{"product_id":"v-a-auteur-labels-new-hormones-1977-1982","title":"v\/a - Auteur Labels: New Hormones 1977-1982","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe compilation series\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuteur Labels\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eprofiles independent record labels with a unique and enduring sound, vision and design sensibility, usually guided by one or two directors, concerned more with creativity than commerce. This volume looks at New Hormones, the pioneering Manchester punk imprint founded by Buzzcocks and their manager Richard Boon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTracklist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eBuzzcocks\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBoredom\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e2.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Tiller Boys\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBig Noise From the Jungle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e3.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eLudus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eMy Cherry Is In Sherry\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e4.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eDiagram Brothers\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBricks\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e5.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eDislocation Dance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eStand Me Up\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e6.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eBiting Tongues\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eDenture Beach\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e7.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eEric Random\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSkin Deep\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e8.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Decorators\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eTwilight View\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e9.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eLudus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eHugo Blanco\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e10.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eDislocation Dance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eYou'll Never, Never Know\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e11.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eDiagram Brothers\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eDiscordo\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e12.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eEric Random\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eHardcore\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e13.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eDislocation Dance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhat Can the Matter Be?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e14.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eLudus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eAcknowledgement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e15.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eEric Random\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eStrange Day\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e16.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eBiting Tongues\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eHeart Disease (live)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e17.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eHoward Devoto\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAuteur Label\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eNew Hormones\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eliner note by Justin Toland\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe story of New Hormones begins with a revolution and ends in a skip. In between much is shrouded in fog.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"New Hormones began with Buzzcocks,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eexplains Richard Boon, who was both the band's manager and, in due course, the owner-manager of the record label after an initial year of operation running the label with singer Howard Devoto.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Once Buzzcocks had done a few gigs, including the famous Lesser Free Trade Hall, there was a bit of a thing around them. But Howard was already fed up of punk and thinking about going back to college; the future was very uncertain. We just thought: we need to document this - let's make a record.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat 7-inch slice of vinyl was the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpiral Scratch\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEP (ORG 1) in late January 1977, the first DIY record of the punk era. Produced by Martin 'Zero' Hannett, the four track EP was recorded as-live in a few hours at Indigo Sound Studio on 28 December 1976, and featured four raw classics:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBoredom\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eTime's Up\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBreakdown\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eFriends of Mine\u003c\/i\u003e. Financed by a £500 loan and sold for a pound each, the original edition of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpiral Scratch\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eeventually shifted 16,000 copies, and inspired countless others to put out their own recordings. Indeed ORG 1 was only the third true UK punk record to reach the shops, after\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew Rose\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eby The Damned and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eAnarchy in the UK\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eby the Sex Pistols.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter Howard Devoto left the band, a second Buzzcocks release, a 7-inch EP called\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eLove Bites\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(featuring\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eOrgasm Addict\u003c\/i\u003e) was mooted. However, an ultimatum from John Maher's dad put paid to ORG 2. The drummer had a job lined up as an insurance clerk - he could carry on with the band but only if it gave him a regular income. With offers from majors coming in following their support slot on The Clash's White Riot tour (May 1977), Buzzcocks signed with United Artists (UA).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInking a deal with UA meant putting New Hormones on hold.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"After we put Spiral Scratch out we started getting tapes from people like Cabaret Voltaire and Gang of Four. And we weren't in a position to do anything other than offer support slots,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eBoon laments. However he and Buzzcocks were keen to support other bands from the provinces, such as Penetration and The Fall. Highly enamoured with the latter, in November 1977 Boon paid for the band's first recording session, later released on Step Forward as the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBingo-Master's Break-Out!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEP.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I would have put it out if I'd had the money.