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| artist = [[Happy Mondays]]
| artist = [[Happy Mondays]]
| cover = Happymondaysbummedcover.JPG
| cover = Happymondaysbummedcover.JPG
| alt = A painting of a man's face, with purple skin, yellow eyelids and blue eyebrows
| alt =
| released = 5 November 1988
| released = 5 November 1988
| recorded = August 1988
| recorded = August 1988
| studio = Slaughterhouse (Driffield)
| studio = {{flatlist|
* The Slaughterhouse, Driffield
* [[Strawberry Studios|Strawberry]], Stockport}}
| genre = [[Madchester]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Wiseman-Trouse |first=N. |title=Performing Class in British Popular Music |date=September 2008 |publisher=Springer }}</ref> [[psychedelic funk]]<ref name=allmusic/>
| genre = {{hlist|[[Madchester]]|[[psychedelic funk]]}}
| length = 37:27
| length = 37:27
| label = [[Factory Records|Factory]] <small>FACT 220</small>
| label = [[Factory Records|Factory]]
| producer = [[Martin Hannett]]
| producer = [[Martin Hannett]]
| prev_title = [[Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)]]
| prev_title = [[Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)]]
Line 22: Line 24:
| type = studio
| type = studio
| single1 = Wrote for Luck
| single1 = Wrote for Luck
| single1date = October 1988
| single1date = 31 October 1988
| single2 = Lazyitis - One Armed Boxer
| single2 = Lazyitis – One Armed Boxer
| single2date = May 1989
| single2date = 6 May 1989
}}
}}
}}
}}
'''''Bummed''''' is the second album by English [[alternative rock]] band [[Happy Mondays]], released in November 1988 on [[Factory Records]]. Produced by [[Martin Hannett]], the album was recorded over six weeks in [[Driffield]]'s Slaughterhouse recording studio. The sessions were noted for heavy drug use by the band and Hannett, particularly the rave drug [[MDMA|ecstasy]].<ref name="quietus" />
'''''Bummed''''' is the second studio album by English [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Happy Mondays]], released in November 1988 on [[Factory Records]]. Produced by [[Martin Hannett]], the album was recorded over six weeks in The Slaughterhouse at [[Driffield]]. The sessions were noted for heavy drug use by the band and Hannett, particularly the rave drug [[MDMA|ecstasy]].


The album has received praise from critics at the time, and songs from the album became successful remixes during the [[Madchester]] era, including "Mad Cyril" and "Wrote for Luck."
The album has received praise from critics at the time, and songs from the album became successful remixes during the [[Madchester]] era, including "Mad Cyril" and "Wrote for Luck."

==Background==
Happy Mondays released their debut studio album ''[[Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)]]'' in April 1987 through [[Factory Records]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/squirrel-g-man-twenty-four-hour-party-people-plastic-face-carnt-smile-mr0001339219|title=Squirrel & G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile - Happy Mondays {{!}} Release Info|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|last=Raggett, Ned|access-date=27 September 2021|archive-date=27 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927135138/https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/squirrel-g-man-twenty-four-hour-party-people-plastic-face-carnt-smile-mr0001339219|url-status=live}}</ref> The album had to be reissued due to the track "Desmond" sharing the same melody with "[[Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da]]" (1968) by [[the Beatles]]. They were threatened with legal action over this; it was replaced on subsequent copies with the hastily-recorded "24 Hour Party People". During the session for it, the band also worked on several new tracks for their next album.<ref name=Spence108>Spence 2015, p. 108</ref> The [[lead single]] from ''Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)'', "Tart Tart", earned Happy Mondays national exposure for the first time when its [[music video]] was played on [[Channel 4]]'s ''[[The Chart Show]]''.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 101</ref>

In the first half of 1987 (between recording and release of their debut), Factory [[Artists and repertoire|A&R]] member and [[Disc jockey|DJ]] [[Mike Pickering]] was introducing [[house music]] at the label's [[The Haçienda|Haçienda]] club.<ref>Middles 1997, p. 63</ref> The members of Happy Mondays would visit the venue to immerse themselves in Pickering's selections. It would prove to have an influence on the members, as it served as a bridge between the music they heard in their heads and what they wrote.<ref>Middles 1997, p. 64</ref> The band at this point did not fit into any particular music scene; [[Grebo (music)|grebo]] was establishing itself, a [[Gothic_rock#Subsequent_developments|new wave of gothic rock]] was being ushered in, and [[American_rock#Indie_rock|American indie]] bands were rising to prominence.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 102</ref> In October 1987, the band embarked on their first headlining of the United Kingdom, which saw the debut of new songs "Fat Lady Wrestlers" and "Moving in With".<ref>Spence 2015, pp. 112–3, 313</ref>

Shortly before Christmas 1987, Happy Mondays dancer [[Bez (dancer)|Bez]] was introduced to the [[rave]] drug [[ecstasy (drug)|ecstasy]], and quickly introduced it to the other members.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 121</ref> Frontman [[Shaun Ryder]] grew tired of their manager Phil Saxe, wanting someone who was more in tune with the scene at the Haçienda.<ref name=Spence126/> In early 1988, Saxe left his role, citing that he could not devote enough time to them.<ref>Middles 1997, p. 68</ref> He was replaced by Nathan McGough, who took on the role full-time, at his suggestion; McGough had been a member of Factory bands the Royal Family and the Poor, and previously managed Factory act [[Kalima (band)|Kalima]].<ref>Middles 1997, pp. 68, 69</ref> McGough's first measure was getting the band legally signed to Factory, who had no formal contracts with their artists up to that point.<ref>Middles 1997, p. 70</ref> Around this time, the members had a lucrative business selling ecstasy; through various people, they had accumulated 15,000 pills of the drug.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 124</ref> In his biography of the band, ''Happy Mondays – Excess All Areas: A Biography'', author Simon Spence wrote that the band "set the tone for their generation, as they became the iconic face of the Ecstasy era".<ref name=Spence125>Spence 2015, p. 125</ref>


