Factory Records was the Manchester-based indie label that cranked out records from Joy Division, New Order, the Happy Mondays, and so many more. Here’s another fascinating fact about Factory.
Everything the label did–and I mean everything they produced–was given a catalogue number starting with the letters FAC. For example, New Order’s “Blue Monday” 12-inch single was FAC 73. But this number system wasn’t restricted to just records. The Hacienda nightclub was FAC 51. The club’s cat—yes, it’s cat—was catalogued as FAC 191. A radio commercial was FAC 294. And when founder Tony Wilson died of a heart attack on August 10, 2007, even his coffin was given a FAC number.
For the record, it was FAC 501.
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