Sommaire pour February 2020 de Classic Pop

CLASSIC POP WELCOME The word on the street when we were first thinking of putting Marc Almond on the cover of Classic Pop once more was that his latest studio album would be a swansong affair as he considered retirement. A case of say hello, wave goodbye – permanently. We’re happy to report, though, that rumours of Marc turning his back on the music world have been wildly exaggerated. He’s planning nothing of the sort and that new record in question, Chaos And A Dancing Star, is as full of dark brilliance as anything in his estimable back catalogue. Almond, of course, has been smuggling subversive pop into the charts for the best part of 40 years now and few artists have been able to transplant the avant-garde ideas of…

SUBSCRIPTION OFFER SAVE 30% WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE TO CLASSIC POP MAGAZINE SUBSCRIBE TODAY DON‘T MISS OUT! • Save 30% on the shop price* • Spread the cost by convenient Direct Debit* • Free UK delivery direct to your door • Never miss an issue NOT IN THE UK? We’ve got special offers for international readers, too! • Europe €24.99 every 3 months [SAVING 30%] • USA/Canada $31.99 every 3 months [SAVING 28%] • Australia $33.99 every 3 months [SAVING 29%] • Rest of the World £18.99 every 3 months [SAVING 29%] Order online today at classicpopmag.com/save30 3 EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE classicpopmag.com/save30 01371 853 609 Please complete the Freepost order form opposite [UK ONLY]…

POP UP NEW YEAR REVELLERS’ TOUCHING SALUTE TO ROXETTE SINGER Eighty thousand fans paid an emotional tribute to late Roxette singer Marie Fredriksson who died aged 61 on 9 December. The huge crowd sang along to the Swedish band’s signature song, It Must Have Been Love at a New Year’s Eve event in Warnemünde, Germany. It came after more than 5,000 people signed a Remembrance Book for Marie on the Daily Roxette website, sharing memories and photos of the star who passed away from complications relating to a long-term illness. Roxette’s Per Gessle paid tribute to his partner saying: “Time goes by so quickly. It’s not that long ago we spent days and nights in my tiny apartment sharing impossible dreams. And what a dream we eventually got to share!…

LOST & FOUND THE HUMAN LEAGUE ROMANTIC? If only the Human League’s sixth album had actually been their fourth, eh? However, as house music and indie pop captured all the cool in 1990, comeback LPs from veteran synth-poppers were always going to be frowned upon. This new-look League would have known this, but did it anyway. As a result, Romantic? was dismissed as dated and irrelevant, despite featuring some colourful, melodic, well-crafted pop tunes, partly thanks to their retention of legendary producer Martin Rushent. His fingerprints were all over the thrilling sequencing on launch single Heart Like A Wheel, a song they would have killed for in 1983. The rest of the album is similarly unwilling to grieve for the past, with A Doorway? and the melancholy Rebound particular highlights,…

CLASSIC POP Q+A THE CHINA CRISIS FRONTMAN FOLLOWS UP LAST YEAR’S ACCLAIMED SOLO ALBUM GONE FROM HERE WITH LUNA LANDINGS, A BEAUTIFUL SET OF UNRELEASED 80S SYNTH INSTRUMENTALS. ANDY JONES FINDS OUT MORE. GARY DALY It took Gary Daly four decades to release his debut solo album, Gone From Here, which turned out to be well worth the wait, becoming one of the standout recordings of 2019. Now we have a second arrival less than a year on, yet this is a very different LP. Luna Landings is a compilation of more than 20 synth tracks, all created in the 80s, many during the height of China Crisis’ success. Produced on a four-track tape recorder and a minimal synth set-up, the music varies from Eno-inspired ambience to recognisable beats, sounds…

TIFFANY CONTINUES EXCURSION INTO ROCK Pop star Tiffany’s metamorphosis into a rock chick continues. Two years on from her Pieces Of Me album, the 80s star is embracing a heavier rock sound for her next collection due this summer. She revealed: “It’s going to have a rock-retro thing. It’s current rock, but it has that 80s vibe. It’s a little bit Go-Go’s and maybe some Blondie in there, and then, of course, you’ve got me in the middle of that, so that definitely makes it 80s! It’s very current, but I wanted something that would be fun that I would enjoy performing. I want to do a lot of festivals and [shows] like that, places that you wouldn’t really expect me to be. I’m excited to pay my dues. You…

GRETA EXPECTATIONS THE 17-YEAR-OLD CLIMATE CHANGE ACTIVIST MAY HAVE BEEN A NOBEL PEACE PRIZE NOMINEE, BUT MARC ALMOND ISN’T AN UNEQUIVOCAL FAN… “GRETA THUNBERG IS ABSOLUTELY A FORCE FOR GOOD, BUT I DON’T WARM TO HER. I FIND HER VERY SHOUTY, ALWAYS SHOUTING AT PEOPLE.”MARC ALMOND Although he’s a big enthusiast about nature and concerned over climate change, Marc Almond is conflicted in his feelings towards teenage eco activist Greta Thunberg. “It’s great that Greta Thunberg appeals to young people and that they have her as a voice,” he says, in a tone suggesting there’s a ‘But’ coming. “I think she’s fantastic and I admire her, but as a person I just find her incredibly irritating and she annoys me. Greta is absolutely a force for good, but I don’t…

READING, WRITING AND ARITHMETIC CLASSIC ALBUM THE PLAYERS DAVID GAVURIN Gavurin, born 1963, studied Romantic Languages at Bristol University, and became creatively and romantically involved with Wheeler in the mid-80s. The two formed The Sundays as a project in 1988. Gavurin had self-taught himself guitar in his teens and, trivia fans, is one of the best friends of comedian/writer David Baddiel from schooldays – the two were even in a teen band together. Lesser known fact? According to Baddiel, Gavurin introduced the comic to the music of one of his favourite bands – mid-70sera Genesis. HARRIET WHEELER Wheeler studied English Literature at Bristol University. She was also born in 1963, the daughter of an architect and a teacher. Wheeler grew up in Sonning Common, near Henley-on-Thames, before attending Bristol Uni…

