Diaframma - Ceremony (Joy Division / New Order Cover)

From '' Diaframma 8183 ''
Label: Contempo Records -- (1) CONTE 128CD, (2) CONTE128
Format: (1) CD, Compilation, (2) Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: Italy
Released: 1989

Tracklist
1. Effetto Notte
2. Pop Art
3. Xaviera Hollander
4. Altrove
5. Pioggia
6. Illusione Ottica
7. Circuito Chiuso
8. Ceremony (Written-By -- Ian Curtis)

Vocals -- Nicola Vannini
Guitar -- Federico Fiumani
Bass -- Leandro Cicchi
Drums -- Gianni Cicchi

1-4 EP 'Altrove' apr 1983 - Contempo records.
5-6 45" dec 1981 - Italian records service.
7 B-Sides 'Free8212' dec 1982 - Industrie Discografiche Lacerba.
8 Joy Division's cover [demo] - dec 1982.

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"Ceremony" is a song by Joy Division, released as New Order's debut single in 1981.
The song, as well as the B-side, "In a Lonely Place", were written as Joy Division prior to the death of Ian Curtis.
Both were carried over to the band's re-incarnation as New Order.

New Order released the song as a single twice, firstly in March 1981 and secondly in September 1981 featuring new member Gillian Gilbert.

History

Joy Division

"Ceremony" was one of the last Joy Division songs to be composed, with lyrics written by Ian Curtis.
There are three recorded versions by Joy Division in existence.
The first is a live version, available on the Still album, from their final concert at High Hall, Birmingham University on 2 May 1980, sixteen days before Curtis' suicide.
The second, available on the Heart and Soul four-disc box set is from a rehearsal tape made in April/May 1980.
The third is a version recorded at the soundcheck on the afternoon of 2 May 1980 (along with "Decades") and is only available on bootleg. In all recordings, the vocals are only partially audible.

New Order

After the death of Ian Curtis, the remaining members of Joy Division renamed the band New Order.
Their first release was a re-recording of "Ceremony" as a stand-alone single backed with "In a Lonely Place", with guitarist Bernard Sumner taking over lead vocals.
Sumner said that he had to put the "Ceremony" rehearsal tape as sung by Curtis through a graphic equalizer to transcribe the lyrics.

March 1981 version

In March 1981, the first version of "Ceremony" was released on Factory Records (FAC 33).
Martin Hannett (Joy Division's producer) produced the record and Peter Saville designed the sleeve graphics.

The 7" record was issued in a stamped gold-bronze sleeve. The 12" sleeve was a completely separate design: gold typography on a green background.

September 1981 version

In September 1981, "Ceremony" was re-recorded. Gillian Gilbert played guitar on the recording, just before she formally joined the band.
Martin Hannett again produced the record. The single was re-issued as a 12" only, with the same catalogue number (FAC 33).
The original is approximately 4:34 minutes in length while the re-recording is 4:23.
The re-recorded version was used on all subsequent compilations until Singles in 2005, when the original recording was released on CD for the first time.

Re-issue

The single was re-issued again in April 2011 for Record Store Day in a white sleeve.
This limited edition release (only 800 copies) plays at 33rpm.
It features the New Order recordings of "Ceremony" (the pre-Gillian Gilbert take) and "In a Lonely Place" on one side, with the rare Joy Division recordings of the same tracks on the flip side—"Ceremony" comes from the 1997 Heart & Soul box set but the version of "In a Lonely Place" is a recently discovered complete take and not the same as the version featured on Heart & Soul.
The Heart And Soul version is cut short at 2 mins 32 seconds, whereas this newly discovered take runs for 5 mins 45 secs and the full Ian Curtis vocal of In A Lonely Place is heard here for the first time, complete with the missing 'Hangman' verse.

Cover versions

Radiohead for their "Thumbs Down" webcast on 9 November 2007
Galaxie 500 on their 1989 "Blue Thunder" EP (available on the re-issue of On Fire)
Xiu Xiu on their debut EP from 2002, Chapel of the Chimes
The Echoing Green
The Morning Benders
Fall on Your Sword, in 2009 and 2010 television and web-based advertisements for Absolut Vodka
Ian McCulloch.
McCulloch also sang the song with New Order at the Festival of the Tenth Summer.
Germany Germany on their album Electrolove

Category:

Music

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