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Hit Factories: A Journey Through the Industrial Cities of British Pop

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Irish Independent Music Book of the Year

Guardian Book of the Week

After discovering a derelict record plant on the edge of a northern English city, and hearing that it was once visited by David Bowie, Karl Whitney embarks upon a journey to explore the industrial cities of British pop music.

Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Hull, Glasgow, Belfast, Birmingham, Coventry, at various points in the past these cities have all had distinctive and highly identifiable sounds. But how did this happen? What circumstances enabled those sounds to emerge? How did each particular city - its history, its physical form, its accent - influence its music? How were these cities and their music different from each other? And what did they have in common?

Hit Factories tells the story of British pop through the cities that shaped it, tracking down the places where music was performed, recorded and sold, and the people - the performers, entrepreneurs, songwriters, producers and fans - who made it all happen. From the venues and recording studios that occupied disused cinemas, churches and abandoned factories to the terraced houses and back rooms of pubs where bands first rehearsed, the terrain of British pop can be retraced with a map in hand and a head filled with music and its many myths.

336 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2019

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Karl Whitney

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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Joe O'Donnell.
285 reviews5 followers
July 21, 2019
Does a city have a sound? Can the physical environments that musicians grow up in forge the music they will produce? Were the industrial landscapes of Britain directly responsible for the music scenes that sprouted in their vicinity? These are the questions that Karl Whitney sets out to explore in “Hit Factories”, his examination of the links between the industry of British cities and the pop music that emerged from them over the course of the last 50 years.

“Hit Factories” is part music history, part travelogue, with Whitney setting out to trace the life and death of the British record industry through its (now often derelict and abandoned) physical locations. Focusing on 11 regional cities across the U.K., it is a journey that takes Whitney from “the coalfields of the North East, the shipyards of Glasgow and Belfast, the steel factories of Sheffield, the foundries of Birmingham, the car plants of Coventry, the ports of Hull, Bristol and Liverpool, the mills of Manchester and Leeds”, with the aims that he would not just come to understand the unique music scenes that came out of these industrial heartlands, but also “through that journey come to understand Britain”.

In doing so, Whitney draws enthralling parallels between how the rise and fall of these music scenes, and the supporting infrastructure the record industry provided them, echoes the collapse of traditional British industries like coalmining and shipbuilding. In some ways, the music industry is hugely comparable to such heavy industries; as Whitney writes it can help to “think of pop music as an extractive industry, at least symbolically, to mining, with the performers as raw material … removed from the place in which it originated and processed and polished elsewhere”.

Although hailing from Dublin, Karl Whitney is resident in Sunderland in the North-East of England, and it is here that he begins his journey, amidst the ruins of an old RCA vinyl factory. He reflects on how pop music provided an escape hatch out of poverty and factory-based drudgery for generations of working-class youth across Britain, noting the example of Bryan Ferry and how his “trajectory from post-war industrial life to pop star glamour” brought him from the coalfields of County Durham to the decadence of Roxy Music.

Whitney is similarly perceptive when discussing Paul McCartney’s upbringing – in a council estate enclave within a leafy, middle class district of Liverpool – which the author argues gave him an acute interest and insight into the habits of the British bourgeoisie, a seam he mined so richly in Beatles’ classics like “Eleanor Rigby". How industrial landscapes influence the creativity of musicians is the recurrent theme of “Hit Factories”, whether it how the port cities of Hull and Bristol permeated the sound of their respective music scenes, right down to Tony Iommi’s experience having the tops of his fingers cut off while working in a Birmingham factory contributing to the evolution of Black Sabbath‘s doom-laden heavy metal sound. Most gratifyingly, “Hit Factories” makes a vital argument for the importance of immigration in shaping British industrial life and, subsequently, shaping the music that rose out of those industrial cities, often in defiance of violent racists and police brutality (Whitney sites the examples of how Punjabi immigration to Birmingham created Bhangra and how trip-hop was formed in the afro-caribbean quarters of Bristol).

