Tabla de contenidos para February 2026 en Classic Pop

You can probably count the number of bands that broke up at the height of their powers and success on the fingers of one hand. The Smiths would have to be in that discussion alongside The Police. And similar to the manner in which Sting uttered a bruising goodbye to his bandmates in search of new musical horizons, the same shockwaves must have been felt by Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler when Paul Weller called time on The Jam while they were still routinely scoring No.1s left, right and centre. The stylistic shift that Weller was seeking turned out to be The Style Council, of course. Staunch Jam fans were aghast, but the Modfather resolutely stuck to his guns. As the band’s debut album Café Bleu finally gets the deluxe boxset…

As issue 100 of Classic Pop went to press, we were shocked to hear Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, best known as the bassist of The Stone Roses, had died at the age of 63. His brother Greg Mounfield posted the news on social media, saying: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce the sad passing of my brother. RIP RKID.” Almost immediately after the statement was made, social media was awash with tributes to Mani, who also played with Primal Scream and the short-lived supergroup Freebass. Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown responded to the news with a simple message on Twitter (X): “Rest in peace Mani x.” Meanwhile, the official Primal Scream account posted: “Mani… Knighted by the terraces. Loved by everyone who ever knew or…

The Shiiine On Weekender has unveiled the lineup for its spring event in Skegness. The three-day festival, which runs from 27-29 March will be headlined by The Enemy, Embrace and Lightning Seeds. Hosted at Butlin’s, the indoor festival features over 70 acts across the weekend including ska icons The Beat as well as The Specials’ Neville Staple, with further sets from Badly Drawn Boy, The Bluetones, Stereo MCs, The Blow Monkeys, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin and Lo Fidelity Allstars. In addition to the music, there’s also a comedy stage, pool parties, funfair rides, a pub quiz and more. Visit shiiineon.com/skegness for the full festival lineup.…

“THERE’S NOT TOO MUCH THAT CONNECTS SUGABABES, SPARKS AND SOFT CELL. BUT THEY ARE FROM A SMALL SELECTION OF ARTISTS THAT HAVE COLLABORATED IN FULL WITH ANOTHER, SOMETIMES VERY UNLIKELY, GROUP…” Bigger than a supergroup, far rarer but often more memorable, there’s nothing quite like the ‘whole band collab’, when an entire group joins forces with another to create something brand new and invariably one-off. It’s easiest to explain the phenomena with an example. And what better example than, from the early years of the classic pop era, when Fun Boy Three joined forces with Bananarama. FB3 released their debut single The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum) in 1981 and a few months later, after Terry Hall bought a copy of Bananarama’s debut Aie a Mwana, he called and…

01 I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING (FOR ME) GEORGE MICHAEL & ARETHA FRANKLIN (EPIC) Although it looks on paper like the box office-busting meeting of two musical titans, I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) wasn’t at the time seen as a surefire smash. George Michael had yet to unveil his Faith LP and at the age of 44 some thought Aretha Franklin’s best days were behind her – despite the Top 10 success of Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves with Eurythmics two years earlier. Yet this song, penned by Simon Climie (of Climie-Fisher fame) and Dennis Morgan would be a sensation. Somewhat surprisingly, it wasn’t written as a duet. The pair had first offered it to Tina Turner, and it was Arista Records kingpin Clive Davis who suggested…

On the day that Classic Pop speaks to Jason Donovan, press-wise it almost feels like it’s 1989 again. ‘Jason Donovan Lands Cameo In ITV Soap Emmerdale’ screams the headline in the Evening Standard, with the Daily Mail, The Sun, The Mirror and Metro similarly whipped into a frenzy about his latest project. That the media are so fired up about what amounts to a single-episode cameo as himself, is testament to the fact that Donovan is, three years shy of 60, still a big deal. It’s 5 November 2025, a week later than we were originally due to chat with the singer, but a work injury and subsequent physio had derailed that appointment. We’re here now, though, and thankfully he’s (mostly) mended. “I’m always having physio,” Donovan laughs, his voice…

