Quando Quango
Encyclopedia
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. Their first release was the "Go Exciting" twelve-inch single on Factory Records
in 1982, and their last release of new music was the 1985 full-length album Pigs & Battleships (reissued on CD in 2003).
Billboard
Dance Chart
, and "Atom Rock." Their sound was the result of an eclectic mix of Latin, jazz, reggae and disco, all in a pioneering New Wave context. Hillegonda Rietveld said, describing the group's music, "...Fela Kuti
meets Kraftwerk
somewhere between Manchester and Rotterdam, part of a new wave of post-punk electronica, with a whole lot of Mike Pickering's admirably broad knowledge of soul, disco, reggae and pop to stuff the gaps". Bernard Sumner
of Joy Division
and New Order
, who produced early Quando Quango recordings, was a major influence on the group.
, The Netherlands in 1980, by the Mancunian Mike Pickering and Rotterdam-based Gonnie Rietveld, supported on drums by her brother Reinier Rietveld. In 1982 they moved to Manchester, England, where Pickering's friend Rob Gretton
was setting up The Haçienda
nightclub.
In 1983, Reinier Rietveld left the group to concentrate on his band Spasmodique
. Soon after, former A Certain Ratio
singer/trumpeter/percussionist Simon Topping joined as percussionist. Gonnie Rietveld settled into her role programming their electronic music, and Pickering continued to write lyrics and melodies.
The same year, Derek Johnson of fellow Factory act 52nd Street joined on bass, soon to be replaced by his brother Barry Johnson, formerly of Sweet Sensation
, and later of Aswad.
After releasing a few singles that were minor dance club hits, the group collaborated with Johnny Marr
and Vini Reilly
to create the full-length album Pigs & Battleships. Andy Connell
of A Certain Ratio and Beverley McDonald of 52nd Street
also contributed.
The group did not last long after the album's release, but before their collapse they recorded more material with prominent guests. Lisa Stansfield
sang on demos of "Bad Blood" and "Vision of America" in 1986. Stephen Morris contributed percussion to "What Price Beauty," which later became the M People
track "Kiss It Better."
After the group's demise, Pickering went on to form dance duo T-Coy with Topping and, later, M People
. Rietveld's connection with The Haçienda continued when she researched and co-edited the book The Haçienda Must Be Built!, edited by Jon Savage
. After gaining her doctorate, Dr Rietveld single-authored This Is Our House: House Music, Cultural Spaces and Technologies, and is currently a Reader in Cultural Studies at London South Bank University
, where she supervises postgraduate research projects in electronic dance music cultures.
Tracks:
2003 CD reissue bonus tracks:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, 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...
based new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
project, formed by The Haçienda
The Haçienda
Fac 51 Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England. It became most famous during the "Madchester" years of the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the 1990s it was labelled the most famous club in the world by Newsweek magazine...
DJ and 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...
A&R man Mike Pickering
Mike Pickering
Michael "Duncan" Pickering has DJed at The Haçienda's infamous "Nude" and "Hot" nights and later "Shine". He worked for Factory Records where he signed Happy Mondays, To Hell With Burgundy and James amongst others...
, Hillegonda Rietveld and Reinier Rietveld. Their unique sound influenced the underground dance music scenes in New York and Chicago in the 1980s. Their first release was the "Go Exciting" twelve-inch single on 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...
in 1982, and their last release of new music was the 1985 full-length album Pigs & Battleships (reissued on CD in 2003).
Music
Quando Quango remain best known for the dance singles "Love Tempo," which reached number four on the USUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
Dance Chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, and "Atom Rock." Their sound was the result of an eclectic mix of Latin, jazz, reggae and disco, all in a pioneering New Wave context. Hillegonda Rietveld said, describing the group's music, "...Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
meets Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
somewhere between Manchester and Rotterdam, part of a new wave of post-punk electronica, with a whole lot of Mike Pickering's admirably broad knowledge of soul, disco, reggae and pop to stuff the gaps". 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....
of 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...
and New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
, who produced early Quando Quango recordings, was a major influence on the group.
