K SPECIAL
Madchester: The 202 Greatest Acid House / Baggy Anthems of the Madchester Scene (40th Anniversary 1986-2026 Super Deluxe Edition) (16CD) (2026)
This year (2026) is the 40th anniversary (1986) of when house music first hit Manchester at the Haçienda and also saw the first ‘Madchester’ releases by the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays with ‘Freaky Dancin’ in 1986.
While Phuture's "Acid Tracks" (1987) is widely credited as the first acid house track that defined the genre and kicked off the movement, Sleezy D's "I've Lost Control" (1986) was released on vinyl slightly earlier.
I've Lost Control by Sleezy D (1986): Produced by Marshall Jefferson, this was potentially the first Chicago acid house track released on vinyl.
Acid Tracks by Phuture (1987): The track that gave the genre its name, popularized the Roland TB-303 sound, and launched the global acid house craze after being played by DJ Ron Hardy.
No Way Back by Adonis feat. Gary B (Original 1986 Trax Records 12" Single Version)
Mike Pickering was handed this ('No Way Back') (1986) on vinyl at the Haçienda by a customer who requested he played the song, which until then Pickering had never heard.
The crowd went crazy and house music came to Manchester. How do I know? I got the track on import and handed it to Pickering. (@craigb1232 - posted on YouTube).
ACID HOUSE
Acid house (also simply known as just "acid") is a subgenre of house music developed in the early-1980s in Mumbai and the mid-1980s in Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303electronic bass synthesizer-sequencer, an innovation attributed to Chicago artists Phuture and Sleezy D circa 1986.
Acid house soon became popular in the United Kingdom especially at clubs like Manchester’s Haçienda and continental Europe, where it was played by DJs in the acid house and later rave scenes. By the late 1980s, acid house had moved into the British mainstream, where it had some influence on pop and dance styles.
The first acid house records were produced in Chicago, Illinois. Phuture, a group founded by Nathan "DJ Pierre" Jones, Earl "Spanky" Smith Jr., and Herbert "Herb J" Jackson, is credited with having been the first to use the TB-303 in house music (the instrument had been used earlier in disco records by Charanjit Singh in 1982 and Alexander Robotnick in 1983). The group's 12-minute "Acid Tracks" was recorded to tape and was played by DJ Ron Hardy at the Music Box, where Hardy was resident DJ. Hardy once played it four times over the course of an evening until the crowd responded favorably.
Chicago's house music scene suffered a crackdown on parties and events by the police. Sales of house records dwindled and, by 1988, the genre was selling less than a tenth as many records as at the height of the style's popularity. However, house and especially acid house was beginning to experience a surge in popularity in Britain.
London club Shoom opened in November 1987 and was one of the first clubs to introduce acid house to the clubbing public of the UK. It was opened by Danny Rampling and his wife, Jenny. The club was extremely exclusive and featured thick fog, a dreamy atmosphere and acid house. This period began what some call the Second Summer of Love, a movement credited with a reduction in football hooliganism: instead of fights, football fans were listening to music, taking ecstasy, and joining the other club attendees in a peaceful movement that has been compared to the Summer of Love in San Francisco in 1967.
Another club called Trip was opened in June 1988 by Nicky Holloway at the Astoria in London's West End. Trip was geared directly towards the acid house music scene. It was known for its intensity and stayed open until 3:00 a.m. The patrons would spill into the streets chanting and drew the police on regular occasions. The reputation that occurrences like this created along with the UK's strong anti-club laws started to make it increasingly difficult to offer events in the conventional club atmosphere. Considered illegal in London during the late '80s, after-hour clubbing was against the law. However, this did not stop the club-goers from continuing after-hours dancing. Police raided the after-hour parties, so the groups began to assemble inside warehouses and other inconspicuous venues in secret, hence also marking the first developments of the rave. Raves were well attended at this time and consisted of single events or moving series of parties thrown by production companies or unlicensed clubs. Two well-known groups at this point were Sunrise, who held particularly massive outdoor events, and Revolution in Progress (RIP), known for the dark atmosphere and hard music at events which were usually thrown in warehouses or at Clink Street, a South East London nightclub housed in a former jail. Promoters like (The Big Lad) Shane McKenzie and the gang back in 1987 were doing small parties in NW London, moving raves from the streets and the fields to the clubs of London 1990–2005 which saw the future of raves in clubs all over the UK and Spain.
The Sunrise group threw several large acid house raves in Britain which gathered serious press attention. In 1988 they threw "Burn It Up", 1989 brought "Early Summer Madness", "Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Back to the Future". They advertised huge sound systems, fairground rides, foreign DJs, and other attractions. Many articles were written sensationalizing these parties and the results of them, focusing especially on the drug use and out-of-control nature that the media perceived.
Once the term acid house became more widely used, participants at acid house-themed events in the UK and Ibiza made the psychedelic drug connotations a reality by using club drugs such as ecstasy and LSD. The association of acid house, MDMA, and smiley faces was observed in New York City by late 1988. This coincided with an increasing level of scrutiny and sensationalism in the mainstream press, although conflicting accounts about the degree of connection between acid house music and drugs continued to surface.
Manchester and 'Madchester'.
The "Madchester" wordtype which appeared on the Happy Mondays' 1989 EP Madchester Rave On. It was later used to represent the entire Madchester movement.
All credit goes to Darren Broadribb for his Baby Ford flyer.
Acid house was also popular in Manchester. The Thunderdome (which was generally advertised as a techno night) in Miles Platting was at the epicenter of the scene and gave rise to acts like A Guy Called Gerald, 808 State, Jam MC's, Steve Williams and Jay Wearden. A Greater Manchester-based producer called Peter Ford teamed up with Richard Salt and recorded a record called "Oochy Koochy", regarded as the first British acid house track. Released by dance indie Rhythm King Records as "Oochy Koochy (F.U. Baby Yeh Yeh)" under the name Baby Ford, the record peaked at number 58 on the UK Singles Chart on September 24, 1988.