*1 “The perfect showcase for Weller’s lifelong love of soul music.“ *2 “Paul Weller’s affinity for a big old strut meeting Dee C. Lee’s affinity for exuberant soul head-on. It still sounds like total joy.“ *3 “Beautifully jazzy little Absolute Beginners soundtrack standout that comes with an interesting credit: ’Arranged by Gil Evans and featuring The Style Council.’“ *4 “Old-time Jam fans grumbled, but this synth-powered ballad only went to show how much more musically diverse Weller was compared to his punk contemporaries.” *5 “Made me want to visit Woking for the first time in my life!” *6 “When he was faffing around in pastels and cardigans, here was a reminder of how fierce Weller could be.”…

Saint Etienne have announced their final tour of the UK and Ireland. The band, who played their first ever live show on 15 November 1990 at Heaven nightclub in London just months after releasing debut single Only Love Can Break Your Heart, released their final album, International, last September. Opening on 15 September at Manchester’s New Century Hall, the tour will also take in Bristol, London, Sheffield and Glasgow as well as dates in Dublin, Gateshead and Brighton, before concluding on 26 September at Cambridge’s Corn Exchange. The band, featuring vocalist Sarah Cracknell, keyboardist and guitarist Bob Stanley and keyboardist and programmer Pete Wiggs, view the tour as a series of celebrations: parties built around a live set that draws on the “best of the best” from their 35-year catalogue,…

07 Kool & The Gang begin a two-week run at No.1 on the US Hot 100 with the ultimate party anthem Celebration. The lead single from their 12th album Celebrate!, it was the group’s only chart-topper. 14 The Funky 4 + 1 become one of the first hip-hop groups to appear on a US national TV show when they perform That’s The Joint on Saturday Night Live, hosted by Blondie’s Debbie Harry. 25 At the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards, Christopher Cross 25At became the first act to win all four General Field awards in a single ceremony for his self-titled debut LP and the Yacht Rock hit Sailing. 08 R.E.M. entered the studio for their first professional recording sessions, laying down versions of Gardening At Night, (Don’t Go Back To)…

After Walls Come Tumbling Down, the second single from Our Favourite Shop was a more trenchant piece of politicising. Come To Milton Keynes is a ska-tinged waltz about the new town, which was already the punchline for many jokes about gauche 80s modernism. Inspired by its utopian presentation in a TV ad inviting people to move there, The Style Council joined in the MK mockery, with lyrics about heroin and violence offsetting the city’s futurist ideal. On learning that your writer grew up in Milton Keynes in the 80s, Mick Talbot admits: “You’re not the first person from Milton Keynes to go ‘Oi!’ at that song, but it was nothing personal, honest.” The song was instead written “Against what its advert was trying to put across, the values it presented…

Send your Poparazzi pics now to steve.harnell@anthem.co.uk GARY NUMAN WITH NEIL GRIMBLEBY “Here I am with Gary Numan at Newcastle City Hall during his Telekon 45th Anniversary Tour on 12 November 2025. I attended the meet-and-greet for the first time ever! I’m 60 later this year and have been a fan of Gary’s since I was 14, so I’ve waited a long time to meet him. It was well worth it. He’s such a genuine, humble, nice guy and so easy to talk to. As you can see in the photo, he autographed my arm which I had tattooed over the following morning.” STEPHEN DUFFY WITH DAN PEARCE “I’m pictured here with Stephen Duffy in July 2015. I’d booked tickets for the Port Eliot Festival in Cornwall with my mate Dave…

Embarking on a major arena tour is not something Rick Astley would have had on his bingo card even a few years ago. And he doesn’t take it for granted for a second – even if there’s a part of him that would probably rather be playing in the Dog & Duck. “It’s a funny thing,” he says. “I went to the Hammersmith Apollo the other night to see Blossoms (pictured), and your heart wants to be playing in a room like that – but your ego wants to be in the bigger room down the road.” The Reflection Tour will contain “a few surprises”, he says – but not too many surprises. “There’s an art to making up a setlist so that it feels fresh, but where people also…

