The late, great Factory Records boss Tony Wilson lived by the rule that, when forced to pick between truth and legend, print the legend.

In that same spirit, legend has it that the elaborate sleeve for the 12” of the Factory-issued Blue Monday by fellow Manchester greats New Order was so expensive to produce that each copy sold at a loss. A great tale for sure, but one that struggles to stand up to scrutiny.

“I wasn’t involved when Blue ...