Lil Louis' "French Kiss" released in 1989 was banned by the BBC for its suggestive moans. In 2018, a London radio station was censured for playing it midday during summer holidays after a complaint about "sexual noises."
When asked if the moans in "French Kiss" were recorded live, Lil Louis responded, "I wouldn't call it 'the sound' but 'the love'. I think that answers your question…"
The song features a unique breakdown where the tempo slows to a complete stop before speeding back up again. It's based on a single note (F-natural).
"French Kiss" topped the US Dance Club Songs chart, reached number 50 on the Hot 100, and peaked at number two in the UK.
Released during 1989's "second summer of love," the song became an anthem of the acid house movement.
The genre was extremely popular with the city's football hooligans. According to Manchester United football hooligan Colin Blaney in Hotshot: The Story of a Little Red Devil, the acid house venues were the only place where rival hooligan gangs would mix, without coming to blows with one another.
The Madchester and baggy movements saw acid house influences bleed into the Mancunian rock scene. Prominent Madchester bands include the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, the Charlatans and Inspiral Carpets.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, British news media and tabloids devoted an increasing amount of coverage to the hedonistic acid house/rave scene, focusing increasingly on its association with psychedelic drugs and club drugs. At first, promoters like Tony Colston-Hayter tried to monetize the scene by promoting his Apocalypse Now parties (organised with Roger Goodman) on the ITV News (ITN) in the same way that a latter-day popstar such as Gary Barlow would promote his album on the news (generally in the "...And Finally" part of the programme).
However, these reports soon changed from positive promotion to a negative viewpoint, with the sensationalist nature of the coverage contributing to the banning of acid house during its heyday from radio, television, and retail outlets in the United Kingdom. The moral panic of the press began in late 1988, when a UK 'red-top' tabloid newspaper The Sun, which only days earlier on October 12 had promoted acid house as "cool and groovy" while running an offer on acid smiley face t-shirts, abruptly turned on the scene. On October 19, The Sun ran with the headline "Evils of Ecstasy", linking the acid house scene with the newly popular and relatively unknown drug. The resultant panic incited by the tabloids eventually led to a crackdown on clubs and venues that played acid house and had a profound negative impact on the scene. Any records that mentioned the word acid, such as Dancin' Danny D's record with scene promoter Gary Haisman (D Mob's "We Call It Acieed"), were taken off radio and television playlists just as they were climbing towards the top of the UK chart. By the time Colston-Hayter had invited another ITV news team down to promote his latest party (this time from Granada's current affairs show World in Action, acid house was being described as a "sinister and evil cult" that was just encouraging people to take drugs.
Despite this, one tune broke through into the mainstream in November 1988. "Stakker Humanoid", produced by Brian Dougans (later of Future Sound of London), was a hit not just at influential clubs like The Haçienda in Manchester or Shoom in London, but was championed by mainstream stalwarts such as BBC Radio DJ Bruno Brookes and record producer, Pete Waterman. It went on to reach number 17 in the UK in November 1988, leading to Dougans' appearance on Top of the Pops on December 1, 1988.
808 State are an English electronic music group formed in 1987 in Manchester by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson. Taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and the "state of mind" the members shared, they released their debut album Newbuild in September 1988. They secured commercial success in 1989, when their song "Pacific State" was picked up by BBC Radio 1 DJ Gary Davies and charted for 11 weeks in the UK.
The group's early work influenced the UK's burgeoning acid house scene. AllMusic called them "one of the most important dance music acts of all time," and noted their influence on subsequent techno, IDM, and alternative dance artists. "Pacific" is a single by the English electronic music group 808 State, released in November 1989 by ZTT Records. It exists in various mix versions known by different titles, such as "Pacific State" (as included on the Quadrastate mini-album that year) and "Pacific 202" (as included on the album 90). The song charted for 11 weeks in the United Kingdom, peaking at number ten on the UK Singles Chart. In July 2022, Rolling Stone ranked "Pacific State" number 107 in their list of the "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time".
...and yes, the 202 Greatest Acid House / Baggy Anthems of the Madchester Scene does reflect and tie back to the 'Pacific 202' title - it was intentional!
Madchester: The Beat That Rocked Britain
https://www.melophobemusic.com/post/madchester-the-beat-that-rocked-britain
The Second Summer of Love was a late-1980s social phenomenon in the United Kingdom which saw the rise of acid house music and unlicensed rave parties. Although primarily referring to the summer of 1988, it lasted into the summer of 1989, when electronic dance music and the prevalence of the drug MDMA fuelled an explosion in youth culture culminating in mass free parties and the era of the rave. The music of this era fused dance beats with a psychedelic, 1960s flavour, and the dance culture drew parallels with the hedonism and freedom of the 1967 Summer of Love in San Francisco. The smiley logo is synonymous with this period in the UK.
"Spaced Out!" - tabloid headline during the Second Summer of Love 1989.
The Second Summer of Love began in 1988 in the UK and rose from the house music British nightclubs dating from 1987 to 1988 Shoom (run by Danny Rampling) and Future (organised by Paul Oakenfold), Trip (run by Nicky Holloway), Slam (DJs)and The Haçienda (run by Mike Pickering and Graeme Park). It was particularly associated with the sudden increase in independent gatherings outdoors in fields and in disused warehouses as well as with the new underground club scene, which had often become called raves. Beyond those held around London, events sprung up in areas such as Blackburn and Nottingham, before spreading across all the UK, with very large numbers of distinct gatherings held weekly by late summer of 1988. There were both illegal and legal gatherings in terms of adherence to event planning laws.
While the prime musical point of convergence throughout the phenomenon was house music at first mostly imported from the US underground nightlife centres Chicago, Detroit and New York, another basis for the scene was focused upon enabling people to open up to other genres of music. This was typically music seen as not very commercial for the time, including music of the hippie eras and some folk derived music.
Five DJs associated with the early British house music scene reported they were inspired to start these events after holidaying on Ibiza in the summer of 1987 with their friend Johnny Walker. Ibiza was where acid house music first became popular in Europe and the after-hours nature of the club scene emerged.
