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The Happy Mondays were a rock and roll band formed in Manchester, England in 1985. The band was fronted by Shaun Ryder, who formed the band with his brother Paul Ryder, who played bass, and their friend Bez, who danced, played percussion and provided moral support, plus guitarist Mark Day, keyboardist Paul Davis, and drummer Gary Whelan.
Under the guidance of one-time Manchester-based pop svengali, Anthony Wilson, the band released its first album, Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out), in 1987 on the Factory Records label.
A number of other albums followed, most of which were released in the United States on the Elektra Records label. By the late '80s, the Happy Mondays were an important part of the Madchester music scene and personified rave culture. Shaun Ryder fought against a serious drugs problem which typified the scene and the era.
Musically the band crossed indie pop with club music and owed much to the fact that their music was remixed by popular DJs. Examples of their best songs include Step On and Kinky Afro. In terms of style and dress, they crossed hippy fashion and ideals with Seventies glamour. Pop-top hair and purple flares plus lots of shoe-gazing characterised the band.
After the Happy Mondays disbanded in 1992, Shaun Ryder and Bez formed Black Grape. However, after 7 years apart the Happy Mondays reformed in 1999, minus Paul Davis and Mark Day. The reunion with a world tour and the release of a new single, The Boys are Back in Town, was to be, however, short-lived. The single sunk in the charts, reaching only number 30 in the UK, and with mixed reaction to the live shows, Shaun Ryder finally called it a day in 2000.
The band is featured in the 2002 movie 24 Hour Party People, with Danny Cunningham as Shaun Ryder. Paul Ryder himself had a statist role in the movie.
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