Love Will Tear Us Apart

Ian Curtis' original handwritten lyrics for Love Will Tear Us Apart

Cover version of the month #85

Hot 8 Brass Band cover Joy Division

Recorded in March 1980 and released that June, just a month after singer Ian Curtis had committed suicide, Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart is a bonafide classic single that has has come to define the band.

Curtis' lyrics of loneliness, sadness and heartbreak pack are bleak, honest and devastating, telling the tale of his marriage falling apart. Yet, somehow, the chorus and keyboard riff are in complete contrast, almost euphoric. I think that has been heightened over time; the way the song has become an anthem and the way New Order sing the chorus when they play it live. 

The pop aspect is reflected in the length and structure of the song. Intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, verse, chorus x 2 all delivered in 3-minutes 30 seconds.

When you read Curtis' lyrics without listening to the song, you'd expect Love Will Tear Us Apart to be slow, mournful and lengthy. 

When routine bites hard and ambitions are low

And resentment rides high, but emotions won't grow

And we're changing our ways, taking different roads

Ouch! Three lines that tell so much. Curtis' vocal is slow and mournful, yet drums are pulsating and Hooky drives the song along with his bass, the keyboard echoing the melody of the chorus sounds hopeful, even when Curtis is singing love, love will tear us apart again.

Photo by Kevin Cummins

Curtis dives deeper into his pain, deeper into his story in the second verse. Despite his marriage, their love falling part, he tries to make a move but there is nothing in return. There is still an appeal, an affection, an attraction ... but it's not happening.

Ian Curtis' skill as a writer is phenomenal. His poetry, heartache and feelings speak volumes in just 3 lines.

Why is the bedroom so cold? You've turned away on your side

Is my timing that flawed? Our respect runs so dry

Yet there's still this appeal, that we've kept through our lives

In the third verse Curtis comes to his conclusion, there is nothing left. 

Do you cry out in your sleep, all my feelings exposed?

There's a taste in my mouth as desperation takes hold

Just that something so good, just can't function no more

A double chorus leads to Joy Division locking into a guitar, keyboard, bass and drum groove for 40-seconds to play the song out. Love Will Tear Us Apart is glorious, timeless, perfect. It's poetry, music and pop combining to tug on your heartstrings and move you to tears. Somehow, it can also make you want to punch the air, sing to the chorus, hug your mates and dance. The power of music!

The accompanying video of the band performing the song in their old rehearsal room only helps add to that timeless feeling the song has. It's like a time capsule and must have inspired countless post-punk bands to meet up in garages and warehouses worldwide in the belief they could create something equally as special. Few, if any, have.

So how on earth do you approach covering Love Will Tear Us Apart? Well, if you follow a couple of my other regular features you might have an idea. (NOTE - it's not Paul Young's 1984 cover!)

I first highlighted Hot 8 Brass Band's version in October 2021 when I added it to my Never Ending Mixtape and then again in March 2023 when I included it in my Anything Goes & Everything Flows DJ Mix 22. 

I've been sitting on this blog for a while. Then, at the weekend I was searching through Glasgow music listings and discovered that Hot 8 Brass Band were playing Saint Luke's in Glasgow on 31st May! I immediately bought a couple of tickets!

Hot 8 Brass Band transform Love Will Tear Us Part into a high energy song with infectious rhythms, bundles of brass, handclaps and a communal chorus. New Orleans jazz with dashes of funk and soul.

The hook is teased and then released, broken down hip hop style into a vocal chorus and slowly built up again before a freestyle trumpet solo. The chorus just keeps coming and Bernard Sumner's keyboard riff sounds incredible when played by horns.

Check the official videos for both songs below plus a 1979 Peel session by Joy Division, their original abandoned recording from January 1980 and live versions by New Order and the Hot 8 Brass Band on Later.

