The most striking thing about hearing this poem performed live is the staccato call-and-response nature of the delivery. If it's got some kind of lasting value, you say it's poetic. 10.00 GBP. John Cooper Clarke (born 25 January 1949) is an English performance poet who became famous during the punk rock era of the late 1970s when he became known as a "punk poet". His musical albums include Snap, Crackle & Bop; Zip Style Method; Disguise in Love; and Walking Back to Happiness. Any amateur review cannot do justice to the genius of JCC, so I just urge you to read it! In fact Im not sure what it actually is, stream of consciousness myth making? I wasn't a punk, but a signed-up drippy hippy, and the music I was into then Pink Floydian and trippy, but I rushed out quick and bought his Gimmix single, though with safety-pinned punks I had to mingle. I mean, he is in my house, but in general houses. Poet Laureate of Punk, fashion icon, TV and radio presenter, social and cultural commentator. There's no pubs where I live anymore. Clarke is unashamed to tell it like it was (for him), to drop names, to joke and tease, and even to give some clever and interesting social perspective to the post war years in terms of style and the way his generation and mine (boom and Blank--he's got about 12 years on me) absorbed and carried on our culture through film, TV, music, and then style and books. I cant prove this, because sadly there is no recorded evidence, but youve gotta believe me.. Is solo dating the most romantic act of all? [] challenging as the juggling fiends of fate have seen several must sees on at the same time; i.e. Anywhere else in a pub, the landlord or landlady would say, There's a room for that kind of language. To be honest, [women] wouldn't want to go in The Vault. It's more of two guys in a pub". 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". Often referred to as "the bard of Salford",[9] he usually refers to himself on stage as "Johnny Clarke, the name behind the hairstyle". Some extracts taken from an interview with Punk Poet - John Cooper Clarke. They were speaking my language. The rest is history. I asked him what they were called, and he said The Arctic Monkeys, Clarke remembers. And I've never really shook that off.. Evidently Chickentown wouldnt have achieved its master status had it not been for Clarkes repetitive fucking (words only, dont worry). Leading line: People mention murder the moment you arrive. This the man who first taught him that poetry should be heard, not read, and who managed to transform his classroom into a hothouse of proto-rap battles. Near the end hes given up drugs, married and has a grown up daughter. His wife Evie, whos French, is the better cook. Evie. His unique poetry was put to music by producer Martin Hannett and a band of Mancunians The Invisible Girls.Seminal tracks such as Beasley St and Evidently Chickentown featured on the album Snap Crackle and Bop, one of 4 hit 70/80s album releases. There's all sorts of things come into play, innit? So witty and clever, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of fashion, music and pop culture. The book is also an at times bleak account of his descent into heroin addiction, always written with a lightness of touch, but never swerving in its mission to bare all. See Jim Moir aka Vic Reeves paintings for evidence of how broad his impact still is. Kung Fu International When will Manchester City achieve European Champions League glory? He released several albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continues to perform regularly. Sat around with a load of swearing old blokes playing darts and farting.. It is through you visiting Poem Analysis that we are able to contribute to charity. 9.50 GBP. The clubs I used to frequent: The Twisted Wheel, The Oasis, The Jungfrau - all those great rock and roll venues were really for under 18s. Please check for alternative titles or spellings. I was always more of a Baudelaire than a Wordsworth. 14.00 GBP. Discombobulated youths, confined spaces Clarke gets it all spot on. Even one hes never read. '''Twat"", one of his most famous poems. He has a great deal of respect for the tabloid hack who puts themselves in danger for a good story. Poems covered in the Educational Syllabus. Bob Mortimer has taken on the role of John Cooper Clarke. He was comparatively old - in his late twenties - by the time punk hit, but he looked and sounded every inch the punky malcontent, and he . . It is not Clarke that embraced punk, however, but the other way around. He was known for his phrasing. I never really understood that. Their common problem is that theyre not someone else. John Cooper Clarke is an English performance poet, who first became famous as a "punk poet" in the late 1970s. His only prose work is I Wanna Be Yours, a memoir. Follow us on Vero for exclusive music content and commentary, all the latest music lifestyle news and insider access into the GQ world, from behind-the-scenes insight to recommendations from our Editors and high-profile talent. I think it was on Sky Arts. [1] He released several albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continues to perform regularly. It was heavily weighted toward the early years and away from his poetry. Dont worry, we wont ask who. That poem I wrote for Plan B for the movie Ill Manors. I am but I don't like to analyse it too much. I will say that I did miss some sort of lead up to his performances. That point is quite obvious name-dropping a politician in a dark line that was actually censored by the BBC upon play in 1980. I am 53 and saw John many times.. and lover his warts and all adventures..not for everyone, but most working class boys or anyone who is not interested in average people and prepared to not to be told how to live..gets messy , but met all