52nd Street (band) - The Factory Years

The Factory Years

52nd Street’s first release on Factory Records in 1982 was "Look into My Eyes," backed with "Express," produced by Donald Johnson. Journalist Paul Morley, then reviewing singles for the NME, made it his single of the week, but his approval did little to get daytime radio play or enhance sales.

Toward the end of 1982, 52nd Street started experimenting with electronic sounds and drum machines, after being influenced by productions from New York City’s hip hop community and Bill Laswell’s work with jazz keyboardist Herbie Hancock. In the early weeks of 1983 a rough cassette demo was played to Rob Gretton in his Chorlton home by both Tony Henry and Derrick Johnson after Gretton requested the band forward material for a new single. That track was "Cool as Ice."

Around that same period, the band New Order—formed in 1980 from the remaining members of Joy Division after its lead singer's suicide—was also experimenting with electronic sounds. New Order's Bernard Sumner was at the forefront of 52nd Street's culture change. The group was due to fly to New York to start work with producer Arthur Baker. Gretton, always quick with ideas, arranged for Donald Johnson, Sumner and 52nd Street to experiment with the latest technology synths and sequencers and complete "Cool as Ice," insisting though that the tune retain the 52nd Street vibe.

This studio session helped create foundations that were to become the New Order techno sound. Sumner was credited under the pseudonym Bemusic and Johnson under DoJo.

With Gretton absent in New York with New Order, "Cool as Ice" (backed with "Twice as Nice") never officially received a release in the UK, although BBC Radio 1 DJs John Peel and Janice Long were playing the track on evening and late night shows from white label pressings that Factory Records had made available.

A few bootlegs started to appear in the United States. Michael Shamberg, who headed Factory’s United States office in New York City stepped in. Within the space of six weeks he had secured 52nd Street a major US deal with A&M Records and helped the song gain a top 20 Billboard Dance Chart position and rising. A&M flew the band to the US to promote the release, playing live club dates mainly on the east side of the country, including two nights at the famous Danceteria in New York City.

Meanwhile in the UK, Wilson, not one to shy away from publicity began to include the band on Factory’s more extravagant publicity materials and talk the group up in interviews. They also appeared twice on his Granada Reports news programme.