!! I have re-edited/fixed/added links and cleaned up the re-ordered page/directory linked in my description, I would highly suggest checking it out - it's not entirely comprehensive (might not ever be, haha!) but probably as close as you can get for articles and interviews w/ new order c. 1981-2000 and electronic, in an easy to parse/navigable format. This section is comprised of posts on this blog as well as articles/interviews hosted off site/in text.
If you would just like to just browse posts from here, those are all viewable in the tags page. Happy reading!
Wanted to add: reading text/zooming in on images seems to be really difficult on the updated tumblr app, I would suggest viewing in web browser or desktop if possible. the source should be linked for most posts as well if that's easier!
Other places to find me on social media:
Twitter
Youtube
Imgur (scans of my own, feel free to use just link/credit)
!! I have re-edited/fixed/added links and cleaned up the re-ordered page/directory linked in my description, I would highly suggest checking it out - it's not entirely comprehensive (might not ever be, haha!) but probably as close as you can get for articles and interviews w/ new order c. 1981-2000 and electronic, in an easy to parse/navigable format. This section is comprised of posts on this blog as well as articles/interviews hosted off site/in text.
If you would just like to just browse posts from here, those are all viewable in the tags page. Happy reading!
In honor of The Other Two and You's reissue, here is an interview with Steve and Gillian in Select magazine! (thanks to shug fac383 from the MDMArchives, full post here)
Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook interview in "Mad World: an oral history of new wave artists and songs that defined the 1980's" (written by Lori Majewski, pub. 2014)
Feeling Electronic: An Interview With Johnny Marr & Bernard Sumner
Despite having turned 40, Bernard Sumner still looks bafflingly boyish. Kitted-out in a close-cropped haircut, baggy T-shirt, jeans and chunky-soled canvas sneakers, he bounds into the bar of Manchesterās Midland Hotel with surprising enthusiasm. Surprising because, as the frontman with New Order, he was always renowned as the most reticent of interviewees. As he smiles and shakes hands, he has the air of a changed man about him. His partner in Electronic, ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marrā who at just 32 looks the older of the two ā arrives early to Sumnerās late. Immediately he lives up to his reputation and is soon settling down to relaxed chit-chat.
Together, Sumner and Marr represent a fusion of two of the most influential and creative bands of the 1980s. As the musical foil to the lyrical musings of Morrissey, Marr created some of the most memorable guitar songs of that period. Since parting company in 1987, Morrissey has failed to scale the same artistic heights. And, many would argue, so has Marr. Sumner, meanwhile, spent most of the ā80s and part of the ā90s fronting New Order, a band which ā unlike The Smiths, who under the influence of Morrissey took a defiant stance against the dancefloor ā embraced the influences of hip-hop, New Yorkās gay club scene and house music, revealing the exhilerating possibilities of an open-minded approach to popās eclectic pantheon. New Orderās artistic and commercial peak came in 1989 with the album Technique, their first number one. At the close of that same year, Electronic released their first single, āGetting Away With Itā, a collaboration with Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys.
āYouāve got to remember I became a lyricist by default when Ian died. Before that point I never had a single dream or desire to become a singer or lyricist. Never!ā Bernard Sumner
Unlike Marr, whose split from The Smiths was clearcut, unequivocal and very public, the situation with New Order ā in keeping with much of the bandās career ā remains uncertain, open-ended, unresolved. A recent interview with Sumner saw The Independent On Sunday describe the band as ānow defunctā. Sumner offers a subtle variation on that statement. āThe truth is that I didnāt say New Order were defunct, the journalist has made his own mind up about that. The situation with New Order is that we donāt have any plans to record together or play any gigs together, but we havenāt broken up. So,ā laughs the singer mischievously, āmake your own mind up about it.ā
Marr, always eager to add some clarity to the cryptic mutterings of Sumner, adds his own slant on the lack of closure to the New Order story: āA band splitting up is a great thing to write about and a great thing to read about, but itās not necessarily a great thing to be involved with. Events get carried away with themselves and before you know it thereās a lot of bad feeling and a lot of that is caused by outside influences.ā
Different angles, different explanations, but the conclusion is the same: the past weighs heavily on the shoulders of both Marr and Sumner. They have a lot to live down, a lot to live up to. In the early days of Electronic they attempted to purge their music of anything that smacked of their previous exploits. That was before they became at ease with their history. Both, after all, are well versed in dealing with their very public pasts. When The Smiths dissolved, Marrās response was to dive into a number of collaborations ā with The Pretenders, The The, Kirsty MacColl and many others ā gaining a reputation as a guitar for hire. āThe period between The Smiths and Electronic was a matter of being phoned up by people who I really admire and being asked to make records,ā he explains.
