The Durutti Column are an English
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...
band formed in 1978 in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, England.
[Strong, Martin C. (1999) "The Great Alternative & Indie Discography", Canongate, ] The band is a project of guitarist and occasional pianist
Vini Reilly
Vincent Gerard "Vini" Reilly (born 4 August 1953) is an English musician and leader of the post-punk group the Durutti Column. He is known for his distinctively clean, fluid guitar style, which stood out from his punk-era contemporaries in its ...
who is often accompanied by
Bruce Mitchell on drums and Keir Stewart on bass, keyboards and harmonica. They were among the first acts signed to
Factory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus.
The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, the Duru ...
by label founder
Tony Wilson
Anthony Howard Wilson (20 February 1950 – 10 August 2007) was a British record label owner, radio and television presenter, nightclub manager, impresario and a journalist for Granada Television, the BBC and Channel 4.
As a co-founder o ...
.
History
Early line-ups
In 1978
Tony Wilson
Anthony Howard Wilson (20 February 1950 – 10 August 2007) was a British record label owner, radio and television presenter, nightclub manager, impresario and a journalist for Granada Television, the BBC and Channel 4.
As a co-founder o ...
and
Alan Erasmus, later partners in
Factory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus.
The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, the Duru ...
, assembled a band around the remnants of local
punk rock band Fast Breeder, drummer
Chris Joyce and guitarist
Dave Rowbotham.
The name was derived from a misspelling of the
Durruti Column
The Durruti Column (Spanish: ''Columna Durruti''), with about 6,000 people, was the largest anarchist column (or military unit) formed during the Spanish Civil War. During the first months of the war, it became the most recognized and popular mi ...
, an anarchist military unit in the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
, named after
Buenaventura Durruti
José Buenaventura Durruti Dumange (14 July 1896 – 20 November 1936) was a Spanish insurrectionary, anarcho-syndicalist militant involved with the CNT and FAI in the periods before and during the Spanish Civil War. Durruti played an in ...
. The name was also taken from a four-page comic strip entitled "Le Retour de la Colonne Durruti" ("The Return Of The Durruti Column") by André Bertrand, which was handed out amidst student protests in October 1966 at
Strasbourg University.
On 25 January,
Vini Reilly
Vincent Gerard "Vini" Reilly (born 4 August 1953) is an English musician and leader of the post-punk group the Durutti Column. He is known for his distinctively clean, fluid guitar style, which stood out from his punk-era contemporaries in its ...
, former guitarist for local
punk rock band
Ed Banger and the Nosebleeds
The Nosebleeds are a punk band formed in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England in 1976. The band is well known in modern rock history for the later successes of its individual members, notably Morrissey (the Smiths), Billy Duffy (the Cult), and Vin ...
, joined, followed some weeks later by co-member vocalist
Phil Rainford
Phil Rainford is a British former singer and music producer, who formed part of the Manchester music scene, in late 1970s and early 1980s. He was the original singer of post-punk band The Durutti Column who were signed to Factory Records, havin ...
and, by the end of February, bassist
Tony Bowers
Tony Bowers (born 31 October 1952, England) is a musician based in Italy and Ireland who has worked with many bands, including Simply Red in the 1980s.
Career
Bowers debuted in the blues band, Blind Eye (1971–1972), as second guitarist, altho ...
arrived from
Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias.
The line-up was short-lived as Rainford was sacked in July,
and replaced by actor
Colin Sharp
Colin Ainsley Sharp (5 September 1953 – 7 September 2009) was an English actor, biographer, percussionist and singer-songwriter, who was part of the Manchester music scene of the late 1970s and dedicated to arts in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Car ...
, who also became one of the songwriters. Rainford went on to produce for
Nico
Naftiran Intertrade Company limited (NICO) is a Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). NICO is a general contractor for the oil and gas industry. NIOC buys the vast majority of Iran's gasoline imports. NICO is a key pl ...
and
Suns of Arqa
Suns of Arqa are a world music collective founded in 1979 by Michael Wadada. Since the group's formation, over 200 people from around the world have played and recorded with them, and in many cases these were like-minded musicians Wadada met ...
