Is solo dating the most romantic act of all? In July 2019 Clarke was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. I just wanted to take the line of least resistance. John Cooper Clarke (born 25 January 1949) is an English performance poet who first became famous during the punk rock era of the late 1970s when he became known as a "punk poet". Get that monkey out of there!". John Cooper Clarke shot to prominence in the 1970s as the original 'people's poet'. A book of two halves by Britain's "bargain basement Baudelaire" as poet John Cooper Clarke writes an autobiography of sorts. Toppermost of the poppermost. John Cooper Clarke is an English poet who is regarded as a punk poet. He became famous in the late 1970s and released several albums. As the acclaimed punk poet turns 70 today, weve delved into his lyrical archives and sourced his best works. Few artists could draw such vocal and heartfelt appreciation from a set as diverse and rich in talent as Steve Coogan, Alex Turner, Stewart Lee, Pete Shelley, Craig Charles and Wilko Johnson, the list goes on. "Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt (film)", John Cooper Clarke performs Beasley Street at Hammersmith Palais, "John Cooper Clarke interview: 'Poetry is not something you have to retire from', "John Cooper Clarke On Life In Higher Broughton", "John Cooper Clarke: 'It's diabolical how poor I am', "Plan B's Ill Manors set to hijack charts in Olympics opening week", "John Cooper Clarke honoured by University of Salford", "Does Rock 'N' Roll Kill Braincells?! So playing to my strengths, I thought, I'm gonna make a living doing this. An odd staple of many wedding ceremonies, I Wanna Be Yours was the first John Cooper Clarke poem to make the GCSE syllabus in 2002, and introduced a young Alex Turner to the art of the well crafted verse. Perhaps the reason why people hold this particular poem in such affection is because of the Beasley Streets that we all know, the fully furnished dustbins that lurk in provincial Northern towns or London outskirts. The book is a sure fire cure for insomnia. [1] In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums. He kicked me in the balls and said something profound. With more and more millennials beginning to search for political clarity through poetry, sales of Clarkes work are currently soaring high. He said, 'He taught me how to knock the poetry out of it. Everybody else has been teachers, librarians or whatever. The worlds defining voice in music and pop culture: breaking whats new and whats next since 1952. We both just love words. Simple and timeless, it addresses the realities of raw feelings as Clarke expresses a desire to be the electric heater youll get cold without. The reasons the Beasley Streets exist is judged to be political, with one of the poems strongest lines directed at Keith Joseph, then described as the architect of Thatcherism; Keith Joseph smiles and a baby dies in a box on Beasley Street. John then interviewed Kevin Eldon a week . Evidently Chickentown Its lines are pretty abrupt and evoke a lot of cynicism Im not your psychoanalyst and Disgust is just his dumb disguise first spring to mind but thats what Clarke is all about. Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem I Wanna Be Yours, (Macmillan), is a groundbreaking piece of literature. It is an immensely engaging memoir that fizzes with wit, and it is simultaneously a chronicle of a lifetimes worth of extraordinary culture. They were speaking my language. [] challenging as the juggling fiends of fate have seen several must sees on at the same time; i.e. Best line: "The fucking scene is fucking sad, the fucking news is fucking bad, the fucking weed is fucking turf, the fucking speed is fucking surf" Kung Fu International "In which I get beaten up" says Clarke as introduction to this poem on its live recording. There's no pubs where I live anymore. [11] The film featured live performances of mainstream artists (the Police, the Go-Go's, XTC, Devo) as well as more obscure bands (Pere Ubu, Invisible Girls, the Alley Cats, Athletico Spizz '80, Chelsea) using concert footage from around the world. I ask John what he thinks of modern poets like Kae Tempest who he says he likes and describes as "a river to [their] people". At the same time, you had people like Wordsworth, waxing lyrical about the Lake District. For me it will be The Clash, The Slits, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Blondie, Siouxsie and the Banshees and of course, The Saints. One of. I will say that I did miss some sort of lead up to his performances. I believe that all poetry is meant to be heard.. Clarke often seemed to bear beats in mind when writing and performing, possibly indicating there is a frustrated rock star hiding under the poetic exterior. The photographs of David Bailey, are quite rightly seen as a poetic take on the 60s. What can I say, the 70's and 80's were a weird, weird, gloriously outrageous, wonderfully fun, utterly ridiculous era. The subject of the piece remains unnamed (lucky guy), but the ambiguity of the poem deems it one of the Salford lads finest pieces. John Otway is not exactly a household name. Click the button below to see the extras you get! . This one is all about violence. He has a great deal of respect for the tabloid hack who puts themselves in danger for a good story. I can imagine how it went in the meeting when they were discussing the construction of MediaCity. A native of Salford, Clarke and his trademark spiky bouffant have performed on the same bill as legendary Manchester bands like the Fall, the Buzzcocks, and Joy Division (as well as many other bands); managed to place Snap, Crackle & Bop, an album of his verses set to music, at #26 on the U.K . I was surprised that the reviews and descriptions made no mention of Clarke's addictions. Read More. "Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt", Vintage . Best line: Did Bob Marley like the odd smoke? Igr kvll underhll han hela Hammersmith Apollo med sin legendariska performancepoesi och den dr clarkeska deadpanhumorn. Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem I Wanna Be Yours, (Macmillan), is a groundbreaking piece of literature. He seems to be very happy. John Cooper Clarke, punk poet and the Bard of Salford is in danger of becoming a national treasure. I've got MediaCity to thank for introducing me to the genius that was Sean Locke. One of his more playful numbers, this tale of take away violence at the hands of an embryonic Bruce Lee was released as a b-side to single Post War Glamour Girls in 1978, and its light hearted nature echoes the nightclub circuit in which Clarke cut his teeth before the punk era. But hes never mannered. I mean, he is in my house, but in general houses. John Cooper Clarke shot to prominence in the 1970s as the original 'people's poet'. His unique poetry and delivery style was recorded and put to music by legendary producer Martin Hannett. What made it easy to remember was the sonorous language of poetry. Nay lads! A book that I did not want to end, so I tried to eke it out rather than devour it. I don't think that songs are poetry but I think that a good song has something poetic about it. JCC goes into fascinating detail about his early life in Manchester leading up to punk superstardom, drug addiction and then the massive comeback as major poet he enjoys today. I Wanna Be Yours by John Cooper Clarke is many things. Its a great word. You heathens! An exercise in acute alliteration that saw such excessive use of a plosive P that Clarke advised the first 16 rows of his audience to watch out. [12], Clarke released Zip Style Method in 1982, but thereafter performed his live act less frequently, spending much of the 1980s mired in heroin addiction, living in a "domestic partnership" with singer and fellow addict Nico. Clarkes time spent sharing a Brixton flat with actor and songwriter Nico, while both were deep in the mire of serious heroin addiction, is well-documented. Enter the Dragon, exit Johnny Clarke. The 73-year-old poet was born in England, United Kingdom. I want to talk to John about eating and drinking out. Clarkes episode of being beat up on a Saturday night outside a takeaway is translated into a playful (and ironic) piece here, proving that he isnt scared to admit his human downfalls post-night out. You can divide I Wanna Be Yours into two distinct sections: before and after the legendary Sex Pistols gig at Manchester Free Trade Hall in 1976. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Grab one of the last remaining tickets for John Cooper Clarke at The Bridgewater Hall here. It draws on his childhood perceptions specifically, the poverty he came across on the streets of Salford while Britains backdrop was entirely Thatcherite. [1] He released several albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continues to perform regularly. A serious note is being struck here and this poem looks at a life after revolution. John Hegley Poet. Those are the places they were playing - not pubs. Clarke's recording of "Evidently Chickentown" from his album Snap, Crackle & Bop was also featured prominently in the closing scene of The Sopranos episode Stage 5. I wanted to like this book, I'm a fan of John Cooper Clarke's work and have seen him on stage a couple times and loved his shows. JCC goes into . His recorded output has mainly centred around musical backing from the Invisible Girls, which featured Martin Hannett . 2023 Louder Than War. The constant use of the word fucking functions as a hammer, used to drive the points home. Thats terrible. They were all Coca Cola and amphetamines. It's not a place for a first date, is it? The first half of the book is an exercise in nostalgia as Clarke details growing up in the 1950's, 60's and early 1970's and the social and cultural developments in Britain during those decades with a welter of information about his favourite films, books, comics, songs, bands and much more. He shot to cultural prominence in the Seventies, producing and performing poetry that tackled real-life matters with zero fear and total vibrance. I like learning about poetry, the nuances and the cleverly picked phrases. There was little of the 'poet in the making' insight. Johns thrilled that people too young to remember punk rock may have discovered him on a compulsory basis when his poems were added to the GCSE syllabus in the 90s. He also cites poets like Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud and Edgar Allan Poe among his chief inspirations, but even more influential in his early days were figures such as Muhammad Ali, with his swaggering rhyming trash talk, and Edwardian music hall star Billy Merson. In addition, he published two poetry collections, Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt and The Luckiest Guy Alive. In the 1800s, poetry was perhaps akin to rock n roll, with its proponents being declared mad, bad and dangerous to know. I digress. You could still smell the polycell. Depressing, we know, but the acclaimed slapstick of his poetic creations doesnt waver. My all-time favourite, Sean Locke was the funniest guy alive. Fact: I Wanna Be Yours is a metaphorical masterpiece. Often referred to as "the bard of Salford",[9] he usually refers to himself on stage as "Johnny Clarke, the name behind the hairstyle". Berry showed him how to write songs. TWAT."". But of all the times when we might consider poetry to have been encouraged, the punk explosion of 76/77 would likely not be included. John Cooper Clarke (born 25 January 1949) is an English performance poet who first became famous during the punk rock era of the late 1970s when he became known as a "punk poet". Give it a name. [21] In October 2020 Clarke published an autobiography which took its title from his poem I Wanna Be Yours. John Cooper Clarke's memoir 'I Wanna Be Yours' - the big talking points Features John Cooper Clarke's bracing new memoir 'I Wanna Be Yours' - the big talking points The veteran poet. His life and career spans a big timescale, and with his constant demons this is no mean feat. A live performance of the same poem appears in the film Control, with Clarke portraying himself in a re-creation of a 1977 concert in which he supported Joy Division, despite being 30 years older than the events depicted in the film. I knew nothing about Clarke but had listened to his interview for Desert Island Discs. Beasley Street Nothing ages you more than trying to look like you're 'down with all that'. Since my main imperative was now the acquisition of ever-increasing amounts of heroin, there was always something better to do than write poetry. I can see the worth of a Martin's meat and potato pie. Endless name dropping and lists of songs, even ad jingles. JCC featured on BBC Radio 4's Chain Reaction in August 2011 being interviewed by none other than New Order's Peter Hook. Looks like Clarkes not the only one feeling entrapped this is a classic piece of poetry.

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