Happy Mondays

The Happy Mondays are a British indie band formed in Manchester in 1985, founded by brothers Shaun and Paul Ryder (vocals, bass), Bez ('vibes', or dancing and playing the maracas), Mark Day (guitars), Paul Davis (keyboards) and Gary Whelan (drums). They released their first album, Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) on Factory in 1987. The band's music fused indie pop with acid house, techno and northern soul, spawning Britain's burgeoning, E-drenched Madchester scene. The Mondays disbanded in 1992, and Shaun Ryder and Bez formed Black Grape. Subsequent Mondays reunions, (in 1999 and 2004) were unsuccessful. However since 2012 the band's original members have reunited again and continue to tour. Both lead singer Shaun Ryder and Bez (Mark Berry) were renowned for their drink & drug fueled antics, and Bez's sole purpose was to dance on stage at their live gigs. When the band went to record in Barbados in the early 90's at the studio at Eddy Grant's house, which ended-up being on the album ''"...Yes Please!". ''Their managers thought it would be good to get them away from the drink/drugs scene they were surrounded by in the UK, not realizing the massive drugs problem Barbados had at the time, meaning band members were found trying to sell much of the studio equipment to continue their binge.

Links To Peel
Peel discovered the band through Factory record label in the mid 80's: they subsequently recorded two Peel sessions (in 1986 and 1989). Peel narrated on the TV documentary Rock Family Trees: And God Created Manchester, the subject of which was the Madchester scene: the Mondays featured on the show. Their biggest chart successes featured in four Festive Fifty entries, and JP saw them live, commenting on their rather fearsome retinue. They disbanded for the first time in 1992 as a result of the failed LP Yes Please!, which is credited with bankrupting Factory Records. Shaun Ryder and Bez united with members of Ruthless Rap Assassins and Paris Angels to form Black Grape. The Mondays reformed in 1999 and went on tour supporting Oasis but split again the following year.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 1988 Festive Fifty: Wrote For Luck #48
 * 1989 Festive Fifty: WFL (Wrote For Luck) (Vince Clark Mix) #04
 * 1990 Festive Fifty: Kinky Afro #32
 * 1990 Festive Fifty: Step On #08

Sessions

 * Two sessions. Their 1986 session is available on the Happy Mondays - The Peel Sessions (1991, Strange Fruit) and their 1989 session is available on the Happy Mondays - The Peel Sessions (1990, Strange Fruit).

1. Recorded: 1986-04-01. Broadcast: 09 April 1986. Repeated: 22 April 1986, 22 December 1986 2. Recorded: 1989-02-21. Broadcast: 27 February 1989. Repeated: Mostly Peel Spring 1989, 24 July 1989, 27 December 1989
 * Kuff Dam / Freaky Dancin' / Olive Oil / Cob 20
 * Tart Tart / Mad Cyril / Do It Better

