It was a slice of genius, so the label was happy to bankroll the rest of the record, under the working title Smile. Reviews were middling and sales of 2.5 million fell short of projections (and a long way off the 30 million racked up by G’n’R’s1987 break-out Appetite for Destruction). To keep these 24 hour party people out of temptation’s way their record label, Factory, had sent them to Barbados, to work with producer Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, formerly of Talking Heads. The problems had actually started in Manchester, where, to wean himself off heroin, Mondays singer Shaun Ryder had packed a four-week supply of methadone. These were eventually put on, though, according to label mate Peter Hook of New Order, the record sold just 1,000 copies.

Source: Irish Examiner September 14, 2020 18:00 UTC