ray” would make its way up to #12 in the UK singles chart in 1989.
“Wrote for Luck” \ Bummed \ Happy Mondays (October 1988)
In November 1988 the Happy Mondays released their second LP, Bummed, on Factory records. It was produced by Martin Hannett, continuing his ongoing influence on the Manchester music scene. Heavily influenced by the band’s use of ecstasy, it was the first true Madchester album, mixing house music with soul, funk, and psychedelic pop. It wasn’t a great album but did contain many moments of brilliance such that it garnered more attention for the band and its attendant music scene. The album reached #2 on the UK indie chart and #59 on the UK album chart.
The LP’s first single was “Wrote for Luck,” released the month before the album. It was the perfect distillation of house and psych-rock into a club and radio friendly package. Madchester was notable for its prolific issuance of remixes, and this song came in many forms. Its hypnotic rhythms with Shaun Ryder’s faraway vocal and repeated oohing and awing in the background, combined with layered, strumming guitars captured the best of the club and rock sounds. It came with a great video of Ryder singing the song in Legends Disco in Manchester.
The album’s second single, “Lazy Itis,” included a remix titled, “Lazyitis (The One Armed Boxer Remix),” which featured vocals from Scottish, yodelling singer Karl Denver. He had had several hits in the ‘60s, most notably with his version of the song, “Wimoweh (The Lion Sleeps Tonight).” It was part of the band’s many references back to the Northern Soul of their influences.
“Elephant Stone” \ non-album single \ The Stone Roses (October 1988)
After Mani replaced Pete Garner on bass in November 1987, The Stone Roses were courted by Rough Trade Records in early ’88 to sign a deal. They paid for the band to record one of their demos, “Elephant Stone,” into a proper single. It was produced by New Order’s Peter Hook and recorded in his personal studio. However, it wouldn’t see the light of day until October after the band had agreed to sign with Silvertone Records, who purchased the recording from Rough Trade and had producer John Leckie remix the album. The single failed to chart but revealed the band’s progress since “Sally Cinnamon” from the year prior. Psychedelic guitar and frenetic drums underpinned Brown’s faraway vocal which delivered a catchy melody. The song was fresh and unlike anything else around, while also sounding like it was imported from 1967.
“Fine Time” \ Technique \ New Order (November 1988)
Since emerging in 1980 from the ashes of its initial incarnation, Joy Division, the band New Order had delivered a stellar run of albums and singles over the course of the 1980s. As the financial backbone of Factory Records and the Haçienda nightclub, the band was, by 1988, the leaders of the Manchester modern rock scene, especially since the demise of The Smiths the year before. They were also global leaders in having merged the dark wave and new wave sounds of the decade while also re-invigorating dancefloors with hits like “Blue Monday,” “Confusion,” “Shell Shock,” and most recently, “True Faith.”
The 12” cover for New Order’s acid house single, “Fine Time.” Hmm, pills…
By the end of their North American tour in 1987 the band was struggling to stay together. They took a year off before agreeing to reconvene in the Spanish island of Ibiza to record their fifth LP. By all accounts their time in Ibiza was spent mostly on ecstasy and hanging out in the island’s legendary dance clubs, along with labelmates, Happy Mondays. Ibiza’s clubs where filled with the Balearic beats and acid house sounds of the time. New Order didn’t spend much time in the studio together but managed to put the foundations of the album together, with only one song completed, “Fine Time.” The rest of the album was completed back in England.
The album, Technique, was released in January 1989, but “Fine Time” was released as a single the prior November. While the album would blend a fantastic collection of hook-filled songs that leaned more towards the electronic and dance side of their sound, “Fine Time” stood out as something newer and different for them. It was the best example of the veteran band leaning into the acid house influences of their nightclub as well as what they’d heard while in Ibiza. Its Balearic beats, dreamy vocals, and sharp turns offered a more frenetic and purely club-oriented tune than usually found on their albums (the remixes were usually where those styles would be found). “Fine Time” was New Order’s contribution to the emerging Manchester scene and reminded the newcomers who it was that had first set the city to its dancing ways. Reaching #11 in the UK singles chart, it was one of the higher charting singles of the band’s career and gave the world its first glimpse into the changing nature of the Manchester sound.
“I Wanna Be Adored” \ The Stone Roses \ The Stone Roses (May 1989)
The Stone Roses continued to work with John Leckie after issuing, “Elephant Stone.” They recorded their first album over the latter half of 1988 and the winter of 1989. The next single, “Made of Stone,” was released in February 1989 and gave further taste of the band’s psychedelic-pop sound. It was a fantastic tune of the type that built the blueprint for the 1990s brand of Britpop. It just cracked the top 100 in the UK singles chart, opening the door slightly to greater exposure as the band still wasn’t drawing well for their shows outside the northwest of England.
In early May the self-titled album was released and the next single, “She Bangs the Drums,” was issued in July. Another pop gem, the song cracked the top forty in the UK and paved the way for the album’s ascent of the album charts, where it peaked in the UK at #5.