Other Shows Played
(The following list was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive and is certainly incomplete. Please add further details if known.) 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 2004 Others
 * 25 February 1986: Delightful (single) Factory
 * 04 May 1987: Little Matchstick Owen [LP - Squirrel And G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)] Factory
 * 15 June 1987: 'Enery (LP-Squirrel And G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out))' (Factory)
 * 14 October 1987: 24 Hour Party People (12") Factory
 * 28 October 1988 (BFBS) (Peel 092 (BFBS)): 'Wrote For Luck (7")' (Factory)
 * 31 October 1988: Wrote For Luck (single) Factory
 * 02 December 1988 (BFBS) (Peel 094 (BFBS)): Fat Lady Wrestlers (LP-Bummed)' (Factory)
 * Peel Late 1988: Wrote For Luck (7") Factory
 * 16 December 1988 (BFBS) (Peel 095 (BFBS)): 'Performance (LP-Bummed)' (Factory)  (JP: 'These are the Happy Mondays: I saw them playing last night in London as well, and very good they were too. Of course, (there were) some very dangerous looking lads who hang around with them, and sort of tend to rather dominate the stage later in the evening: the band disappear and these people carry on without 'em. But disconcerting-looking boys, I must say.') (JP: 'Well worth catching live, if you ever get the chance.')
 * 20 December 1988: 'Wrote For Luck (7 inch)' (Factory) FF #48 (JP: The NME thought pretty highly of their LP as well, as indeed I did, and I suspect some of you did as well. I forget exactly where it was in the chart, and it doesn't matter. I do wish I'd brought it down with me, it's most annoying,knowing that it's straight through the floor above me actually. If it was possible to whizz through the floor I could get it.' )
 * 23 December 1988 (BFBS) (Peel 095 (BFBS)): 'Bring A Friend (LP-Bummed)' (Factory)
 * 06 January 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 096 (BFBS)): Do It Better (album - Bummed) Factory
 * 19 May 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 104 (BFBS)): 'Lazyitis (7")' (Factory) (with Karl Denver)
 * Peel 096 (BFBS): 'Do It Better (LP-Bummed)' (Factory)
 * Peel Summer 1989: Hallelujah (12" version)
 * 09 August 1989: W.F.L. (The Vince Clarke Mix) (12") Factory
 * 31 August 1989: W.F.L. Factory
 * 09 September 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 116 (BFBS): 'W.F.L. (The Vince Clarke Mix) (7")' (Factory)
 * 13 September 1989: W.F.L. 'Think About The Future' (The Paul Oakenfold Mix)  (12") Factory
 * HO John Peel 15 1989: W.F.L. 'Think About The Future' (The Paul Oakenfold Mix)  (12") Factory FAC 232
 * 15 November 1989: Hallelujah (In Out Mix) (CD EP - Madchester - Rave On (Remixes)) Factory
 * 20 November 1989: Clap Your Hands (12" - Madchester Rave On EP) Factory
 * 02 December 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 125 (BFBS)):  'Clap Your Hands (12"-Madchester Rave On E.P.)' (Factory)
 * 09 December 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 126 (BFBS)): 'Holy Ghost (12"-Madchester Rave On E.P.)' (Factory)
 * 18 December 1989: Hallelujah (Club Mix) (12" - Madchester Rave On (Remixes)) Factory
 * 28 December 1989: 'W.F.L.-Vince Clarke Mix (7 inch)' (Factory) FF #04
 * Peel Festive Period 1989-1990: W.F.L.-Vince Clarke Mix (7 inch) (Factory)
 * 08 January 1990: Rave On (Club Mix) (12" - Madchester Rave On (Remixes) Factory
 * 03 March 1990 (BFBS) (Peel 136 (BFBS)): 'Cob 20 (LP-Squirrel And G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out))' (Factory) (JP: 'One of the great non-voices, really.')
 * 15 March 1990: Step On (One Louder Mix) (12") Factory
 * 04 April 1990: Step On (Twisting My Melon Mix) (CD maxi single) Factory
 * 09 May 1990: Do It Better (7" - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 11 June 1990: Tart Tart (7" - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 15 August 1990: 'Delightful (12"-Forty Five EP)' (Factory)
 * 16 August 1990: 'Freaky Dancin' (Live) (12")' (Factory)
 * 10 November 1990: Tokoloshe Man [v/a LP - Rubáiyát (Elektra's 40th Anniversary)] Elektra
 * HO John Peel 26 1990: Tokoloshe Man (v/a album - Rubáiyát (Elektra's 40th Anniversary)) Elektra 7559-60940-2
 * 23 December 1990: 'Kinky Afro (LP-Pills'N'Thrills And Bellyaches)' (Factory) FF #32
 * 30 December 1990: 'Step On (Stuff It In Mix) (12 Inch )' (Factory) FF #08
 * Peel Festive Period 1990 Part 1: Kinky Afro (album - Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches) Factory
 * 10 February 1991: Loose Fit (7") Factory
 * 16 February 1991: Loose Fit (7") Factory
 * 24 March 1991: Loose Fit (The Grid Remix)
 * 06 July 1991: Tokoloshe Man (v/a album - Rubáiyát (Elektra's 40th Anniversary) Elektra
 * 18 October 1991 (BFBS): Freaky Dancin' (7" - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 30 December 2004 (Rob Da Bank): 'Step On (CD-Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches)' (Factory)
 * 29 October 2004 (Annie Nightingale): Freaky Dancin' (Peel Session) (12") Strange Fruit
 * Rock Family Trees: And God Created Manchester
 * John Peel: In Session Tonight: Kinky Afro
 * Peel Snubbed 1990: Do It Better
 * Peel Snubbed 1990: Hallelujah
 * Peel Snubbed 1990: Step On