This time itās Sumnerās turn to dig beneath the surface of his partnerās words. āAfter youāve been in the confines of a band for a while like both of us had, you want to break the mould. As soon as you get out you do everything you couldnāt do within the group. So Johnny played with a load of different people because he couldnāt with The Smiths. I did a lot of remix work. Itās like with the first Electronic album [released June ā91]: we put our photographs on the album cover because you couldnāt do that [before]. It was a phase we went through. But now Electronic is the main thing for us.ā
For Sumner, of course, his whole career as a singer has been a case of shaking off and living up to the past. When Joy Division singer Ian Curtis committed suicide in May 1980 it left Sumner, the bandās guitarist, not only personally distraught but professionally cast adrift. After deciding to continue as a band and adopting the name New Order on the suggestion of their manager Rob Gretton, someone had to take over as singer. Sumner, a man who maintains that he had never written so much as a childhood poem beforehand, got the short straw: āYouāve got to remember I became a lyricist by default when Ian died. Before that point I never had a single dream or desire to become a singer or lyricist. Never!ā
āThe two of us expect a lot of ourselves and we just cut out the outside world while we were making the album.ā Johnny Marr
Sumnerās lyrics have always been a matter of much scrunity, whether it be to ridicule them ā lines like, āI would like a place I can call my own / Have a conversation on the telephoneā from New Orderās sublime āRegretā have provoked scorn from detractors ā or to celebrate their quite touching ambiquity or autobiographical honesty. But Sumner maintains a quite workmanlike approach to the craft ā lyrics, he explains, are written after hearing the finished music, and fitted in accordingly.
āGenerally I donāt think, āRight, Iām going to write a song about thisā. I listen to the music and Iāll see what it suggests to me. And lines or pictures ā Iāve always thought in pictures ā will pop into my head. If itās a picture Iāll describe the scene.ā Sumner is surprisingly self-critical of the results of this process. āSome of the changes in direction in my lyrics arenāt always welcome, sometimes I get it wrong,ā he says, ābut I write a lot of lyrics through a kind of subconcious flow.ā
Still, despite this playing down of his lyrics ā he says he finds it difficult to talk about them ā last year Sumner was picked as a songwriter worthy of study by the psychologist Oliver James. In a BBC 2 programme, James sought to assess how the anti-depressant wonder drug Prozac affected creativity. Sumner was one of several participants, from artists to writers, who were put under the spotlight. Consequently the BBC cameras showed Sumner both at work in the studio putting together the new Electronic album as well as relaxing with his girlfriend and family.
āThis quy from the BBC came to me and said, āWould you like to take Prozac? Weāre doing an investigation into its effects on creativity.ā His theory was based on the idea that creative people were creative because basically they were fucked-up in some way, and he wanted to test out his theory, ie, you get all these people who are somehow fucked-up ā and he obviously thought I was fucked-up in some way ā you give them Prozac, they stop being fucked-up, does their creativity dry up? Which is very interesting.ā
And? āIām not fucked-up, Iām like everybody else; I have my up days and my down days. I found taking Prozac very interesting ācos it filtered out all the lows. I didnāt find that it affected my creativity in any way at all.ā
Both Sumner and Marr were unhappy with the programmeās conclusions ā Sumner was described as being depressed and suffering from āhyper-critical voicesā. But the subject of Prozac does have relevance to the new Sumner, a man for many years renowned for his passionate embracing of Manchesterās nightlife and drug culture. These days he says he goes jogging every day ā āIt sharpens the mindā ā and is cutting down on alcohol after stomach problems aggravated by an excessive intake of Pernod and orange (although he adds with a smile that heās cured the ailment, so he can now get back on the Pernods). These lifestyle changes, partly the actions of a man coming to terms with his age, have a direct relevance to how Electronic make their music.
