Books by Mick Middles

Factory Records' fame and fortune were based on two bands - Joy Division and New Order - and one personality - that of its director, Tony Wilson. At the height of the label's success in the late 1980s, it ran its own club, the legendary Ha ienda, had a string of international hit records, and was admired and emulated around the world. But by the 1990s the story had changed. The back catalogue was sold off, top bands New Order and Happy Mondays were in disarray, and the Ha ienda was shut down by the police. Critically acclaimed on its original publication in 1996, this book tells the complete story of Factory Records' spectacular history, from the label's birth in 1970s Manchester, through its '80s heyday and '90s demise. Now updated to include new material on the re-emergence of Joy Division, the death of Tony Wilson and the legacy of Factory Records, it draws on exclusive interviews with the major players to give a fascinating insight into the unique personalities and chaotic reality behind one of the UK's most influential and successful independent record labels.

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN AN ARTIST quite like Chris Sievey or his ''fantastic'' comedic alter ego, Frank Sidebottom. Whether pushing for chart action while fronting his former band The Freshies or allowing the bombastic Sidebottom to wreak anarchy and chaos on television, radio or with the Oh Blimey Big Band, Sievey''s mischievous muse seemed to obey no boundaries. Yet it was only after Chris''s untimely demise in 2010 that the extent of his infl uence became fully apparent. The emergence of Jon Ronson''s fi lm, ''Frank'', Steve Sullivan''s exhaustive documentary ''Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story'' and the bizarre erection of the Frank Sidebottom statue in his native Timperley last October - before 2,000 devotees - all combined to make this the most extraordinary stories of recent decades. In this unorthodox biography, legendary journalist Mick Middles draws on his thirty year friendship with Sievey to gain further insight this most charismatic of artists. Family members, fellow musicians, fans and acquaintances help trace Chris''s career from Timperley to Hollywood.