History Music / JoyDivision

[[caption-width-right:350:Joy Division in the late '70s. The members were [[Music/NewOrder Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Peter Hook]], and Ian Curtis.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Joy Division in the late-70's. From left to right: [[Music/NewOrder Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Peter Hook]], and Ian Curtis.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Joy Division in the late-70's. From left to right: [[Music/NewOrder Bernard Sumner]], Ian Curtis, [[Music/NewOrder Stephen Morris]] and [[Music/NewOrder Peter Hook]].]]

As Joy Division, they recorded an EP which was basically punk with literary lyrics. This and playing around Manchester brought the group to the attention of Tony Wilson, and they joined his record label Factory Records. After a month in the studio with producer Martin Hannett, who completely changed their sound, their debut album ''Music/{{Unknown Pleasures}}'' was released in 1979. In between touring, their second album ''Music/{{Closer}}'' was released in 1980. Both were critically acclaimed.

!!Tropes used by JoyDivision:

* TheBandMinusTheFace: New Order. An AvertedTrope thanks to the band's success, although literally true as in NewOrder Gillian was on the keyboards not vocals.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Producer Martin Hannett. Various legends state that Hannett forced drummer Stephen Morris to take apart his drumkit and reassemble it with toilet parts, made Morris continue recording for an hour after the rest of the band finished a song, set up his drumkit on the studio's first-floor roof, and once went on a hill to record "silence" for an extended period of time.
** So that's why Jello Biafra said in the beginning of the DeadKennedys track 'Nazi Punks Fuck Off' "Nazi Punks Fuck Off overproduced by Martin Hannett take 4".

* DeadArtistsAreBetter: There are way more NewOrder albums, but look which band got a page first on this wiki...
** Well, mostly because it'd be silly to discuss NewOrder without JoyDivision. That's like discussing the Music/FooFighters without mentioning {{Nirvana}}.
* DeliberatelyMonochrome: It can be a surprise to see a picture of Ian in ''colour''.
* DenOfIniquity: Each studio-album-proper had a song describing one: "Day of the Lords" on ''Music/UnknownPleasures,'' and "Atrocity Exhibition" on ''Closer'' (a ShoutOut to J.G. Ballard).

* {{Jerkass}}: According to his widow Ian Curtis was a huge one. The rest of the band members tend to disagree. On the other hand, Ian ''did'' [[YourCheatingHeart cheat on her with a Belgian journalist...]]

* SpiritualSuccessor: NewOrder.

* ShortLivedBigImpact

However, the relentless touring was having a negative effect on the band. Vocalist Ian Curtis was an epileptic who sometimes suffered seizures during concerts, leading to their cancellation. His lack of sleep and alcohol abuse only added to his severe depression, and he committed suicide on 18 May 1980 (supposedly after watching ''Film/{{Stroszek}}'' on the TV and listening to Iggy Pop's ''The Idiot'').

* MadnessMantra: "Day in, day out, day in, day out, day in, day out..."

[[caption-width-right:350:Joy Division in the late-70's. From left to right: Bernard Sumner, Ian Curtis, Stephen Morris and Peter Hook.]]

!!Principal Members:

* Ian Curtis - lead vocals, guitar, melodica (1976-1980, died 1980)
* [[Music/NewOrder Peter Hook]] - bass, backing and lead vocals, guitar (1976-1980)
* [[Music/NewOrder Stephen Morris]] - drums, percussion (1976-1980)
* [[Music/NewOrder Bernard Sumner]] - guitar, keyboard, synthesizer, bass (1976-1980)

* [[Music/NewOrder Peter Hook]] - bass, backing and lead vocals, guitar
* [[Music/NewOrder Stephen Morris]] - drums, percussion
* [[Music/NewOrder Bernard Sumner]] - guitar, keyboard, synthesizer, bass

[[caption-width-right:350:Bernard Sumner, Ian Curtis, Stephen Morris and Peter Hook.]]

Joy Division was formed after guitarist Bernard Sumner and bassist Peter Hook attended a Music/SexPistols concert in Manchester on 4 June 1976, and were inspired to form a band. The additions of vocalist Ian Curtis and drummer Stephen Morris completed the lineup. Initially named Warsaw (under which name they recorded an unreleased album, later bootlegged), the band changed its name to Joy Division in late 1977, which got them in trouble at first because of its fascist overtones.

Discography:
* 1978 - ''Warsaw'' (their debut album which wasn't released at the time, eventually released in 1994, somewhat unofficially)
* 1978 - ''An Ideal For Living'', their EP debut.
* 1979 - ''Music/UnknownPleasures''
* 1980 - ''Music/{{Closer}}''
* 1981 - ''Still'' (compilation)
* 1986/7 - ''The Peel Sessions''
* 1988 - ''Substance'' (compilation)
* 1995 - ''Heart And Soul'' (box set containing nearly everything.)

As Joy Division, they recorded an EP which was basically punk with literary lyrics. This and playing around Manchester brought the group to the attention of Tony Wilson, and they joined his record label Factory Records. After a month in the studio with producer Martin Hannett, who completely changed their sound, their debut album ''Unknown Pleasures'' was released in 1979. In between touring, their second album ''Closer'' was released in 1980. Both were critically acclaimed.

* 1980 - ''Closer''

The band are portrayed by actors in the movies ''[[Film/TwentyFourHourPartyPeople 24 Hour Party People]]'' and ''Control''. The former is a biopic of Factory Records' head Tony Wilson, with Joy Division playing a major role in the first part of the film. The latter is a biopic of Ian Curtis himself.

* CoverVersion: "Sister Ray" by TheVelvetUnderground, on ''Still''.

* FollowTheLeader: The Killers, Editors and Interpol spring to mind.

* [[AuthorExistenceFailure Artist Existence Failure]]

* ColbertBump: Not strictly accurate (they were gone before anyone noticed) but just about the only high quality recordings of live performances are from guest spots on TV shows.

* CreatorBreakdown

* ExecutiveMeddling: To the opposite extreme. Curtis committed suicide only weeks before ''Closer'' was due for release, but Tony Wilson decided to keep Peter Saville's cover which depicted a man in a tomb.

* ShortLivedBigImpact: They only released two albums owing to the Artist Existence Failure of their lead singer (who died at 23), but are the first thing everyone thinks of when they hear the term PostPunk, in addition to helping lay the groundwork for what would become GothRock. If TheDoors did not influence them, usually Joy Division did.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The band was due to start their first American tour the day after Ian Curtis killed himself.

However, the relentless touring was having a negative effect on the band. Vocalist Ian Curtis was an epileptic who sometimes suffered seizures during concerts, leading to their cancellation. His lack of sleep and alcohol abuse only added to his severe depression, and he committed suicide on 18 May 1980 (supposedly after watching ''Film/{{Stroszek}}'' on the TV).

* 1979 - ''Unknown Pleasures''

* DenOfIniquity: Each studio-album-proper had a song describing one: "Day of the Lords" on ''Unknown Pleasures,'' and "Atrocity Exhibition" on ''Closer'' (a ShoutOut to J.G. Ballard).

* TalentDouble: Averted by the actors in ''Control''; they played the songs themselves, helped by there being plenty of ThreeChordsAndTheTruth songs.

* MadnessMantra: "Day in, day out, day in day, out, day in, day out..."

* AllPartOfTheShow: Apparently, some of Curtis' onstage seizures were mistaken for his frenetic dancing style at first.