JOY DIVISION, JOHN PEEL SESSION 1979

Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after attending a June 1976 Sex Pistols concert. While Joy Division's first recordings were heavily influenced by early punk music, they soon developed a dark, sparse style that made them one of the pioneering groups of the post-punk genre. Their self-released 1978 debut EP An Ideal for Living drew the attention of the Manchester television personality Tony Wilson, who signed them to his independent label Factory Records. Their debut album Unknown Pleasures, recorded with producer Martin Hannett, was released in 1979.

Joy Division
Joy Division, c. 1979. Left to right: Stephen Morris, Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook
Joy Division, c. 1979. Left to right: Stephen Morris, Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook
Background information
Also known as
Stiff Kittens (1977)
Warsaw (1977–1978)
Origin
Salford, England
Genres
Post-punk[1][2]new wave[3]
Discography
Joy Division discography
Years active
1976–1980
Labels
FactoryEnigmaVirginAnonymousFast ProductSordide Sentimental[4]
Spinoffs
New Order
Past members
Ian Curtis
Bernard Sumner
Peter Hook
Stephen Morris
(see Band members section for others)
Website
joydivisionofficial.com

Curtis struggled with personal problems, including a failing marriage, depression, and epilepsy. As the band's popularity grew, Curtis's health condition made it increasingly difficult for him to perform; he occasionally experienced seizures on stage. He died by suicide on the eve of what would have been the band's first North American tour in May 1980, aged 23. Joy Division's second and final album, Closer, was released two months later; it reached no. 6 on the UK Albums Chart, while the non-album single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" topped the independent singles chart.

Between July and October 1980, the remaining members, with the addition of keyboardist and guitarist Gillian Gilbert, regrouped under the name New Order. They were successful throughout the next decade, blending post-punk with electronic and dance music influences.[5] In 2023, both Joy Division and New Order were nominated as one act for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[6] Their work has exerted a wide-reaching influence on subsequent artists.