OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Paul Kirkley makes his living from interviewing famous

WELCOME

Y ou’ll all have no doubt heard the

STEDM AN PEARSON

POP UP 29 JUNE 1964 – 10 M

GENE UNVEIL LONDON REUNION SHOW

Gene have announced plans to play their first

THE PUNK ROCK VETERAN RETURNS WITH HELP FROM A TRIO OF FEMALE STARS TO OFFER UP HIS FIRST NEW MATERIAL FOR MORE THAN A DECADE

© David Raccuglia BILLY IDOL DREAM INTO

NEWS

Royal upgrade for Prince’s Purple Rain

RIALTO QA

IT’S 24 YEARS SINCE THE BAND LAST RELEASED A RECORD THOUGH LEADER LOUIS ELIOT HASN’T BEEN TWIDDLING HIS THUMBS. HERE HE TALKS TO CP ABOUT TOURING WITH GRACE JONES AND FINDING “LIBERATION” AFTER A BRUSH WITH DEATH WHILE ON HOLIDAY IN SPAIN.

RICK BUCKLER

6 DECEMBER 1955 – 17 FEBRUARY 2025 R

OASIS – FROM STAGE TO SCREEN

Peaky Blinders visionary Steven Knight is set to

SUPERSTAR LYDIA MURDOCK

Taking on the role of Billie Jean was

My POP life

THE CO-WRITER OF SITCOM MOTHERLAND AND SPINOFF AMANDALAND TALKS ABOUT HEARING MICHAEL JACKSON FROM HER BACK GARDEN IN LIVERPOOL AND HER LOVE OF INDIE MISFITS WEEN...

DARYL HALL QA

FOR FIVE DECADES, DARYL HALL HAS BEEN THE VOICE BEHIND SOME OF POP’S MOST ENDURING HITS. NOW, HE’S EMBRACING NEW HORIZONS. THE SINGER-SONGWRITER TELLS CLASSIC POP ABOUT HIS SOLO JOURNEY, MUSICAL LEGACY AND THE DRIVE THAT STILL PUSHES HIM FORWARD

SMITHS ARCHIVE GOES UNDER THE HAMMER

A n archive from The Smiths has been

PLEASE, PLEASE SMELL ME NOW...

Duran Duran have unveiled two new unisex scents

BRANIGAN LAURA BRANIGAN

To say Laura Branigan may have peaked too

Ian Peel’s Ato Zof POP

A DIVE INTO THE POWER OF PICTURE DISCS, OLD AND NEW, ROUND AND SHAPED. WERE THESE RECORDS REALLY THE ULTIMATE COMBINATION OF MUSIC, MERCH AND GRAPHIC DESIGN ALL IN ONE SINGLE PRODUCT?

This month in POP

WELLER EMBARKS ON A NEW MUSICAL JOURNEY, BOWIE DOUBLES UP WITH A CLASSIC NO.1 AND JACKO MOONWALKS HIS WAY TO LEGENDARY STATUS

16

© Alamy Few dance moves are so iconic

TOP 5 UK ALBUMS CHART

8 MAY 1983 1 TRUE SPANDAU BALLET

CLASSIC POP TOP TEN

Synthwave

YOUR AT-A-GLANCE GUIDE TO SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE SUB-GENRES

THE DREAM ACADEMY THE DRE AM ACADEMY

THOUGH IT TOOK YEARS TO ACHIEVE MUSICAL STARDOM, NICK LAIRD-CLOWES MOVED IN THE RIGHT CIRCLES FROM THE START. THE DREAM ACADEMY’S DEBUT, WITH STANDOUT SINGLE, LIFE IN A NORTHERN TOWN , MARKED THE POINT WHERE THE CHARISMATIC SONGWRITER’S PROMISE FINALLY CAME TO FRUITION.

POPARAZZi

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

MAD! WORLD

AS SPARKS RETURN WITH THEIR 28TH ALBUM, RON AND RUSSELL MAEL TELL CLASSIC POP ABOUT TAKING THE LONG WAY ROUND TO ICON STATUS – AND WHY, IN THEIR SIXTH DECADE, THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF SLOWING DOWN. “OUR APPROACH WAS TO ASK, ‘WHAT WOULD NATURALLY BE THE SORT OF RECORD WE WOULD MAKE AT THIS STAGE OF OUR CAREERS?’ – AND THEN NOT DO THAT...”

