Happy Mondays | |
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.jpg) Happy Mondays performing in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Salford, England |
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Happy Mondays are an Englishrockband formed inSalford in 1980. The original line-up consisted of brothersShaun Ryder (vocals) andPaul Ryder (bass),Gaz Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar).Mark "Bez" Berry later joined the band onstage as a dancer and maracas player.Rowetta began working with the band as guest second vocalist in 1990.[1] They were originally signed toTony Wilson'sFactory Records label.
The group's work bridged the Manchesteralternative rock music of the 1980s and the emerging UKrave scene, drawing influence fromfunk,house, andpsychedelia to pioneer theMadchester sound.[2] They experienced their commercial peak with the releasesBummed (1988),Madchester Rave On (1989), andPills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches (1990), with the latter going platinum in the UK.[2] Happy Mondays disbanded in 1993, but have since reformed several times and released the reunion albumUncle Dysfunktional (2007).
The band were signed toFactory Records after passing a demo tape to Phil Saxe, a trader atManchester Arndale who was on friendly terms withMike Pickering, a DJ at theHaçienda nightclub.[3] Saxe became the band's manager.
Their first release was the "Forty Five EP", often called the "Delightful EP" after its first track. It was released onFactory Records in September 1985.[1] Their first album,Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out), was released in 1987 and was produced byJohn Cale. This was followed by two further albums:Bummed, in 1988, produced byMartin Hannett, andPills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, in 1990, produced byPaul Oakenfold andSteve Osborne. The latter, recorded atCapitol Studios in Los Angeles, went platinum in the UK, selling more than 350,000 copies. Singles "Step On" and "Kinky Afro" from this album both reached number 5 in the UK singles chart.[4]
By the late 1980s, the Happy Mondays were an important part of the Manchester music scene and personifiedrave culture. Numerous world tours meant the band had international success as well as massive success in their home country. The line-up of the band during this first and most important ten-year phase never changed, and the six original membersShaun Ryder,Paul Ryder,Gaz Whelan, Paul Davis, Mark Day, andBez remained a tight unit until the first incarnation came to an end in 1993.[5] The band headlined the Friday night atGlastonbury Festival 1990.[4] In November of that year,Paul McCartney commented inNME: "I saw the Happy Mondays on TV, and they reminded me of the Beatles in their 'Strawberry Fields' phase."[6]
Musically, the band fused indie pop guitars with a rhythmic style that owed much tohouse music,Krautrock,funk, andnorthern soul.[7] Much of their music was remixed by popularDJs, emphasising the dance influences even further. In style and dress, they crossedhippy fashion and ideals with 1970s glamour. Sartorially and musically, the band helped to encourage thepsychedelic revival associated withacid house.[citation needed] One of their most popular songs is "Lazyitis (One Armed Boxer)", featuring a surreal duet between Ryder andKarl Denver. In February 1991, Happy Mondays played inRock in Rio 2 at theMaracanã Stadium inRio de Janeiro,Brazil,[8] and famously went to meetRonnie Biggs in Brazil[9] withPiers Morgan, who at the time was a writer forThe Sun newspaper. The Mondays also influenced many bands around the Northwest and beyond, includingthe Stone Roses,Oasis, andthe Charlatans. A multi-city US tour followed, with the group returning home early in May 1991.[10] In 1991, they played to 30,000 people atElland Road,Leeds, said to be the Happy Mondays' ownSpike Island.[11] By July that year, they revealed details of a fourteen track 'official bootleg'live album,Baby Big Head, recorded at theElland Road concert. The official record label release,Live followed later in the year.[12]
Yes Please! followed in 1992, produced byChris Frantz andTina Weymouth, recorded atEddy Grant's studio inBarbados.[13] The album was a commercial failure that bankrupted Factory Records.[14]