āIt used to be a party ethic, now itās a work ethic. Weād stay up all night and party and thatās how weād come up with songs,ā explains Sumner, describing a way of working which stretches back to both New Order and Joy Division. āBut weāve done that, and this is more challenging and more rewarding because youāre in the driving seat!ā
Adds Marr: āIt wasnāt that we werenāt getting results that way, we just wanted to do something different.ā
In the past, most of Sumnerās lyrics were written under the influence of one stimulant or another, aiding the āflow of conciousnessā. So how does the all-new Mr (nearly) Clean write his lyrics? āWhat do I do now? I sit in a fuckinā room and beat my brains out,ā laughs Sumner.
It doesnāt show. The new Electronic album, Raise The Pressure, is a finely-polished, well-balanced pop album, which, despite both Marr and Sumnerās claims to the contrary, has clear referance points to their work with The Smiths and New Order, particularly the latter. Their obvious desire to break from their musical pasts is wholly understandable, yet their inability to do so is not altogether a cause for concern. Raise The Pressure may bear some of the hallmarks of their ā80s incarnations, but it sounds well-placed for the current pop climate, with its sparkling combination of guitar-pop and electronic house-inflected dance. Two years in the making, it is quite obviously a record constructed by perfectionists.
āAll Bernard and I have cared about over the last few years is Electronic and our families, and the balance has shifted towards Electronic,ā explains Marr. āThatās been our life. The two of us expect a lot of ourselves and we just cut out the outside world while we were making the album.ā
āIan Curtis turned me on to Kraftwerk in 1977 and when he did I thought it was the most fantastic thing Iād ever heard.ā Bernard Sumner
Recorded in a studio in Johnny Marrās old house ā he moved his family into a new house because āit was easier to move my family out than to move Electronic. It just really suited usā ā Marr explains that āwe kind of designed the record.ā Part of that design involved bringing ex-Kraftwerk stalwart Karl Bartos into the creative equation. He co-wrote some of the tracks and assisted with production. For Sumner, working with Bartos was another direct link to his musical past, taking him back nearly 20 years. āIan Curtis turned me on to Kraftwerk and when he did I thought it was the most fantastic thing Iād ever heard. Youāve got to remember it was 1977 and everything was punk. Ian played me Trans Europe Express, which was like the total opposite, black and white.ā
On the few occasions when Marr and Sumner emerged from the self-imposed isolation of their home-studio, they took Bartos on visits to āFleshā at the HaƧienda, the pinnacle of gay clubbing in Manchester ā āWhich was interesting,ā smiles Marr. All part of the Electronic masterplan, a plan which saw them whittle down 40 pieces of music to 16 songs, 13 of which appear on the new LP. The managing director of their label Parlophone claimed recently: āThey donāt need our help to make an album, although we had to put a marker down otherwise they might have gone on forever refining it.ā Fair comment?
āThatās bullshit that,ā smirks Sumner. āNo-one put down any markers.ā
āWhat, someone from the record company said that?ā laughs Marr incredulously.
āNeither of us have ever dealt with A&R people in our lives,ā asserts Sumner.
The pair say they have total freedom to get on with making records as and when they want. And despite moving from the fiercely Mancunian and fiercely independent Factory for their first album to the London-based major Parlophone (part of EMI) for their second, nothing much has changed. āFor us the situation is no different than when we were on Factory,ā says Sumner. āDuring the whole two years we never saw anyone from Parlophone. In fact, I donāt think weāre actually signed to any record label. Weāre signed to our production company which then licences product to Parlophone.ā
āāWe finance everything ourselves because we want to keep control of everything,ā adds Marr. āWe take care of the sleeves, we just deliver the whole thing to Parlophone and they sell it.ā
This desire to maintain their independence is closely guarded, and is reflected in their continued strong links to Manchester, despite both having good reason to have broken their connections with the city. Originally from Ardwick, Marr saw his childhood haunts demolished to make way for new developments when his family was shipped off to Wythenshawe. Sumnerās Salford childhood was disrupted in a similar way, and the dislocation felt following the flattening of the terraced street he grew up in still surfaces today, the song āSecond Natureā on the new LP being an autobiographical appraisal of that early experience.