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Secret Public\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the rush of Spiral\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eScratch\u003c\/i\u003e, New Hormones lay more or less dormant for three years while Buzzcocks took precedence. However, one project did come to fruition during this hiatus. At the end of 1977, collagists Linder [Sterling] and Jon Savage put together a fanzine called\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Secret Public\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ethat was given the catalogue number ORG 2. Linder's take on feminism saw her mesh images from women's magazines with those from porn mags; Savage explored the alienating effects of urbanism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"The 'secret public' were the people we were trying to reach,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eexplains Boon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBig Noises\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving been unable to follow up his earlier interest in the likes of The Fall and Gang of Four, towards the end of 1979, Boon found himself in a position to revive New Hormones.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Once Buzzcocks were kind of established and there was a team around them, there was a little more space to operate in. And some resources.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the time New Hormones returned to the fray, the music scene had changed immensely. Dozens of tiny labels had flowered from the seeds sown by\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpiral Scratch\u003c\/i\u003e; musically, three-chord ramalama had given way to the dark, dubby spaces of post-punk. In Manchester, the scene was dominated by Factory, home of Joy Division, whose\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eUnknown Pleasures\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eLP set a new benchmark for moody yet muscular introspection and minimalist design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite Boon's best efforts, New Hormones was never quite able to escape Factory's shadow.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Factory was the hip Manchester label in everyone's mind so we were always fighting that a bit, especially with press, which was so important then,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003erecalls Peter Wright, who managed Dislocation Dance and later helped run New Hormones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first release on the revitalized label (February 1980) was\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBig Noise From the Jungle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(ORG 3) by The Tiller Boys: Peter Shelley, Francis Cookson and Eric Random. The Tiller Boys had been an occasional live irritant over the previous 18 months, following a memorable debut at The Factory Club in May 1978, bottom of a bill that also included The Durutti Column, Cabaret Voltaire and Joy Division (Peter Saville's poster for this gig would become FAC 1, the first Factory Records 'release').\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I think we only actually did four gigs altogether and Shelley did two of those,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esays Random.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"The main nucleus was me and Francis really, we did most of the recording.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eOn\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBig Noise From the Jungle\u003c\/i\u003e, the boys combined Neu! with Sandy Nelson to powerful effect.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"This record is so incredibly alive it attacks like a slap in the face,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esaid\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSounds\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eat the time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe revamped New Hormones roster also included Ludus. With the cool, charismatic and design-savvy Linder, Ludus (Latin for 'play') had been attracting press attention ever since their live debut in August 1978. An early line-up, featuring Arthur Kadmon on guitar broke up before it could commit anything to vinyl.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLinder chose Cardiff native Ian Pincombe (later known as Ian Devine), to replace Kadmon as the band's guitarist.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"When she met Ian Devine something different happened,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ebelieves Boon.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"A bit more open-ended. We would say post-punk, actually a bit more jazzy.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter an unreleased session with Peter Hammill, the band - Linder, Devine, and drummer Philip 'Toby' Tomanov (later of Primal Scream) - went into Pennine Studios in Oldham in December 1979 with Stuart James, a local radio producer, who had recorded sessions with the likes of Joy Division, OMD and, indeed, Ludus. The result was\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Visit\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(ORG 4).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJames went on to work with most of the New Hormones roster over the next couple of years.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"He was our producer: Factory had Hannett, we had Stuart,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esays Boon.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I was the poor man's Martin Hannett,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003erecalls the producer, semi-jokingly.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"New Hormones didn't have a lot of money to spend in the studios, so it was very much about getting it down. There wasn't a great amount of time for experimentation. My idea was to just bring the best out of the bands, as much as possible. I certainly wasn't trying to imprint an auteur's sound on them.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut The Decorators debut single, the wonderful\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eTwilight View\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(ORG 5), was cut in the plusher surroundings of Eden Studios with Martin Rushent producing. The Decs, as they were fondly known, were a five-piece from Ealing.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"It was nepotism: my brother-in-law was the band's sax player, Joe Cohen,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esays Boon.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"We wouldn't have put it out if we didn't like the record, even if it was family. They were doing something other people weren't doing.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eMick Wall described the band as 'street rock' in\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSounds\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ein 1980. Certainly, Twilight View has a hint of Nick Lowe about it, although singer Mick Bevan's voice is like a more tuneful Peter Perrett.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Neo-classical,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esays Boon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Decorators only released one single with New Hormones.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I think we recorded four tracks with a view to doing a second single, but that never happened,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003erecalls Cohen.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I don't think we were the favourites, the label sound was more left field. I never felt we really fitted in with the other bands.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eStints with Red Flame and Island followed, before a final single on Virgin France in 1984.