Tabla de contenidos para March/April 2025 en Classic Pop

We like to think of ourselves as ahead of the curve in the UK when it comes to talentspotting new bands. Perhaps that comes down to something as simple as geography – word can get around pretty sharpish on these moderately-sized shores when up-and-coming acts emerge blinking into the spotlight. However, there is no doubt that we were off the pace when it came to INXS. This issue, our cover feature looks at Listen Like Thieves, their US breakthrough album which is now getting a 40th anniversary deluxe reissue. A No.11 hit in the States, it only made No.48 over here. As we speak to the band’s Andrew Farriss and Kirk Pengilly, they claim that anti-Aussie snootiness on the part of the British music press held them back in the…

A previously unheard track discovered in Tina Turner’s vaults has been released as the lead song of a 40th anniversary deluxe reissue of her Private Dancer LP. Recorded at Capitol Studios in Hollywood and originally intended as an album track, Hot For You Baby was penned by Australian songwriters George Young and Harry Vanda with production from John Carter. The extended 40th birthday edition of the much-missed singer’s fifth solo studio album, set for release on 21 March, boasts an array of previously unreleased material. A 5CD/Blu-ray edition includes a newly-upgraded 55-minute Private Dancer Tour show, filmed at the NEC in Birmingham on 23-24 March 1985. Directed by David Mallet and featuring duets with David Bowie and Bryan Adams, the concert has been meticulously restored by Mallet. In addition to…

Stock Aitken Waterman have been honoured with a Blue Plaque from the Southwark Heritage Association, for their contribution to UK music. The plaque has been installed at their former music studios in Borough, near London Bridge. Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman attended the unveiling on 22 January at Vine Yard Studios, where they created the majority of their hits. They said: “We’re naturally very pleased to have been awarded a Heritage Blue Plaque, and we’re grateful to the Southwark Heritage Association and Southwark Council for this honour. But we also feel this is as much for the fans who voted for us and for all those who have stuck with us over the years.” The unveiling comes just ahead of the 40th anniversary of the trio’s first UK…

The Waterboys have revealed details of their 16th studio album, Life, Death And Dennis Hopper. Set for release via Sun Records on 4 April, the LP tells the epic story of the trailblazing Easy Rider star. Frontman Mike Scott has spent four years working on the project. Produced with bandmates Famous James and Brother Paul, the record spans 25 tracks and traces the extraordinary arc of Dennis Hopper’s life. “His life was the story of our times,” says Scott. “He was at the big bang of youth culture in Rebel Without A Cause with James Dean, and at the beginnings of Pop Art with the young Andy Warhol. He was part of the counterculture, hippie, civil rights and psychedelic scenes of the 1960s. In the 1970s and 80s, he went…

Andrew Farriss is about to release a new solo album, The Prospector, while Kirk Pengilly has retired from music, noting: “After INXS’s last show in 2012, I thought I’d take a break. I’m still taking it. I feel fulfilled with what INXS achieved, and I can’t see how anything I do would ever be as great again.” Instead, Kirk invests in the stock market, does charity work and travels with his wife, former world champion surfer Layne Beachley. Although INXS have ended, there’s scope for more deluxe reissues. When asked if a 40th anniversary edition of Kick will follow in 2027, Andrew considers: “I honestly don’t know. But Kick could have been a double album. Some of the unreleased material has circulated among fans, and in some ways Kick would…

JOHN FOXX The former Ultravox frontman branched out solo to discover a bold new world with exciting emerging technology at his fingertips. John says: “I remember thinking, ‘Wow! I’ve found a territory entirely of my own now. I can explore this for the rest of my life.’ Just what every artist really wants. Little did I know that a year later, everybody and his dog would form a synth band.” Besides releasing a string of solo albums, Foxx has enjoyed a successful career following other artistic pursuits including photography, graphic design and writing. GARETH JONES The record was engineered and mixed by another electro pioneer, who would go on to work extensively with Erasure, Depeche Mode and other artists on Daniel Miller’s Mute Records. John says: “Gareth was a blinder and…

01 (7) EVERYTHING I OWN BOY GEORGE (VIRGIN) EVERYTHING I OWN BOY GEORGE (VIRGIN) When his debut solo 45 hit No.1 in the spring of 1987, Boy George must have thought, “Pah! Who needs Culture Club?” But in the end, the man born George O’Dowd’s solo career never did reach the dizzying heights of his former band and this single would be his solitary No.1 and indeed sole Top 10 hit. That said, it’s not like he started this new chapter of his career with a bold statement of intent. Unlike Culture Club’s chart-toppers, this was a version of a Bread song from 1972, though George’s take is influenced more by Ken Boothe’s reggaefied cover from 1974 than it is Bread’s soft-rock original. Its similarity to Do You Really Want…