Though not released as a single until September 1991, the album’s opening track, “I Wanna Be Adored,” gave notice of how special this album was going to be. The slow, factory atmosphere of the song’s opening allowed a ninety second build of bass and guitar into an expanse of pure, psych-pop bliss. Not quite fast enough to be danceable, the song caught the perfect, trippy bliss of the Manchester sound.
It just can’t be understated how brilliant was The Stone Roses album. Note perfect from start to finish, every song was impeccably put together and moved the listener through a fantastic journey of rock, pop, slow ballads, and danceable tracks. Aside from the three singles, other tracks like, “Waterfall,” “Don’t Stop,” “(Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister,” and “This is the One,” demanded attention as superb examples of a new sound that borrowed from the past but put a modern edge to it. And then there was the epic closing track, “I Am the Resurrection,” which after delivering yet another impeccable four-minute pop song, built into an extended four-minute rock jam that showed John Squire was a top-notch guitarist. While Manchester was getting its ecstasy fuelled trips from electronica in the clubs, The Stone Roses showed it could also be attained through an old-fashioned mix of drum, bass, and guitar.
The Stone Roses was the first great album of the Madchester era, a term not yet coined but with the growing success of the area’s bands, the British press were starting to take notice.
“Move” \ Life \ Inspiral Carpets (November 1989)
One of the distinctive, retro elements of the Madchester scene was the use of organ and similar keyboards. This further tied the scene’s dance-pop sound to ‘60s psychedelia and drew on the influences of The Doors and post-punk acts such as The Stranglers. No band exemplified this better than Inspiral Carpets, whose name was inspired by a local clothing store. They were formed in 1983 in Oldham, a suburb of Manchester, by school friends Stephen Holt (vocals) and Graham Lambert (guitar). Craig Gill (drums) joined in 1986 at the age of fourteen. The band’s sound started to move from garage rock and punk towards the retro sound with the addition of keyboardist Clint Boon, from nearby Ashton-under-Lyne, in 1987. That same year they recorded series of demos and issued a flexi-disc magazine insert, “Garage Full of Flowers,” as well as a cassette EP of demos, Cow. Inspiral Carpets had a bovine visual theme throughout their career.
Things started to pick up for the Inspirals in 1988 when they issued the Plane Crash EP via Playtime Records, which caught the attention of radio DJ, John Peel. They formed their own label, Cow Records, in early 1989 and released the Trainsurfing EP, which included “Garage Full of Flowers” again as well as a cover of the seminal ‘60s organ rocker, “96 Tears.”
In 1989, the band’s composition was significantly changed when Stephen Holt and David Swift left the band. They were replaced with singer Tom Hingley and bassist Martyn Walsh. However, the next release, a demo cassette, Dung 4, was all songs from the prior line-up and issued the single, “Joe.” The band finally saw its first glimpse of the charts with the following single, “Find Out Why,” which reached the top 100 in the UK singles chart. They built on that momentum with the next single, “Move,” issued that November and the first to feature Hingley on vocals. It reached #49 in the UK singles chart and, with its mid-tempo, dreamy feel and rich organ sound, started to place Inspiral Carpets at the fore of the Madchester scene.
“Fools Gold” \ non-album single \ The Stone Roses (November 1989)
The Stone Roses on Top of the Pops
At the end of November 1989, the Madchester scene got a big publicity boost when both The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays appeared on the TV show, Top of the Pops. This exposure built on the success of the Roses’ LP. They played their new single, “Fools Gold,” their first to reach the top ten in the UK singles chart.
“Fools Gold” is one of my favourite songs. In our current times, with the likes of Shazam and streaming services that allow us to identify songs immediately, we don’t have the issues from back in the day when you could hear a song multiple times before being able to learn who did it. I remember being in the car on the way to my sister’s when I first heard “Fools Gold.” It mesmerized me and even though having arrived at my destination, sat in the car for the remainder of the song’s almost ten-minute run (yes, there used to be radio stations that played long songs). I then had to listen to several commercials before the DJ came on and told me the name of the song and the band, whom I hadn’t heard of at that point. It instantly drew me to the Madchester scene. In North America, the track listing for The Stone Roses added the “Elephant Stone” and “Fools Gold” singles, making the album all the more incredible, though the awesome finale of “I Am the Resurrection” was somewhat out of place in the penultimate position on the album, with “Fools Gold” placed after it. Still, what a duo of tunes to run through to close out the album.
“Fools Gold” was an ode to the band’s influences. It was a remarkable drum and bass track with hypnotic beats and rhythms. It was formed around beats from “The Funky Drummer” by James Brown and the basslines from “Know How” by Young MC, who was hot on the charts that year thanks to his LP, Stone Cold Rhymin’ and the single, “Bust A Move.” Ian Brown sang in echoey tones but the song had long instrumental breaks that allowed the listener to just ride the groove. To me, it was the greatest moment of the Madchester era and the definitive distillation of its retro-house mix. In my locale, the song was the #1 song of the year for 1990 on radio station, CFNY.