POPARAZZI READERS SHARE THEIR FAVOURITE PHOTOS AS THEY GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN PLANET POP Send your Poparazzi pics now to steve.harnell@anthem.co.uk TERRY HALL WITH ANN NAZARIO ”Here I am with Terry after The Lightning Seeds’ gig at the Royal Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool on 27 November 2019. I was so surprised when I saw him come out with Ian Broudie – I didn’t know he was in the audience. Without thinking, I asked Terry why he didn’t go on stage to sing Sense with Ian!” HUGH CORNWELL WITH COLIN DAVIS ”I’m photographed here with Hugh Cornwell at the Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh on 15 November 2019 at a pre-show meeting and soundcheck on the Monster tour. I’ve been a fan for more…

CLASSIC POP TOP TEN WEEK ENDING 3 FEBRUARY 1980 THE NOLANS MAKE THEIR TOP 10 DEBUT, BOOKER T & THE MG’S FINALLY SCORE WITH GREEN ONIONS, AND THE SPECIALS HIT THE TOP SPOT STEVE O’BRIEN 01 (1) TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG (THE SPECIAL AKA LIVE! EP) THE SPECIALS (2 TONE) 3RD WEEK ON CHART 02 (10) COWARD OF THE COUNTY KENNY ROGERS (UNITED ARTISTS) 3RD WEEK ON CHART 03 (4) I’M IN THE MOOD FOR DANCING THE NOLANS (EPIC) 8TH WEEK ON CHART 04 (3) MY GIRL MADNESS (STIFF) 6TH WEEK ON CHART 05 (5) IT’S DIFFERENT FOR GIRLS JOE JACKSON (A&M) 5TH WEEK ON CHART 06 (7) BABE STYX (A&M) 6TH WEEK ON CHART 07 (2) BRASS IN POCKET THE PRETENDERS (REAL) 13TH WEEK ON CHART 08 (14) SOMEONE’S…

GABRIELLE Bobbing around It wasn’t until she was an adult and had to check her birth certificate for some paperwork that Louise Gabrielle Bobb realised her real name was actually Louisa Gabriella Bobb. “It’s not a massive deal,” laughs Gabrielle. “At least it makes sense of why my mum would yell, ‘Louisa, get down those stairs!’ when she wanted me.” Even before going by her (sort-of) middle name when she became a singer, Gabrielle had toyed at changing her identity. “I wondered why I had this other name, Gabrielle, that I never used,” she remembers. “My mum told me just before I started secondary school that, if I wanted people to call me by my middle name, that was fine with her. But I stuck with Louise. My closest friends…

Taking it on the chin Courteeners’ albums have always been planned as two sides of a record, even though their debut album St Jude was released in 2008, before the vinyl revival kicked in. “If you line our records up, you’ll see they’re quite similar in how they’re meant to affect the listener,” says Liam Fray. “For me, the biggest track on our albums is always the opening song on Side Two: you need another big tune there. Track five is always a slow song to end the first side, then track six has to be a really big punch again. That’s certainly true of Previous Parties on the new record.” What does Fray make of Go-Betweens singer Robert Forster’s theory that bands hide their weakest song on an album…

NEW RELEASES HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS WEATHER BMG According to Huey Lewis, “I’m deaf, not dead.” You wouldn’t know, though, from that good-natured voice, which remains as agreeably hoarse as when his band started four decades ago, and as appealing as his craggy good looks. It might explain, though, why this 10th album – his first in almost 10 years – sounds as though he’s not listened to anything new in a while. Weather is, frankly, as musically imaginative as its cover, where he stands before a foggy grey skyline. But if Her Love Is Killin’ Me is a predictable blues number, full of familiar imagery, guitar solos and blasts of soulful brass, it’s nonetheless well executed, and Hurry Back Baby showcases some classy guitar licks as well as…

BEN WATT STORM DAMAGE UNMADE ROAD After two memoirs, one recounting his battle with a rare disease and the other chronicling his parents’ lives, Ben Watt’s comfortable with nostalgia. It’s no surprise, therefore, that Storm Damage revisits the past beneath the shadow of mortality. Retreat To Find is a modern day Elegy Written In A Country Churchyard, Watt waltzing to “outface Death”, his strummed acoustic accompanied by smoky upright bass and drums, while torch song Hand asks “Who will carry my bags/When I’m weary and frail?” Like 2016’s masterful Fever Dream, which also drew on his folk-jazz roots, Watt’s fourth solo album is characterised by an honest humility – Festival Son finds him “Poncing my first fag in 10 years” – and a midlife awakening which affirms the fundamentals of…

HUMANIST HUMANIST IGNITION RECORDS Sharp-eyed readers may know of Rob Marshall’s debut because Dave Gahan guests on Shock Collar, which is powered by the shoegazing engineering of acts like Curve. One wishes, nonetheless, he’d been granted Kingdom, though Mark Lanegan lends it and doomy closer Gospel a grim menace. The Membranes’ John Robb is similarly intense amid English Ghosts’ swelling krautrock, and Mark Gardener offers When The Light Goes Out a Ride. But when backing vocalist Ilse Maria steps upfront, she gives Truly Too Late a truly sparkling Cocteaus lustre. WW…

POLIÇA WHEN WE STAY ALIVE MEMPHIS INDUSTRIES Inspired by her healing process following a nasty accident, Channy Leaneagh’s fifth finds her enjoying welcome peace. Fold Up’s synths might be disquieting, but its drum’n’bass roots are strangely subdued, while on Be Again her muffled voice still communicates redemption over producer Ryan Olson’s murky swamp of bassy reverberations. She sounds even sweeter on Forget Me Now, her melody twisting around the live drums driving its otherwise sparse arrangement, and while this is often appreciably offbeat, it’s certainly absorbing. WW…

TENNIS SWIMMER MUTUALLY DETRIMENTAL No wonder Tennis seem laid-back: their fifth album was written during a sailing trip in Mexico’s Sea Of Cortez. That might be why it’s a little unsettled, too: opener I’ll Haunt You wants to be The Carpenters, and Need Your Love The Carpenters playing indie, while Runner flits between twee and dreamy, Alaina Moore’s vocals like a girlish Liz Fraser. The title track underlines Cocteau Twins comparisons by adding chiming, crystalline guitars, and you’ll also hear some Stevie Nicks in Echoes, though sadly Tennis never quite ace it. WW…

