52nd Street (band)
Encyclopedia
52nd Street were a British
jazz
-funk
and R&B
band formed in Manchester
in late 1980, around the period in which both punk/new wave and jazz-funk rocked the club scene. Throughout the 1980s the group enjoyed success not only in the UK but also on the Billboard
chart in the United States
. Their biggest and best-known hit single
was "Tell Me (How It Feels)", released in 1985 by the 10 Records subsidiary of Virgin Records
in the UK and then months later on in 1986 on MCA Records
in the US.
The original line-up consisted of Tony Henry
(guitar), Derrick Johnson (bass), Desmond Isaacs (keyboards), Tony Thompson (drums) and Jennifer McCloud (vocals). Within six months vocalist Rose Williams and saxophonist Eric Godden both came and departed before the line-up settled with John Dennison (keyboards) replacing Desmond Isaacs and Beverley McDonald (lead vocals) replacing Jennifer McCloud.
manager Derek Brandwood (both of RCA Records
) put the band in Revolution Studios Manchester to record what was supposed to be their debut single. The irony of this liaison was that Searling and Brandwood were also responsible for early pre-Factory Joy Division
recordings, when they were called Warsaw.
Whilst recording demos for RCA, the band was also put into Strawberry Studios
to record tracks for Warner Bros. Records
A&R
scout and club promotions manager Erskine Thompson. With both major labels increasing the pressure to talk to the manager-less 52nd Street, bass player Derrick Johnson instead contacted ex-DJ Rob Gretton
, co-owner of Factory Records
, and Joy Division’s manager. (The connection was through Johnson's brother Donald
, the drummer for Factory act A Certain Ratio
.) Gretton went to see the band play at jazz venue The Band on the Wall
in Manchester. Soon after, Gretton and his reluctant partner Tony Wilson
agreed to take a chance and add the band to their roster. Funk/soul was not what Factory Records was about and that initially frightened Wilson, although he had previously released a single from Manchester reggae act X-o-dus.
, 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.
(US) to demand an immediate follow up single to maintain momentum. Meanwhile in Manchester
, Factory’s premier gold machine New Order
were scoring worldwide breaking all kind of records with monster hits; "Blue Monday" and the Arthur Baker
produced "Confusion". Many acts in this period at Factory suffered in the shadow of the New Order revolution, due to lack of label manpower. Creative decisions could not be made at short notice within the company as both principal executives Wilson and Gretton were constantly away from the office with the band.
52nd Street became restless and started to implode. Major labels including A&M
(UK) were starting to show interest, but certain band members felt loyal to the Factory organisation. On Rob's return from the New Order tour, where 52nd Street supported on some dates, a heated debate about commitment between band members and Gretton resulted in the suggestion that Wilson’s ex-wife Lindsay Reade become their full time manager. This plan was supposed to speed things up; she could make decisions on behalf of Factory Communications once this was clarified by either Rob Gretton
or Tony Wilson
.
Once manager, she put together a strategy to hasten productivity. After a short non-productive period, the band regrouped and reorganised. Vocalist Beverley McDonald departed and promptly began contributing to Quando Quango
's LP Pigs and Battleships. Although not the strongest of singers, she had the Factory look and ethos which Tony Wilson loved. She was "rugged cool" (not unlike Macy Gray
) and had an image that wouldn’t have looked out of place had she been lead vocalist with Joy Division. Wilson wasn’t happy with the change and stated that this decision would lead to the quick demise of 52nd Street.
McDonald was replaced by Diane Charlemagne
(later lead vocalist with Moby
and would go on to bigger UK success with the Urban Cookie Collective
). Charlemagne, even in 1984, was one of the strongest female soul voices in the UK.
New Order’s Stephen Morris was called in by Rob to help out on production for 52nd Street’s 3rd single "Can’t Afford". Morris also completed production on two other tracks that were supposed to appear on a later EP. Like Sumner, Morris was now a deep philosopher in electronic funk and his ideas, intercut with Tony Henry’s sequenced bass lines and Charlemagne’s potent vocal delivery, excited everyone at Factory except for Wilson, who was still grieving the loss of McDonald. Both those additional tracks "Look I’ve Heard it all Before" and "Available" were re-recorded and released on the band’s 1986 Virgin
debut album titled Children of the Night.
(home to Run DMC among others), heard "Can’t Afford" on constant rotation in New York night clubs on import and were amazed that A&M had declined to exercise the option. Reade, as Overseas Licensing Manager, negotiated with Profile Records who wanted to move fast and put the record out on the streets as bootleg recording
s were already beginning to surface.
"Can't Afford" was an even a bigger US success than "Cool as Ice", entering the Top 15 on the Billboard Dance Chart in early 1985.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
-funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
band formed in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in late 1980, around the period in which both punk/new wave and jazz-funk rocked the club scene. Throughout the 1980s the group enjoyed success not only in the UK but also on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
chart in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Their biggest and best-known hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
was "Tell Me (How It Feels)", released in 1985 by the 10 Records subsidiary of Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
in the UK and then months later on in 1986 on MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
in the US.