Squeeze returning to the vaults for Trixies has reopened the possibility of resuming their relationship with their former record label, Universal. The band have long shunned Universal, even remaking old classics for 2010’s Spot The Difference album in their catalogue dispute. But they are now open to working with the label again. Glenn Tilbrook says: “We’re a commodity first and foremost, and Universal would like to utilise that opportunity, to recast what Squeeze mean to people. We’re very open to working with anyone who could help boost that. There’s plenty of stuff which could be rediscovered. It could happen soon, as they know where we are.” Tilbrook is especially keen to investigate further early material, stating: “We could release five more albums of pre-debut songs which would be really good,…

Given the rapturous reception that greeted the nostalgia-fuelled Oasis gigs last summer, it’s safe to say that 2025 truly was the year of the comeback – and that looks set to be a continuing trend in 2026. Aside from the reunited Gallagher brothers, Radiohead’s London residency was a complete triumph and Lily Allen’s visceral account of her marriage breakdown on West End Girl was a late contender for album of 2025 in what was a vintage year for pop. Lady Gaga, Jade, Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter and FKA Twigs proved that girl power is well and truly thriving, setting the stage for a much-hoped-for and hinted-at Spice Girls reunion in 2026. On the subject of returning pop legends, Madonna will be strapping on her dancing shoes for a Confessions On…

Jason was one of a number of small screen stars in the 80s to try their hand at crossing over into pop, but as he explains, it wasn’t a new concept for record labels to pinch pretty boy actors from TV and launch them into the hit parade. “I mean, there was David Cassidy before us, and even The Beatles and Elvis did films,” he points out. And he has a theory about how being in a successful soap aided his pop career, in that it helped form a narrative for fans to follow: “If you look at the format of The X Factor, it’s about creating backstories for these characters that come on and sing your favourite songs, it’s a similar scenario. You’ve got to fall in love with…

LAZARUS: THE SECOND COMING OF DAVID BOWIE ALEXANDER LARMAN NEW MODERN Like The Beatles and Elvis Presley, there’s hardly a dearth of books on David Bowie, but occasionally one comes along that justifies its existence. Eschewing the from-birth-to-death approach of other biographers, Alexander Larman has focussed solely on the second half of the singer-songwriter’s life, starting with the Tin Machine years. Not only does this approach give the book a satisfying arc (from being ‘yesterday’s man’ through his critical re-evaluation in the late 90s and subsequent creative peaks of The Next Day and Blackstar), but it means that Larman has more room to devote to a period in Bowie’s career that’s often underexamined in rock write-ups. Also, unlike many books on the musician, this is no hagiography – the writer…

The winner of Writer Of The Year at the PPA Independent Publisher Awards 2025, CP’s Reviews Editor John Earls catches up with The Style Council for our latest cover feature as they unveil their first in-depth boxset and heads to South London for a summit meeting with Squeeze ahead of the release of their new album, Trixies. Jon O‘Brien is an entertainment journalist who has written for the likes of Billboard, the Grammy Awards, Esquire, Vulture, i-D, IndieWire, The Daily Beast and The i. In our latest issue, Jon delves deep into the back catalogue of Simply Red, reviews new albums from Labrinth and Madison Beer alongside a reissue from Freddie Mercury and counts down the best power ballads of the 80s. Paul Kirkley makes his living from interviewing famous people…

Classic Pop’s John Earls has been named Writer Of The Year at the PPA Independent Publisher Awards 2025. John picked up the coveted award at the ceremony hosted by stand-up Lou Sanders at Houndsditch in London on 21 November for his work on the magazine that included our recent interview features with Alison Moyet, Thompson Twins and Human League. Moyet took to Twitter (X) to say: “It is brilliant your work’s been recognised and a lovely thing to be in some way attached to such great news.” Reflecting on the award, John said: “I’m honoured to win. Talking to pop stars will always be a thrill, and I’m delighted the judges recognised my enthusiasm in trying to get musicians to say things they haven’t before. It’s a privilege to be…