EMPARA MI A SUITCASE FULL OF SINS SPINNING CIRCLE Having stopped people in their tracks earlier this year with Wanderlust’s choral electronica, Chloe Curran maintains a mysterious but striking profile with this mini album. Mozart samples distinguish the all-too-short Ditch’s weary hip-hop, and WYGD proffers almost operatic drama, while Blood In The Water’s opening line, “You’re a bad motherfucker,” suits a dark mood that recalls The Aloof. She does ballads, too, though, as Shine On You (3am)’s piano and slightly overblown strings proves, though here she sounds troublingly like Heather Small. WW…

HOWARD JONES ONE TO ONE CHERRY RED Always more of a sonic adventurer than he’s generally given credit for, on his third album in 1986 Howard Jones changed to a more organic sound, working with legendary soul producer Arif Mardin. It’s an uneasy relationship. Jones’ voice was never better than on yearning ballad The Balance Of Love (Give And Take), as the man who helped craft Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick’s hits brought out the tender side of Jones better than anyone. But, caught up in the relentless promo cycle, Jones’ songs weren’t fully developed. All I Want was a catastrophically dull choice of first single, a ponderous slowie that seems to go on for the 34 years since the album was released. You Know I Love You… Don’t You?…

BRYAN FERRY LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL 1974 BMG Having reworked his catalogue with an orchestra for 2018 album Bitter-Sweet, Ferry will promote it at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March. It’s guaranteed to be a more sedate affair than his first solo gig, at the same venue in 1974 at the height of Roxymania. Ferry has been a lounge lizard for so long, generations are unaware of the maverick approach he used to take. Most other people have doubtless forgotten, too. Quite why Live At The Royal Albert Hall 1974 is issued now isn’t clear, but it’s a very welcome surprise to be reminded of just how entertainingly nuts Ferry’s mid-70s persona was. Drawn from his first two solo albums, the covers there were mostly of pre-rock’n’roll standards.…

ASH TEENAGE WILDLIFE: 25 YEARS OF ASH BMG Issued in 2002, Ash’s first singles compilation Intergalactic Sonic 7”s was one of the great Best Ofs of the decade. Nine years later, The Best Of Ash felt far more perfunctory. Happily, the trio’s third compilation is back up to the standards of Intergalactic Sonic 7”s. They’ve always been masters of the radio single – the Top 40 is behind them, but the infectious choruses of recent singles Buzzkill and Cocoon is evidence that Ash are still blasting out melodic punk worthy of Girl From Mars and Oh Yeah. The bonus rarities disc features Coldplay’s Chris Martin on a carefree cover of Buzzcocks’ Everybody’s Happy Nowadays as well as showing Ash can cut loose when they want to on the sprawling Spellbound.…

JVC FORCE DOIN’ DAMAGE DEMON Briefly promising to join Boogie Down Productions as the breakout stars of New York hip-hop label B-Boy Records, JVC Force’s 1988 siren-heavy single Strong Island is an influential classic. Bad management meant the trio struggled to follow its impetus but, artistically, they remained on the right path. Long-lost producer Curt Catzal’s beats sound primitive to modern ears, but Catzal had a great ear for a sample, with The Move as inventive as De La Soul. MCs AJ Rok and B-Luv soon quit hip-hop, but their enthusiasm retains a vital energy. JE…

TIM BURGESS ONE TWO ANOTHER CONSTABLE It’s hard to believe that three decades have passed since The Charlatans’ breakthrough hit The Only One I Know established them as one of the defining voices of “Madchester”. To mark the milestone, frontman Tim Burgess’ third book is a collection of his lyrics from throughout that time, a selection of hits, B-sides, album cuts and collaborations, each with an explanation of who, what, or indeed where, inspired them (Tim cites Los Angeles as one of his greatest inspirations). As well as the lyrics themselves – which take on a greater meaning and/or significance when presented in the context of the written word, stripped of musical accompaniment – the anecdotes detailing where they came from provide insight into where Tim was personally and the…

SOUNDBITES *1 “Not many bands can claim to change a generation with their very first LP.” *2 “Hard-hitting and hook-laden, this infectious debut is proof that you don’t have to sacrifice your pop/soul groove in order to get a political message across.” *3 “There’s not a duff song on this sugar-glazed, loose-limbed indie classic. (Psst, Second Coming’s damn fine, too).” *4 “I’m all about living in that D.A.I.S.Y Age” *5 “Martin Fry had a few false starts before getting to ABC but, once he did, his songs were so fully formed they sounded like nothing else out there yet instantly familiar.” *6 “ABC arguably never matched the sweeping brilliance of their first LP. An ambitious and unequalled pop masterpiece.” *7 “A perfect blend of downtown disco and pop melodies which…

’INDESCRIBABLE PAIN’ FORCES MADONNA TO CANCEL LIVE SHOW Madonna has pushed her body to the limit during the Madame X tour. The star was forced to cancel her final US show last month because of “indescribable” pain. She explained: “[Doctors] have made it very clear to me that if I am to continue my tour I must rest for as long as possible so that I don’t inflict further and irreversible damage to my body.” In December, she visited osteopath Jean-Michel Été whose autohemotherapy procedure mixes blood with ozone gas, writing on Instagram: “Infusing the blood, vitamin drip, Tibetan bowls, singing and meditation – felt amazing afterwards! Please forgive this unexpected turn of events. Doing my show every night brings me so much joy and to cancel is a kind…

Pop Quiz 1 Name Marc Almond’s debut solo album from 1984 2 Who is the lead singer of The Sundays? 3 Gabrielle’s hit single Out Of Reach appeared on which Brit movie soundtrack? 4 Which Manchester park has seen major headline shows by The Stone Roses and Courteeners? 5 Who holds the record for the most BRIT Award wins – and how many? 6 Name Eurythmics 1981 debut album 7 Who was Alison Moyet’s main co-songwriter on her Hoodoo LP? 8 What was Hazell Dean’s first UK Top 10 single? 9 Elton John and Bernie Taupin won a Golden Globe this month for which song from Rocket Man? 10 Who plays guitar on seven tracks of Pet Shop Boys’ 2002 LP, Release? 11 Which legendary band’s forthcoming album is set…