==Recording and production==
==Recording and production==
McGough organized for Happy Mondays to record demos of their new material at Out of the Blue studio in [[Ancoats]].<ref>Spence 2015, p. 130</ref> Factory became aware that the band were known around London as being a difficult act to record with, not helped by the poor reception to the production of their debut album.<ref name=Middles71/> Ryder was impressed with the self-produced material at Out of the Blue and asked if they could self-produce their next album, only to be told that they need a known, popular producer.<ref name=Spence133>Spence 2015, p. 133</ref> Factory director Alan Erasmus suggested [[Martin Hannett]]; he worked with the label in their early years and split following the construction of the Haçienda, which he was opposed to.<ref name=Middles71>Middles 1997, p. 71</ref><ref name=Spence133/> McGough liked the idea of having Hannett, as did Ryder, who learned of him through New Order frontman [[Bernard Sumner]]. Wilson was hesitant about the idea, before realising it would work well for both Hannett and the band.<ref>Middles 1997, p. 72</ref> Hannett had been struggling financially at the time, stemming from a prior lawsuit with Factory.<ref name=Spence134>Spence 2015, p. 134</ref>
''Bummed'' was recorded in six weeks at the Slaughterhouse studio in [[Driffield]].<ref name="quietus">{{cite web|last1=Wray|first1=Daniel Dylan|title=Driff-Raff: Happy Mondays, Bummed & Driffield|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/19636-happy-mondays-bummed|website=[[The Quietus]]|accessdate=8 March 2016|date=1 February 2016}}</ref> The band's manager Nathan McGough stated that the group were heavily taking the [[rave]] drug [[ecstasy (drug)|ecstasy]] during the recording. Describing the drug's impact on the recording, McGough recollected: "There was a lot of ecstasy taken on a daily basis during the making of ''Bummed'', we took two hundred E with us but they ran out after ten days so I had to go back to Manchester and collect another hundred. ''Bummed'' is definitely an E album, perhaps the first full album ever made on that drug".<ref name="quietus"/> Frontman [[Sean Ryder|Shaun Ryder]] also noted the influence of [[LSD]] and the 1970 film ''[[Performance (film)|Performance]]'' on the sessions.<ref name="quietus"/> Producer [[Martin Hannett]], known for his work with [[Joy Division]] and [[New Order (band)|New Order]], saturated the recording in effects such as [[reverberation|reverb]] and [[echo]].<ref name="auto">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/dec/14/popandrock.shopping|title=Happy Mondays, Bummed|work=[[The Guardian]]|location=London|date=14 December 2007|accessdate=19 June 2016|last=Petridis|first=Alexis|author-link=Alexis Petridis}}</ref> The band provided the alcoholic Hannett with large amounts of ecstasy to keep him from drinking during the sessions.<ref name="auto"/>

Bassist Paul Ryder and drummer Gary Whelan drove to pick Hannett up from [[Chorlton, Cheshire East|Chorlton]] to take him to the studio.<ref name=Spence134/> Happy Mondays and Hannett decamped to [[Strawberry Studios]] in Stockport to record demos; however, Hannett and the members instead spent recording time in separate pubs.<ref>Middles 1997, p. 73</ref> ''Bummed'' was recorded in August 1988 at The Slaughterhouse in [[Driffield]] with engineers Colin Richarson and John Spence.<ref name=Bummedsleeve/> It was a residential studio with a state-of-the-art [[Multitrack recording|36-track recording console]].<ref name=Spence134/> The location was picked as it was a large distance from the Haçienda, in an attempt to cut Happy Mondays from their ecstasy supply.<ref name=Middles74/> Upon arriving, they found that the living quarters had no food and the rooms were astray. They instead lived at a terrace house that previously contained the studio. Hannett stayed at another house in the nearby town, which allowed for visits from his family.<ref name=Spence135>Spence 2015, p. 135</ref>

Within two days of visiting a local pub, the band were made aware of a near-by army base, where they befriended various personnel. The band started selling the servicemen ecstasy; rave culture subsequently broke out at the pub, which caught the attention of local press.<ref name=Middles74>Middles 1997, p. 74</ref> Describing the drug's impact on the recording, McGough recollected: "There was a lot of ecstasy taken on a daily basis during the making of ''Bummed'', we took two hundred E with us but they ran out after ten days so I had to go back to Manchester and collect another hundred. ''Bummed'' is definitely an E album, perhaps the first full album ever made on that drug".<ref name="quietus">{{cite web|last1=Wray|first1=Daniel Dylan|title=Driff-Raff: Happy Mondays, Bummed & Driffield|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/19636-happy-mondays-bummed|archiveurl=https://archive.ph/qwVFr|website=[[The Quietus]]|date=1 February 2016|archivedate=28 January 2020|accessdate=8 March 2016}}</ref> Bez was arrested while in Manchester for stealing a car and possessing [[Cannabis (drug)|marijuana]]. He also had 500 ecstasy pills, but the police were not aware of what they were at the time; he had to sit out of the remainder of the sessions.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 139</ref> Ryder also noted the influence of [[LSD]] on the sessions.<ref name="quietus"/> The band provided the alcoholic Hannett with large amounts of ecstasy to keep him from drinking during the recording.<ref name="Guardianreview"/> Hannett would have the band perform the songs over and over for several hours at a time, and as such, would record the majority of the album live.<ref name=Spence135/>

Due to his previous experience as a bass player, Hannett spent time alone with Paul Ryder working on a specific sound.<ref name=Spence135/> Hannett ran the instrument through a multitude of digital filters, time modulation and effects pedals.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 135–6</ref> In addition to using his own guitar on the album, guitarist Mark Day used one of Hannett's. Aware of Hannett's financial issues, Shaun Ryder bought the guitar from him for £300.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 136</ref> On one occasion, Wilson visited the band during the sessions. Upon entering the studio, he found it dark and filled with smoke, as the floor was completely covered in house records.<ref>Middles 1997, pp. 74–5</ref> Wils brought with him a film crew to shoot part of the sessions for a TV programme he was involved in about working environments.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 137</ref> As the band returned to Manchester, Hannett continued experimenting with the [[Magnetic tape|master tapes]] at Strawberry Studios, with engineer Laurence Diana.<ref name=Bummedsleeve/><ref name=Spence140>Spence 2015, p. 140</ref> He brought in additional musicians to enhance the tracks: percussion from drum teacher Dave Hassell, piano from his friend [[Stephen Hopkins (musician)|Steve Hopkins]], and banjo from Derek "Horseman" Ryder (father of Shaun and Paul Ryder).<ref name=Spence140/> Hannett saturated the recordings in effects such as [[reverberation|reverb]] and [[echo]].<ref name="Guardianreview"/> The sessions lasted for three weeks in total, costing £50,000; the final recordings were mixed at Strawberry Studios in September 1988.<ref name=Bummedsleeve/><ref name=Spence138/><ref name=Spence155>Spence 2015, p. 155</ref>

