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No
UK act has crystalized independent, punk-influenced funk more
than Manchester's A Certain Ratio, initially formed in 1978 as a drummerless quartet influenced
by bands like Kraftwerk and Wire. After years of enjoying cult status at
Factory Records, the band left for A&M Records in 1989.
The band signed to Factory Records in
1979, for the cassette-only release The Graveyard And The Ballroom,
one side recorded at Graveyard Studios, the other live, supporting
Talking Heads at London's Electric Ballroom. The band was managed by Tony Wilson
After
releasing All Night Party in May 1979, there was a pause before
Flight, a UK independent Top 10 chart hit over a year later.
In the meantime, the band had teamed up with Factory's European
sister, Benelux, for a cover of Banbarra's mid-70s funk classic,
Shack Up, in July 1980
To Each..., the band's official debut
album, attracted BBC DJ John Peel in 1981, a year that also
yielded Do The Du (officially intended for release in the USA)
and, in December, Waterline also fared well. 1982 kicked off
with a move from the independent to the national charts as Sextet
further established A Certain Ratio. Like To Each..., Sextet
housed an intriguing, mostly instrumental collection hinged
around funk rhythms. A 12" single for Factory Benelux,
Guess Who, surfaced in July, followed by the Knife Slits Water
EP in October, coinciding with the release of I'd Like To See
You Again
Simon Topping and Pete Terel had departed, to be
replaced by Andy Connell, and Brazilia became the band's first
project of 1985, preceding Wild Party in July. Those in anticipation
of a new A Certain Ratio album had to wait until the end of
1986 for Force, although a compilation, The Old And The New,
had provided some consolation earlier in the year. Mickey Way
promoted Force and continued A Certain Ratio's run of independent
hits. By 1987, the band had outgrown the confines of mere cult
status and, looking to branch out, signed with A&M. To bridge
the gap, the Dojo label issued Live In America in February,
alongside Greetings Four, for the European label Materiali Sonari
It
was not until the summer of 1989 that new A Certain Ratio product
arrived; and both The Big E and Backs To The Wall revealed a
shift towards a more accessible sound. But neither these, nor
Your Blue Eyes in October, the Four For The Floor EP in February
1990 nor Won't Stop Loving You in May, could provide that elusive
hit. As such, September 1989's Good Together made little impact,
and A Certain Ratio left A&M soon after. Their experimental
work and love of collage material has ensured their status as
one of the most uncompromisingly original acts working in the
post-punk era
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