āWeāve got an office in London [they are managed by Marcus Russell, Marrās manager since 1988 and now also looking after Oasis] but we hardly ever go there,ā says Marr. After touring the world with both of their previous bands, it seems that Electronic are happiest when back home. And as with New Order, whose unconventional approach to promotion surely stopped them becoming U2-style huge, it could prove an obstacle to Electronicās progress. Despite claiming that they will be playing live to promote Raise The Pressure, long tours are out of the question, says Sumner. āI donāt want to do 28 dates in America and end up in Kansas on a Sunday night, pulling my hair out and wanting to be in Manchester.ā
He is half of Electronic, a quarter of New Order and isnāt he a naughty fellow! You blamed him for Keith Allen and asked him about as many drugs as there are drugs. In return, he denied ever having "touched himself". Meet the people Bernard Sumner.
Bernard Sumner is looking rather well. In rude health, even. This may be because Bernard Sumner has stopped eating pasties, but itās more likely because the night before Manchester United won a football match against some Germans.
In a West London hotel, the only non-purple star called Barney lounges on a well-stuffed sofa nursing a half-bottle of Chardonnay. In spite of his numerous 43 years -20 of them spent as a member of Joy Division, New Order, Electronic, and, if you want to be pedantic, Englandneworder, the short-lived rock/footie conglomeration that brought you the rapping of John Barnes - he appears younger than he has any right to.
Moreover - bucking his Mr Miseryguts reputation - Summer appears delighted to answer even the readersā ugliest questions. Some of his replies maybe tongue-in-cheek, and some are, frankly, lies. He may, charmingly, have faith in the beauty of moustaches, he may be eerily loath to reveal the secret of his morphing surname, but the former Bernard Dicken is proving an amenable chap. Just donāt call him Warsaw, thatās all.
Q opens the ceremonial geography project folder of questions, Sumner sips his Chardonnay and off we go.
Words David Quantick
Is True Faith about ecstasy?
Trisha Farmer. Hull
No. Itās about drug dependency. I donāt touch smack but when I wrote that song I tried to imagine what itās like to be a smackhead and nothing else matters to you except that dayās hit. Thereās a line in the song, āWhen I was a very young boy, very young boys played with me/Now weāve grown up together, theyāre afraid of what they see." The original was, āNow theyāre taking drugs with me,ā but Stephen Hague our producer made us change it because he said it wouldnāt be a hit if we kept that line in. He was right. It was a very big hit, but we chickened out. I change it back sometimes live.
Given your chemically excessive past, what is your parental advice to your kids concerning drugs?
Anthony Clifford, Taunton
Donāt go anywhere near heroin or crack or acid. Taking ecstasyās like Russian roulette, except you've got 99,000 bullets that are empty and one thatās loaded. I donāt know anyone whoās taken cocaine where it hasnāt become a friend for life. Although you can say the same for cigarettes. I donāt smoke marijuana, but if youāre going to take a drug, thatās the best one. Itās not as bad for you as alcohol and it makes people mellow and friendly, Unfortunately, it just makes me go to sleep.
Do you still have a receiver in your head?
Noel Edmunds, via e-mail
I think I know what this is about. I think I came out in an interview with some bullshit answer to a question about howl wrote music. I said that I had a television aerial in my head and it picked ideas out ofthe ether and I used to work at night when everyone was asleep. Maybe I did write in a different way in those days. I think now Iāve not got that many problems in my life, I want to write songs about the ones I have got, rather than that kind of... dreamscape. I used to be pretty sort of dreamy and go off on one. I still can do it. I sat in my room for twelve hours just not watching television or anything, just thinking.
What made you piss yourself on Every Little Counts?
Jamie BIundell, Rednal
The words were so bad, basically (āI think you are a pig/You should be in a zooā). We kept it on because it was better than the original lyric.
Whatās your excuse for having a moustache when you were Warsaw?
Ursula Stevenson, Reading
Itās a popular misconception that we were called Warsaw. We were never called Warsaw. At our first concert we changed it to Joy Division (He is reminded of the question) The moustach? Iād forgotten all about that. In those days moustaches were really big. The thing I was embarrassed about was it was a bumlluff moustache that didnāt quite join in the middle. Bit like Noelās eyebrows. No, the opposite of Noelās eyebrows. It looked like I had Noelās eyebrows on my lip. Iāll stand by my moustache. If you look at most pop stars, youāll find some kind of styling error in their past history.