The Stone Roses: Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, John Squire, Ian Brown, and Alan ‘Reni’ Wren
For The Stone Roses, “Fools Gold” was the start of their peak for the Madchester period. They would re-issue several singles in early 1990 before issuing another new single, “One Love,” in July. It surpassed the chart peak of “Fools Gold” by reaching #4 on the UK chart. And on May 27, 1990, the band headlined a concert at Spike Island, a park along the River Mersey in the town of Widnes, southeast of Liverpool. With 27,000 attendees it was a sure sign of just how popular the whole Manchester scene had become and The Stone Roses’ dominant position within it. It was a remarkable level of growth for the band in just one year. However, marred by technical difficulties the show became as much a symbol for the ironic situation of The Roses, in which they held unparalleled popularity for their genre yet, in the midst of a battle with their record label, wouldn’t be able to capitalize on it, beginning a decline in relevance over the next two years. With some of Madchester’s greatest music yet to be released, Spike Island wasn’t quite the peak of Madchester, but became one of its touchstone events.
Due to battles with their label, Silvertone, with which they’d signed an 8-album deal that the band wanted out of due to disputes over their royalties, The Stone Roses wouldn’t issue their second album until 1994, after the Madchester scene was well spent. Regardless, the band had cemented themselves as the kings of the Madchester scene and part of a celebrated triumvirate with Happy Mondays and Inspiral Carpets.
“Rave On” \ Madchester Rave On EP \ Happy Mondays (November 1989)
As 1989 drew to a close the British music media, always looking for the ‘next thing,’ was building the hype for Manchester. The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, James, Inspiral Carpets, 808 State, and their singles were being celebrated on shows and in magazines. Yet, the scene didn’t yet have a name, and that would come with the Happy Mondays EP, Madchester Rave On, released the same day as the Roses’ “Fools Gold” single.
The Mondays on Top of the Pops, with guest singer Kirsty MacColl
The EP featured the single, “Hallelujah,” which became the bands break through, reaching #19 on the UK singles chart and #1 on the indie chart. The band playing the song on Top of the Pops at the end of the month (joined by the wonderful Kirsty MacColl), along with The Stone Roses performance in the same show, served as a coming out party for Madchester. The term, Madchester, was coined by Factory Records video director, Philip Shotton, a member of the Bailey Brothers team along with Keith Jobling. Differing accounts either suggest it was put forward as a t-shirt slogan or as an alternate name for Manchester in a film script the Bailey Brothers were developing. Encouraged by Factory Records head, Tony Wilson, the Mondays took the suggestion for both the name of their EP and the cover artwork. As Shaun Ryder noted, it seemed right given how mad everyone was for Manchester at the time.
In the intro to this profile I listed several albums as ‘must haves’ for a Madchester library, if there is a second tier then the Madchester Rave On EP should definitely be included, or perhaps its North American version, Hallelujah. That version, which is what I bought in Canada, added the club remixes of “Hallelujah” and “Rave On” from the Madchester Rave On – The Remixes EP, as well as the excellent version of “Wrote for Luck,” titled “W.F.L. (Think About the Future Mix),” both of which were issued in December 1989. In Australia, they also had a version of “Step On” added, to make it even better.
The four tracks on Madchester were all excellent. While “Hallelujah” got the attention as the single, in my mind it was “Rave On” that was the standout track. Riding a funky drum and bass groove, the trippy song again (because I said this also of “Wrote for Luck”) perfectly captured the band’s mix of psychedelic and house sounds. The hypnotic, dreamy feel was now the signature sound of the Manchester music scene, and with the Madchester Rave On EP, it now had a name which the press quickly popularized.
“Come Home” \ Gold Mother \ James (November 1989)
After the Stutter LP in 1986 James had released their second LP in 1988, Strip-Mine. The single, “What For,” had reached the top 100 in the charts as did the album, but the band still hadn’t found its groove. That came with the third LP, Gold Mother, issued in June of 1990. Preceding the album were two singles in 1989 that laid the groundwork for their breakthrough. The first was, “Sit Down,” a fun romp of a single that captured the band’s energy. It only reached #77 on the UK singles chart but peaked at #2 on the indie chart. The other single was, “Come Home,” which similarly reached #84 and #3 respectively on those charts. The song’s mix of danceable beats, keyboard accents, and psychedelic guitars was in the Madchester groove. This was the song that first brought the band to my attention as part of an incredible year of music through 1990.
Gold Mother was an excellent album. It reached #2 in the UK album chart and set James on its way to a solid run of success over the ensuring decade. They were one of the few bands to extend its success beyond the Madchester period, scoring four more top ten LPs in the decade following along with nine singles to reach the top twenty in the UK. They were never able to break through to any great degree in North America, but are still going strong, now having released fifteen albums. I caught them on tour in 2019, able to see them live for the first time.
“Pacific 202” \ 90 \ 808 State (November 1989)
As noted above for A Guy Called Gerald, 808 State started in 1987 as a trio of Gerald Simpson, Graham Massey, and Martin Price. Fully into electronics and exploring the various club beats and sounds that could be achieved with them, they were leaders of acid house as they blended those sounds with their northern soul influences. After the debut LP in 1988, Newbuild, which failed to gain them commercial notice but garnered them critical praise, Simpson departed to pursue his solo/Gerald stuff and the duo of Massey and Price carried on with 808 State, adding DJs Andrew Barker and Darren Partington to the line-up.
