Birmingham 81 Profile picture
Mar 7, 2023 13 tweets 6 min read Read on X
Happy 40th birthday to New Order's Blue Monday, which was released on this day in 1983. Here's a celebratory thread, starting with a live version filmed for Switch that year (THREAD 1 of 12)
It went on to be the biggest selling 12” single of all time. Legend has it that Peter Saville’s iconic die-cut floppy disc sleeve meant Factory Records lost money on every copy, but this original design was quickly changed for a less expensive version (THREAD 2 of 12 inches)
New Order had used synths before, but took things to a whole new level with Blue Monday. Here they are explaining how things work on the Dutch TV show Countdown in 1983. "Tell him you come from Macclesfield" (THREAD 3 of 12)
Blue Monday's title was taken from a illustration by Kurt Vonnegut in his 1973 novel Breakfast of Champions (THREAD 4 of 12)
Several years later, New Order rewrote the lyrics and rerecorded Blue Monday for this Sunkist advert (THREAD 5 of 12)
Listening to Blue Monday brings back fond memories of dancing to it every Wednesday night at the alternative disco at Birmingham's Powerhouse club back in 83 and 84. It kicks off this playlist inspired by those nights (THREAD 6 of 12)
open.spotify.com/playlist/1HSua…
Here's how you dance to Blue Monday. Watch Wendy Wild and Dino Sorbello at 1.30 in this dance competition filmed at Danceteria in NYC in 1983. Wendy was in Pulsallama and both of them were in Mad Violets (THREAD 7 of 12)
Here's a short documentary about the making of Blue Monday featuring all members of the band plus Martin Usher who engineered the track (THREAD 8 of 12)
What magic ingredients went into Blue Monday? This deconstruction reveals all, including drums from Donna Summer, bass from Sylvester, keys from Klein & MBO and voices from Kraftwerk (THREAD 9 of 12)
This playlist features all those influences plus the Few Dollars More theme that inspired Hooky's riff. I've also included Gerry and the Holograms, which was recorded in Manchester in 79 and some say created the blueprint for Blue Monday (THREAD 10 of 12)
open.spotify.com/playlist/7B2Q4…
Here's a YouTube playlist of Blue Monday videos, including the official ones from 1983 and 1988, plus various live takes such as the legendary #TOTP performance and the full version of this from Countdown (THREAD 11 of 12)
youtube.com/playlist?list=…
I first saw New Order perform Blue Monday live at Birmingham's Tower Ballroom in May 1983. Still got my ticket from that night, but sadly didn't take any photos. These are from their Imperial Cinema show in Jan 1982 #BlueMonday (THREAD 12 of 12)
Addendum: here's Peter Saville's colour code to help you decipher the wording on the 12" single. More info at new-order.fandom.com/wiki/Peter_Sav…

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More from @Birmingham_81

Jan 29
Happy 60th birthday to Roddy Frame. Here's a celebratory thread of some classic clips, a few of my photos and some ephemera, starting with Aztec Camera performing We Could Send Letters on Switch in 1983
Here are some of my photos taken when Aztec Camera played Birmingham’s High Hall in 1982. Honoured that some were used in the booklet and on a sleeve in this recent box set
cherryred.co.uk/product/aztec-…



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Original Postcard Records agenda from 1981, announcing the arrival of Aztec Camera’s debut single. “This record has a maturity that would belie the age of the group. At 16 Roddy is already writing songs in a style that would take lesser mortals years to perfect" 🧵 Image
Read 10 tweets
Feb 4, 2023
Echo & the Bunnymen released Porcupine 40 years ago today. So here's a long thread of videos and other bits and pieces celebrating this magnificent LP, starting with the immense Back of Love
Alongside the album, Echo & The Bunnymen released "Porcupine, An Atlas Adventure", a VHS tape featuring 26 minutes of videos recorded in Liverpool and Iceland in 1983. Here's In Bluer Skies (THREAD)📼 🧵
I think Porcupine sometimes gets overshadowed by the two Bunnymen albums that came immediately before and after, but it's just as great IMHO
open.spotify.com/album/4brJ6hWY…
Read 18 tweets
Feb 4, 2023
The Smiths performing Hand in Glove at The Haçienda 40 years ago today. It was only their third show. Watch the full 30-minute performance at
The Smiths were supporting Factory funksters 52nd Street as part of a series of shows celebrating the best of Manchester
Read 4 tweets
Feb 2, 2023
The Specials hit number one on this day in 1980 with their Live! EP. Here's the lead track "Too Much Too Young" filmed at the Colchester Institute. Watch the full Rock Goes To College show at &
Too Much Too Young was based on Birth Control, originally recorded by Lloyd Charmers/Lloyd Terrell in 1969, although I reckon The Specials may actually have been listening to this cover by Byron Lee from the same year
Everything you wanted to know about Too Much Too Young is in this thread
Read 4 tweets
Jan 29, 2023
Happy birthday to Roddy Frame. Here's a celebratory thread of some classic clips, a few of my photos and some ephemera, starting with Aztec Camera performing We Could Send Letters on Switch in 1983
This is one of my favourite Roddy clips. Aztec Camera's great cover of Van Halen's Jump filmed in Barcelona in 1984. The full one-hour concert is at 🧵
Here are some of my photos taken when Aztec Camera played Birmingham University in 1982. Honoured that some were used in the booklet and on a sleeve in this recent box set cherryred.co.uk/product/aztec-…
Read 10 tweets
Jan 28, 2023
Happy birthday to Robert Wyatt. Here’s his fab version of I'm A Believer on #TOTP in 1974. The producer asked him to sit in a wicker chair as a wheelchair "was not suitable for family viewing". Robert told him where to go (THREAD)
And here's Robert Wyatt performing Sea Song on French TV in 1975. The full 9-min recording, which also includes Alifib, is at
As it's Robert Wyatt's birthday, here are his impeccable selections for the "portrait of the artist as a consumer" feature in the NME from 1982 (THREAD)
Read 8 tweets

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