Monaco

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, Rovi