History
The group was formed in RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, The Netherlands in 1980, by the Mancunian Mike Pickering and Rotterdam-based Gonnie Rietveld, supported on drums by her brother Reinier Rietveld. In 1982 they moved to Manchester, England, where Pickering's friend 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...
was setting up The Haçienda
The Haçienda
Fac 51 Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England. It became most famous during the "Madchester" years of the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the 1990s it was labelled the most famous club in the world by Newsweek magazine...
nightclub.
In 1983, Reinier Rietveld left the group to concentrate on his band Spasmodique
Spasmodique
Spasmodique was an underground rock band from Rotterdam, The Netherlands from 1981 to 2005.-Sound:Spasmodique formed at the height of New Wave's popularity and existed somewhere near that genre's post-punk fringes. They sang almost exclusively in English...
. Soon after, former 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"...
singer/trumpeter/percussionist Simon Topping joined as percussionist. Gonnie Rietveld settled into her role programming their electronic music, and Pickering continued to write lyrics and melodies.
The same year, Derek Johnson of fellow Factory act 52nd Street joined on bass, soon to be replaced by his brother Barry Johnson, formerly of Sweet Sensation
Sweet Sensation (band)
Sweet Sensation was an eight piece British soul group who had some success between 1974 and 1977. Cast very much in the then-popular mould of the Philly sound, they broke through in 1974 following an appearance on a UK television talent show, New Faces...
, and later of Aswad.
After releasing a few singles that were minor dance club hits, the group collaborated with Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
and Vini Reilly
Vini Reilly
Vincent "Vini" Gerard Reilly is an English musician and leader of the post-punk group The Durutti Column.-Biography:...
to create the full-length album Pigs & Battleships. Andy Connell
Andy Connell
Andrew John "Andy" Connell is an English musician and composer. Along with Corinne Drewery, he is part of the duo that makes up Swing Out Sister....
of A Certain Ratio and Beverley McDonald of 52nd Street
52nd Street (band)
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...
also contributed.
The group did not last long after the album's release, but before their collapse they recorded more material with prominent guests. Lisa Stansfield
Lisa Stansfield
Lisa Stansfield is an English singer and songwriter.-Early years:Stansfield was born to Marion and Keith Stansfield in Heywood, Lancashire, in England, where she attended Redbrook School, Rochdale. Her first television appearance was on a talent programme in the Granada TV area in 1982...
sang on demos of "Bad Blood" and "Vision of America" in 1986. Stephen Morris contributed percussion to "What Price Beauty," which later became the M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
track "Kiss It Better."
After the group's demise, Pickering went on to form dance duo T-Coy with Topping and, later, M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
. Rietveld's connection with The Haçienda continued when she researched and co-edited the book The Haçienda Must Be Built!, edited by Jon Savage
Jon Savage
Jon Savage , real name Jonathon Sage, is a Cambridge-educated writer, broadcaster and music journalist, best known for his award winning history of the Sex Pistols and punk music, England's Dreaming, published in 1991.-Career:...
. After gaining her doctorate, Dr Rietveld single-authored This Is Our House: House Music, Cultural Spaces and Technologies, and is currently a Reader in Cultural Studies at London South Bank University
London South Bank University
London South Bank University is a university in south London. With over 25,000 students and 1,700 staff, it is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name...
, where she supervises postgraduate research projects in electronic dance music cultures.
Albums
- Pigs & Battleships (1985) Factory (UK IndieUK Indie ChartThe UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
#17)
Tracks:
- "Genius"
- "Go Exciting"
- "Happy Boy"
- "Rebel"
- "This Feeling"
- "S.T."
- "40 Dreams"
- "Low Rider"
- "Love Tempo" (remixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
)
2003 CD reissue bonus tracks:
- "Atom Rock" (remix)
- "Triangle"
- "Tingle"
- "Go Exciting" (Original Mix)
Singles
- "Go Exciting" (1982) Factory FAC 67
- Tracks: "Go Exciting" / "Tingle"
- "Love Tempo" (1983) Factory FAC 79T (UK Indie #32)
- Tracks: "Love Tempo" / "Love Tempo" (remix)
- "Atom Rock" (1984) Factory FAC 102T (UK Indie #42)
- Tracks: "Atom Rock" / "Triangle"
- "Genius" (1985) Factory FAC 137 (UK Indie #38)
- Tracks: "Genius" / "Rock"
- "Bad Blood" Factory FAC 156 (Not released due to breakup)