Hear the isolated drums of Joy Division song ‘Transmission’
Released by Tony Wilson’s Factory Records in October of 1979, ‘Transmission’ was the debut single of post-punk titans Joy Division. The Manchester group, which formed out the back of the punk scene in Manchester, originally as Stiff Kittens, then as Warsaw and finally as Joy Division, are regarded as one of the most influential groups of the 20th century.
Their impact on post-punk and alternative music as a whole was huge and, although not incredibly successful at the time, are repeatedly hailed as one of Britain’s greatest bands, inspiring a countless array of bands to follow in their footsteps – particularly the likes of Interpol, Soundgarden and Nirvana.
The lyrics of frontman Ian Curtis are often regarded as the focal point of Joy Division tracks, and it is easy to see why. The poetic, timeless lyrics of Curtis gave the band an importance and substance that many of their contemporaries failed to grasp. Certainly, after Curtis’ tragic death, when the members of Joy Division became New Order, there was a definite shift in focus away from lyrics towards the instrumental, frontman Bernard Sumner perhaps recognising that it is difficult to match the lyrical mastery of the frontman.
What becomes apparent when listening to the music of Joy Division, though, is that the drumming of Stephen Morris is absolutely essential to the trademark sound of the group. His krautrock influences and early interest in drum machines marked his drumming style as unique in a time when loud, aggressive, fast-paced punk-style drumming was the popular style of playing.
Kicking in over Peter Hook’s iconic bassline, on ‘Transmission’ Morris’ drums operate as the backbone of the track. The repetitive beat and focus on the hi-hat provides the song with its rhythm, building to a frenzy culminating in the lightning-quick drum breaks during the chorus of the track. It seems almost effortless for Morris, whose hands appear only as a continuous blur on the footage of the band’s performance on the BBC’s Something Else in 1979.
On the studio version of the track, the hi-hat is downplayed in favour of the drum machine sound. This is likely as a result of Martin Hannett’s production, which is often credited with creating the signature Joy Division sound. In one of the most memorable scenes from the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People, Hannett – played by Andy Serkis – imparts some wisdom on Morris, who comes into the studio playing in a kind of punk style, which can be heard on a lot of the band’s earlier material, “Nothing was wrong with the drumming as such”, the character says, “it’s just that people have been playing like that for about 20,000 years and, quite frankly, it’s boring the arse off me”.
So perhaps we have Martin Hannett to credit for the incredible sound of Stephen Morris’ drumming on ‘Transmission’.
You can listen to the isolated drum track below.