The first single released by the new line-up in November 1989 was the song, “Pacific State.” However, as multiple remixes of the song were issued, each version was given its own number, so it has appeared under various names. “Pacific 202” was the version included on their second LP, 90, issued the following month. The song’s blithe, melodious synths, with loon-like echoes and a plaintive sax accent over a mix of beats, perfectly captured the acid house vibe. The song was a regular at The Haçienda, usually closing out the night. The song reached the UK top ten, putting 808 State on the map. 90 only reached #57 on the album chart but it too was an excellent LP, featuring several great tracks like, “Magical Dream,” “Ancodia,” and the subdued, trippy vibes of “Sunrise.”
“Getting Away with It \ non-album single (later included on Electronic) \ Electronic (December 1989)
When New Order was taking a breather after the end of touring to promote the album, Technique, Bernard Sumner and ex-The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr came together to form the band, Electronic. To heighten the star power, they also invited the London synth-pop hitmakers, Pet Shop Boys, to join in on a few songs.
The first release was the single, “Getting Away with It,” in early December 1989. Its slick melody and sweet synths weren’t a strong link to the retro-psych sounds of Madchester in the same way New Order’s album had that year, but when Electronic issued their debut LP in 1991, buoyed by the single, “Get the Message” (#8 in the UK), the connections to Madchester were a little more evident. Pulsating with acid house electronics and dance beats, the typical melodies of Sumner with Marr’s elegant guitar work made for a catchy, hit album, reaching #2 in the UK. “Getting Away with It” reached #12 in the UK singles chart and cracked the top forty in the US. Electronic would continue to merge electronics with Britpop over more singles and two more albums through the rest of the decade.
“This Is How It Feels” \ Life \ Inspiral Carpets (March 1990)
In April 1990, Inspiral Carpets released their first LP, Life. It was preceded by the single, “This Is How It Feels,” the prior month. The single and album were a great start to the new year, the new decade, and a sign that Madchester was far from losing steam. The song was a lovely, slower tune which was a bit uncommon for the era’s hits. It reached #14 on the UK singles chart, cementing the Carpets along with Happy Monday and The Stone Roses as the most popular of the Madchester bands.
The Life album was excellent, compiling the best of the many demos the band had done over the prior two years along with other strong additions. There were no bad tunes across the LP’s twelve tracks, offering various tempos and hooks of the band’s signature, organ-filled sound. It also included bonus tracks, including the “Move” single from a few months back. Life was the next great Madchester album and, in reaching #2 in the UK album chart, the most successful yet.
“The Only One I Know” \ non-album single \ The Charlatans (UK) (May 1990)
It was the summer of 1990 that I caught on to Madchester, returning home from school in the spring and revelling in the music my radio station in Toronto, CFNY, was playing that year. Late one night I recall a DJ introducing a new song, “The Only One I Know,” and it immediately made me sit up and take notice. Within a couple weeks it had become a frequently played song and by the end of the year it was the #6 song of the year on the station. Perhaps because The Charlatans (with ‘UK’ added in North America due to copyright conflicts with another band) were primary in introducing me to Madchester, I feel they belong in the genre’s upper echelon with the trio cited earlier, which is who observers tend to focus on. Perhaps because The Charlatans were later in arriving they get short shrift, but their sound and copious amounts of great music deservedly places them among the greatest of the Madchester bands. Still going (I saw them in concert in 2018), their thirteen albums to date and many successful singles made them, along with James, one of the only bands to use Madchester to launch a lasting career, shifting later into pure Britpop.
Perhaps the reason The Charlatans are excluded from being cited as a leading Madchester band was because they originated out of the West Midlands, a region around Birmingham a couple hours south of Manchester. However, after Salford-born singer Tim Burgess joined the band they relocated to Northwich, where he’d grown up and was located about 45 minutes southwest of Manchester. The band has cited its organ-fuelled sound was in the spirit of other West Midlands acts like ‘60s band, Spencer Davis Group, but their sound also fit perfectly with the Madchester vibe.
Thanks to the success of an indie single, “Indian Rope,” released in early 1990, the band landed a contract with a major sub-label, Situation Two, from which they issued the single, “The Only One I Know,” in May. It went to the top ten in the UK singles chart, immediately catapulting them to the fore of the scene. Thanks to Rob Collins keyboards, the band joined with Inspiral Carpets to champion the retro, organ groove of the ‘60s. However, unlike the more garage rock-oriented feel of the Carpets, The Charlatans took the sound more into an acid house feel. “The Only One I Know” was one of the top songs of the Madchester scene.
“Shall We Take A Trip” \ Chicken Rhythms \ Northside (May 1990)
Whenever a scene becomes something identifiable, that rare mix of location, time, and critical mass of quality music, exposure is given to the deeper layers of talent working in the area. While many other places may have those same layers, without the increased focus of attention that a breakthrough scene provides, they struggle to get out of obscurity. By 1990 the success of Madchester bands had brought the microscope to town for both the media and the record labels. Naturally, many other bands benefitted from this and the scene deepened to something more than just a select few entrants – bring on the one-hit wonders.
