With the reformation of Oasis has come a renewed interest in all things Manchester, arguably the most significant musical city on these islands.
Long before Noel and Liam Gallagher reasserted the north’s cultural muscle, Happy Mondays were the streetwise bad boys of the indie scene, fusing dance-floor hedonism with a distinctly Salford attitude.
A new compilation, “The Factory Singles”, gathers together the band’s most loved cuts and it serves as a timely reminder of their impact. Iconic moments abound, not least “Hallelujah”, memorably performed alongside Kirsty MacColl on Top of the Pops in November 1989. It was a genuine pop culture moment: a new generation buying into the clothes, haircuts and attitude of the Manchester scene in real time. The same programme also featured The Stone Roses performing “Fools Gold”, underlining that a seismic shift in British music had already taken place.
“Step On”, a UK Top Five hit, became essential listening in the aftermath of the second Summer of Love. The track’s “twisting my melon man” refrain quickly turned into a baggy mantra, echoing from indie discos and student bedrooms alike. Further definitive singles followed: “Kinky Afro” delivered another Top Five placing, while “Loose Fit” proved to be perhaps the band’s last truly great single.
These songs, and more, will be dusted down for a UK tour in March 2026 celebrating 35 years of “Pills ’N’ Thrills and Bellyaches”, supported by original 1991 tour mates The Farm and Northside. Northside’s inclusion is more than nostalgia. Fellow Mancunians and Factory Records labelmates, they always felt like Happy Mondays’ younger brothers. Their sole album, “Chicken Rhythms”, produced by Ian Broudie, arrived just as attention began shifting away from Manchester and towards the Seattle grunge explosion.
Perhaps it arrived too late, but time has been kind. The 2025 vinyl reissue, cut from the original Factory Records masters and pressed on green vinyl, benefits from restored artwork by Central Station Design. Opener “Take Five”, with its hooky chorus and danceable groove, feels like one of the great lost songs of the era, while “Shall We Take A Trip” was an essential 12″ and fixture on indie dance-floors during the summer of 1990. Northside’s upbeat energy jarred with what was about to dominate British guitar music, yet their infectious optimism arguably feels more resonant now. Once treated snobbishly by sections of the London music press, Manchester would have the last laugh when Oasis emerged from the ashes a few short years later.
That story has also been revisited through deluxe reissues of one of the defining records of the 1990s. Pressed on heavyweight vinyl with remastered audio, the anniversary edition of “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?” restores the album’s northern swagger and melodic melancholy. The massive global hit “Wonderwall” and album tracks such as “Hey Now” benefit from renewed clarity, while “Don’t Look Back In Anger” sounds as assured and anthemic as ever. The accompanying b-sides and rarities never disappoint on Oasis releases: “Acquiesce” captures peak mid-90s attitude, the brothers’ voices colliding with swagger and passion, while the “She’s Electric” demo is another stand out moment.
Any renewed examination of Manchester’s musical legacy, however, would be incomplete without a look at the 45th anniversary edition of “The Return of The Durutti Column”. The vinyl releases include a limited-to-500 ‘Sandpaper Edition’ and a CD tallboy, accompanied by essays including one by Bobby Gillespie. Factory Records signed the band early on, alongside the likes of Joy Division, with that in mind the album is billed as a collaboration between guitarist Vini Reilly and the late Joy Division producer Martin Hannett.
Tracks such as “Sketch for Summer” retain a simple, melancholic beauty, enhanced by the subtle dynamics and textural soundscapes Hannett helped construct. “Conduct” showcases Reilly’s gift for lyrical phrasing and atmosphere, balancing delicacy with emotional heft. The combination of Reilly’s introspective guitar and Hannett’s spacious production gives the compositions a timeless, intimate quality that still resonates today. Placed alongside the Happy Mondays and Northside, this anniversary edition reminds listeners just how broad Factory’s vision truly was.
Manchester’s greatness has never rested on a single sound or scene; its power has always lain in contradiction—and few labels captured that instinct more clearly than Factory Records.