Some of the most enjoyable sections of “Hit Factories” are where Karl Whitney describes his meanderings through the brutalist surroundings of Coventry city centre, or traversing the divides between East and West Belfast. Anybody familiar with Whitney’s previous book “Hidden City” (on the more obscure nooks and crannies of Dublin), will not be surprised that there is a strong emphasis on psychogeography here, and how our physical environments determine the lives we lead and the art that we create. “Hit Factories” is a hugely ambitious project, and any one of the 12 city music scenes focused on could have made for their own book. But what really makes “Hit Factories” is that Karl Whitney is such an engaging and astute guide, always curious without resorting to cynicism, always capable of peeling back a layer of a familiar cityscape to reveal something you didn’t know. If you are in any way interested in the heyday and subsequent collapse of the British music industry – or how British cities have weathered decades of deindustrialisation, decline and austerity - “Hit Factories” is compelling and essential.
Profile Image for Tom Boniface-Webb.
Author 11 books34 followers
September 5, 2020
Good. An interesting new way of telling familiar stories. The writer travels round the provisional cities of the uk telling their own music history.
2,836 reviews74 followers
October 1, 2023
This could easily have lapsed into the standard, cliched city/band by numbers format which has been so often applied to these cities in so many other countless books, documentaries and films. And yet Whitney manages to break some new ground and succeeds in beating his own snaking, crazing paving path through these cities and as a result we get a highly refreshing approach, although not always great it is at least bold and different.

His stream of consciousness approach can sometimes feel rambling, and his scope too narrow and selective which can be frustrating and yet there’s still more than enough about these pieces that compel and keep you reading to find out just where it’s going to turn next. There’s a lot in here, though sometimes these felt like starting points, the first step on a longer journey, which was barely started, and some cities felt a bit flat and disappointing, leaving you thinking, but what about (insert band)?...

Overall I think this falls somewhere pleasingly between Adam Curtis, Iain Sinclair and Simon Reynolds. It’s ambitious, it’s flawed and doesn’t always hit its mark, but often I found it hugely enjoyable and I certainly learned a lot too. If you like something a bit different, and don’t mind the detours then this blend of social history, music and psychogeography maybe just right up your street.
Profile Image for Ipswichblade.
1,145 reviews17 followers
June 5, 2021
Very average book, really feel like it was a missed opportunity. The chapter on Liverpool for example was mainly the Beatles which many , many books have covered. A great premise for a book but not carried out in my opinion
Profile Image for Mark (ScattzDaily) Scattergood.
57 reviews1 follower
February 6, 2020
Part travelogue of the industrial capitals of the UK, part musical history of some of the greatest artists the UK has produced and part political backdrops of the UK throughout the last 50 years or so - all very educational and informative but what I felt was lacking was, for the most part, a connection between the three.
I may have misinterpreted what this book was trying to achieve but my understanding was a journey through the UK and how those geographical landmarks had shaped the musical style of those cities of which I don't think there was much of withi the book. So for me the premise missed it's mark which I think was going to happen from the beginning. It was the people that inhabited those places, whether born and raised, or settled there from further afield that transformed the way those cities breathed and evolved through time with their cultures, ambition to either make something more of themselves than their past generations, to escape their humdrum lives or to rebel against the 'norm'!
Some of the re-telling of the writers journey disappointed me, Liverpool is more than The Beatles of which Whitney tended to dwell on, Belfast was more than Van Morrison (who, by the writers own admission, tried to veer away his own opinions of the fighting going on in the 70's & 80's from his music despite listeners interpretations). Missed opportunities to go further and dive deeper into the music that came out of the cities.
Above all I think it ironic that Whitney wasn't going to touch (or wasn't ready to touch) the UK capital of London despite the fact that many of the artists he writes about at some point of their career made their way there to escape the industrial depression of where they came from.
It was however an original way to look at our musical heritage and will make me look at those cities in a different light whenever I'm next visiting them.
40 reviews
December 9, 2024
I read this book as part of research for a project hoping that it would shed light on how the city influenced a particular sound and genre.