All previous cover version of the month blogs are listed below. To listen on Spotify, search for Everything Flows Cool Cover Versions playlist, featuring all of the songs below, or CLICK HERE

Official video - Joy Division

Official video - Hot 8 Brass Band

1979 Peel Session version

January 1980 Pennine Sound Studio version

New Order live at Finsbury Park

Previous covers of the month

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' 

2. Going Back To My Roots

3. Nirvana play The Vaselines

4. Slip Inside This House

5. Top 10 covers by Teenage Fanclub

6. Only Love Can Break Your Heart

7. Time For Livin' 

8. Sound and Vision 

9. All Along The Watchtower

10. I Am The Walrus 

11. Guiding Star

12. You’ll Never Walk Alone

13. Hurt

14. This Guy's In Love With You

15. I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine

16. California Soul

18. Wonder wall 

19. Dancing In The Dark

20. Always On My Mind

21. Ceremony

22. Heroes

23. Different Drum

24. Wild Horses

25. Respect

26. Mr Tambourine Man

27. I Heard It Through The Grapevine

28. Superstar

29. Twist and Shout

30. Purple Rain

31. Baker Street

32. Not Fade Away

33. Stop Your Sobbing

34. I Don't Want To Grow Up

35. Serious Drugs

36. Dancing With Myself

37. How Does It Feel To Feel?

38. Love Buzz

39. ABBA-esque
40. Jumpin' Jack Flash

41. Discoland

42. Varshons 2 by The Lemonheads

43. The Langley Schools Music Project
44. Witchi Tai To
45. Our Lips Are Sealed
46. Sunshine Of Your Love
47. Here Comes The Sun
48. I Think We're Alone Now
49. Don't Let Me Down 
50. It's Oh So Quiet
51. Alcoholiday 
52. Summer Holiday
53. Who Do You Think You Are?
54. Head On
55. Nothing Compares 2 U

56. Hey Jude

57. Seven Days Too Long

58. L.O.V.E Love

59. Into Your Arms

60. Heart Of Glass

61. Take Me To The River

62. We Can Work It Out 

63. Talking In My Sleep

64. Lola

65. Lost In Music

66. My Little Red Book

67. Isn't It A Pity

68. Walk On By

69. Walk Away Renee

70. Tainted Love

71. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

72. Listen The Snow Is Falling

73. Mrs Robinson

74. He's Gonna Step On You Again

75. In My Life

76. Caravan Of Love

77. The Only Way Is Up

78. Dancin' Round & Round

79. With A Little Help From My Friends

80. Killing Me Softly

81. Ain't No Mountain High Enough

82. Drop

Podcast with Port Sulphur & Ross Sinclair

 

Episode 5 with Douglas MacIntyre (Port Sulphur) & Professor Ross Sinclair

My friend Stephen from Into Creative is currently raising funds and awareness for Tiny Changes, the charity set up in memory and celebration of Scott Hutchison.

Stephen is asking bands and artists to record a cover version of a song that is personal to them. In addition, a visual artist is then challenged to create an accompanying film.

I was keen to help promote Stephen's project and he very kindly arrange for me to chat with Douglas MacIntyre (Port Sulphur, the Creeping Bent Organisation record label and FRETS Creative) and Professor Ross Sinclair from Glasgow School of Art and formerly of The Soup Dragons.

We discussed Port Sulphur's cover of Josef K's It's Kinda Funny with Ross' accompanying film, punk and post punk, the importance of Joy Division, going to punk gigs at 11 and 13, Postcard Records, the FRETS shows Douglas is putting on, Ross' forthcoming album on Last Night From Glasgow that is around 20-years in the making, crowdfunding and patreon models for record labels and the importance of doing things your way.

Download It's Kinda Funny from Bandcamp. All collaborations are available and more will be added. 

Make a donation to the project for Tiny Changes

Check the podcast on Spotify or via my podcast website (where there are links to other platforms)

And check the beautiful cover version and Ross' film below / HERE

Ceremony

Cover version of the month #21
Galaxie 500 cover New Order

Ceremony, the debut release by New Order, was a (kind of) cover version. The song was written by Ian Curtis and performed live by Joy Division and there is also a studio version that was recorded only 4-days before his death. However all 3 known recordings of Joy Division playing Ceremony have partially audible vocals.

New Order's version was released in early 1981, less than a year after Curtis' death. I have just finished reading Peter Hook's excellent Substance autobiography and he talks of how the band just didn't know how to react to Curtis' suicide, they didn't know how to grieve and they didn't know what to do. So, Sumner, Hook and Morris did the only thing they knew.... they met up and played music. Unable to decide on a singer (eventually landing at Sumner at default after a number of shows with all 3 taking on vocals), they also struggled with a  band name, thankfully choosing New Order over some bizarre suggestions by manager Rob Gretton.

