"Ceremony"
Single by New Order
Released	6 March 1981
Format	7", 12"
Genre	Post-punk
Length	4:34 [original], 4:23 [re-recorded]
Label	Factory Records
Producer	Martin Hannett, New Order
New Order singles chronology
"Ceremony" (1981) "Procession" (1981)

Ceremony is a song written by Ian Curtis, vocalist in the band Joy Division. After Curtis' suicide Joy Division reformed as New Order and they released Ceremony as their first song. Two Joy Division live recordings were released on separate compilation albums. New Order released the song as a single twice, first in March 1981 and then a different recording featuring new member Gillian Gilbert in September 1981. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... This article is about the alternative rock/electronic band New Order. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... A vinyl EP from Crop Circles. ... The 12-inch single gramophone record gained popularity with the advent of disco music in the 1970s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Post punk generally refers to the particularly fertile and creative period following the initial punk rock explosion. During the first wave of punk, roughly spanning 1976-1983, bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones and The Damned began to challenge the current styles and conventions of rock... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... FAC 115: Factory Records Stationery (1984) Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label, started in 1978 which featured several prominent musical acts, such as Joy Division, New Order, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, and (briefly) James and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Martin Hannett (May 31, 1948) – April 18, 1991 )), sometimes credited as Martin Zero, was an innovative record producer who helped develop Joy Division and co-founded Factory Records with Tony Wilson. ... This article is about the alternative rock/electronic band New Order. ... This article is about the alternative rock/electronic band New Order. ... Procession was the second single by British group New Order, released in September 1981 on 7 vinyl record. ... Ian Kevin Curtis (July 15, 1956 – May 18, 1980) was the vocalist and lyricist of the band Joy Division, which he helped form in 1977 in Manchester, England. ... This article is about the band. ... This article is about the alternative rock/electronic band New Order. ... Gillian Gilbert (born Gillian Lesley Gilbert, 27 January 1961 in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England) is a British musician, best known as a member of the Manchester band New Order and a founder member of The Other Two. ...

History

Joy Division recordings

Joy Division created the song, with lyrics written by Ian Curtis. There are two recorded versions of the song by Joy Division. The first available on the Still album is from their final concert at High Hall, Birmingham University on May 2nd 1980, 16 days before Curtis' suicide. The second available on the Heart and Soul 4 CD box set is from a rehearsal tape made in April/May 1980. In both recordings the vocals are partially inaudible. The song was brighter in tone than typical Joy Division songs and a departure from their earlier recordings. This article is about the band. ... Ian Kevin Curtis (July 15, 1956 – May 18, 1980) was the vocalist and lyricist of the band Joy Division, which he helped form in 1977 in Manchester, England. ... Still is a compilation album by Joy Division, consisting of rare songs along with a recording of their last ever performance which took place at High Hall Birmingham University on 2 May 1980. ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Heart and Soul is a Joy Division box set containing nearly every track the band recorded. ...

New Order

After the death of Ian Curtis the remaining three members of Joy Division renamed themselves New Order. Their first release was the single Ceremony. The two songs, "Ceremony" and "In a Lonely Place", were created by Joy Division and the New Order recordings were similar, except with Bernard Sumner singing the lyrics. Sumner said that he had to put the Ceremony rehearsal tape as sung by Curtis through a graphic equalizer in order to determine the lyrics.^[1] "Ceremony" is written in the key of C-major but has a duality of tone, with the second version being brighter, more typical of New Order. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In audio processing, equalization (EQ) is the process of modifying the frequency envelope of a sound. ...

March 1981 version

In March 1981, the first version of "Ceremony" was released on Factory Records (FAC 33). Martin Hannett (Joy Division's producer) produced the record. Peter Saville designed the sleeve graphics. Martin Hannett (May 31, 1948) – April 18, 1991 )), sometimes credited as Martin Zero, was an innovative record producer who helped develop Joy Division and co-founded Factory Records with Tony Wilson. ... Peter Saville (born 1955 in Manchester[1]) is an English graphic designer based in London. ...

The 7" record was issued in a stamped gold-bronze sleeve. The 12" sleeve was a completely separate design: typography on a green background.

September 1981 version

In September 1981, "Ceremony" was re-recorded. Gillian Gilbert played keyboards on the recording, just before she formally joined the group. Martin Hannett produced the record. The single was re-issued as a 12" only in September 1981 with the same catalogue number (FAC 33). Gillian Gilbert (born Gillian Lesley Gilbert, 27 January 1961 in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England) is a British musician, best known as a member of the Manchester band New Order and a founder member of The Other Two. ...

The sleeve (pictured) was changed to a light cream with a vertical blue stripe, though with the same motif and typography as the original 12" single. After supply of the re-designed sleeve ran out, copies of the originally-designed sleeve were re-used.^{[citation needed]} Accordingly, the two versions of the song were packaged indiscriminately in the original sleeve. However, the run-groove notation (phrases pressed onto the vinyl) differ according to the version. The original says "Watching love grow forever".^{[citation needed]} The re-recording says "This is why events unnerve me".^{[citation needed]} Both phrases are excerpts from the lyrics in "Ceremony".

There are significant differences in the recordings. The original is approximately 4:34 in length while the re-recording is 4:23. The original has a much more "Joy Division" sound, with throbbing bass, distorted guitar, spacey vocals, and solid drums also contributing a wash of cymbals.

In the re-recording the bass is diminished, cymbals restrained, and the vocals are "drier". The guitar has a sound typical of that used on the album Movement. Drum hits in the opening verse are dramatically panned in the mix. There is a greater contrast between verse and chorus, with the latter sections reaching some of the emotional pitch of the original.

The re-recorded version was used on all subsequent compilations until the 2005 compilation Singles. Singles is a compilation of New Orders singles from 1981-2005, released on October 3rd, 2005. ...

Re-issues

• It is featured in the Sofia Coppola film Marie Antoinette. It is also on the film's soundtrack.

Sofia Carmina Coppola (born May 14, 1971) is an American film director, actress, producer and Academy Award-winning screenwriter. ... Marie Antoinette is an American Academy Award-winning 2006 film written and directed by Sofia Coppola about the life of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France. ... Marie Antoinette is the soundtrack to the 2006 Sofia Coppola film of the same name. ...

Cover versions

The song has been covered by a number of artists, including Galaxie 500 (on their 1989 "Blue Thunder" EP) and Xiu Xiu (on their debut EP from 2002, Chapel of the Chimes). On November 9th, 2007, the band Radiohead covered the song on their "Thumbs Down" webcast. This article is about the American indie rock band. ... This article concerns Xiu Xiu, the California-based rock band. ... Chapel of the Chimes is a 2002 EP by Xiu Xiu. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... Radiohead are an English rock band. ... A webcast is a live media file distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology. ...

Tracklisting

UK 7" - FAC 33

1. "Ceremony" (4:34)
2. "In a Lonely Place" (4:35)

UK 12" - FAC 33

1. "Ceremony" (4:34)
2. "In a Lonely Place" (6:12)

• Usually a green sleeve.

UK 12" - FAC 33 [Second Pressing]

1. "Ceremony" (4:22)
2. "In a Lonely Place" (6:12)

• Usually a cream and blue sleeve.

References