VIA PRESS RELEASE | The London Records reissue Chicken Rhythms, the debut and only album by Northside, is out now on LP and CD.
Produced by Ian Broudie (The Lightning Seeds), Chicken Rhythms was originally released on Factory Records in June 1991, charting in the Top 20, and contains the singles “Take 5” and “Shall We Take A Trip?,” which have been remixed by The Reflex and Leo Zero for a White Label 12-inch single available now. “Take 5 (The Reflex Revision)” is available digitally now. An exclusive three-track CD single ‘The 12”s’ is available with D2C album pre-orders and includes the original 12-inch mixes of “Shall We Take A Trip?,” “My Rising Star,” and “Moody Places.”
The 2025 vinyl reissue has been cut from the original Factory Records masters and comes on solid green vinyl with restored artwork by Central Station Design. The expanded CD edition includes 1990 single “My Rising Star” and “Moody Places” (AA side with “Shall We Take A Trip”), radio edits as well as the new remixes, plus a 24 page booklet with new liner notes from venerated Manchester music journalist John Robb.
From the north Manchester suburbs of Blackley and Moston, Northside were an integral part of the Manchester early nineties soundtrack. Signed to Factory Records by its visionary founder Tony Wilson, the band were the bridge between the Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays, fusing psychedelic rock with Acid House.
In his liner notes, John Robb writes: “Northside were the real deal who soundtracked the real northern soul of the north side of the city in peak 1990 Madchester. The city was buzzing, and the youth, who were famously described by Anthony Wilson as ‘having the very best record collections’, were effortlessly defining the crossover of guitars with rave culture.”
Northside singer Warren “Dermo” Dermody comments: “I’m really looking forward to the release of the remixes, especially the reaction from the old school heads and through the new ears of the youth and their wisdom. Chicken Rhythms is a timeless classic that’s heading for the future.”
Northside formed in early 1989 by Dermody and bassist Cliff Ogier, soon joined by drummer Paul Walsh and guitarist Michael Upton before Tim Walsh took over on guitar just before the release of their June 1990 debut single “Shall We Take A Trip?.” The track made the Top 50 despite being banned by the BBC and many record stores for its numerous drug references. The iconic sleeve art by Central Station Design featured a plum, an image which became synonymous with the band and was seen on the T-shirts of the coolest folk in Manchester during summer 1990.
Northside’s second single “My Rising Star” (included on the CD album reissue) followed in October 1990, charting at No.32, and the band were invited to open the first night of the Great British Music Weekend in January 1991 at Wembley Arena, broadcast live over three nights on Radio One and featuring artists including James and The Cure. Despite pleas from the station not to play “Shall We Take A Trip?,” the band opended with it, causing Radio One to stop its live broadcast for several minutes.
In 1991, the band’s third single, the beefier “Take 5,” which came just ahead of Chicken Rhythms, was released simultaneously in America on Geffen Records (the band’s US label) and was a college radio hit, reaching the Top 5 in the Billboard alternative songs chart and number one in Canada. “Take 5” also saw Northside make their one and only appearance on Top of the Pops, and later that summer they played at the Happy Mondays’ huge gig at Elland Road stadium alongside The La’s, The Farm, and The High.
However, trouble lay ahead—Chicken Rhythms was released the month as Nirvana’s Nevermind, which heralded the explosion of the Seattle grunge scene. Manchester bands that had been lauded by the music press for the past few years were no longer seen as cool and faced a backlash, none more so than Northside who, as the latest arrivals from “Madchester,” were unfairly singled out for ridicule.
Nevertheless, their gigs were selling out and getting bigger and bigger and a second album was recorded, with a planned release date. There was even a Factory catalogue number, Fac 338, for the first single from the new album, Cool Idea. The high expectations for the new album were dashed when Factory collapsed in autumn 1992, the maverick label’s lack of business acumen finally catching up with it. This left Northside and other recent signings victims of the bankruptcy, and the band split up, leaving their debut album and clutch of singles as a snapshot of those heady times before the crash.
John Robb writes: “Northside had their potential stolen from them. Listening to the album decades later you can hear where this was going. The youthful band were great players and they had an ambition that was beyond other people’s expectations. Growing up in public they had scored a great sounding debut and were a few steps from the big time proper but pop culture is a cruel and merciless creature and their potential was to be unfulfilled but remains a reminder of time when everything felt possible.”
Northside’s legendary status in their home city and in the scene has seen various reformations and festival appearances. Tragically, guitarist Tim Walsh died in 2019, but earlier this year the three remaining original members Dermo, Cliff, and Wol completed the sold out Let’s Take Another Trip Tour 2025, and this summer has seen appearances at Gigantic Festival, Shine On Weekender, and YNOT Festival.
Their reinvigorated creative energy has seen Northside working on a new album, set for release next Summer. “We can’t wait for everyone to hear it,” says Dermo. “We genuinely feel like, for everyone who’s heard the band, there’s so many that haven’t yet. We’ve saved the best ‘til last and you’re not going to be disappointed.”
Hopes are high for Northside’s long-delayed second album. As John Robb writes: “In the Oasis summer of 2025, anything is possible, and for another northern gang as a band, there are plenty of ‘what ifs’ and unfulfilled potentials to play with and, of course, there is still that debut album that captured the mood of an important phase in the city’s famous musical journey.”
