Name: Keeping Control – Independent Music From Manchester 1977-1981
Brand: Various

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

CRCDBOX145

Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2023-05-26

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Cherry Red (ADA)

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

5013929114593

Total Cap

CDx3

Artist

Various

Genre GB

New Wave / Post Punk

Label GB

Cherry Red

Cherry Red is a British label that was founded by Iain McNay in 1978. Also known as Cherry Red Records, this label has become associated with the company Music and Media Group. With the label code LC 6730, Cherry Red has made a name for itself in the music industry. It is important to note that this label should not be confused with the US label of the same name.

Back In Stock

A 76 track celebration of all things Manchester from 1977 to 1981. A comprehensive look at the city’s sounds featuring Buzzcocks, Joy Division, New Order, The Fall, John Cooper Clark, Durutti Column, A Certain Ratio, The Freshies, Slaughter &amp; The Dogs, Magazine and many more. Includes tracks featuring many future stars of the Manchester music scene, such as Mick Hucknall (Simply Red), Martin Coogan (The Mock Turtles), Graham Massey (808 State), Mike Joyce (The Smiths) and Chris Sievey (Frank Sidebottom).

Back in 2017, Cherry Red unveiled a mammoth 7-CD compendium entitled Manchester North Of England, which attempted to document the city’s vibrant music scene from punk to Britpop. Six years on, Keeping Control is the sequel, a modest triple-disc retrospective concentrating on music from the punk and post-punk years.

Keeping Control boasts the “name” bands out of Greater Manchester from that period, however, the underlying musical story of this box set lies with the lesser-known Manchester Musicians Collective. A catalyst for many musicians at the time, the MMC organised gigs, other activities and encouragement to the many and varied talents emerging in the region during punk and its aftershocks.

Louise Alderman, co-founder of the Manchester Musicians Collective, has written a foreword for the box set, which is named after the MMC’s short-lived fanzine. Via Louise’s band mate in Manchester Mekon, Frank Ewart, we also have a few previously unissued tracks by acts closely affiliated with the organization. At the time, the Collective was celebrated across two albums, ‘A Manchester Collection’ and ‘Unzipping The Abstract’ (both 1980) – and most of the artists from these releases are represented.

Beyond the MMC, Manchester enjoyed a thriving independent scene from 1977 onwards, inspired by Buzzcocks’ debut EP on New Hormones, Rabid, TJM, Object Music, Absurd, Bent and last but certainly not least Factory … each of them carved a different furrow. Outside of the gravitational pull of London, which exerted such a strong pull across the South of England, Manchester evolved its own unique identity, often mixing sharp humour with seemingly bleak, desolate-sounding music (reflecting the city’s hardship during that time).

Disc One 1 Buzzcocks - Orgasm Addict 2 Slaughter And The Dogs - The Bitch 3 The Nosebleeds - Fascist Pigs 4 The Drones - City Drones 5 The Panik - Murder 6 V2 - Nothing To Do 7 Jilted John - Jilted John 8 Gyro - Central Detention Centre 9 Salford Jets Lookin’ At The Squares 10 John The Postman’s Puerile - Kawalski Of The Seaview Has Got The Best Hairstyle I’ve Ever Seen 11 Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias - Fuck You 12 John Cooper Clarke - I Don’t Want To Be Nice 13 The Teardrops - Pompous 14 Passage - Slit Machine 15 Spherical Objects - Sweet Tooth 16 Steve Miro - Smiling In Reverse 17 Joy Division - Digital 18 The Smirks - American Patriots 19 Notsensibles - Lying On The Sofa 20 48 Chairs - Psycle Sluts 21 Eddie Fiction - Ufo Part 2 22 Mellotron - Warriors From Space 23 Speed - She’s All There 24 Genocide - Renegade 25 Sister Ray - Suicide 26 Eddie Mooney &amp; The Grave - I Bought Three Eggs 27 Gerry And The Holograms 

 Disc Two 1 The Fall - Flat Of Angles 2 Steroid Kiddies - Seaside Teaser 3 Direct Hits - Back To The Sixties 4 Foreign Press - Crossfire 5 Crispy Ambulance - Motorway Boys 6 I.q. Zero - Insects 7 Accident On The East Lancs. - We Want It Legalized 8 The Out - Who Is Innocent? 9 Gods Gift - These Days 10 Mud Hutters - Danger 11 Pathetix - Love In Decay 12 Private Sector - Just Wanna Stay Free 13 The Frantic Elevators - Hunchback Of Notre Dame 14 Fast Cars - You’re So Funny 15 Miss Kate - Ebony Eyes 16 Grow-up - The Best Thing 17 Property Of… - Dance Like You’re Dead * 18 The Distractions - Doesn’t Bother Me 19 The Durutti Column - Sketch For Summer 20 Bet Lynch’s Legs - Riders In The Sky 21 The Hoax - Storm Trooper 22 Manicured Noise Metronome 23 Magazine - A Song From Under The Floorboards 24 Vibrant Thigh - Walking Away 25 Enigma - Play With Fire 26 The Still - 9.5 27 Spurtz - Boyfriends Or Your Money Back 28 The Charlie Parkas - Space Invaders 

 Disc Three 1 If Only - Puppet Masters 2 The Cheaters - (I Wanna Be A) Policeman 3 Manchester Mekon - Must Have More Wheels 4 Bathroom Renovations - Apathetic Hell 5 The Liggers - Recorded Or Live * 6 Section 25 - Knew Noise 7 The Diagram Bros.- There Is No Shower 8 The Things - Pieces Of You 9 Dislocation Dance - Familiar View 10 Martin Hannett - The Music Room 11 Blue Orchids - The Flood (Demo) * 12 Kevin Hewick - Haystack 13 Electra Complex - Magic * 14 Hamsters - Animal 15 Biting Tongues You Can Choke Like That 16 The Freshies - Wrap Up The Rockets 17 Ludus - Hugo Blanco 18 Mothmen - Temptation 19 A Certain Ratio - Waterline 20 Bee Vamp - Lucky Grills 21 New Order - Everything’s Gone Green