ALL NIGHT LONG MARY JANE GIRLS Boasting one of the smoothest rhythm sections of the 80s, the only hit for the Mary Jane Girls oozed sex, sensuality, style and sass. Written by Rick James for a changing lineup of singers led by his longtime backing vocalist Jojo McDuffie, the bass and drums had an immaculate lilt that strode through the whole song, allowing it to be both romantic ballad and funky floorfiller. McDuffie’s brief spoken intro heralded a first burst of chorus with the central melody becoming immediately unforgettable. James’ other two studio backing singers (who, with McDuffie, had always called themselves Mary Jane Girls) were on the record, but when it came to live performances, three further vocalists were recruited alongside McDuffie. There’s an underlying theme of strong femininity…

THIRD STAGE BOSTON Boston’s third album was absolutely enormous to the tune of four million sales, befitting the anticipation of their return seven years after 1978’s Don’t Look Back. Lead track Amanda went to No.1 in the US as a song of leather trousers and big hair very much of the times, as soft, acoustic rock began to make its presence felt on playlists. It vindicated the band’s six-year legal battle with Epic Records, and though other band members contributed, the album was mostly written by guitarist and founder Tom Scholz during the dogfight that eventually allowed them to sign with MCA. Follow-up single We’re Ready, another US Top 10 hit peaking at No.9, has more of an edge, with outstanding harmonies that illustrate the whole album, and features wonderful…

What was the album that changed your life? There are two – Parklife and Definitely Maybe. I was given Blur for Christmas 1994 and Oasis on my 12th birthday in 1995. They transformed me from just being interested in the Top 40 to feeling that I had an identity attached to these bands. I found the whole confected rivalry thing quite weird because bands aren’t a binary choice. They weren’t different things, they were essentially for the same people. If you like Blur, how could you not like Oasis and vice versa? What was the first band or artist you were truly passionate about? I was obsessive about The Rolling Stones – they were my first ever gig at Wembley in 1990. And I had a brief period where I…

A three-day event is being launched to celebrate the pop culture of the 80s, 90s and Noughties. Held from 2-3 May at the NEC in Birmingham, the inaugural RetroCon will feature a DJ set from Pat Sharp and an appearance from Beverly Hills, 90210 star Jason Priestley. Further guests will be announced in due course. Visitors will be able to explore a curated marketplace filled with specialist vendors and creators showcasing the best in retro and pop culture products. From vintage homewares, fashion and classic comic books to retro gaming gear, collectible vinyl, artwork and rare toys, organisers are promising something for every nostalgia niche. Attendees can also expect expert panels, live podcasts, retro gaming tournaments, fashion shows and a dance party. Visit retroconuk.com for tickets and further details.…

“If you’re going to do something seriously, that’s all the more reason for doing it with style.” So said Paul Weller in one of The Style Council’s first interviews, in The Face in 1983. So it was, for the next six years, that Weller and Mick Talbot upended The Jam’s taut aggression by heading somewhere more languid and soulful. A precocious songwriter like Weller had hinted at his breadth in The Jam, of course, but Talbot points to the trio’s final single Beat Surrender as the first real taste of what was to come via its B-sides, Shopping and a cover of The Chi-Lites’ Stoned Out Of My Mind: “A jazz waltz and a soul cover. That hinted where Paul might like to go next.” More than 40 years on, Café…

Wanting a different way to make the promos for The Cost Of Loving led to The Style Council creating the bizarre short film Jerusalem: four videos, held together by a story about, er, pass. Asked what Jerusalem is about, Mick Talbot usually replies in interviews: “It’s about 35 minutes.” Pressed on its intent, he explains: “Videos were always a laugh, a chance to dress up. We took the music seriously, but videos let us come up with some screwball stories, and Jerusalem was an extension of that. “It’s too much of an in-joke at times, but Jerusalem let us make a few ham-fisted points about the country at the time, while being humorous. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.” Dee C. Lee is yet more straightforward, admitting: “I still don’t…

