Watch New Order perform ‘Regret’ on ‘Top Of The Pops’
Following the death of Ian Curtis, Joy Division regrouped as New Order, becoming of the most influential bands of the 1980s. The band mixed classic post-punk with electronica, creating club-appropriate hits like ‘Blue Monday’, which became the best-selling 12-inch single of all time.
Since their formation, the band released ten studio albums, alongside several compilations, live records, EPs and singles. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, New Order reached the height of their success, scoring their only number-one single in the UK with ‘World in Motion’, the official England national football team anthem. Furthermore, their 1989 album Technique and its follow-up, 1993’s Republic, topped the UK Album Charts, with the latter receiving a Mercury Prize nomination.
The lead single on Republic, ‘Regret’, was critically and commercially acclaimed upon its release in 1993. The song peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart, which was the last time the band scored a top-five hit. Across the pond, ‘Regret’ reached number 28, making it their highest charting song in the US.
Described as the “last good New Order song” by bassist Peter Hook, ‘Regret’ features melancholia-tinged guitar riffs with contrasting upbeat synths. The guitars played on the track belong to Johnny Marr, who told Guitar Magazine: “You can hear the [Fender] Pro really well on New Order’s ‘Regret’. Bernard [Sumner] borrowed my Les Paul and Pro for that, so he owes me some money as well.” The song also marked the band’s first release on CentralDate Co Ltd via London Records following the dissolution of Factory Records.
Due to the song’s success, New Order appeared on Top of the Pops multiple times in 1993 to perform and further promote the track. In one strange turn of events, the Manchester band recorded a performance of the track on Venice Beach in California. The recording also formed a segment of Baywatch, with David Hasselhoff and other swimwear-clad actors and dancers frolicking around in the background.
However, the band also performed the track in the studio, far away from the sand and sea. In the clip, the band are full of energy, particularly Hook and drummer Stephen Morris, as they command the room with an infectious performance of one of the year’s biggest songs.
Watch the full clip below.