When joy Division started, why did you keep changing your surname, from Dicken to Albrecht to Sumner?
Dove Clarke, Salford
Family reasons. Iād rather not go into it.
Ian Curtis, 1999 - what would he be up to?
Matt Palmer, Worcestershire
Itās hard to imagine because Ian was very ill. I canāt imagine him in the ā90s. He once threatened to go off and leave the group and buy a corner shop in Bournemouth. It was an off-licence that sold books as well, I think that was his idea. These mad, completely illogical thoughts used to come into his head from time to time. So maybe eventually he would have done that. I think he would have been a writer, because he was always reading books and he was always writing anyway. Or maybe he would have retired a millionaire by now, who knows? Silly sod.
Is it true that Touched By The Hand Of God is about whacking off
Aidan Vaziri, San Francisco
(Long pause followed by wide-eyed response) Whatās whacking off mean? (It is explained to him) I would not write a song about masturbating, No, itās not, most definitely isnāt. And I've never done that in my life ever. Ever. Do people really do that? Masturbate? Do you masturbate? Iāve never done it ever in my life. Iāve certainly never written a song about it. (Confidentially) Itās about bestiality, actually.
Do you regret doing that Prozac documentary? Wasnāt it a rather strange thing to do?
Damon Williams, Bromley
I regret it but not bitterly. It was interesting tak-ing Prozac because I donāt really suffer from depression but I can be a melancholic sort of person. It was interesting being a different person for seven months. It really agreed with me. I still think itās a very, very interesting drug. I found when I took it if I had problems, then instead of me crumbling before my problems, I would deal with the problems.
Quote a lyric from the second Electronic album that isnāt from the single, Forbidden City.
William Haas, Winchester
Um... I honestly canāt be bothered. You tell me. What a trainspotter. All right, hereās one: āMisguided youth/You mix some juice with alcohol." Itās from Liquor.
Finish the sentence, in less than 10 words, āManchester is great because..."
Carl Hedges, Liverpool
Weāve got the best football team, we've got the best bands, weāve got the best gang violence scene anywhere in Britain, Itās always sunny there, it never rains...
You and Michael jackson are the only pop stars who whoop. Discuss.
Heather Thompson, London NB
Ha ha ha! Well, I get excited. Whoopings a primeval expression of enjoyment, and sometimes if Iām getting into a vocal take, I just get into it. If Iām at a club, I like whistling... I was at a club in Bath and this girl got a bouncer over to stop me (demonstrates incredibly powerful, piercing whistle). I donāt get excited very often but when I do, I get really excited. Iāll stop doing it now, Iāll get self-conscious about it.
When did you last touch Pernod?
Steve Heath, Keighley
Um... Well, Pernodās been replaced by Absinthe. Thereās this whole ritual where you bake some up on a spoon, a bit like freebasing. That stuffās like rocket fuel, I had a couple of nights with Alex James out of Blur, a couple of disastrous nights drinking Absinthe, and I donāt even remember drinking it.
Have you ever been down to your last dollar and how did you cope?
Adrian Gibbon, Bassetbury Balloons Party Shop, High Wycombe
It was on New Orderās first US tour and I didnāt really get the idea of tipping - Iām a bit of a tight bastard and I find the whole idea of tipping abhorrent. We bought a beer in a club and it was 75 cents, So I thought, well, youāve got to tip here or they'll go fucking mad. I only had a dollar, I didnāt have any more money so I him the dollar and said, Keep the change, and he went, "You fucking Manc bastard," and threw the 25 cents at me.
Do you own a Sainsburyās reward card?
Jill Cash, Amersham
I do, but itās mysteriously gone missing. I probably left it in the toilet somewhere. I keep losing odd credit cards,,, It didnāt have many points on it because I cashed it. I have a special platinum reward card. You get more points than other people, being a celebrity and that.
I saw you purchase a tuna sandwich from Spinks in Wilmslow. It was a cold day - why didnāt you buy a pasty like me? Were you trying to be hard?
Andy Parr, Maclesfield
Ha ha ha! Iām trying to lose a bit of weight, thatās why! Tuna's much more healthy for you and I'm trying to go on a health kick. I canāt eat pasties any more without affecting my, ah, already fragile waistline.
