WELCOME TO CLASSIC POP

THIS MONTH, WE HAVE SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT FOR YOU ON THE FRONT OF CLASSIC POP – IT’S THE FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY THAT A GUITAR HERO HAS GRACED OUR COVER (PRINCE TRANSCENDS THAT LABEL, BY THE WAY). BUT DON’T FRET, THERE’S NO MAJOR CHANGING OF THE GUARD AT FOOT AND WE WON’T BE PRINTING TABLATURE FOR STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN ANY TIME SOON. JOHNNY MARR IS A ONE-OFF, A PERSONAL HERO OF MINE WHO HAS HAD AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ACROSS THE PAST 30+ YEARS ON THE WORLDS OF POP, INDIE AND DANCE.

Spandau Ballet unveil Wild new lead singer

Anew era for Spandau Ballet has begun after the pop

1 HIT WONDER

It’s not common for a backing singer on a well-known

Kylie’s neighbourly birthday bash

She promised an ‘extravaganza’ and Kylie Minogue delivered

GOLDFRAPP GET IN THE MODE

Dave Gahan has teamed up with Goldfrapp on the deluxe

Ridgeley wants George tribute

Andrew Ridgeley has called for a permanent memorial

LOST & FOUND

Music student Rosie Vela seemed to work on the basis

Vinyl reissues… If You Want It

OMD were among a slew of artists who helped celebrate

Southern comfort for Jake Shears

Former Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears will release

POP Quiz

1 Which former member of Kraftwerk collaborated with

Take on leaves with A-ha’s Harket

With A-ha back on the road, Morten Harket misses exercising

Howard’s box way

Howard Jones’ first two albums are to be re-released

Madonna’s Beautiful return?

Madonna is getting back into the groove with new music.

Pop comes undone

It’s official, pop music today is more depressing than

Sparkling new documentary

Sparks are to become the subject of a new film documentary

GODFATHERS of POP

Rusty Egan was one of the architects of the New Romantic

Video Tech

RAIDING THE RIFF LOCKER OF THE IMPERIOUS JOHNNY MARR

ROBBIE’S LOVING MUSICALS INSTEAD

Robbie Williams is trying his hand at musical theatre.

Talking ‘bout a Revolution

Dearly beloved, The Revolution are back. Prince’s most

GODFATHERS of POP

Born in Canada but brought up in Scotland, guitarist

Night Of Hits

A raft of 80s classic pop anthems helped raise £1.2

SOPHIE’S ORCHESTRAL TWIST

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is getting an orchestral makeover.

Not sure what they wannabe doing

The Spice Girls appear to be singing from different

IAN PEEL’S A TO Z of POP

PETER GABRIEL’S BACK CATALOGUE HAS FINALLY ARRIVED ON STREAMING SERVICES. HE MAY BE ONE OF THE LAST A-LISTERS TO JOIN THE SPOTIFY REVOLUTION, BUT THERE’S STILL AN OCEAN OF CLASSIC POP THAT’S MISSING IN ACTION.

THIS MONTH IN… POP July

ADAM AND THE ANTS SET OUT TO DOMINATE THE CHARTS AND THE WORLD TUNES IN TO WATCH THE BIGGEST LIVE MUSIC EVENT EVER STAGED DURING JULY’S MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS IN POP HISTORY

TOP TEN WEEK ENDING 25 JULY 1981

A PERFECT SNAPSHOT OF THE DIVERSITY OF THE EARLY-80S

POPARAZZI

READERS SHARE THEIR FAVOURITE PHOTOS AS THEY GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN PLANET POP

CLASSIC POP MOMENTS

England embark on their latest World Cup adventure

Close to the Edge

AS A RESTLESS, FORWARD-THINKING MUSICIAN, THE EXPERIENCE OF GOING BACK OVER HIS LIFE FOR HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN 2016 LEFT JOHNNY MARR FEELING BURNT OUT. NOW, THE LEGENDARY GUITARIST OPENS UP TO CLASSIC POP ABOUT HIS TRIUMPHANT RETURN AND HIS LATEST ALBUM CALL THE COMET… POSSIBLY THE MOST DRAMATIC RECORD OF HIS CAREER.

CLASSIC ALBUM ELECTRONIC

REDEFINING THE CONCEPT OF THE SUPERGROUP, JOHNNY MARR AND BERNARD SUMNER SHOOK OFF THE SHACKLES OF BEING AT THE FOREFRONT OF TWO OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT BANDS OF THE 80S TO FORM ELECTRONIC AND AIMED STRAIGHT FOR THE DANCEFLOOR

“SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN BERNARD’S KRAFTWERK AND TECHNOTRONIC OBSESSION AND MY CHIC AND S’EXPRESS OBSESSION.”

JOHNNY MARR TALKS CLASSIC POP THROUGH ELECTRONIC’S SEMINAL DEBUT ALBUM

FERE’S TO FUTURE DAYS

WITH A BRAND NEW ALBUM ALL SET FOR RELEASE, AN EXCITING INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL AND AN EXTENSIVE WORLD TOUR SCHEDULE, THERE ARE THREE FRESH CHAPTERS IN THE STORY OF FORMER THOMPSON TWIN TOM BAILEY ABOUT TO BE WRITTEN… HE REVEALS TO CLASSIC POP WHY HE CONSIDERS HIMSELF A “REAL WANDERER”, AND WHY HE DOESN’T WISH TO “STAY IN ONE PLACE FOR VERY LONG…”

