80s Empire

I Was A Teenage Toyah Fan - book review

2012-01-29T05:47:00.000-08:00

I Was A Teenage Toyah Fan £9.99/$15.46 (paperback) or $3.08/£2.01 (Kindle)
ISBN: 978-1-4478-8721-8
(Book Review)

If you were ever a teenager (and I presume you must have been!), you’ve probably been through this. For you, maybe it was Kim Wilde or Kylie or Boy George or Freddie Mercury. If you still are a teenager, maybe it’s Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber. But for Chris Limb, it was Toyah. It was 1980, Chris was fifteen, his friends were fans of Debbie Harry and Kate Bush but somehow Debbie and Kate just didn’t do it for him – “Not odd looking enough,” he says, “Not punky enough.” And then he discovered a girl called Toyah. At the time, she was not a huge star. Chris first noticed her in an episode of the TV detective drama, Shoestring. And it was infatuation at first sight.

I Was A Teenage Toyah Fan is a very unusual musical memoire. Even though it has a lot to say about Toyah herself, mainly in the early 80s, it is not a rock star ‘biography’. It is, in fact, a reconstruction of a fleeting but crucial period in the author’s life. It is about a teenager growing up in the 80s. Many teenagers both then and now, have a tendency to feel dissatisfied with the day-to-day dullness of their lives. For some of us, a glimpse of the possibilities of a ‘world beyond’ become focussed through a specific person. In the 70s, Bowie and Bolan with their androgynous ‘glam’ certainly gave me a view of a life that I had yet to experience. For Chris, in the 80s, Toyah had a similar effect.

In essence, Chris Limb’s book is a grown up’s attempt to rediscover his teenage self. “This,” he says, in the book’s introduction, “is primarily a story about two individuals who no longer exist. The versions of Toyah and myself from thirty years ago probably bear little resemblance to the people walking around now with their names…”

If you are, of were, a Toyah fan, this book will obviously have a special appeal for you. But you don’t have to be fixated on Toyah to enjoy it. In many respects, Chris Limb’s book is a description of a common experience: the vague yearning dissatisfaction of a teenager looking for something, just something to take him (or her) beyond the mundane – and finding that 'something' crystalized in a rock star. For 80s enthusiasts, the book has the added appeal of recalling so many of the defining elements of that decade in the UK. There are recollections of the magazines (Number One, Flexipop, Zig Zag), the TV shows (The Tube, The Russell Harty Show, not forgetting Top Of The Pops) and all kinds of other evocative details.

Chris Limb’s obsession with Toyah was not just a passing phase, however. First he wrote to his idol, then he met his idol; in fact he got to know Toyah very well and eventually ran her official fan club, Tellurian. If you want to know how Chris made the transition from fan to friend, read the book!

For more on I Was A Teenage Toyah Fan go to: http://www.toyah.org/

New Romantic Murders - part three

2012-01-27T04:48:00.000-08:00

The latest in my series of 1980s New Romantic Murder Mystery novels is now available for Kindle. Death Wears Sequins is a tale of adventure, murder and international espionage set in the world of early 80s music and clubland. You can get your copy from Amazon UK or US now...

Rewind 80s Festival, this August

2012-01-25T04:26:00.000-08:00

Yup, yet another 80s bash. This time in Henley-on-Thames between Friday 17th August and Sunday 19th August 2012.

Rewind The 80s Festival includes performances from OMD, Rick Astley, Right Said Fred, Marc Almond and many more. Tickets go on sale Friday 27th January. For ticket information and prices, see the official festival website: www.rewindfestival.com.

Saturday 18th August will feature Kool and The Gang, as well as appearances from The Bangles, Grandmaster Flash, Rick Astley, Soul II Soul, Five Star, Starship, Heather Small, Jimmy Somerville, Sinitta, Right Said Fred, and Doctor and The Medics.

Sunday 19th August will feature OMD, as well as appearances from Lightning Seeds, Roland Gift, Tony Hadley, The Straits, Wang Chung, Marc Almond, John Parr, Midge Ure, The Christians, T'Pau and a special guest (TBA).

All of which is as good an excuse as any to play this...

Gary Numan: I had so much cash, all I wanted to do was spend

2012-01-23T03:20:00.000-08:00

Interesting interview with Gary Numan in the financial pages of today's Telegraph. He remembers his biggest money mistakes - running a record company and a restaurant, and paying for extravagant light shows that made him lose money from a sell-out tour...

Our debts levelled out at around £600,000 and perhaps the biggest cause of this was my desire for elaborate light shows long after my career could justify it. But even during the early Eighties I spent too much: on one sell-out tour I lost £150,000 due to expensive lighting and production – pure stupidity.

He also reveals his plans for the future. Hollywood soundtracks...?

Rewind Festival - back to the 80s this July!

2012-01-18T05:53:00.000-08:00

Rewind Scotland, the 80s music festival, will take place from Friday 20th July until Sunday 22nd July at Scone Palace, Perthshire, Scotland (www.scone-palace.co.uk). Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday 20th January. Details of ticket outlets and prices are available from the official website www.rewindfestival.com.

