Not all of his groups were such a shambles, however. His book choice was Against Nature by Joris-Karl Huysmans, his luxury item was a boulder of opium twice the size of his head and his favourite track was "How Great Thou Art" by Elvis Presley. One of his more upbeat musical compositions accompany this one, the delivery of which veers startlingly close to a sung melody. Came across JCC through the Arctic Monkeys. Well, I'm a fan so I found this autobiography super charming. [1] In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums. The subject of the piece remains unnamed (lucky guy), but the ambiguity of the poem deems it one of the Salford lads finest pieces. People think the internet is as reliable as a newspaper. Simple and timeless, it addresses the realities of raw feelings as Clarke expresses a desire to be the electric heater youll get cold without. Dr. John Cooper Clarke is a Salford-born poet and performer who has shared bills with the likes of Joy Division, the Sex Pistols and the Fall, and released multiple albums. Nay lads! Pest is ostensibly about someone urinating in public but really is Clarke delighting in his mastery of the English language. I've just realised that now after all these years.. John Cooper Clarke was born in England on January 25, 1949. She writes about her world, same as I write about mine.". Leading line: They packed us into the white hotel. I bought this book because I like his poetry. Roger McGough Poet. Contents John cooper clarke twat on after dark 1982 They were speaking my language. The rest is history. johncooperclarke .com. It draws on his childhood perceptions specifically, the poverty he came across on the streets of Salford while Britains backdrop was entirely Thatcherite. He shot to cultural prominence in the Seventies,. The debate on bringing back the death penalty was rumbling on when Clarke wrote down his observations on what the result of this might be. he followed with my fat friend fell down the stairs last night..we thought eastenders had finished early.. not bad for a sickly Salford boy punk poet, who regularly appears on 9 out of ten cats enjoy cool countdownjust say graphic reference to hard drugs some will find difficult.. thanks John ever in Aylesbury there is a bed here always as room as kids are off to university my mind of man although many music differences, read it as in his own style has never left any associates out to dry and his will nice on the andy warhol factory goings on..lips willed although offers millions ever when doing at time.. solid.. spoiler.. just as good now freed from chain of addiction.. excellent narrated by himeslf he even second guesses you..as I say no matter where you are born, your dreams are valid.. thanks Johnny boy, your london mate..my life mirrowed yours without the talent and adventures..but now clean and boys working towards phd.. but I get slated I believe anything really worth knowing can never be taught, and if I was educated I would be a fool.. but spell I hear you.. a must listen..love to alo. It is essentially just one joke stretched across a poem, but it showcases Clarkes sense of humour perfectly. John Cooper Clarke (born 25 January 1949) is an English performance poet, who first became famous as a " punk poet" in the late 1970s. I was in it to win it so I always wrote with a kind of loosely specified audience. But I don't want to overanalyse what I do. Introduction to the English rock singer and poet, Sir John Cooper Clarke, and reading of two poems "I wanna be yours" & "I've got. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. I like learning about poetry, the nuances and the cleverly picked phrases. There have been times when poetry was very much in vogue. Putting a punk spin on simple matters has given the northern man a master status: purveyor of subcultural shock. His musical albums include Snap, Crackle & Bop; Zip Style Method; Disguise in Love; and Walking Back to Happiness. He said, 'He taught me how to knock the poetry out of it. A book of two halves by Britain's "bargain basement Baudelaire" as poet John Cooper Clarke writes an autobiography of sorts. Looks like Clarkes not the only one feeling entrapped this is a classic piece of poetry. In January 2018 Clarke appeared as a contestant on an academic version of BBC One's Pointless Celebrities partnered with historian Suzannah Lipscomb; they reached the head-to-head round. The often divisive production that Martin Hannett brought to John Cooper Clarkes poetry works to best effect here, complimenting the dark undertones and careful alliteration of in an X certificate exercise ex-servicemen excrete. 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. I Dont Want To Be Nice The combative stage persona he developed with his formative gigs at Bernard Mannings Embassy Club meant that shows in front of these viscious, drunken, delinquent, blocked-up punks held no terrors for me, and his sharp stage get-up was perfectly suited to the scene. I used to think trees were dirty, because when I was a kid in Salford you'd climb them and come off filthy, it was like you'd been up a chimney and even if you got a stretch of park you just had to scrape the grass and there were, like, cinders underneath it was horrible[5], His first job was a laboratory technician at Salford Tech. I Wanna Be Yours is out now via Pan Macmillan. It's an alarmingly ridiculous idea. Benjamin Zephaniah Writer. Are we still asking if you can wear black with blue? With kind-of-terrible, kind-of-hysterical comments Like a nightclub in the morning, youre the bitter end every claim is unleashed like a bomb. He released several albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continues to perform regularly. SNAP, CRACKLE & BOP CD. Read More. is a barrage of questions from the subtle to the absurd, each one laugh inducing and perfectly crafted. Feargal Kinney gave us his top 10 John Cooper Clarke poems. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He also starred in another 1982 film titled John Cooper Clarke Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt produced for the Arts Council of Great Britain and Channel 4. the girls are on the shelf. In a way it kind of cramps my style.. Why pull the ladder up? A fan of the show for 60 years, he described it as having "all the finality of a suicide note, without the actual obligation of topping yourself". JCC featured on BBC Radio 4's Chain Reaction in August 2011 being interviewed by none other than New Order's Peter Hook. Article What is Baroque? With so much to see, its inevitable that we would [], 1984. When I saw this show listed in the Fringe guide I initially thought "that's funny this guy has the same name as that crazy UK singer. His vocals from both of his Suns of Arqa tracks have been used on numerous remixes by the band ever since. He never does the same song the same way twice. 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". Even one hes never read. Above a pretty upbeat musical backdrop, his abrupt dictation is all the more compelling. Famous fans include Ben Drew, aka the aforementioned Plan B as well as Alex Turner and his Arctic Monkeys. I Wrote the Songs Unfortunately, the latter half is a repetitive and often boring account of all the numerous ways of taking heroin at various times and locations. A RIOT OF OUR OWN BY JOHNNY GREEN & GARRY BARKER. He shot to cultural prominence in the Seventies, producing and performing poetry that tackled real-life matters with zero fear and total vibrance. I can write blank verse, but where's the groove? Like a lot of Brits, he has a clear dislike of someone, but, unlike a lot Brits, he manifests that into angry, firing verses that make for a condemning rant. I want to talk to John about eating and drinking out. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. In 1979, he had his only UK top 40 hit with "Gimmix! Lifestyle. Everything that they wanted to achieve, I wanted to stop happening, he writes. Who would have voted for anybody who said, I'm going to abolish pubs? He reckons the parts of Salford he grew up in havent changed and he doesnt think MediaCity counts. In. His poetry concerned itself less with daffodils and summer days and more with the squalor and ridiculousness of the world around him. Give it a name. It's consciously antediluvian., Hes a fan of rap music though, How could I possibly complain? Whenever I cite Pam Ayres as being an influence on me - which she was because of her success - it would always be met with laughter. John Cooper Clarke shot to prominence in the 1970s as the original 'people's poet'. Some of the toughest guys I ever knew were all vying for attention with million-dollar words, the slickest of rhymes, and ever more arcane vocabulary, Clarke recalls. I was always more of a Baudelaire than a Wordsworth. Credit: Getty. It is through you visiting Poem Analysis that we are able to contribute to charity. "For many years as well - this is where Ive been ploughing the lonely furrow - rhyming was seen to be a capital offence. Simple yet utterly perfect, Evidently Chickentown is a stark depiction of a location so grim that Clarke can only adequately express this by using a stream of continuous expletives. Around this time, he performed on stage with several punk and post-punk bands and continues to perform regularly. I remember him from the 70s and from assorted TV appearances. Another speciality is clothing and fashion, something he takes very seriously. He might consider himself relegated to the realm of the old fashioned but at 73, John Cooper Clarke is as relevant and influential as ever. They're already selling a range of poisons. A five star no-brainer for me, but I really wonder how others not having a similar background might feel about it. Subscribe to Louder Than War and help keep the flame of independent music burning. I grew up with much the same memories: UCP cafes, meat and potato pies, running home on a Friday night to watch Ready Steady Go, and the Twisted Wheel and Jigsaw clubs in Manchester. It was too good. How often do you see a poet's memoir these days! About John Cooper Clarke. John Cooper Clarke - Haiku. 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. With a song, you can hold notes on. See Jim Moir aka Vic Reeves paintings for evidence of how broad his impact still is. John Cooper Clarke is a phenomenon: Poet Laureate of Punk, rock star, fashion icon, TV and radio presenter, social and cultural commentator. Written in the style of what I did on my holiday, liberally sprinkled with old man type groovy speak, eg natch kinda. John Cooper Clarke (known as Alice Cooper) has this important message about heroin addiction, saying the best prevention is never starting. What kind of poet is John Cooper Clarke? John Cooper Clarke (born January 25, 1949) is famous for being poet. Thats terrible. Igr kvll underhll han hela Hammersmith Apollo med sin legendariska performancepoesi och den dr clarkeska deadpanhumorn. Around this time, he performed on stage with several punk and post-punk bands and continues to perform regularly. Ive worked with the best of them, but The Fall I would watch night in, night out, Clarke remembers. 