==Composition and lyrics==
Musically, the sound of ''Bummed'' has been described as [[Madchester]] and [[psychedelic funk]].<ref>Wiseman-Trouse, 2008, p. 157</ref><ref name=allmusic/> Ryder said it had a fuller sound when compared to ''Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)'', building off the progression from "24 Hour Party People".<ref name=Middles76/><ref name=Spence125/> Referring to the origin of the album's name, Whelan recalled that "'Bummed', was a saying at the time. Shaun used to say he was out all night and he bummed her all night long, a slang word for sex. I didn't even know what the album was called until it came out."<ref name=Spence148>Spence 2015, p. 148</ref> Ryder said he used the term for the album intentionally to be "offensive and we thought loads of people would take it the wrong way".<ref name=Middles79/> In his biography of the band, ''Shaun Ryder: Happy Mondays, Black Grape & Other Traumas'', author Mick Middles said the public overlooked its intent, theorising that it could be used in varying contexts: "from the more obvious cadging (e.g. he bummed a [[Cigarette|fag]] from his mate) to scrounging a room for the night (e.g. he bummed a carpet)".<ref>Middles 1997, p. 79–80</ref> The 1970 film ''[[Performance (film)|Performance]]'' became a big influence on the band, with Ryder directly lifting lines of dialogues for lyrics, or being inspired by some of the scenes in it. He would mix in slang words he had heard while shifting ecstasy.<ref name=Spence125/>

The album opens with "Country Song", which was originally known as "Some Cunt from Preston", acting as rhyming slang for [[Country music|country and western]]. John Wilde of ''[[Melody Maker]]'' described it as "the world's first psycho-[[reggae]]-country-western number".<ref>Middles 1997, p. 75</ref> An earlier version of "Moving in With" was recorded during the same session as "24 Hour Party People". With the song, Paul Ryder attempted to emulate the bass part in "[[This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)]]" (1983) by [[Talking Heads]]. Whelan's drum part was inspired by the one in "[[Running Up That Hill]]" (1985) by [[Kate Bush]]. Shaun Ryder's lyrics were influenced by the [[folk tale]] [[Henny Penny]], and namechecks several of its characters.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 109</ref> "Mad Cyril" includes a [[Sample (music)|sample]] of the character Harry Flowers from ''Performance''.<ref name=Guardianreview/> "Performance" is written from the perspective of Chas, a character from the film of the same name.<ref name=Guardianreview/>

With "Wrote for Luck", the band tried to write a song that could be played at the Haçienda. Paul Ryder unsuccessfully tried to play [[Sequencer (musical instrument)|sequenced]] basslines, which he heard in the [[Chicago house]] music that Pickering was playing at the club, on his bass guitar. Keyboardist Paul Davis tried to play the synth part from "[[Two Tribes]]" (1984) by [[Frankie Goes to Hollywood]], while Whelan had ago at emulating "Running Up That Hill" again.<ref name=Spence125/> Day later contributed his guitar part, while Shaun Ryder added the song's hook, "Higher than high high", based on his [[mental state]] at the time.<ref name=Spence126>Spence 2015, p. 126</ref> It marked the first time Ryder attempted to write a song about the same topic, namely a [[heroin]] drug deal gone wrong. One of its lines is dialogue directly taken from the film ''[[Stardust (1974 film)|Stardust]]'' (1974).<ref name=Spence138/> Ryder said "Bring a Friend" is the closest track to a [[love song]] on the album, with many of its lines taken from a [[pornographic magazine]] he had read while in Amsterdam.<ref name=Middles76>Middles 1997, p. 76</ref> "Do It Better" was initially called "E"; it is centred around a guitar part and Ryder ad-libbing around the phrase "on one", which referred to being high on ecstasy.<ref name=Spence125/> The album's closing track "Lazy Itis" has [[Can (band)|Can]]-esque drumming patterns.<ref name="Guardianreview"/> Its title phrase was a word the Ryders' grandmother used to say.<ref name=Spence138>Spence 2015, p. 138</ref>

==Release==
In October 1988, Happy Mondays supported [[James (band)|James]] on their tour of the UK. At the end of it, "Wrote for Luck" was released as the lead single from their forthcoming album on 31 October 1988.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 313</ref> "Boom" and three remixes (dance, radio and club mixes) of "Wrote for Luck" were included as its B-sides.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title="Wrote for Luck"|others=Happy Mondays|year=1988|type=sleeve|publisher=Factory Records|id=facd212}}</ref> The [[music video]] for "Wrote for Luck" was filmed by The Bailey Brothers in the middle of the October 1988 tour.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 144</ref> They decided to shoot the band enjoying a night out at the Legend club in Manchester, which was a rival to the Haçienda.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 145</ref> The cover art sees an image of Ryder's face painted over in garish colours, which [[Central Station Design]] did as part of a series of celebrity shots done in the same way. The album's inner sleeve featured two images of a naked woman, both of which were taken from a pornographic magazine. As a result of this imagery, retailers refused to stock the album; its Japanese release was delayed due to the image resulting in copies being confiscated at [[customs]].<ref name=Spence148/> In addition, it received a negative reaction from journalists, such as Penny Anderson of ''[[City Life (magazine)|City Life]]'' and Mandi James of ''[[NME]]'', the latter of whom called the band "sexist wankers" for the decision.<ref>Middles 1997, p. 80</ref>

Concerned about people stealing promotional posters, as they had done previously for New Order gig posters, Factory decided to purchase a building and have it plastered with posters of the album's artwork.<ref>Middles 1997, pp. 78–9</ref> Located on Charles Street, it was noticed by various workers traveling in the southern part of Manchester. Middles said the landmark could be viewed as the first "identifiable symbol of Manchester dance culture" and Madchester as a whole.<ref name=Middles79>Middles 1997, p. 79</ref> Following this, the band played four headlining shows across November and December 1988, closing the year with a support slot for New Order at the [[Manchester Central Convention Complex|G-Mex centre]].<ref>Spence 2015, pp. 313–4</ref> Happy Mondays played "Performance" and "Do It Better", both of which Ryder picked, for Wilson's TV programme ''The Other Side of Midnight''.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 151</ref> A launch party for the album was held on 28 November 1989 at the [[Heaven (nightclub)|Heaven]] club in London.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 154</ref> In early 1999, the band signed a [[Music publisher|publishing deal]] with FFRR Music; around this time, the band signed a contract with American label [[Elektra Records]].<ref>Spence 2015, p. 157–8</ref> The latter was impressed by the "Wrote for Luck" video, and Wilson's sales pitch. Factory also had smaller deals with labels in Europe, such as [[Rough Trade Records]] in Germany.<ref name=Spence158>Spence 2015, p. 158</ref>


