Factory

On 19 May 1978, the TV presenter Anthony H. Wilson started The Factory, a series of club nights at the PSV/Russel Club in Hulme. Among the bands billed for the 4 opening nights were The Durutti Column, Cabaret Voltaire, and Joy Division. The poster for the evenings was designed by Peter Saville (2), who soon became a partner of Wilson and Erasmus. In October 1979, producer Martin Hannett joined as a director too, followed in 1980 by Rob Gretton (manager of Joy Division & New Order) as fifth partner.

The club night was a success and led to the release of the double 7" EP "A Factory Sample" in January 1979. This EP marked the beginnings of Factory (or Factory Records (5)) as a record label and featured bands that played at The Factory. When Wilson told Saville that their EP would be FAC 1, Saville replied that his first poster for the club was FAC 1 and the EP would be FAC 2.

Factory set up its headquarters in Erasmus' flat on Palatine Road, Didsbury where it resided until 1990. Factory Communications Ltd. (FCL) was officially established on October, 24 1980.

In October 1989 Factory launches the Classical label to, according to Wilson "wrest the reins of classical music away from middle-class wankers in dinner suits". Among the first acts are Kreisler String Orchestra and Steve Martland.

In September 1991, news leaked out that Factory was near to bankruptcy and some record companies, including Mute, London Records, and Warner Bros. Records, made bids on the label. The label was not sold though, and claimed it had sorted out its finances. This proved not to be the case, and on "Black Monday", 23 November 1992, Factory Records went into receivership with a £2.5 million debt. A last minute saving arrangement with London Records collapsed when it became clear that, thanks to their no-contract deal, New Order —and not Factory— owned the rights to their material.

Factory constructed its own history by cataloguing not only records, cassettes and videos, but also important events, posters, badges, TV programmes, concerts, T-shirts, buildings, stationery, advertising campaigns etc. For example, in 1982, when Hannett left Factory and sued the label over disputed royalties, the lawsuit was duly catalogued as FAC 61.

Factory pioneered indie label principles such as the 50/50 profit share, and most of their record deals (until the later years of the label) were done with a handshake and not a contract.

After the bankruptcy, Wilson would occasionally allocate FAC numbers for special Factory-related projects and events.

In 1994, Wilson launched a new label, Factory Too, with some releases coming out in conjunction with London Records. He also released a series of anthologies and re-releases from the Factory back-catalogue via London under the name Factory Once. He then started the label Factory Records Limited but this time without a cooperation with London. All imprints quietly disappeared around 1998. This was followed by a short-lived digital download project called "music33.com". In December 2004, Wilson announced that he was launching the "fourth iteration of the Factory imprint", F4 Records, again failing to amount to much.

A dramatised history of Factory Records is portrayed in the movie "24 Hour Party People" (2002, FAC 451).

Tony Wilson's life ended, aged 57, on 10 August 2007, from a heart attack. He was buried in Southern Cemetery. His coffin was apparently numbered FAC 501.

NOTE:
- Many titles from the original Factory catalogue have been reissued by the LTM Publishing (Les Temps Modernes) label.
- The label has been known on releases under slightly differing names: starting as "Factory", then "Factory Records", "Factory Communications Ltd.", and even later back to just "Factory" again.