the rock n roll greats and all the people worth knowing who were on same path..his wit and compassion to fellow musicians in trouble would help emotionally never wandered..a good man knows a good man..first saw at Glastonbury..and said with paper they in hand look my divorce..not bad 50/50 on house she got the inside and I got the outside and pay for arrangements..I was hooked.. also part of the school curriculum (wanna be your washing machine). I didnt want the 15+ hours of this to end, and had I the time, Id listen to it again right away. [2], Clarke has attributed his early success in part to the influence of the English poet Pam Ayres. Sinatra sings it. With more and more millennials beginning to search for political clarity through poetry, sales of Clarkes work are currently soaring high. He reckons the parts of Salford he grew up in havent changed and he doesnt think MediaCity counts. He was known in his pomp as the punk poet. So playing to my strengths, I thought, I'm gonna make a living doing this. I don't think that songs are poetry but I think that a good song has something poetic about it. It refers to macaronis who were kind of pre-Beau Brummel dandies from 200 years ago. 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". [2] Rabid also released his debut LP O est la maison de fromage'? . A Music War, in which he performed his poem "Health Fanatic". Those are the places they were playing - not pubs. Best line: Theyd hang you for incontinence and fiddling your tax. Looks like you might have an AdBlocker on. If nothing else, I Wanna Be Yours stands as a thrilling document of some of musics most exciting moments of the last century. [16][17], Clarke was the subject of a BBC Four documentary, Evidently John Cooper Clarke, in May 2012, screened as part of the BBC's Punk Britannia season. 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. He layers them over melodies, relaying a sort of spoken song that makes his compositions an outpour of awareness rather than just forms of entertainment. 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!). And yet they voted for Tony Blair., Whoever went in a pub for the good of their health? Famous fans include Ben Drew, aka the aforementioned Plan B as well as Alex Turner and his Arctic Monkeys. 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. I Wanna Be Yours by John Cooper Clarke is available to buy now from all good book shops. Many have acknowledged that: The Sopranos used his song rendition in season six and its even cropped into school curriculums (I met it in the classroom at 15 years old). . In Majorca, he offers a playful perspective from Spains crowded holiday resorts, noting its hysteria but also kind of embracing it. His recorded output has mainly centred around musical backing from the Invisible Girls, which featured Martin Hannett . Contents 1 Quotes 1.1 BBC Four - Evidently.John Cooper Clarke (30 May 2012) 1.2 BBC Radio 4 - Dr John Cooper Clarke at the BBC (Nov 2016) 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 involved people that are much younger than myself in the gangster world of East London. Leading line: I cant go back to Salford, the cops have got me marked. Extra charming, in fact, because I clandestinely downloaded the audio book to hear the great poet's self-defined adenoidal Mancunian Yiddish and Cockney slang-laced voice reading his life to me. The poem is also the inspiration behind the single's video, in which clowns brawl. John Otway is not exactly a household name. Pest is ostensibly about someone urinating in public but really is Clarke delighting in his mastery of the English language. Media City ain't Ordsall any more than The Vatican City is Rome, he says, The modern priestly class of show-business is kept apart from the hoi polloi of Ordsall. John Cooper Clarke", "BBC One Would I Lie to You?, Series 9, Episode 3", "Would I Lie to You? I like learning about poetry, the nuances and the cleverly picked phrases. There is the local thug Lemonhead, an embittered nutter who spends his time camped out on waste ground taking potshots at passers by with a sniper rifle. "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. Its really my only skill. His career has been more as a performer, though he insists that its important to write the poems down, saying, You've got to learn the words somehow. [2] He lived in the Higher Broughton area of the city and became interested in poetry after being inspired by his English teacher, John Malone,[3] whom he described as "a real outdoor guy, an Ernest Hemingway type, red blooded, literary bloke". I'm seeing the value of pubs now because they've been banned. Weve all either experienced or observed one sat by the pool in what looks like a plastic hotel, looking on to the hysteria of other families as they squabble to make full use of water inflatables, alcohol, dinner specials of the day and just the overall package deal that theyve paid for. You never meet an artist who isn't a fan [of Mark]. Im relieved. 9.50 GBP. I've never heard anybody with an Ordsall accent in employment in MediaCity.". I've got MediaCity to thank for introducing me to the genius that was Sean Locke. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. We practised at home, and got to be pretty good, Clarke claims. [15] That same year, Clarke featured in rapper Plan B's feature film Ill Manors and subsequently the Ill Manors album. One of my all time favourite memoirs. All mixed up with drug taking anecdotes. 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. John Cooper Clarke (known as Alice Cooper) has this important message about heroin addiction, saying the best prevention is never starting. 