Posted on

My Gen X Playlist: Ceremony – New Order

Scroll down to see more content
Daily writing prompt
Describe your dream chocolate bar.
View all responses

Because we don’t get trick or treaters in my neighborhood, I’ve had to consume Costco bags of Halloween candy by myself. After three consecutive years, I think I have enough information from these taste tests.

Most people will tell you Snickers is their go to. When you think about it, it has the best of all worlds – milk chocolate, caramel, nougat and peanuts. All of the other chocolate bars may have some of these ingredients, but not all. Snickers is a strong choice if you ask me.

Me? I’m a fan of Baby Ruth and Three Musketeers bars. I tend to get a negative reaction when I unveil my favorites. Some act like I’m throwing away the golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. That’s fine, my friends. This just means more for me in the candy bowl.

Typically at the bottom of the list are Almond Joy or Mounds bars. I’ll eat them, but they typically are the last in the bag and I never want chocolate to go to waste. A bar primarily made of coconut isn’t going to get the concensus nod for number one. I’m sure there will be a handful who disagree. I hope so. Somebody’s got to eat them.

I had a difficult time finding a song about chocolate. So my mind went from Almond Joy to Joy Division. The thing is, I didn’t really grow up listening to Joy Division. I did listen to New Order, so I found a bridge through Ceremony.

“Ceremony” is a song written by Joy Division, and first released as New Order’s debut single in 1981. The track and its B-side, “In a Lonely Place”, were recorded as Joy Division prior to the death of Ian Curtis. Both were re-recorded and carried over to Joy Division’s re-formation as New Order.

“Ceremony” was one of the last Joy Division songs to be composed, with lyrics written by Ian Curtis. According to guitarist Bernard Sumner, the band wrote the song a couple of weeks before Ian Curtis died “to try and heal him through music” and keep him “involved in the band and involved in music and remind him of what … a great future he had.” Sumner concluded, “Unfortunately, it didn’t work.”

After the death of Ian Curtis, the remaining members of Joy Division regrouped as New Order. Their first release was a re-recording of “Ceremony” as a stand-alone single backed with “In a Lonely Place”, with guitarist Bernard Sumner taking over lead vocals. Because Curtis had never transcribed the lyrics to “Ceremony” and because his singing was muted to the point of near-inaudibility on all surviving recordings, Sumner said he had to put them through a graphic equalizer to approximate the lyrics.

– Wikipedia

I wondered why they made the decision to change the bands name to New Order. It turns out, they made an agreement years before.

The reason Sumner, Hook and Morris didn’t carry on as Joy Division was out of respect to an agreement they’d had between them long before Curtis died. They’d pledged to quit performing under the Joy Division name and retire those songs if – for any reason – any member of the band left. It was a principled stand that the musicians observed when they lost Ian Curtis.

– RadioX

Now that I’ve learned the backstory, I might have to give Joy Division a try.

–

For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

This is why events unnerve me
They find it all, a different story
Notice whom for wheels are turning
Turn again and turn towards this time
All she asks the strength to hold me
Then again the same old story
Word will travel, oh so quickly
Travel first and lean towards this time

Oh, I'll break them all, no mercy shown
Heaven knows, it's got to be this time
Watching her, these things she said
The times she cried
Too frail to wake this time

Oh, I'll break them down, no mercy shown
Heaven knows, it's got to be this time
Avenues all lined with trees
Picture me and then you start watching
Watching forever

Forever, watching love grow
Forever, letting me know
Forever

26 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist: Ceremony – New Order”

  1. nougat has always been one of those words like moist that just feel icky to say. lol. that said, we appreciate your sacrifice to do the costco-sized taste test in order to give us the scientific results.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. I too started with New Order and would put them up there amongst my favorite bands. However, I heard about this other band Joy Division and thought I should check them out. Atmosphere and Transmission were the first two singles I got, then Love Will Tear Us Apart. Next I got the album Closer (released just after Ian Curtis died) and then Unknown Pleasures. I would say I’m still learning them, but I see the genius and am fascinated with Ian Curtis’ life. I still need to watch the biopic Control by Anton Corbijn.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I’ve heard Love Will Tear Us Apart. I think that’s the only other song from Joy Division I know. I’ll have to check out more. Thanks for your comment. Seems like ok tasking a similar path.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  8. I don’t like Snickers anymore because the peanuts and caramel get stuck in my teeth.
    I love Lindt chocolate truffles! I can eat an entire box and still want more.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. I will gladly take your Mounds. I love a coconut chocolate bar! I wasn’t aware this was New Order’s first single, thanks for the backstory there. I never delved into Joy Division; probably should check out their archives sometime.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I knew there were some Mounds lovers out there! I started checking out some Joy Division music. Sifting through it, finding a few gems. Just like candy bars, everybody’s taste is different.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. I used to only eat milk chocolate. Over the past couple of years, I’ve gravitated to dark chocolate. After a long stretch, I get a taste of milk chocolate and it’s like a flavor bomb. So good.

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment