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Tractor web chatRochdale's
Tractor became a cult band in the 1970s thanks to a demo tape sent to legendary
Radio One disc jockey John Peel. Tractor answer your questions in this special
成人快手 Inside Out web chat. Your Questions...
Q.
The decline of the Cargo studios appears to coincide with the rise of rave
culture in the late 80s (judging by the list of bands). Do
Jim and Steve think this is the case? Also,
as guitar music has been popular again for about 10 years - do they think a studio
is needed in the area again (not necessarily Cargo)? If so, who do they think
will/should provide the facility? Thank you
(for the music!).
Kevin Goodall, Morecambe A.
Thanks for your question - things go in and out of fashion. It was very
fashionable to go to record in Cargo from 1977 to 1985 - that was a period of
the massive growth of small indie labels and bands also pressing their own vinyl
records having gone into studios like Cargo. In 1985 by which time I can
remember we were starting to sell 8 track Fostex reel to reel tape recorders for
home and small studio use in my music shop next door and portastudio cassette
recorders and Teac four track reel to reels could be bought fairly cheaply. So
more people were starting down the bedroom recording route with multitrack facilities
more available for home use.  | | Cargo
Studios - a blast from the musical past |
In 1985 Peter Hook
from New Order and myself Chris Hewitt bought Cargo off John Brierley and remodelled
it as Suite 16 (a name Tony Wilson suggested). At that point I owned the
music shop which had now moved on to the front at Drake Street (there is still
a music shop there now) and the recording studio building (now two floors as the
music shop had moved next door) was also owned by me and rented to Quobeat, the
company that Hookie and I owned to operate Suite 16. The main studio client
base for a period then from '86 onwards was Factory bands and my pro audio section
of the music shop was working consistently on improving the Hacienda sound system.
Hookie bought the studio with me because Atmosphere was done there with Martin
Hannett and various other tracks when it was Cargo. I think that
it sad that whilst there are now council run recording courses and grant aided
projects like the Back Door project in Rochdale [for new bands to record /develop
etc] struggling to find a home that both our Heywood fully soundproofed attic
studio (that you saw us film in for last night's programme), which is an empty
building with a lease held by Rochdale Council, and the Cargo /Suite 16 building
which is owned by a private businessman and has water pouring through the roof
and is not being used for anything. All are steeped in history and are Rochdale's
link to John Peel and through descendency Joy Division, the Fall etc It
is sad that the council doesn't operate both an educational heritage type project
in these buildings and put the some multitrack digital computer recording equipment
in there for musicians of the region to use Q.
Just wanted to ask what it was being around and working with Joy Division at Cargo?
Do you still keep in touch with any of the band? Cheers.
Sue,
Ormskirk A. Very exciting times for me Chris Hewitt as
when our Tractor Music shop was underneath Cargo Studios from 1977 to 1985.
I owned the building and then bought the studio too with Peter Hook in 1985. All
the musicians would come in from upstairs to hire amps and instruments buy strings,
drumsticks etc- so members of Joy Division, The Fall, Pete Burns in his tight
leather pants, Terry Hall, would all be up and down stairs between the shop and
the studio. I last saw my ex co director Peter Hook at a Harley Davidson
rally in Tatton Park about 14 years ago. Met Ian Curtis's daughter Natalie recently
at a Doves concert and a couple of other places Q.
Looking back what were your favourite experiences
of being in Tractor? How would u like Tractor to be remembered? And how do you
think the band will be seen in NW music history in the future? Thanks
for the great music!
Mark B, Liverpool A.
Probably helping start Deeply Vale Festivals in 1976, playing them
in 76/77/78 and also Rivington Pike Festival in 1977, playing Glastonbury Festival
Croissant Neuf stage in 2002 and Canterbury festival in 2003.  | | Still
going strong - Jim Milne, Tractor's guitarist and vocalist |
Perhaps
would like the band to be remembered as a band who sort of ran a hippy co-operative
thing... Did PA's at the Electric Circus for other bands, did festival Pa's,
opened a music shop,who between the five people involved built several recording
studios, and have around six CD's and a DVD out and are still doing things. Q.
We are a small Rochdale band and would be extremely grateful for any advice
on recording, what songs to do, tips on writing songs etc. What is the key to
a successful band? Thanks a bunch.
Ant = the safty pins p.s
if you don't mind we do have a web site where u can listen are music it's : www.myspace.com/thesaftypins
A. Write some songs that reflect
your environment - how it feels to be in Rochdale today - growing up north of
Manchester etc etc Play everywhere you can - even lose money travelling
to gigs further afield to get your name known. Best Regards and
good luck from Tractor and Ozit Morpheus Records www.tractor-ozit.com Q.
What music do you like listening to from the
current crop of bands?
Ged, Manchester
A. Doves, Elbow, Kaiser Chiefs, The Coral, Black Keys, White Stripes,Tractor.
Q. Where can I buy
any of the old Tractor back catalogue?
Julie, Oldham
A.
Five CDs and a DVD and some rare vinyls are available from www.tractor-ozit.com
e mail chris hewitt ozitrecords@which.net or telephone me on 01565 734066 01565
734577.
Q. Which
are your favourite tracks from the Tractor era?
Jim,
Liverpool
A. Favourite Tractor tracks are Little Girl in
Yellow, Revolution Man, Bravado, Average Man's Hero, Siderial.
Favourite
other artist tracks from that era are Whiskey in the Jar, All the Lovin', Imagine,
Wish You Were Here and a million others.
Q.
My dad used to work for Wigwam sound company and we wondered weather you remembered
any of the Wigwam time - Paul Hook, Mick Spratt, CJ, Wayne Jefferies or any others?
Wez,
the saFTy piNs A. Chris Hewitt Tractor's manager here...
I have known Mick Spratt and Rev Mike Huck at Wigwam since I was 17. Spoke
to Mick Spratt the other day to let him know the programme was on - and their
band the Movement Banned recorded in our Heywood studio in about '73 or '74 doing
the Jethro Tull song 'Hymn 43'. Used to share equipment with Wigwam to do
larger jobs like Deeply Vale '77 and '78. Links relating to this
story:The
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听听Inside
Out - North West: Friday January 19, 2007