The Smiths: The Complete Story

Middles, Mick

Humor & Entertainment

Omnibus Pr & Schirmer Trade Books

Ex-postman and self-confessed heroin addict, Shaun Ryder has got an opinion on anything. This volume gathers his thoughts on drink, drugs, his previous band, The Happy Mondays, and his current band, Black Grape. There are quotes from his friends and family to give an insight into his music.

Shaun Ryder: In His Own Words

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

Omnibus Press

This biography of the Manic Street Preachers examines the group's Welsh origins and their success. It recounts how the group faced local hostility when they first formed, how one of them vanished and how the remaining members went on to become one of the biggest selling groups in Britain.

Manic Street Preachers

Having known Fall leader Mark E. Smith since 1977, Manchester based music writer Mick Middles is ideally placed to pen the first ever authorized biography of this most inscrutable of bands led by one of the few genuine characters in rock today. Details some 26 years on the fringe of the Manchester punk scene, three dozen albums, endless touring, and beyond.

The Fall

Smith, Mark E.

FRANKIE HOWERD. The Illustrated Biography.

Headline

Factory Records was the most successful independent record company to come out of Manchester and its reputation and fortune were founded on two bands - Joy Divison and New Order. Factory's founder, Tony Wilson, established an identity and design style which was internationally admired. At the height of its success, in the late 1980s, the company was at the core of the rave scene, running its own club - the Hacienda. But by the 1990s success had gone sour and in 1992 Factory went into receivership. This book tells the inside story of Factory and contains interviews with all the key figures, including Tony Wilson and the remaining members of New Order.

From Joy Division to New Order: The Factory Story

London Bridge

In the late 80s, Factory Records was at the height of its success thanks to two bands – Joy Division and New Order – and the single-minded company director, Anthony H. Wilson. This is the fascinating story of the rise and fall of this influential independent UK record company. Drawing on exclusive interviews, Mike Middles uncovers the real story behind the company that fell so dramatically from unprecedented global success to an all-time low by 1992, when the back catalogue had been sold off and its key bands were in disarray. The classic warts-and-all history of Factory Records, told by one of Manchester's leading music writers.

From Joy Division to New Order: The True Story of Anthony H. Wilson and Factory Records

Virgin Pub

Updated to include new material on the re-emergence of Joy Division, the death of Tony Wilson and the legacy of Factory Records, this book draws on exclusive interviews with the major players to give a fascinating insight into the unique personalities and chaotic reality behind one of the UK's most influential record labels.

Factory

Virgin Paperbacks

Formed around future husband and wife team of Win Butler and Regine Chassagne in 2003, this powerful seven-piece band seemed to define onstage dynamism before they even discovered an audience. Once beyond the obligatory low-budget debut EP, they fused their complex instrumentation - piano, viola, French horn, accordian, harp, hurdy gurdy, etc. - to produce Funeral, one of the greatest debut albums in decades. This 2004 release, bolstered by hearty support from the likes of David Bowie, David Byrne and U2, catapulted Arcade Fire to worldwide success. Triumphant sets at the Coachella, Reading and Latitude festivals only served to continue the momentum. This book looks beyond the triumphs that gather in their story, to discover a band who are determined to retain the pure yet complex personal dynamic that always set them apart.

Arcade Fire: Behind The Black Mirror