Preceded by two UK shows, Happy Mondays embarked on on a stint in mainland Europe in January and February 1989.<ref name=Spence314/> As the band had ran out of money by the tour's end, a few shows were quickly arranged afterwards so that they had enough funds to return home.<ref name=Spence158/> A London show soon followed, where the members met Elektra A&R representative Howard Thompson.<ref name=Spence159>Spence 2015, p. 159</ref> On 21 February 1989, the band did a [[List of Peel sessions|Peel session]], where they played "Mad Cyril" and "Do It Better". Following this, the band went on a UK tour until mid-March 1989. They supported the Shamen for two dates in Ireland, before supporting [[My Bloody Valentine]] for three shows in France.<ref name=Spence314>Spence 2015, p. 314</ref> Prior to the Ireland shows, Bez was arrested by his father, who was cop, by violating his bail conditions set during the making of ''Bummed''. Bez's role was filled in by Andrew McKean, who previously worked with Saxe; Bez returned for the My Bloody Valentine shows.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 161</ref>
Referring to the origin of the album's name, the band's drummer Gary Whelan recalled that "'Bummed', was a saying at the time. Shaun used to say he was out all night and he bummed her all night long, a slang word for sex. I didn't even know what the album was called until it came out."<ref>''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' #341, December 2014, p16</ref>


Happy Mondays played three UK shows in May 1989, coinciding with the single release of "Lazy Itis" on 6 May 1989.<ref name=Spence315>Spence 2015, p. 315</ref> The single iteration is dubbed "Lazyitis – One Armed Boxer"; its B-side is a remix of "Mad Cyril".<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title="Lazyitis – One Armed Boxer"|others=Happy Mondays|year=1989|type=sleeve|publisher=Factory Records|id=FAC 222}}</ref> The former is a duet between Ryder and [[Yodeling|yodeller]] [[Karl Denver]], which was intended as a theme song for an unrealised film by The Bailey Brothers. For this version, Ryder decided to include lyrics from "[[Gonna Make You a Star]]" (1974) by [[David Essex]]. The song's music video was filmed a month prior at the [[Mancunian Way]] flyover with the band and Denver.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 165</ref> It stars the band in [[HM Prison Manchester|Strangeways]] prison attire, playing football while their friend Big Les walked around them with a dog. As The Baily Brothers wanted to include rain in it, they hired a [[Rainmaking|rain machine]]; filming concluded when Denver was unable to continue mouthing the words due to his teeth chattering from the cold.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 166</ref> Ryder and Bez flew to New York City, spending two days there drumming up publicity for a forthcoming tour.<ref>Spence 2015, pp. 163–4</ref>
== Artwork and packaging ==
The sleeve for the album was designed by [[Central Station Design]], a [[Manchester|Mancunian]] design agency known for their hand-painted and collage-based album covers for the Happy Mondays and other Manchester-based acts. The front cover is a cropped portrait of Shaun Ryder, while the inner artwork of the vinyl release include two pictures of a nude female model.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Happy-Mondays-Bummed/master/10516|title=Happy Mondays - Bummed|publisher=discogs|language=en|access-date=2019-01-23}}</ref>


Happy Mondays appeared on the final episode of ''The Other Side of Midnight'', where they performed "Mad Cyril" (changing the lyrics to reference Wilson) and "Wrote for Luck".<ref>Spence 2015, pp. 169–70</ref> In July and August 1989, the band toured across the Canada and the US supporting labelmates [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]].<ref name=Spence315/> Around this time, ''Bummed'' was released in North America as "Wrote for Luck" was gaining traction at radio stations.<ref name=Spence175/> In an attempt to boost the album's reach in the UK, McGough suggested making a club mix for one of its tracks. He was put in contact with Pete Tong at FFRR, who connected McGough with [[Paul Oakenfold]]. Bez had previously spent the last six months convincing the band to work with him.<ref name=Spence162/> McGough quizzed the members on who else they wanted as a remixer, with Paul Ryder suggesting [[Vince Clarke]] of [[Erasure]].<ref name=Spence163>Spence 2015, p. 163</ref> Oakenfold played [[white label]] copies of his remix at various clubs, all to positive reception from the crowds.<ref name=Spence175>Spence 2015, p. 175</ref> "Wrote for Luck" – now retitled "W.F.L." – was reissued in September 1989; it included Clarke and Oakenfold remixes of the title track, with "Lazyitis – One Armed Boxer" as its B-side.<ref name=Spence315/><ref>{{cite AV media notes|title="W.F.L."|others=Happy Mondays|year=1989|type=sleeve|publisher=Factory Records|id=FACD 232}}</ref>
==Remixes==
Several of the songs on this album were later [[remix]]ed. These included "Mad Cyril", "Wrote For Luck" and "Lazyitis". "Mad Cyril" was remixed into "Mad Cyril (Hello Girls Mix)", "Wrote For Luck" was remixed twice, firstly into "WFL" and then "Wrote For Luck (Think About The Future Mix)"; [[Vince Clarke]] remixed the former, [[Paul Oakenfold]] the latter. "Lazyitis" was remixed into "Lazyitis - One Armed Boxer" which featured Scottish singer [[Karl Denver]] on guest vocals. Paul Oakenfold would become vastly important to Happy Mondays when he produced their next album ''[[Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches]]''.


It was included [[Rhino Records]]' ''Original Album Series'' box set in 2013, which collected the band's first four studio albums.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Original Album Series|others=Happy Mondays|year=2013|type=sleeve|publisher=[[Rhino Records]]|id=2564642929}}</ref>
In 2007, Warner released a double album collector's edition on {{start date|2007|11|5|df=y}}. This release collected the original 1988 album with a second disc of remixes from the era.


==Reception==
==Reception==
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| rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|edition=5th concise|year=2011|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref>
| rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|edition=5th concise|year=2011|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| rev4 = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="Guardianreview">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/dec/14/popandrock.shopping|title=Happy Mondays, Bummed|work=[[The Guardian]]|location=London|date=14 December 2007|accessdate=19 June 2016|last=Petridis|first=Alexis|author-link=Alexis Petridis}}</ref>
| rev4score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="auto"/>
| rev5 = ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''
| rev5 = ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''
| rev5Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite journal|title=Shaun's Show|journal=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]|location=London|issue=275|date=October 2016|last=Eccleston|first=Danny|page=47}}</ref>
| rev5Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite journal|title=Shaun's Show|journal=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]|location=London|issue=275|date=October 2016|last=Eccleston|first=Danny|page=47}}</ref>
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[[Q (magazine)|''Q'' magazine]] awarded ''Bummed'' three stars out of five. The album, wrote Martin Aston, "continues the band's warped version of [[Northern Soul]] rhythms, with stabbing guitars and [[Hammond organ]]s, wayward [[music sequencer|sequencer]]s, a dislocated rhythm section and surly sardonic vocalist&nbsp;... [The] only real failing is its lack of versatility, but it's Happy Mondays' stroppy spirit that counts most of all."<ref name="Qmag"/> [[AllMusic]] praised Hannett's production as "all smeared colors and harsh edges," and wrote that "decadence has rarely sounded as dangerous as it did in the hands of the Mondays and this is where they reveled in that debauchery, pumping out stiff [[psychedelic funk]] as Ryder spat out rhymes of luck, lazyitis and fat lady wrestlers."<ref name=allmusic/>
[[Q (magazine)|''Q'' magazine]] awarded ''Bummed'' three stars out of five. The album, wrote Martin Aston, "continues the band's warped version of [[Northern Soul]] rhythms, with stabbing guitars and [[Hammond organ]]s, wayward [[music sequencer|sequencer]]s, a dislocated rhythm section and surly sardonic vocalist&nbsp;... [The] only real failing is its lack of versatility, but it's Happy Mondays' stroppy spirit that counts most of all."<ref name="Qmag"/> [[AllMusic]] praised Hannett's production as "all smeared colors and harsh edges," and wrote that "decadence has rarely sounded as dangerous as it did in the hands of the Mondays and this is where they reveled in that debauchery, pumping out stiff [[psychedelic funk]] as Ryder spat out rhymes of luck, lazyitis and fat lady wrestlers."<ref name=allmusic/>


