Joy Division & New Order (Rock Groups)

When I was in junior high school, I lived in the New Brunswick area. Every day I ran home from school and tuned the radio to WRSU, the Rutgers radio station. One of the alternative rock groups they played regularly were Joy Division, and I became a fan. Since then, I've continued to buy the records of Joy Division and New Order, and go to concerts of New Order and a spin-off band. Although this sounds like two groups, it is really two incarnations of the same group.

Joy Division were one of the most influential “post-punk” rock bands to emerge from the late 1970s “Madchester” scene in England. Band members Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook were inspired to form the band after seeing a June 1976 Sex Pistols concert. The band members were: Ian Curtis (vocals & some guitar), Bernard Sumner (guitar & keyboards), Peter Hook (bass guitar), and Stephen Morris (drums). They were discovered by a British television personality named Tony Wilson who ran an independent record label called Factory Records.

As the lead singer and primary songwriter, Curtis was the “face” of the band. His lyrics tended to be dark and depressing, probably because he himself suffered from depression. After high school, Curtis worked in a public employment service, helping people find jobs. One day a young woman had an epileptic fit in his office. That had a profound influence on him, and was the inspiration for a hit song he later wrote called “(She's Lost) Control.” But Curtis's movements on stage were very erratic, and during a hospital visit in January 1979, it was confirmed that he also had epilepsy. That news was obviously devastating. Curtis had to take medication, and was advised to change his lifestyle. That wasn't easy for someone performing late nights and surrounded by alcohol and drugs. But he continued with the band, even though he sometimes had seizures on stage. Even with Curtis's serious health issues, the band continued to tour, and their recording career started very successfully. They released two albums and had several stand-alone hit singles and 12-inch EPs. My favorite Joy Division full album was their debut release titled Unknown Pleasures, which had a great impact on the music industry at the time.

Curtis was also tormented by the fact that he couldn't decide between staying with his wife and child, or continuing an affair with a Belgian journalist. In May 1980, a few days before the band was scheduled to go on what could have been a game-changing North American tour, Curtis committed suicide at the age of 23. But the band had already recorded several other songs sung by Curtis; and a few months later, they released their big global pop hit called “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” That song got rave reviews from fans, critics, and other performers. My friends and I could not get enough of the song and band.

The band was crushed emotionally, but they wanted to continue to record and perform together. They reformed in late 1980 under the name New Order, promoting Bernard Sumner to lead vocals with guitar, and added Gillian Gilbert on keyboards. But their style drastically changed, from depressing punk rock material to carefree, danceable pop songs. The 1983 New Order hit “Blue Monday” was the best-selling 12-inch single of all time, and is a popular club track to this day. The band had several MTV-friendly video hits, including “Blue Monday,” “True Faith,” and “Regret.” My favorite New Order album is the Substance 1987 compilation, which was a collection of singles and hard-to-find B sides.

Despite going on hiatus from 1993 to 1998, the band continues to record and perform to this day. In 2007, Peter Hook left New Order and formed his own band called Peter Hook & The Light, which tours playing mostly Joy Division material, as well as early New Order songs. I have seen New Order as well as Peter Hook & The Light perform in concert many times. For years, New Order rarely played any Joy Division songs in concert. However, when I saw them perform at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia in September 2022, they closed with “Decades” and “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” In February 2023, Joy Division & New Order were nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The Mercer County Library System has substantial material to offer patrons interested in Joy Division and New Order, including books, movies, and music. For those interested primarily in the early years of Joy Division, independent biographer Jon Savage wrote a book in 2019 titled This Searing Light, The Sun And Everything Else: Joy Division: The Oral History (ISBN:9780571345373). Two band members wrote autobiographies covering their time in the bands. Peter Hook in 2013 wrote Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division. (ISBN: 9780062222565). Bernard Sumner wrote a thought-provoking autobiography in 2015 titled Chapter And Verse: New Order, Joy Division And Me. (ISBN:9781250077721). Several movies and documentaries have been made about the groups. The 2002 movie 24 Hour Party People (UPC 760137196785) is somewhat of a “mockumentary,” but it covers the early career of Tony Wilson and his interaction with Joy Division, including a scene of Ian Curtis' suicide. The critically acclaimed 2007 biopic Control (UPC 796019810258), with a script co-written by Ian Curtis' widow Deborah, is a more serious review of these events. All of Joy Division and New Order's audio recordings are available for patrons to enjoy at their convenience using our hoopla service.

This is a link to a video of Joy Division performing their biggest hit called “Love Will Tear Us Apart:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuuObGsB0No

This is a link to a video of New Order performing their big club hit called “Blue Monday:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GMjH1nR0ds

- by Jon Parker, Hickory Corner Branch