Send your Poparazzi pics now to steve.harnell@anthem.co.uk MARI WILSON WITH CHRIS FIGG ”I found this lovely picture of Mari Wilson while sorting out some of my pop memorabilia. It was taken at Ronnie Scott’s club in London around 1991 or ’92. It was during the period when Mari had taken up pop jazz with a new band and swapped her beehive for a completely new look. I waited front of house after her show thinking I’d missed her and was just about to go for the train when she appeared. She was so pleased to meet me. I’ve met Mari a few times since at various gigs and it’s always a pleasure to know she is still singing and making new music. Wonderful!” HAZEL O’CONNOR WITH ANDREW WASS ”I’m pictured here…

The front cover image for Youthquake was taken by celebrated Peruvian photographer Mario Testino (pictured above), the legendary fashion and portrait lensman whose 1997 image of Diana, Princess of Wales remains one of his most iconic. Testino’s other album work includes photography for Janet Jackson’s The Velvet Rope as well as Madonna’s Ray Of Light. Testino has been a go-to for many a musician wanting to add a veneer of high fashion glamour, having also undertaken sessions with Robbie Williams, Taylor Swift and Courtney Love. Youthquake’s sleeve design was credited to Satori – aka Andie Airfix – who was more well known for collaborating with artists such as Paul McCartney, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Judas Priest, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Thompson Twins as well as being the key…

DEAD OR ALIVE YOUTHQUAKE DEMON TURNING PETE BURNS FROM A CULT FIGURE TO A STAR WAS TRAUMATIC FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED. BUT, NOW 40 YEARS ON, YOUTHQUAKE IS MOSTLY A TESTAMENT TO THE ICONIC SINGER THRIVING IN THE SPOTLIGHT. Youthquake was essentially two factions at war with each other. Pete Burns may have been the visual focus of Dead Or Alive, but he remained staunchly loyal to the other members as a group rather than as a background, emerging from a fiercely competitive Liverpool scene full of fantastic bands with mouthy frontmen. While Frankie Goes To Hollywood, the Bunnymen and Teardrop Explodes were all very much gangs, Dead Or Alive’s technical shortcomings on their instruments showed up somewhat against the sleek professionalism of Mike Stock and Matt Aitken’s musicianship. The two…

CULTURE CLUB BP PULSE LIVE, BIRMINGHAM 14 DECEMBER 2024 GEORGE, MIKEY AND ROY RETURN TO THE LIVE STAGE TO PLAY CULTURE CLUB’S FIRST TWO HIT ALBUMS IN FULL There are still sizeable queues outside when Heaven 17 appear for their swift set. As usual, Martyn Ware is the sparkling, Stetson-wearing Penthouse to Glenn Gregory’s rougher, unshaven Pavement, with the vocalist’s lingering ‘Kiss the girls goodbye…’ at the end of Come Live With Me earning him an approving cheer from those lucky enough to arrive in time. Gregory has a fine voice, but even his lungs can’t match Tony Hadley, who powers through such Spandau Ballet hits as To Cut A Long Story Short, Gold and – seated with a Jack Daniels in his hand – Through The Barricades. Two sterling…

*1 “The band’s masterpiece ballad with Michael Hutchence on imperious form.” *2 “The production by Mark Opitz is absolutely phenomenal.” *3 “Both the epitome of Michael Hutchence’s charisma and a song that couldn’t have been made by anyone else.” *4 “INXS finally make a breakthrough with a slick slice of Nile Rodgers-produced white-boy funk.” *5 ”It was on heavy rotation on MTV at the time. I developed a bit of a man-crush on Michael Hutchence, who seemed like a modern day Jim Morrison.” *6 ”A mid-90s return to hedonistic form.” *7 ”The CD single also includes Coldcut’s brilliant remix of What You Need.”…