In 2006, ''Q'' placed the album at #18 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".<ref>{{cite journal|title=40 Best Albums of the '80s|journal=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|location=London|issue=241|date=August 2006}}</ref> The album was also included in the book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]''.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Robert Dimery|author2=Michael Lydon|title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition|date=7 February 2006|publisher=Universe|isbn=0-7893-1371-5}}</ref>
Factory saw the album's initial sales as highly disappointing, though they were not concerned due a large cashflow injection from the sales of New Order's ''[[Substance (New Order album)|Substance]]'' (1997) a year prior.<ref>Middles 1997, pp. 80–1</ref> By early 1989, album sales rose to 15,000 copies sold.<ref name=Spence162>Spence 2015, p. 162</ref> Due to the success of the remixed "Wrote for Luck", the album's sales rose to the point where it was certified gold in the UK.<ref>Spence 2015, p. 177</ref> Spence said "Wrote for Luck" became the defining track of the era.<ref name=Spence125/> In 2006, ''Q'' placed the album at #18 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".<ref>{{cite journal|title=40 Best Albums of the '80s|journal=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|location=London|issue=241|date=August 2006}}</ref> The album was also included in the book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]''.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Robert Dimery|author2=Michael Lydon|title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition|date=7 February 2006|publisher=Universe|isbn=0-7893-1371-5}}</ref>


==Track listing==
==Track listing==
All songs written by Happy Mondays, except "Lazy Itis" by Happy Mondays and [[Lennon–McCartney]].<ref name=Bummedsleeve/>


===Original release===
{{Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = the Happy Mondays except 10 (Happy Mondays, Lennon–McCartney)
| title1 = Country Song
| title1 = Country Song
| length1 = 3:24
| length1 = 3:24
Line 92: Line 116:
| total_length = 37:27
| total_length = 37:27
}}
}}
'''Notes'''
*"Mad Cyril" opens with the line "We've Been Courteous" sampled from ''[[Performance (film)|Performance]]''.
*In "Brain Dead", Ryder's opening line "You're rendering that scaffolding dangerous!" is a quote from the film ''[[Gimme Shelter (1970 film)|Gimme Shelter]]'', in which it is uttered by [[Sam Cutler]], referring to the set at the [[Altamont Free Concert]].
*"Lazy Itis" explicitly borrows from "[[Ticket to Ride (song)|Ticket to Ride]]" by [[The Beatles]], but also nods to "[[Family Affair (Sly and the Family Stone song)|Family Affair]]" by [[Sly and the Family Stone]] and "[[Gonna Make You a Star]]" by [[David Essex]] in the "One Armed Boxer" single release.


==Personnel==
===2007 collector's edition===
Personnel per sleeve.<ref name=Bummedsleeve>{{cite AV media notes|title=Bummed|others=[[Happy Mondays]]|year=1988|type=sleeve|publisher=[[Factory Records]]|id=FACD 220}}</ref>
{{Track listing
| all_writing =
| collapsed = yes
| headline = Disc 1 bonus tracks
| title11 = Hallelujah
| length11 = 2:36
| title12 = Holy Ghost
| length12 = 2:50
| title13 = Clap Your Hands
| length13 = 3:30
| title14 = Rave On
| note14 = Club Mix
| length14 = 5:38
| title15 = Boom
| length15 = 2:58
| title16 = Mad Cyril
| note16 = Hello Girls Mix
| length16 = 3:53
| title17 = Wrote for Luck
| note17 = 12" B-side
| length17 = 5:48
| total_length =
}}
{{Track listing
| collapsed = yes
| headline = Disc 2
| title1 = Wrote for Luck
| note1 = 7" version
| length1 = 3:43
| title2 = Hallelujah
| note2 = Club Mix
| length2 = 6:28
| title3 = Wrote for Luck
| note3 = 12" version
| length3 = 5:42
| title4 = Hallelujah
| note4 = [[Steve Lillywhite|MacColl Mix]]
| length4 = 2:40
| title5 = Lazyitis (One Armed Boxer)
| note5 = featuring Karl Denver
| length5 = 3:53
| title6 = WFL
| note6 = Think About the Future
| length6 = 7:12
| title7 = Hallelujah
| note7 = 12" version
| length7 = 6:21
| title8 = Kilamenjaro
| note8 = aka 'Rave On'
| length8 = 6:17
| title9 = WFL
| note9 = Vince Clarke 12" mix
| length9 = 6:12
| title10 = Hallelujah
| note10 = Deadstock Mix
| length10 = 7:51
| total_length =
}}

==Credits==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-5}}
{{col-2}}
'''Happy Mondays'''
''Happy Mondays''<ref group="nb">The band members' instruments are not credited in the album's liner notes. Their primary instruments are listed based on their accounts of the album's recording and their ''de facto'' primary roles in the group.</ref>{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}
* [[Shaun Ryder]] – vocals
* [[Shaun Ryder]]
* Paul Ryder
* Mark Day
* [[Paul Ryder|Paul "Horse" Ryder]] – bass
* Paul Davis
* [[Mark Day (guitarist)|Mark "Cow" Day]] – guitar
* Gary Whelan
* [[Paul Davis (keyboardist)|Paul Davis]] – keyboards
* [[Gary Whelan (drummer)|Gary Whelan]] – drums
* [[Bez (dancer)|Mark "Bez" Berry]]

