To mark the 25th anniversary of one of the most ground breaking clubs in the history of the world ever (sorry…) EMI Virgin TV are set to re-release the critically acclaimed ‘Hacienda Classics’ Compiled & Mixed by one of the key figures of the time, a man who was clearly there, clearly did it all, wore the baggy t-shirt and now presents to you the ultimate collection of classics from those much hallowed days of rave.

Originally conceived, founded and financed in 1980 by Factory Records and New Order through a deal steered by Rob Gretton, the manager of the by then disbanded Joy Division, The Haçienda first opened its doors on May 21st 1982 sporting a Factory Records catalogue number of Fac 51, a pioneering interior designed by architect Ben Kelly and featured Bernard Manning as the opening night act.

Not surprising then that all of these forces combined turning The Haçienda into where is widely recognised as the birthplace of Acid House and responsible for shaping the face of UK club culture as it has since been known.

Originally released to much acclaim in 2006, Virgin EMI teamed up with Peter Hook, bassist from New Order, who shared a founding hand in The Haçienda and was present before, during and after the truly mental times of 1982 and 1997 when the Hacienda finally closed it’s doors.

‘The Haçienda was built on blood, sweat and tears… I think it’s safe to say we made every mistake in the book, that said it was the most magical time and I wouldn’t change any of it’
- Peter Hook

Through a chain of events that no one could have imagined, the ex-boat showroom on Whitworth Street, Manchester that became The Haçienda and the scene it gave birth to, went on to have one of the biggest impacts on youth culture since the punk movement and is one that is still reverberating today. Through the combination of legendary nights such as Hot, Nude, Flesh and Temperance Club with DJ’s Mike Pickering, Graeme Park, Jon da Silva, Tom Wainwright and Dave Haslam, clubbing had changed from simply a night out to an intense experience.

It was the heady mixture of new music, new ideas, cutting edge design and even new designer drugs that pushed the venue into overdrive long before the days of Ministry Of Sound, Cream, Renaissance, Gatecrasher and Godskitchen had even thought about opening their doors and inspired DJ’s from Sasha to The Chemical Brothers to Laurent Garnier. The Haçienda shone like a beacon rewriting the rulebook of what a clubbing experience was all about and inspired hundreds of thousands.

‘There’s no doubt about it, The Haçienda inspired nearly every club that came after it. I’m talking about the Cream’s, the Gatecrashers, the Ministry’s before The Haçienda there was nothing. The Haçienda laid the blue prints for the UK’s modern club culture’
- Peter Hook

To mirror The Haçienda’s genre bending music policy as well as chart a selection of the tracks that created The Haçienda and became anthems for the foundations of UK, even global clubbing as we know it, ‘Hooky’ has compiled three CD’s of definitive Haçienda classics bringing together elements of rare groove, soul hip hop, hip house, house and indie-dance painting a true picture of the highest moments of The Haçienda.

‘I have so many special memories from those days, the way the DJ’s would select the tunes especially for the club, I remember Sasha’s first set, the atmosphere was electric and he played the best set of his life, the music was perfect as was the crowd, when we left you just knew you’d been a spectator of something very special indeed’
- Peter Hook

Highlights from the album cross the whole spectrum of electronic music that made The Haçienda what it was including New Order ‘Confusion’, Happy Mondays ‘Step On’, Orbital ‘Belfast’, Candi Staton ‘You Got The Love’, Doug Lazy ‘Let It Roll’, Inner City ‘Good Life’, Guy Called Gerald ‘Voodoo Ray’, FPI Project ‘Everybody’, Sub Sub ‘Space Face’, Stakker ‘Stakker Humanoid’, 808 State ‘Pacific’ and Jaydee ‘Plastic Dreams’ to name a few. Everyone who went to The Haçienda had a classic music moment. Hopefully this album goes some way to capturing most of them.

No other nightclub can claim to have spawned a movement and subsequently a movie – ‘Twenty Four Hour Party People’. The Haçienda became a way of life for the people involved in it’s creation and for the clubbers who religiously went to worship on the dancefloor. The Haçienda Classics album goes a long way to defining all of this spirit and sense of belonging that has stayed a part of UK youth culture ever since

So push back the sofa, pop on a beanie hat even, definitely turn up The Haçienda Classics and prepare to become one of the twenty four hour party people once again.

Well, for a couple of hours anyway…