In the early stages of the Second Summer of Love, the events and parties were often held in empty warehouses across the UK and were essentially illegal. Vague flyers around towns and cities advertised events and information travelled by word of mouth (as well as the newly popular mobile pager) between clubbers who were obliged to party incognito. Increasingly huge parties started to be put on around the M25 orbital of London by promoters including “Biology” (Jarvis Sandy, Micky Jump & Tarquin de Meza), “Energy” (Jeremy Taylor & Tin Tin Chambers), “Genesis (Andrew Pritchard, Wayne Anthony & Keith Brooks), “Sunrise/Back to the Future” (Tony Colston Hayter & Dave Roberts) and “Weekend World” (Tarquin de Meza). In London, events were put on by Raindance, and at Labrynth/Four Aces.
The symbol of the time became a smiley face after the London crowd picked up the design when it was posted on one of the flyers from the third Shoom party. Revellers would soon become adorned in smiley t-shirts and badges.
25 NOSTALGIC SMILEY SHOTS TO SATISFY YOUR ACID HOUSE CRAVINGS
https://mixmag.net/feature/25-nostalgic-smiley-shots-to-satisfy-your-acid-house-cravings
Water and Lucozade were a common feature because of the dehydrating effects of marathon dancing due to MDMA use. Clubgoers wore baggy clothing to combat the heat inside the clubs, and staff handed out ice pops.
Acid house and hip house was typical of the Second Summer of Love. Acid house was characterised by the "squelching" bass produced by the Roland TB-303 and loud repetitive beats. It originated in Chicago and took on new qualities when it came to Europe. Songs from the period include "French Kiss" by Lil Louis, "On & On" by Jesse Saunders, "Mystery of Love" by Fingers Inc., "Love Can't Turn Around" by Farley "Jackmaster" Funk and Saunders (featuring Darryl Pandy), "I've Lost Control" by Sleezy D, and "Your Only Friend" by Phuture. Hip house would become a popular cross-over of a rap and house music, with tracks such as "Turn Up The Bass" by Tyree Cooper, "Who's In the House" by the Beatmasters, "Let It Roll" by Doug Lazy, and "That's How I'm Living" by Tony Scott.
Ecstasy was the drug of choice during the time. LSD was still present, just not as prominently. Mark Moore, of group S'Express, said: "It definitely took ecstasy to change things. People would take their first ecstasy and it was almost as if they were born again." Violence was uncommon due to the feelings of euphoria, love and empathy caused by ecstasy. Ecstasy use in raves is often linked to the reduction in football hooliganism at the time. The drug also increased the enjoyment of the music and encouraged dancing. Nicky Holloway, a DJ from the time, said: "The ecstasy and music came together. It was all part of the package. ... That may sound a little sad, but there's no way acid house would have taken off the way it did without ecstasy."
British news media and tabloids devoted an increasing amount of coverage to the hedonistic scene, focusing increasingly on its association with club drugs. Early positive reports such as running articles on the "acid house" fashion would soon become sensationalist negative coverage. The moral panic of the press began in late 1988, when The Sun, which only days earlier on 12 October had promoted acid house as "cool and groovy" while running an offer on acid smiley face t-shirts, abruptly turned on the scene. On 19 October The Sun ran with the headline "Evils of Ecstasy," linking the acid house scene with the newly popular and relatively unknown drug. On 24 June 1989, the newspaper ran its infamous "Spaced Out!" headline after a Sunrise party.
"Love Can't Turn Around" by Farley "Jackmaster" Funk featuring the late Darryl Pandy. This track holds a significant place in music history for the following reasons:
It is widely considered the first house music record to achieve major crossover success outside of the US club scene, specifically in the UK.
It entered the UK Singles Chart in late August 1986 and peaked at number 10 in September 1986, becoming the first house track to reach the UK Top Ten. The song was a cover of an Isaac Hayes track, "I Can't Turn Around", with altered lyrics and new vocals by Darryl Pandy. The success of this single paved the way for more house music hits in the UK, including Steve "Silk" Hurley's "Jack Your Body," which reached number one in January 1987.
The Haçienda was a legendary nightclub in Manchester, England, that became the spiritual home of acid house music and a major force in popularizing the genre across the UK in the late 1980s. The club (Factory designation FAC 51) was owned by the band New Order and their label, Factory Records.
Pioneering Role
The Haçienda was one of the first British clubs to embrace the emerging house music scene, starting around 1986. Its "Nude" night, hosted by DJs like Mike Pickering and Graeme Park, quickly became legendary and packed the club nightly.
Cultural Movement
The club was at the heart of the "Madchester" movement, a cultural phenomenon where indie rock, dance music, and fashion converged. This era was heavily influenced by the rise of the drug ecstasy, which aligned with the euphoric atmosphere and sound of acid house, driving down traditional alcohol sales and contributing to the club's financial struggles despite its popularity.
Legacy
The Haçienda provided a unique, inclusive space where diverse crowds mixed, helping to bridge the gap between alternative and electronic music. Its influence on global club culture and the music scene of Manchester and beyond remains profound long after its closure in 1997. The story of the club and Factory Records was captured in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People.
Key Resident DJs
Mike Pickering and Graeme Park: Widely regarded as the leading figures of the club's acid house period, they were the resident DJs for the legendary Friday night "Nude" events, which focused on house music and became a major success. They are often credited with building the club's reputation and its iconic sound.
Jon DaSilva: A key resident, he started the influential "Hot" nights with Mike Pickering and was known for his innovative use of a cappella vocals and sound effects.
Hewan Clarke: The Haçienda's very first resident DJ, he began playing house music in the mid-80s, helping to introduce the genre to the Manchester crowd.
Greg Wilson: An early resident, he championed electro, disco, and jazz-funk before the acid house explosion, and was part of the initial wave of DJs embracing house music in 1986.
Other Notable DJs
Sasha: The globally renowned DJ began to come through the ranks during this time and played at the club.
Tom Wainwright and Allister Whitehead: Other residents who were part of the core DJ team at the club in the later acid house and subsequent rave years.