When it hit the mark, it was incredibly insightful. The distinctions between Manchester's 'madchester' scene, Leeds' Marxist pop and Bristol's Trip hop style were brilliant and wove a tight argument and narrative that allowed a reader who may not be familiar with the city to understand its character and significance.

However, many chapters missed the mark on this occassion, especially the Liverpool, Hull, Coventry and Newcastle, it felt like there was either little to go at or just focused on one band, with a mere two pages left for the rest of the city's musical history to be explained. I believe this happened as the author seemed to have got lost on his purpose when travelling to these locations. At points it felt too autobiographical and too indulgent on personal taste rather than a journalistic analysis of the city. Some chapters became so derailed on personal stories that I think Whitney forgot the crux of the book and how the city, its social history and proximity to London impacted the sounds that were being produced within it. Whitney should have been asking these questions all the time, and often it felt like an afterthought.

I found the structure confusing too, maybe because the topic was too broad that covering 11 cities within 20-30 pages each did not suffice. If there was such little space to write about each one, maybe focusing on one song/album/artist should have been the set standard for the entire book rather than leap-frogging multiple strands at the same time.

Overall, the book had a lot of good knowledge about the cities and perceptions and historical impact definitely created a unique sound from each city, I just wished that these were examined further.
Profile Image for daffaakbar om.
32 reviews1 follower
January 8, 2025
The book and the journeys involved in bringing it to life is impressive. Not only does 'Hit Factories' tangibly connect deindustrialisation with the rise of pop music in cities across the UK, it also takes into account the various social and political phenomena that catalyse the various scenes and genres in it, which in turn catapults many of the best acts from the regions throughout the second half of the 20th century.

Of the many cities and stories, one common thread that we could as well point out would be, as with many other skilled sons and daughters of the regions who took the train to London for better economic opportunities, many of the regions' rising musicians took up the opportunity to London for more shows, sales, and air time; once again showing the mirrors of the UK's economic shift with the dynamics of its music scenes. So does the arrival of migrants from across the Commonwealth and how it enables the penetration of music from all over the world to the local scenes in the UK, pushing up a number of new genres and fusions.

However, as a number of readers here have pointed out, the focus on some cities disappointingly weighs too much on one or two acts. For example, the focus on The Beatles when the author talks about Liverpool diminishes the rich musical history of the whole Merseyside, which I reckon was depicted very well during the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest season in which Liverpool and the UK hosted on behalf of Ukraine; one interval act during the final of the contest features a number of Eurovision stars covering some of Liverpool's greatest exports.

Nevertheless, Karl Whitney and his stories here offers a great reading experience overall, and it's a good starting point to retrace the steps of a number of the UK's finest and most familiar acts and scenes.
Profile Image for Archie Richards.
18 reviews
August 21, 2024
Hit Factories provides a great overview of our favourite UK bands and the cites and towns that made them.

Whilst the familiar faces, Oasis, The Beatles, Pulp, were present as expected. I do feel however this is also what lets the book down slightly, I would’ve liked to have heard about different artists from these cities, not just the ones we’ve come to know and love for all time.

That being said, I did learn the stories of artists I was only vaguely familiar with, such as how acts like Massive Attack, Van Morrison and the Specials used their surroundings and respective cultures and heritages to shape their art.

I have read this book over the course of the recent far-right riots in the UK and it has been interesting to see the comparisons in regards to immigration related conflict. It really has made me think about history repeatedly going around in a circle.

Overall Hit Factories has been a fun and interesting read… I will also say that the experience of this book is enhanced by listening to the artists covered as you read :)
Profile Image for Calum  Mackenzie .
631 reviews
April 8, 2022
Well this is a book that definitely explores music in a range of cities…the issue is how dull it often is and how many great bands are missed by the writer-

For example, in Liverpool, focusing mainly on the Beatles which ignores all the amazing bands from there.