.
The Durutti Column played at the Factory club (organised by their managers), and cut two numbers for the first Factory Records release ''
A Factory Sample'', a double 7" compilation also featuring
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris.
Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...
,
John Dowie and
Cabaret Voltaire.
On the eve of recording a debut album, the band broke up after a dispute about Wilson and Erasmus's choice of producer,
Martin Hannett
James Martin Hannett (31 May 1948 – 18 April 1991), initially credited as Martin Zero, was an English record producer, musician and an original partner/director at Tony Wilson's Factory Records. Hannett produced music by artists including Joy ...
.
Rowbotham, Bowers and Joyce went on to form
The Mothmen
The Mothmen were a short-lived post-punk band from England, formed around 1979 by Dave Rowbotham, Chris Joyce and Tony Bowers, shortly after they left The Durutti Column, including ex-Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias singer Bob Harding.
History
...
(the latter two becoming members of
Simply Red
Simply Red are a British soul and pop band formed in Manchester in 1985. The lead vocalist of the band is singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall, who, by the time the band initially disbanded in 2010, was the only original member left. Since th ...
some years later), Sharp went on to form The Roaring 80s, SF Jive, and Glow, and also dedicated himself to acting; only Reilly remained.
With everyone's departure, The Durutti Column defaulted to Reilly's solo project. Other musicians contributed to recordings and live performances as occasioned. Former Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias drummer Bruce Mitchell doubled as co-manager with Wilson throughout their career on Factory and for many years afterwards.
1979–1990: Factory Records
The first album, 1980's ''
The Return of the Durutti Column
''The Return of the Durutti Column'' is the debut studio album by English band The Durutti Column. It was released in January 1980, through record label Factory.
Background
The initial two thousand copies also included a flexi-disc single wi ...
'' (title inspired by a 1967
Situationist International poster that includes that phrase), was produced by Martin Hannett. Reilly: "...he more or less got sounds for me that no one else could understand that I wanted. And he understood that I wanted to play the electric guitar but I didn't want this horrible distorted, usual electric guitar sound and he managed to get that." The record featured a sandpaper sleeve (like the title of the record, inspired by a Situationist joke, a book –
Guy Debord's ''
Mémoires'' – with a sandpaper cover to destroy other books on the shelf). "I didn't even know it was going to be an album. It was just the case of jumping at the chance of being in the studio. I actually didn't get up in time, Martin had to physically get me out of bed to get me to the studio – that's how little I believed it would happen. I was still doing late night petrol station shifts. I was even more amazed when Tony presented me with a white label. I was completely baffled. 'What, this is really going to be an album? You must be insane! No-one's going to buy this!' And then Tony got the idea from the Situationists about the sandpaper book, and decided to do some with a sandpaper sleeve. It was
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris.
Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...
that stuck the sandpaper onto the card. I was mortified."
The music was unlike anything else performed by post-punk acts at the time. Reilly rooting himself in "
new wave" with "...an attempt at experimental things";
the record contained nine gentle guitar instrumentals (later releases occasionally feature Reilly's soft and hesitant vocals) including elements from
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
,
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fo ...
,
classical music and rock. Reilly: "...I had a lot of classical training when I was young, guitar and formal training, the scales I write with and the techniques I use are classical techniques and scales – a lot of minor melodic and minor harmonic scales, which generally aren't used in pop music. Usually it's pentatonic". Hannett's production included adding electronic rhythm and other effects, including birdsong on "Sketch for Summer". The album was accompanied by a flexidisc with two tracks by Hannett alone.
''
LC'' ("
Lotta Continua
Lotta Continua (LC; en, Continuous Struggle) was a far-left paramilitary organization in Italy. It was founded in autumn 1969 by a split in the student-worker movement of Turin, which had started militant activity at the universities and factor ...
", Italian for "continuous struggle"), released in 1981, was recorded without Hannett, and introduced percussionist Bruce Mitchell, Reilly's most frequent musical partner and occasional manager. It was recorded on a four-track cassette deck at home (while it was slightly padded in the studio, the tape hiss is intact); among the first crisp, professionally released recordings made cheaply at home.