A Guy Called Gerald: While also a producer (known for the classic "Voodoo Ray"), he was a regular presence and his music was a staple of the club's sound, and he would often make tracks to fit alongside what he heard the resident DJs playing. The club also booked major international talent, including pioneering American DJs like Frankie Knuckles and Derrick May, who brought sounds directly from New York, Chicago, and Detroit.
“Funky Drummer” is a song by James Brown recorded in 1969 and released as a single in 1970. Its drum break, improvised by Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampled music recordings used in over two-thousand other records.
Recording and composition
"Funky Drummer" was recorded on November 20, 1969, in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is an extended vamp, with individual instruments (mostly the guitar, tenor saxophones and organ) improvising brief licks on top. Brown's ad-libbed vocals are sporadic and declamatory, mostly concerned with encouraging the other band members. The song is played in the key of D minor, though the first verse is in C major.
As in the full-length version of "Cold Sweat", Brown announces the upcoming drum break, which comes late in the recording, requesting to "give the drummer some." He tells Stubblefield "You don't have to do no soloing, brother, just keep what you got... Don't turn it loose, 'cause it's a mother." Stubblefield's eight-bar unaccompanied "solo", a version of the riff he plays through most of the piece, is the result of Brown's directions; this break beat is one of the most sampled recordings in music.
After the drum break, the band returns to the original vamp. Brown, apparently impressed with what Stubblefield has produced, seems to name the song on the spot as it continues, and repeats it: "The name of this tune is 'The Funky Drummer', 'The Funky Drummer', 'The Funky Drummer'." The recording ends with a reprise of Stubblefield's solo and a fade-out.
Release
"Funky Drummer" was originally released by King Records as a two-part 45 rpm single in March 1970. The difference between the album version and the single version is that the single version contains Brown's vocal percussion ('kooncha'). Despite rising to No. 20 on the R&B chart and No. 51 on the pop chart, it did not receive an album release until the 1986 compilation In the Jungle Groove.
More than one mix of "Funky Drummer" was made around the time it was recorded, including one with tambourine and another with vocal percussion by Brown and trombonist Fred Wesley. The most commonly heard version of the track lacks these elements, which were apparently overdubbed. In addition to the original version of "Funky Drummer", the album In the Jungle Groove includes a "bonus beat reprise" of the piece. This track, edited by Danny Krivit, consists of a 3-minute loop of the drum break, punctuated only by Brown's sampled vocal interjections and an occasional guitar chord and tambourine hit.
Sampling
"Funky Drummer" is one of the most widely sampled pieces of music. In 1986, the tracks "South Bronx", "Eric B. is President" and "It's a Demo" sampled Stubblefield's drum break, helping popularize sampling. The drum break was sampled by hip hop acts including Public Enemy, N.W.A, LL Cool J, Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, and the theme music to The Powerpuff Girls on Cartoon Network, as well as later pop musicians such as Ed Sheeran and George Michael, notably done in Freedom! '90.
As Stubblefield did not receive a songwriter credit for "Funky Drummer", he received no royalties for the sampling. He told The New York Times in 2011: "It didn't bug me or disturb me, but I think it's disrespectful not to pay people for what they use." Stubblefield capitalized on the name with his 1997 album Revenge of the Funky Drummer.
The “train beat” is a drum riff typically located in country music (Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” is a commonly-cited example), but it’s found across the blues-rock spectrum. My personal favorite example of it is Ministry feat. Gibby Haynes’s “Jesus Built My Hotrod,” but this thread on r/drums titled “What are some of your favorite ‘train beat’ songs?” include suggestions that range from “Two Step” by Gen X yuppie fave Dave Matthews Band to Nine Inch Nails’s “Wish.”
It’s called “train beat” because it sounds like the cyclical clacking of a train’s wheels: the basic rhythm is: eighth notes on the snare, with an accent on beats 2 and 4, while the bass drum hits on 1 and 3. It literally chugs along, like a steam train. It’s the sound of combustion-driven speed. That’s why Ministry can so easily use it in the context of gas-powered cars: they’re also driven by the burning of fossil fuels.
Clive Stubblefield’s 1969 “Funky Drummer” beat takes the train beat and…makes it funky with some syncopation. In their “Behind the Beat” company blog post, renown drum machine manufacturer Roland explains the technique as follows:
First, start by isolating and playing the one-handed sixteenth-note hi-hat pattern. Then, bring in the bass drum on the 1, and “&” then “&” and “e.” Next, add the forte (loud) snare on beats 2 and 4 while maintaining ghost notes - soft snare hits - for the additional snare beats. The trickiest part is closing the hi-hats in time while keeping the ghost notes steady. Note that the first open hi-hat occurs by itself and the second comes along with the bass drum on the “e” of beat 4.
With two main base hits (here two sequential eighth notes rather than quarters), the snare accented on 2 and 4, and sixteenth notes in the hi-hat, the same overall train beat structure is there, just synchopated a bit.
“Funky Drummer” is the basis of another drum groove called the “baggy beat” after the style of clothing popular among the late 80s/early 90s Madchester scene where it emerged. Classic baggy beat tracks include The Stone Roses’ “Fools Gold” and The Soup Dragons’ “I’m Free”. In these songs, it’s less a matter of petrochemical-fueled combustion engines puttering along and more a matter of MDMA-fueled bodies dancing the night (and early morning) away, synthetic chemicals helping their bodies burn the midnight oil more energetically than they would otherwise be able.
BAGGY
Baggy is a British alternative dance genre popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and generally associated with the Northern UK's Madchester scene. The style saw alternative rock bands draw influence from psychedelia as well as dance music.
The genesis of indie-dance was the Balearic beat scene (where there were DJs playing an eclectic mix of records including such rock/dance crossovers like "Jesus on the Payroll" by Thrashing Doves and producers like Paul Oakenfold and the indie music scene in the north west of England, which featured Tony Wilson's Factory Records and former post-punk band the Stone Roses in Manchester.
