Joy Division

Career Outline
Joy Division were a post-punk band formed in 1976 in Manchester from an earlier congregation called Warsaw. They took their name from the prostitution wing of a Nazi concentration camp (actually from references in the novelized account of life in such a camp, House of Dolls), and the lyrics of their songs constantly detailed broken relationships and the futility of existence: the music was often suitably minor key and highly emotive. The line-up consisted of Ian Curtis (vocals and occasional guitar), Bernard Sumner (a.k.a. Albrecht, guitar), Peter Hook (bass) and Stephen Morris (drums). Throughout their relatively short lifespan, they released stark, rhythmic singles, at first independently and then on the Factory label (the myth propounded by late owner Tony Wilson that he signed them and Durutti Column in his own blood was no more than that; what is true, however, is that he invested £8,000 of his own money in the recording of their debut LP) and two LPs, Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Closer (released after Curtis's death in 1980).

Their proposed American tour was aborted after Curtis took his own life on May 18 1980, as a result of overwhelming depression caused by the breakup of his marriage and diagnosed epilepsy. Many of the songs he wrote contain references to his ill-fated life, and his widow Deborah had the line 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' engraved on his memorial stone. The band decided not to continue as Joy Division without him, and the remaining members subsequently formed New Order.

Links To Peel
The genesis of JP's relationship with the band can be gleaned from this extract from 1987's Peeling Back The Years, in which Peel and John Walters discuss their effect on music:

JOHN WALTERS: Here’s somebody I certainly didn’t get onto at the start, but you did…Joy Division, that are still, in a sense, a lasting force, Joy Division/New Order, of course, and I see we had a session in January 1979. The kids got onto it quite quickly…I remember walking by a big place like the Lyceum, and saying, ‘Who’s on tonight?’, there were crowds outside, and they said, ‘Joy Division’. I thought, ‘Joy Division?!?’…What was it? Was it the sort of gloom that attracted you?

JOHN PEEL: Well, they weren’t initially of course all that gloomy, their early things, some tracks on the Factory sampler and so forth…they had some tracks on a 10″ LP from Virgin…They weren’t by any means punky, and they’d moved away from that sort of thrashy…

JW: Do you know what I mean by gloom?…There is an aspect of teen life which is looking moodily into your bedroom mirror…and seeing yourself as gloomy, kind of as a rebel without a cause…Isn’t that almost something you’ve carried on into middle age in your own life, and…I wonder if it touched a chord as it did with the kids who went for Joy Division…with you?

JP: I suppose it might have done, I mean, it wasn’t something I was aware of particularly at the time…I always think of them in a rather romantic way as being introspective and rather Russian, although I have no Russian ancestry at all that I’m aware of…I read somewhere that that kind of introspection was classed as Russian…it always makes me feel at least slightly central European if I get into one of these what most people would describe as feeling sorry for myself…

JW: Did you get onto Joy Division because you thought, ‘Hello, there’s a bit of a buzz’, or did you hear some and think, ‘I don’t know who this lot are, but this goes’? What did your ears say to Joy Division?

JP: …The first of the post-punk bands did seem to be coming out of Manchester, which is something I deeply resented…I didn’t at the time think that Joy Division were a band that I was going to prefer above any other…they were just one of a whole handful of bands whose work I was quite enjoying at that time.

JW: They were not punky in the noise they made as I remember it, but they became a sort of seminal band just after, the first real seminal post-punk band…they influenced so many other people.

JP: Well, that’s true and obviously the death of Ian Curtis sort of mythologised them to a degree to which I think the surviving members of the band must have found very difficult to cope with…a very melancholy thing to have to live with. I still get demo tapes from America and from Europe by bands which are quite clearly influenced by nothing as much as they’re influenced by Joy Division. You get a bit fed up with it, really.

The band featured in the Festive Fifty constantly between 1980-1982, and scored several entries in the All-Time 2000 chart. Curiously, although John championed them via the sessions and constant track airplay throughout 1979, none of their songs featured in that year's chart. By marked contrast, the All-Time Chart of 2000 had 'Atmosphere' at number 1.

John played 'New Dawn Fades', from Unknown Pleasures, near the start of his show on 19 May 1980, in tribute to Ian Curtis, and a year to the day of his suicide, played it again without comment at the start of 18 May 1981 and 'Decades', from the posthumous release Closer, at the end.