Happy Mondays disbanded in 1993, andShaun Ryder andBez formedBlack Grape with ex-Paris Angels guitarist "Wags" (who would later go on to serve in the 1999–2000 reincarnation of the Mondays) and ex-Ruthless Rap Assassins star Kermit.[1] Seven years passed, and in 1999 Happy Mondays re-formed,[15] with founding members Shaun Ryder, Paul Ryder, Gaz Whelan and Bez but without Paul Davis and Mark Day. In the place of Day and Davis were Wags and a number of other session musicians including Ben Leach who had once been a member ofThe Farm, percussionist Lea Mullen, and rapper "Nuts". Also appearing with the new line-up was soul diva Rowetta Satchell (who sang back-up on Pills, Thrills, and Bellyaches, as well as Yes Please!). The band toured extensively in the UK and internationally, selling out the 20,000 capacityManchester Arena and two nights atBrixton Academy, and released a new single, a cover version of theThin Lizzy hit "The Boys Are Back in Town". The single reached number 24 in theUK Singles Chart.[16] They provided support forOasis on their "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants" arena tour, played at theFuji Rock Festival inJapan, numerous European festivals including T in the Park and also toured Australia the same year. Although critically acclaimed and playing to sell-out crowds, the band once more ceased their activity in 2001 following the departure of bass player and founding member Paul Ryder.[17]
A fictionalised depiction of the band is featured in the 2002 film24 Hour Party People, with Danny Cunningham as Shaun Ryder andPaul Popplewell as Paul Ryder. Paul Ryder himself had a cameo role in the film as agangster andRowetta appeared in the film as herself.[18]
2004 saw another re-formation, comprising original membersBez, Gaz andShaun Ryder along with another group of musicians. Shaun Ryder recruitedKav Sandhu to join on guitar & bring in a new group of musicians. Kav brought on-board bassist Mikey Shine, keyboard player Dave Parkinson & guitarist Jonn Dunn. Dave Parkinson was later replaced by Dan Broad. Backing singers on the first tour wereAngie Brown andRon Carroll.[19] from 2004 to 2006 the band were managed by Danny Newman, MD at London ClubTurnmills brother of London Club DJ Tall Paul. Rowetta was replaced by Julie E. Gordon who toured with the band until 2010. Paul Ryder was not present, having sworn to never perform with his brother again following the 2000 break-up,[20] and formed his own band Big Arm. That year, the Mondays released a live DVD of a show in Barcelona. The Mondays played a variety of festival dates in 2005 (includingGlobal Gathering), capping it off with a concert at the Manchester Arena.
In June 2006, Happy Mondays performed inLiverpool, and on 30 July 2006 they were special guests at the Fuji Rock Festival.[21] In August 2006, the band announced that they had completed their first album in fourteen years, with producers Sunny Levine andHowie B, and had signed toSanctuary Records. A single "Playground Superstar", from the soundtrack for the football filmGoal!, was released a few months prior to completion of the new album,Uncle Dysfunktional released in mid-2007.[22] onNoel Gallagher's labelBig Brother Records.
Happy Mondays performed before another re-formed act,Rage Against the Machine, at the 2007Coachella Music Festival inIndio, California. They were introduced by Tony Wilson. Bez missed the show because he could not get into the US due to "passport issues".[23] The band then toured throughout the summer of 2007 including a trip to theNumusic Festival in Norway. They playedSplendour in the Grass inAustralia in July 2009, and the UKV Festival in August 2009.
Happy Mondays toured the US and Canada withthe Psychedelic Furs in late 2009 with Paul Ryder's son and Shaun Ryder's nephew Jake Ryder filling in for Gaz Whelan on drums.[24]
Happy Mondays appeared at the Wizard Festival in North-East Scotland in August 2010.[25]
This version of the band continued until 2010. Members Mikey Shine, Jonn Dunn & Dan Broad continued to back Shaun Ryder for his solo tour until 2011, surrounding the release of his autobiography.
