"Yes Please!" is the fourth studio album by British rock band Happy Mondays, released on September 22, 1992, through Factory Records. After their non-album single "Judge Fudge," the label allocated a budget of £150,000 for the new album. The band chose producers Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, known for their work with Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, and headed to Blue Wave Studio in Barbados in February 1992.
However, the recording sessions faced numerous challenges, including frontman Shaun Ryder's struggle with a crack addiction and dancer Bez breaking his arm three times. With limited finished material and Ryder lacking lyrics, the band returned to the UK, where Ryder entered a detox center. Recording resumed for two weeks in May 1992 at Comfort's Place Studio in Lingfield, Surrey, focusing on Ryder's vocals.
Musically, Yes Please! is characterized as a soul funk album with a darker tone, drawing comparisons to Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures (1979). The album received mixed reviews; while some critics found it uninspired, others noted its standout moments. It peaked at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart, selling around 50,000 copies by year's end.
The lead single, "Stinkin' Thinkin'," released on August 31, 1992, topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and reached number 31 in the UK. The second single, "Sunshine and Love," released on November 9, 1992, peaked at number 5 on the Dance Club Songs chart and number 62 in the UK. After touring the UK in October and a one-off show in Japan, the band faced the collapse of Factory Records and ultimately disbanded in early 1993.
Happy Mondays released their third studio album, Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, on November 5, 1990. The album achieved significant commercial success, peaking at number four in the UK, with all three of its singles reaching the top 20; notably, "Step On" and "Kinky Afro" both peaked at number five. Around the album's release, frontman Shaun Ryder's struggles with heroin and crack addiction were publicly revealed in a newspaper article, prompting a statement from the band's label, Factory Records, distancing themselves from his drug use.
The album was promoted through a UK arena tour, a European trek, and a two-month stint in the US, culminating in various headlining shows and festival appearances in August 1991. However, during this period, tensions grew within the band. Guitarist Mark Day married, while bassist Paul Ryder's marriage fell apart, leading both him and Shaun Ryder to increase their heroin use. Drummer Gary Whelan struggled with depression and turned to alcohol.
While rehearsals produced little new material, a recording session with producers Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne yielded the non-album single "Judge Fudge" and an unfinished track, "Baby Big Head." Both producers suggested that the timing was not right for a new album due to the band's chaotic state. Amidst this, the popularity of the Madchester scene waned as grunge acts like Nirvana began to dominate the music landscape.
Despite the commercial success of Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, Factory Records faced financial difficulties. To mitigate these issues, the label released the band's first live album, Live. Factory's partnership with major label London Recordings helped enhance the visibility of the album across Europe. However, misguided financial decisions and overspending on projects meant that the label was running low on funds. To counteract this, both Happy Mondays and New Order's managers promised that their next albums would not exceed a budget of £150,000.
