Martin Hannett

James Martin Hannett (also known as ' Martin Zero') (31 May 1948 – 18 April 1991), was an English record producer, musician, and an original partner and director at Tony Wilson's Factory Records. He was also a co-founder of the musicians' collective Music Force, and the record label Rabid in the late 1970s.

He became especially associated with Joy Division and also produced music by artists including the Durutti Column, A Certain Ratio, Magazine, John Cooper Clarke, New Order, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Basement 5, and Happy Mondays. His distinctive production style embraced atmospheric sounds and electronics.

Early life and education James Martin Hannett was born in Manchester, England, on 31 May 1948. He grew up in a working-class, Catholic family in Miles Platting, Manchester. and Xaverian College in Rusholme.

Hannett's production work began with the soundtrack for the animated film All Kinds of Heroes, written by future collaborator Steve Hopkins. By this time, he also began to mix live sound at pub gigs. Other early production works included Greasy Bear, Belt & Braces Road Show Band's eponymous album in 1975 and five songs from Pete Farrow's repertoire recorded at Pennine Studios, Oldham, later included on the compilation album Who Says There's No Beach in Stockport. Hannett attracted more musical attention in 1977, when, as Martin Zero, he produced the first independent punk rock record, Buzzcocks' Spiral Scratch EP. Under the same moniker he produced early records by punk poet John Cooper Clarke, whose Salford monotone was complemented by drum machines, simple synthesiser motifs and Hannett's bass playing. Jilted John's eponymous debut single was Hannett's first hit single as a producer.

Having made some money running Music Force, Hannett and Ryan set up the independent record label Rabid Records, which released the debut single by Slaughter and the Dogs (also produced by Hannett).

Hannett then became closely associated with Joy Division, he drew influence from German krautrock producer Conny Plank who treated the recording studio as an instrument. Hannett's production of Joy Division albums and singles incorporated looping technology to treat musical notes with filters, echoes and delays. He went on to produce all of Joy Division's studio recorded output, including their two albums Unknown Pleasures and Closer and single "Love Will Tear Us Apart",

Hannett produced U2's first international single, "11 O'Clock Tick Tock", which was released in May 1980. He was set to produce their debut album, Boy, but after the suicide of Curtis, Hannett was too distraught to work and backed out. A rift developed with Factory, leading Hannett to sue the label in 1982 over various financial matters. The dispute was settled out of court, and the lawsuit is listed as part of the Factory Records catalogue as FAC61.

Personal life and death

After leaving Factory, Hannett's career declined due to his heavy use of alcohol and heroin.

Legacy Several weeks after his death, Factory Records released the compilation album Martin: The Work of Martin Hannett (FACT325) as a tribute, collecting his work as a producer. In 2007, Colin Sharp published Who Killed Martin Hannett?, a memoir based on interviews with Hannett's friends and collaborators. Sharp had previously been a member of The Durutti Column and was friends with Hannett during his time in the Manchester scene.

Hannett was portrayed by Andy Serkis in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People, a fictionalised depiction of Tony Wilson's career as the co-founder of Factory Records and The Haçienda nightclub. In the DVD commentary for the film, Wilson notes a review that described Hannett as Serkis's "strangest role" and points out that the actor is best known for his portrayal of Gollum in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Wilson concludes that the reviewer's implication is correct, that indeed, Hannett was far stranger than the Lord of the Rings character. Hannett was portrayed by Ben Naylor in Anton Corbijn's 2007 film Control, a biopic of Ian Curtis.

A film documentary about Hannett's life was released on DVD on the 23rd anniversary of his death on 10 April 2014. A book was released on the same day, Martin Hannett – Pleasures of the Unknown by Chris Hewitt. Another book by Hewitt, Martin Hannett, His Equipment and Strawberry Studios, was published on 26 January 2016 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Strawberry Recording Studios, where Hannett recorded with Joy Division.

Selected discography Albums produced

Belt & Braces Road Show Band – Belt & Braces Road Show Band LP 1975 private pressing – rare- tracks issued on Hannett Maverick Producer compilation CD Pete Farrow, Who Says There's No Beach in Stockport? recorded 1977 issued 2001 on CD by Ozit Morpheus and on Maverick Producer Hannett compilation CD John Cooper Clarke – Disguise in Love 1978 Jilted John – True Love Stories 1978 The Durutti Column – The Return of the Durutti Column 1979 Basement 5 – 1965–1980 and In Dub 1980 John Cooper Clarke – Snap, Crackle & Bop 1980 Joy Division – Closer 1980 Magazine – The Correct Use of Soap 1980 Orchestre Rouge – Yellow Laughter 1982 Armande Altaï – Nocturne Flamboyant (1983) Blue in Heaven – All the Gods Men (1985) The Stone Roses – The Martin Hannett album (1985) (Finally released as Garage Flower, coupled with the single "So Young" in 1996) Walk the Walk – Walk the Walk (1987) Happy Mondays – Bummed (1988) Joy Division – In the Studio with Martin Hannett (2008)

Singles and EPs produced Buzzcocks, Spiral Scratch 1976 as Martin Zero Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls, "Mr X" 1980 Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls, "Searching for Heaven" 1981 Crispy Ambulance, "Live on a Hot August Night" 1981 ESG, ESG Kissing the Pink, "Don't Hide in the Shadows" 1981 New Order, "Ceremony" 1981 New Order, "Everything's Gone Green" 1981 New Order, "Procession" 1981 Minny Pops, "Dolphin's Spurt" 1981 Tunnelvision, "Watching the Hydroplanes" 1981 Stockholm Monsters, "Fairy Tales" 1981 The Names, "Nightshift" 1980 The Names, "Calcutta" 1981 The Names, "The Astronaut" 1982 Blue in Heaven, "Across My Heart" (version) 1984 The Stone Roses, "So Young"/"Tell Me" 1985 Kit, "Overshadowing Me" 1990 Kitchens of Distinction, "Quick as Rainbows" 1990 New Fast Automatic Daffodils, "Get Better" 1991 World of Twist, "She's a Rainbow" 1991 Wasted Youth, "Rebecca's Room" 1981 Chris Sievey, "Camouflage" 1983

Compilations Martin: The Work of Martin Hannett (Factory Records, 1991) And Here is the Young Man (Debutante, 1998) Zero: A Martin Hannett Story 1977–1991''' (Big Beat, 2006) Martin Hannett: Maverick Producer, Genius and Musician'' (Ozit Morpheus Records Sept 2011)