New Order then rerecorded and rereleased Ceremony in the same year, due to the addition of Gillian Gilbert to the band.

Both versions are raw and full of urgency; the bass and guitar riff entwined with each other and Stephen Morris keeps the drums and percussion going throughout. Sumner's guitar is a delight - his playful style with New Order ensures he is one of my favourite guitarists.

Galaxie 500 are a band I discovered via Nirvana. I remember buying their On Fire album from Missing Records on Oswald Street. The album not only contains this excellent cover version of Ceremony, but also one of George Harrison's Isn't It A Pity.

Galaxie 500  recognise the beauty of Ceremony and add on an extra 90 seconds to the New Order version. They start with the guitar riff in all its raw glory, slowly coaxing in some light high hats and the second riff. The vocals are strained and sound all the better for it, the drums sound primitive in comparison to Stephen Morris' work with New Order, the bass is low in the mix, unlike Hook's mighty bass for New Order.

The build to the concluding Watching forever... segment is glorious - sounding fragile and soulful at the same time before the band get lost in guitars and drums for the final 90 seconds.

It is a cracking cover version that remains true to the original in many ways, but stretches it out and plays on the strength of the riffs, melody and lyrics.

This is why events unnerve me

They find it all, a different story

Notice whom for wheels are turning

Turn again and turn towards this time

All she asks the strength to hold me

Then again the same old story

World will travel, oh so quickly

Travel first and lean towards this time

Oh I'll break them down, no mercy shown

Heaven knows it's got to be this time

Watching her, these things she said

The times she cried

Too frail to wake this time

Oh I'll break them down, no mercy shown

Heaven knows it's got to be this time

Avenues all lined with trees

Picture me and then you start watching

Watching forever, forever

Watching love grow, forever

Letting me know, forever

Previous covers of the month

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' 

2. Going Back To My Roots

3. Nirvana play The Vaselines

4. Slip Inside This House

5. Top 10 covers by Teenage Fanclub

6. Only Love Can Break Your Heart

7. Time For Livin' 

8. Sound and Vision 

9. All Along The Watchtower

10. I Am The Walrus 

11. Guiding Star

12. You’ll Never Walk Alone

13. Hurt
14. This Guy's In Love With You

15. I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine
16. California Soul
18. Wonder wall 
19. Dancing In The Dark
20. Always On My Mind

Peter Hook and The Light at Glasgow Barrowland

Peter Hook in action, photo by Stuart Westwood

After almost 3-hours on stage legendary bassist Peter Hook removed his instrument and then peeled off a soaking t-shirt, gave it a careful and considerate wring, and then threw it into the adoring mass of fans chanting 'Hooooooky'.

Bare chested and with a few tattoos, he beat his chest and saluted the crowd. He looked like a warrior, in many ways he is one. He's taken on more than a few battles in his time and there were moments on stage at the Barrowland Ballroom last night where it was crystal clear that he was playing as if his very life depended on it.

Where does this 60-year old veteran get the energy and the stamina from? Well, towards the end of the lengthy show, the evidence presented itself. The audience responded to the sheer energy of Joy Division songs like Transmission and She's Lost Control and Hooky somehow took it up a level, using his bass like a weapon to unleash those bass lines that won hearts all over the world.

The answer is that there is no bigger fan of Joy Division and New Order than Peter Hook himself. His mission is to travel the world playing their back catalogue to fans of all ages. That catalogue brought him to Substance, New Orders incredible compilation album, originally released in 1987; compiling all of their 12-inch singles and b-sides to that point alongside new single True Faith.

Picture by Stuart Westwood

It took a few songs for things to ignite, but once the flame was lit, there was no going back. Ceremony was delivered at breakneck speed, sounding sensational. Hooky patrolled the stage and fired the bass riff down the throats of the audience.

Everything's Gone Green still sounds futuristic all these years down the line and Temptation is one of my favourite songs of all time. I abandoned my wife and friends to run into the centre of the crowd for some mad dancing and pogo-ing, lost in the music.

