Bands, Posters, Lights, Money: The Notebooks of Rob Gretton

By Emily Carney

A Q & A with Lesley Gilbert, Rob’s widow, can be found here.

Rob Gretton, Joy Division’s manager, has attained legendary status due to his massive presence in Manchester’s musical history, and due to his various depictions in cinema. He’s been portrayed in two major films: 24 Hour Party People (directed by Michael Winterbottom, 2002) and Control (directed by Anton Corbijn, 2007). He has been depicted as being brusque and pint-loving-yet-sympathetic by actor Paddy Considine in 24 Hour Party People; he is rendered as being somewhat harsh and expletive-using by actor Toby Kebbell in Control. A new book, entitled 1 Top Class Manager (referring to Rob referring, well, to himself), consists of Rob’s journals and notebooks from the period between 1978 and 1980, when Joy Division began to make their mark upon the world of popular music. These notebooks set out to “humanize” the myth of Joy Division while underscoring the enormous work it took to make the band successful.

Image from
RickLamb.co.uk

The book illuminates the minutiae sometimes associated with being a manager of an up-and-coming band (a lot of the book consists of budgeting and cost projections) while also emphasizing Rob’s direct role in synthesizing the band’s austere, non-commercial image. A note from a California radio station points at the band’s expanding influence in the US as early as 1979. Some of the book comes across as downright hilarious, especially an entry from circa late 1978 – early 1979, meant to be read by the band: “I still think dress is important – I would appreciate it if you all would cooperate more. . . and try to dress more smartly (Barnie’s shirt)” [referring to Joy Division’s guitarist, Bernard Albrecht]. One wonders how badly the band was dressing before Rob’s intervention; early pictures showing the band in cheesy mustaches and leather are not altogether too promising.

This same entry also points towards Rob’s vision of the band as featuring more electronic instruments: “Synthesizer – My idea is to introduce it at the end of the set in a form of jam – Ian [Curtis, JD’s singer] suggests he talks over, but who is going to play it? What do you think about this?” Gretton obviously welcomed a dialogue between himself and the band; he seems to promote the group’s free-thinking approach to rock music, with “no gimmicks unless we approve e.g. no coloured vinyl,” and approval of their own artwork. It is abundantly clear that Gretton wanted the band to have as much control over their own work, sound, and image as possible, to perhaps avoid the pitfalls encountered by other bands having little control over their careers (who can forget the Sex Pistols, who were micro-managed by Malcolm McLaren?).

Image from
RickLamb.co.uk

This book also points to the enormous void left in the band after Ian Curtis’ death in May 1980. While the nature of Curtis’ death has been analyzed countless times by writers, fans, and film directors alike, Rob’s notebooks deal with the trauma in a dignified, restrained manner. Most interestingly, Rob’s desk calendar from the period around May 18, 1980 (the date Curtis died) is available; while May 18 is completely blank, the entry from May 19 shows that John Peel played the song “New Dawn Fades,” already hinting at a sort of life-after-death for the band (on May 20, Peel played “Atmosphere”). In an entry from Rob’s notebooks after Ian’s death some discarded lyrics (?) and stream-of-consciousness lines scrawled show the undisputed emptiness felt about recent events:

We have come a long way together
Fading memories of broken dreams.
I can feel the emptiness
Sights still unseen.
Many are chosen and [“but” is scrawled over “and”] a few have fallen.
Will we ever know.
Failures not yet forgiven.
Dreams turn into reality.
Our past can never be forgotten
Hopes no longer matter

The last notebook entry in 1 Top Class Manager contains a reference to future New Order guitarist/keyboardist Gillian Gilbert, who would be added to the band’s lineup in 1980. It also contains a list of possible, yet eventually discarded, names for the band which would become New Order (Man Ray and Aura of Violence were actually considered!). These entries ultimately show Gretton’s optimism that the band should go on despite the loss of Curtis, albeit with a different name.

While arguably the “legend” of Joy Division has been rehashed countless times, Rob’s notebooks offer a more personal, emotional perspective upon the band’s image, successes, and sudden end. As a fan, I am grateful to the Manchester Music Archive for allowing this book to be published, as it is an essential addition to the library of any fan of Joy Division and Factory Records.

Additional Resources:

1 Top Class Manager is being published in a limited edition by the Anti-Archivists in association with the Manchester District Music Archive.

The book can be ordered through this Web site: http://www.1topclassmanager.co.uk/book/home.php

Sources:

All entries cited from: Rob Gretton, 1 Top Class Manager: The Notebooks of Joy Division’s Manager, 1978 – 1980, (Manchester, UK: Anti-Archivists and Manchester District Music Archive, 2008).