In 1987, Bruce Forest remixed "Jesus on the Payroll" using David Cole on piano. They completed a special "Street Mix" which DJ Paul Oakenfold gives credit for starting the Balearic movement in the late 1980s/early 1990s. The piano lick was sampled for the Bocca Juniors debut single 'Raise (63 Steps to Heaven)' in 1990.
Even though they were not signed to Factory Records, instead signing to Paul Birch's Revolver Records in Wolverhampton (before taking a deal with Jive Records' Silvertone), the band did have links to Tony Wilson, Martin Hannett and Peter Hook, with the New Order bassist scheduled to produce their debut album, before John Leckie took over.
It was Leckie who produced the Stone Roses single "Fools Gold" (an indie-dance record which had a prominent 'shufflebeat' which came from a four-bar loop based upon Clyde Stubblefield's "Funky Drummer" drum pattern) and it was mainly fans of the Stone Roses who started to wear the fashions that gave the genre/scene its alternative name.
The "Baggy" sound was a form of Neo-Psychedelic Alternative Rock that took on major rhythmic influences from Funk and Acid House and originated from Manchester, England, leading to a dance-y form of Psychedelic Rock. There was latent influence from the contemporary Indie Rock/Pop scene (particularly Jangle and Dream Pop) and its predecessors in Mancunian Post-Punk and New Wave, as well as additional influences from contemporary Electronica and Psychedelia. The movement is considered to have had its heyday from roughly 1988 to 1993, with some its biggest proponents having been The Stone Roses, The Happy Mondays, and The Charlatans.
Madchester and scally
Although it was not geographically confined to the city of Manchester, many Madchester bands like Happy Mondays, Northside and the Stone Roses were described as being baggy. As baggy was characterised by psychedelia and acid house-influenced guitar music, often with a funky drummer beat, new indie-dance bands in other British cities emerged following the breakthrough of the Madchester acts, though some acts in Liverpool argued they were already part of their own scene which had emerged independently of those in Manchester (sometimes referred to as 'scally').
Some acts, such as Candy Flip, Blur and the Soup Dragons reinvented their sound and image to fit in with the new scene. This led some critics to accuse baggy bands of bandwagon-jumping and derivative songwriting.
Bands in the indie-dance era of pop music can be divided into two camps; the acts who could be described as baggy (usually the Madchester acts and a few others such as Flowered Up from London), and those who can be described as alternative dance (i.e. Jesus Jones and the Shamen, who were more techno inspired). The Shamen would begin as a psychedelic indie rock band, sharing some of the characteristics of early shoegaze bands, but their style would morph between psychedelic indie rock and acid house, before absorbing more elements of techno to become a dance music act, in a way similar to the Beloved, whose career took them from an indie band to a dance duo after the Second Summer of Love.
Madchester was a musical and cultural scene that developed in the English city of Manchester in the late 1980s, closely associated with the indie dance scene. Indie-dance (sometimes referred to as indie-rave saw artists merging indie rock with elements of acid house, psychedelia, and 1960s pop.
The term Madchester was coined by Factory Records' boss Tony Wilson, and was popularised by the British music press in the early 1990s. However, the origin of the term can be traced back to a script meeting between Factory Records video directors Philip Shotton and Keith Jobling, known as the Bailey Brothers. They coined "Madchester" while developing a script and later suggested it to Tony Wilson. Subsequently, Wilson instructed the Happy Mondays to rename their EP from "Rave On" to "Madchester Rave On". The Happy Mondays' lead vocalist, Shaun Ryder, recalls, "It was our video directors, the Bailey Brothers, who came up with the term 'Madchester', but we said, 'Great, yeah, go with it', because Manchester was mad at the time."
Its most famous groups include The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, The Charlatans, James, and 808 State. The scene was heavily influenced by the widespread use of drugs, especially MDMA.
A major catalyst for the distinctive musical ethos in the city was the Haçienda nightclub, co-owned by members of New Order, which played a pivotal role in what became known as the Second Summer of Love.
The "baggy" sound generally includes a combination of funk, psychedelia, guitar rock, and house music. In the Manchester context, the music can be seen as mainly influenced by the indie music that had dominated the city's music scene during the 1980s, but also absorbing the various influences coming through "the Haçienda" nightclub.
Together were an English electronic/rave group, best known for their hit single "Hardcore Uproar", which made number 12 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1990.
The band's only hit, "Hardcore Uproar", was originally intended as a white label to play at The Haçienda in Manchester, but grew in popularity such that it climbed to number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by Jon (Jonathon) Donaghy, Mark Hall and Suddi Raval though the underlying chord sequence was based on featured samples from John Carpenter's "The End", a 1983 Dutch scratching Italo disco 12" (itself a reworked version of Carpenter's theme tune to Assault on Precinct 13). "Hardcore Uproar" also included sound effects of whooping crowds recorded live at an illegal rave-party in Nelson which was, coincidentally, raided by police the same night as the recording had been made. The song's title was taken from the popular name of these Blackburn raves.
The song's vibe and catchy title meant it was also applied to a popular compilation of what were then mainstream rave, techno and pop tunes by artists as diverse as 808 State, Betty Boo and A Tribe Called Quest helping to popularise the term hardcore for this type of rave music. The song has since appeared on at least four other compilations.
In 2011, "Hardcore Uproar" was reworked in various versions by Manchester rapper Trigga and Italian vocalist Sushy. An upload of the song on YouTube has reached over 1.7 million views as of April 2024.
Blackburn Rovers began using "Hardcore Uproar" as their walk out song in the 2024-25 season.
Clothing
Alongside the music, a way of dressing emerged that gave baggy its unique name. Baggy jeans (often flared) alongside brightly coloured or tie-dye casual tops and general '60s style became fashionable first in Manchester and then across the country - frequently topped off with a fishing hat in the style sported by the Stone Roses' drummer Reni. The overall look was part rave, part retro or part hippie, part football casual. Many Madchester bands had football casual fans and a number of bands even wore football shirts. Eaitisham 'Shami' Ahmed's Manchester-based Joe Bloggs fashion label specialised in catering for the scene, making him a multi-millionaire.