CLASSIC POP Q+A THE HI-NRG ICON TALKS STOCK AITKEN WATERMAN, A SONG FOR EUROPE AND BEING A DISCO DIVA WITH DOUGLAS McPHERSON HAZELL DEAN Nicknamed ‘The Queen Of Hi-NRG’ and ‘The Duchess Of The Dancefloor’, Hazell Dean came to fame with the club hit Searchin’ (I Gotta Find A Man) which crossed over into the mainstream when it peaked at No.6 in 1984. She subsequently teamed up with the emerging production and songwriting outfit of Stock Aitken Waterman for Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go) which made it to No.4 and was SAW’s first Top 10 hit. Further successes include They Say It’s Gonna Rain, which topped the South African chart, and Who’s Leaving Who, which reached No.4 in the UK. Dean remains an in-demand live performer and a deluxe…

MARC ALMOND “I’M ON THIS CONSTANT MERRY-GO-ROUND - I’M SCARED TO STEP OFF” RECENTLY, MARC ALMOND HAS BEEN TALKING OF RETIREMENT. ARE WE REALLY ABOUT TO SEE ONE OF OUR BEST-LOVED STARS STRIDE TOWARDS THE EXIT? MARC’S THRILLING NEW ALBUM COULD BE SEEN AS A DEFINITIVE SUMMARY OF HIS CAREER – AND IT ALSO SEES HIM OPEN UP ABOUT THE LASTING EFFECTS OF HIS MOTORBIKE ACCIDENT ON HIS CAPACITY TO LOVE. JOHN EARLS © Bertie Watson “I’M LOOKING AT THE WORLD AROUND ME AND MYSELF IN THE MIRROR AND, REALLY, I’M DANCING THROUGH THE CHAOS OF IT ALL”MARC ALMOND The fate of Marc Almond is perfect material for one of his torch songs: the singer who wanted to quit music, but is in love with performing too much to step…

CLASSIC ALBUM READING, WRITING AND ARITHMETIC THE SONGS 1 SKIN AND BONES A remarkable opener. The drums seem distant, almost padded, Gavurin’s guitar explores simple one-note chimes (albeit with incredibly precise bends) and it’s in anything but a straight 4/4 rhythm. Oh, and these are some lyrics: “Oh, you see me in a cardigan/In a dress, dress, dress that I’ve been sick on/Oh, how are you?/Can’t say I really care at the end of it all”. It could be another night of student shame, with the caveat: I’m only human! Embarrassment and self-deprecation soon emerges as a strong Sundays theme. Rick Astley didn’t write songs like this. 2 HERE’S WHERE THE STORY ENDS A much more trad-sounding shuffle that echoes the “new Morrissey/Marr” comparisons, mainly due to Gavurin’s guitar. Seems…

TOP 40 80s DEBUT POP ALBUMS YOU DON’T GET A SECOND CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION, SO MANY ARTISTS THROW EVERYTHING INTO THEIR DEBUT STUDIO RECORDINGS. LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE FINEST EXAMPLES BY SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE ACTS – IN MANY CASES, THEY NEVER BETTERED THEM… STEVE HARNELL 40 EURYTHMICS IN THE GARDEN 1981 Often overlooked in the Eurythmics’ back catalogue in favour of the more straight-up pop of Sweet Dreams and Touch, Dave and Annie’s Cologne-recorded first LP is a fascinating outlier. Produced by the legendary Conny Plank, the German’s experimentalism coaxes gutsy post-punk material from the duo; Stewart’s heavy guitar on Belinda recalls the razorcut riffing of Keith Levine’s work on PiL’s Public Image single. And the icy synths of Take Me To Your Heart…

LIVE RELEASES MINUTES AND SECONDS – LIVE 2014 The first live album of Moyet’s career, the proliferation of material culled from The Minutes proves just how much confidence the singer had in her eighth studio LP. Prime solo cuts are also interspersed here, of course, as well as two Yazoo tracks, including a thumping version of Situation. A radical reboot of All Cried Out loses none of the drama of the original. Meanwhile, Is This Love? is reduced to a hushed crawl. The stripped-back band keep arrangements to a minimum; it’s Moyet’s voice that is the focus here. THE OTHER LIVE COLLECTION 2018 Equally stripped-back as Minutes And Seconds – Live, the transitions between eras of Moyet’s career here is seamless, from the bracing I Germinate to a fantastic revamp…

GABRIELLE “I was strong enough not to chase fame” OVER 25 YEARS AFTER DREAMS MADE GABRIELLE A PHENOMENON, SHE REMAINS ONE OF THE FINEST POP SINGERS BRITAIN HAS PRODUCED. OVERCOMING REMARKABLE ADVERSITY, AT 50, SHE’S FINALLY READY TO ACCEPT HER TALENT… JOHN EARLS Oh my God, I LOVE YOU! You’re my new best friend!” Gabrielle reckons she doesn’t make friends easily, but it’s actually pretty straightforward getting onside with one of our most underrated singers: simply point out that Gabrielle is a pop star and you’ll have a friend for life. Gabrielle emerged in 1993, when her debut single Dreams was a UK No.1 for three weeks. Britpop was on the rise, and Dreams was one of the best pop singles of the 90s. Yet Gabrielle is never, ever mentioned…

Courteener collector Liam Fray admits he only buys around five albums on vinyl each year. “It has to be bands I love, like The National or IDLES,” he states. “That’s because I’ve had a brilliant turntable for 18 months, but I’ve still not set it up. How sad is that? I bought it with a friend who really knows his turntables, but I couldn’t even tell you what make mine is. When I finally get time to set it up, then the vinyl is coming back out.” Ironically, Fray stopped buying vinyl once Courteeners began to succeed. “Once you start touring, the cool single you’ve found in a record shop gets shoved down someone’s chair or squashed by the books you’ve brought on the road,” Fray laughs. “I’ve got loads…

