Happy Mondays

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Happy Mondays are an English alternative rock band from Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1985, the Happy Mondays's original line-up was Shaun Ryder on lead vocals, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, lead guitarist Mark Day (aka "Moose" or "Cowhead"), keyboardist Paul Davis (aka P.D), and drummer Gary Whelan. Bez would later join the Happy Mondays onstage during a live performance after befriending Shaun Ryder (known to him as "X") and served as a dancer/percussionist. Rowetta Satchell joined the band to provide backing vocals in the early 90s. They have stated that the Happy Mondays name is a take on the title of New Order's song, "Blue Monday, although the common assumption is the name is based on the "good feeling" associated with the after effects of using Ectasy pills at the weekend.

The first official release from Happy Mondays was the "Forty Five E.P.", often incorrectly called the "Delightful E.P." after its first track. It was released on Factory Records in 1985.

Manchester pop impresario Tony Wilson discovered the Happy Mondays (then managed by Phil Saxe) at a battle of the bands contest held at his Haçienda nightclub. The story goes that Wilson signed them to his label, Factory Records, even though they came in last. Their first album, Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out), debuted in 1987. A number of other albums followed, most of which were released in the United States on the Elektra Records label. By the late 1980s, the Happy Mondays were an important part of the Madchester music scene and personified rave culture. Shaun Ryder fought against a serious drug problem which typified the scene and the era.

Musically, the Happy Mondays fused indie pop guitars with a rhythmic style that owed much to house music, techno and northern soul. Much of their music was remixed by popular DJs, emphasizing the dance influences even further. In terms of style and dress, they crossed hippy fashion and ideals with 1970s glamour. Sartorially and musically, the Happy Mondays helped to encourage the psychedelic revival associated with acid house. One of their most popular songs was "Lazyitis (One Armed Boxer)", featuring a surreal duet between Ryder and country music legend Karl Denver.

The Happy Mondays disbanded in 1992, and Shaun Ryder and Bez formed Black Grape with ex-Paris Angels guitarist "Wags" (who would later go on to serve in the 1999-2000 reincarnation of the Happy Mondays ) and ex-Ruthless Rap Assassins star Kermit. Seven years passed, but in 1999 Happy Mondays reformed, minus Paul Davis and Mark Day. In their place were Wags and a number of other musicians close to Shaun Ryder. However, the reunion with a world tour and the release of a new single, "The Boys Are Back in Town," was to be short-lived. The single sunk in the charts, reaching only number 30 in the UK singles chart. It was also dropped from the live set after proving difficult for the Happy Mondays to perform live. In 2000 the Happy Mondays called it a day after providing support for Oasis on their "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants" tour.

The Happy Mondays are featured in the 2002 movie 24 Hour Party People, with Danny Cunningham as Shaun Ryder. Paul Ryder had a cameo role as a gangster and Rowetta (who sang for the band on Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches and Yes Please!) appeared in the film as herself.

2004 saw another reformation, comprising Bez, Gary Whelan and Shaun Ryder, following the latter's unsuccessful solo career. (Paul Ryder was not present, having sworn to never perform with his brother again following the 2000 break-up.) The trio of original members were joined by new guitarist Kav Sandhu, with the rest of his band Sonic Audio serving as members of the Happy Mondays live line-up (bassist Mikey Shine, keyboard player Dave Parkinson, guitarist Jonn Dunn and Poss on decks). This new version of the Happy Mondays released a live DVD that year of a show in Barcelona, and rumours abounded that the Happy Mondays was recording a new album. The Happy Mondays played a variety of festival dates in 2005, capping it off with a concert at the Manchester Evening News Arena in their hometown. Backing singers on the tour included legendary singers Angie Brown and Ron Caroll.

In June 2006 the Happy Mondays performed another gig in Liverpool, and on Sunday 30th July 2006 they were special guests at The Fuji Rock Festival, a 3 day festival held at the Naeba Ski Resort in Japan. The Happy Mondays performed a 60 minute set, starting with "Loose Fit" and ending with "24 Hour Party People".

In early August of 2006, the Happy Mondays announced that they had completed their first album in 14 years with producers Sunny Levine and Howie B, and have recently signed to Sanctuary Records. A new single "Playground Superstar", from the soundtrack for the football film Goal! was released a few months prior to completion of the new album, titled Uncle Dysfunktional and scheduled for release in Summer 2007.

Happy Mondays performed before another reformed act, Rage Against the Machine, to put the finishing touches at the venerated 2007 Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California on April 27, 2007. The Happy Mondays then toured medium-sized venues in England in May 2007, playing old and new material