The original line-up consisted of Tony Henry
Tony Henry
Anthony Henry is a retired footballer who played in The Football League for Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, Oldham Athletic, Shrewsbury Town and Stoke City.-References:...
(guitar), Derrick Johnson (bass), Desmond Isaacs (keyboards), Tony Thompson (drums) and Jennifer McCloud (vocals). Within six months vocalist Rose Williams and saxophonist Eric Godden both came and departed before the line-up settled with John Dennison (keyboards) replacing Desmond Isaacs and Beverley McDonald (lead vocals) replacing Jennifer McCloud.
Early years
The band played gigs around the Manchester scene in many dingy and trendy venues, whilst at the same time recording demo tapes in local studios. Local funk DJ Mike Shaft became their mentor and would play 52nd Street demos on his Piccadilly Radio shows. In mid-1981 soul DJ Richard Searling and ex-Sad CaféSad Café (band)
Sad Café were an English rock band, which formed in Manchester in 1976, as a result of the unification of the rock bands Mandala and Gyro. Sad Café are best known for their song "Every Day Hurts" which reached Number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1979....
manager Derek Brandwood (both of RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
) put the band in Revolution Studios Manchester to record what was supposed to be their debut single. The irony of this liaison was that Searling and Brandwood were also responsible for early pre-Factory Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
recordings, when they were called Warsaw.
Whilst recording demos for RCA, the band was also put into Strawberry Studios
Strawberry Studios
-Formation:The facility was originally called Inner City Studios and located above a music store in the town centre. In early 1968 it was bought by Peter Tattersall, a former road manager for Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. Tattersall invited Eric Stewart – then lead guitarist and singer of...
to record tracks for Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
scout and club promotions manager Erskine Thompson. With both major labels increasing the pressure to talk to the manager-less 52nd Street, bass player Derrick Johnson instead contacted ex-DJ Rob Gretton
Rob Gretton
Rob Gretton was the manager of Joy Division and New Order. He was also a partner in Factory Records, proprietor of the Rob's Records label and a co-founder along with Tony Wilson of The Haçienda nightclub in Manchester, England. In 1977, Gretton became a leading figure in the Manchester punk...
, co-owner of Factory Records
Factory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside and James and...
, and Joy Division’s manager. (The connection was through Johnson's brother Donald
Donald Johnson
----Donald James "Don" Johnson is a former professional tennis player from the United States who reached the World No. 1 doubles ranking in 2002. Although born in Bethlehem, PA he was raised and learned the sport of tennis in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania...
, the drummer for Factory act A Certain Ratio
A Certain Ratio
A Certain Ratio are a Post-punk band formed in 1977 in Manchester, England. While originally part of the punk rock movement, they soon added funk and dance elements to their sound. They are sometimes referred to as "post punk funk"...
.) Gretton went to see the band play at jazz venue The Band on the Wall
Band on the Wall
Band on the Wall is a live music venue at 25 Swan Street in the Northern Quarter area of Manchester city centre.-Early history:The building dates back to around 1862 when a local brewery, the McKenna Brothers, built it as the flagship pub of their operation. It was called the George and Dragon; the...
in Manchester. Soon after, Gretton and his reluctant partner Tony Wilson
Tony Wilson
Anthony Howard Wilson, commonly known as Tony Wilson , was an English record label owner, radio presenter, TV show host, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC....
agreed to take a chance and add the band to their roster. Funk/soul was not what Factory Records was about and that initially frightened Wilson, although he had previously released a single from Manchester reggae act X-o-dus.
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 MorleyPaul Morley
Paul Morley is an English journalist, who wrote for the New Musical Express from 1977 to 1983, during one of its most successful periods, and has since written for a wide range of publications...
, then reviewing singles for the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, 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
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
community and Bill Laswell’s work with jazz keyboardist Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
. 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
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
—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
Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner , also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken and Bernard Albrecht is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player and producer....
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
Arthur Baker (musician)
Arthur Baker is an American record producer and DJ best known for his work with hip hop artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Planet Patrol, and the British group New Order.-Early career:...
. 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
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Radio 1 DJs John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
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
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
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
Danceteria
Danceteria was a well-known four-floor nightclub located in New York City which operated from 1980 until 1986 and in the Hamptons until 1995. Throughout its history, the club had seven different locations, three in NYC and four in the Hamptons...
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
Granada Reports
Granada Reports is the flagship regional news programme of ITV franchisee Granada, presented by Tony Morris and Lucy Meacock, and serving the North West of England and the Isle of Man....
news programme.
More success, more problems
The success of "Cool as Ice" in 1983 led A&MA&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
(US) to demand an immediate follow up single to maintain momentum. Meanwhile in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Factory’s premier gold machine New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
were scoring worldwide breaking all kind of records with monster hits; "Blue Monday" and the Arthur Baker
Arthur Baker (musician)
Arthur Baker is an American record producer and DJ best known for his work with hip hop artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Planet Patrol, and the British group New Order.-Early career:...
produced "Confusion". Many acts in this period at Factory suffered in the shadow of the New Order revolution, due to lack of label manpower. Creative decisions could not be made at short notice within the company as both principal executives Wilson and Gretton were constantly away from the office with the band.
