Paul Hanley was the drummer in Manchester legends The Fall from 1980-85 and now plays with Brix & The Extricated. He's studying for an English degree with the Open University and occasionally writes for Louder Than War. He's married with three children and once got 21 on Ken Bruce's 'PopMaster'.
When British bands took the world by storm in the mid-sixties, the world turned and looked at London. Despite the fact that the most successful of these bands hailed from the North West corner of England, for the USA, London was the source of these thrilling new sounds. And in many ways it was - The Beatles, The Hollies and Herman's Hermits recorded all their hits with London-based producers, for London-based companies in London studios. And that's how it remained, until four Mancunian musicians became alive to the possibility of recording away from the capital.
Against the prevailing wisdom, they opted to plough their hard-earned cash back into the city they loved in the form of proper recording facilities. Eric Stewart of The Mindbenders and songwriter extraordinaire Graham Gouldman created Strawberry Studios; Keith Hopwood and Derek Leckenby of Herman's Hermits crafted Pluto. Between them they gave Manchester a voice, and facilitated a musical revolution that would be defined by its rejection of the capital.
This book tells the story of Manchester music through the prism of the two studio's key recordings. Of course that story inevitably takes in The Smiths, Joy Division, The Fall and The Stone Roses. But it's equally the story of 'Bus Stop' and 'East West' and 'I'm Not in Love'. It's the story of the Manchester attitude of L.S. Lowry, by way of Brian and Michael, and how that attitude rubbed off on The Clash and Neil Sedaka. Above all, it's the story of music that couldn't have been made anywhere else but Manchester.
Simon Heavisides - Adrian Borland The Sound
Marisa Carnesky
Lora Logic - Essential Logic - X-Ray Spex & Essential Logic
Monika Hempel - Klaus Nomi
Simon "Ding" Archer - Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, The Fall, PJ Harvey, The Pixies, AAAK, 1919,
Louise Rutkowski - This Mortel Coil, Rutkowski Sisters, Sunset Gun, The Florentines, The Kindness Of Strangers
Anita Gabrielle Tedder - Zenana
Simon Reynold - Futuromania: Electronic Dreams, Desiring Machines and Tomorrow’s Music Today
David 'Taffy' Hughes - Hurrah! & The Girl with the Replaceable Head
David Wolfenden - Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
The Children - Michael Wiener & Jim Coleman
Danny Kroha - The Gories, Demolition Doll Rods, Rocket 455, The Readies
Muz Murray
Linda Smith
The Housemartins - Stan Cullimore
Ausgang - Max
Alan Lee Shaw - The Damned, The Rings, Maniacs & Physicals
Chris Cuffaro - Photographer
Ron Ward - Speedball Baby, Blood Oranges & Five Dollar Priest
Kim Richey
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