TAME IMPALA THE SLOW RUSH FICTION The transformation of Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker into a bona fide pop overlord has been one of the most unlikely and heart-warming of recent times. Having started out as a decent stoner rocker on his 2010 debut Innerspeaker, by 2015’s Currents he was one of the few musicians who really has learned to create pop which makes use of all the sounds and genres available. It’s a transformation he hones further on the fourth Tame Impala album. With Parker having recently got married and taking stock of the outside world, The Slow Rush is lyrically more considered than the escapist Currents, but sonically just as adventurous. Although it verges on prog for the way songs weave in and out, replete with false endings, it’s…

REVIEWS KESHA HIGH ROAD KEMOSABE/RCA RECORDS When Kesha announced this new album, she warned, “Kesha’s got her balls back, and they’re bigger than ever.” She wasn’t joking, but she’s definitely having fun. As honest as it’s profane, as vulnerable as it’s empowering, some may find her attitude overbearing – “Bounce it up and down where the good Lord split it”, she sings on party anthem Raising Hell – but, given the ugly court case that put her career on hold these last years, revelry’s overdue. So, while High Road begins with Tonight’s sedate piano, a robotic voice soon announces “Bitch, we’re going out tonight”, and a rowdy crowd reaffirms her opening lines: “Tonight’s the best night of my life”. Such celebrations continue on the furious My Own Dance, and she’s…

FRANC MOODY DREAM IN COLOUR JUICEBOX RECORDINGS Rave organisers who’ve spent untold time perfecting the studio handclap, Franc Moody are two Tottenham gents who do for vintage acts like Chic – for whom they’ve also opened – what others (like Daft Punk) have done before them. Still, they update it for Generation Z: the title track’s like Phoenix playing funk, and This Is A Mood suggests a digitised Hall & Oates. Skin On Skin, meanwhile, might be Stuart Price’s Zoot Woman playing The Bee Gees, and Flesh And Blood’s a 21st century take on Barry White, filtered through Cameo, performed by Jamiroquai. WW…

NEW RELEASES MEGHAN TRAINOR TREAT MYSELF EPIC “If you don’t like me,” Meghan Trainor sings on Another Opinion, “it’s not my fault”. Fair enough, though this is arguably an excuse for bad behaviour and narcissism. On her third album, however, Trainor seems to display a pattern of refusing to take responsibility: on Evil Twin, she blames a corrupting alter ego for her misconduct. “It wasn’t me, she started it,” she claims. “I said, ‘Just one,’ then she got lit”. At least the album’s title warns us what this record’s about, and though similar abnegations of culpability are our era’s plague, Trainor actually apologises for her doppelgänger. Furthermore, Another Opinion and Evil Twin are both great fun, while Workin’ On It’s empowering message is as gently delivered as its tone is…

BANOFFEE LOOK AT US NOW DAD CASCINE AND DOT DASH Though sometimes part of Charli XCX’s ‘troupe’, Melbourne-born, LA-based Martha Brown is frequently less brash, but no less inventive, on her debut. The perky This Is Me’s shouted chorus could admittedly be the Brit, albeit less caffeinated, and Fuckwit is an anthem to selfawakening full of fascinating textures and blunt choruses. But Permission offers little more than a snaking synth line and Auto-Tuned vocals, and Contagious’ sluggish beat and pulsing bassline provide a foundation for a particularly soulful vocal. WW…

REVIEWS NENEH CHERRY RAW LIKE SUSHI: 30TH ANNIVERSARY 30 YEARS ON, NENEH CHERRY’S DEBUT ALBUM IS SHOWING ITS AGE A LITTLE, BUT IT’S STILL AN ICONIC DANCERAP CLASSIC UMC/VIRGIN Let’s be honest: as the twenties get underway, Raw Like Sushi sounds a little dated. Those drum machines, that scratching, the primitive cut-and-paste, even the rapping reminiscent of Salt N Pepa: that they sounded cutting edge, even futuristic, 30 years ago may be lost on younger audiences. For them, after all, it’s hard to imagine a time when appearing pregnant on TV – as Cherry did on Top Of The Pops in 1988 – was controversial, so the album’s radical clash of genres may not seem uncompromising either. But context can be everything, and Cherry’s debut adopted what was then a…

REVIEWS KIM WILDE KIM WILDE/SELECT/CATCH AS CATCH CAN IT WASN’T ALWAYS ABOUT THE SINGLES… KIM WILDE’S FIRST THREE ALBUMS FINALLY GET THE REISSUE TREATMENT CHERRY POP You can’t move for Kim Wilde singles compilations, so it’s nice that her studio albums are finally receiving some love. We all know Wilde has made some ace 7"s, but her albums weren’t just the hits plus a load of filler. There are many reasons why Kids In America was so massive. But Wilde’s record label RAK could equally have chosen Our Town or Young Heroes from her self-titled 1981 debut as examples of attitudinal power-pop railing against squares, old people and crap local civic amenities. They would have been just as huge hits. There are synth-pop touches on Kim Wilde, but it’s essentially…

THE BELOVED WHERE IT IS NEWSTATE Twenty years on from The Beloved’s last proper single With You, Jon Marsh’s collective go back to their pre-rave roots. Before The Sun Rising and Hello made Marsh and Steve Waddington the Pet Shop Boys of acid house, the pair were part of a four-piece indie incarnation, heavily indebted to New Order and The Smiths. Initially released in 1987, Where It Is wasn’t a debut album, instead compiling The Beloved’s first four singles and attendant B-sides. That’s now been expanded to an exhaustive and at times exhausting 31 tracks. Shortly after Marsh replaced Waddington as frontman and main songwriter, debut single A Hundred Words is forgettable, desperately trying to be New Order’s Temptation. Follow-up This Means War was better, with a hooky chorus joining…