A new one-day festival set to be staged at the The National Bowl in Milton Keynes will celebrate the best in post-punk, new wave and alt-rock. Held on 22 June, Forever Now is headlined by Kraftwerk. Joining the German electronic music icons will be The The whose Ensoulment LP was among Classic Pop’s favourite new albums of 2024. The UK sister event of the critically acclaimed US festival Cruel World, the Forever Now bill also includes Billy Idol, Death Cult, Johnny Marr, The Psychedelic Furs, The Jesus & Mary Chain, The Happy Mondays, Public Image Ltd, Theatre Of Hate, She Wants Revenge, Chameleons, The Motels and UK Decay. The festival has been named in honour of The Psychedelic Furs. The band said: “Forever Now started as an idea then became…

The multi-award-winning independent festival, Bearded Theory, returns to Catton Park in Derbyshire for its 16th year this spring. Taking place between 21-25 May, the first wave of artists announced includes headliners Iggy Pop (pictured right), Manic Street Preachers and The Sisters Of Mercy, as well as an eclectic mix of artists such as Leftfield, Ash, CMAT, Yard Act, The Mary Wallopers, Nova Twins, Fat Dog, The Selecter, Nadine Shah Throwing Muses and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin. More recent additions to the bill include Mercury Award winners English Teacher, who headline Thursday’s festivities, and Paul Heaton, who’ll be joined by special guest vocalist Rianne Downey. Also confirmed to appear are Katy J Pearson, Ezra Furman, Mannequin Pussy, The Lottery Winners, Terrorvision, The Alarm and The Vaselines. For details of the full line-up and…

D IS FOR… DOPPELGÄNGERS What is a doppelgänger hit? It’s my name for a single that entered the charts twice, by two different artists, at exactly the same time. There aren’t too many examples of this bizarre glitch in the matrix of the pop eras of the 80s onwards, but they’re never short of fascinating. Yorkshire’s Michael Jackson – recording as Mick Jackson – co-wrote and released a song in late 1978 called Blame It On The Boogie. Legend has it, as soon as The Jackson 5’s (or The Jacksons as they were then known) manager Peter Kerstin heard the track, he rushed his group into the studio, added a hot disco backing, and released their own version within days of the original. Both charted in the UK at the same…

WHAT IS IT? Emerging from R&B with whispers of jazz and soul, funk came of age in the 1970s, where a succession of artists from James Brown to Sly & The Family Stone and Parliament would bring those smooth syncopated basslines and steady, irresistible drum grooves into record stores. Like jazz, funk was often marked by long, extended workouts. Though many three-minute pop songs profited from its loose, relaxed vibes, in its purest guise funk was much more freeform, allowing its musicians space to experiment and indulge. Before disco came to steal its crown (though even that genre owed a hefty debt to funk), it was the dominant Black sound of the 70s, creating superstars in Chaka Khan and Rick James as well as acclaimed instrumentalists including Bootsy Collins and…

1 THE VERY BEST OF TALK TALK TALK TALK Originally released in 1997, The Very Best Of Talk Talk is set to be reissued on 14 March with a reordered tracklist. This updated version places the group’s greatest hits in chronological order and also includes New Grass from final album, 1991’s Laughing Stock. Featuring tracks such as Today, It’s My Life and Such A Shame, the collection will be available on black gatefold 2LP and CD. 2 AUTOBAHN KRAFTWERK Having recently celebrated the album’s 50th anniversary, Kraftwerk reissue their landmark 1974 LP, Autobahn, on 7 March. After revisiting the original 16-track master tapes, the group’s founder Ralf Hütter, along with engineer Fritz Hilpert, has created a new Dolby Atmos mix that takes the listening experience of this seminal recording further…

The winner of the Best Writer, Specialist category, in 2022’s British Society of Magazine Editors Awards, our latest issue sees John Earls talk to INXS and Giles Martin for our cover feature as well as interviewing Gary Kemp and Manic Street Preachers. John also oversees our new albums and reissues reviews. Felix Rowe has extensively toured the US, performed with a Chili Pepper, barbecued with a Blues Brother and shared a Mars bar with George Martin. He has written for publications including Classic Pop, Vintage Rock, Clash, Long Live Vinyl, Louder and Record Collector. This issue, Felix interviews John Foxx for a special deep dive into our latest classic album, 1980’s Metamatic. Paul Kirkley makes his living from interviewing famous people with much more interesting and glamorous lives than his…