It is also generally accepted that French stylists Marithé et François Girbaud were one of the first designers to integrate baggy in the fashion industry, though the style can be seen originating in the Northern soul scene. This scene included Twisted Wheel attendee Phil Saxe, who went on to sell flares and baggy clothing on his Gangway market stall in Manchester and Joe Moss who ran Crazyface.
Following the fall of Factory Records (partially brought about due to the expensive costs of The Mondays' album Yes, Please), the hiatuses of several key bands, and the rise of Grunge music, affection and attention for Baggy began to fade, and the movement generally faded out by 1993. Many of the remaining bands had drifted into what would become the Britpop sound, with increased influences from 60's guitar rock and psychedelia and less from dance and electronica, which further contributed to the genre's decline.
Some baggy bands evolved into indie rock or Britpop bands such as Blur who remained popular throughout the 1990s to the present day. The Charlatans retained their popularity, although little trace of the baggy sound and look remained.
The baggy style was eclipsed by the grunge and Britpop genres.
We remember baggy music, that genre when indie met dance...
Source: Classic Pop Magazine
https://www.classicpopmag.com/2023/01/baggy-music/
Compiled as always using the very latest and highest quality digital remasters, with a considerable amount of tracks sourced from the original master tapes for superior sound quality and enjoyment.
My goal with this collection was to have banger after banger. I hope you think I’ve achieved this objective.
Now it’s time to get this party started!
K
“Thanks again to K for sharing this one with us. Cheers”.
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Track lists
CD01
1 Primal Scream - Loaded 7:01
2 The Farm - All Together Now 5:40
3 Blur - Bang 3:37
4 Bomb the Bass - Beat Dis (Original 1987 Beat Dis 12" Extended Dis) 5:57
5 Babble feat. Q-Tee - Beautiful 6:17
6 Orbital - Belfast 8:09
7 New Fast Automatic Daffodils - Big 6:08
8 Inner City feat. Kevin Saunderson; Paris Grey (Vocal) - Big Fun (Original 1988 12" Single Version) 7:41
9 New Order - Blue Monday '88 (12" Version) 7:07
10 Happy Mondays - Bob's Yer Uncle 5:09
11 James - Born of Frustration (Single Version) 5:30
12 Depth Charge aka J. Saul Kane - Bounty Killers (Gun Shot Wound Side) (Original 1989 Vinyl Solution 12" Single Version) 7:18
CD02
13 The Beatmasters feat. P.P. Arnold - Burn It Up (Original 1988 Rhythm King 12" Single Version) 6:23
14 The Stone Roses - Bye Bye Badman 4:06
15 The Mock Turtles - Can You Dig It? 4:08
16 T-Coy - Cariño 5:16
17 The Beloved - Celebrate Your Life 5:35
18 Orbital - Chime (Original 1989 12" Single Version) 12:40
19 The Cure - Close to Me (Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne 1990 Closer Mix) 5:45
20 Frazier Chorus - Cloud 8 (Paul Oakenfold Future Mix) 6:49
21 James - Come Home (Flood Mix) 3:56
22 Primal Scream - Come Together (Terry Farley Extended 12" Mix) 8:04
23 The Farm - Comfort 4:52
24 Inspiral Carpets - Commercial Rain 4:43
CD03
25 Stereo MC's - Connected 5:14
26 The Darling Buds - Crystal Clear 3:48
27 808 State - Cübik (Original Mix) 3:33
28 Depth Charge aka J. Saul Kane - Dead by Dawn (Original 1990 Vinyl Solution 12" Single Version) 7:57
29 The Beloved - Deliver Me 3:55
30 Depth Charge aka J. Saul Kane - Depth Charge (Han Do Jin Version) (Original 1989 Vinyl Solution 12" Single Version) 8:13
31 The Adventures of Stevie V feat. Melody Washington - Dirty Cash (Sold Out 12" Mix) 7:31
32 Electronic - Disappointed (Stephen Hague 7" Single Version) 4:21
33 Coldcut feat. Yazz and the Plastic Population - Doctorin' the House (Original 1988 Ahead of Our Time 12" Vocal Mix) 5:43
34 Primal Scream - Don't Fight It, Feel It 6:54
35 The Farm - Don't Let Me Down 4:36
36 Hypnotone feat. Denise Johnson - Dream Beam (Hypnotone Original Mix) 5:13
37 Intastella - Dream Some Paradise (7" Single Version) 3:54
38 Beats International feat. Lindy Layton - Dub Be Good to Me 3:58
CD04
39 Cabaret Voltaire - Easy Life 6:17
40 The Shamen - Ebeneezer Goode (Beat Edit) 3:52
41 The Stone Roses - Elephant Stone 3:07
42 The Farm - Very Emotional (remixed by Pete Heller and Terry Farley) 6:25
43 Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (Original 1990 7" Single Version) 4:16
44 The Railway Children - Every Beat of the Heart 4:07
45 Happy Mondays - Freaky Dancin' (Original 1986 Factory 7" Single Version) 3:43
46 Lil Louis - French Kiss (The Original X-Rated Underground Mix) (1989 Diamond Records 12" Version) 9:51
47 Joanna - Gardeners' World 5:06
48 Electronic - Getting Away with It 5:15
49 Depth Charge aka J. Saul Kane - Goal (First Half) b/w Goal (Second Half + Extra Time) c/w Goal (Sudden Death Penalty Shoot Out) (Original 1990 Vinyl Solution 12" Single Version) 12:34
50 Happy Mondays - God's Cop 4:57
51 Inner City feat. Kevin Saunderson; Paris Grey (Vocal) - Good Life (Original 1988 Steve "Silk" Hurley 12" Mix) 7:11
CD05
52 The Farm - Groovy Train 4:09
