Yes Please! (stylised as ...Yes Please!) is the fourth studio album by British rock band Happy Mondays, released on 21 September 1992 through Factory Records. Following the non-album single "Judge Fudge", Factory allotted the band a budget of £150,000 for their next album. After settling on producers Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, both members of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, Happy Mondays decamped to Blue Wave Studio in Saint Philip, Barbados, in February 1992. The sessions were met with hindrances as frontman Shaun Ryder developed a crack cocaine habit and dancer Bez suffered several injuries from reckless behavior. With the only completed material being instrumental and a lack of lyrics or usable vocal tracks, the band returned to the United Kingdom; Ryder was admitted into a detox centre. Recording continued for two weeks in May 1992 at Comfort's Place Studio in Lingfield, Surrey, where Ryder finally recorded his vocals. Yes Please! is a soul funk album with a bleak sound that earned it a comparison to Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures (1979), previously released on Factory.
Yes Please! received mixed reviews from music critics; some found it to be entirely uninspired, while others said it had some high points. It peaked at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart, going on to sell 50,000 copies by the end of the year. Happy Mondays toured the UK in October 1992, which was followed by a one-off Japanese show. Factory Records went into administration the next month; the band broke up in early 1993. "Stinkin' Thinkin'", released as the lead single from Yes Please! on 31 August 1992, topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in the United States and peaked at number 31 in the UK. "Sunshine and Love", released as the album's second single on 9 November 1992, reached number 5 on the Dance Club Songs chart and reached number 62 in the UK.
Background Happy Mondays released their third studio album, Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, on 5 November 1990.Spence 2015, p. 317 It peaked at number four in the United Kingdom; all three of its singles reached the top 20 in the UK, with "Step On" and "Kinky Afro" both peaking at number five. Around the album's release, a newspaper article was published that detailed frontman Shaun Ryder's past experiences with drugs, making his addiction to heroin (and toying with crack) and stint in a detox centre public in the process.Spence 2015, p. 237 A public relations representative from the band's label, Factory Records, had to issue a statement on Ryder's behalf, denouncing his drug use.Spence 2015, p. 238 The album was promoted with a UK arena tour, a trek to mainland Europe, and a two-month stint in the United States, ending with a variety of headlining shows and festival appearances in August 1991.
Guitarist Mark Day got married as bassist Paul Ryder's marriage was coming to an end, resulting in him and Shaun Ryder doing more heroin.Spence 2015, p. 264 The latter Ryder increased his crack intake, while drummer Gary Whelan began suffering from depression and turned to alcohol.Spence 2015, p. 265 Rehearsals bore no new ideas; a recording session with Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne, producers of Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, resulted in "Judge Fudge" and the unfinished "Baby Big Head".Spence 2015, pp. 266, 267 While the idea of a new album was suggested, both producers felt that the timing was not right, saying it would descend into chaos due to the state of the band.Spence 2015, p. 268 During this time, the Madchester and baggy scenes had fallen out of popularity as Nirvana released Nevermind (1991), allowing for the success of grunge acts such as Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.Wills; Sheehan 1999, pp. 72–3Wilson 1997, p. 18 "Judge Fudge" was released as a non-album single in November 1991, charting within the UK top 30.Spence 2015, p. 319
Despite Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches being a commercial success, Factory Records was struggling financially.Middles 1997, p. 140 To help alleviate some of it, Factory released Happy Mondays' first live album, titled Live.Spence 2015, p. 264 Factory Records had a distribution and licencing deal with major label London Recordings, which helped to push the visibility of Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches in European countries.Spence 2015, p. 232 A potential buyout from London was threatened if Factory was unable to handle its financial security.Middles 1997, pp. 140–1 Misguided artist development, property investments, and overspent album budgets for Happy Mondays and New Order meant that Factory had little funds left. In an attempt to recoup costs, Happy Mondays manager Nathan McGough and New Order manager Rob Gretton promised Factory founder Tony Wilson that neither of their respective bands' next albums would exceed a budget of £150,000.Middles 1997, p. 141
Recording Selecting producers and studios Despite relationships between Happy Mondays members straining, Shaun Ryder told McGough they had written enough material for another album. The band and Factory Records wanted to enlist Oakenfold and Osborne for their next album, but the pair was fully booked until June 1992 at the earliest.Middles 1997, p. 141–2 Concerned that they could not wait that long, McGough and Wilson decided to look for other producers. Paul Ryder was listening to Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers' Conscious Party (1988), and after learning that it was produced by Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club members Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, thought they would be ideal producers for Happy Mondays' next album. Around the same time, the band had a new booking agent, Ian Flooks, who also worked with Frantz and Weymouth. When Flooks caught wind that the band was looking for producers, he suggested the pair.