In Birmingham ignoring bands like Cornershop (when speaking about Handsworth) and many others, including UB40 and Ocean Colour Scene.

In Sheffield, mainly focusing on Pulp while only giving the Arctic Monkeys a brief mention.

There’s also some real sarcasm/criticism of Oasis that shows the writer’s bias.

I got to the end of the book and was a) relieved and b) convinced that I could have written about certain cities better my self.
Profile Image for Leyla Zebda.
138 reviews3 followers
June 24, 2023
Incompréhensibly dull. There are a few nuggets of interesting information, especially relating to the origins of certain genres that flourished in certain cities, but the only real reason I clung on and refused to put it down is because I can never not finish a book. To be fair though, this was another space filler book because I was in London and none of my other books had arrived on time. I hadn’t really intended to adore this, I remember I got it from some random guy on Facebook market place when I lived in Brighton, along with a lot of other music related books. I remember the man telling me I had good taste in books. I think perhaps he just has a bad taste in books and I’m a clueless ditz.
Profile Image for James Tidd.
355 reviews1 follower
March 17, 2022
Karl Whitney takes the reader on a journey through the main industrial cities of British Pop Music. Whitney doesn't include London in the book, London could take up its own separate book or even two books.

Instead Whitney tells the story of British Pop music through the industrial cities that shaped it: Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds, Hull, Glasgow, Belfast, Coventry and Bristol. He tracks down places where the different styles of music were performed, recorded and sold, and the people who made it all happen.
226 reviews
December 2, 2024
“Could you plan for the Beatles?”

An interesting example of psychogeography in action, with a great contextualisation of some iconic bands and some lesser-known acts. Particularly interesting is the situating of music in the context of manufacturing, comparing the music business to the very mining industry that was displaced over the course of the last century (“Talent was invariably removed from the place in which it originated and polished and processed elsewhere”). Pair this with a walking tour and you’re grand.
86 reviews
January 18, 2025
I am not sure that the basic concept of this book actually worked or whether it was the execution. The book aims to trace music through the industrial cities that shaped it. It covers cities including Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol Coventry etc.
There were some editorials mistakes and a bit of tendency to repeatedly write "and then I walked down such and such a street until I reached ..."
I think it did improve towards the end with the Birmingham, Coventry and Bristol sections. Overall the concept is probably flawed.
1,185 reviews8 followers
September 1, 2024
A commendable thesis, with a lot of walking (I actually set the book aside for many months as he squelched through the mud in Liverpool). Very good on Glasgow and his native North-East, with a valiant attempt to link Van Morrison and the Troubles of Northern Ireland. Coventry, Bristol and Birmingham bring in immigrant faces, and are the strongest chapters on how music intersects with industry.
Profile Image for Guy Mankowski.
Author 14 books40 followers
August 11, 2020
This book seems to build on the approach taken by Owen Hatherley and Simon Reynolds where a cluster of artists are considered within a certain locale. Whitney writes with great knowledge, insight and deftness to create a compelling read.
Profile Image for Andy Jones.
14 reviews
October 19, 2022
Incredibly disappointing and had the potential to be so good. The cover notes were enough to make me want to read more but the detail is so limited and rushed through and not covering any new ground at all.
Profile Image for Rahul.
12 reviews
May 15, 2023
There were some safe choices in Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, and it sometimes felt like a series of essays but the blend of music and location was insightful. A useful anthology of cultural capital that explains Britain's past, and hopefully informs its future.
Profile Image for Liam Claff.
32 reviews
September 16, 2025
Difficult to condense cities' and their musical heritage into 20-30 page chapters but misses the mark for me on a few. Manchester section really insightful but then others like Liverpool focused solely on the Beatles. A clear dislike from the author of Britpop, in particular Oasis too.
351 reviews2 followers
June 21, 2022
Found this quite interesting though a bit scattergun in its approach. Ultimately, didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know.
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