JP mentioned during the 1982 FF that his favourite Joy Division track was probably '24 Hours', from Closer.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 'Dead Souls' (1980 Festive Fifty #64, 1981 Festive Fifty #11, 1982 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #12, and 2000 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #12)thumb|300px|right|The only official Joy Division video. The song went to number 3 in every FF chart it entered.
 * '24 Hours' (1980 Festive Fifty #41, 1981 Festive Fifty #43, and 1982 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #23)
 * 'She's Lost Control' (1980 Festive Fifty #22, 1981 Festive Fifty #51, and 1982 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #41)
 * 'New Dawn Fades' (1980 Festive Fifty #20, 1981 Festive Fifty #5, 1982 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #4, and 2000 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #15)
 * 'Decades' (1980 Festive Fifty #14, 1981 Festive Fifty #7, and 1982 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #7)
 * 'Transmission' (1980 Festive Fifty #10, 1981 Festive Fifty #14, 1982 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #26, and 2000 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #28)
 * 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' (1980 Festive Fifty #3, 1981 Festive Fifty #3, 1982 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #3, and 2000 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #3)
 * 'Atmosphere' (1980 Festive Fifty #2, 1981 Festive Fifty #1, 1982 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #2, and 2000 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #1)
 * 'Isolation' (1981 Festive Fifty #44 and 1982 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #38)
 * 'The Eternal' (1982 Festive Fifty (All-Time) #48)

Sessions

 * Joy Division recorded two sessions for Peel's programme, both in 1979, and both of which are available on The Complete BBC Recordings (Strange Fruit).

1. Recorded: 1979-01-31. First broadcast: 14 February 1979. Repeated: 05 April 1979, 31 July 1979, 23 June 1980 and 30 September 1986.


 * Exercise One / Insight / She's Lost Control / Transmission

2. Recorded: 1979-11-26. First broadcast: 10 December 1979. Repeated: 22 January 1980, 23 June 1980 and 04 February 1986.


 * Love Will Tear Us Apart / 24 Hours / Colony / Sound Of Music

Other Shows Played
1978
 * 03 March 1978: 'Failures (EP-An Ideal For Living)' (Enigma)
 * 16 March 1978: 'No Love Lost (EP-An Ideal For Living)' (Enigma)

1979
 * 16 January 1979: Glass (2x7” EP – A Factory Sample) Factory
 * 25 January 1979: Digital (EP - A Factory Sample) (Factory)
 * 17 July 1979: Insight (LP – Unknown Pleasures) Factory
 * 18 July 1979: She’s Lost Control (LP – Unknown Pleasures) Factory
 * 19 July 1979: 'Shadowplay (LP-Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory)
 * 24 July 1979: Wilderness (LP – Unknown Pleasures) Factory
 * 26 July 1979: 'Day Of The Lords (LP-Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory)
 * 30 July 1979: 'Shadowplay (LP-Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory)
 * 14 August 1979: 'Shadowplay (LP-Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory)
 * 10 September 1979: 'She's Lost Control (LP-Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory)
 * 12 September 1979: 'Shadowplay (LP-Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory)
 * 09 October 1979: Shadowplay (LP – Unknown Pleasures) Factory
 * 10 October 1979: Transmission (single) Factory
 * 10 October 1979: Auto-suggestion / From Safety To Where...? (LP – Earcom 2) Fast
 * 16 October 1979: Auto-suggestion (LP – Earcom 2) Fast
 * 24 October 1979: Transmission (single) Factory
 * 20 November 1979: 'Transmission (7 inch)' (Factory)
 * 26 November 1979: 'Novelty (b-side 'Transmission' 7 inch)' (Factory)

