Monaco (band)
Encyclopedia
Monaco was a side project of New Order
bassist Peter Hook
. Together with David Potts
, the only remaining member of Revenge
, the band was formed in 1995. The group is best known for the 1997 single "What Do You Want From Me?" and the album from which it was taken, Music for Pleasure
, which sold over half a million copies.
was on hiatus during the mid-90s, Monaco was able to find success partly because they made music similar to that of New Order. This similarity of sound derives from the fact that their music were in the dance-rock-pop genre, just as was New Order's music; Hook carried over his recognizable style of playing melody high up on the bass; Potts' vocal timbre and delivery sometimes resembled that of New Order's vocalist Bernard Sumner
.
rejected Monaco's follow up album, the self-titled Monaco, due to the radically changing trends in music at the time in a money saving move reducing their artists to the more popular music. Papillon Records agreed to pick up the album, though the planned single release of "I've Got A Feeling" was recalled in the UK due to sample clearance issues. Despite favorable reviews, the album was released with almost no promotion at all; it is now sought after as a collector's item and fetches fairly high prices on sites like Amazon.com
and eBay
.
in 2007.
After the success of the Revenge
reissues in 2005, Hook announced that he and Potts were working on similar Monaco reissues for release sometime in 2007. This did not materialise.
In March 2007, Hook and Potts performed Monaco songs together at the Hard Rock Cafe in Manchester under the name "Hooky & Pottsy". Original Monaco drummer Paul Kehoe also played along with Hook's son Jack. In October 2007, the same line up performed again as Monaco at the Ritz in Manchester which raised money for Oxfam.
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
bassist Peter Hook
Peter Hook
Peter Hook is an English bass player, musician and author.He was a co-founder of the post-punk band Joy Division along with Bernard Sumner in the mid-1970s. Following the death of lead singer Ian Curtis, the band reformed as New Order, and Hook played bass with them throughout their career until...
. Together with David Potts
David Potts
David Potts , known to bandmates and fans as "Pottsy", is the ex-frontman of Monaco.-Career:...
, the only remaining member of Revenge
Revenge (band)
Revenge was a band formed by New Order bassist Peter Hook and Lavolta Lakota and Rawhead singer Davyth Hicks on guitar and vocals, and Chris Jones . Revenge formed after New Order's hiatus in 1989-1990 and played their final gigs in January 1993...
, the band was formed in 1995. The group is best known for the 1997 single "What Do You Want From Me?" and the album from which it was taken, Music for Pleasure
Music for Pleasure (Monaco album)
Music For Pleasure was the debut album by rock band band Monaco, a side project of New Order bassist Peter Hook. It was released in 1997 and reached No. 11 in the UK. The album sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide, with its first single, "What Do You Want from Me?", often mistaken for a New...
, which sold over half a million copies.
Resemblance to New Order
Because New OrderNew Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
was on hiatus during the mid-90s, Monaco was able to find success partly because they made music similar to that of New Order. This similarity of sound derives from the fact that their music were in the dance-rock-pop genre, just as was New Order's music; Hook carried over his recognizable style of playing melody high up on the bass; Potts' vocal timbre and delivery sometimes resembled that of New Order's vocalist Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner , also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken and Bernard Albrecht is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player and producer....
.
Follow-up album failures
In 1999, Polydor RecordsPolydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
rejected Monaco's follow up album, the self-titled Monaco, due to the radically changing trends in music at the time in a money saving move reducing their artists to the more popular music. Papillon Records agreed to pick up the album, though the planned single release of "I've Got A Feeling" was recalled in the UK due to sample clearance issues. Despite favorable reviews, the album was released with almost no promotion at all; it is now sought after as a collector's item and fetches fairly high prices on sites like Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
and eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.
Break-up
In 2000, tensions mounted in the studio, partly due Potts' dissatisfaction with the band's failure to depart from a New Order-like sound, and partly due to Potts' workload. Following what Potts called "a disastrous gig" at the Eclipse festival, Hook and Potts had a major argument. They both took a break, and after letting things cool down, they met and decided it was best to split up Monaco. Potts eventually went on to form RAM and has been nurturing a solo career; meanwhile Hook reunited with New Order, playing with them until 2007, and formed FreebassFreebass
Freebass were an English band consisting of, originally, three bassists Andy Rourke , Peter Hook and Gary "Mani" Mounfield and singer Gary Briggs...
in 2007.
After the success of the Revenge
Revenge (band)
Revenge was a band formed by New Order bassist Peter Hook and Lavolta Lakota and Rawhead singer Davyth Hicks on guitar and vocals, and Chris Jones . Revenge formed after New Order's hiatus in 1989-1990 and played their final gigs in January 1993...
reissues in 2005, Hook announced that he and Potts were working on similar Monaco reissues for release sometime in 2007. This did not materialise.
In March 2007, Hook and Potts performed Monaco songs together at the Hard Rock Cafe in Manchester under the name "Hooky & Pottsy". Original Monaco drummer Paul Kehoe also played along with Hook's son Jack. In October 2007, the same line up performed again as Monaco at the Ritz in Manchester which raised money for Oxfam.
Albums
| Year | Album details | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.K. UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
SWE |
||
| 1997 | Music for Pleasure Music for Pleasure (Monaco album) Music For Pleasure was the debut album by rock band band Monaco, a side project of New Order bassist Peter Hook. It was released in 1997 and reached No. 11 in the UK. The album sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide, with its first single, "What Do You Want from Me?", often mistaken for a New...
|
11 | 33 |
| 2000 | Monaco
|
84 | – |
Singles
| Title | Release date | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
U.S. Modern Rock Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
U.S. Hot 100 Airplay Hot 100 Airplay The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard... |
Australia | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "What Do You Want From Me?" | February 1997 | 11 | 24 | 61 | 75 | Music for Pleasure |
| "Sweet Lips" | May 1997 | 18 | - | - | - | Music for Pleasure |
| "Shine" | September 1997 | 55 | - | - | - | Music for Pleasure |
| "I’ve Got a Feeling" (withdrawn in the UK) | July 2000 | - | - | - | - | Monaco |
| "See-Saw" (limited vinyl 12" only release) | March 2001 | - | - | - | - | Monaco |