DUMMY PORTISHEAD

THE BRISTOL GROUP’S DEBUT LONG-PLAYER IS A SULTRY, SMOKY AND FIERCELY ORIGINAL CLASSIC THAT BLENDS LOPING BEATS WITH TWANGY GUITARS AND SEDUCTIVE VOCALS. IT CONQUERED BRITPOP TO SCOOP THE MERCURY PRIZE – JUST DON’T CALL IT TRIP-HOP.

Let’s Stick Together

If you thought Bryan Ferry was easing into semi-retirement, forget it. For his first album of new songs in more than adecade, he’s teamed up with performance artist Amelia Barratt for the remarkable genre-shifting Loose Talk . The pair tell us of their shared bleakness and mischief

THE CURE

FRONTED BY THE IRREPRESSIBLE ROBERT SMITH, THE CURE QUICKLY OUTGREW THE POST-PUNK SCENE TO FORGE THEIR OWN DISTINCTIVE WILD-HAIRED PATH ON A STRING OF CLASSIC ALBUMS THAT SET THE BENCHMARK FOR GOTHIC ROCK

A BRUSH WITH ROYALTY

IN THIS EXTR ACT FROM JENNIFER OT TER BICKERDIKE’S AUTHORISED BIOGR APHY OF THE BANGLES, ETER NAL FLAME , THE BAND REFLECT ON HOW PRINCE CHANGED THEIR LIVES FOREVER WITH CL ASSIC SINGLE MANIC MONDAY ...

MUSIC SOUNDS BETTER WITH YOU

OUR PICK OF THE BEST CLASSIC POP -FRIENDLY FESTIVALS TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS YEAR

WIN A FAMILY TICKET TO CAMP BESTIVAL WORTH UP TO £1,370!

ROB DA BANK’S CAMP BESTIVAL RETURNS TO DORSET THIS YEAR – AND CLASSIC POP HAS AN INCREDIBLE FAMILY TICKET UP FOR GRABS TO GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY READER

WIN BEARDED THEORY FESTIVAL TICKETS WORTH £480!

IGGY, THE MANICS AND PAUL HEATON LEAD THE WAY FOR THE 16TH YEAR OF THE MUCH-LOVED EVENT

JEWEL IN THE CROWN

With Erasure firmly back at the business end of the charts, Andy Bell has had chance to enjoy success without needing to bother with the fripperies of fame. It’s allowed him the opportunity to assess why he still needs to sing after 40 years – helped by a major Erasure fan as his co-writer on new solo album Ten Crowns . Andy tells CP of changes in the music industry, singing under the bed covers and finally working with his own idol in the studio

TOP 20 DIFFICULT SECOND ALBUMS

Following up a successful debut album has been problematic for various artists and bands over the years, as our latest rundown proves

“I STILL HAVE A FUTU R E A ND NOT JUST A PAST”

FORTY YEARS AFTER THE RELEASE OF HER SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM, THE BOUNDARY-PUSHING SUZANNE VEGA RETURNS WITH HER 10TH STUDIO LP, THE ELEGANT AND ECLECTIC FLYING WITH ANGELS . HERE CLASSIC POP TAKES A BITE OUT OF THE BIG APPLE WITH THE SINGER-SONGWRITER AND STEPS INSIDE HER BOOK OF DREAMS...

THE HOT LIST

NEW RELEASES THAT NEED TO BE ON YOUR CULTUR AL R ADAR

SPARKS MAD!