PALE SAINTS THE COMFORTS OF MADNESS: 30TH ANNIVERSARY RE:MASTER 4AD Beginning with a squall of Sonic Youth guitars, Pale Saints’ 1990 debut was as prescient as it was indicative of its era, straddling an uneasy, exciting line between proto-dream pop, jangly indie, US college rock and the arthouse styles of 4AD. Mostly, though, it sounded like early Ride. Ian Masters’ vocal was perhaps feyer, but Insubstantial’s harmonies and guitar swells pre-empted Ride’s Chelsea Girl, while Time Thief developed into something even noisier and more hurried. WW…

BOOKS RANDEE ST. NICHOLAS MY NAME IS PRINCE HARPER COLLINS While a number of photo books have surfaced since Prince’s death, they’ve tended to cover either the very early stages of his career or the very late years. My Name Is Prince, a compendium from long-time collaborator Randee St. Nicholas spans 25 years with the enigmatic superstar, capturing some of his most iconic moments. From Prince and Randee’s first photoshoot together in 1991, My Name Is Prince takes in the ultra-stylised ‘Gangster Glam’ look of the Diamonds And Pearls and Love Symbol eras, the star with ex-wife Mayte, Prince with ‘Slave’ scrawled on his cheek as he battled his record label prior to the Emancipation album and looking immaculate during his record-breaking 21-night residency at London’s O2 Arena. As well…

NEIL COSSAR & RICHARD HOUGHTON THE JAM: THE DAY I WAS THERE THIS DAY IN MUSIC BOOKS The latest in the fantastic The Day I Was There series, The Jam are next in line to have their career documented through the eyes of their fans. Compiled from contributions from more than 300 eyewitnesses – mainly fans, with a smattering of roadies, photographers, writers and venue staff – The Jam: The Day I Was There covers the trio’s entire career as it chronologically documents gigs, record releases and career landmarks. Jam drummer Rick Buckler enjoyed reading the anecdotes so much that he agreed to share some of his own and write a foreword. A unique approach, the series offers a fresh perspective as told via the voices of various friends, colleagues…

OUR CONTRIBUTORS Best known for editing Teletext’s music pages Planet Sound in the 2000s, John Earls has also written about pop for the Sunday People, News Of The World, Daily Star and NME. This month, John catches up once again with Marc Almond for our cover feature, meets Gabrielle, Courteeners and oversees our reissues section. Jon O’Brien is an entertainment journalist and music curator who has written for a wide variety of publications and websites including the likes of Billboard, Esquire, i-D, Metro, Paste, Allmusic and Digital Spy. In the latest issue of Classic Pop magazine, Jon explores the colourful first two decades of the BRIT Awards ceremony. Wyndham Wallace is formerly a publicist, label representative and artist manager who has written for Uncut, The Guardian and The Quietus. His…

1 HIT WONDER ROB‘N’RAZ FEAT. LEILA K GOT TO GET While purists of hip-hop and house music were appalled on principle when the two disparate genres were blended together, there’s little doubt that some ecstatic tracks were made when it was done properly. Swedish duo Rob’n’Raz achieved just that in 1989. Despite their long history as scratchers and remixers, Robert Wåtz and Rasmus Lindwall composed the vast majority of Got To Get using only one mild sample from a song written by Prince for his all-female side project Vanity 6. The intro consisted of a three-note hook, irresistible from first hearing and used throughout each chorus, putting a pure pop element into what was very much a track designed to appeal to all clubgoers. Laila El Khalifi, a teenage Swede…

POP UP CASSETTE AND VINYL SALES ARE STILL SURGING The humble cassette is continuing its rise from the dead with record tally of sales in 2019. Having all but disappeared as a format by 2012, UK sales in 2019 hit 80,404 – almost doubling year-on-year. In fact, Robbie Williams’ LP, The Christmas Present became the fastest-selling cassette album since Now 52 in 2002. On top of that, the BPI have revealed figures for vinyl are continuing to surge with 4.3 million records sold in 2019, an increase of 4.2% and the 12th annual rise in a row. Liam Gallagher’s Why Me? Why Not. was the biggest seller, while turntable sales shot up 400% between November and December at John Lewis. BPI’s Gennaro Castaldo said: “Sales of cassettes remain relatively negligible…

OBITUARY 4AD designer Vaughan Oliver Acclaimed graphic designer Vaughan Oliver, known for his album artwork for an array of artists including the Cocteau Twins, David Sylvian and Pixies, has died aged 62. A key figure in defining the aesthetic of 4AD acts in the 80s, the County Durham-born designer developed a passion for art through a love of music. Originally inspired by the work of Yes designer Roger Dean, Oliver would later incorporate the influence of the likes of Salvador Dali, Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol into his work. After graduating from Newcastle-upon-Tyne Polytechnic, he moved to London in 1982 and became the first employee of record label 4AD. 4AD paid tribute on their website: “It’s no understatement to say that his style helped to shape graphic design in the…

IAN PEEL’S A TO Z of POP R IS FOR … WHEN RAVE WENT POP 2020 SEES THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF WHEN RAVE ‘WENT POP’. WAS IT REALLY SUCH A BAD TIME FOR MUSIC? The consensus seems to be that the point at which rave went mainstream was a terrible thing and – while crimes were undoubtedly committed against fashion and taste in general – I’d like to fight the corner for the opposing view. The main way that pop-rave (not a great term, but it will do for the limited page space we have available) is looked down upon is through the lens of the media and TV of the time. Smash Hits couldn’t deal with rave music because, come the late 80s, it had built an audience on…

MARC ALMOND ROCK ‘N SCROLL AFTER FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE WONDERS OF NATURE, MARC HAS HIT THE BOOKS AND IS STUDYING TO BE A DRUID As part of the return-to-nature ethos captured on Chaos And A Dancing Star, Marc Almond is studying to become a druid. “The new record is a return to being more gothic, without being as obviously goth as I was in the early days,” says Marc. “There’s a lot of paganism in the songs, as I love the idea of returning to the earth. There are references to birds, trees and the earth in the new songs, an earthy feeling of wanting to get away from machinery. I’m studying to become a druid as part of that paganism.” What does that involve? “I started reading…