* [[Bez (dancer)|Mark "Bez" Berry]] – Bez
'''Additional musicians'''
{{col-5}}
'''Recording and production'''{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}
* Recorded in August 1988 at the Slaughterhouse, [[Driffield|Great Driffeld]], East Yorkshire.
* Overdubs and vocal tracking recorded at the [[Strawberry Studios]], [[Stockport]], Greater Manchester.
* Mixed in September 1988 at [[Strawberry Studios]], Stockport, Greater Manchester.
{{col-5}}
'''Technical personnel'''{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}
* The Slaughterhouse
* Colin Richardson
* John Spence
* John Pennington
* Strawberry
* Laurence Diana
{{col-5}}
'''Additional musicians'''{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}<ref group="nb">The additional members who took part in the recording sessions are not credited in the album's liner notes. They are listed based on the band members' and producers' accounts of the sessions.</ref>
* Dave Hassell – percussion
* Dave Hassell – percussion
* [[Stephen Hopkins (musician)|Steve Hopkins]] – piano
* [[Stephen Hopkins (musician)|Steve Hopkins]] – piano
* Horseman – banjo
* Derek "Horseman" Ryder – banjo
{{col-5}}
{{col-2}}
'''Production and design'''
'''Artwork'''{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}
* [[Martin Hannett]] – producer
* [[Central Station Design]]
* Colin Richardson – engineer
* Nylon Weatherproof BP Oil
* John Spence – engineer
* Laurence Diana – engineer
* [[Central Station Design]] – artwork
{{col-end}}
{{col-end}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=nb}}


==References==
==References==
'''Citations'''
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{reflist}}

'''Sources'''
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Middles|first=Mick|title=Shaun Ryder: Happy Mondays, Black Grape & Other Traumas|date=1997|publisher=Independent Music Press|location=London|isbn=1-897783-11-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Spence|first=Simon|title=Happy Mondays – Excess All Areas: A Biography|date=2015|publisher=[[The Quarto Group|Aurum Press]]|location=London|isbn=978-1-78131-499-9|edition=paperback}}
* {{cite book|last=Wiseman-Trouse|first=N.|title=Performing Class in British Popular Music|date=2008|publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]]|isbn=9780230594975}}
{{refend}}


==External links==
==External links==
<!-- These are licensed streams for the album, which are allowed under Wikipedia polices -->
<!-- This is a licensed stream for the album, which is allowed under Wikipedia polices -->
*[https://archive.is/20130416115212/http://www.radio3net.ro/dbartists/supersearch/QnVtbWVk/Bummed ''Bummed''] ([[Adobe Flash]]) at [[Radio3Net]] (streamed copy where licensed)
* [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1xm0HhIaKcGtst_-l_HmlvuAD1MTLXZM ''Bummed''] (collector's edition) at [[YouTube]] (streamed copy where licensed)
*[https://www.myspace.com/happymondays-45776675/music/albums/bummed-16452557 ''Bummed''] ([[Adobe Flash]]) at [[Myspace]] (streamed copy where licensed)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050418124641/http://stylusmagazine.com/feature.php?ID=461 Review] from [[Stylus Magazine]]


{{Happy Mondays}}
{{Happy Mondays}}
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[[Category:1988 albums]]
[[Category:1988 albums]]
[[Category:Happy Mondays albums]]
[[Category:Happy Mondays albums]]
[[Category:Madchester]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Martin Hannett]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Martin Hannett]]
[[Category:Factory Records albums]]
[[Category:Factory Records albums]]

Revision as of 09:23, 5 October 2021

Bummed
A painting of a man's face, with purple skin, yellow eyelids and blue eyebrows
Studio album by
Happy Mondays
Released5 November 1988
RecordedAugust 1988
Studio
  • The Slaughterhouse, Driffield
  • Strawberry, Stockport
Genre
Length37:27
LabelFactory
ProducerMartin Hannett
Happy Mondays chronology
Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)
(1987) 		Bummed
(1988) 		Madchester Rave On
(1989)
Singles from Bummed
  1. "Wrote for Luck"
    Released: 31 October 1988
  2. "Lazyitis – One Armed Boxer"
    Released: 6 May 1989

Bummed is the second studio album by English rock band Happy Mondays, released in November 1988 on Factory Records. Produced by Martin Hannett, the album was recorded over six weeks in The Slaughterhouse at Driffield. The sessions were noted for heavy drug use by the band and Hannett, particularly the rave drug ecstasy.

The album has received praise from critics at the time, and songs from the album became successful remixes during the Madchester era, including "Mad Cyril" and "Wrote for Luck."

Background

Happy Mondays released their debut studio album Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) in April 1987 through Factory Records.[1] The album had to be reissued due to the track "Desmond" sharing the same melody with "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" (1968) by the Beatles. They were threatened with legal action over this; it was replaced on subsequent copies with the hastily-recorded "24 Hour Party People". During the session for it, the band also worked on several new tracks for their next album.[2] The lead single from Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out), "Tart Tart", earned Happy Mondays national exposure for the first time when its music video was played on Channel 4's The Chart Show.[3]

In the first half of 1987 (between recording and release of their debut), Factory A&R member and DJ Mike Pickering was introducing house music at the label's Haçienda club.[4] The members of Happy Mondays would visit the venue to immerse themselves in Pickering's selections. It would prove to have an influence on the members, as it served as a bridge between the music they heard in their heads and what they wrote.[5] The band at this point did not fit into any particular music scene; grebo was establishing itself, a new wave of gothic rock was being ushered in, and American indie bands were rising to prominence.[6] In October 1987, the band embarked on their first headlining of the United Kingdom, which saw the debut of new songs "Fat Lady Wrestlers" and "Moving in With".[7]

Shortly before Christmas 1987, Happy Mondays dancer Bez was introduced to the rave drug ecstasy, and quickly introduced it to the other members.[8] Frontman Shaun Ryder grew tired of their manager Phil Saxe, wanting someone who was more in tune with the scene at the Haçienda.[9] In early 1988, Saxe left his role, citing that he could not devote enough time to them.[10] He was replaced by Nathan McGough, who took on the role full-time, at his suggestion; McGough had been a member of Factory bands the Royal Family and the Poor, and previously managed Factory act Kalima.[11] McGough's first measure was getting the band legally signed to Factory, who had no formal contracts with their artists up to that point.[12] Around this time, the members had a lucrative business selling ecstasy; through various people, they had accumulated 15,000 pills of the drug.[13] In his biography of the band, Happy Mondays – Excess All Areas: A Biography, author Simon Spence wrote that the band "set the tone for their generation, as they became the iconic face of the Ecstasy era".[14]

Recording and production

McGough organized for Happy Mondays to record demos of their new material at Out of the Blue studio in Ancoats.[15] Factory became aware that the band were known around London as being a difficult act to record with, not helped by the poor reception to the production of their debut album.[16] Ryder was impressed with the self-produced material at Out of the Blue and asked if they could self-produce their next album, only to be told that they need a known, popular producer.[17] Factory director Alan Erasmus suggested Martin Hannett; he worked with the label in their early years and split following the construction of the Haçienda, which he was opposed to.[16][17] McGough liked the idea of having Hannett, as did Ryder, who learned of him through New Order frontman Bernard Sumner. Wilson was hesitant about the idea, before realising it would work well for both Hannett and the band.[18] Hannett had been struggling financially at the time, stemming from a prior lawsuit with Factory.[19]

