Dutch new wave/electronic/art punk band
Minny Pops
is a Dutch, Amsterdam-based
new wave
/electronic/art punk band, associated with the
Ultra
post-punk movement in the Netherlands and the
Factory Records
label in the UK.
History
[
edit
]
The vocalist/songwriter/programmer Wally van Middendorp formed the band in 1978, taking the name from a primitive
Korg
drum machine, the
Mini Pops
.
[1]
Minny Pops, which van Middendorp originally intended to be a project for just three performances, had an initial lineup of van Middendorp, bass guitarist
Frans Hagenaars
, guitarist Peter Mertens, and two dancers, including van Middendorp's older brother, Rob.
The band's first commercially released recording was the "Kojak" single
[2]
(b/w "Footsteps" and "Nervous") (Plurex 005), issued in 1979 on Plurex, the independent label founded by van Middendorp in 1978.
Minny Pops' first full-length album,
Drastic Measures, Drastic Movement
(Plurex 900) was released in 1979.
[2]
After opening for
Joy Division
in Eindhoven and Den Haag in January 1980, the band was brought to the attention of Factory Records by
Rob Gretton
, Joy Division's manager.
[1]
Minny Pops' first single for Factory, "Dolphin's Spurt"/"Goddess" (FAC 31) was produced by
Martin Hannett
and recorded at
Strawberry Studios
in Stockport. It reached number 23 in the
UK Independent Chart
.
[3]
Further releases for the label included the single "Secret Story"/"Island" (FAC 57), the flexi single "Een Kus" (FACBN 13 - later reissued as 7" vinyl on
LTM Recordings
with "Son" on the B-side), the single "Time"/"Lights" (FBN 11) and the full-length album (FACBN 15), which was released by
Factory Benelux
in 1982.
[2]
Sparks in a Dark Room
The band's first live appearance in England was at the Beach Club, a Manchester venue associated with Factory.
[2]
They went on to share further bills with Joy Division and, after
Ian Curtis
' death,
New Order
, as well as appearing with
A Certain Ratio
,
Scritti Politti
, the
Au Pairs
and
Comsat Angels
. In 1980, Minny Pops undertook a seven-date North American tour
[1]
during which they played with
Suicide
in New York.
Curiously, the original line-up of Minny Pops never performed live in Brussels, despite their close association with the Factory Benelux label, based in that city.
In 1980, they recorded a
Peel session
for
BBC Radio One
. A line-up of van Middendorp, Dekker, van Zoeren and Walhof recorded "Dolphin's Spurt", "Mono", "Jets" and "Ice Cube Wall"; the session was broadcast on 12 November 1980.
[4]
Minny Pops' final live performances were in December 1981. Van Middendorp and Dekker subsequently recorded two dance singles for Factory under the name Streetlife. Between 2003 and 2004, the bulk of the Minny Pops studio back catalogue was issued on remastered CD by
LTM
.
In November 2011, van Middendorp told an interviewer with the Dutch national public broadcaster
VPRO
's
3Voor12
programme that Minny Pops would perform their first gigs in 30 years in early 2012, and that a live CD/DVD package,
Standstill to Motion
,
[5]
would appear via
LTM
in January 2012.
[6]
In 2012, the band (original members van Middendorp, Dekker and Mulder, with guitarist Mark Ritsema) performed to some acclaim in Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester and London.
[7]
This lineup, augmented by programmer/keyboard player Thomas Myrmel, also recorded a double A-sided 7" single, "Waiting for This To Happen" / "Glistering", for
Tim Burgess
' label O-Genesis, which was released in November 2012.
During the course of 2012, Minny Pops also performed in Brussels and participated in live multimedia events in the Netherlands organised by the revived Ultra group. A recording of a complete live performance at the Melkweg in Amsterdam on 7 April 2012 was included as a bonus disc with the 2014 reissue of
Sparks in a Dark Room
via
Factory Benelux
.
As of 2014, they are back performing and have played in the UK.
[8]
Discography
[
edit
]
Studio albums
Compilation album
- Secret Stories
(2003), LTMCD 2353,
LTM
Live album
- Standstill to Motion
(2012), LTMCD 2566,
LTM
- CD/DVD package of live album from Melkweg show on 19 March 1981 (DVD features original source footage from various shows in USA and Europe).
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
Nice, James (2010).
Shadowplayers: The Rise and Fall of Factory Records
. Aurum.
ISBN
978-1-84513-540-9
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Kellman, Andy,
"The Minny Pops Biography"
, AllMusic, retrieved 17 July 2011
- ^
Lazell, Barry (1998)
Indie Hits 1980-1989
, Cherry Red Books,
ISBN
0-9517206-9-4
, p. 149
- ^
"Keeping It Peel"
, BBC Radio 1
- ^
Raggett, Ned,
"
, AllMusic, retrieved 28 February 2012
- ^
[1]
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
Robinson, John,
Guardian Guide Live Picks
,
The Guardian
, retrieved 28 February 2012
- ^
Simpson, Dave (21 April 2014).
"A Factory Night review ? 'Section 25: the best new/old band in Britain?'
"
.
The Guardian
.
Further reading
[
edit
]
In English
[
edit
]
- Nice, James.
Shadowplayers: The Rise and Fall of Factory Records
London: Aurum, 2010.
ISBN
978-1-84513-540-9
.
In Dutch
[
edit
]
- Rijven, Stan (1987). "Alles wat je echt wilt kun je verwezenlijken: Interview met Wally van Middendorp", in
Tachtigers: glimp van een generatie
, ed. Boudewijn Klap, Stan Rijven and Paul Rutten (Hilversum: Anthos/Ikon) pp 175?184.
ISBN
90-6074-241-9
- Jonker, Leonor (2012),
"No future: de reformatie van Minny Pops"
, VPRO, retrieved 28 February 2012
External links
[
edit
]