ART OF THE ALBUM

AFTER U2 HIT A CREATIVE IMPASSE WITH 1988’S RATTLE

PLEDGING Their ALLEGIANCE

THEY BROKE THE TOP 10 ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC

BLONDIE & DEBBIE HARRY

WITH THE BEAUTIFUL DEBBIE HARRY AT THE HELM, BLONDIE HAD A GRIT, GLAMOUR AND SOPHISTICATED POP SENSIBILITY THAT WAS LACKING IN MOST OF THEIR CONTEMPORARIES. FOR A FEW YEARS, AS THE 70S MORPHED INTO THE 80S, THEY WERE ONE OF THE BIGGEST BANDS IN THE WORLD AND ALWAYS HAD ONE EYE ON WHAT WAS COMING NEXT…

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LABELLED WITH LOVE: FACTORY

MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A CENTURY AFTER IT CLOSED, IT’S STILL MANCHESTER’S FAVOURITE FACTORY. CLASSIC POP SPEAKS TO THE KEY FIGURES BEHIND ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST ICONIC LABELS AND REVEALS HOW FACTORY RECORDS AND ITS HAÇIENDA NIGHTCLUB PUMPED OUT THE SOUNDS, SLEEVES AND SPIRIT THAT DEFINED AN ENTIRE EPOCH OF BRITISH MUSIC CULTURE… G A

YOU’VE GOT MAIL

AWAY FROM HIS BLANCMANGE DAY JOB, NEIL ARTHUR HAS TEAMED UP WITH JEZ BERNHOLZ TO FORM NEAR FUTURE, A MUSICAL COLLABORATION ALL DONE VIA EMAIL THAT HAS SPAWNED AN ALBUM OF EPIC SYNTH AMBIENCE, SPOKEN WORD MENACE AND THE SOUND OF SIZZLING CARROTS… YES, REALLY! JOIN CLASSIC POP AS WE STEP INTO THE DUO’S MESMERISING WORLD

GREG JAKOBEK POP ART

GREG JAKOBEK’S NAME MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR, BUT HIS DESIGN WORK CERTAINLY WILL BE. HIS GRAPHICS GRACED THE RECORD SLEEVES OF SOME OF THE 80s BIGGEST NAMES, AND IN THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WE GO INSIDE THE COVERS WITH THE MAN HIMSELF.

YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY!

SHE WAS THE FIRST BLACK BRITISH FEMALE SOLO ARTIST TO BAG SIX CONSECUTIVE TOP 20 HITS AND CONQUERED CHARTS AROUND THE WORLD. NOW THE BIRMINGHAM-BORN SOUL QUEEN JAKI GRAHAM IS BACK WITH A BRAND NEW ALBUM. BUT AS CLASSIC POP DISCOVERS, SHE NEVER REALLY WENT AWAY…

WIN ONE OF 10 SIGNED COPIES OF NEAR FUTURE’S DEBUT ALBUM IDEAL HOME

GET YOUR HANDS ON A SPECIALLY SIGNED COPY OF THE FIRST FULL-LENGTH RELEASE FROM BLANCMANGE’S NEIL ARTHUR AND JEZ BERNHOLZ

WIN ONE OF FIVE COPIES OF FABULOUS POODLES’ 3CD COLLECTION

CHERRY RED’S COMPREHENSIVE CELEBRATION OF THE QUIRKY BRITISH ROCKERS UP FOR GRABS

MATTHEW RUDD

THE HOST OF FORGOTTEN 80S ON ABSOLUTE 80S RADIO CHECKS OUT THE LATEST RELEASES FROM RETURNING STARS INCLUDING RICK ASTLEY, ALL SAINTS, LILY ALLEN, JOHNNY MARR, THE KOOKS AND SUEDE

NEW RELEASES

ALMOST THREE DECADES SINCE THEIR SWANSONG, THE FORMER

DAVID BOWIE WELCOME TO THE BLACKOUT (LIVE LONDON ‘78)

CAPTURED IN THE SUMMER OF 1978, THIS 2CD LIVE SET SHOWCASES A RECOVERING GENIUS BACK ON TOP OF HIS GAME AND SOUNDING AS VITAL AS EVER

THE CURE MIXED UP

THE GOTH-FATHER CONTINUES TO TWEAK AND REMIX CLASSIC TRACKS WHILE HIS DEVOTED ARMY OF DARKLINGS WAIT FOR AN ALBUM OF NEW MATERIAL

PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED THE PUBLIC IMAGE IS ROTTEN (SONGS FROM THE HEART)

“‘ELLO ‘ELLO…” IS IT PiL YOU’RE LOOKING FOR? LAVISH BOXSET HIGHLIGHTS WHY THERE WAS A LONGEVITY TO LYDON’S POST-PISTOLS OUTFIT, LOST IN PUNK’S CRASH & BURN IDEOLOGY

LONG LIVE VINYL

FROM THE ART POP OF SPARKS AND SYNTH-ROCK OF THE KILLERS TO THE CLASSICISM OF DIRE STRAITS AND LENNY KRAVITZ, VIA A BUMPER ROLLING STONES BOXSET AND EURYTHMICS CLASSICS, WE RUN OUR CRITICAL EYE OVER THE LATEST VINYL RELEASES…

LEE THOMPSON

ONE MAN’S MADNESS

MARK SELIGER

MARK SELIGER PHOTOGRAPHS

JOSEPH VOGEL

THIS THING CALLED LIFE: PRINCE, RACE, SEX, RELIGION AND MUSIC

SEAN EGAN

LOVE WITH A PASSION CALLED HATE: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE JAM

BECK

ALL POINTS EAST FESTIVAL, VICTORIA PARK, LONDON

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN

USHER HALL, EDINBURGH

LOVE SAVES THE DAY

EASTVILLE PARK, BRISTOL

THE CHRISTIANS

ST MARY’S CHURCH, RYE

BLOSSOMS

02 ACADEMY, NEWCASTLE

SWING OUT SISTER

THE HOSPITAL CLUB, LONDON