Their debut 7", Girls Don't Count, was released in 1980 on Factory Records, produced by Rob Gretton and Ian Curtis of Joy Division. All Section 25 releases would be released through Factory Records. Their debut LP, Always Now, was released in 1981 and produced by Martin Hannett.
The three-piece group played many gigs in Britain and Northern Europe between 1979 and 1981, both as a headline act and with other Factory Records artists, such as Joy Division, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Crispy Ambulance and New Order. The group also released a self-produced second album, The Key of Dreams. However the original line-up split in 1982 when Paul Wiggin declined to fly to the United States for their first North American tour.
Joined by percussionist Lee Shallcross, Section 25 gradually evolved a more electronic-dance direction, a process which culminated in the album From the Hip and single Looking From A Hilltop, both released in 1984 and produced by Bernard Sumner of New Order. This new version of the band also featured Angela Flowers (vocals, keyboards) and Jenny Ross (vocals, keyboards). This line-up completed a second tour of North America in 1985.
In 1986 the group again splintered, leaving husband-and-wife team Larry Cassidy and Jenny Ross to complete a fourth album, Love and Hate, finally released by Factory in 1988. Section 25 then fell silent for more than a decade, although their entire catalogue was reissued on CD on LTM as well as an archive DVD.
In 2001 Larry Cassidy rejoined with Vincent Cassidy and Ross to write new material. Jenny Ross unfortunately died in 2004. Now with Ian Butterworth (ex of fellow Factory act Tunnelvison) on guitar and Roger Wikeley on bass and keyboards the band performed their first live show in nearly two decades at their hometown Poulton-Le-Fylde in May 2006 followed by dates in Blackpool, Paris, Brussels and Leicester. Larry and Vin Cassidy also feature in the 2006 Factory documentary film Shadowplayers.
Interest in the band began to increase with the release of a new studio album entitled Part-Primitiv in 2007. Their back catalogue has since risen in stature with much of it being featured in their live appearances. They played at Plan K in 2007 as part of the Factory Night (Once Again) event, being joined onstage by Peter Hook of New Order for a cover of Temptation. Further dates were announced in 2008 across 4 venues across Europe including Brussels - Peter Hook joined them on each date for several songs before retiring to the DJ booth for a couple of hours for the after-shows.
The band released a new album in 2009 called Nature + Degree. The record featured the introduction of Larry and Jenny's daughter Bethany Cassidy[/bandmeber] as the band's new singer.
Larry Cassidy died on Feb 27, 2010. The band's new album "Retrofit", a collection of re-recordings of previous Section 25 songs that was completed before Larry's death, was released on September 14. The band has continued following Larry's death with Vin Cassidy as the band's only remaining original member. Section 25 currently consists of Bethany Cassidy (vocals, keyboards), Joanna Cassidy (vocals, keyboards), Vincent Cassidy (drums) and Stephen Stringer (guitar).
Reflection
Section 25 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're daydreams,
You and I,
You and I together,
Open up, open up to me,
It's so high, it's so high
I'm breathless,
You can see what you do to me.
It's not real (12x)
Standing in an empty space
No one here but you,
Touching you I'm spinning round
whisper...
It's not real (3x)
In the sky my oh my,
We're daydreams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
It's not...
It's not real (mixes, reverbs, echos - n times)
You and I, you and I together,
Open up, open up to me,
(It's not real) (15x)
It's so high, it's so high
We're breathless,
You can see what you do to me...
Time passes by,
You wonder why,
It's not real, it's not real,
Look into my eyes,
It's not real (5x)
We're daydreams.
You and I, you and forever,
Open up, open up to me,
It's so high, it's so high
We're breathless,
Can't you see what you do to me....
It's not real... fading till end
The song "Reflection" by Section 25 is an ethereal and atmospheric piece that talks about the feeling of being suspended in a dreamlike state. The opening lines "So close to be the one so free...We're daydreams, You and I, You and I together" sets the introspective tone of the song, where the singer is describing a surreal experience that is shared between two people. The lyrics have a hypnotic quality where the words are repeated again and again, lulling the listener into a trance-like state, which is fitting given the dreamy quality of the music.
As the song progresses, the words "It's not real" are repeated multiple times. This phrase implies that the dreamlike state which the singer has been describing is not a tangible reality but rather a fleeting experience. The singer is standing in an empty space, touching someone and spinning around, but there is no one there but them. It's as if they are suspended in space, lost in thought and imagination, and yet simultaneously searching for a deeper sense of connection and meaning.
"Reflection" is a song that leaves the listener with many questions and a sense of ambiguity. The meaning of the words is up to interpretation, which makes it so interesting to listen to. The music is almost a soundscape that perfectly complements the lyrics, creating a sense of calm and introspection.
Line by Line Meaning
So close to be the one so free. . .
We were almost free to be who we wanted to be.
We're daydreams,
We are lost in our thoughts and imaginations.
You and I,
Only the two of us matter in this moment.
You and I together,
We are one, sharing the same dreams and aspirations.
Open up, open up to me,
Share your innermost thoughts and feelings with me.
It's so high, it's so high
Our dreams and aspirations are lofty and ambitious.
I'm breathless,
I am consumed by this passion and intensity.
You can see what you do to me.
You have a profound impact on my emotions and actions.
It's not real (12x)
Our dreams may not be grounded in reality.
Standing in an empty space
We are lost and unsure of our surroundings.
No one here but you,
You are the only thing that matters in this moment.
Touching you I'm spinning round
Your touch fills me with excitement and joy.
whisper...
We are lost in our own private world.
In the sky my oh my,
Our dreams take us to great heights.
We're daydreams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Our thoughts and imaginations are our reality.
It's not...
Our dreams may not be rooted in reality.
It's not real (mixes, reverbs, echos - n times)
We are reminded that our dreams may not be grounded in reality.
You and I, you and I together,
We are united in our shared vision of the future.
Open up, open up to me,
Share your innermost thoughts and feelings with me.
(It's not real) (15x)
Our dreams may not be reflective of our true reality.
We're breathless,
Our passion for this dream consumes us.
It's so high, it's so high
Our aspirations are lofty and ambitious.
Can't you see what you do to me....
Your influence on my emotions and aspirations is profound.
Time passes by,
Our time is fleeting.
You wonder why,
We are unsure of our circumstances and future.
It's not real, it's not real,
Our dreams may not be grounded in our true reality.
Look into my eyes,
See the passion and intensity in my soul.
It's not real (5x)
Our dreams may not be a reflection of our true reality.
We're daydreams.
Our imaginations and aspirations fuel us.
You and I, you and forever,
We are united in our dreams for the future.
It's so high, it's so high
Our aspirations are lofty and ambitious.
Can't you see what you do to me....
Your influence on my emotions and aspirations is profound.
It's not real... fading till end
Our dreams may not be a reflection of our reality; this realization grows stronger as the song comes to a close.
Contributed by Julia S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Veers31
This song used to play a lot at the retail job I worked at. It's gotten stuck in my head more than once! It's a great one, very underrated.
Jake Parkinson
Best song to start the morning.
M L
amazing band who,s time is about to come
kikoriih
I find it hard to believe they never made it really big D:
Barbie Chêtif
because factory records prefered to focus on the shitty new order...
M L
It is famous!
IcarusLime
I will make this song famous.
W.G. Hunter
We're still waiting ...
TheHeather8787
forty years.
G San
O LAWD