Blue Monday was a delight, a young couple in front of me danced like they were in the Hacienda in the Second Summer Of Love and looked like they were too. To my left there was a Dad with two teenage daughters who had been glued to their mobiles for the first few songs, now they were dancing with their Dad and like everyone else in the Barras.

Hooky is backed up by a cracking band including his son Jack on second (and sometimes duelling) bass, Andy Poole on keyboards, Paul Kehoe on drums and David Potts on guitar and vocals.

Potts guitar playing was exceptional throughout and his vocals suited some songs more than Hooky's deep voice (I'm sure Hooky would be first to admit that).

The Perfect Kiss was utterly outstanding, intro, verses, choruses, outro....and one extended instrumental allowed Hooky to catch a deserved breath while leaning against a speaker. Bizarre Love Triangle was as majestical and magical as always and True Faith proved to be the most popular New Order song of the night, generating a huge reaction with the crowd singing their hearts out with their hands in the air.

Picture by Stuart Westwood Photography

There was time for An Ode To Anthony H Wilson to be played before the band came back on to begin the Joy Division set. This was delivered with pace, menace and incredible force.

These Days was a highlight for me, while many of the older heads around me lost it to the likes of Warsaw, Leaders Of Men and Digital. My favourite song by Joy Division remains the beautiful Atmosphere, so dark, yet so uplifting, reaching for the stars for answers.

Hooky told us they had one more to play and then we could all f**k off home, launching into an epic Love Will Tear You Apart that threatened to take the roof off the Ballroom. The band brought it all back down at one point to allow the crowd to continue to sing the chorus over and over. Hooky looked emotional and had to compose himself before delivering the final verse and chorus.

This was a brilliant night, a celebration of the music of Joy Division and New Order. That is Hooky's mission and this was easily mission accomplished.

A final word on the great man himself. His passion for the music and energy and stamina to deliver such a lengthy set was fantastic to witness and hear. This isn't a show, it really is a celebration and celebrate we did.

Picture by Stuart Westwood

http://www.stuartwestwoodphotography.com/

New Order at the O2 Academy Glasgow

I didn't go and see New Order the last time they played in Scotland. I was upset that the band had carried on under the legendary name following the departure of Peter Hook. All reports from that Edinburgh show were that the band were in sensationally euphoric form - better than ever.

So, when they announced they were playing in Glasgow I snapped up tickets quick sharp. At £40 a pop they were not cheap, but the incredible 10-minute version of Temptation was worth the admission price alone....although there was much more besides!

I did miss Hooky though and although New Order played well, I think they also miss his stage presence and passion. I do wish they would kiss and make up but sadly that seems a million miles away.

Bernard Sumner, Steven Morris and Gillian Gilbert remain from the original line-up, assisted by Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman and they all gelled well, although Bernard took a while to warm up and muttered something about being under the weather.

The crowd didn't care, they were bang up for it and that seemed to translate to New Order. Ceremony was predictably charged and punky, Your Silent Face was as welcome as always and 5-8-6 a pleasant surprise from the early days.

Lonesome Tonight was beautiful but perhaps the most pleasing thing of the whole night was the incredible response from the crowd to the new songs from this years Music Complete album.

Tutti Frutti, People On The High Line and Plastic were greeted with sheer elation. Sumner managed a few twirls on stage and his vocals at the end of Plastic were euphoric. A full on disco was taking place in Glasgow with a superb light shows, regular blasts of dry ice and people dancing without a care in the world - lost in sublime electronic pop music.

Bernard Sumner bathed in lights

The only bizarre song of the night was a remixed version of Waiting For The Sirens To Call which just didn't work at all - in terms of the remix or the song selection or placing it directly after Bizarre Love Triangle which was utterly incredible. The crowd went nuts, punching the air and dancing like it was the 80's.

The end of the set was sublime, Plastic, The Perfect Kiss, a euphoric True Faith and then a 10-minute romp through Temptation with a brilliant moment when Bernard brought things down to the beat to listen to the crowd singing, chanting and hollering the ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh refrain. The crowd started this up again during the down time before the encore. It was also brilliant to bounce around with my friend Tel and his son Benji - a Dad taking his teenage son to his first New Order show.