Non musical items with catalogue numbers:
FAC 1: Poster - Use Hearing Protection / The Factory
FAC 3: Poster - The Factory October 20th
FAC 4: Poster - The Factory December
FAC 7: Stationary
FAC 8: Menstrual Eggtimer (by Linder Sterling) - unrealised concept
FAC 9: The Factory Flick - 8mm film shown at Scala Cinema, London on 13/09/79
FAC 15: Zoo Meets Factory Halfway - Leigh Festival from 25 to 27/08/79. Leigh being midpoint between Zoo's home Liverpool and Manchester. Also Saville designed poster
FAC 21: Logo + Badges - F logo
FAC 26: Steve Horsfall poster "La nouvelle musique anglais" for a (cancelled) concert in Paris
FAC 27: Alternative sleeve design for FAC 17 (unused)
FAC 36: Joy Divison, Closer advertising in USA
FAC 38: Below The Canal (unreleased A Certain Ratio video project)
FAC 46: A Video Circus - Event and Saville designed poster
FAC 47: The Factory Communications Limited logo
FAC 51: The Hacienda club, Whitworth Street West. Various merchandise articles also carry that number. Opened May 1982, closed in 2000, demolished 2001 and converted into appartments
FAC 61: Law suite - Factory vs. Martin Hannett
FAC 76: Jazz Defektors, The Movie (unreleased video project)
FAC 81: The Factory International Congress, held in September 1983
FAC 83: Hacienda 1st birthday party and poster
FAC 91: Facsoft Computer programme (unreleased)
FAC 94: Logo + badges - F Dot logo
FAC 98: SWING hairdressers (in basement of the Hacienda)
FAC 99: Molar reconstruction of Rob Gretton
FAC 101: Factory Lofts (unrealised)
FAC 104: Madonna Inter Alia - The Tube broadcasts from the Hacienda
FAC 109: Caroline Lavelle - Untitled and undone
FAC 115: Second generation notepaper
FAC 120: Logo + badges - Factory silhouette
FAC 121: From Factory - A Series Of London Premieres. Factory Week 13 to 18/08/84 at Riverside Studios Hammersmith: Concerts, Videos, Saville design and Swing hairdressers
FAC 126: Event + Poster - Alan (Erasmus) Goes To Moscow
FAC 131: Poster: It's Not Just Low-Life... who record for Factory - "The Album Collection 84/85 From Factory By Way Of Rough Trade/The Cartel"
FAC 136: Factory Gaffer Tape
FAC 141: Stationary with 3rd generation logo
FAC 145: Christmas 1985 card
FAC 148: Styal Mill water bucket
FAC 149: Little Big Band - Aborted project
FAC 151: Festival Of The Tenth Summer (also book, cards, badges, poster, flyer, installations, t-shirts)
FAC 152: T-Shirt - From Manchester With Love
FAC 159: Fac Facts - Bi-monthly news bulletin with short band bio's and discographies
FAC 161: Deal with London based "Out Promotion" of Nicky Kefalas to promote Factory releases
FAC 171: "Compact" - US release of FACT 50 celebration with video/sculpture at White Columns Art Gallery on 30/09/86. Also poster and Invitation card with number.
FAC 173: Robert Longo video shoot of New Order's Bizarre Love Triangle
FAC 174: Durutti Column press pack
FAC 175: Christmas 1986 card
FAC 181: Mad Fuckers (aborted Bailey Brothers movie project)
FAC 186: Festival Of The Tenth Summer (unrealised album and video concept)
FAC 191: The Hacienda cat
FAC 199: Bums For BPI - Promo poster for FAC 198 as tactical campaign against the BPI
FAC 201: Dry Bar, 28-30 Oldham Street. Also various merchandising articles carrying that number
FAC 202: Dream Flight Balloons - for 1987 British Airways charity event at Hyde Park
FAC 203: 12 Inches Of New Order - ruler
FAC 208: "Disorder" party in the Hacienda basement after a New Order and Happy Mondays gig at the G-Mex on 17/12/88. Also referred to NO/HM party in Real World Studios, Bath
FAC 209: Happy Mondays, Wrote For Luck film shoot
FAC 211: Joy Division, Wired - 18 minute Channel 4 documentary about FACT 250 release on 01/07/88. Also: Unrealised concept "Book Of Numbers"
FAC 215: Vin d'Usine blanc: Hacienda house wine with labels designed by Peter Saville
FAC 216: Vin d'Usine rouge: Hacienda house wine with labels designed by Peter Saville
FAC 221: Factory contract binder: 12"x12" plates of perspex and 4 metal bolts to hold the contracts, designed by 8vo
FAC 227: Fred Fac: 4-part catalogue in NME by Fred Dellar
FAC 229: Music Week Factorial: 24 page book in 'Music Week' 15/07/89 celebrating 10 years of Factory