TRANSGRESSIVE

ANDY BELL TEN CROWNS

CROWN RECORDINGS

BRYAN FERRY AND AMELIA BARRATT LOOSE TALK

BMG

SUZANNE VEGA FLYING WITH ANGELS

COOKING VINYL

PET SHOP BOYS DREAMWORLD: THE GREATEST HITS LIVE

PARLOPHONE

THE WATERBOYS LIFE, DEATH AND DENNIS HOPPER

SUN

SIMPLE MINDS LIVE IN THE CITY OF DIAMONDS

BMG

THE FARM LET THE MUSIC (TAKE CONTROL)

MODERN SKY

SELF ESTEEM A COMPLICATED WOMAN

POLYDOR

PETER MURPHY SILVER SHADE

METROPOLIS

JOHN FOXX WHEREVER YOU ARE

METAMATIC

ELTON JOHN AND BRANDI CARLILE WHO BELIEVES IN ANGELS?

EMI ISLAND

RIALTO NEON & GHOST SIGNS

FIERCE PANDA

BUTLER, BLAKE &GRANT BUTLER, BLAKE & GRANT

355

ÉTIENNE DE CRÉCY WARM UP

PIXADELIC

DR ROBERT AND MATT DEIGHTON THE INSTANT GARDEN

LAST NIGHT FROM GLASGOW

STEREOPHONICS MAKE ‘EM LAUGH, MAKE ‘EM CRY, MAKE ‘EM WAIT

EMI

RÖYKSOPP TRUE ELECTRIC

DOG TRIUMPH

BLANCMANGE NIL BY MOUTH VI

BLANC CHECK

COSMIC CROONER EUROPEAN VACATION

COSMIC CROONER

LUKE SPILLER LOVE WILL PROBABLY KILL ME BEFORE CIGARETTES AND WINE

BIG MACHINE

A-HA HUNTING HIGH AND LOW: THE DEMOS

RHINO/WARNER

DAVID BOWIE READY, SET, GO!

PARLOPHONE

THE COLOURFIELD VIRGINS AND PHILISTINES

CHRYSALIS ★★★★✩ Ahead of a complete boxset, the

HOLLY JOHNSON HOLLELUJAH

PLEASURE DOME

MADNESS TAKE COVER!

WEST VILLAGE

DANNII MINOGUE NEON NIGHTS REMIXED

LONDON

NEUROTIC OUTSIDERS NEUROTIC OUTSIDERS

RHINO

PRINCE &THE NEW POWER GENERATION LIVE AT GRAND SLAM

RHINO/WARNER

SOFT CELL *HAPPINESS NOW COMPLETED

BIG FROCK

DUSTY SPRINGFIELD REPUTATION

RHINO

DAVE STEWART DAVE DOES DYLAN

SURFDOG

SUEDE SCI-FI LULLABIES VOL.2

DEMON

DAVID SYLVIAN CAMPHOR II

UMR/VIRGIN

TALKING HEADS LIVE ON TOUR ’78

RHINO

THOMPSON TWINS INTO THE GAP LIVE

BMG

VERVE VOYAGER 1

VIRGIN

INXS LISTEN LIKE THIEVES

UMR

MIKE + THE MECHANICS LOOKING BACK: LIVING THE YEARS

CRAFT

BETTY BOO BOOMANIA/GRRR! IT’S

BETTY BOO RECORDS

TINA TURNER PRIVATE DANCER

RHINO

GARY NUMAN BERSERKER

BMG

ELECTRIC SIX FIRE

BEGGARS ARKIVE

DONNA SUMMER CATS WITHOUT CLAWS

DEMON

DE LA SOUL THE GRIND DATE

BMG

SUNHOUSE CRAZY ON THE WEEKEND

ROUGH TRADE

CYNDI LAUPER BP PULSE LIVE, BIRMINGHAM

14 FEBRUARY

ALISON MOYET SYMPHONY HALL, BIRMINGHAM

27 FEBRUARY

BOWIE ODYSSEY 75 SIMON GODDARD

OMNIBUS PRESS

SOLID BOND IN YOUR HEART: A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF THE JAM MALCOLM WYATT

SPENWOOD BOOKS

501 ESSENTIAL ALBUMS OF THE 80S GARY GRAFF

MOTORBOOKS

33⅓: COCTEAU TWINS – BLUE BELL KNOLL

BLOOMSBURY

ROXY MUSIC RELEASE AVALON

28 M AY 1982