Ceremony (New Order song)

"Ceremony"
Song

Ceremony is a song written by Joy Division and recorded by New Order.

History

After the death of Ian Curtis the remaining three members of Joy Division renamed themselves New Order. Their first act was to complete and release the single Ceremony. The two songs, "Ceremony" and "In a Lonely Place", were written as Joy Division and originally intended to be released as such. For this record Bernard Sumner took his first faltering steps at the role of vocalist by singing the elegiac lyrics of Ian Curtis.

"Ceremony" was released in March 1981 on Factory Records as catalogue number FAC 33. The 7" is in a stamped gold-bronze sleeve, while the 12" cover was a completely separate design: lettering on a green background. Consistent with the Joy Division recordings, production was by Martin Hannett and design was by Peter Saville.

The song was re-recorded (again with Hannett) with Gillian Gilbert on keyboards, just before she formally joined the group. The single was re-issued as a 12" only in September 1981 with the same catalogue number. The sleeve (pictured) was changed to a light cream with a vertical blue stripe, though with the same motif and typography as the original 12".

After supply of this sleeve ran out, copies of the original were substituted. Thus (contrary to some reports) it is not possible to tell which version of "Ceremony" you will get based only on the 12" cover design.

The only way to be sure is to read the run-off groove on the a-side of the vinyl itself. The original says "Watching love grow forever" while the re-release says "This is why events unnerve me". Both are lyrics from "Ceremony".

There are significant differences in the recordings. The original is approximately 4:34 in length while the re-recording is 4:23. The original has a much more "Joy Division" sound, with throbbing bass, distorted guitar, passionate vocals, and solid drums also contributing a wash of cymbals. In the re-recording the bass is diminished, cymbals restrained, and vocals less dramatic and quieter in the mix. The guitar has a sound typical of that used on the album Movement. Drum hits in the opening verse are dramatically panned in the mix. There is a greater contrast between verse and chorus, with the latter sections reaching some of the emotional pitch of the original.

The re-recorded version was used on all subsequent compilations until the 2005 compilation Singles.

Trivia

• The run-off groove on the a-side of the 7" is "Watching forever". On all versions the b-side says "How I wish you were here with me now", a lyric from "In a Lonely Place".

• Joy Division performed "Ceremony" live only once, at their final show 2 May 1980 at High Hall, Birmingham University. This is available on Still.

• Rough recordings from April/May 1980 of Joy Division rehearsing both these songs were included on Heart & Soul. The b-side is here titled "In a Lonely Place (Detail)" and sounds as though it has been deliberately erased just prior to a delicate lyric in the song.

• Fans believe that "Ceremony" is New Order's farewell anthem for a dear friend or close someone, as it was released shortly after Ian Curtis' death and was played at Finsbury Park in 2002 in honor of Dee Dee Ramone.

• It is featured in the Sofia Coppola film Marie Antoinette.

Cover versions

The song has been covered by a number of artists, including Galaxie 500 (on their 1989 "Blue Thunder" EP) and Xiu Xiu (on their debut EP from 2002, Chapel of the Chimes).

Tracklisting

UK 7" - FAC 33

1. "Ceremony" (4:34)
2. "In a Lonely Place" (4:35)

UK 12" - FAC 33

1. "Ceremony" (4:34)
2. "In a Lonely Place" (6:12)

• Usually a green sleeve.

UK 12" - FAC 33 [Second Pressing]

1. "Ceremony" (4:22)
2. "In a Lonely Place" (6:12)

• Usually a cream and blue sleeve.