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith New Hormones back in business, Richard Boon set about finding new talent. One early discovery was Biting Tongues, spotted supporting The Fall at the Beach Club in May 1980. Held at Oozits on Newgate Street, the Beach Club filled a gap left by the closure of the Factory Club and ran from April 1980 until the end of the year. Essentially a New Hormones club night, these events offered cult films as well as bands, and included the first gig by New Order on 29 July 1980.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFilmmaker (and saxophonist) Howard Walmsley had initially formed Biting Tongues to play a live soundtrack at a screening of his film, Biting Tongues. Bassist Colin Seddon describes the nascent group's approach:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"We had a kind of unspoken rule amongst ourselves that if anybody else does it or follows any rules of musical harmony, then we don't do it. Mix that with a high level of energy and arrogance.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Organized noise\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis how Graham Massey (keyboards, tapes, guitar) sums it up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn August 1980 New Hormones paid for a recording session at Drone Studios in Chorlton with Stuart James at the desk. Not for the last time, cashflow problems led to the label sitting on the tape. When Peter Kent at Situation Two expressed an interest in putting out a Tongues record, Boon agreed to let them have the tapes, which became the second side of the album\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eDon't Heal\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne important conduit for new bands in Manchester in the post-punk era was the Manchester Musicians' Collective (MMC), co-founded by arts administrator (and founder member of The Passage) Dick Witts, and Trevor Wishart, composer-in-residence at North West Arts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMMC regulars Dislocation Dance formed in August 1978 after singer\/guitarist Ian Runacres, recently arrived from Wolverhampton, spied bassist Paul Emmerson's 'musicians wanted' ad in Virgin records. The band released debut EP,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003ePerfectly in Control\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ejointly on its own label, Delicate Issues, and on New Hormones (ORG 7).\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Hopelessly derivative of Ubu and Scritti\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis Emmerson's verdict today. Dislocation Dance thereafter put Delicate Issues on the backburner and became New Hormones' band-most-likely-to.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the 'conceit' of The Tiller Boys had outlived its usefulness, Eric Random carried on recording for New Hormones as a solo artist. In August 1980, his debut EP,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThat's What I Like About Me\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(ORG 6), was made single of the week by the NME despite clocking in at more than 30 minutes for the four tracks, two of which were produced by Cabaret Voltaire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I was still in the same sort of frame of mind as with Tiller Boys,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esays Random.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Still quite an aggressive physical sound, but using a lot of repetition. I'd started using drum machines by then, things like that, very basic synthesizers as well. Usually I would just start by making a backing tape, which could be anything - like mixing in TV adverts - just to create a moving texture. And then I'd just improvise over it.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eSome people preferred listening to the results at the wrong speed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Diagram Brothers joined New Hormones in 1981. The group, postgraduate science students Fraser Reich (vox\/guitar) and Lawrence Fitzgerald (guitar\/vox), undergrad Jason Pitchers (bass\/vox) and his drummer brother Simon (who worked as a chartered structural engineer), had formed from the remnants of student band The Mysteronz. Pursuing an ultra-democratic approach, the key elements of the band's approach were the use of discords and simple words.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Because we had a diversity of political viewpoints, we decided only ever to state facts,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003erecalls Jason Pitchers. In essence this meant quirky pieces about everyday life such as\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eIsn't It Funny How Neutron Bombs Work?\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUltra-democracy also extended to adopting the same surname: Diagram Brothers came from a structural engineering term, the Williot-Mohr diagram.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"They were early geeks,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003elaughs Liz Naylor, one of the founders of the Beach Club, who (with Cath Carroll) ran\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eCity Fun\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003efanzine from the same office as New Hormones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe combination of an appearance at a John Peel Roadshow at Manchester University in January 1980, and a demo tape memorably wrapped around a brick secured an early Peel session for the band. The Diagrams cut a single, We Are All Animals, which came out on Construct Records in October 1980.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I liked We Are All Animals,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eexplains Boon.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I recall Mike Hinc phoning me up and saying do something else with them, because he was too busy being a booking manager at Rough Trade.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy this time Jason had left the band to return to Bristol, where he formed The Skodas. His replacement (found through the MMC) was Andy Diagram: a classically trained musician freshly arrived from the London squat scene. As well as picking up bass duties in The Diagram Brothers, Andy started playing trumpet with Dislocation Dance (and then the Pale Fountains), adding a new level of professionalism to both outfits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"He was exactly what I was looking for,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003erecalls Runacres.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Andy has the perfect blend of musicality, individuality and freedom.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first Diagrams single for New Hormones was\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBricks\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eb\/w\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003ePostal Bargains\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(ORG 9), respectively a tribute to the humble household brick and a tirade against shoddy mail order purchases. Bricks quickly becme a John Peel favourite, and the band recorded three radio sessions for the BBC in as many years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoining Diagram Brothers at New Hormones in early 1981 were Gods Gift, a different kettle of fish entirely.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Gods Gift were just Goddamn weird,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esays Naylor.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"They were fronted by this really intense skinny guy, Steve Edwards. And the guitarist [Steve Murphy] was this really big, fat guy.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eHe was\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"very, very good\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esays Boon.