Bassist Paul Ryder and drummer Gary Whelan drove to pick Hannett up from Chorlton to take him to the studio.[19] Happy Mondays and Hannett decamped to Strawberry Studios in Stockport to record demos; however, Hannett and the members instead spent recording time in separate pubs.[20] Bummed was recorded in August 1988 at The Slaughterhouse in Driffield with engineers Colin Richarson and John Spence.[21] It was a residential studio with a state-of-the-art 36-track recording console.[19] The location was picked as it was a large distance from the Haçienda, in an attempt to cut Happy Mondays from their ecstasy supply.[22] Upon arriving, they found that the living quarters had no food and the rooms were astray. They instead lived at a terrace house that previously contained the studio. Hannett stayed at another house in the nearby town, which allowed for visits from his family.[23]

Within two days of visiting a local pub, the band were made aware of a near-by army base, where they befriended various personnel. The band started selling the servicemen ecstasy; rave culture subsequently broke out at the pub, which caught the attention of local press.[22] Describing the drug's impact on the recording, McGough recollected: "There was a lot of ecstasy taken on a daily basis during the making of Bummed, we took two hundred E with us but they ran out after ten days so I had to go back to Manchester and collect another hundred. Bummed is definitely an E album, perhaps the first full album ever made on that drug".[24] Bez was arrested while in Manchester for stealing a car and possessing marijuana. He also had 500 ecstasy pills, but the police were not aware of what they were at the time; he had to sit out of the remainder of the sessions.[25] Ryder also noted the influence of LSD on the sessions.[24] The band provided the alcoholic Hannett with large amounts of ecstasy to keep him from drinking during the recording.[26] Hannett would have the band perform the songs over and over for several hours at a time, and as such, would record the majority of the album live.[23]

Due to his previous experience as a bass player, Hannett spent time alone with Paul Ryder working on a specific sound.[23] Hannett ran the instrument through a multitude of digital filters, time modulation and effects pedals.[27] In addition to using his own guitar on the album, guitarist Mark Day used one of Hannett's. Aware of Hannett's financial issues, Shaun Ryder bought the guitar from him for £300.[28] On one occasion, Wilson visited the band during the sessions. Upon entering the studio, he found it dark and filled with smoke, as the floor was completely covered in house records.[29] Wils brought with him a film crew to shoot part of the sessions for a TV programme he was involved in about working environments.[30] As the band returned to Manchester, Hannett continued experimenting with the master tapes at Strawberry Studios, with engineer Laurence Diana.[21][31] He brought in additional musicians to enhance the tracks: percussion from drum teacher Dave Hassell, piano from his friend Steve Hopkins, and banjo from Derek "Horseman" Ryder (father of Shaun and Paul Ryder).[31] Hannett saturated the recordings in effects such as reverb and echo.[26] The sessions lasted for three weeks in total, costing £50,000; the final recordings were mixed at Strawberry Studios in September 1988.[21][32][33]

Composition and lyrics

Musically, the sound of Bummed has been described as Madchester and psychedelic funk.[34][35] Ryder said it had a fuller sound when compared to Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out), building off the progression from "24 Hour Party People".[36][14] Referring to the origin of the album's name, Whelan recalled that "'Bummed', was a saying at the time. Shaun used to say he was out all night and he bummed her all night long, a slang word for sex. I didn't even know what the album was called until it came out."[37] Ryder said he used the term for the album intentionally to be "offensive and we thought loads of people would take it the wrong way".[38] In his biography of the band, Shaun Ryder: Happy Mondays, Black Grape & Other Traumas, author Mick Middles said the public overlooked its intent, theorising that it could be used in varying contexts: "from the more obvious cadging (e.g. he bummed a fag from his mate) to scrounging a room for the night (e.g. he bummed a carpet)".[39] The 1970 film Performance became a big influence on the band, with Ryder directly lifting lines of dialogues for lyrics, or being inspired by some of the scenes in it. He would mix in slang words he had heard while shifting ecstasy.[14]

The album opens with "Country Song", which was originally known as "Some Cunt from Preston", acting as rhyming slang for country and western. John Wilde of Melody Maker described it as "the world's first psycho-reggae-country-western number".[40] An earlier version of "Moving in With" was recorded during the same session as "24 Hour Party People". With the song, Paul Ryder attempted to emulate the bass part in "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" (1983) by Talking Heads. Whelan's drum part was inspired by the one in "Running Up That Hill" (1985) by Kate Bush. Shaun Ryder's lyrics were influenced by the folk tale Henny Penny, and namechecks several of its characters.[41] "Mad Cyril" includes a sample of the character Harry Flowers from Performance.[26] "Performance" is written from the perspective of Chas, a character from the film of the same name.[26]

With "Wrote for Luck", the band tried to write a song that could be played at the Haçienda. Paul Ryder unsuccessfully tried to play sequenced basslines, which he heard in the Chicago house music that Pickering was playing at the club, on his bass guitar. Keyboardist Paul Davis tried to play the synth part from "Two Tribes" (1984) by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, while Whelan had ago at emulating "Running Up That Hill" again.[14] Day later contributed his guitar part, while Shaun Ryder added the song's hook, "Higher than high high", based on his mental state at the time.[9] It marked the first time Ryder attempted to write a song about the same topic, namely a heroin drug deal gone wrong. One of its lines is dialogue directly taken from the film Stardust (1974).[32] Ryder said "Bring a Friend" is the closest track to a love song on the album, with many of its lines taken from a pornographic magazine he had read while in Amsterdam.[36] "Do It Better" was initially called "E"; it is centred around a guitar part and Ryder ad-libbing around the phrase "on one", which referred to being high on ecstasy.[14] The album's closing track "Lazy Itis" has Can-esque drumming patterns.[26] Its title phrase was a word the Ryders' grandmother used to say.[32]

Release

In October 1988, Happy Mondays supported James on their tour of the UK. At the end of it, "Wrote for Luck" was released as the lead single from their forthcoming album on 31 October 1988.[42] "Boom" and three remixes (dance, radio and club mixes) of "Wrote for Luck" were included as its B-sides.[43] The music video for "Wrote for Luck" was filmed by The Bailey Brothers in the middle of the October 1988 tour.[44] They decided to shoot the band enjoying a night out at the Legend club in Manchester, which was a rival to the Haçienda.[45] The cover art sees an image of Ryder's face painted over in garish colours, which Central Station Design did as part of a series of celebrity shots done in the same way. The album's inner sleeve featured two images of a naked woman, both of which were taken from a pornographic magazine. As a result of this imagery, retailers refused to stock the album; its Japanese release was delayed due to the image resulting in copies being confiscated at customs.[37] In addition, it received a negative reaction from journalists, such as Penny Anderson of City Life and Mandi James of NME, the latter of whom called the band "sexist wankers" for the decision.[46]

