When
New Order went on hiatus after 1993's Republic, bassist
Peter Hook took the group's sound and spirit with him. After his previous side project
Revenge was shredded by critics and snubbed by record buyers,
Hook returned to the New Order formula -- one he helped shape -- when he collaborated with
David Potts (guitar, vocals) as
Monaco in 1996. Potts was originally hired by
Hook to be the tape operator of his studio in 1989; three years later,
Hook asked him to contribute riffs to
Revenge's Gun World Porn EP. Playing his bass with the brooding intensity that characterized his work with
Joy Division and
New Order,
Hook no longer distanced himself from his past on
Monaco's 1997 debut album Music for Pleasure. The critically acclaimed LP unabashedly resembled a
New Order record.
Hook's distinctive pulsating bass lines united
New Order's marriage of
post-punk and
pop, creating an identity so recognizable that
Monaco's first single, "What Do You Want From Me?," was often mistaken for a
New Order track. Even Potts' voice recalled the chilly detachment of
New Order frontman
Bernard Sumner. "What Do You Want From Me?" was a minor hit on alternative stations and Music for Pleasure sold more than 500,000 copies. Since
New Order's future remained uncertain,
Monaco filled the
dance-rock void created by the pioneering band's absence. Although Music for Pleasure didn't revolutionize music, its songs were catchier and more moving than many had predicted, and the album's success had the press speculating if
Monaco was going to be a permanent group. However, despite Music for Pleasure's surprising popularity,
Monaco were dropped by Polydor Records because the band wasn't commercial enough. The label rejected the group's self-titled follow-up, and it was distributed by Papillon instead in 2000. After
Monaco split up in the late '90s,
Hook reunited with
New Order, releasing Get Ready in 2001. ~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide
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Monaco
Music for Pleasure