Whatās the most unusual place youāve had sex?
Polly Winterton, London W12
I couldnāt possibly tell you without offending someone. Um... ah... I might get in trouble. I'm trying to think of which particular unusual place out of all the unusual places...
Donāt you feel ashamed for having started Keith Allen out in his pop career?
K Allen (thankfully no relation), Bromley
Heh heh heh! K. Allen? Um... em... I think Keithās made a wonderful contribution to pop. I think the Fat Les records are some of the all-time classic songs thatāll go down as... ā90's classics. Iām very proud of Keithās contribution to pop music and Iām sure that every time thereās some kind of football event to cash in on... er! help to promote Iām sure Keithāll be there with one of his wonderful renditions.
Whatās your best Shaun Ryder story?
Jane Smith, Liverpool
Which one? Iāve got about three. He went out in his car to score and he crashed into a vicar in a Lada. He had 500 quid in his pocket and he said to the vicar, "Look, mate, your carās not worth 500 quid, Iāll give you this ifyou donāt call the cops." He was a vicar and he wouldnāt take it, so Shaun said, "Well, fuck off then," and got in his car and drove off. About ten minutes later, the police knocked at his house and he said, how did you find me so quick? And they just showed him his number plate. Heād left his number plate at the scene of the crime. What else? Thereās a few disgusting ones...
Did you really do a version of Blue Monday for a Sunkist ad? If so, how did the lyrics go?
Peter Rees, Shrewsbury
(Recites) "How does it feel/When youāre drinking in the sun? Something something something/Sunkist is the one/How does it feel/When youāre drinking in the sun/All youāve got to believe/Is Sunkist is the one" I didnāt write them. We got offered Ā£100,000 to do it. I kept laughing when I was singing it, so Hooky (Peter Hook, New Order bassist) got a piece card and wrote āĀ£100,000ā on it, held it up, and I sang it perfectly. But then Rob Gretton (New Orderās late manager) turned up and put the kibosh on it. Thereās a remix of Blue Monday by Steve āSilkā Hurley and itās got the Sunkist lyrics on it.
People who bought the Electronic album probably see it as a substitute for New Order, and primarily use Electronic to fill the gap until the next New Order album What do you think of that?
Nicklas Mandahl Enevaldsen, Denmark
Well... very pleased. Fucking hell, what do you expect me to say? Um... Thank God not everybodyās like that.
Former Factory Records boss Tony Wilson comes to you with a sure-fire business proposition that ājust canāt failā. What do you do?
Kevin Leslie, Oldham
Ha ha! Ha ha! Piss myself laughing. In fact thatās what happened when we were recording Every Little Counts... Tony came in with a sure-fire business proposition.
Does Steven (Morris, New Order drummer) let you play with his tank?
Lee Hollows, Birmingham
Iāve sat in his tank, yeah. Steveās got a tank that he has permanently pointed at my house. Me and Steve play with it and weāre in training for Kosovo. When the troops go in, we hope be in the vanguard of operations. Weāre keeping the gun well-oiled and weāre going to shove it right up Slobodanās arse. In fact, someone up the road from Steveās had the same tank, and theyāve got a slight design fault which means that youāre driving along and swerve, itās uncontrollable, and this guyās tank did this and decapitated his wife. It was because it was on the news and there was a picture of Steveās tank - we were āSteveās crashed the tank and Gillianās been decapitatedā. So I donāt think Iāll be going in it again.
Whatās your favorite memory of Rob Gretton?
Ruth Quest, Gloucester
(long pause) um.,. Rob used to say to everyone, āWhat are you doing?ā nothing, Rob, nothing: āWhat should you be doing? Skin up!ā Iāll remember those words.
Electronic: Bernard Sumner & Johnny Marr online Q & A @ beeb.com, 22.04.99
Manchester music legends Bernard Sumner of New Order and Johnny Marr of The Smiths first started working together in 1989 as Electronic. Inspired by the success of their debut single, Getting Away With It, Johnny and Bernard have continued to produce records and collaborated with many other musicians. They chatted live from TOTP on 22/04/99 before performing their latest single Vivid.
pete23 asks: "Does being on Top of the Pops still mean something to you?"