[The Durutti Column: Someone Else's Party](_blank)
''Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
''. The EP ''Deux Triangles'', released in 1982, contained three instrumentals, with piano emphasised over guitar. ''
Another Setting
''Another Setting'' is the third studio album by English band The Durutti Column, released in August 1983.
Track listing
All music written by Vini Reilly.
:A1. "Prayer" - 3:09
:A2. "Response" - 3:16
:A3. "Bordeaux" - 2:13
:A4. "For a Wester ...
'' (1983) was again Reilly and Mitchell; in 1984 the band was expanded to include
Richard Henry (
trombone
The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...
),
Maunagh Fleming (
cor anglais and
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
),
Blaine Reininger (of
Tuxedomoon
Tuxedomoon is an experimental, post-punk, new wave band from San Francisco, California, United States. The band formed in the late 1970s at the beginning of the punk rock movement. Pulling influence from punk and electronic music, the group, or ...
; violin and
viola
; german: Bratsche
, alt=Viola shown from the front and the side
, image=Bratsche.jpg
, caption=
, background=string
, hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71
, hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow
, range=
, related=
*Violin family ...
),
Mervyn Fletcher
Mervyn is a masculine given name and occasionally a surname which is of Old Welsh origin, with elements ''mer'', probably meaning "marrow", and ''myn'', meaning "eminent".
Despite the misconception of the letter 'V' being an English spelling, th ...
(saxophone),
Caroline Lavelle
Caroline Lavelle is an English singer-songwriter and cellist who has created three solo albums and contributed vocals, music, and production help to many other artists and bands.
Career
Lavelle studied at the Royal College of Music in London. ...
(cello), and
Tim Kellett
Tim Kellett (born 23 July 1964 in Knaresborough, Yorkshire, England) is an English musician, songwriter and record producer.
Biography
Kellett has worked in the British music industry for the past twenty eight years. His professional career b ...
(trumpet). The album ''
Without Mercy'', arranged by
John Metcalfe, was intended as an instrumental evocation of the poem ''
La Belle Dame sans Merci
"La Belle Dame sans Merci" ("The Beautiful Lady Without Mercy") is a ballad produced by the English poet John Keats in 1819. The title was derived from the title of a 15th-century poem by Alain Chartier called '' La Belle Dame sans Merc ...
'' by
John Keats.
''Say What You Mean'' was a departure from roots with the addition of deep electronic percussion. Kellett and Metcalfe remained (Metcalfe playing viola); they also appear alongside Reilly and Mitchell on ''Circuses and Bread'' (
Factory Benelux
A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. T ...
in 1985) and ''Domo Arigato''. The latter is a live album recorded in Tokyo and the first pop album released in the UK solely on the relatively new compact disc format (and also available on VHS and LaserDisc.)
Kellett left to join
Simply Red
Simply Red are a British soul and pop band formed in Manchester in 1985. The lead vocalist of the band is singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall, who, by the time the band initially disbanded in 2010, was the only original member left. Since th ...
, but guested on ''The Guitar and Other Machines'' (1987), the first new UK album to be released on
Digital Audio Tape (as well as the usual media of
LP,
audio cassette and CD).
["Jes'like DAT", ''Underground'', December 1987 (Issue 9), p. 3] ''The Guitar and Other Machines'' has a far more direct sound than earlier records, with guest vocals from
Stanton Miranda
Miranda Stanton, best known for her recordings as Stanton Miranda, Miranda Dali and Thick Pigeon, is a 1980s Factory Records artist from New York City. She achieved some notice for her single "Wheels Over Indian Trails" (produced by Stephen Morr ...
and Reilly's then partner, Pol, and the use of a
sequencer and
drum machine in addition to Mitchell's drumming. The album was produced by
Stephen Street, who also produced
Morrissey's solo album ''
Viva Hate
''Viva Hate'' is the debut solo studio album by English singer Morrissey. It was released on 14 March 1988 by HMV, six months after the final studio album by the Smiths, '' Strangeways, Here We Come'' (1987).