1980 thumb|320px|right|Peel plays Atmosphere, with limited success
 * 19 February 1980: Transmission (single) Factory
 * 12 March 1980: 'Dead Souls (7 inch-Licht Und Blindheit)' (Sordide Sentimentale)
 * 17 March 1980: Dead Souls (7” – Licht Und Blindheit) Sordide Sentimental
 * 19 March 1980: 'Atmosphere (7 inch-Licht Und Blindheit)' (Sordide Sentimentale)
 * 25 March 1980: 'Dead Souls (7 inch-Licht Und Blindheit)' (Sordide Sentimentale)
 * 09 April 1980: 'Dead Souls (7 inch-Licht Und Blindheit)' (Sordide Sentimentale)
 * 15 April 1980: 'Dead Souls (7 inch-Licht Und Blindheit)' (Sordide Sentimentale)
 * 06 May 1980: 'Atmosphere (7 inch-Licht Und Blindheit)' (Sordide Sentimentale)
 * 19 May 1980: 'New Dawn Fades (LP-Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory)
 * 20 May 1980: Atmosphere (7”) Sordide Sentimental
 * 09 June 1980: 'Komakino / Incubation (free flexi disc)' (Factory)
 * 10 June 1980: 'Love Will Tear Us Apart (7 inch)' (Factory) - First play?
 * 17 June 1980: Love Will Tear Us Apart (7”) Factory
 * 18 June 1980: Warsaw / No Love Lost / Leaders Of Men / Failures (EP – An Ideal For Living) Enigma
 * 19 June 1980: 'Love Will Tear Us Apart (7 inch)' (Factory)
 * 19 June 1980: These Days (7” – Love Will Tear Us Apart) Factory
 * 24 June 1980: These Days (7" b-side - Love Will Tear Us Apart) Factory (Paul Gambaccini sits in)
 * 25 June 1980: Love Will Tear Us Apart (7") Factory (Paul Gambaccini sits in)
 * 26 June 1980: Love Will Tear Us Apart (7") Factory (Paul Gambaccini sits in)
 * 26 June 1980: Komakino (7" flexi) Factory (Paul Gambaccini sits in)
 * 26 June 1980: Incubation (7" flexi - Komakino) Factory (Paul Gambaccini sits in)
 * 26 June 1980: As You Said (7" flexi - Komakino) Factory (Paul Gambaccini sits in)
 * 30 June 1980: 'Komakino (free flexi disc)' (Factory)
 * 01 July 1980: Love Will Tear Us Apart (7") Factory
 * 02 July 1980: Love Will Tear Us Apart (7") Factory
 * 03 July 1980: 'She's Lost Control (LP - Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory)
 * 07 July 1980: 'Dead Souls (7 inch-Licht Und Blindheit)' (Sordide Sentimentale)
 * 08 July 1980: 'Love Will Tear Us Apart (7 inch)' (Factory)
 * 10 July 1980: 'Love Will Tear Us Apart (7 inch)' (Factory)
 * 14 July 1980: 'Atrocity Exhibition (LP-Closer)' (Factory)
 * 15 July 1980: Twenty Four Hours (LP – Closer) Factory
 * 15 July 1980: Passover (LP – Closer) Factory
 * 15 July 1980: Colony (LP – Closer) Factory
 * 16 July 1980: 'A Means To An End (LP-Closer)' (Factory)
 * 17 July 1980: 'Isolation (LP-Closer)' (Factory)
 * 04 August 1980: 'Twenty Four Hours (LP-Closer)' (Factory)
 * 07 August 1980: 'Heart And Soul (LP-Closer)' (Factory)
 * 12 August 1980: Isolation (LP - Closer) Factory
 * 14 August 1980: Decades (LP - Closer) Factory
 * 08 September 1980: ‘Komakino’ or ‘Incubation’ or ‘As You Said’ (7” flexidisc – Komakino) Factory
 * 23 September 1980: Auto-suggestion (v/a 12" - Earcom 2) Fast Product FAST 9b
 * 24 September 1980: From Safety To Where (compilation LP - Earcom 2) Fast Product
 * 22 December 1980: '24 Hours (LP-Closer)' (Factory)
 * 24 December 1980: 'She's Lost Control (12 inch)' (Factory US)
 * 29 December 1980: 'Decades (LP-Closer)' (Factory)
 * 30 December 1980: 'Transmission (7 inch)' (Factory) / 'Love Will Tear Us Apart (7 inch)' (Factory) / 'Atmosphere (12 inch)' (Factory US)

1981
 * 12 May 1981: 'Digital (EP-A Factory Sample)' (Factory)
 * 13 May 1981: 'Glass (EP-A Factory Sample)' (Factory)
 * 18 May 1981: 'New Dawn Fades (LP-Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory) / 'Decades (LP-Closer)' (Factory)
 * 02 November 1981: Walked In Line (2xLP - Still) Factory
 * 23 December 1981: 'Isolation (LP-Closer)' (Factory) / '24 Hours (LP-Closer)' (Factory)
 * 29 December 1981: 'Transmission (7 inch)' (Factory) / 'Dead Souls (LP-Still)' (Factory)
 * 30 December 1981: 'Decades (LP-Closer)' (Factory) / 'New Dawn Fades (LP-Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory) / 'Love Will Tear Us Apart (7 inch)' (Factory) / 'Atmosphere (12 inch)' (Factory)

