Factory Records 1979-80

One of my TV colleagues was Granada Reports presenter Tony Wilson who, at that time, was busy setting up Factory Records with Alan Erasmus. While working for What's On — Celebration's predecessor in the arts slot — I photographed a Factory Night in Hulme, hosted by Tony Wilson and Russell Club promoter Alan Wise, which featured Buzzcocks and John Cooper Clarke. Tony liked what I did and began inviting me along to gigs and recording sessions to take more photographs of his artists and bands: Ian Curtis and Bernard Sumner of Joy Division, Vini Reilly of The Durutti Column, and A Certain Ratio.

On Tuesday 8 January 1980 I photographed Joy Division's session with producer Martin Hannett at Pennine Sound Studio in Oldham where they recorded an early version of Love Will Tear Us Apart (later used on the B-side of the 7" single FAC 23).

I also photographed Joy Division on stage at the New Osbourne Club in Miles Platting, a gig where Jon Savage — who later became famous for his writing, broadcasting and music journalism, in particular his 1991 book England's Dreaming, Sex Pistols and Punk Rock — was DJing.

See video  r/t 4 min., 14 sec.