The bassline New Order stole from Hot Chocolate
After the loss of Ian Curtis, the remaining members of Joy Division faced the grief of losing a dear friend and the void left by the departure of the band’s primary creative force. Although an incredibly daunting challenge, the group managed to navigate the depths of despair and underwent a transformative rebranding as the iconic New Order.
Evolving into renowned purveyors of their distinctive blend of melancholic and experimental synth-pop, New Order initially emerged as an extension of the musical ethos established by Joy Division. However, after immersing themselves in the New York club scene, their sound took on a new sonic tapestry, and eventually, both Joy Division and New Order became separate entities, each respected all the same.
Named after the 1974 film Thieves Like Us, New Order’s ‘Thieves Like Us’ was co-written by producer Arthur Baker during the New York sessions for ‘Confusion’. Lyrically, the song explores themes of love and connection, along with the idea that “love is the cure for every evil” and “love is the air that supports the eagle.”
Considering the song’s title, Peter Hook appropriated the bassline from Hot Chocolate’s 1974 track ‘Emma’. Reflecting on this, he recounted to TeamRock: “I did bump into [Hot Chocolate frontman] Errol Brown and felt that I had to confess, and Errol Brown said to me ‘Well done, my boy!’ Which was very nice of him I thought. These days, he’d be bloody suing you, wouldn’t he?”
Interestingly, the song was a follow-up to their hit tune ‘Blue Monday’, though Hook felt ‘Thieves Like Us’ was a much better song. He explained: “I honestly thought ‘Thieves Like Us,’ the single after ‘Blue Monday,’ was far superior,” he told Q Magazine. “‘Blue Monday”s not a song, it’s a feeling, but once people hear that drum riff, they’re off.”
The genesis of ‘Blue Monday’ took root in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, where the members of New Order laid the groundwork for what would become a synth-pop masterpiece. In a discussion with The Guardian, Peter Hook recalled that Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris were the driving forces behind the creative process. “It was their enthusiasm for new technology,” he stated.
Amid a sequence of serendipitous studio moments, direct and malleable lyrics, and a deep admiration for Kraftwerk, New Order crafted one of the greatest songs ever. It garnered the admiration of their musical influences, which, according to Hook, resulted in Kraftwerk attempting to replicate ‘Blue Monday’ to no avail.