Vini Reilly, the leader of the E ...
'' (1988), on which Reilly played guitar. Reilly has said he was neither properly credited nor compensated for composing most of the music on ''Viva Hate''.
''Vini Reilly'' (1989), also produced by Reilly and Street, features extensive use of
sampling, with looped samples of vocalists (including
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
,
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. Chapman is best known for her hit singles "Fast Car" and "Give Me One Reason".
Chapman was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she released ...
,
Annie Lennox and
Joan Sutherland) used as the basis for several tracks.
Initial copies came with a 7" or CD single, "I Know Very Well How I Got My Note Wrong", credited to "Vincent Gerard and Steven Patrick", in which a take of the Morrissey B-side "I Know Very Well How I Got My Name" dissolves into laughter after Reilly hits a wrong note.
On ''
Obey the Time'' (1990) Mitchell played on only one track, the album being otherwise a solo recording by Reilly, heavily influenced by
contemporary dance music. The album's title is a phrase uttered by the titular character of
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
Othello'' toward his fiance, Desdemona in Act One, Scene Two: "I have but an hour of love, of worldly matters and direction, To spend with thee: we must obey the time." An accompanying single, "The Together Mix", featured two reworkings of album tracks by
Together
''ToGetHer'' (, aka Superstar Express) is a 2009 Taiwanese drama starring Jiro Wang of Fahrenheit, Rainie Yang and George Hu. It was produced by Comic International Productions ( 可米國際影視事業股份有限公司) and directed by Linzi ...
, Jonathon Donaghy and Suddi Raval (Donaghy was killed in a car crash in
Ibiza before the single was released). This was to be the last Durutti Column record released by Factory, in early 1991.
1990 onwards: after Factory
![Durutti Column, Stratford on Avon, 10 June 2006](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Durutti_Column%2C_Stratford_on_Avon%2C_10_June_2006.jpg)
For the first few years after the demise of Factory, the only Durutti Column album releases were ''Lips That Would Kiss'' (a 1991 collection of early singles, compilation contributions and unreleased material on the separate label Factory Benelux), and ''Dry'' (1991) and ''Red Shoes'' (1992), Italian collections of alternate versions and unreleased outtakes.
Former member
Dave Rowbotham was killed by an unknown assailant in 1991.
He was later memorialised by the
Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English rock band formed in Salford in 1980. The original line-up was Shaun Ryder (vocals), his brother Paul Ryder (bass), Gary Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar). Mark "Bez" Berry later joine ...
in the song "Cowboy Dave".
In 1993, Tony Wilson attempted to revive Factory Records, and ''Sex and Death'' was the first release on
Factory Too (a subdivision of
London Records). The album was once again produced by Stephen Street, with Mitchell and Metcalfe, and it included, on the track "The Next Time",
Peter Hook of
New Order. ''Time Was Gigantic ... When We Were Kids'', which followed in 1998, was produced by
Keir Stewart, who also played on the album and has frequently worked with Reilly since. ''Fidelity'' was released between these albums in 1996 by
Les Disques du Crépuscule
Les Disques du Crépuscule is an independent record label founded in Belgium. The label was founded in 1980 by Michel Duval and Annik Honoré. It also had a prominent associated sublabel, Factory Benelux. Both are now run by former employee Ja ...
and was produced by
Laurie Laptop
Laurie may refer to:
Places
* Laurie, Cantal, France, a commune
* Laurie, Missouri, United States, a village
* Laurie Island, Antarctica
Music
* Laurie Records, a record label
* ''Laurie'' (EP), a 1992 album by Daniel Johnston
* "Laurie (Stran ...
.
The eight albums recorded for Factory (''The Return of the Durutti Column'', ''LC'', ''Another Setting'', ''Without Mercy'', ''Domo Arigato'', ''The Guitar and Other Machines'', ''Vini Reilly'' and ''Obey the Time'') were re-released with additional material by Factory Too/London, under the banner Factory Once, between 1996 and 1998.
