A Certain Ratio
A Certain Ratio is a
rock band formed in
1977 in
Manchester,
England. While originally part of the
punk rock movement, they soon added
funk and
dance elements to their sound. The band's name is taken from the lyrics of
Brian Eno's song "The True Wheel" (from the album
Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), which in turn were taken from a quote from Hitler on the proportion of 'Jewish blood' that was required to determine whether someone was to be classified as 'Jewish'. There is some dispute as to whether the band were aware of the original meaning of the phrase.
The group's longest serving members have been
Martin Moscrop (guitar, trumpet) and
Jeremy Kerr (bass, vocals). Another of today's members,
Donald Johnson (drums, vocals), joined early to replace a
drum machine. Three original members have left the band - singers
Martha Tilson (left in
1982) and
Simon Topping (left in
1983 for
Quando Quango and, later,
T-Coy), plus guitarist
Peter Terrell, who left in
1982. Keyboardist
Andy Connell who joined in 1982 left to form
Swing Out Sister in
1985.
The bands exploration of rhythm fusing funk, disco, punk and Latin has had a resurgence in the last few years and their influence can been seen on bands such as
The Rapture. In 2002 Soul Jazz Records started a program of reissues of ACR's albums and difficult to find tracks. Although the band does not play full time, they continue writing, recording, and performing.
'A Certain Ratio' started their career on
Factory Records, managed by
Tony Wilson. They are featured in the film
24 Hour Party People where Tony Wilson (played by
Steve Coogan) calls them '
Joy Division but better dressed'. Martin Moscrop had the prestigious job of Musical Supervisor of the film.
The band have released the following
albums:
*
The Graveyard and the Ballroom (1980)
*
To Each... (1981)
*
Sextet (1982)
*
I'd Like To See You Again (1982)
*
Force (1986)
*
Good Together (1989)
*
acr:mcr (1990)
*
Up In Downsville (1992)
*
Change The Station (1997)
The following compilations have also been released:
*
A Certain Ratio Live in America (live album, 1985)
*
The Old and the New (singles compilation, 1986)
*
Looking for a Certain Ratio (
remixes, 1994)
*
Early (2002)
*
Live In Groningen (2005)
*
Official website