The Northside was such a band, starting with their single, “Shall We Take A Trip.” They were formed in 1989 in Manchester and were a Factory Records act. Banned by the BBC for its drug references – always a surefire way to bring a song attention – “Shall We Take A Trip” made it to #50 in the UK singles chart. Its catchy rhythms, quick strumming guitar, and vocals in the accented, breathy, airy style of Ian Brown and Shaun Ryder, made it a consummate Madchester song.
“Perfume (Loved Up)” \ Sundew \ Paris Angels (June 1990)
Paris Angels came out of the Ashton-Under-Lyne suburb of Manchester and were regulars at The Haçienda as well as the Boardwalk nightclub. Boardwalk was on Little Peter Street in the same building as T.J. Davidsons, a recording and rehearsal space famous in Manchester music, in particular as the rehearsal space for Joy Division and where the video for “Love Will Tear Us Apart” was filmed.
Paris Angels
Providing a more pop-oriented variant of Madchester, Paris Angels employed a brighter sound to its disco dance beats. Over the course of 1990 and 1991 they released five singles, three of which reached the UK singles charts. The first three were on indie label, Sheer Joy, and the second single was “Perfume,” part of a release that featured two versions, “All on You (Perfume)” and “Perfume.” It reached #55 on the UK chart to be their most successful version. The band signed to Virgin Records and released their only LP, Sundew, in 1991. It included the single “Fade” along with a new version of “Perfume,” titled “Perfume (Loved Up).” This is the version on this playlist and helped push the album to a #37 position in the UK albums chart.
“Lay Me Down” \ Turtle Soup \ The Mock Turtles (June 1990)
The Mock Turtles
The Mock Turtles were formed in Manchester in 1985, releasing singles via Imaginary Records starting in 1987. Featuring Martin Coogan on vocals, who was the brother of actor Steve Coogan who would portray Tony Wilson in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People, the band was one of many that didn’t catch on until the Madchester tide lifted them up. “Lay Me Down” was their fourth single and displayed the catchy, dreamy, Britpop feel of the band’s sound, riding a solid R&B bassline. It came from their first LP, Turtle Soup, released in June of 1990 and despite providing a solid batch of songs, failed to chart.
The following February The Mock Turtles released their next single from the album, “Can You Dig It?” The catchy, dream pop song finally got them some success as it reached the top twenty hit in the UK. They would release another LP, Two Sides, later in 1991 before being dropped by their new label, Siren Records. The band broke up at that point.
“Groovy Train” \ Spartacus \ The Farm (August 1990)
This profile kicked off with a song by Liverpool’s, The Farm, from way back in 1985 and as one of the earliest examples of the Madchester sound. Since then the band had gone through line-up changes after Andy McVann passed away and then John Melvin left. This left only original members Peter Hooton (vocals) and Steve Grimes (guitar), so a new line-up was pulled together. The Farm then issued three more singles, “Some People” in 1986, “Body and Soul” in 1989, and a cover of the 1960s hit song, “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone,” part of a double A-side release in early 1990 along with, “Family of Man,” which was the first to get the band some success and a place on the UK singles chart.
The Farm finally issued its first album, Spartacus, on Sire Records in March of 1991. It compiled many of their early singles including their first from 1984, “Hearts and Minds,” the variation of “Steps of Emotion” titled, “Very Emotional,” and the two singles that preceded the album in 1990. The first of those was, “Groovy Train” in August and then, “All Together Now,” in November. Suggs from Madness produced many songs, as did Paul Heaton from the band, The Housemartins.
The two singles both reached the top ten in the UK and the album went to #1, making it one of the top entries of the Madchester era. “Groovy Train,” which nearly reached the top forty in the US to be a rare Madchester cross-Atlantic hit, was driven by its undeniable beats and tight guitar-work. Like other standout tracks of the scene, it blended signature ingredients of club rhythms, airy vocals, and soul melodies and backing vocals. The band’s pop and disco feel may cause many to exclude them from the Madchester envelope, but when you look at how strong an album Spartacus was and how much of it fit the key notes of the whole scene, they wholly deserve to be included.
“My Rising Star” \ Chicken Rhythms \ Northside (October 1990)
After the success of “Shall We Take A Trip,” in the spring, Northside returned in the fall with their first and only album, Chicken Rhythms – which must be one of the worst album titles ever. The album reached the top twenty in the UK and the single, “My Rising Star” (included on the CD version of the LP only), reached the UK top forty. It was in the mold of their quintessential Madchester sound, as was the rest of the fairly solid and consistently catchy album, which was produced by Ian Broudie of brilliant Liverpool Britpop act, The Lightning Seeds (whose 1989 song, “Pure,” was another of the summer of ’90 stalwart tracks for me). The Northside recorded a second LP but never got to release it when Factory Records went under in 1992.
“Polar Bear” \ Some Friendly \ The Charlatans (UK) (October 1990)
The Charlatans followed up the success of “The Only One I Know” with their debut LP, Some Friendly. It was the next of the great Madchester albums, offering ten flawless songs that explored both a danceable, club-oriented electronica sound as well as their retro-psychedelic rock style. The single, “Then,” was released the month prior to the LP and almost cracked the top ten, peaking at #12. It was a rare slow-to-mid-tempo Madchester song, but with its faraway vocals, catchy beats, and sublime guitar and bass, it was a fantastic song that further made the case for The Charlatans being a leading act of its time. Furthering that claim was when Some Friendly reached #1 in the UK album chart and even got onto the top 100 in the US.