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Used to play with his back to the audience all the time.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe band's first release for New Hormones was the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eGods Gift\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEP (ORG 14) in July 1981. In the label's catalogue later that year, Boon describes the record as,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Confronting war and religion with uncompromising, compelling noise. And confronting the listener. Frantic minority appeal, loud and extreme.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Richard loved Gods Gift. He adored them. I think they were his ideal,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esays Random.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"One of the great lost bands,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ereckons Naylor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlmost a family\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNew Hormones was based in an office on the top floor of a large, ramshackle old merchants' warehouse at 50 Newton Street right in the centre of Manchester (today it houses a backpackers' hostel).\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"A typical day at 50 Newton Street is beyond description,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ereckons Boon.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"It was an open house to derelicts.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen they weren't recording or hanging out at the office, the label's bands were often on the road together. One live package, I Like Shopping, featured a line-up of Ludus, Dislocation Dance, The Diagram Brothers, Eric Random and the Mudhutters.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"It was almost a family with New Hormones,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003erecalls Fitzgerald.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe New Hormones cassette series, released in batches of 500 in 1981, was aimed at the new Walkman generation. There were three releases in all:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003ePickpocket\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eby Ludus (CAT 1),\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eRadio Sweat\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eby the CP Lee Mystery Guild (CAT 2), and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eLive It\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eby Biting Tongues (CAT 3). Multimedia was the thing: \"You'd get a tape and you'd get a magazine,\" says Boon.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"It's nicely put together. You've got Linder's work, which was a musical work and a visual work put together. Biting Tongues: I'm sure we were supposed to do some text thing but didn't. It wasn't just supposed to be the Live It cassette.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA fourth project,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e20 Golden Great Assassinations\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eby Liverpudlian Ambrose Reynolds was shelved. New Hormones also funded and distributed the quarterly cassette magazine Northern Lights, which appeared four times between April 1981 and February 1982.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy 1982, New Hormones was running short of money. Yet, despite (or perhaps because of) these problems, the label reached its creative high water mark at this time, releasing a string of great records: Eric Random and the Bedlamites'\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eEarthbound Ghost Need\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(ORG 18), the Diagram Brothers'\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eDiscordo\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEP (ORG 21), Ludus's\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Seduction\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(ORG 16) and the fiercely experimental\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eDanger Came Smiling\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(ORG 20), the punk classic\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eDiscipline\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eby Gods Gift (ORG 25) and two sublime pop records by Dislocation Dance:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eRosemary\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(b\/w\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eShake\u003c\/i\u003e) (ORG 19) and the double-A side,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eYou'll Never, Never Know\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eb\/w\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eYou Can Tell\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(ORG 22).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe label was also beginning to improve its promotion and distribution by this stage, securing licensing deals for Ludus in Italy (the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eRiding the Rag\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ecompilation LP) and Dislocation Dance in the Benelux countries (the single Rosemary). The latter, a proto-Housemartins kitchen sink vignette with a samba beat, became New Hormones biggest seller since\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpiral Scratch\u003c\/i\u003e, reaching the top 20 in the Netherlands, and prompting an appearance on the Dutch equivalent of Top of the Pops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe relative success of Rosemary followed hot on the heels of a successful US East Coast tour to promote the first full-length Dislocation Dance album,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eMusic Music Music\u003c\/i\u003e. Released in October 1981 (ORG 15), the Stuart James-produced LP showed off the group's mastery of a range of styles, from swing to brown rice funk to bubblegum pop. Despite winning over both critics and audiences, the US tour\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"didn't actually help sell many more records,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003enotes Boon. It also led to Pete Wright's departure from the New Hormones organization.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I met someone when the band was in NYC and then got an offer of a (paying) job,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003erecalls Wright.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Things were getting pretty tight back in Manchester by that time.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I thought, 'we're fucked',\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003erecalls Runacres.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Pete leaving probably had a bigger impact than the lack of New Hormones financing. Nothing is more important than an effective manager.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShortly after this blow, New Hormones was dealt another when Diagram Brothers parted company, having just released what would turn out to be its swansong, the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eDiscordo\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eEP. New Hormones' monetary difficulties certainly played a part in the decision.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"They couldn't afford to release anything more really,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esays Fitzgerald.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Bastard!'