Discipline (Throbbing Gristle song)

"Discipline" is a song by the English electronic group Throbbing Gristle.

"Discipline"
Single by Throbbing Gristle
Released3 June 1981[1]
GenreIndustrial
LabelFetish FET006
Songwriter(s)Peter Christopherson, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Chris Carter, Genesis P-Orridge
Producer(s)Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle singles chronology
"'Adrenalin/Distant Dreams (Part Two)'"
(1980)		 "Discipline"
(1981)

Single

The "Discipline" single features two versions of the title track, recorded in Berlin and Manchester.[1] The center labels are cream with black printing, and a glossy picture sleeve depicts the band standing outside the ex-Nazi Ministry of Propaganda in Berlin, and the other side shows Val Denham holding a Hitler Youth dagger centre back.[2] The words "Techno Primitive" were scratched on side A and "Psykick Youth Squad" on side B. Both tracks were later released on the CD version of 20 Jazz Funk Greats.

The word "Techno Primitive" was later used by electronic duo Chris & Cosey for their 1985 album of the same name, while the name "Psykick Youth Squad" can be seen as a reference to the later band Psychic TV, both groups made up of ex-Throbbing Gristle members.

Track listing

Side A:

  1. "Discipline (Manchester)" - 8:06

Side B:

  1. "Discipline (Berlin)" - 10:45

Song

"Discipline" is considered to be Throbbing Gristle's most infamous song. First played at the SO36 Club in Berlin (as documented on the single), it was at first entirely improvised, based upon a topic suggestion given by Cosey Fanni Tutti before the show. The song is driven by a minimal, pulsing synthesizer drumbeat, over which Genesis P-Orridge would sing lyrics surrounding the concept of discipline, slowly introducing other musical elements, such as electric bass and walls of guitar or synth noise.[2] After Berlin, it was played at nearly every Throbbing Gristle show until the group's demise. Often it would range in length from eight to 12 minutes, although it could be stretched out much longer. A version from one of the last Throbbing Gristle shows at the Lyceum in London was over 30 minutes long, as documented on the bootleg Once Upon a Time and the VHS release Destiny.

The song was covered by Marc Almond and Friends on a flexi disc that was issued free with an issue of Flexipop magazine.[3] He performed it solo on Siouxsie and the Banshees' Join Hands tour at the Hammersmith Odeon as an extended version forming the entirety of his set, which preceded the Cure, the main support band. "Discipline" was also covered by Boyd Rice and by German synthpop group Propaganda as "Disziplin."[4]

Charts
Chart (1981) Peak
position
UK Indie Chart[5] 43

References
  1. Gimarc, George (1997). Post Punk Diary, 1980-1982. New York: St.Martin's Griffin. p. 166. ISBN 031216968X – via the Internet Archive.
  2. Reynolds, Simon (2005). Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984. London: Faber and Faber. pp. 238–239. ISBN 0571215696 – via the Internet Archive.
  3. Thompson, Dave (2002). Alternative Rock. Miller Freeman. p. 686. ISBN 0-87930-607-6. LCCN 00-58249. OCLC 1193377576 – via the Internet Archive.
  4. Gimarc, George (1997). Post Punk Diary, 1980-1982. New York: St.Martin's Griffin. p. 331. ISBN 031216968X – via the Internet Archive.
  5. Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1989. Cherry Red Books. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
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