From Buzzcocks to Britpop, Manchester North Of England is the ultimate tribute to the independent output of that most important and iconic of musical cities, with 146 tracks across seven CDs in a deluxe box set.

Compiled by the team behind other Cherry Red box sets (Scared To Get Happy, Still In A Dream, Millions Like Us, Action Time Vision, etc.), this tells the story of how indie music exploded in Manchester after the rush of Punk and the seminal release of the Buzzcocks’ Spiral Scratch EP.

With exhaustive sleeve-notes by the city’s leading music journalist of the era, Mick Middles, and a foreword by Mark Radcliffe, Manchester North Of England includes many of the key bands from the late 70s to the early 90s – Joy Division, The Fall, New Order, James, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Morrissey, John Cooper Clarke, 808 State, A Certain Ratio, Durutti Column, The Charlatans and last but not least, Oasis.

Although the scene was dominated by blokes with guitars, which is reflected here, Manchester North Of England also doffs its cap to reggae, soul, singer-songwriters, hip-hop, avant garde, techno/industrial and dance music.

Inspired by Bop Cassettes’ 1988 compilation (name + cover image), the box set is being presented in conjunction with MDMA (Manchester District Music Archive).

Many of the tracks appear on CD for the first time, from the Punk explosion through Factory Records, post-punk, the jangly C86 period, Madchester, Indie-Dance and the early 90s transition into what would become Britpop.

TRACK LIST:

CD ONE:

1. BREAKDOWN (Demo) – Buzzcocks

2. CRANKED UP REALLY HIGH – Slaughter And The Dogs

3. AIN’T BIN TO NO MUSIC SCHOOL – The Nosebleeds

4. JUST WANT TO BE MYSELF (LP Version) – The Drones

5. PSYCLE SLUTS Pts. 1 & 2 – John Cooper Clarke

6. GOING STEADY – Jilted John

7. LOUIE LOUIE (Edit) – John The Postman

8. HEADS DOWN NO NONSENSE MINDLESS BOOGIE – Albertos Y Lost Trios Paranoias

9. THE LIGHT POURS OUT OF ME – Magazine

10. THE KILL – Spherical Objects

11. UP AND ABOUT – Steve Miro

12. MAN IN THE BOX – V2

13. MAYBE IT’S LOVE – The Distractions

14. STAY AWAKE – Grow-Up

15. VOICE IN THE DARK – Frantic Elevators

16. SHE’S LOST CONTROL – Joy Division

17. BAISER – Chris Sievey

18. TO YOU – The Smirks

19. MANCHESTER BOYS – Salford Jets

20. SNAP IT AROUND – 48 Chairs

21. DOWNPOUR – Foreign Press

22. WARREN ROW – She Cracked

23. ENGLISH BLACK BOYS (Edit) – X-O-Dus

24. DEM A SUS (IN THE MOSS) – Harlem Spirit

CD TWO:

1. ROWCHE RUMBLE – The Fall

2. THE KIDS JUST WANNA DANCE – Fast Cars

3. DOES IT MATTER IRENE? – The Mothmen

4. YESTERDAY’S LOVE – Any Trouble

5. BIG NOISE IN THE JUNGLE – The Tiller Boys

6. NO FORGETTING – Manchester Mekon

7. FAITH – Manicured Noise

8. EDWARD FOX – Smack

9. SOME LIKE IT HOT – Bet Lynch’s Legs

10. LIPS THAT WOULD KISS (FORM PRAYERS TO BROKEN STONE) – Durutti Column

11. THE FLOOD – Blue Orchids

12. I’M IN LOVE WITH THE GIRL ON THE MANCHESTER VIRGIN MEGASTORE CHECKOUT DESK – The Freshies

13. CLOUD OF FLIES – The Hamsters

14. ACID TABLA DUB – Suns Of Arqa

15. THE FOX – A Certain Ratio

16. DEAF – Crispy Ambulance

17. MY CHERRY IS IN SHERRY – Ludus

18. BRICKS – The Diagram Bros.

19. SUBLIMINAL – Eric Random

20. VALIUM GIRLS – Bee Vamp

21. IN SHREDS – The Chameleons

CD THREE:

1. TEMPTATION (7” Version) – New Order

2. MARKING TIME – Syncopation

3. ROSEMARY – Dislocation Dance

4. SUGAR DADDY – Carmel

5. YOU’VE GOT ME BEAT – Swamp Children

6. DISCIPLINE – Gods Gift

7. PROCESSION – Nico & The Invisible Girls

8. COOL AS ICE (U.S. 7” Edit) – 52nd Street

9. SHARP TONGUE – The Passage

10. AAIR CARE – Biting Tongues

11. OF ALL – LEAVES WERE FALLING – Jane

12. WORKING AND SHOPPING – Tools You Can Trust

13. LOVE TEMPO (Benelux Edit) – Quando Quango

14. GRUNT CADILLAC HOTEL – Inca Babies

15. REACH FOR LOVE – Marcel King

16. LOOKING FROM A HILLTOP – Section 25

17. TELL ME – Life

18. ALL AT ONCE – Stockholm Monsters

19. SPIKE MILLIGAN’S TAPE RECORDER – The Membranes

20. KITCHEN SINK DRAMA – A Witness

21. LOVE AT THE HACIENDA – Graham Fellows

CD FOUR:

