Posts Tagged ‘ Tony Wilson ’

So it Goes, a tale of two Tones

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

I’d met Tony Wilson properly in 1978 when he was at Granada TV and one of the anchors on their local news program. Within the format they used to have a What’s On section which Tony presented……. which strangely enough was about what was on in the area regarding music, the arts etc. Tony had been and gone with So it Goes, Granada’s attempt to oust the BBC from their dominance of music on television…… more detail to come when I approach music on television, a worthy topic in itself, and something I remember fondly because of the people in television it introduced me to.

So it Goes had started in the summer of 1976 and had a second series run in 1977 only to see December bring it’s last ever show. When Iggy behaved rather outrageously and Granada was fending off criticism from the network Tony too was done with it and agreed it had run it’s course. With Granada being a TV station governed by advertising it was always treading dangerous waters. To give them their credit they always were more adventurous than nearly anyone out there for many years before and after So it Goes.

What Granada did and Tony especially was to break all the rules, it was anarchic and certainly the right show at the right time. I think more than anything what it did do was give Tony a buzz and make him want to be part of the scene that was developing. With his partner Alan Erasmus they started the Factory club in legendary outskirts of Manchester that was Hulme…..I say legendary because less than 100 yards away was the BBC Playhouse where I took U2 for their first UK radio session. In 1962 this was where The Beatles recorded their first radio session too, and the first time they wore those Beatle jackets! It was an old Victorian music hall, and although I’m not positive I think The Beatles played in front of an audience……..can you only imagine what it would have been like being there. I say that because I was familiar with what an incredible building it was and throw in it was the start of the sixties…..wow but 9 was far too young for my mum and dad to let me be out late!

I think Tony and Alan were captivated by CBGB’s in New York and the Velvet Underground, Talking Heads, The Ramones…..all the stuff that So it Goes had exposed him to. Prior to that Tony was in to Van Morrison , Neil Young,Jackson Browne, Leonard Cohen and brilliant as these guys were this was something totally different and very visual with it. I love Van the Man, but the word visual doesn’t always spring to mind….. They wanted somewhere to put bands on and managed to get a Friday night at The Russell Club which became The Factory for that one night……Andy Warhol recreated in their own home town. There were some amazing nights there, although I do remember wondering if my car had been stolen each time I went to a gig there…..something that later on happened once again every time I went to The Apollo in Ardwick.

Joy Division played there in October 1978 and I remember Tony turning plugger on me. After I’d been bending his ear about putting the B52′s, Grace Jones, Eddie and The Hot Rods n all on TV he was now telling me I had to come down to his new club….not only that he’d put me on the door…..and all I was thinking was that I was terrified I’d have my car nicked. I’m glad I relented.

 

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The dawn of Factory

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

I started working at Island Records in 1978, after spending the previous four years selling records out of the back of a van for Transatlantic and laterally ABC Records. They were a glorious four years and worthy of their own blog so I will waste no further time here, suffice to say many friends were made along the way. Even though Manchester was far from the city it is now I have very fond memories from that decade many of which have, and will continue to appear both in this blog and my ‘soon come’ book.

So many things happened in my life in that time, getting married, setting up home and embarking on one hell of a professional road trip that took my hobby to my workplace…..none of which I could ever have dreamed of in the sixties. I just thought buying records and going to see bands would be what I did with the cash from my job…..whatever that job might be. I never worried then about having a job, I just didn’t have a clue what job. It’s funny though, looking back I wonder if I hadn’t stumbled in to the music business, what would I have done!

My first day at Island was one hell of a day……I won’t recount it because I’m sure it’s there in the earlier blogs, but I’ll revisit it and proceed accordingly. That day must surely have it’s day,either way !
As previously mentioned 1978, my day job at Island was how I met Tony Wilson. After starting the Factory club in Hulme that same year, Tony got the bug…..he decided he wanted a label. Punk, So it Goes and the whole host of people he met along the way made it a must for him so with long time friend Alan Erasmus, designer pal Peter Saville who had studied in Manchester, and the bizarre genius that was Martin Hannett…… a legend was born. In 1979 Factory Records, or to be more exact Alan’s flat swung open it’s door. They were open for business….. though probably no idea quiet what business, and the subsequent arrival of one of our generations most seminal bands, Joy Division.

Tony had coerced me in to coming down to the Factory club and once I’d gone I was only too happy to return. I remember working the B52′s when they played there..brilliant night, but before long all attention was focused on the label. If I went in to Granada TV to see Tony about the bands I was working and he wasn’t there, I knew where to find him. It got to where, depending on the time of day I would know his whereabouts…… and as Factory was situated halfway between my office and where I lived, I could call in either on my way to work or on my way home.

It wasn’t long before I’d call in regularly once or twice a week……and then one Sunday at a cricket match in Ashley in Cheshire I spoke to Tony about maybe how he should think about promoting his records. I remember it well, it was the tea interval.

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If it ain’t stiff it ain’t worth signing

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

Even though no one knew it at the time, the Stiff/Chiswick challenge became a historical moment in music. It was the night most people either ignored or missed Joy Division, though speaking for myself I couldn’t be accused of ignoring someone I was too knackered to wait around for! As one might expect with Stiff the night was random to say the least, add Chiswick to the mix and chaos ensued.

