Quando Quango
_band |
band_name = Quando Quango |
image =
|years_active =
1981–
1986 |origin =
The Netherlands and
England |status = Inactive |music_genre = New wave dance |record_label =
Factory Records |current_members =
Mike Pickering(Vocals)
Hillegonda Rietveld (Programming)
Simon Topping(Percussion)
Barry Johnson(Bass)
}}
Quando Quango was a Manchester, England based new wave dance project formed by
The Haçienda DJ and
Factory Records A&R man
Mike Pickering,
Hillegonda Rietveld and
Reinier Rietveld. Their unique sound influenced the underground dance music scenes in New York and Chicago in the 1980s. [
1] Their first release was the "Go Exciting" twelve-inch single on
Factory Records in 1982, and their last release of new music was the 1985 full-length album
Pigs & Battleships (reissued in 2003).
Quando Quango is best known for its dance singles "Love Tempo," which reached number four on the Billboard Dance Chart, and "Atom Rock." Their sound was the result of an eclectic mix of Latin, jazz, reggae and disco, all in a New Wave context. Hillegonda Rietveld said, describing the group's music, "...
Fela Kuti meets
Kraftwerk somewhere between Manchester and Rotterdam, part of a new wave of post-punk electronica, with a whole lot of Mike Pickering's admirably broad knowledge of soul, disco, reggae and pop to stuff the gaps." [
2] [
3]
Bernard Sumner of
Joy Division and
New Order, who produced early Quando Quango recordings, was a major influence on the group.
The group was formed in
Rotterdam,
The Netherlands in 1981 by Mancunian Pickering and the native Dutch brother/sister duo of Reinier and Hillegonda Rietveld. In 1982 they moved to Manchester, England, where Pickering's friend
Rob Gretton was setting up
The Haçienda nightclub. [
4]
In 1983 Reinier Rietveld left the group to concentrate on his
Rotterdam band
Spasmodique, leaving Quando Quango as a duo. Soon after, former
A Certain Ratio drummer
Simon Topping joined as percussionist. Hillegonda Rietveld settled into her role programming their electronic music and Pickering continued to write lyrics and melodies.
The same year, Derek Johnson of fellow Factory act
52nd Street joined on bass, soon to be replaced by his brother Barry Johnson, formerly of
Sweet Sensation, and later of
Aswad.
After releasing a few singles that were minor dance club hits, the group collaborated with Manchester music legends
Johnny Marr and
Vini Reilly to create full-length album
Pigs & Battleships.
Andy Connell of
A Certain Ratio and
Beverley McDonald of
52nd Street also contributed.
The group didn't last long after the album's release, but before their collapse they recorded more material with prominent guests.
Lisa Stansfield sang on demos of "Bad Blood" and "Vision of America" in 1986.
Stephen Morris of
Joy Division and
New Order contributed percussion to "What Price Beauty," which later became
M People track "Kiss It Better."
After the group's demise, Pickering went on to form dance duo
T-Coy with Topping and, later,
M People. Hillegonda Rietveld later became a DJ and "academic specialist in dance culture and music." Her connection with the Haçienda continued when she researched and co-edited the book "Fac 51
The Haçienda Must Be Built" which was edited by
Jon Savage. She also wrote "This Is Our House: House Music, Cultural Spaces and Technologies." She completed her PhD on house music in 1995 and is currently Senior Lecturer in Arts and Media at
South Bank University.
Full-length Albums
Image:Quando Quango - Pigs and Battleships.gif|Pigs & Battleships, (1985) Factory FACT110Pigs & BattleshipsLabel:
Factory RecordsCatalog #: FACT 110Year: 1985Tracks:1) Genius2) Go Exciting3) Happy Boy4) Rebel5) This Feeling6) S.T.7) 40 Dreams8)
Low Rider9) Love Tempo (Remix)
2003 reissue bonus tracks:10) Atom Rock (Remix)11) Triangle12) Tingle13) Go Exciting (Original Mix)
UK Singles
Image:Quando Quango - Go Exciting.jpg|Go Exciting, (1982) Factory FAC 67Image:Quando Quando - Love Tempo.jpg|Love Tempo, (1983) Factory FAC 79Image:Quando Quango - Atom Rock.jpg|Atom Rock, (1984) Factory FAC 102Image:Quando Quango - Genius.jpg|Genius, (1985) Factory FAC 137Go ExcitingLabel: Factory RecordsCatalog #: FAC 67Year: 1982Tracks: 1) Go Exciting2) Tingle
Love TempoLabel: FactoryCatalog #: FAC 79Year: 1983Tracks:1) Love Tempo2) Love Tempo (Remix)
Atom RockLabel: FactoryCatalog #: FAC 102Year: 1984Tracks:1) Atom Rock2) Triangle
GeniusLabel: FactoryCatalog #: FAC 137Year: 1985Tracks: 1) Genius2) Rock
Bad BloodLabel: FactoryCatalog #: FAC 156Year: Not released due to breakup
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Discography 1 *
Discography 2 *
Biography, discography, etc.*
Brief review*
Discography and biography*
Biography in Dutch