The Charlatans
“Sproston Green” closed the album and was one of those epic, high energy closing tracks with a great jam sequence similar to how “I Am the Resurrection” had closed The Stone Roses. The band struggled through the recording, with one problem being they didn’t have enough finished songs to complete an album given they’d only been together for a year. While the band felt some songs were more filler than proper contributions to the LP, and that others were over-produced by Chris Nagle that lessened their deeper, R&B groove, the album was still a fantastic achievement. And while “The Only One I Know” was left off the original pressing, when it was added to the CD and North American releases, it further strengthened the LP’s track listing.
“Polar Bear” was one of the band’s more electronic and dancier entries and one of the tunes they felt was over-produced. As a result though, it was one of the tracks that helped make the album so interesting by providing a varied sound and vibe in the centre of the album. It also linked the band to the acid house side of the Madchester sound. After an almost two-minute intro, the song settled into a mix of their retro style and electronica vibe.
“Kinky Afro” \ Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches \ Happy Mondays (October 1990)
In April of 1990, the Happy Mondays continued their conquering ways with the single, “Step On,” a cover of “He’s Gonna Step on You Again,” a song by John Kongos from 1971. It was another dominant song of my summer of ’90 and introduced me forcefully to the Happy Mondays, leading me to quickly catch up on their prior releases. It was also a top ten song in the UK as well as on the US Modern Rock chart, providing evidence of Madchester’s growing popularity. It was the first single from their upcoming album, Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches, the next on the list of ‘must have’ Madchester albums. After enjoying the remixes of their music by DJ Paul Oakenfold, they enlisted him to produce the album, thereby leaning further into the acid house feel.
The second single, released a month before the album, was the LP’s lead track, “Kinky Afro.” Riding a laid back feel with a solid bassline, strumming guitars, melodious keyboards, and Ryders distinctive vocals, it was a great track. Less danceable than their recent work, it set the stage for an album that worked well at home as well as in the nightclubs. “Kinky Afro” delivered the band their second top ten single in the UK and a #1 song on the US Modern Rock chart.
The album was full of one amazing song after another, riding the band’s blend of dance rhythms and hook filled guitars and melodies. The deep, R&B and soul foundations gave the album both a warmth and accessibility that drew you in further. Many of the songs were aided by the wonderful backing vocals of local talent and scenester, Rowetta Ida (usually credited as just Rowetta).
The song, “Loose Fit,” was a nod to the fashions of Madchester, generally referred to as ‘baggy.’ Madchester club goers and the bands wore a mix of ‘60s fashion and modern wear, notable for oversized hoodies, jackets, and tops and widely flared pants. I’ve read that the fashion originated out of some of the popular shops frequented by the regulars of the scene as well as a practical preference for dancing in the hot clubs. The song seemed to capture not only the fashion sense of the scene, “Has to be a loose fit / Has to be a loose fit / Go on move in it / Go on do your bit,” but also its carefree and live-and-let-live ethos, “Do what you’re doin’ / Say what you’re sayin’ / Go where you’re goin’ / Think what you’re thinkin’ / Sounds good to me.”
The Happy Mondays: Paul Ryder (bass), Mark ‘Bez’ Berry (maracas & dancing), Gary Whelan (drums), Shaun Ryder (vocals), Rowetta (vocals), Mark Day (guitar), & Paul Davis (keyboards)
I was happy to catch the Happy Mondays on tour in Toronto in April 1991 with London’s The Stereo MCs (before their breakout hit, “Connected”) opening. It was a blast to see Bez and crew run through their great songs, though the show was short due to the band coming on stage very late and Shaun Ryder clearly looking the worse for wear.
“Cubik” \ ex:el \ 808 State (October 1990)
808 State built on the success of “Pacific” with a 1990 collaboration with Manchester rapper, MC Tunes, The North at its Heights, which featured two top twenty singles, “The Only Rhyme that Bites,” and “Tunes Splits the Atom.” At the end of October they released their next single, a double A-side, “Cubik”/”Olympic.” In the US “Cubik” was released alone as a single. Opening with a screeching guitar followed by a hard sounding, forceful keyboard and propulsive beats, it marked a new sound for the band. With its industrial leanings and catchy rhythms, it was an intriguing evolution of the acid house sound and delivered the band their third consecutive top ten single in the UK. It’s flipside single, “Olympic,” was similar to the more easygoing sounds of the prior LP, 90.
