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Photo © Paul Slattery
Ian Curtis-Mayflower Club, Gorton, 1979 (taken from Joy Division The Eternal)
I went to see the English movie "Control" this weekend, it's a biopic about Ian Curtis,
the lead singer of Joy Division, who committed suicide at the young and tender age
of 23 on May 18,1980 a day before their American tour. Joy Division would become
the amazing band New Order shortly after Ian's death. Everyone from The Cure,
The Killers, NIN, Moby, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins,
U2, et al, have done covers of Joy Division. They are an important band that played
a big part in the early stages of my musical journey. I remember the first song I ever
heard by Joy Division was "She Lost Control". It makes so much sense now after
watching the movie how the epilepsy and the effects of the medications caused Ian
so much pain and suffering as well as those crazy moodswings. His lyrics and their
music will always have a profound effect on me and my outlook on life.
I hope that it may do the same for you. Enjoy!
If you can, go see the movie b4 it goes away. It's at the Angelika Film Center.
In 1979 a young Dutch photographer packed up and moved to the UK because of his love
for the British music scene. He got a job working for NME and approached the band to
photograph them. He shot some images of Joy Division in London and they were
impressed, so he followed up with another photo shoot in Manchester while they were
filming the video for "Love Will Tear Us Apart". Forward 27 years later, the same photographer,
Anton Corbijn, a life long fan of Joy Division, directs "Control", his first feature film. Sam Riley,
in his debut acting role as Ian Curtis, has a haunting resembence to the Joy Division frontman.
He was "working in a warehouse in Leeds folding shirts" before he was discovered.
It's really hard to believe that this is his first acting gig. It's quite impressive that the cast of actors
actually play and sing all the songs that are performed in the movie. Anton shot the whole film
in black and white to retain the feel and mood that is Joy Division. It's great that he did that
because every album that I have by them is black and white, every picture I saw of them was
black and white.
"Control" won the "Regards Jeunes" Prize awarded to the best first or second feature film, the
Europa Cinemas Label prize for best European film in the sidebar and was given honorable
mention for the CICAE Art & Essai prize for best film.
Another interesting tidbit of info is that Sam Riley and the actress who plays his mistress,
Annik, fell in love on the set and have been dating for over a year now!
note: If you don't know who Anton Corbijn is, then you don't know much about music, design,
photography and video. He has a who's who list of artist and bands (from Adam Ant, David Bowie,
Johnny Cash, Helena Christensen, Depeche Mode, Miles Davis, Clint Eastwood, Easy E,
Massive Attack, R.E.M, Frank Sinatra, Christy Turlington, U2, to ZZ Top) that he's either
photographed/directed videos of/designed books/covers/logos/and or sets. I will attempt to
showcase some of Anton's works that I like sometime in the near future.
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Ian Curtis-Plan K, Bruxelles, 1979
Photo © Philippe Carly
I want to share with you some of Ian's lyrics and Joy Division's songs that I enjoy.
JOY DIVISION - Shadowplay (1979)
To the centre of the city where all roads meet, waiting for you,
To the depths of the ocean where all hopes sank, searching for you,
I was moving through the silence without motion, waiting for you,
In a room with a window in the corner I found truth.
In the shadowplay, acting out your own death, knowing no more,
As the assassins all grouped in four lines, dancing on the floor,
And with cold streel, odour on their bodies mad a move to connect,
But I could only stare in disbelief as the crowds all left.
I did everything, everything I wanted to,
I let them use you for their own ends,
To the centre of the city in the night, waiting for you.
To the centre of the city in the night, waiting for you.
note: here's the first television appearance of Joy Division from 1978 Granada Reports Live
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JOY DIVISION - New Dawn Fades (1979)
A change of speed, a change of style.
A change of scene, with no regrets,
A chance to watch, admire the distance,
Still occupied, though you forget.
Different colours, different shades,
Over each mistakes were made.
I took the blame.
Directionless so plain to see,
A loaded gun wont set you free.
So you say.
Well share a drink and step outside,
An angry voice and one who cried,
well give you everything and more,
The strains too much, cant take much more.
Oh, I've walked on water, run through fire,
Cant seem to feel it anymore.
It was me, waiting for me,
Hoping for something more,
Me, seeing me this time, hoping for something else.
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Transmission (1978)
Radio, live transmission.
Radio, live transmission.
Listen to the silence, let it ring on.
Eyes, dark grey lenses frightened of the sun.
We would have a fine time living in the night,
Left to blind destruction,
Waiting for our sight.
And we would go on as though nothing was wrong.
And hide from these days we remained all alone.
Staying in the same place, just staying out the time.
Touching from a distance,
Further all the time.
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio.
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio ...
Well I could call out when the going gets tough.
The things that we've learnt are no longer enough.
No language, just sound, that's all we need know,
To synchronise love to the beat of the show.
And we could dance.
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio.
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio ...
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JOY DIVISION - She's Lost Control
Confusion in her eyes that says it all.
She's lost control.