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAside from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpiral Scratch\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eRosemary\u003c\/i\u003e, Ludus'\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Seduction\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewas the biggest-selling record New Hormones put out. Given the record company's predicament by late 1982, a more business-savvy label boss might have despaired at the anti-commercialism of the group's next LP,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eDanger Came Smiling\u003c\/i\u003e. \"Reichian therapy. Screaming birthing therapy!! You have to love them for that, don't you? You have to love Richard for putting it out,\" chuckles Liz Naylor. Today, Boon says it is his favourite New Hormones release.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter further singles from Gods Gift and Dislocation Dance (by now original vocalist Kathryn Way had rejoined, after three years at college), the final New Hormones release was\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eCruisin' for Santa\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(ORG 25), a Christmas 1982 CND benefit single by CP Lee's band Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"We'd talked to CND and it was supposed to be a fundraiser: it just didn't sell, so it didn't raise any money in the end,\" recalls Boon.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eFurther releases were planned for 1983, including Biting Tongues'\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eLibreville\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eLP (ORG 26), a Dislocation Dance single,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eRemind Me\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(ORG 27), and Eric Random recordings later released on the album\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eTime-Splice, before Boon's parlous financial status intervened. \"My bank manager called me and said 'I've been having a word with Richard - he had the same bank manager as me - I think you ought to lend him some money',\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003erecalls CP Lee.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I was like, 'well, I'm not going to', which was sad in a way because maybe that was the end of New Hormones, I don't know. He wanted five grand.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith New Hormones on the verge of collapse, Boon was offered the chance to sign a new band fronted by Linder's best friend:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Morrissey came in saying 'right, we've recorded Hand in Glove and we've got this live track from the fashion show, could I help'? And I said 'no, because you need more resources than I could possibly, possibly offer. You need to talk to Simon Edwards at Rough Trade Distribution'.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eBoon's referral led directly to The Smiths signing with Rough Trade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShortly after, Boon received his own offer from the London label.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I couldn't sustain Dislocation Dance anymore and I'd done some demos and I took them to Geoff Travis and he rang me and said, 'oh, this is interesting, I want to talk to them. And I want to talk to you'.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eTravis asked Boon if he would be willing to deputize for him for three months while he was in the US. Boon agreed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen he moved down to London (early summer 1983), Boon carried on renting the office at 50 Newton Street, just in case.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I paid two months ahead. Liz and I packed up all the press releases, all this stuff - boxes, labelled them. I told the landlord we were packing up, we'd be going in two months, but I paid - He threw everything in a skip! Bastard!\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"This music should be heard\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Richard was really a vital glue conceptually for everybody. I think from him came that sense of it's a creative house and I support you in your creative stuff,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esays Reich.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"He was so clearly committed to the idea of the creative part of it that actually money hardly got discussed at all.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Richard detested business. It wasn't him really. He was more into the creative side,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eagrees Random.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhy then, given the undoubted creativity of Boon and his bands, has New Hormones left barely a trace in the collective consciousness? Perhaps it's a question of economics: whereas Factory, Fast, Zoo, Postcard and Rough Trade all produced chart acts, New Hormones artists didn't sell, either whilst with the label, or after. Even Dislocation Dance, listed by\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSmash Hits\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eas one of the bands to watch in 1983 (alongside Wham!), never broke through following their transfer to Rough Trade, their eclecticism proving too difficult to market.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Maybe New Hormones as a label was a little bit too diverse,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esuggests Stuart James.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Even though a lot of the bands shared the same producer, there was no signature sound. The artwork didn't have a unified style. Even though they were more of a family, it wasn't perceived as that.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHas New Hormones had any influence?\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Hardly any, apart from its attitude,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ereckons Boon.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"If there was an ethos,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ehe says,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"it was just that this music should be heard. And these players should be paid attention, because they have, hopefully, something to say, or they are making an interesting racket. There wasn't an overarching ideology. I didn't want to be Ahmet Erteg¸n or anything like that.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"If you look at what New Hormones didn't put out [The Fall, The Smiths, etc] Richard's very generous with his advice, or his enabling of other people to do things. And subsequently has been a lot less successful than anybody else,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ereflects Naylor.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"He really was an important person in Manchester's music history.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTony Wilson of Factory concurred, stating in Q Magazine in September 2006:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"The real hero of the independents movement was New Hormones, the Buzzcocks' label, which paved the way for the 1980s independents. And like every other label it was set up by the band's manager, Richard Boon.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I'm not bitter - about anything actually,\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esays Boon.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"It was a great adventure: set out with that map and see where you land.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJustin Toland\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e2007\/2008\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"LTM","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":67995494416660,"sku":"LTM2492","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1035\/0284\/0084\/files\/71fp38YLn0L._SL1200.jpg?v=1793922046","url":"https:\/\/primeunion.shop\/products\/v-a-auteur-labels-new-hormones-1977-1982","provider":"Linden \u0026 Oak","version":"1.0","type":"link"}