In 1998, Durutti Column contributed "It's Your Life Baby" to the AIDS benefit compilation album ''
Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon'' produced by the
Red Hot Organization.
Factory Too effectively ended in 1998, and subsequent Durutti Column albums have been on independent labels
Artful Records
Artful (1902–1927) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse.
Background
Artful was born at the Westbury Stable at Old Westbury on Long Island into a prominent racing family begun in 1898 by William Collins Whitney. The Whitney family remain ...
(''Rebellion''
001 001, O01, or OO1 may refer to:
*1 (number), a number, a numeral
*001, fictional British agent, see 00 Agent
*001, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian fire brigade (until 1986)
*AM-RB 001, the code-name for the Aston Martin Valkyrie ...
''Someone Else's Party''
003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to:
*003, fictional British 00 Agent
*003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986)
*1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen
* OO3 gauge model railway
*''O03 (O2)'' and other related ...
''Keep Breathing''
006
Alec Trevelyan (006) is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1995 James Bond film '' GoldenEye'', the first film to feature actor Pierce Brosnan as Bond. Trevelyan is portrayed by actor Sean Bean. The likeness of Bean as Ale ...
''Idiot Savants''
007 or
Kookydisc (''Tempus Fugit''
004 004, 0O4, O04, OO4 may refer to:
* 004, fictional British 00 Agent
* 0O4, Corning Municipal Airport (California)
* O04, the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation
* Abdul Haq Wasiq, Guantanamo detainee 004
* Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet engine
* Lauda Ai ...
''Sunlight to Blue . . . Blue to Blackness''
008 008, OO8, O08, or 0O8 may refer to:
* The Streetwear Brand @008us , inspired by Ian Fleming & Virgil Abloh
*"030", the fictional 030 Agent of MI6
* '' 038: Operation Exterminate'', a 1965 Italian action film
* '' Explosivo 030'' a 1940 Argentine c ...
. Kookydisc has also released two further volumes of ''The Sporadic Recordings'' (along with a slightly edited re-release of the first volume from 1989), remastered versions of two very scarce LPs from the early 1980s (''Live At The Venue''
004 004, 0O4, O04, OO4 may refer to:
* 004, fictional British 00 Agent
* 0O4, Corning Municipal Airport (California)
* O04, the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation
* Abdul Haq Wasiq, Guantanamo detainee 004
* Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet engine
* Lauda Ai ...
and ''Amigos Em Portugal''
005
''005'' is a 1981 arcade game by Sega. They advertised it as the first of their RasterScan Convert-a-Game series, designed so that it could be changed into another game in minutes "at a substantial savings". It is one of the first examples of a ...
, and two subscription-club discs of rare and unreleased material. A download-only release, ''Heaven Sent (It Was Called Digital, It Was Heaven Sent)'', first appeared in 2005 via Wilson's project
F4, which was marketed as the fourth version of Factory Records.
A short
Jeff Noon
Jeff Noon (born 1957 in Droylsden, Lancashire, England) is a British novelist, short story, short story writer and playwright whose works make use of word play and fantasy. Noon's speculative fiction books have ties to the works of writers such ...
play adapted for
BBC Radio 3, Dead Code - Ghosts of the Digital Age (BBC Radio 3, 2005), was partially soundtracked by The Durutti Column.
On 7 September 2009, Colin Sharp died from a brain haemorrhage. Reilly suffered a stroke in 2011, following which he was left unable to play the guitar the way he did before.
Durutti Column guitarist Vini Reilly 'embarrassed' by appeal
/ref>
Discography
Sources
*
References
External links
*
Gigography
The Official CP Lee Website
including 1968 Greasy Bear photo of Bruce Mitchell with CP Lee and Ian Wilson
* Allmusic.com article on The Durutti Column
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durutti Column, The
Musical groups established in 1978
Musical groups from Manchester
English post-punk music groups
English new wave musical groups
Factory Records artists
ROIR artists
English art rock groups
British ambient music groups
Factory Benelux artists