I had been a new recruit to the world of promotion and Island fortunately was my first port of call. If you were in the music business there was no better place to be, not only did they have the acts but they had the staff……..stars in their own right, and a few of them platinum! I joined early in 1978 after a few years on the road selling records and now I had to sell them the artists…my job was to get them radio and TV. As part of the package I had Stiff to promote also but with an artist roster that boasted Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Ian Dury ‘n all it wasn’t too hideous a task!

The gig took place at Rafter’s on Oxford Street in Manchester and I went along on my own knowing there would likely be a few of the usual suspects thinking just the same. I knew for sure local Sounds writer Mick Middles and NME photographer Kevin Cummins would be there, Tony Wilson too.
Tony was well known in Manchester as the local news anchor but now he was also the man fronting the soon to be legendary ‘So it goes’ music show. I’d recently got to know him as he’d put a couple of my acts on TV and personally found him a good guy though to some he was a target for ridicule by some senseless clowns….just jealously I had always thought.

Back then Joy Division were faceless wannabees and their singer Ian Curtis was in ranting mood that night…..he was also the most vociferous when it came to promoting them. Ian was especially pissed off that so many bands were being showcased on the show while his own band were being ignored. As is normally the case, drink increases the bravado and his cursing of Wilson was extreme to say the least. However bad the language may have been, he hit home when making his point and Tony was left intrigued. Also present that night were Rob Gretton, Martin Hannett and Alan Erasmus although I didn’t get to know them until much later.

I’m not sure if Tony and Alan had started their Friday night band nights at the Russell Club in Hulme yet (known as The Factory)or whether that came later but I’m pretty sure the buzz they got that night sowed the seed for the label the following year. Tony wanted much more than just to front a TV show, he wanted to be in the thick of it. That night Rob was a local DJ but after the show was over he made plans to go and watch them rehearse…..and the rest is history, he became their manager and mentor and undertook the same task for New Order after Ian’s suicide.

 

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Plastic Fantastic

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

I pulled up and into a meter bay right outside the front door of Granada, banged in a couple of coins and marched my band The Plastics, or two Plasticos to be exact up to reception.’Tony Michaelides and The Plastics here to see Tony Wilson…Thanks.’ The lady buzzed through to the studio and within a minute Carol, one of the ‘What’s on’ crew came through to meet us and take us down to studio. The show was just about to begin and we had about 20 minutes so I nipped them in to make up just for a quick polish and then we’d be right as rain, at least that’s what I thought. They both were fine looking specimens so I didn’t reckon they needed much of a ‘face repair.’….. I was lucky I wasn’t there with Steve Tyler or any number of road warriors,might have taken a tad longer! Everything was fairly rushed, obviously but all the time they were smiling and happy to be lead along by anxious little plugger man, notably me!

Tony was introducing a couple of items to camera and while we stood waiting in the wings we were informed that in two minutes they’d cut to a filmed item and that was our cue….we’d then be taken us on to the set for the interview and miked up. They looked very excited and were whispering to each other and giggling in what appeared mild Japanese flirtatious behavior.’Let’s go’ came the cry and on we danced.

The studio floor assistant clipped a couple of microphones on their lapels, Tony smiled at them, someone shouted ’30 seconds left’ then ’15′ and ‘go!’ I eased a sigh of relief, I knew ‘What’s on’ had the video because even in the mayhem I’d phoned ahead to check and as we were there on time no one need know how close we’d come to disaster. Tony voiced a link in to their current video, mentioned where the band would be playing and actually held up the sleeve of the single. Brilliant, much more of a plug for a relatively unknown act than I ever could have expected so I was more than happy. ‘ 30 seconds’ again came the cry, this time until the end of the video.’ ………’And action !’

Tony back announced the video made a mildly humorous comment, mentioned the forthcoming gig once more and The Plastics were on, LIVE ! ‘In the studio tonight I’m delighted to have singer Chica and guitarist Hajime from Japan’s latest sensation, The Plastics making their debut on UK television…..Welcome guys and thanks for popping in’. ‘Hello, Hi’ they uttered back through smiling, excitable grins and shiny white teeth’

‘ So what do you think of Manchester, have you had any time to look round yet?’ Tony spouted. There was a gap, probably 10 seconds , felt like an hour for me…they glanced at each other, Chica smiled and Hajime said ‘I like Beatle’ Pause, another gap, though not quite as long and Tony asked them a question about the album…..not a clue what, I just remember it was another question, another gap and again an even better smile from Chica. Hajime once again uttered ‘I like Beatle’ What the fuck, you like Beatle I was thinking…..who cares, what has that got to do with anything????

There was another gap, you couldn’t blame him but Tony expected something to follow on from ‘I like Beatle’ Nothing, not a soddin’ thing. He glanced over at me looking confused in the wings and like the complete pro he was said ‘Great video, let’s see a little more.’ ….and out from the director’s box they cut to the video……again???

We were the final item on the show so they played out with the video, Tony unclipped his microphone and headed straight towards me. ‘ Absolute classic!……..only you could bring a band in who couldn’t speak a word of fuckin’ English’

 

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