“Blue Monday (Single Edit)” – New Order
(Words/music: Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert, available on Power, Corruption, & Lies (U.S.), Qwest 1983 / “FAC SEVENTY THREE” 12”, Factory 1983)
I don’t know for sure, but I probably hated drum machines at one point in my life. If nothing else, as a flesh-and-blood teenage drummer, I’m sure I hated the idea of a machine giving a song a pulse. I’ve long since warmed to drum machines (and would love to own one, to be perfectly honest), and the first step toward this must have been “Blue Monday.” I have strong memories attached toward replicating the opening drum sequence (kids – it’s a good practice warm up if you move that rhythm around the kit!) and reluctantly tolerating Orgy’s late-90s take on the song because “Blue Monday” is too good of a song to let a little Nu-Metal ruin it. Without a doubt, it led me to the Substance collection out of the used bin, which led me deeper down the New Order / Joy Division rabbit hole.
With no disrespect intended toward the rest of the song (I happen to love Bernard Sumner’s deadpan articulation, and the song is far more melodic than I often remember), the drum machine seizes the spotlight. The signature fill belongs in the Drum Fill Hall of Fame (let’s talk about that another time, shall we?) and remains as memorable as any other licks – guitars and synths included – of the era. The payoff of this fill is in its quickness – it’s quickened pace makes it feel even faster than its two bars – and the rapid return back to the song’s groove. Where others (“In the Air Tonight” immediately comes to mind) might work better in isolation, the “Blue Monday” fill works well with its surrounding material. For example, this summer I heard a DJ repeat this drum fill over (at least) sixteen bars without building up to anything substantial. It was too much work with too little payoff – all he had to do was drop the needle on the fill and let the rest of “Blue Monday” spin itself and the crowd was his.
EDIT: In a reblog, morgenstern shares this interesting tidbit:
In a recent interview Bernard Sumner stated it was a moog source on bass and a SCI Prophet V on top. Synth purists shake their head at the source, but it was a sign of the times. Personally i think the combination of moog bass and prophet leads is just perfect.
More on New Order: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm
94 Notes