“Commercial Rain (Reign)” \ non-album single \ Inspiral Carpets (November 1990)
Inspiral Carpets: Martyn Walsh (bass); Craig Gill (drums); Tom Hingley (vocals); Clint Boon (keyboards); & Graham Lambert (guitars)
Riding high on the success of their debut LP, Inspiral Carpets released its next single, “She Comes in the Fall,” in the summer of 1990. It reached #27 in the UK singles chart. It also featured a song on the B-side, “Commercial Reign,” that had also been the B-side of their 1989 single, “Joe” (though titled “Commercial Rain”). Looking to parlay their UK success into better results stateside, “Commercial Rain” was added to the Life album in North America and issued as both a single and a promo. It helped a little, reaching #27 in the US Modern Rock chart. In my town, CFNY placed it at #51 in its 1990 year-end chart. Life still didn’t get onto the mainstream charts despite its greatness. “Commercial Rain” was a fantastic song and further evidence of Inspiral Carpets’ mastery of the retro-acid house sound. With a typically repetitive, hypnotic groove it was made to get the feet moving, riding a rich, rolling bassline, driving beat, and a swirling, hooky, garage rock styled organ riff.
“Take Your Time” \ Somewhere Soon \ The High (1990)
The High was formed in Manchester in 1987 by John Matthews and Andy Couzens, one of The Stone Roses original members. Rather than building a following through live shows, the band developed a repertoire of catchy, retro-Britpop songs, solidly in the pop-rock vein of the Madchester sound. Signing with London Records after just a couple shows, the band released three singles over the course of 1990 to support their LP, Somewhere Soon, all of which charted in the UK but never higher than the fifties. “Take Your Time” was the third of those singles, which reached #56 in the singles chart.
The High re-did their initial single, “Box Set Go,” with producer Martin Hannett, and that version managed to a #28 spot in 1991. A second LP followed in 1992, Hype, but with the Madchester scene losing steam by then and facing critical backlash, it fell flat and the band packed it in.
“Strawberry Fields Forever” \ Madstock \ Candy Flip (1990)
Maybe I’m stretching the locale for this duo, an act out of Stoke-on-Tent about an hour’s drive south of Manchester, but Candy Flip’s acid house sound was completely in stride with the Madchester milieu. Their name, Candy Flip, was also a take on the slang term, candyflipping, which was when LSD and ecstasy were taken together. Danny Spencer was on vocals and keyboards along with fellow keyboardist, Ric Peet, and the duo crafted samples into dream pop, acid house songs that went over very well in the Manchester clubs.
First appearing in 1989 with the single, “Love is Life,” the band caught on with their cover of The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Their acid house take on the classic tune went to #3 in the UK and #11 in the US Modern Rock chart. The album was titled, Madstock, combining the current scene with the classic festival of the ‘60s to match their modern take on those original sounds. It would be their only LP, as Candy Flip broke up in 1992 after releasing a few more, lower charting singles. “Strawberry Fields Forever,” however, left one of the more indelible contributions to the Madchester scene, even if it was to the chagrin to many a purist Beatles fan.
“Window Pane” \ The Real People \ The Real People (May 1990)
Showing how taken I was with the Madchester sound, when I heard “Window Pane” on the radio in Toronto I immediately fell in love with it and found the self-titled album by The Real People on my next jaunt to the CD store. The band didn’t catch on in my city, or anywhere else in North America, and my awareness of them remained isolated to that album, which I played often over those early ‘90s years. Thanks to the internet, I have been able to realize that, of course, as Liverpool band, they were yet another entry in the Britpop side of the Madchester scene.
By the end of 1990 Madchester was getting away from the mix of psychedelic rock and acid house into a purer rock and pop feel, as the trend’s influences were making their mark on bands plying more mainstream sounds. The Real People were a good example of this dynamic. Further, they were the consummate example of taking the Beatles’ classic, Liverpool/Merseyside sound and blending it with the Manchester groove.
The Real People was released in May of 1991 and was full of tight, catchy, pop songs. It reached #59 on the UK album chart. “Window Pane” was the lead single released in late 1990 and it reached #60 in the singles chart. Two more singles didn’t do much better, with “The Truth” almost cracking the top forty. A second album followed in 1996.
The band was formed around brothers, Chris and Tony Griffiths, who have continued to work together as songwriters for many other acts. They’ve brought The Real People back together for further releases since 2010, tapping into a loyal but mostly local fan base.
“In Yer Face” \ ex:el \ 808 State (February 1991)
I saw 808 State in concert in October 1991 in Toronto at The Opera House, delivering what has to be one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. There was a piece of mesh hanging over the band at the front of the stage, onto which lazer displays and pictures were projected, providing an amazing visual enhancement to the engrossing music. Because indeed, one of the reasons it was such a great show was the amazing music thanks to the contributions of the band’s third LP, ex:el, released in March. It was an album that made the case for 808 State as one of the leading acid house acts and was another in the list of essential Madchester albums.
The differing style of the album had been revealed in its first single, “Cubik,” released the prior October. In February it was followed by the next single, “In Yer Face,” and the hard-edged, industrial flavoured signals of the first single continued in the second. Perhaps even more aggressive, “In Yer Face” came at you with a ferocious beat and a myriad of sound effects and ominous, sampled vocals. The song peaked at #9 in the UK chart.
Put together in the ninth and tenth slots of the album’s thirteen songs, “Cubik” and “In Yer Face” anchored a brilliant album that turned out to be less aggressive overall than what those songs initially indicated. Featuring guest vocals from fellow Mancunian (okay, technically from Salford), New Order’s Bernard Sumner, as well as Icelandic sensation, Bjork, the album mixed catchy, pop-styled takes on 808 State’s acid house sound (“Oops” and “Techno Bell”) along with atmospheric, melodious studies similar to their prior LP (“Lift” and “Qmart”). Some further aggressiveness was found in the likes of “Leo Leo,” “Empire,” and “Lambrusco Cowboy.” The album peaked at #4 in the UK album chart, a fantastic achievement for an acid house album.