1. CHAIN MAIL – James

2. BELLE VUE – Miaow

3. WHISTLING IN THE DARK – Easterhouse

4. SCAR TISSUE – The Bodines

5. WHY POPSTARS CAN’T DANCE – Big Flame

6. CHINA DOLL – The Weeds

7. GET HIGH – Yargo

8. SHARP – Twang

9. ME AND MY MINI – Edward Barton

10. D’YOU THINK I LOOK LIKE ELVIS PRESLEY? – Big Ed & His Rocking Rattlesnakes

11. GARAGE FULL OF FLOWERS (Flexi Version) – Inspiral Carpets

12. DAYS OF THE WEEK – The Danny Boys

13. LET GO – Thirst

14. DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE (TWENTY TWO AND STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU) – The Man From Delmonte

15. FALLING UPSTAIRS – The Monkey Run

16. SPEND MY WHOLE LIFE LOVING YOU – Metro Trinity

17. TAKE ME DOWN – Mirrors Over Kiev

18. THIS IS HOW I FEEL – The Paperboys

19. A PECK ON THE CHEEK À LA POLITIQUÉ – The Great Leap Forward

20. KILL ALL THE BOYS – Tot

21. MEAT MOUTH IS MURDER – Meat Mouth

22. CARIÑO – T-Coy

CD FIVE:

1. 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE – Happy Mondays

2. MAN IN A SUIT – Ambitious Beggars

3. SKIN STORM – Bradford

4. TIME TO LOSE IT (John Peel Radio Session Version) – Laugh

5. HURRY ON DOWN (WHEN WILL I SEE YOU AGAIN) – Too Much Texas

6. PESSIMISTIC MAN – Fallover 24

7. THE DEEPEST – The Waltones

8. NICE TIME AT THE DISCO – Raintree Country

9. SUBWAY LIFE – Johnny Dangerously

10. IN SALFORD THE SUN DOESN’T SHINE – Jean Go Solo

11. PASSION IN THE AFTERNOON – The Desert Wolves

12. THE LAST OF THE FAMOUS INTERNATIONAL PLAYBOYS – Morrissey

13. FANCIABLE HEADCASE – King Of The Slums

14. C’EST LA VIE – The Sun And The Moon

15. CHORUS OF THE LOST – The Reegs

16. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM – Barry Adamson

17. OOH! THIS FEELING – The Jazz Defektors

18. ALL THIS AND HEAVEN TOO (Radio Edit) – Chapter And The Verse

19. VOODOO RAY – A Guy Called Gerald

20. BORN IN THE NORTH – Us

CD SIX:

1. WHAT THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR – The Stone Roses

2. VEIN – What? Noise

3. SWERVE – Dub Sex

4. HOLD ON – The Train Set

5. WATERSKIN – The Jerks

6. AND THEN SHE SMILES – The Mock Turtles

7. 7 REASONS (Demo) – Revenge

8. GETTING AWAY WITH IT – Electronic

9. HOW SLEEP THE BRAVE (Jazz Mix Vocal Edit) – MC Buzz B

10. THE ONLY RHYME THAT BITES – MC Tunes vs 808 State

11. BIG – New Fast Automatic Daffodils

12. SHALL WE TAKE A TRIP – Northside

13. GET READY – The Rainkings

14. PERFUME – Paris Angels

15. BOX SET GO – The High

16. 18 DAZE – The Cygnet Ring

17. DAZED – Asia Fields

18. AND IT WASN’T A DREAM – Ruthless Rap Assassins

19. COMING THROUGH CLEAR – Krispy 3

20. LET OFF (7” Mix) – Kiss AMC featuring Ruthless Rap Assassins

CD SEVEN:

1. SPROSTON GREEN – The Charlatans

2. GIANT SEA – Swirl

3. SONS OF THE STAGE – World Of Twist

4. DREAM BEAM (7″ Edit By Ben Chapman) – Hypnotone

5. CUBIK (Original Mix) – 808 State

6. SPACE FACE – Sub Sub

7. CAMPER VAN – The Adventure Babies

8. FLY – The Days

9. MURDER – Kill Laura

10. CATERPILLARS – Wonky Alice

11. SOUP – Robinson

12. LIONROCK – Lionrock

13. SONG TO THE SIREN – The Chemical Brothers

14. CAN YOU FLY LIKE YOU MEAN IT (GUNGADIN) – Intastella feat. Shaun Ryder

15. OFFSHORE – Puressence

16. DIRT AND SOUL – Bandit Queen

17. BARNY – Molly Half Head

18. COLUMBIA (Demo)- Oasis