53 Happy Mondays feat. Kirsty MacColl - Hallelujah (Original 1989 Paul Oakenfold and Andy Weatherall 12" Club Mix) 6:27
54 Together - Hardcore Uproar (Original 1990 FFRR Records 12" Single Version) 6:29
55 The Beloved - Sweet Harmony 5:02
56 Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas 4:56
57 The Beloved - Hello 4:19
58 Joanna - Hello Flower 3:15
59 Milltown Brothers - Here I Stand 3:37
60 The Sundays - Here's Where the Story Ends 3:54
61 Joanna - Hey Presto 4:09
62 The Farm - Higher & Higher (remixed by Pete Heller and Terry Farley) 6:10
63 Josh Wink - Higher State of Consciousness (Tweekin' Acid Funk Mix) 6:17
64 Primal Scream - Higher Than the Sun (12" Mix) 6:46
65 Soho feat. Jacqui and Pauline Cuff - Hippychick 4:31
CD06
66 The Bridewell Taxis - Honesty 4:04
67 James - How Was It for You? (7" Version) 2:58
68 The Stone Roses - I Am the Resurrection 8:15
69 The Beloved - I Love You More 3:54
70 The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored (Original 1989 12" Single Version) 4:56
71 The Soup Dragons feat. Junior Reid - I'm Free 3:48
72 Bizarre Inc. feat. Angie Brown - I'm Gonna Get You (1992 Vinyl Solution 12" Original Flavour Mix) 5:17
73 Sleezy D. - I've Lost Control (Original 1986 Trax Records 12" Single Version) 9:44
74 Cocteau Twins - Iceblink Luck 3:17
75 Joanna - If You Don't Want Me To 4:09
76 Jesus Jones - International Bright Young Thing 3:12
77 Opus III feat. Kirsty Hawkshaw - It's a Fine Day (Edit Version) b/w It's a Fine Day (Full Version) (Original 1992 PWL International CD Single Version) 9:05
78 Sterling Void & Paris Brightledge - It's All Right (House Mix) (Original 1987 D.J. International Records 12" Single Version) 6:51
CD07
79 The Beloved - It's Alright Now (Rattling Good Time) 8:15
80 Flowered Up - It's On 4:39
81 Thrashing Doves feat. David Cole on piano - Jesus on the Payroll (7" Mix / Jesus on the Payroll (Street Groove) (Bruce Forest Mix) 7:18
82 Saint Etienne - Join Our Club 3:18
83 The KLF feat. Maxine Harvey - Justified & Ancient (All Bound for Mu Mu Land) 7:47
84 Happy Mondays - Kinky Afro 3:59
85 Saint Etienne - Kiss and Make Up 5:14
86 Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kiss Them for Me 4:37
87 The KLF - Last Train to Trancentral (Live from The Lost Continent (12" A-side) 5:34
88 LFO - LFO (Leeds Warehouse Mix) 5:19
89 Farley "Jackmaster" Funk; Technotronic feat. Ya Kid K - The Acid Life (Extended Version) / Pump Up the Jam (Vocal Attack 12" Version) 12:15
CD08
90 The Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds (Original 1990 Dance Mk 2 12" Mix) 8:25
91 Happy Mondays - Loose Fit 5:05
92 Farley "Jackmaster" Funk and Jessie Saunders feat. Darryl Pandy - Love Can't Turn Around (Club Mix) (Original 1986 D.J. International Records 12" Single Version) 7:43
93 The Farm - Love See No Colour (Single Remix) 3:58
94 Frankie Knuckles feat. Jamie Principle - Your Love (Original 1987 Trax Records 12" Single Version) 6:43
95 The Cure - Lullaby (Extended Remix) 7:45
96 The Stone Roses - Made of Stone 4:16
97 Electronic - Get the Message 5:20
98 The Farm - Mind 4:33
99 Northside - Moody Places (12" Version) 5:51
100 Manic Street Preachers - Motorcycle Emptiness 6:06
101 Inspiral Carpets - Move 3:26
102 The Shamen - Move Any Mountain (Beat Edit) (remixed by the Beatmasters) b/w Move Any Mountain (Land of Oz Mix) (remixed by Paul Oakenfold) 9:04
CD09
103 Marshall Jefferson - Move Your Body (The House Music Anthem) (Original 1986 Trax Records 12" Single Version) 6:43
104 Primal Scream - Movin' On Up 3:47
105 New Order - Mr. Disco 4:21
106 Northside - My Rising Star (12" Version) 6:27
107 Sub Sub feat. Melanie Williams - Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use) (Radio Edit) b/w Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use) (Parkside Mix) 10:26
108 Adonis feat. Gary B - No Way Back (Vocal) b/w No Way Back (Instrumental) (Original 1986 Trax Records 12" Single Version) 9:54
109 State of Grace feat. Patty Low - Not Over Yet (Original 1993 Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne Perfecto Mix) (Perfecto London 12" Single Version) 7:38
110 Frazier Chorus - Nothing (Has Been Proved) (Chad Jackson Mix) 6:18
111 Saint Etienne - Nothing Can Stop Us 4:22
112 Hardfloor - Acperience 1 8:59
113 The Stone Roses - One Love (Full Length Version) 7:46
CD10
114 Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart 4:32
115 The Charlatans - The Only One I Know 4:00
116 Yazz and the Plastic Population - The Only Way Is Up (Original 1988 12" Single Version) 6:48
117 Baby Ford - Oochy Koochy (F.U. Baby Yeh Yeh) (Original 1988 12" Version) 7:47
118 The Beloved - Outerspace Girl 4:49
119 808 State - Pacific State (Original 1989 'Quadrastate' 12" Single Version b/w Pacific 202) 12:10
120 The Future Sound of London - Papua New Guinea (Original 12" Version) 4:59
121 Intastella feat. Stella Grundy - People (Chris Nagle 12" Remix) 6:10
122 Saint Etienne - People Get Real 4:45
123 Paris Angels - Perfume (Loved Up) 5:35
124 Flowered Up - Phobia (Marc Angelo Paranoid Mix) 4:58
125 The Shamen - Phorever People (Beatmasters Heavenly Mix) 6:04
CD11