And she's clinging to the nearest passer by,
She's lost control.
And she gave away the secrets of her past,
And said I've lost control again,
And of a voice that told her when and where to act,
She said I've lost control again.
And she turned around and took me by the hand
And said I've lost control again.
And how I'll never know just why or understand
She said I've lost control again.
And she screamed out kicking on her side
And said I've lost control again.
And seized up on the floor, I thought she'd die.
She said I've lost control.
She's lost control again.
She's lost control.
She's lost control again.
She's lost control.
Well I had to phone her friend to state my case,
And say she's lost control again.
And she showed up all the errors and mistakes,
And said I've lost control again.
But she expressed herself in many different ways,
Until she lost control again.
And walked upon the edge of no escape,
And laughed I've lost control.
She's lost control again.
She's lost control.
She's lost control again.
She's lost control.
I could live a little better with the myths and the lies,
When the darkness broke in, I just broke down and cried.
I could live a little in a wider line,
When the change is gone, when the urge is gone,
To lose control. When here we come.
note:
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JOY DIVISION - Love Will Tear Us Apart
When routine bites hard,
And ambitions are low,
And resentment rides high,
But emotions won't grow,
And we're changing our ways,
Taking different roads.
Then love, love will tear us apart again.
Love, love will tear us apart again.
Why is the bedroom so cold?
You've turned away on your side.
Is my timing that flawed?
Our respect runs so dry.
Yet there's still this appeal
That we've kept through our lives.
But love, love will tear us apart again.
Love, love will tear us apart again.
You cry out in your sleep,
All my failings exposed.
And there's a taste in my mouth,
As desperation takes hold.
Just that something so good
Just can't function no more.
But love, love will tear us apart again.
Love, love will tear us apart again.
Love, love will tear us apart again.
Love, love will tear us apart again.
the only music video they ever did:
note: After his death, Ian was cremated and buried in Macclesfield.
The title of this song was inscribed on his memorial stone by his wife Deborah Curtis.
Although it was recorded 2 months before his death, "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
was not released until a month after his death. (the 7" was released June 27th, 1980
and the 12" was released July 1980) It reached no. 13 in the UK and the only
Joy Division song to ever make the UK charts.
It is the most popular and the most covered Joy Division song.
memories:
The powers that be were still unaware that they had been part of Ian's own plan. While
some people worried about the myth Tony Wilson was trying to create, no one realized
that Ian had been busy myth-making himself. Ian crooned his way through "Love Will
Tear Us Apart" after Tony Wilson gave him Frank Sinatra's "Forty Great Songs" to listen
to. When the band were unable to decide which vocal should be used they released both
– one on each side of the seven-inch single. Understandably, the lyrics were
interpreted by the press as being about a love affair gone wrong, but as the last to
know that our love affair had 'gone wrong, I had taken Ian's infidelity as being part of
his illness (Source: Deborah Curtis – Touching from a Distance)
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Ceremony (1980)
This is why events unnerve me,
They find it all, a different story,
Notice whom for wheels are turning,
Turn again and turn towards this time,
All she ask's the strength to hold me,
Then again the same old story,
Word will travel, oh so quickly,
Travel first and lean towards this time.
Oh, I'll break them down, no mercy shown,
Heaven knows, it's got to be this time,
Watching her, these things she said,
The times she cried,
Too frail to wake this time.
Oh, I'll break them down, no mercy shown,
Heaven knows, it's got to be this time,
Avenues all lined with trees,
Picture me and then you start watching,
Watching forever, forever,
Watching love grow, forever,
Letting me know, forever.
New Order's version live in Barcelona 1984
sunshine for Ian
note: This is supposedly the last song Ian Curtis wrote.
There are only 2 recordings that feature Ian Curtis on vocals.
The first is from the album "Still" from their final concert at High Hall,
Birmingham University on May 2nd 1980, and the second is a rehersal
set made in April/May 1980 from the 4 box cd set "Heart and Soul".
Unfortunately both tracks are not perfect. The first version is live was a
mistake on the sound guy's part where the beginning is inaudible
until 1.31 of the 3.50 song. The second version is consistent throughout,
but Ian's voice is muffled and you can hear the mess up at 2.10 of the 4.22 song.
After Ian's death, New Order was formed and Ceremony was their first release
with Bernard Sumner on vocal. There are 2 single versions of this song as well.
The first release was on March of 1981 and the second was September of 1981
with a new addition to the band Gillian Gilbert on keyboard.
Even though Ceremony is written in the key of C-major, the first version has a more
darker Joy Division sound and is 4.34, the second has the brighter New Order sound
and is 4.23. The first release, the run-groove notation on the vinyl says
"Watching love grow forever" and the sleeve is green, where as the second re-release
says "This is why events unnerve me" and the sleeve was changed to a light cream
with a vertical blue stripe. After copies of the re-release ran out, they reused the original
sleeve. So it can be a bit tricky to know which version you have unless you listen to the
record or look on the vinyl, unless of course you have the sleeve with a light cream
with a vertical blue stripe!
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