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. He might not be a pub man but John loves a good restaurant. He really wasn't limited to any sub-genre. Of all the artists who appear in the book, The Fall, Clarke says, were the best of the best. I don't know why more people don't do it. [27], In November 2019 Clarke was a participant, alongside Phill Jupitus, in BBC's Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. Show more Ratings Friends & Following Credit: Getty Images. It was heavily weighted toward the early years and away from his poetry. The state of urban living has long been a strong concern for Clarke, and in Beasley Street he relays that with power. [] challenging as the juggling fiends of fate have seen several must sees on at the same time; i.e. If youre wondering how to deal with someone elses problems, the solution is right in this piece of poetry. Around this time, he performed on stage with several punk and post-punk bands and continues . On this rare occasion that Clarke took a writing trip away from socialism, he proved his leading status as a hopeless romantic. Best line: Like a death a birthday party, you ruin all the fun.. Poetry with swearing in it.. I was on drugs. I also recommend his love show! You call the shots, I wanna be yours. Yes, he's a bit superficial with all his accent on style and clothes, and, sure, rhyming poetry is old hat in a way, and he uses the same meter in most all of his poems, and he's so much better without musical backing (despite the talents of Martin Hannett and Vini Reilly, two musicians I otherwise revere unreservedly), but, damn! The bits of the book Id previously dipped into were superbly written, but hearing the Bargain Basement Baudelaire read his own life story lifts it to another level altogether. Berry showed him how to write songs. I never really understood that. The only person that I could ever point at that ever made a living out of poetry was Charles Baudelaire. Even his shambolic attempts to form a Beatles-inspired band in the 60s meant we were punk rockers before that became a good thing.. Throughout the 60s, he was a member of a comically inept beat combo whose Spinal Tap-style career is worthy of its own book. The gutturally nasal Northern machine gun verse of John Cooper Clarke, as full of vitriol as it is humour and irony, is as inimitably his own as the black hairspray explosion and 28 inch waist black drainpipes still omnipresent in his 70s (70s!). "Id been halfway out the door when the proprietor told me that some young men in a band wanted a word because theyd done my poetry at school. Now you get children in them so you can't even swear in a pub anymore. The first, Ten Years In An Open Necked Shirt was released in 1983. JCC will be joining Squeeze on their UK tour - tickets available from Gigs and Tours. John Cooper Clarke is an English punk poet who became famous in the late 70s and recorded I Wanna Be Yours in 1982.. Read John Cooper Clarke's poem for Topman's show at London Collections Men. 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. Authors; . John Cooper Clarke rose to fame as a 'people's poet' in the 1970s, and is one of Britains best known spoken word artists (Photo: Paul Wolfgang Webster) By Louise Rhind-Tutt October 13, 2017. Sometimes a band hit . We are still experiencing political turmoil, after all. It doesnt say much, but it goes to great lengths to say it. This Time It's Personal CD. Clarke was born in Salford, Lancashire, in 1949. It is not Clarke that embraced punk, however, but the other way around. 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". Best line: Dancin In The Daylight, Singin In The Smog, You Aint Nothin But A Hedgehog., All Selections by Banjo you can find his authors archive here. Wise words from punk poet John Cooper Clarke, Kurt Cobain's sunglasses taught a whole generation of kids how to be cool, Mark three years without David Bowie by listening to his best songs, James McAvoys lowkey watch is a people's champion, Meet the men paying to have their jaws broken in the name of manliness, 10 of the best GQ-approved first watches money can buy. Somewhere between a narrative film, a series of music videos and a documentary, the film features interviews and performances by Clarke and Linton Kwesi Johnson among others. John reckons literacy has always been important in Manchester, the birthplace of The Manchester Guardian. Meet the men who get turned on hearing about their partners sexual past, Simone Rocha is the incumbent Cool Guy brand, An entirely accurate ranking of the 15 best comedy films ever, Print copies & Digital access for only 1. So glad Majorca is on the list utter genius and my favourite! 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".He released several albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continues to perform regularly.