Bernard: "It means getting up at 9 in the morning and hanging around for 12 hours."
Johnny: "So...yes...it means the same as it's always done!"
Bernard: "This time we're playing live which is more exciting than before. The format is that some bands play live over a backing track but I think it should be all live."
Johnny: "I grew up watching the show religiously so it would be nice to think that the show means the same to teenagers now as it did to me. We've got a guy in the band called Phil Cunningham and this is his first time and he's really excited."
Sara6asks: "What's the new album like?"
Bernard: "It's not very good, it wasn't worth making."
Johnny: "We're not really on it, we got our friends to do it."
Bernard: "It's rockier than the previous ones. It's more of a group based sound."
Johnny: "It's still more melodic but more guitary."
Bernard: "In the past the tracks have mainly been written using a computer and keyboard with the guitars added at the end. On this album we reversed the process by writing the songs on guitar first. A by product of that is that this album took 3 months to record and the previous one took 2 years."
Johnny: "The most conscious thing on this album was the choice to use a co-producer. This gave us more time and energy to focus on being songwriters. That's not to say we had a problem with this in the past...but we just fancied a change. Having a band to pull together made the atmosphere different as well...even rehearsals are good fun, it's great to make a racket."
Hailey23 asks: "You've probably been asked this a load of times, but come on guys, how about some live dates soon?"
Johnny: "We're trying. Both Bernard and myself are looking forward to playing live, our main consideration is the rest of the band."
Bernard: "We want to do some festivals but the rest of the band play for other people so we have to make sure they're free and available. The Label would like us to tour but we'd rather do a set of festivals. Even if we're going to play one gig, we have to rehearse for a month, which is really expensive."
Johnny: "Jed Lynch, the drummer who played with us on this album, is with Black Grape. Astrid Williamson who sang backing vocals on the album is also in the band. Phil Cunningham is in a Manchester band and it's difficult getting them all together."
mojo asks: "The Happy Mondays reunion - how long do you think it'll last?"
Johnny: "No one knows the answer to that question...two songs."
Bernard: "They're obviously friends of ours so we wish them good luck for the Manchester gig. Hopefully they've learnt from this period of being apart. Speaking from my experience with New Order, it was great that we stopped being silly. I believe the real reason the Monday's split up wasn't drugs...but Sean's feet. If they invest in some 'odour eaters' they could go on forever."
edgetolife asks: "Johnny, in the future would you like to play in more bands and write more material or would you enjoy producing material of other artists?"
Johnny: "I don't really fancy either of those things. I've been very fortunate to be involved with a few respected groups and I don't really want to repeat what I've done in the past. The problem with production is there's no distinction between what's my input and the artist's input."
"When I've worked with other artists, my first thought in the morning is fretting about the production and if I'm going to do that then, then I might as well do it for myself. I'm thinking of doing my own solo stuff. I've got a collection of songs. When Bernard does his stuff with New Order I'm going to kick that off. I'll be singing and I'll get a band together."
"I'm not giving it too much thought at the moment as Electronic's album's not even out at the moment. I'm very proud of this record and I want to promote it as much as possible."
Bernard: "We'll definitely work together again as well."
Johnny: "There's a sound I can only get with Bernard, the way he works and the way he writes. People can hear it and I think it's something unique."
Happy Jack asks: "How much online surfing do you both do? Have you seen any of the fans Electronic, Smiths and New Order sites (trust me, there are thousands)."
Bernard: "I just use it for porn...No, I'm joking...I'd rather go out and buy a book and hold something in my hand. The last thing I want to do after all day behind a computer in the studio is do it at home. We do use the net for graphics and sleeve designs. I get all the artwork emailed to me before it goes out."
Johnny: "I've checked it out fairly extensively. I've found it to be quite inspiring in some areas. I've got some quirky interests like Carl Jung, the history of native Americans and the history of Tibet. But I did check out a few fan sites. At first I was impressed and then underwhelmed because every time I went back to them they didn't update them. I tried to help out an unofficial website by telling them what I was up to. If anyone has any ideas they can email my management (Ignition management) or the record company and I'll get to see them."
Bernard: "The new Electronic website is a great site. The last one wasn't so good so I hope it goes well. What would be great is if we could do something like this every month."