Madchester would have a final heyday over 1991 and 1992 but to increasingly muted responses. The scene’s growth and influence were seen with the arrival of new acts such as World of Twist, New Fast Automatic Daffodils, The Bridewell Taxis, Intastella, and The Dylans from nearby Sheffield. However, there were no more break through acts playing in the Madchester sounds and none of these bands lasted long.
The scene’s leading acts fared a little better. The Stone Roses, after getting past their fight with Silvertone Records, returned in 1994 with their second LP, appropriately called Second Coming. It was an excellent album, a little more rock oriented which fit with the ascendant Britpop scene, and did well for the band reaching #4 in the UK and #47 in the US. However, that would be it as even before the album was released the band started coming apart with Reni exiting over quarrels with Ian Brown. The band broke up in 1996 when John Squire left, leaving them without their guitar hero and principle songwriter. There was a reunion in 2011 that included some touring, a variety of festival appearances, and two new singles in 2016, before the band dissolved again in 2019.
The Charlatans have had the strongest post-Madchester career. A second album in the Madchester vibe, Between 10th and 11th, was released in March 1992 before moving to a strong Britpop sound with their third in 1994, Up to Our Hips. The band is still going strong having now issued thirteen albums of which, in the UK, three have gone to #1, nine have reached the top ten, and they have achieved twelve top twenty singles.
Inspiral Carpets released three more albums between 1991 and 1994, with two reaching the top ten and the third hitting #17. Eight of their singles reached the top forty before the band broke up in 1995 after they were dropped by their label, Mute. They reformed in 2003, releasing a single and doing the occasional tour. In 2011 singer Tom Hingley departed (or was fired, depending on who’s telling the story) and was surprisingly replaced by the band’s original vocalist, Stephen Holt. This new line-up released an album in 2014.
James, in recent times
Along with The Charlatans, James was the only other band of the era to achieve as much, if not more, success post-Madchester. In 1992 and 1993 they released their fourth and fifth LPs, Seven and Laid, which went to #2 and #3 in the UK and included five top forty singles, including two that reached the top ten in the US alternative chart (“Born of Frustration” and “Laid”). Neither were very connected to the Madchester sound as they continued their evolution to Britpop. In 2018 James released their fifteenth album, the eighth of their career to reach the top ten.
808 State, despite the departure of original member, Martin Price, in October 1991, continued on with the remaining trio. They issued an album, Georgous, in 1993 that had a top twenty hit with a remix of UB40’s, “One in Ten.” The band remains together today, still exploring electronica and EDM styles, though releases have been few and far between with just three LPs issued over the past 27 years and no further ventures up to the top of the charts. I saw them in concert again in 1993 and it was not nearly the magical event I had experienced the first time. I guess I’d moved on from Madchester too.
The most ignominious sign of Madchester’s demise was the arrival of Happy Mondays’ third LP, Yes Please!, released in September 1992. The band had gone to Barbados to record and, not unlike New Order’s foray down to Ibiza, it didn’t turn out to be a productive excursion. While the band didn’t usually add vocals until the end anyway, Factory Records was still dismayed to discover only a loose compilation of instrumental music featuring a more global beat and world music feel coming out of the Caribbean sessions. The album was produced by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, best known as the rhythm section of Talking Heads but more aligned to Happy Mondays through their dance act, Tom Tom Club. However, their synth-pop and eclectic beats didn’t jive with the Mondays’ R&B base and the results were mixed. And while the LP had its moments and did achieve a #14 spot in the UK album chart, the singles didn’t crack the top twenty.
Yes Please! didn’t just spell the fall of Happy Mondays – they wouldn’t release another album until 2007 – the expense in recording it combined with its lacklustre sales brought an end to Factory Records. With New Order on hiatus and the obligations to its nightclubs, The Hacienda and Dry, the label couldn’t keep everything afloat. It shut down in November 1992.
These events were also the final nails in the coffin of Madchester, aided by the explosion of grunge and alternative rock in America (Nirvana’s Nevermind was released in September 1991). When Britpop took the mantle as the UK’s favoured music over 1993 and ‘94, led by another Manchester act, Oasis, any talk of Madchester died away.
Madchester ran brief, as music scenes often do, but shone brightly and left an incredible legacy and field of influence in its wake. The entire Britpop explosion of the mid-‘90s directly resulted from Madchester and the array of bands that explored psychedelic influences with dance-pop owe a debt of gratitude to the bands in this playlist. The arrival of electronica in the late ‘90s with Manchester act, The Chemical Brothers among others, also built on the successes of the Madchester acid house scene and led to the explosion of EDM in the new century. Fortunately, the fixation on baggy fashion styles eventually died out too, though like anything else comes back in cycles. Manchester has not seen another music scene like it did from 1988 through 1992, but it can still celebrate its moment when it ruled the world, and all were mad for Manchester.
