There are several theories about why the Happy Mondays are called what they are. One is that the band's name refers to what Manchester's unemployed population called the day that welfare checks were issued, or that simply they didn't have to go back to work on Mondays unlike the poor working sods. However, Shaun Ryder did remark in an interview with drug smuggler Howard Marks that the name Happy Mondays was merely a quick solution to naming the band and bears no real relevance at all. Despite fan speculation, he name has no connection with the song "Blue Monday" by synthpop band New Order, as the Mondays were together and had named the band before this song was released.
First incarnation
Manchester pop impresario Tony Wilson discovered the Mondays at a battle of the bands contest held at his Hacienda 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. By this time frontman Ryder was fighting a serious drug problem and the band's productivity plummeted.
Musically, the band 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 band helped to encourage the psychedelic revival associated with acid house. One of their most popular songs was Lazyitis, featuring a surreal duet between Ryder and country music legend Karl Denver.
The Mondays disbanded in 1992, and Shaun Ryder and Bez formed Black Grape with ex-Paris Angels guitarist, Paul Wagstaff a.k.a."Wags" and ex-Ruthless Rap Assassins star, Paul Leveridge a.k.a. "Kermit".
Second incarnation
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 band to perform live. In 2000 the band called it a day after providing support for Oasis on their "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants" tour.
The band is 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.
Third incarnation
2004 saw another reformation, comprising Bez, Gary Whelan and Shaun Ryder, following the latter's unsuccessful solo career. The musicians released a live DVD that year of a show in Barcelona, and rumours abounded that the band was recording a new album. The Mondays played a variety of festival dates in 2005 (including Glastonbury), capping it off with a concert at the Manchester Evening News Arena in their hometown.
In June 2006 the Mondays performed another one-off gig in Liverpool, although Paul Ryder was not present - having sworn to never perform with his brother again following the 2000 break-up. On Sunday 30th July 2006 the Mondays were special guests at The Fuji Rock Festival - a 3 day festival held at the Naeba Ski Resort in Japan. They performed a 60 minute set - starting with Loose Fit and ending with 24 Hour Party People. Only Shaun, Bez and Gaz Whelan were present from the original lineup.
In early August of 2006, the band 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 Dysfunctional and released 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 band then toured medium-sized venues in England in May 2007, playing old and new material. Various festival dates in the UK and New York City were performed throughout Summer 2007.
Fourth incarnation
On 29 January 2012, Shaun Ryder announced on radio station Xfm that the band would return with the original and definitive lineup of himself, his brother Paul Ryder on bass, Gary Whelan on drums, Rowetta as female vocalist, Mark Day on guitar, Paul Davis on keyboards and dancer Mark Berry. They appeared on ITV's This Morning, and were interviewed by Philip Schofield. Shaun Ryder pronounced that amends had been made, friendships reinstated and that it was just like the old days, but without the madness. They did a 13-date UK tour in May 2012, most of which were sold out, and an extra date was added at London's Brixton Academy due to the demand for tickets.[26] The tour included other shows at the Manchester Arena, plus other dates in Bournemouth, Glasgow, Dublin, Leeds, Sheffield and Nottingham. To coincide with the band's reformation tour a best of album, Double Double Good was released in July 2012, as well as a live recording of the band's May 2012 gig in Brixton. The band went on to play gigs in Chile and Argentina in May 2012 and then a number of European festivals in the summer of 2012, including Ireland's Sea Sessions, Scotland's T in the Park, the band were headliners at Camp Bestival in Dorset in July 2012 and they performed at the V Festivals in August 2012. They then travelled to Majorca and Ibiza to play the Ibiza and Majorca Rocks events.
The band announced in September 2012 that they were writing their first album with the original lineup in more than 20 years.[citation needed]
The band played two nights at the Roundhouse, London and in Manchester in December 2012. They travelled to Dubai in April 2013 to perform and in May 2013 played gigs at Bristol's Vegfest and one in Brighton. June 2013 brought gigs at the Isle of Wight Festival and Scarborough, then in July 2013 they played at the Warrington Music Festival and at Sandown Park Racecourse in Esher, Surrey. They played dates in Belfast, Crewe and Dublin in August 2013. In October 2013 they travelled to Spain to do gigs in Barcelona and Madrid then in November 2013 they kicked off a 16 date UK tour to celebrate 25 years since their second critically acclaimed album Bummed was released, and the band plan to play most of the songs from that infamous album. The band signed to Creation Management in 2015. They have announced an international tour to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches.
In September 2015, a special programme on Watch called Singing in the Rainforest followed the band as they travelled to Panama to record a new song with an isolated tribe called the Embera. The band composed a track with members of the tribe for a performance, penning the track "Ooo La La to Panama". Although billed as the first original line-up recording since 1992, Paul Davis was not present, and no mention of him was made. Gaz Whelan confirmed via the Happy Mondays Twitter account (in answer to a question from a Twitter user named ormi_shinobi) that Davis had left the band.
The band toured New Zealand and Australia in February and March 2019, performing their 1990 album Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches.