JK22 asks: "If I sent my young brother down to hang about outside the TOTP studios with my Smiths, New Order and Electronic records, would you sign them?"
Bernard: "Yes but don't let everyone else get the same idea."
Johnny: "It depends, is he a nice guy?"
ManC asks: "Johnny, do you reckon Manchester City will be promoted this season?"
Johnny: "I'm always nervous about getting my hopes up. It's looking good though. I really hope Bernard doesn't say anything cos he's so smug this morning about Man U's victory. I'm sure Man C would agree, that because they're from Manchester and England and they're competing in Europe, I honestly hope with all my heart they get stuffed. That's how twisted Man City fans have become."
Bernard: "City have done so badly lately that Man U fans don't even take the mickey anymore. We find it pitiful. You'll be playing Salford Grammar School next."
Johnny: "I don't care. The band has just split up, thanks Man C!"
Gav Fuller asks: "Johnny, what's the story behind you launching your own clothing line? Where can we buy the clothes from?"
Johnny: "At the moment there are shops everywhere taking orders from Elk. But we're funny about who we'll send it out to. If you live in London you can get it from Fletcher in Covent Garden or Brown's...there are going to be a couple of adverts in The Face over the next few months."
"It's stuff I've done with Nigel Lawson, a very talented fashion designer in Manchester that I know. The stuff he does is much more interesting than the stuff available in the shops."
Bernard: "It's native American based stuff isn't it?"
Johnny: "It's a weird mix of native American, outdoor wear, Mod and other bits. It's been a labour of love for 2 years. It's an ideological experiment because it's like a band. If you keep the ideas pure and the enthusiasm up, then people realise it's not a corporate thing."
Ric Romo asks: "Do you have any plans to tour the US? Most notably, the state of Texas? We would love to see two legends down here."
Bernard: "It all depends on whether we can afford to do it is the honest answer. It costs a lot of money to do it. I love Texas, I've played there a lot with New Order but it all depends on the money."
Johnny: "I really enjoyed playing Dallas and Houston with The The. It would be great to play there again."
Davor Croatia asks: "Which songs or albums, that you've heard lately, have you thought were really good?"
Bernard: "I bought five albums the other week. Placebo's new album, Faithless, Beck, Serge Gainsbourg and a very old Fleetwood Mac featuring Peter Green. I really like Peter Green."
Johnny: "He's got a great voice."
Bernard: "My favourite album is Fatboy Slim."
Johnny: "I really like Mogwai and Badly Drawn Boy."
Bernard: "I liked the UNKLE album, particularly the Ian Brown track."
Johnny: "I like the Blue Note re-issues, The Nugget Psychedelic Box Set and also Celine Dion."
Dave Briggs asks: "What's the story behind you using a picture of Rasputin on your album sleeve?"
Bernard: "We're big fans of Boney M. I've always loved Ra Ra Rasputin. We liked the photograph and that's the only reason. We're not that interested in Rasputin. We just like the intense gaze he has. I saw a film about him and I reckon the guy got a bum rap. He cured the Tsar's son and spent the rest of the time having intimate relations with all the ladies in waiting...and what's wrong with that."
Dan 55 asks: "Bernard, how about a repeat gig at Alexandra Palace for the millennium? Last year was storming!"
Bernard: "The next priority for New Order is to write some new material which we'll be doing in the mid to late summer, that'll come out in the year 2000. That's the priority at the moment, although I really enjoyed the Ally Pally gig."
Johnny: "I'm staying in to watch the telly. I may go to Northern Australia for a couple of weeks."
Bernard: "The Ally Pally gig...we almost pulled it when Steve found out we were going on stage at midnight and he wanted to be in bed!"
Dave Goodwood asks: "A question for Johnny - what are your personal feelings about the court case with Mike Joyce?"
Johnny: "I feel that it was ugly and unnecessary. A real shame that over the last few years I've been asked more about that case than the songs I've produced. Midway through the case, I really did feel that I wanted to stop the case and get everyone to agree that we did have a good time in The Smiths after all."
"I don't hold an animosity to anyone but it was such a shame. On a personal level, I wish them luck, but they've got personal agendas that I can't relate to."
pank-art asks: "What do we have to do to get you guys for an interview for our radio station in Turkey?"
Johnny: "If it's on a boat and it's two weeks long then sure.