Concerned about people stealing promotional posters, as they had done previously for New Order gig posters, Factory decided to purchase a building and have it plastered with posters of the album's artwork.[47] Located on Charles Street, it was noticed by various workers traveling in the southern part of Manchester. Middles said the landmark could be viewed as the first "identifiable symbol of Manchester dance culture" and Madchester as a whole.[38] Following this, the band played four headlining shows across November and December 1988, closing the year with a support slot for New Order at the G-Mex centre.[48] Happy Mondays played "Performance" and "Do It Better", both of which Ryder picked, for Wilson's TV programme The Other Side of Midnight.[49] A launch party for the album was held on 28 November 1989 at the Heaven club in London.[50] In early 1999, the band signed a publishing deal with FFRR Music; around this time, the band signed a contract with American label Elektra Records.[51] The latter was impressed by the "Wrote for Luck" video, and Wilson's sales pitch. Factory also had smaller deals with labels in Europe, such as Rough Trade Records in Germany.[52]

Preceded by two UK shows, Happy Mondays embarked on on a stint in mainland Europe in January and February 1989.[53] As the band had ran out of money by the tour's end, a few shows were quickly arranged afterwards so that they had enough funds to return home.[52] A London show soon followed, where the members met Elektra A&R representative Howard Thompson.[54] On 21 February 1989, the band did a Peel session, where they played "Mad Cyril" and "Do It Better". Following this, the band went on a UK tour until mid-March 1989. They supported the Shamen for two dates in Ireland, before supporting My Bloody Valentine for three shows in France.[53] Prior to the Ireland shows, Bez was arrested by his father, who was cop, by violating his bail conditions set during the making of Bummed. Bez's role was filled in by Andrew McKean, who previously worked with Saxe; Bez returned for the My Bloody Valentine shows.[55]

Happy Mondays played three UK shows in May 1989, coinciding with the single release of "Lazy Itis" on 6 May 1989.[56] The single iteration is dubbed "Lazyitis – One Armed Boxer"; its B-side is a remix of "Mad Cyril".[57] The former is a duet between Ryder and yodeller Karl Denver, which was intended as a theme song for an unrealised film by The Bailey Brothers. For this version, Ryder decided to include lyrics from "Gonna Make You a Star" (1974) by David Essex. The song's music video was filmed a month prior at the Mancunian Way flyover with the band and Denver.[58] It stars the band in Strangeways prison attire, playing football while their friend Big Les walked around them with a dog. As The Baily Brothers wanted to include rain in it, they hired a rain machine; filming concluded when Denver was unable to continue mouthing the words due to his teeth chattering from the cold.[59] Ryder and Bez flew to New York City, spending two days there drumming up publicity for a forthcoming tour.[60]

Happy Mondays appeared on the final episode of The Other Side of Midnight, where they performed "Mad Cyril" (changing the lyrics to reference Wilson) and "Wrote for Luck".[61] In July and August 1989, the band toured across the Canada and the US supporting labelmates Pixies.[56] Around this time, Bummed was released in North America as "Wrote for Luck" was gaining traction at radio stations.[62] In an attempt to boost the album's reach in the UK, McGough suggested making a club mix for one of its tracks. He was put in contact with Pete Tong at FFRR, who connected McGough with Paul Oakenfold. Bez had previously spent the last six months convincing the band to work with him.[63] McGough quizzed the members on who else they wanted as a remixer, with Paul Ryder suggesting Vince Clarke of Erasure.[64] Oakenfold played white label copies of his remix at various clubs, all to positive reception from the crowds.[62] "Wrote for Luck" – now retitled "W.F.L." – was reissued in September 1989; it included Clarke and Oakenfold remixes of the title track, with "Lazyitis – One Armed Boxer" as its B-side.[56][65]

It was included Rhino Records' Original Album Series box set in 2013, which collected the band's first four studio albums.[66]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[35]
Chicago Tribune[67]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[68]
The Guardian[26]
Mojo[69]
NME9/10[70]
Q[71]

Q magazine awarded Bummed three stars out of five. The album, wrote Martin Aston, "continues the band's warped version of Northern Soul rhythms, with stabbing guitars and Hammond organs, wayward sequencers, a dislocated rhythm section and surly sardonic vocalist ... [The] only real failing is its lack of versatility, but it's Happy Mondays' stroppy spirit that counts most of all."[71] AllMusic praised Hannett's production as "all smeared colors and harsh edges," and wrote that "decadence has rarely sounded as dangerous as it did in the hands of the Mondays and this is where they reveled in that debauchery, pumping out stiff psychedelic funk as Ryder spat out rhymes of luck, lazyitis and fat lady wrestlers."[35]

Factory saw the album's initial sales as highly disappointing, though they were not concerned due a large cashflow injection from the sales of New Order's Substance (1997) a year prior.[72] By early 1989, album sales rose to 15,000 copies sold.[63] Due to the success of the remixed "Wrote for Luck", the album's sales rose to the point where it was certified gold in the UK.[73] Spence said "Wrote for Luck" became the defining track of the era.[14] In 2006, Q placed the album at #18 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".[74] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[75]

Track listing

All songs written by Happy Mondays, except "Lazy Itis" by Happy Mondays and Lennon–McCartney.[21]

No.TitleLength
1."Country Song"3:24
2."Moving in With"3:36
3."Mad Cyril"4:36
4."Fat Lady Wrestlers"3:25
5."Performance"4:09
6."Brain Dead"3:10
7."Wrote for Luck"6:05
8."Bring a Friend"3:45
9."Do It Better"2:29
10."Lazy Itis"2:48
Total length:37:27

Personnel

Personnel per sleeve.[21]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Squirrel & G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile - Happy Mondays | Release Info". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  2. ^ Spence 2015, p. 108
  3. ^ Spence 2015, p. 101
  4. ^ Middles 1997, p. 63
  5. ^ Middles 1997, p. 64
  6. ^ Spence 2015, p. 102
  7. ^ Spence 2015, pp. 112–3, 313
  8. ^ Spence 2015, p. 121
  9. ^ a b Spence 2015, p. 126
  10. ^ Middles 1997, p. 68
  11. ^ Middles 1997, pp. 68, 69
  12. ^ Middles 1997, p. 70
  13. ^ Spence 2015, p. 124
  14. ^ a b c d e f Spence 2015, p. 125
  15. ^ Spence 2015, p. 130
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Sources

External links

  • Bummed (collector's edition) at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)
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