52nd Street became restless and started to implode. Major labels including A&M
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
(UK) were starting to show interest, but certain band members felt loyal to the Factory organisation. On Rob's return from the New Order tour, where 52nd Street supported on some dates, a heated debate about commitment between band members and Gretton resulted in the suggestion that Wilson’s ex-wife Lindsay Reade become their full time manager. This plan was supposed to speed things up; she could make decisions on behalf of Factory Communications once this was clarified by either Rob Gretton
Rob Gretton
Rob Gretton was the manager of Joy Division and New Order. He was also a partner in Factory Records, proprietor of the Rob's Records label and a co-founder along with Tony Wilson of The Haçienda nightclub in Manchester, England. In 1977, Gretton became a leading figure in the Manchester punk...
or Tony Wilson
Tony Wilson
Anthony Howard Wilson, commonly known as Tony Wilson , was an English record label owner, radio presenter, TV show host, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC....
.
The Lindsay Reade years
Reade had returned to Factory Records in 1984, after her divorce from Tony Wilson, to run the Overseas Licensing Department. Gretton suggested that Reade needed something more challenging to do and that people tended to underestimate her abilities. He also overheard Reade tell another staff member that the only other band on the label worth spending money on was 52nd Street. "At least they made music that ordinary people would buy." Reade had not at that time met the band.Once manager, she put together a strategy to hasten productivity. After a short non-productive period, the band regrouped and reorganised. Vocalist Beverley McDonald departed and promptly began contributing to Quando Quango
Quando Quango
Quando Quango was a British, Manchester based new wave and dance project, formed by The Haçienda DJ and Factory Records A&R man Mike Pickering, Hillegonda Rietveld and Reinier Rietveld. Their unique sound influenced the underground dance music scenes in New York and Chicago in the 1980s...
's LP Pigs and Battleships. Although not the strongest of singers, she had the Factory look and ethos which Tony Wilson loved. She was "rugged cool" (not unlike Macy Gray
Macy Gray
Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...
) and had an image that wouldn’t have looked out of place had she been lead vocalist with Joy Division. Wilson wasn’t happy with the change and stated that this decision would lead to the quick demise of 52nd Street.
McDonald was replaced by Diane Charlemagne
Diane Charlemagne
Diane Charlemagne is a British vocalist, who has provided vocals for many major dance music hits.-Biography:She was the lead singer for the Urban Cookie Collective, who had two UK Top 10 hits in the 1990s, and the lead singer for 1980s funk band, 52nd Street.She provided the vocal for Goldie's...
(later lead vocalist with Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
and would go on to bigger UK success with the Urban Cookie Collective
Urban Cookie Collective
The Urban Cookie Collective are a British techno and house band, who are best known for their hit single "The Key The Secret", which was originally released in 1993.-Career:...
). Charlemagne, even in 1984, was one of the strongest female soul voices in the UK.
New Order’s Stephen Morris was called in by Rob to help out on production for 52nd Street’s 3rd single "Can’t Afford". Morris also completed production on two other tracks that were supposed to appear on a later EP. Like Sumner, Morris was now a deep philosopher in electronic funk and his ideas, intercut with Tony Henry’s sequenced bass lines and Charlemagne’s potent vocal delivery, excited everyone at Factory except for Wilson, who was still grieving the loss of McDonald. Both those additional tracks "Look I’ve Heard it all Before" and "Available" were re-recorded and released on the band’s 1986 Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
debut album titled Children of the Night.
Rumblings
Eleven months had passed since A&M US requested a follow up single. They finally lost patience with the unprofessionalism of Factory Records. Reade, implementing what she thought was agreed company policies and procedures, mailed copies of the new single to A&M US. They rejected the track, more on a business footing than artistic, thus leaving the band free to negotiate with other interested parties. Profile RecordsProfile Records
Profile Records was a record label that specialized in many types of urban-oriented music, such as hip hop, active until 1996..- History :In 1980, at 23 years old, after working briefly for MCA, Cory Robbins was looking to start a record label. He invited his songwriter friend Steve Plotnicki to be...
(home to Run DMC among others), heard "Can’t Afford" on constant rotation in New York night clubs on import and were amazed that A&M had declined to exercise the option. Reade, as Overseas Licensing Manager, negotiated with Profile Records who wanted to move fast and put the record out on the streets as bootleg recording
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
s were already beginning to surface.
Earthquake
Reade’s business dealings caused eruptions not just with Wilson and Gretton, but Michael Shamberg who ran Factory US. 52nd Street was caught in the middle and the band members' allegiance to Reade were beginning to fragment. They knew her aims and objectives were sincere and her method was for their artistic benefit. In December 1984, a crucial Factory Records Management meeting was hastily arranged with all directors in which Reade was subsequently sacked and told to leave the offices immediately without the band. http://www.partypeoplemovie.com/legend_sub.php?section=2&subsection=4"Can't Afford" was an even a bigger US success than "Cool as Ice", entering the Top 15 on the Billboard Dance Chart in early 1985.