On 15 July 2022, the band announced via their Facebook page that Bassist and original member Paul Ryder had died in the early hours of that morning. He was 58 years old.
Happy Mondays have continued to perform live after Ryders death.
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Discography
Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) (1987)
Bummed (1988)
Hallelujah (1989)
The Peel Sessions 1989 (1990) #79 UK
Madchester Rave On EP (1989) #19 UK
Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches (1990) #4 UK, #89 US
Live (1991) #21 UK
Yes Please (1992) #14 UK
Loads (1994) #41 UK
Greatest Hits (1999) #11 UK
Step On - Live In Barcelona (recorded Dec. 2004) (2005) #194 UK
The Platinum Collection (2005) #19 UK
Uncle Dysfunktional (2007) #73 UK
Kuff Dam
Happy Mondays Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Its got to be me
And that's not made from cheese and he doesn't
Get you free
So now your wising up to know you need a job
Don't bite, don't bite, don't bite out in here
Its been nice wasting time its not worth your while
Blow on go on blow on go up and spill it all out
You see that Jesus is a cunt
And never helped you with a thing that you do, or you done,
It wont be long, it wont be long to get rid of your furry
Tongue
Its going in out, its going in out
Blow on go on blow on go on and stroke a left side
Go on blow on go on blow on and stroke a right side
Your biting into the root your smoking pot to the wall
Blow on go on blow on go on and take it full blown
Kuff dam, down down dam kuff
Kuff dam, dam kuff
The Happy Mondays' song "Kuff Dam" is a deep dive into the underground culture of Manchester's rave scene in the 1980s. The lyrics are cryptic and filled with slang, but convey the struggle of young people trying to find their way in life. The first verse begins with a warning that if the listener needs advice, they should turn to the singer because he knows better than anyone else. He seems to be mocking someone who believes in a higher power, saying that "Jesus is a cunt" and never helped them with anything they've done. The chorus repeats the phrase "Kuff dam," which is likely a reference to a dance or a slang term for the sound of a bass drum.
The second verse is even more intriguing, describing someone who is "biting into the root" and "smoking pot to the wall." These could be references to drugs or to the struggle of trying to make it in a tough industry, either way, it's clear that the singer is exhorting them to "blow on" and "take it full blown," whatever that may mean in the context of this underground culture. The song ends with the chorus repeated one more time, before descending into a maelstrom of electronic beats and distorted vocals.
Line by Line Meaning
If you've got to be told by someone then
If you need someone to explain something to you, it has to be me who does it.
Its got to be me
I am the only one who can provide the necessary explanation.
And that's not made from cheese and he doesn't
The explanation is not fabricated or insincere.
Get you free
It requires effort and work on your part.
So now your wising up to know you need a job
You're finally realizing that you need to work for a living.
Don't bite, don't bite, don't bite out in here
Don't act out or get aggressive in this situation.
Its been nice wasting time its not worth your while
It's been pleasant to waste time, but it's not a worthwhile pursuit.
Blow on go on blow on go up and spill it all out
Just let it out and speak your mind.
And if we have to be shown by someone then it wont be you
If anyone has to explain something to us, it won't be you who does it.
You see that Jesus is a cunt
You have a negative view of Jesus.
And never helped you with a thing that you do, or you done,
Jesus has never been of any help to you in anything you've done.
It wont be long, it wont be long to get rid of your furry
It won't take long to get rid of your undesirable traits.
Tongue
Specifically, your propensity to speak before thinking.
Its going in out, its going in out
It's an ebb and flow situation.
Blow on go on blow on go on and stroke a left side
Continue to move and act on the left side of the situation.
Go on blow on go on blow on and stroke a right side
Likewise, continue to move and act on the right side of the situation.
Your biting into the root your smoking pot to the wall
You're trying to get the most out of things, even if it's detrimental to you.
Blow on go on blow on go on and take it full blown
Keep going and give it your all, even if it's not the best choice.
Kuff dam, down down dam kuff
A nonsensical phrase that serves as a repeating chorus.
Kuff dam, dam kuff
A shorter version of the chorus, still nonsensical.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAUL ANTHONY RYDER, GARY KENNETH WHELAN, MARK PHILIP DAY, PAUL RICHARD DAVIS, SHAUN WILLIAM RYDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@onepointsixoneeight4395
Their best album by a mile for me. Still so fresh. That bass-line! Kuff Dam!
@brianrankin4550
The bass guitar is the lead instrument on this whole album, Paul Ryder's playing is immense with the rhythm guitar and drums backing him up R.I.P. Horse
@jimihendrix6969
same. it cant get better.
@gabrielmoraes6324
Baita som! É um hino!
@paullambe9471
I’m in hospital in Dublin. Thank fuck for the Mondays, keeping me alive and buzzing
@rbrookswilliams1689
Long Live Paul Lambe, and Happy Mondays Forever!
@shadowbassist7992
Yup Lamber. Go wan go wan go wan and do it up the right side
@mode7698
keep her lit man
@jimihendrix6969
All the best man....
@jimdrury5170
Great song from a brilliant album.