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Shadowplayers: The Rise & Fall of Factory Records Hardcover – July 9, 2010

by James Nice (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 48 ratings
Based on both archives and contemporary sources, this is the full story of Factory's heroic struggles; its complex web of inventive, idiosyncratic, and tragic personalities; and ultimately, the acclaimed and much-loved music it produced In 1978, when a "Factory for Sale" sign gave Alan Erasmus and Tony Wilson a name for their fledgling Manchester club night, they couldn't have known it would be the launch of one of the most significant musical and cultural legacies of the late 20th century. The club's electrifying live scene soon translated to vinyl, and Factory Records went on to become the most innovative and celebrated record label of the next 30 years. Factory introduced the listening public to bands such as Joy Division, whose Unknown Pleasures was the label's first album release, New Order, Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays. Propelled onwards by cultural entrepreneur Tony Wilson, Factory always sought new ways to energize the popular consciousness, such as the infamous Hacienda nightclub, which enjoyed a checkered 15-year history after opening in 1982. Factory's reputation as a cultural hub was also bolstered by its fierce commitment to its own visual identity, achieved through the iconic sleeve designs and campaigning artwork of Peter Saville. However, the lofty reputation of Factory's artistic ventures only sporadically translated into commercial success, and when London Records pulled out of a 1992 takeover bid because of the absence of contracts, the fate of Factory Communications Ltd. was sealed. But the label's downfall has done nothing to quell interest in the Factory legend, as films such as 24-Hour Party People and Control attest. Despite this perennial interest, the definitive, authentic story of Factory Records has never been told until now. This is the most complete, authoritative, and thoroughly researched account of how a group of provincial anarchists and entrepreneurs saw off bankers, journalists, and gun-toting gangsters to create the most influential record label of modern times.
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  1. Print length
    432 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Aurum Press
  4. Publication date
    July 9, 2010
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.9 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1845135407
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1845135409
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Nice is an author, journalist, and record-label owner. He once worked for Factory Benelux and now administers much of the former Factory catalogue.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Aurum Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 9, 2010
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ hardcover
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1845135407
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1845135409
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.9 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.9 x 8 inches
  • Best Sellers Rank: #12,223,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 48 ratings

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
48 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

  • thediamondsea
    5.0 out of 5 stars REALLY WELL WRITTEN, Informative, Entertaining, and Complete
    Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I read a lot of pop music histories/memoirs/biographies, and most are obviously rush jobs thrown together by busy journalists who lack the time or inclination to edit their work, with crappy punctuation and obvious mistakes and misquotes. The Brits are often the worst offenders: I don't know why, among other things, they render American voices into British slang--or why they love run on sentences and comma splices. Also, this genre of books usually employs a lot of recycled quotations and offers little new information. That's okay, sometimes, but not when the book presents itself as serious or definitive.

    Maybe because I had low expectations, I was shocked by what a great book this is. Part of Factory's mystique will probably always lie in the web of obfuscation that Tony Wilson successfully spun around its creation, along with the confused and sad hagiography of Ian Curtis. This book doesn't claim to exactly set the record straight. Instead, I think its purpose is to tell the story of an interesting, complicated cultural phenomenon through the voices of as many of its creators and participants as possible--not just the Factory management team, a couple of superstar bands and Paul Morley, although of course they're all in here, too. The wealth of insight all of these smart, dedicated people have to offer about their experiences then and now is astonishing and entertaining as hell. Many of them are still active players in the cultural scene they helped create, and their continued commitment to their work may be the best argument for Factory's integrity and enduring legacy.

