Like many of their countrymen, New Order carved out a substantial following in their native United Kingdom long before they enjoyed their US breakout. As a result, their first US Top 40 hit came seven years into the band’s existence.
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New Order consciously strove for a hit at that time since they were finally getting substantial record-company exposure in the States. It might never have happened, however, had not their chief lyricist been stranded in a flat.
Made to Order
Three-quarters of New Order had been members of the influential British band Joy Division. That band was rising fast when lead singer and chief songwriter Ian Curtis committed suicide in 1980. Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris made a quick decision to form New Order, eventually hiring Gillian Gilbert to round out this rechristened quartet.
Immediately, New Order set itself apart on the British music scene by melding different styles. They honored the automaton rhythms of influential acts like Kraftwerk. But they also folded in grooves that worked well on American dance floors (which is where singles like “Blue Monday” and “Bizarre Love Triangle” first introduced the band to US audiences).
They also slowly moved away from an organic band approach to a heavy reliance on synthesizers, sequencers, and other devices conducive to making electronic music. As they soared in England, New Order started to catch the attention of American labels as well. They eventually signed with QWest Records, which was run by Quincy Jones.
Seeking a Song of ‘Substance’
Although there were plenty of reasons for a greatest hits album from New Order by 1987, helping introduce US fans to their earlier output certainly stood out as a big one. The band collected many of the singles that had earned them such acclaim in England. It was decided that they should include another new single to accompany the release of the album, which was called Substance.
New Order joined up with American producer Stephen Hague. Hague had earned his reputation working with other electronic-minded UK acts such as OMD and Pet Shop Boys. He and the band immediately got to work on two songs for the single. One was “1963”, and the other, which would end up being the A-side, was “True Faith”.
In the case of the latter song, they came in with several ideas already in place, including a bass line and chord changes. With Hague’s help, they worked out a rough sketch of the music for the song. It was just a matter then of completing the lyrics. That task fell to lead singer Bernard Sumner.
Gotta Have “Faith”
With the band under some time constraints to get the record done, Sumner decided he’d steer clear of the studio one day and stay in the flat that the band was renting in London to write the words. Unfortunately, his bandmates somehow locked him in when they left, leaving him stranded for hours.
Perhaps that was just what Sumner needed. He cranked out intense lyrics to match the dense atmosphere created by the music of “True Faith”. Sumner later claimed that the words were intended to evoke the highs and lows of drug addiction.
“True Faith” achieved its purpose for the band. It made it to No. 32 on the US pop charts. And it brought attention to Substance, which, in turn, alerted US audiences to New Order’s stellar back catalog.
Photo by Karl Walter/Getty Images
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