Frantz and Weymouth knew Wilson and were aware of the band; McGough contacted the office of the couple in early 1992.Frantz 2021, p. 349 Paul Ryder and McGough subsequently flew to Connecticut to visit Frantz and Weymouth.Spence 2015, p. 276 The latter pair had been wanting to produce more albums since Conscious Party; with the demise of Talking Heads, the pair felt it was the best time to do so. They listened to Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, which impressed them, and they were convinced they could aid the band.Spence 2015, p. 277 Unlike Oakenfold and Osborne, Frantz and Weymouth understood how dynamics would work between band members due to their experience in Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club.Middles 1997, p. 142 The rest of Happy Mondays talked with the pair over the phone, telling them that they did not want to be distracted by alcohol and drugs and wanted to be taken seriously as artists.Middles 1997, p. 143
Paul Ryder, McGough, Frantz, and Weymouth all flew to Miami to visit a studio owned by Bee Gees, with Ryder remarking it was a "huge place but weird, on an industrial estate". The four of them then went to a studio in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, though it was small and lacked a lot of equipment. If they wanted to record there, it would mean they would have to rent gear and fly it to Jamaica. Ryder then suggested Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas, close to where Frantz and Weymouth had a residence. It was previously a state-of-the-art facility, but when Ryder asked Frantz about it, he told Ryder that it had flooded and was in a state of disrepair.
Happy Mondays had a meeting with McGough and Wilson, who gave the band three options on where to record: a studio in Amsterdam, which they were all against; a studio inside a formerly used church in Manchester, which was run by pop producer Pete Waterman; or a studio in Barbados. Waterman had made a pitch to produce the band's next album, which Paul Ryder and Whelan were against while the rest of the band plus McGough were up for. Whelan stated that if they went with Waterman, he would quit. All of them went with Barbados, bar Day, who wanted to make the next album in Manchester. When asked by the band why he wanted to be in Manchester, Day reasoned that they all had families there.
During a meeting with their business expenses manager, McGough told the rest of the band that Shaun Ryder (who was absent) had sacked Day, much to their surprise. Ryder expected to replace him with Smiths guitarist and collaborator in the act Electronic, Johnny Marr. McGough said Day was "unhappy and Shaun [Ryder] felt culturally he wasn't on board. [... Ryder] made it an issue and for half an hour one afternoon Johnny Marr was in [Happy Mondays]". Day had been fired over the phone abruptly; Paul Ryder and Whelan visited Day. Day was confused by the idea, thinking the band wanted to kick him out, until they discovered he simply needed some time off.Spence 2015, p. 278
Barbados sessions; hindrances to recording On 17 January 1992, the day after Day had re-joined the band, they flew from Manchester to The Bahamas.Sawyer 1992, p. 41 Factory hoped the remote location would help sedate Shaun Ryder's heroin addiction; he had smuggled methadone (intended as a substitute for heroin) into the island, which he consumed immediately upon arrival.Middles 1997, pp. 143, 144Spence 2015, p. 279 They were not allowed to leave the airport unless they had out-going tickets as well, which had not been booked as they were unsure as to how long they would be recording for.Ryder 2012, p. 269 Day, still affected by the sack and worried about the workload ahead, had a mental breakdown. Whelan and Paul Ryder had been drinking throughout the 13-hour flight to the island and continued when the band took up residence at Sam Lord's Castle. They were asked to leave the accommodation when they found out keyboardist Paul Davis assaulted the bar band.
They then travelled to Blue Wave Studio in Saint Philip, Barbados, which was owned by Eddy Grant. The studio itself was housed in a shack in the middle of a sugar plantation, as well as being near a jungle.Spence 2015, p. 280 It was on the driveway of Grant's estate, who was away during this time. The studio's manager heard unfavourable stories about the band and had to be reassured by Frantz and Weymouth that the pair would handle everything. The pair and their associates had arrived at the studio some days prior to bringing it up to standard for recording with the band, as there were issues with power outages and fluctuation.Frantz 2021, p. 350 Shaun Ryder and Bez lived at the studio so that others could watch him, while the rest of the band set up on a private gated estate. Frantz, Weymouth, and the rest of the band had set up at the studio; when Shaun Ryder showed up, he was unfit to do any work.
Shaun Ryder recounted that Frantz and Weymouth saw him as a "non-musician", Bez as contributing nothing to the band, and Day as having only an amateur grasp of music theory, while Davis and Paul Ryder were the "best of a bad bunch".Ryder 2012, p. 270 When sessions were underway, Mark Roula handled recording with assistance from Bryon Europe. Assembled in a live manner, the other members ran through the six partially-completed tracks they had for Frantz and Weymouth. The pair recorded these rehearsals with the intention of going back to them after writing more material.Sawyer 1992, p. 42 Frantz and Weymouth were not concerned, starting with a lack of completed songs, having dealt with this before with Talking Heads' fourth studio album Remain in Light (1980) and Tom Tom Club's self-titled debut album (1981). Frantz said technician Simon Machan had some pre-programmed beats and keyboard parts that could help them, though his equipment suffered from varying power levels.Frantz 2021, p. 351