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. So why pick on cigs? Read John Cooper Clarke's poem for Topman's show at London Collections Men. And, no, I will not burn my copy of "Ou est la Maison de Fromage," for I love you live and solo as you are best heard. It might have been useful to have more of his poems in the book. By 1978, he was opening for the Sex Pistols and the Buzzcocks, and . Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem. Looks like Clarkes not the only one feeling entrapped this is a classic piece of poetry. Through his poetry he engaged with disaffection and grit a decade before the punks picked up their pens, with more wit than Joe Strummer could dream of. Evidently Chickentown In 1988, he made an appearance in two UK adverts for Sugar Puffs, taking second billing to the Honey Monster. 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. Introduction to the English rock singer and poet, Sir John Cooper Clarke, and reading of two poems "I wanna be yours" & "I've got. I've never been one of those people that writes poetry as a means of self-expression alone. We have a small favour to ask. The state of urban living has long been a strong concern for Clarke, and in Beasley Street he relays that with power. It's a good example of going in the opposite direction, rather than trying to fit in with the yoot'. At first, theyre known as The Mafia, an unquantifiably bad blues covers band, who play their first gig with matching full-on metallic-Christmas-tree-decoration gold hairstyles after buying the wrong shade of dye. I mean, crikey! Feargal Kinney gave us his top 10 John Cooper Clarke poems. JCC will be joining Squeeze on their UK tour - tickets available from Gigs and Tours. Some advice for you. Well, I'm a fan so I found this autobiography super charming. Hes even on the GCSE curriculum these days! Apart From the Revolution On this rare occasion that Clarke took a writing trip away from socialism, he proved his leading status as a hopeless romantic. 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. Lets just say its a lot. Clarke also recorded a song with the band entitled "Dead Man's Shoes". 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. Hailed as Manchester's 'punk poet', he is a key figure of the punk rock era in the UK, from his biting prose to his famously Messy Hair. Above a pretty upbeat musical backdrop, his abrupt dictation is all the more compelling. 14.00 GBP. Written in the style of what I did on my holiday, liberally sprinkled with old man type groovy speak, eg natch kinda. I wanted to enjoy this more, having seen JCC twice,once in his heyday when he was more poet than standup or celebrity,the second time he was slower,less shocking. In his younger days, Clarke spent 36 hours in prison for supposed car theft, despite there being no concrete evidence against him. Series 15: Episode 1", "Pointless Celebrities Next on BBC One", "BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs, John Cooper Clarke, poet", "BBC Two Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, Series 9, Episode 7", "John Cooper Clarke: The punk poet whose time has come again", "John Cooper Clarke Post-War Glamour Girl / Kung Fu International CBS UK S CBS 6541", "Movie Highlights | Interviews, Quizzes & More", "Various Short Circuit Live At The Electric Circus (Vinyl) at Discogs", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Cooper_Clarke&oldid=1142709900, People associated with the University of Salford, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "Pity the Plight" (2012 Ill manors album Plan B), This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 23:42. Most of his poems are set to music and feel very contemporary. 2nd May 2020. Rhythm machines at the ready, his cultural performance is about to kick off Theres a real sense of artistic perception when Cooper Clarke is on stage, because he doesnt just stand there and read lines of words. It's kind of Dickensian. His vocals from both of his Suns of Arqa tracks have been used on numerous remixes by the band ever since. Here we present some of his best work, which will go some way to explaining why he has become, of all things, a national treasure. [6] He began his performance career in Manchester folk clubs, where he began working with Rick Goldstraw and his band the Ferrets. Having an idea to write such a poem is one thing, but to create such a masterfully crafted text is quite another. Among the revelations of I Wanna Be Yours, however, is the fact that the two distinctly voiced flatmates came extremely close to recording an album of duets under the name Nico And Johnnie. 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". First shown: 05/02/1979If you would like to license a clip from this video please . 5. Around this time, he performed on stage with several punk and post-punk bands and continues to perform regularly. My all-time favourite, Sean Locke was the funniest guy alive. 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. I'm from an industrial city. 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. This developed from him stealing prescription amphetamines at school in the 50s and robbing pharmacies for opiates as an adolescent to eventually succumbing to heroin addiction under the pressures of celebrity, a habit that would eventually have a crippling effect on his work. Perhaps an indication of what would have happened if John Cooper Clarke shunned poetry to sing in a band, the artful defiance and proud cynicism of a friend in need is a friend in debt creates one of Clarkes most compelling creations. Clarke's poem "Out of Control Fairground" was printed inside the Arctic Monkeys' 2007 single "Fluorescent Adolescent" CD. He first encountered Mark E. Smith when the late singer was a schoolboy, and Clarke ended up becoming an unofficial uncle to the future Fall frontman you know, the type of uncle who doesnt give a fuck what you get up to, as he puts it.