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Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays in 2006
Background information
Origin	Little Hulton, Greater Manchester, England
Genres	Alternative rock, Madchester
Years active	1980–1993 1999–2000 2004–present
Labels	Factory, Elektra
Associated acts	Black Grape
Members
Shaun Ryder Mark "Bez" Berry Gary Whelan Julie Gordon
Former members
Mark Day Paul Ryder Ben Leach Paul Davis Rowetta Satchell Kav Sandhu

Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1980, the band's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day (aka "Moose" or "Cowhead"), keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan. Mark "Bez" Berry would later join the band onstage during a live performance after befriending Shaun Ryder (known to him as "X") and served as a dancer/percussionist. Rowetta Satchell joined the band to provide backing vocals in the early 1990s.

History

First incarnation

The first official release from Happy Mondays was the "Forty Five E.P.", often incorrectly called the "Delightful E.P." after its first track. It was released on Factory Records in 1985.

Manchester pop impresario Tony Wilson discovered the Mondays (then managed by Phil Saxe) at a battle of the bands contest held at his Haçienda nightclub. Their first album, Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out), debuted in 1987 and was produced by John Cale. This was followed by Bummed in 1988, produced by Martin Hannett, Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches in 1990 produced by Paul Oakenfold and Yes Please! in 1992, produced by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth. By the late 1980s, the Happy Mondays were an important part of the Manchester music scene and personified rave culture. Shaun Ryder fought against a serious drug problem which typified the scene and the era.

Musically, the band fused indie pop guitars with a rhythmic style that owed much to house music, funk, and northern soul. Much of their music was remixed by popular DJs, emphasizing the dance influences even further. In terms of style and dress, they crossed hippy fashion and ideals with 1970s glamour. Sartorially and musically, the band helped to encourage the psychedelic revival associated with acid house. One of their most popular songs was "Lazyitis (One Armed Boxer)", featuring a surreal duet between Ryder and Karl Denver.

Second incarnation

The Mondays disbanded in 1993, and Shaun Ryder and Bez formed Black Grape with ex-Paris Angels guitarist "Wags" (who would later go on to serve in the 1999-2000 reincarnation of the Mondays) and ex-Ruthless Rap Assassins star Kermit. Seven years passed, but in 1999 Happy Mondays reformed, minus Paul Davis and Mark Day. In their place were Wags and a number of other musicians close to Shaun Ryder. However, the reunion with a world tour and the release of a new single, "The Boys Are Back in Town," was to be short-lived. The single reached number 24 in the UK Singles Chart.^{[1 ]} In 2000 the band called it a day after providing support for Oasis on their "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants" tour. Ben Leach, former member of the Farm, joined in the late 1990s. He was the band's keyboard player and programmer.

The band is featured in the 2002 movie 24 Hour Party People, with Danny Cunningham as Shaun Ryder and Paul Popplewell as Paul Ryder. Paul Ryder himself had a cameo role in the film as a gangster and Rowetta (who sang for the band on Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches and Yes Please!) appeared in the film as herself.

Third incarnation

2004 saw another reformation, comprising Bez, Gary Whelan and Shaun Ryder, following the latter's unsuccessful solo career. (Paul Ryder was not present, having sworn to never perform with his brother again following the 2000 break-up and also having gone on to have success with his new band Big Arm.) The trio of original members were joined by new guitarist Kav Sandhu, with the rest of his band Sonic Audio serving as members of the Mondays live line-up (bassist Mikey Shine, keyboard player Dave Parkinson, guitarist Jonn Dunn and Poss on decks). This new version of the group released a live DVD that year of a show in Barcelona, and rumours abounded that the band was recording a new album. The Mondays played a variety of festival dates in 2005 (including Global Gathering, capping it off with a concert at the Manchester Evening News Arena in their hometown. Backing singers on the tour included Angie Brown and Ron Carroll.

In June 2006, the Mondays performed another gig in Liverpool, and on Sunday 30 July 2006 they were special guests at The Fuji Rock Festival, a 3 day festival held at the Naeba Ski Resort in Japan. They performed a 60 minute set, starting with "Loose Fit" and ending with "24 Hour Party People".

In early August 2006, the band announced that they had completed their first album in 14 years with producers Sunny Levine and Howie B, and have recently signed to Sanctuary Records. A new single "Playground Superstar", from the soundtrack for the football film Goal! was released a few months prior to completion of the new album, titled Uncle Dysfunktional and released in Summer 2007.

Happy Mondays performed before another reformed act, Rage Against the Machine, to put the finishing touches at the 2007 Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California on April 27, 2007. They were introduced that night by Tony Wilson. Bez missed the show because he could not get into the U.S. due to "passport" issues. The band then toured medium-sized venues in England in May 2007, playing old and new material. Various festival dates in the UK and New York City were performed throughout Summer 2007. The Happy Mondays have been announced to play Splendour in the Grass in Australia in July 2009.Additionally, they played at the UK V Festival in August 2009

Happy Mondays will tour the U.S. with the Psychedelic Furs in the Fall of 2009.

Sound Files

Year	Song title	Album	Label
1988:	"Wrote for Luck" Listen (help·info)	Bummed	Factory Records
1989:	"Hallelujah" Listen (help·info)	Madchester Rave On E.P.	Factory Records
1990:	"Gods Cop" Listen (help·info)	Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches	Factory Records

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Extended Plays

Singles

Trivia

Their name comes from a line in The Cutter by Echo & The Bunnymen, "Am I the happy loss?" inspired the name Happy Laws which in turn became Happy Mondays.^[3]

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

References

• Vinylnet Record Label Discographies. link. - Factory Catalogue Numbers.

External links

• Official Band site