CLASSIC ALBUM READING, WRITING AND ARITHMETIC THE SUNDAYS MIXING THE FEATHERY WHIMSY OF THE COCTEAU TWINS AND THE JANGLING MELODICISM OF THE SMITHS, THE SUNDAYS WERE TIPPED FOR HUGE STARDOM. ONLY PROBLEM WAS: THEY WEREN’T READY TO PLAY THE POP GAME… MICHAEL LEONARD The Sundays were pretty rubbish at being pop stars. No glitzy aspirational image, barely did interviews, low-key videos, and a less-than-showy live show… Only thing is: The Sundays made near-celestial pop music. In a career that never reached its promise, they released only three albums: this, their 1990 debut; 1992’s Blind and Static & Silence five years later. After that, The Sundays simply stopped. Of course, whether The Sundays were ‘pop’ very much depends on one’s definition. The Sundays weren’t even that popular: only one Top 20 single,…

CLASSIC ALBUM READING, WRITING AND ARITHMETIC THE VIDEOS CAN’T BE SURE Rough Trade wasn’t in the business of making blockbuster videos. This January ’89 UK debut is just the band miming in near-darkness around a rotating camera. All interspersed with grainy black and white footage of a boy running and riding a roundabout. When the band signed to Geffen in the US (where the single was released in 1990), they cut a new video – this time in gauzy sepia, plus the odd toy spinning top and the bowl of pears from the single’s cover art. What does it all mean? It means Rough Trade wasn’t in the business of making blockbuster videos. Neither, when it came to The Sundays, was Geffen. “They wouldn’t have made a big video anyway,”…

THE YEAR AHEAD 2020 THE YEAR AHEAD NOT ONLY A SHINY NEW YEAR LIES AHEAD, SO TOO A BOX-FRESH DECADE ANTICIPATING WHAT MUSICAL GEMS AND HAIRCUTS WILL CHARACTERISE THESE SO-CALLED’NEW TWENTIES’. NATURALLY, IN THE MEANTIME, SOME FAMILIAR FACES WILL BE RETURNING TO ENTERTAIN FANS OF CLASSIC POP, TOO. PET SHOP BOYS AND MARC ALMOND GOT A HEAD START ON EVERYONE WITH EXCELLENT EARLY JANUARY ALBUMS, BUT THERE IS PLENTY MORE TO MARK ON YOUR CALENDARS INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT ANNIVERSARIES ALONGSIDE SOME SPECIAL TOURS. AND, OF COURSE, DON’T FORGET MADONNA’S RIDING CROP WILL BE WARMING UP THE WINTER MONTHS AT HER MADAME X PALLADIUM RESIDENCY IN LONDON. RUDY BOLLY 1 SPARKS Ron and Russell Mael may be in for the busiest year of their career. Two Sparks-related films are in the offing,…

LA ROUX SUPERVISION SUPERCOLOUR What does Elly Jackson do all day? Having taken five years between the first two La Roux albums, LP three finally arrives six years after the underrated Trouble In Paradise. Since then, Jackson has collaborated with New Order and Tyler, The Creator, but it seems telling La Roux’s irresistible comeback single was called International Woman Of Leisure. It firmly set the sonic template for Supervision – one long chorus, a massive wah wah guitar and climactic synths that are pretty primitive but also brutally efficient for making defiant, to-the-point pop music. Supervision was apparently recorded in Jackson’s South London kitchen before Kylie producer Dan Carey mixed it. You can believe it – there are no embellishments on the album, down to its brief eight-song runtime. But,…

GARY DALY LUNAR LANDINGS MUSIC GLUE Synths were always integral to China Crisis, but this instrumental 23-track album puts them front and centre. Lunar Landings is very different to 2019’s Gone From Here, but nonetheless offers a similar sense of unfiltered sentimentality and honest beauty. Jody You’re On Dope exploits a home recording of an American couple arguing, for instance, but its satiny keyboards and the tap-tap-tap of a drum machine underline its poignancy, while the infinitely pretty Space Bastard is heavy on its title’s cosmic aspects and light indeed on the derogatory. Though many tracks here, all unreleased, were originally recorded on portastudios between 1981 and 1987, plenty offer a timeless quality, perhaps because both krautrock, evident in Dummkopf’s Kraftwerkian simplicity, and New Age, a term applicable to Evángelos,…

BLOSSOMS FOOLISH LOVING SPACES VIRGIN/EMI Other bands must really hate Blossoms. They always seem to be on tour, yet, every 18 months, another round of top-level pop arrives, presumably written and recorded in their lunch break. The lads’ release schedule and making it all look so simple means it’s easy to take them for granted. Don’t. They’re one of the few bands to attempt a podcast. Recorded at the Stockport pub the five-piece are named after, Blossoms Pubcast shows their secret is simple: stay mates, don’t take any of this seriously, be a band with distinct personalities pulling together. There are so many summer bangers on their third album – The Keeper, If You Think This Is Real Life, Romance, Eh? – they might have sat on Foolish Loving Spaces…

ALLIE X CAPE GOD TWIN MUSIC INC. Alexandra Hughes’ second LP is distinguished by a voice lived-in yet girlish, and arrangements unusually sparse for songs that might otherwise raise the roof. Opener Fresh Laundry boasts moody synths and a twittering vocal between Aurora and Agnes Obel, and Rings A Bell employs chiming guitars and wriggling basslines to emphasise her sultry side. Moreover, Devil I Know could pounce at any stage, and Super Duper Party People recalls Goldfrapp’s electro experiments, rather at odds with the Canadian’s quasi-goth image. WW…

FRED DEAKIN PRESENTS… THE LASTERS KICKSTARTER Beginning with what sounds like a vintage TV voiceover, Fred Deakin’s solo debut at first suggests it’s going to pick up where his Lemon Jelly outfit left off almost 15 years ago. But listen to Prologue’s text: “As the century’s end, with rising oceans and radiation threatening our very existence, once again humanity looks to technology for salvation.” The Lasters, you see, is no feelgood comedown. Instead it’s a concept album about a dying planet. It’s best to put that to one side, though. Interrupted by oddly am-dram skits worthy of Blake’s Seven scripted by Enid Blyton – on The Pyramid, a child debates the morals of technology – it’s hard, as an adult, not to curl one’s toes, however worthy the themes. Possibly…

