New Order

It’s a little-known reality that a long time before the ex – members of Pleasure Division find the New Purchase moniker because of their subsequent group, a music group called New Purchase existed in LA. Hardly several unknowns, previous Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton produced the short-lived music group in the middle-’70s. The name of the group was consistent with Asheton’s well-documented fascination for Nazi paraphernalia. In the wake from the industrial failure from the Stooges’ Fresh Power record, New Purchase came together, documenting a self-titled record for RCA in LA during 1975 and 1976. Besides Asheton, the group included Dennis Thompson (drums), Ray Weapon (electric guitar), Jimi Recca (bass), Jeff Spry (vocals), Dave Gilbert (vocals), and Scott Thurston (keyboards). The group shortly folded nevertheless, with Asheton surfacing in the vaunted Detroit cult music group Destroy All Monsters (known for punk-era singles like “Bored” and “Meet up with the Creeper”). In 1981, Asheton joined up with ex-Radio Birdman bandmembers Deniz Tek and Rob Younger in the brand new Race.