    The author writes witty prose to match the quality of his subject and his sources. He put time and love into this project, and it shows. Even if you don't care about Factory Records, you will probably enjoy this book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Nathan L Rodenbeck
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very Detailed
    Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Very detailed account of an idea that couldn't be sustained unfortunately. Highly recommended along with Peter Hooks great book The Hacienda:How Not to Run a Club.
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  • Lypo Suck
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive History
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2011
    Format: Hardcover
    If you are rabidly obsessed with Factory Records and much of its output, you absolutely need this book. James Nice (who runs LTM, a label known for its extensive reissues of classic Factory albums) offers an extremely thorough and well researched biography on Tony Wilson's horribly mismanaged but very well-intentioned, legendary Mancunian indie label. This should be viewed as the definitive history, as it's not colored by Wilson's penchant for propagating colorful myths over the true story (however mundane or embarrassing it may be). Nice's attention to every last detail is commendable, as are the extensive and revealing quotes and interviews. Nice delves deep into the darkest corners of the Factory catalog, taking care to cover the many obscure artists, like the Wake, Stockholm Monsters, Crispy Ambulance, and Swamp Children/Kalima, etc, and sheds lots of light on Factory's sister labels, Factory Benelux, Operation Twilight, and Les Disques du Crepuscule. So, it's not merely a run through of the career trajectories of Joy Division, New Order, Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays, although obviously these artists figure prominently in the label's narrative. We also get the dirt on the Hacienda nightclub, as well as Wilson's other attempt at influencing Manchester's urban environment and youth culture, Dry Bar. Nice's writing style is a bit on the dry side, but the book itself is quite readable, and I honestly couldn't put it down. Additionally, a wonderful visual companion to Nice's book is Factory Records: The Complete Graphic Album, which displays album cover art in chronological order for every one of Factory's releases. Get both and ignore all your friends and family while you hole up and immerse yourself in Factory's rich, wild history!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Gerard O'Doherty
    5.0 out of 5 stars Whither AE?
    Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2012
    Shadowplayers is a big book with a lot of words in it, but for me the key to the book - its central lacuna, if you will - is the fact that one of the Factory directors kept the faith and never spoke up. Fair play to the author for this definitive (and make no mistake, this be the book of the label) codex - but it was a company founded on mystique.

    And the man of mystery whose initials are A and E is the only one who retained that. Stay silent, Alan. It's poetic.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Slaz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Praxis makes perfect
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 24, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I've finally got round to reading this and I have to say it is the most thorough book about Factory that I've come across. Quite a dense read at over 500 pages but the effort pays off as James Nice's level of research is outstanding, and he isn't afraid to challenge a lot of the accepted stories/myths and opinions that have become part of Factory folklore (probably orchestrated by AHW himself!).

    It's good to get beneath some of the obvious events and people (AHW, Ian Curtis) that have already received a lot of analysis and gain an insight into enigmatic but crucial personalities like Saville, Erasmus, Gretton, Pickering and Hannett. Equally, it is illuminating understanding how the less well known Factory artists fared - and James Nice happily provides ample column space to really obscure/unsuccessful Factory artists (To Hell With Burgundy, Crawling Chaos..) as a counterpoint to the success of Joy Division/New Order and the Happy Mondays. It would have been easy to gloss over them as an irrelevance, but the story really comes to life with their inclusion.

    Well worth a read and a unique addition to the many books that are out there exploring the incredibly creative, influential and bizarre 13 year run of organised chaos that was Factory Records.
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  • S. Armstrong
    5.0 out of 5 stars Shining a light into the Shadows.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 13, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    A well-researched and level-headed history of a label and Actors too often shrouded in hype. Pretty much definitive and required reading for anyone interested in the Manchester music scene.
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  • D. Spratt
    5.0 out of 5 stars ... this as Christmas gift and it wasa hit an excellent read for those interested in the Manchester music scene ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Bought this as Christmas gift and it wasa hit an excellent read for those interested in the Manchester music scene - Madchester the home of Factory Records and some of the best music of the 80's
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  • Iain Stansfield
    5.0 out of 5 stars Blow up and spill it all out
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2010
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Extraordinary rigour and thoroughness. He covers everything, and with about equal weight, so that you learn as much about Section 25 and Kevin Hewick as you do about Happy Mondays, Joy Division, etc. In that respect it's a vivid reminder of just how much of Factory's output was utter tosh. One for the fans, devotees and the scholars.
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  • MK
    5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive story of an amazing creative experiment and the music and characters that drove ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2018
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    The definitive story of an amazing creative experiment and the music and characters that drove it - Factory Records, and it's off-shoots.
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