Yesterday’s post on Forbidden City by Electronic made passing reference to Atom Rock/Triangle by Quando Quango in that it had been the first time Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr had worked together.
Here’s the skinny.
Quando Quango had formed in 1980 as a trio in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Specialising in electronica/dance, its members were Manchester-born Mike Pickering (vocals) and locally-born sister and brother, Gonnie Rietveld (synths and programming) and Reiner Rietveld (drums). Nothing was ever recorded or released prior to the trio moving to Manchester in 1982 when Pickering took up a job offer to be one of the main DJs at the new Hacienda Club, his connection being that Rob Gretton (New Order’s manager and prime mover behind the opening of the club) was a friend of many years standing.
The trio signed to Factory Records and debut single, Go Exciting/Tingle (FAC67) was released in October 1982. There would be a further single, Love Tempo (FAC79) in 1983, around which time Reiner Rietveld decided to return to Rotterdam and pursue his own dreams.
Quando Quango then expanded to include other prominent musicians with a Factory connection. Simon Topping of A Certain Ratio came in as percussionist while Derrick Johnson of 52nd Street joined as bass player, albeit he soon moved on and was replaced by his brother Barry Johnson, formerly of the soul band Sweet Sensation, and who in later years would join British-reggae band, Aswad.
Love Tempo had been a DoJo-Be Music production, which was the name adopted by Donald Johnson (A Certain Ratio) and Bernard Sumner (New Order) whenever they worked together on that side of things. The duo remained in situ for Quando Quango’s next single, released in May 1984, and given the title of 2 From Quando:
mp3: Quando Quango – Atom Rock
mp3: Quando Quango – Triangle
It was a 12″ only release, albeit a rare white label 7″ was also pressed up but never made commercially available. The full list of credits?
A DoJo-Be Music Production
Gonnie Rietveld : Synths, Drum Programmes, Vocals
Mike Pickering : Sax, Vocals
Barry Johnson: Bass Guitar
Simon Topping: Percussion, Trumpet
Johnny Marr: Guitar
The stellar cast didn’t deliver much in the way of commercial success – it’s listed as reaching #42 in the Indie Charts. I know it won’t be to everyone’s liking, but it’s one I have much fondness of, getting to know it back in the day through a flatmate having a copy, albeit I will admit it sounds very much of its time, although there are hints on one side of what New Order were doing -the bass line on Triangle is Hooky-eque with added funk – while Atom Rock does still have an ability to get the toes tapping and the hips swaying.
The group would release a further single, Genius, and an album Pigs+Battleships, in 1985 before calling it a day. Mike Pickering would later be part of the spectacularly successful pop/soul band M People, while Gonnie Rietveld would move into writing and academia, in due course gaining a PhD and in later years, as Dr Hillegonda Rietveld, becoming the Course Director of BA Music and Sonic Media at London South Bank University.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 