DEBBIE HARRY Naturally emitting an aura of effortless cool, Harry’s classic Hollywood looks bristle against a snarling NYC street attitude. A breath of fresh air, in stark contrast to the more twee, wholesome mid-70s pop acts. CHRIS STEIN Blondie’s guitarist and co-leader, alongside his then-beau Harry. Stein is also a celebrated photographer whose work has been featured in galleries and published around the world. JIMMY DESTRI The keyboardist co-wrote Atomic and would later pen the huge 1999 comeback single, Maria, before retiring in the mid-2000s. Destri released a solo album, Heart On A Wall in 1981. CLEM BURKE The drummer, who passed away last April, 50 years after joining the group. Burke’s frenetic rhythms are key to the record and he features on Blondie’s upcoming album, High Noon. FRANK INFANTE…

Last summer, Rick Astley was on holiday in Capri, taking full advantage of a year off from the life of a pop icon. “We were sitting with friends in a beach restaurant, trying each other’s sunglasses on – as you do when you’re a bit tipsy,” he recalls. “My wife was taking pictures of me, making me look like an idiot. Then a friend took this one photograph, where I’m wearing his wife’s massive sunglasses. And when I look at that picture, I can see myself, looking out to sea, with a couple of rosés inside me, thinking: ‘What’s going on? How did I end up here?’ Because I’m not unaware of everything that’s happened to me. “But there are still moments where I go, ‘Okay, so it’s not a…

Having famously watched the Sex Pistols spark Manchester’s punk rock revolution at Lesser Free Trade Hall, Mick Hucknall first tried to make his name as the frontman of down-and-dirty outfit The Frantic Elevators. But after seven years of playing in front of one man and his dog, the proud Manc jumped ship, recruited various members of The Durutti Column and The Mothmen, then reinvented himself as a soulful crooner under Simply Red, a guise which connoted his flame-coloured hair, political persuasions and passion for Manchester United. The original core lineup of guitarist Sylvan Richardson, bassist Tony Bowers, trumpeter Tim Kellett, keyboardist Fritz McIntyre, drummer Chris Joyce and Hucknall first convened in the studio for Picture Book, an album that set the blueprint for the Simply Red sound: a potent blend…

With revisiting Trixies leading him into becoming more fearless in his lyrics, Chris Difford has even begun a whole new form of writing: poetry. “I’ve enjoyed not having to worry about writing a chorus or middle-eight,” says Difford. “The story just flows, with the outcome the story itself and how people see themselves in it. I’m excited about that.” Difford contacted poet friend Hollie McNish (pictured right) for advice on getting started. Difford says: “There’s a very disciplined side to poetry, which I was worried about. Hollie told me to ignore that; to just pick up my pencil and write. She said that I shouldn’t worry about poems having to have a meter.” On taking McNish’s advice, Difford began to see poetry in existing songs, saying: “Stormzy songs have poetry…

Though Jason’s first two studio albums were entirely Stock Aitken Waterman affairs, he’s occasionally co-written songs, though it’s not something that he admits comes easily to him. So, we ask, does he still try writing the odd track? “I’m not gonna lie to you, no, not really,” he confesses. “I never really got a lot of enthusiasm for my songs. The stuff I co-wrote with other people was mostly driven by the writers that I was working with. But I just couldn’t seem to get traction, it didn’t come easily to me. What I found was that as a young public figure who was protected a little bit too much, not taking enough risks in my life, that it was just a bit too safe. If I’d spoken my mind a…

It seems only fitting that Arista chose Valentine’s Day 1985 as the date to release the self-titled debut album by their newest signing as many of its most famous tracks are now first-dance staples at weddings. Aged 21 at the time, Whitney Houston’s skyscraping voice would become one of the year’s hottest talking points. Some may have hated the vocal acrobatics, but most loved that one-in-a-million voice, which kept the album at the summit of the Billboard 200 for 14 weeks. Arriving to instant critical acclaim (the Los Angeles Times raved that Houston was “a singer with enormous power and potential”), an astonishing seven singles would be issued from it, including three US No.1s Saving All My Love For You, How Will I Know and Greatest Love Of All. In…