Comments on: The Durutti Column: The Return of The Durutti Column

By: cmoorehead

cmoorehead — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:52:58 +0000

Take good care of it...I expect that it's worth a lot of money.

In 'Factory: Manchester from Joy Division to Happy Mondays', Steve Morris claims that he's considered using the cover of his copy of FACT 14 as actual sandpaper on his next home renovation project, but has refrained thus far.

I only wish I still had a functioning turntable...right now I'm only able to play the FACD releases. I should remedy this ASAP, since London Records appears to be re-releasing the more iconic parts of the Factory catalogue on vinyl (so far, I've seen Unknown Pleasures & Closer), so I won't have to risk damaging the originals.

By: Chris Atton

Chris Atton — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:24:58 +0000

Amazingly, my original pressing (with a blank sandpaper sleeve) still plays well! Still in the collection, rubbing along nicely…

By: jen

jen — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:04:29 +0000

Re: photo from official TDC website.

Photo is of the rectangular sandpaper insert found in the audio cassette release of the album.

For pics of original vinyl album labels, cassette, sandpaper insert etc. see http://www.cerysmaticfactory.info/fact14.html

In detail:

The cassette version was released in 1985. I bought one in the late 1980s. My copy is about 20 years old but still physically a thing of beauty, style, and quirkiness.

The cassette came in a dark-red oversized box (17.0cm x 12.0cm x 2.2cm) made of paperboard and linen cloth - think hardback book cover. Printed in black on the front:
"The
Durutti Column
Return of...
Fact 14c"

Opening the hinged box revealed a piece of sandpaper (15.5cm x 10.5cm) - as shown in the photo - with the track listing and album details. "White ink on sandpaper" - wonder what the printers made of that order?

Underneath the sandpaper was a black audio cassette nestled in a black plastic inlay. In keeping with Factory's minimalist approach, the only wording on the cassette was in small font "(c) 1985 Factory Communications Limited" and in large font, on side one "Fact14c 1", on side two "Fact 14c 2".

More on Factory Records cassette box designs at http://www.cerysmaticfactory.info/facfact1.html

By: Casey

Casey — Sat, 30 May 2009 23:01:01 +0000

Can someone tell me how they think the artist who does an album's artwork should be paid?

By: frank

frank — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:04:10 +0000

check http://www.my-os.net/blog/index.php?2006/11/15/... for a 1919 book by marinetti that Karl Hyde must have seen. ps how about writing about the seven inch sleeve of Love Will Tear Us Apart one day? Cheers

By: mrtruffle

mrtruffle — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:42:13 +0000

I was comparing the damage to the record not the actual cultural impact of the design

By: Col

Col — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 14:10:11 +0000

I think it's unjustified praise comparing the impact of this crap to the iconic Sticky Fingers album cover.

By: cmoorehead

cmoorehead — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:52:10 +0000

I was watching the extras included with Grant Gee's “Joy Division” documentary the other day, and there is one interview in which Tony Wilson mentions Rowbotham, and claims that he was murdered by his “junkie prostitute wife”. I have no idea if this is the truth, since I believe that, officially, the murder is still unsolved. But Tony seems to have been convinced that this was the case.

By: max

max — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 14:16:53 +0000

The rectangular sandpaper with the white type is from the cassette. Factory used to put out these “library box” cassettes with oversized boxes and inserts.

By: mrtruffle

mrtruffle — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:21:30 +0000

Awesome thanks

By: cmoorehead

cmoorehead — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:30:03 +0000

I'm still looking for the DVD, but you can watch the documentary online at:

http://quicksilverscreen.com/watch?video=35489

The official BBC site for the documentary, which includes a guide to the fim, directors notes, the soundtrack listing, etc, can be found at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/musictv/factory/

Some of this material is also covered in last year's documentary 'Joy Division', directed by Grant Gee, which IS available on DVD. Also highly recommended is James Nice's 2006 documentary 'Shadowplayers: Factory Records & Manchester Post-Punk 1978-81', also available on DVD.

By: mrtruffle

mrtruffle — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:20:20 +0000

ha. Is this doco online anywhere or can you buy it?

By: cmoorehead

cmoorehead — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:19:27 +0000

In the BBC documentary 'Factory: Manchester from Joy Division to Happy Mondays', Steve Morris talks about being drafted to assist in the assembly of FACT 14. He mentions that the glue used to adhere the sandpaper to the cover caused the cover to warp, along with the record inside. An original pressing is therefore probably worth a lot of money, but completely unplayable.

In the same documentary, Peter Hook jokes that Vini couldn't help with the cover assembly because it would have ruined his nails. Vini denies this, calling Hooky “a cheeky bugger”…

By: Ian C

Ian C — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:09:18 +0000

“What I love about the cover and the idea behind the original Memoires is that the sleeve would leave it’s mark and potentially ruin other albums it sits next to.”

Im slightly too young to own this record, but my brother had it, and i remember him commenting that not only did it scratch many of the records in his collection, it also ruined the actual record inside… Great experimentation though, Factory never seemed worried about costs.

Factory itself is a great story, i'd like to see more Factory/Saville records featured on here :-)

By: Lorenzo

Lorenzo — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:50:57 +0000

there's a DC flexi 7″, beautifully designed by 8vo – you can tell the style is theirs – that you should check out as well:

http://www.thedurutticolumn.com/discography/lab...

http://www.cerysmaticfactory.info/facd204.html