Stephen Morris was born 28 October, 195 in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. Morris first made his name as the drummer with the highly influential post-punk rock group Joy Division. The band consisted of Ian Curtis on vocals, Bernard Sumner on guitar, Peter Hook on bass, and of course Stephen Morris on drums. With their dark sound, use of distorted guitars, throbbing bass lines, and electronics, they pioneered the post-punk sound of the late 1970s.
Stephen Morris used what could be described as quite extensive drum kit set up to achieve a great range of rolls, rhythm shifts and beats. Morris was an active drummer, especially on the tracks “She’s Lost Control” and “Transmission” where the pounding insistent beat fuelled Curtis’ gyrations. Morris also used Simmonds and Synare electronic drumpads and a BOSS DR-55 drum machine on the songs “Insight,” “She’s Lost Control,” “Isolation,” and “Decades”, in combination with conventional drums to broaden the tonal palette.
Even though the Joy Division achieved only modest success by today’s standards during their career, and released only just two official albums, they have since been acclaimed as one of the most inventive and influential bands of their era.
Legacy
Joy Division, and especially Ian Curtis, has been an inspiration for a number of bands and musicians that include U2, The Smashing Pumpkins, Janes Addiction, Manic Street Preachers, Interpol, Trent Reznor (who, as Nine Inch Nails, covered “Dead Souls” for the soundtrack of the movie The Crow), Robert Smith of The Cure, and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante. The continuing importance of Joy Division was shown at the turn of the millennium when John Peel asked his listeners to vote for the all-time Festive 50. At number one was “Atmosphere,” while “Love Will Tear Us Apart” sat at number three. Three more songs from the band sat on the list.