Atmosphere was shimmering glory in all its splendour, an incredible song played with the video in the background and pictures of Curtis. Love Will Tear Us Apart was delivered at pace and Blue Monday ended the show with everyone going crazy.

A great night with some truly joyous moments getting lost in timeless music.

Six for Saturday, 24/09/11

I missed my 5 for Friday yesterday, so here are 6 for Saturday.


I hope you enjoy them.


We start with a 7 minute epic from Wilco's new album, a melodic and orchestral trippy song that more than justifies the length.

We stay on bands beginning with 'W' as I listened to 'Tommy' by The Who for the first time in years this week. This is 'Go to the Mirror'. The guitar riffs are stunning, drumming suitably outrageous and the refrain 'See me, feel me, touch me, heal me' has to be one of the all time greats.

We change pace with 'Your loft, my acid' by Death In Vegas, who are about to return with new album 'Trans-Love Energies'. Richard Fearless is someone I admire for his ear for a tune and ability to experiment with sound. This track lives up to the title, pulsating at times, old skool techno at others, always pushing boundaries.

Another new tune out is 'AKA What A Life' by Noel Gallagher. A driving beat with a housey piano  kic the tune straight into life. I, for one, am looking forward to the album. This pisses all over Beady Eye from an almighty height.

Earlier this week I was talking about long lost C4 programme The White Room on twitter. I loved that show and this performance by The Charlatans shortly after the death of Hammond player Rob Collins is one that lives long in the memory. Raw, emotive and full of passion. The Charlatans kept on keepin' on. Tim Burgess looks cool as f**k in it as well.

We end this weeks songs with the immense 'Decades' by Joy Division, a song that I once heard on a Death In Vegas 'All Back To Mine' compilation. It really does make you wonder what this band could have gone on to do had it not been for the sad loss of Ian Curtis. Beautiful soundscapes that just take off on a journey. The 'Where Have They Been?' chorus/refrain is just stunning as the beat drops and the keyboard riff changes.

For Abel @ Stereo, 14th May 2011

Last night I headed to Stereo in the centre of Glasgow for the album launch of 'Greater Inventions' by For Abel.


You can listed to all of For Abel's album on Soundcloud at http://soundcloud.com/forabel/sets before deciding if you would like to buy a copy through Flowers In The Dustbin (who released Nevada Base's debut single) or itunes.

I arrived at Stereo at 8.45pm and I didn't have too long to wait until For Abel took to the stage. They started as they meant to go on with a rather epic Joy Division-esque number. 


If For Abel have any desire to headline a festival, they got a good indication of what it was like to play to a crowd with a 10 yard gap in between them, as their fans stood well back, not wanting to be 'down the front.'


Not the band cared one bit about that. They were 'in the zone' with frontman Robert Armstrong easily moving from literary musings to simple guitar pop-punk.


I'm still learning the names of For Abel's songs, however the opening track from their album 'Telephone' was excellent; spiky guitars and the kind of New Wave pop punk feel that gets straight to the point with the chorus delivered in under 45 seconds.

'I just wish that you would pick up your telephone to me.'

'On TV' was sharper, faster and more lively than the recorded version and the crowd responded accordingly with some dancing at the front, while 'Yorkshire' was one of my personal highlights; the ferocious guitar and bass riffing reminded me of Senseless Things from my youth.

When For Abel are at their best they have fantastic potential, although I must admit the odd song did pass me by. It will be interesting to see what kind of stuff they record next, as some of the stuff was clearly aiming for the stars; 'First Kiling' is one example.

'Broken Hands' is another, it lasts for over 5-minutes on the record, last night it must have gone on for well over that. By this point the band were really going for it, clearly tight on stage and off it. The atmospheric opening breaks into a melodic guitar riff that builds in time with the vocals.

'this could be with you, lets be somebody, lets just make things new, like anybody too'

For Abel are certainly able (sorry) and when they are at their best they bring Joy Division and The National to mind (they were once called The Nacional). It was a good gig, the sound system in Stereo is one of the best in Glasgow and they also have one of the best sound engineers in Shona. It will be interesting to see what they do next.

Full credit to Flowers in the Dustbin for releasing records by Nevada Base and For Abel already this year; clearly a label with a good ear for music in Glasgow.