126 Jaydee - Plastic Dreams (Original 1992 R&S Records 12" Long Version) 10:19
127 My Jealous God - Pray (12" Version) 4:30
128 Joe Smooth - Promised Land (Club Mix) (Original 1987 D.J. International Records 12" Single Version) 5:08
129 The Wendys - Pulling My Fingers Off 4:08
130 M|A|R|R|S - Pump Up the Volume (Original 1987 UK 12" Single Version) 6:47
131 Bocca Juniors feat. Anna Haigh - Raise (63 Steps to Heaven) (12" Redskin Rock Mix) 6:05
132 Electronic - Reality 5:39
133 Black Box feat. Loleatta Holloway - Ride on Time (The Original) (1989 Out Records Italy 12" Single Version) 6:27
134 Jesus Jones - Right Here, Right Now 3:10
135 New Order - Round & Round (Album Version) b/w Round & Round (Kevin Saunderson 12" Mix) 11:20
136 The Stone Roses - Sally Cinnamon (Original 1987 Black/FM Revolver 12" Single Version) 3:26
137 The Lightning Seeds - Sense 4:06
CD12
138 Northside - Shall We Take a Trip (12" Version) 5:29
139 The Stone Roses - She Bangs the Drums (Original 1989 7" Single Mix) 3:42
140 Inspiral Carpets - She Comes in the Fall 4:10
141 Top - She's Got All the World 3:20
142 Blur - She's So High 4:46
143 James - Sit Down (1991 Fontana re-recording 7" Single New Version) 4:04
144 Primal Scream - Slip Inside This House 5:16
145 Utah Saints feat. Kate Bush - Something Good (Original 1992 FFRR Records 12" Single Mix) 5:54
146 The Stone Roses - (Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister 3:26
147 Leftfield - Song of Life (Extended Version) 8:44
148 World of Twist - Sons of the Stage 5:09
149 My Bloody Valentine - Soon (The Andy Weatherall Mix) 7:34
150 The Bridewell Taxis - Spirit (LFO Decision Remix) 4:42
151 The Charlatans - Sproston Green 5:13
152 Humanoid - Stakker Humanoid 4:58
CD13
153 Happy Mondays - Step On 5:17
154 World of Twist - The Storm (7" Single Edit) 3:27
155 Candy Flip - Strawberry Fields Forever 4:09
156 Rhythim Is Rhythim - Strings of Life (Original Mix) 7:34
157 Bocca Juniors feat. Anna Haigh and Katherine Wood - Substantially Soulful (12" Weatherall Mix) 8:35
158 The Beloved - The Sun Rising 5:04
159 World of Twist - Sweets 4:50
160 Northside - Take 5 (7" Single Version) 3:14
161 Electribe 101 feat. Billie Ray Martin - Talking with Myself (Frankie Knuckles Mix) (1990 Mercury Records 12" Single Version) 7:49
162 S'Express - Theme from S-Express (Original 1988 UK 12" Platform 1 Mix) 6:03
163 The Charlatans - Then (7" Mix) 4:13
164 The La's - There She Goes 2:42
165 Blur - There's No Other Way 3:24
166 Inspiral Carpets - This Is How It Feels 3:11
167 The Stone Roses - This Is the One 5:01
CD14
168 The KLF feat. Maxine Harvey - 3 a.m. Eternal (Original 1989 12" Single Version) 5:59
169 Fast Eddie - Acid Thunder (Smooth Thunder) (Joe Smooth Mix) b/w Acid Thunder (Fast Thunder) (Fast Eddie Mix) (Original 1988 D.J. International Records 12" Single Version) 9:53
170 The Beloved - Time After Time 4:13
171 DNA feat. Suzanne Vega - Tom's Diner (12" Version) 5:28
172 A Homeboy, a Hippie and a Funki Dredd - Total Confusion (Heavenly Mix) 7:20
173 Phuture - Acid Tracks (Original 1987 Trax Records 12" Single Version) 12:26
174 New Order - True Faith (Original 1987 12" Single Version) 5:54
175 Happy Mondays - 24 Hour Party People (Original 1987 Factory 7" Single Version) 3:23
176 Ride - Twisterella 3:42
177 New Order - Run 4:31
178 EMF - Unbelievable 3:30
179 Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy (Paul Oakenfold Perfecto Mix) 5:14
CD15
180 The High - Up and Down 4:53
181 The Beloved - Up, Up and Away 6:02
182 New Order - Vanishing Point b/w Vanishing Point (Instrumental Making Out Mix) 10:26
183 Ride - Vapour Trail 4:18
184 The Farm - Golden Vision 5:06
185 A Guy Called Gerald feat. Nicola Collier - Voodoo Ray (Extended Mix) b/w Voodoo Ray (Gerald's Rham on Acid Remix) (Original 1988 12" Single Version) 10:42
186 The Beloved - Wake Up Soon 5:04
187 Kirsty MacColl feat. Johnny Marr and Aniff Cousins - Walking Down Madison (Full-Length Album Version) 6:35
188 Frazier Chorus - Walking on Air 3:01
189 Mr. Fingers - Washing Machine b/w Can You Feel It (Original 1986 Trax Records 12" Club Mix) 10:05
190 The Stone Roses - Waterfall (Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne 12" Remix) 5:34
CD16
191 Flowered Up - Weekender (Original 1992 12" Single Version) 12:56
192 The Charlatans - Weirdo 3:44
193 The Stone Roses - What the World Is Waiting For 3:52
194 The KLF - What Time Is Love? (7" Radio Edit) b/w What Time is Love? (Pure Trance 1) 10:43
195 Alison Limerick - Where Love Lives (Original 1990 Classic Mix) 6:56
196 Milltown Brothers - Which Way Should I Jump? 3:54
197 The Charlatans - White Shirt 3:25
198 The Real People - Window Pane 3:34
199 Happy Mondays - Wrote for Luck 6:05
200 The Source feat. Candi Staton - You Got the Love (Erens Bootleg Mix) (1991 12" Single Version) 7:14
201 The Beloved - Your Love Takes Me Higher 3:39
202 The Stone Roses - Fools Gold (Original 1989 12" Single Version) 9:53
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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.
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