JOY DIVISION: THE LEGACY OF IAN CURTIS

by Rev. Cecil B. Demented Mon Sep 03, 2012 5:18 pm

ORIGINALLY NAMED 'WARSAW', JOY DIVISION STARTED IN ENGLAND IN 1976. THE LINE UP CONSISTED OF IAN CURTIS ON VOCALS, BERNARD SUMNERS ON GUITAR /KEYBOARDS, PETER HOOK ON BASS, AND STEPHEN MORRIS ON DRUMS. THEY EVOLVED RATHER QUICKLY FROM PUNK, TO A SOUND THAT WOULD DEFINE THE 'POST-PUNK MOVEMENT". IN 1978, THEIR SELF RELEASED THEIR FIRST EP," AN IDEAL FOR LIVING". IT WAS WARMLY GREETED BY THE PUBLIC, AND THEIR FULL LEGNTH DEBUT, "UNKNOWN PLEASURES" WAS RELEASED BY INDIE-LABEL FACTORY RECORDS, TO CRITICAL ACCLAIM BY THE U.K. MUSIC PRESS. HOWEVER, IN THE FACE OF SUCCESS, THEIR WERE PROBLEMS. VOCALIST IAN CURTIS BATTLED DEPRESSION, A CRUSHING DIVORCE, AND BECAME VICTIM TO THE DREADED DISEASE EPILEPSY. PERFORMING LIVE WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR CURTIS,OFTEN SUFFERING SEIZURES WHILE ON STAGE. ON THE NIGHT BEFORE JOY DIVISION WERE DUE TO START THEIR FIRST AMERICAN TOUR IN 1980, CURTIS COMMITTED SUICIDE. THE ALBUM "CLOSER" WAS RELEASED POSTHUMOUSLY , ALONG WITH THE SINGLE "LOVE WILL TEAR US APART". AFTER CURTIS' DEATH, THE REMAINING BAND MEMBERS STAYED TRUE TO A PACT THEY HAD MADE WITH EACH OTHER YEARS BEFORE: IF ANY MEMBER LEFT,THE REST OF THE BAND WOULD TRY TO CHANGE THEIR NAME AND GO ON. IT TOOK A WHILE, HOWEVER JOY DIVISION, UNDER THE VOCALS AND DIRECTION OF BERNARD SUMNER, BECAME THE 80'S HIT MAKERS NEW ORDER. farao

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