‘I Thought I Heard You Speak’ Book Celebrates Women of Early UK Raves

A new book celebrating unsung female heroes from the UK rave scene was released last week. Penned by American journalist Audrey Golden, the I Thought I Heard You Speak book is an oral history of Factory Records, the music label that heavily impacted British clubbing culture. 

Over the years, various perspectives have recounted the stories of the music label, including visual catalogs and memoirs. But Audrey Golden’s book aims to focus on a crucial aspect that remained largely overlooked – women’s contribution to Factory Records’ cultural significance. 

A captivating and untold chapter, I Thought I Heard You Speak features interviews with over 50 women. These include Gillian Gilbert, New Order’s guitar player, The Stone Roses’ manager Lindsay Reade, and Haçienda DJ Angel Johnson.  

Through the firsthand accounts and insights, the book sheds light on the Factory Records’s extensive reach beyond its musical output. 

It unveils the diverse talents, creativity, and resilience that shaped the label’s success and cultural longevity. 

Women have been instrumental in its success, contributing significantly in diverse roles from recording music and performing live gigs to managing the label’s operations, along with the legendary Manchester club The Haçienda.

DJ Paulette, a resident DJ at The Haçienda’s renowned gay party, Flesh, has written the foreword for the book.

You can find more information about the I Thought I Heard You Speak book here.