02 The 30th Annual Grammy Awards take place at Radio City Music Hall in New York, with Billy Crystal presenting. Album of the Year goes to U2 for The Joshua Tree. 10 Hit British disco artist Andy Gibb, younger brother of The Bee Gees’ Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, dies of myocarditis at the age of 30. 12 Elly Jackson, later of La Roux, is born. She is the daughter of actress Trudie Goodwin (The Bill). 14 Morrissey releases his first solo album via HMV following The Smiths’ acrimonious split the previous year. Viva Hate will peak at No.1 in the UK. 14 Prefab Sprout release their third studio album, From Langley Park To Memphis. It contains their biggest hit courtesy of the single, The King Of Rock’n’Roll. 15 Mick…

Three weeks after playing the 1986 Royal Albert Hall show on the reissue, INXS supported Queen at Wembley Stadium, on what proved to be Freddie Mercury’s final tour with the band. “Queen were a great band and amazing people – but supporting them was a whole different story,” chuckles Andrew Farriss. “They had a soccer audience, which would throw shoes, coins and lighters at us.” INXS took a practical approach to the hostility, as Andrew explains: “You just play and try not to think about it. It was tougher on Michael than the rest of us, because he had to try to rally everyone, playing at such a rock royalty stage as Wembley Stadium.” The band’s treatment didn’t affect their confidence, as Kirk Pengilly recalls: “We were pretty cocky and…

1 PLAZA The dystopian onslaught begins with a minimalist beat – processed and filtered like static emitting from some otherworldly transmission, before the dark, foreboding synths come crawling in. Foxx delivers stark, abstract imagery via his staccato speak-singing vocals, the most immediate being the wonderfully evocative but inherently dark lyric: “I recognise your face from some shattered windscreen.” The overall soundscape is experimental in nature, full of dissonant bleeps and swishes that bubble up out of the ether. Foxx introduces a recurring motif that reappears throughout the album; that of urban spaces and metropolitan infrastructure – in this case, the plaza – providing that unsettling dichotomy of both wide open space and claustrophobia. As with most of the arrangements on the record, it’s sparse and austere. There’s no real song…

“A big lightbulb went off over each of our heads,” recalls Kevin, of the day he and Lol spent shooting the video for their 1979 single An Englishman In New York. “It made us think, after all the time we’d spent at art college, and all the visual ideas we’d come up with in our music, ‘Maybe we can actually work in this medium…’” The following year, the pair put down their marker as directors for hire with the strikingly avant-garde video for Visage’s Fade To Grey. “Steve Strange, who we knew from the clubs, asked us to do it,” explains Godley. “There was no sense that we wanted to do this as a career hop. But things just sort of started rolling in that direction.” The duo’s timing was…

Crucial snapshots of an unrepeatable moment in time or fan-rinsing cash-ins, whatever your opinion of live albums, they’ve become an important part of the musical landscape since time immemorial, with some even immortalised as major cultural milestones – Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison being a prime example. While many concert recordings aren’t quite able to capture the atmosphere, energy and excitement of the gigging experience – with the rather clichéd observation of “you had to be there” often ringing true – there are plenty of live albums worthy of repeated listening, as our latest countdown attests. As a certain Simple Minds frontman might say, let us see your hands…! 20 THE CURE PARIS (1993) The Cure played a staggering 111 shows across 21 countries in 1992 on their Wish Tour, captured…

Originally released in May 1985, Youthquake emerged just as Dead Or Alive had finally conquered pop. The album arrived after the crawl to No.1 of the band’s smash single You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) had given Pete Burns and co the long-threatened success they deserved, taking them into the Top 10s of most of Europe (except in France, where it stalled at No.29), and made No.11 in the United States. Dead Or Alive were stars at last. Youthquake was also significant for being the first album to be fully helmed by Stock Aitken Waterman, an occasionally uneasy union that helped propel both Dead Or Alive and the production trio to global fame and notoriety. Now, as the album approaches its 40th anniversary, it’s being reissued as a 4CD…

THE MADONNA SONGBOOK GIULIO MAZZOLENI ANTIGA EDIZIONI It’s frustrating that the controversies and commentaries which have surrounded Madonna over the years often overshadow the most fundamental aspect of all – her music. On the occasions where her creative output is under review, co-producers and co-writers are celebrated in a way that almost diminishes her own role. Meanwhile, other significant (male) music icons rarely suffer the same fate – something that The Madonna Songbook attempts to rectify. Yes, the collaborators’ input has been integral, but as the extensive personnel listings highlight, the only consistent part of Madonna’s immaculate collection is Madonna herself. At more than 700 pages, this chronologically catalogues every song in detail. Each entry traces their inspiration, creation, performance and legacy, with input and recollections from those who worked…