FAC 231: Yo John! Factory ad inside 'Music Week' for John Peel's 50th birthday
FAC 233: Joy Division/New Order accounts
FAC 235: Christmas 1988, Robert Breer's Blue Monday flickbook
FAC 237: New Order, Here Are The Old Men (unrealised video project)
FAC 238: Citius, Altius, Fortius - Hacienda shirt to celebrate Manchester's bid for the 1996 Olympics
FAC 239: Halcyon Daze, Happy Mondays fanzines
FAC 240: The Factory wallplanner
FAC 241: T-shirt - Just Say No To London
FAC 243: Steve Mason's Technique cherub
FAC 245: Christmas 1989: Pictures From Madchester
FAC 248: On DAT already, On CD at last - Full page ad in 'NME' and 'Music Week' for FACD 40, 170 and DAT back catalogue
FAC 251: New Factory HQ, Charles Street. Acquired 10/88, opened 29/09/90, closed 11/92. Also various items and events. Re-opened 2010 as club/live venue by Peter Hook
FAC 253: Bet between Tony Wilson and Rob Gretton on Technique going into the Top 5 or Wilson resigns. Neither happened.
FAC 254: Durutti Column, Guitar One:House (unrealised album concept)
FAC 258: T-shirt - Fac Off
FAC 259: 1990 Christmas party for Factory, Hacienda and Dry staff
FAC 261: T-shirt - Madchester, designed by Central Sation Design
FAC 264: Durutti Column, Guitar Two:Acoustic (unrealised album concept)
FAC 265: From Manchester With Love - Heart shaped image with Stars and Stripes used on info sheets, shirts and banners during the New Music Seminar July 1990. Also used for the Hacienda's trans-American tour 'The United States Of The Hacienda', June-July 1990.
FAC 270: Our Dance Days (unrealised album concept)
FAC 271: New Order, Technique billboards and TV ads
FAC 277: Joy Division, Substance Video (unreleased video)
FAC 281: Prenez Votre Desirs - Factory memorabilia store at Affleck's Palace, Oldham St.
FAC 282: Flowers for Horse's (of Happy Mondays) wedding
FAC 283: T-shirt - EnglandNewOrder, Express Yourself
FAC 286: Classical Showcase - Launch of FACT 316 to 356 at London's Bloomsbury Theatre (29-31/10/90).
FAC 288: T-shirt - Shaun On One
FAC 291: Factory Classical notepaper
FAC 292: Shaun Ryder, Colours (unrealised single concept)
FAC 294: Durutti Column, Jazz FM radio advert
FAC 295: Christmas 1990, photo-print of new Factory HQ
FAC 299: T-shirt - New Factory logo
FAC 301: Think About The Future conference at Sheffield (July 1990), with notepads and serviettes
FAC 309: T-shirt - Hi Nek (unrealised concept)
FAC 311: Fourth generation notepaper
FAC 315: Cath Carroll, England Made Me promo package
FAC 317: Cath Carroll, England Made Me badge
FAC 318: Flying Start - Factory artwork exhibition stand. Number also applied to classical event at Manchester
FAC 321: Jonathan Demme/New Order, The Perfect Kiss video shoot
FAC 331: The Temporary Contemporary - Andy Woodcock designed Factory boardroom table - broken by Happy Mondays
FAC 339: MTV 120 Minutes feature on Factory (January 1992)
FAC 342: Happy Mondays, Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches album launch - Meal organized by Factory/London at London Zoo Aquarium
FAC 345: Christmas - Love and Peace/1991-1992
FAC 351: Jon Savage, The Hacienda Must be Built! book
FAC 352: Happy Mondays, Staying Alive (unreleased single concept)
FAC 354: Palatine celebrations
FAC 383: The Vikings - New Order fan collective
FAC 413: Jack magazine issues January and Februray 2003 with special on Factory
FAC 421: Factory Website
FAC 424: Anthony H. Wilson, 24 Hour Party People book and also movie DVD
FAC 433: 24 Hour Party People movie website
FAC 441: World In Motion Website
FAC 451: Number shared between Love Will Tear Us Apart Hacienda video documentary and 24 Hour Party People Hacienda reconstruction and party
FAC 461: Matthew Robertson, Factory Records - The Complete Graphic Album book
FAC 471: Hallelujah, HOT and New Year parties
FAC 473: 10-foot free-standing fiberglass Gibson Les Paul with colour code along guitar neck, signed by New Order
FAC 481: Building magazine issue January 2006, with Wilson feature
FAC 491: The Hacienda 25th anniversary exhibition at Urbis (2007)
FAC 501: Anthony Wilson's coffin (apparently)
FAC 511: And You Forgotten - Rob Gretton Special (event, booklet, posters)