My 10 best Joy Division songs

Introduction

Some bands and/or artists are hard to write about, I think. On The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, others, also within my own circle of friends and acquaintances, are far more qualified than me. Joy Division is hard for another reason, although I can’t really pinpoint what it is exactly, there’s something that held me back. In this year, the fortieth anniversary of Ian Curtis’ self-inflicted death, it has become inevitable.

The first article was published earlier this month: The first posthumous Joy Division release: Love Will Tear Us Apart.

My love for Joy Division started somewhat later, well after the suicide of singer Ian Curtis. I did have some of their music on cassette, but the first item I owned was the 12-inch of Love Will Tear Us Apart, given to me by both my sisters.

Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures, Closer & Still

Joy Division

After witnessing a concert by The Sex Pistols on August 20th, 1976, friends Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook decided they wanted to form a band. It wasn’t before long they recruited singer Ian Curtis. Some drummers came and went until the band settled upon Stephen Morris. The band had already recorded some demos under the name Warsaw, before they renamed themselves to Joy Division in early 1978.

In April 1978 the band caught the eyes of music producer Tony Wilson and manager Rob Gretton. Gretton proposed to be the band’s manager on the spot. In June 1978 Joy Division debuted with the single An Ideal For Living. Tony Wilson introduced the band for their first television performance. Meanwhile, Wilson had started his own record label, the infamous Factory Records. The band made a deal with the label and released two songs on the compilation EP A Factory Sample, the first vinyl release by the new label. By the end of 1978 Ian Curtis suffered his first serious epileptic seizure, resulting in hospitalization.

Early 1979 the band recorded their first Peel Session for the BBC radio program by the influential dj John Peel. In April 1979 the band’s debut album was recorded. Martin Hannett produced the album and created the distinct Joy Division/Martin Hannett sound. On June 15th, 1979, Unknown Pleasures was released, which was met with enthusiasm, particularly by the press. After having done a few tv shows and a tour as a support act, the band released the single Transmission on October 7th, 1979.

In January 1980 the band toured Europe. In March they recorded their second album, entitled Closer. On March 18th, 1980, the single Licht Und Blindheit was released in France. During the months of April and May Curtis’ epileptic seizures intensified which resulted in many cancellations. On May 2nd, 1980, the band played their last show at High Hall in Birmingham. The setlist that evening:

• “NEW ONE” aka Ceremony
• Shadowplay
• A Means To An End
• Passover
• New Dawn Fades
• Twenty Four Hours
• Transmission
• Disorder
• Isolation
• Decades
• Encore:
  Digital

N.B.:
The entire concert was released in November 1981 on the second disc of the double album Still.

Ian Curtis

Ian Curtis

Ian Curtis was born in 1956 and married Deborah at the early age of just 19. In April 1979 they had a daughter. In October 1979 Curtis met Belgian journalist and music producer Annik Honoré and they developed a relationship. It left Curtis feeling guilty towards his wife and daughter. Early 1980 Deborah announced she wanted a divorce.

At the end of 1978 Curtis had seizures, which were officially diagnosed as severe epilepsy on January 23rd, 1979, followed by prescription to strong doses of medication. Despite the medication his health suffered. Tensions from touring didn’t help matters. Besides the show’s intensity, he kept on smoking and drinking, which didn’t sit well with his medication. The many side effects weighed heavy on Curtis’ mood (and therefore his family).

By 1980 the extreme seizures came as frequent as two times a week, at times even during shows. The light operators were instructed to never use flashing lights during the concerts. Occassionally those instructions were ignored, leading to an almost instant epileptic shock with Curtis.

On April 6th, 1980, Curtis tried to commit suicide. On the eve of the start of the band’s first American tour, May 18th 1980, Ian Curtis hung himself in his own kitchen. He was just 23 years old.

Joy Division – Heart And Soul – Boxset

After the suicide

The band was left behind feeling shocked and immediately decided to disband. Without Curtis the band was no more. In June 1980 the single Love Will Tear Us Apart was released, followed by album Closer on July 18th, 1980. The posthumous Still was released on October 18th, 1981, a double album containing songs never before released on album and the recordings of the very last show the band had played.

The remaining band members founded a new band: New Order. The band’s debut single was Ceremony, the song that was debuted at the last Joy Division concert.

Later, multiple Joy Division compilations were released, as well as a number of live concerts. The 1997 boxset Heart And Soul is worth mentioning. It contains almost every studio recording ever done by the band. A beautiful tribute to the band that almost single handedly invented the post-punk genre.

Top 10

Up next is my personal 10 best Joy Division songs, in order of the date of release and the position on the released medium (mention cursively). The images with the songs stem from single covers. Only four of them are from the band’s official discography. The rest are covers of bootleg(single)s, many of them only released in Russia.