1982
 * 10 March 1982: No Love Lost
 * 15 December 1982: 'The Eternal (LP-Closer)' (Factory)
 * 16 December 1982: 'She's Lost Control (LP-Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory)
 * 20 December 1982: 'Isolation (LP-Closer)' (Factory)
 * 23 December 1982: '24 Hours (LP-Closer)' (Factory)
 * 28 December 1982: 'Dead Souls (7 inch-Licht Und Blindheit)' (Sordide Sentimentale)
 * 29 December 1982: 'Decades (LP-Closer)' (Factory)
 * 30 December 1982: 'New Dawn Fades (LP-Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory) / 'Love Will Tear Us Apart (7 inch)' (Factory) / 'Atmosphere (12 inch)' (Factory)

Later Years
 * 13 June 1983: Warsaw (EP – Ideal For Living) Factory
 * 10 November 1983 (TOTP): Love Will Tear Us Apart video on TOTP with audience dancing / end credits
 * 23 November 1983: Komakino (album - Komackino) Joy Division J.D. 01 available on flexidisc but John plays from his secret record
 * 24 November 1986: The Only Mistake (LP - Still) Factory
 * 01 December 1986: She's Lost Control (EP - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 09 December 1986: Excercise One (EP - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 29 September 1987: Love Will Tear Us Apart (EP - Peel Session) (Strange Fruit)
 * 13 June 1988: Love Will Tear Us Apart (LP - Substance) Factory
 * 06 August 1990: 'I Remember Nothing (LP-Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory)
 * 07 October 1990: '24 Hours (12"-The Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
 * 08 December 1991: Transmission (LP - Palatine: The Factory Story - Tears In Their Eyes 1979-82) Factory
 * 09 April 1993 (John Peel Is Jakki Brambles)): 'Love Will Tear Us Apart (7 inch)' (Factory)
 * 10 July 1993: 24 Hours (12" EP - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 30 December 1998: 'New Dawn Fades (LP-Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory)
 * 31 August 1999: 'Atmosphere (12 inch)' (Factory)
 * 02 December 1999: Twenty Four Hours (LP-Closer)' (Factory) (Peelenium 1980)
 * 13 January 2000: 'Transmission (LP-Substance)' (Factory)
 * 19 January 2000: 'She's Lost Control (LP-Unknown Pleasures)' (Factory)
 * 19 December 2000: 'Atmosphere' (Factory)
 * 10 April 2001: 'Walked In Line (LP-Still)' (Factory)
 * 18 July 2001: 'Walked In Line (LP-Still)' (Factory)
 * 30 November 2004 (Rob Da Bank): ‘Decades’ (LP- Closer) - (Factory Records)
 * 28 December 2004 (Rob Da Bank): 'Transmission (CD-Substance)' (London)

Cover Versions
Several artistes recorded a Joy Division cover for a Peel session, perhaps reflecting the influence of the band on subsequent musicians. In addition, as a fan of cover versions in general Peel would occasionally play a cover out of interest, especially if the song was recorded in a different style to the original.


 * 15 July 1980: Grace Jones - She's Lost Control (7")
 * Peel 085 (BFBS) (03 June 1988): Swans - Love Will Tear Us Apart (7")
 * 25 September 1993: Shanes - Love Will Tear Us Apart (7") (Polka version)
 * 08 October 1993 (BFBS): Shanes - Love Will Tear Us Apart (7")
 * 10 April 2001: Aislers Set - Walked In Line (Peel session)
 * 07 June 2001: V/Vm - Love Will Tear Us Apart (7")
 * 19 July 2001: Aislers Set - Walked In Line (Peel session) (rpt)
 * 28 August 2001: The King - Love Will Tear Us Apart (LP - Gravelands)
 * 04 February 2003: If Thousands - Isolation (LP - Yellowstone)
 * 18 February 2003: Antihero - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Peel session)
 * 10 June 2003: Rogers Sisters - Shadowplay (Peel session)
 * 26 May 2004: Nouvelle Vauge - Love Will Tear Us Apart (LP - Nouvelle Vague)

(List is incomplete - please add more if known)