WILSEN RUINER DALLIANCE RECORDINGS Like their nondescript name, Wilsen at first don’t seem out of the ordinary, but that ‘e’ is the clue: they’re a little unconventional. Tamsin Wilson’s voice feels almost distracted, but provokes pleasant shivers with its hushed quality, whether tangled in chiming guitars on the title track, or on Wearing, where producer Andrew Sarlo pans ghostly echoes behind its Dory Previn-esque fragility. Birds, meanwhile, drifts into a dreamy world between Slowdive and The Breeders, and Fuse’s jangling guitars wield an unexpectedly sharp blade. WW…

REISSUES ERASURE CHORUS MUTE/BMG Erasure’s third consecutive charttopping album arrived in 1991, a year after they played to 65,000 fans at Milton Keynes Bowl – the biggest concert they’d ever headline. Chorus is redolent of a duo confident they could do no wrong, their formula by now honed to perfection. If that sounds like the album is as formulaic as its title, don’t be fooled. In the sleevenotes accompanying the new expanded reissue, Vince Clarke explains the distinctive minimal sound is because there are no chords on the record: every song is monophonic. You try writing to order like that and see if you can come up with a stone-cold banger like Love To Hate You or the title track. The ballads were just as effective. Alongside the perennial Am…

REISSUES THE ASSOCIATES PERHAPS CHERRY RED Having achieved their heroically unlikely commercial breakthrough with the hits Party Fears Two and Club Country in 1982, The Associates promptly imploded. Alan Rankine left four months after wondrous second album Sulk, leaving Billy MacKenzie in charge of the group’s name and unsure of what to do without his foil. MacKenzie recruited local Dundee guitarist Steve Reid and keyboard player Howard Hughes, but The Associates really became MacKenzie’s solo project: only he features in the artwork, and few remember Hughes or Reid’s name in association with the band. The first attempt at the album was scrapped after WEA deemed it unlistenable and, when Perhaps finally emerged in 1985, it flopped, leaving MacKenzie unhappily in debt to his record label. As with much else in…

REVIEWS HAZELL DEAN HEART FIRST: DELUXE EDITION CHERRY POP Having released a couple of albums more suited to her early cabaret career, Heart First was Hazell Dean’s proper pop debut. Significantly, it was also Stock Aitken Waterman’s first album as producers. SAW founded it upon Dean’s classic 1983 single Searchin’, whose rubbery bassline and hollered, slightly desperate chorus failed to chart until its reissue a year later, but nevertheless found patronage in gay clubs. By then, Dean had followed it with a sultry Streisand cover, Evergreen, and then a disappointing shot at 1984’s A Song For Europe with Stay In My Life, which was rightfully pipped by Belle & The Devotions’ Love Games. SAW, though, saw their opportunity: they delivered another Hi-NRG banger, Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go), an…

THE UNDERTONES WEST BANK SONGS 1978-1983: A BEST OF BMG Beloved of John Peel, The Undertones rose from nowhere, or what, to its inhabitants, felt like nowhere: Derry. They launched with perfect pop-punk tunes, via debut single Teenage Kicks and its follow-up, the urgent You’ve Got My Number, not to mention the 105-second anthem for the ages Here Comes The Summer and Jimmy Jimmy, also from their debut. Early triumphs, though, are dotted throughout this celebration because, as their brief career continued, their energy waned. They made it virtually intact to their second album, 1980’s Hypnotised, whose My Perfect Cousin and There Goes Norman remain primitively rousing, but the title track’s chugging guitars demanded Feargal Sharkey’s ear for melody to rescue it. Third album Positive Touch’s more political It’s Going…

ROBYN CRAWFORD A SONG FOR YOU: MY LIFE WITH WHITNEY HOUSTON DUTTON In the eight years since Whitney Houston’s death, one name has been mentioned persistently in the countless biographies and documentaries released, despite Robyn Crawford having refused to participate in any of them. A constant source of tabloid gossip, Crawford has variously been described as Whitney’s friend, manager and, most frequently, “secret lesbian lover” since their first meeting 40 years ago. In A Song For You, she breaks her silence to set the record straight, about not only her relationship with Whitney, but also attempting to show the world the real Whitney – failing to recognise the person painted in the films and books after her death. As one of those closest to the superstar throughout her life until…

REVIEWS ROBBIE WILLIAMS WEMBLEY SSE ARENA, LONDON VEGAS-SIZED GLITZY SPECTACLE MEETS SELF-MOCKING MUSIC-HALL HUMOUR AS THE FORMER TAKE THAT STAR HOSTS HIS VERY OWN CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME © Michal Augustini/Shutterstock 16 DECEMBER At the first of two blow-out Wembley shows to round off 2019, Robbie Williams sounds as needy, boastful, flawed and hungry for validation as ever. Everything a great British pop idol should be, in fact. Simultaneously mocking the crass commercialism of the season while exhorting us to buy his festive new album, The Christmas Present, the former Take That star sells his soul to Santa with a cheeky wink, a glittery red blazer and a bizarre Travis Bickle haircut, his signature deadpan music-hall humour all wrapped up in a super-shiny Vegas-sized package. Robbie delivers a handful of classic covers…

CLASSIC POP MOMENTS THE STRAY CATS RELEASE THEIR DEBUT ALBUM FEBRUARY 1981 Getty Images Blasting into the charts like they’d been in deep freeze since 1957, the Stray Cats brought the fiery, hip-thrusting spirit of old-time rock’n’roll into the 1980s with a blistering set of instant rockabilly classics. Formed in New York City in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker and sticksman Slim Jim Phantom, the Teddy Boy trio would find their biggest success in the UK. Their eponymous debut LP, which was produced by pub rock maestro Dave Edmunds, would peak at No.6 over here and spawn three Top 20 hits in Runaway Boys (No.9), Rock This Town (No.9) and Stray Cat Strut (No.11). The band would split in 1984 (the same year Slim…