On 29 January 2012, Shaun Ryder announced on radio stationXfm that the band would return with the original and definitive lineup of himself, his brotherPaul Ryder on bass,Gaz Whelan on drums, Rowetta as guest second vocalist, Mark Day on guitar, Paul Davis on keyboards and dancer Mark Berry.[26] They appeared on ITV'sThis Morning, and were interviewed byPhillip Schofield. Shaun Ryder pronounced that amends had been made, friendships reinstated and that it was just like the old days, but without the madness. They did a 13-date UK tour in May 2012, most of which were sold out, and an extra date was added at London's Brixton Academy due to the demand for tickets.[27] The tour included other shows at the Manchester Arena, plus other dates inBournemouth,Glasgow,Dublin,Leeds,Sheffield andNottingham. To coincide with the band's reformation tour abest of album,Double Double Good was released in July 2012, as well as a live recording of the band's May 2012 gig inBrixton. The band went on to play gigs inChile andArgentina in May 2012 and then a number of European festivals in the summer of 2012, including Ireland's Sea Sessions, Scotland's T in the Park, the band were headliners at Camp Bestival inDorset in July 2012 and they performed at the V Festivals in August 2012. They then travelled toMajorca andIbiza to play the Ibiza and Majorca Rocks events.
The band announced in September 2012 that they were writing their first album with the original lineup in more than 20 years.[citation needed]
The band played two nights at theRoundhouse, London and inManchester in December 2012. They travelled toDubai in April 2013 to perform and in May 2013 played gigs atBristol's Vegfest and one inBrighton. June 2013 brought gigs at theIsle of Wight Festival andScarborough, then in July 2013 they played at theWarrington Music Festival and atSandown Park Racecourse inEsher,Surrey. They played dates inBelfast,Crewe and Dublin in August 2013. In October 2013 they travelled toSpain to do gigs inBarcelona andMadrid then in November 2013 they kicked off a 16 date UK tour to celebrate 25 years since their second critically acclaimed albumBummed was released, and the band plan to play most of the songs from that infamous album. The band signed toCreation Management in 2015. They have announced an international tour to coincide with the 25th anniversary of thePills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches.
In September 2015, the programmeSinging in the Rainforest followed the band as they travelled toPanama to record a new song with an isolated tribe called the Embera.[28] The band composed a track with members of the tribe for a performance, penning the track "Ooo La La to Panama". Although billed as the first original line-up recording since 1992, Paul Davis was not present, and no mention of him was made. Gaz Whelan confirmed onTwitter that Davis had left the band.[29]
The band touredAustralia andNew Zealand in February and March 2019, performing their 1990 albumPills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches.
On 15 July 2022, the band announced via theirFacebook page thatPaul Ryder had died in the early hours of that morning. He was 58 years old.[30]
In March 2024 the band embarked on a UK tour withInspiral Carpets as the support act. Prior to the tour, frontman Shaun Ryder stated that the band would be on hiatus for a few years following the tour.
| Year | Song title | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988: | "Wrote for Luck" Listenⓘ | Bummed | Factory Records |
| 1989: | "Hallelujah" Listenⓘ | Madchester Rave On EP | Factory Records |
| 1990: | "God's Cop" Listenⓘ | Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches | Factory Records |
| Year | Awards | Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | NME Awards | "WFL" | Best Dance Record | Won |
| 1990 | Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches | Best LP | Won | |
| Themselves | Best Band | Won | ||
| Smash Hits Poll Winners Party | Nominated | |||
| Best New Act[31] | Nominated | |||
| 1991 | Best Indie Group[32] | Won | ||
| Brit Awards | Best British Newcomer | Nominated | ||
| Best British Group | Nominated | |||
| 2013 | Q Awards | Bummed | Q Classic Album | Won |
| 2016 | Ivor Novello Awards | Themselves | The Ivor's Inspiration Award | Won |
Current members
Former members
General
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