Saturday 21st July will be headlined by Ali Campbell’s UB40 with support from Average White Band, Jimmy Somerville, Midge Ure, Five Star, Go West, Sinitta, Chesney Hawkes, Katrina (ex-Katrina and the Waves), Limahl, Right Said Fred, and Les McKeown’s Legendary Bay City Rollers.

Sunday 22nd July will be headlined by Holly Johnson, supporting line-up includes Village People, Squeeze, Lightning Seeds, Marc Almond, ABC, Roland Gift, The Straits, Wang Chung, John Parr, Altered Images, and The Christians.

Just to get you in the mood, here's a song from one of Sunday's acts...

Howard Jones Interview

2012-01-15T05:46:00.000-08:00

If you are a fan of Howard Jones’s hits from the ’80s, his tour this April, will be an experience you won’t want to miss - because Howard will be performing his first two albums, ‘Human’s Lib’ and ‘Dream Into Action’, in their entirety.

Photo © Simon Fowler

On the tour, Howard be singing all his big hits including ‘New Song’, ‘What Is Love?’, ‘Like To Get To Know You Well’ and ‘Things Can Only Get Better’. While this has obvious attractions, I wondered why he’s decided not to play any new material…

“Simple,” he says, “It’s because the fans have always asked me to do this. There are a lot of those songs that I’ve never performed live before. They were studio creations and the technology wasn’t available to do it. But when we managed to license back the first five albums from Warner Brothers we were able to re-master them. And that gave us access to the original multi-tracks so we were able to sample the keyboards and do everything we needed to recreate those two albums in a way that we wouldn’t have been able to do at the time. That meant we could really reproduce the stuff properly.”

The technology must have changed a lot since you first recorded those albums. Do you do everything with a computer these days?

“Actually I started working with a Mac and sequencing software in 1985. But in the early days those weren’t available. So I had to use much more primitive technology. In fact , the reason that ‘New Song’ has that short sequence is because the Pro 1 synthesizer only had an eight note sequencer in it.

“These days, when I write songs I usually start with the piano. But it’s different if I’m doing an electronic album. Now you have access to any sound you want from your computer, so you really need to define clearly what you want to do. You have to limit yourself to a set of rules so you don’t get carried away. The next album I’m thinking of doing will be very electronic with no pianos in it at all. It will all be all synthesized sounds. And some of it will be quite analogue.”

Recently there’s been a bit of a resurgence of interest in the sounds of older type analogue synthesizers. In fact, John Foxx - another great innovator in the 80s - has even done some concerts using analogue synths. I asked Howard if that’s what he plans to do too?

He laughed. “No,” he said, “Definitely not! I’m fed up of going out with old gear and having it break down every night. I can’t be doing with that any more. I need good, modern, reliable keyboards. But even so, I can still get analogue sounds. A lot of the sounds will have been sampled from my old analogue stuff. But the old gear’s too precious now so you don’t want it to be trashed by taking it on the road. Also we’ve tried to make it so we can carry our gear on a plane and set up in any part of the world without an articulated lorry to carry everything. And we need to be able to deliver a huge sound.”

Photo © Simon Fowler

In the 80s I was a pop music journalist. In fact, I first interviewed Howard back in 1985. With the resurgence of interest in 80s music, I’m now seeing that many of the people I interviewed almost thirty years ago are back on tour again: Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Adam Ant. In fact, just last week Limahl released a single called ‘1983’ all about 80s music. I asked Howard why he thought there was suddenly so much interest in the 80s? Is it just nostalgia or are people really rediscovering the music afresh?

“A bit of both, I think. People want to hear the music they grew up with. It’s all well and good to spend a couple of years making new records, but honestly, nobody is interested in new material. What people are interested in is going out to gigs and listening to music they know, but played live. On this tour I’ve commissioned videos for each song. I want to present everything with really high quality sound and great visuals.”

These days, when you want to listen to music you can just sit down at your computer and log onto a service like Spotify or Grooveshark. In the 80s the closest we had was the radio but then you had to hope that the DJ would play music you really wanted to hear. Now you can listen to whatever you want…

“You are absolutely right. There used to be a time when everyone knew what Number One was and everyone had an idea of what was in the Top Ten. Now nobody can be really bothered about that. You can get whatever music you want any time you want, and that makes it devalued. As a result, live performances become more valuable.”

Inevitably some people must be downloading your material illegally these days – they’re getting it for free instead of buying your albums. How do you feel about that?

“My view is that if people are making money out of it – web sites that charge people for illegal downloads of music, then I’d like to see that stopped. And I’d support any legislation to prevent it. But if people download tracks because they like you as an artist, I have no problem. Young people do not see it as stealing. They see it as just being fans of the music. So really it’s for artists to adapt to that new cultural shift. Young people think music is free the way that air is free. That’s not going to change. The thing is, people have to buy a ticket to go to a gig and you can make your living from that. You can’t digitise the experience of a live show.”

I was glancing through an interview I did with you in 1985. I asked you this: “Looking ahead to the future, what do you intend to do when your music is no longer popular? In more basic terms, what are you going to do when your fans start to go off you?” And you replied: “I’ve thought about that, and I realise that sooner or later it’s bound to happen. It happens with everyone, so I’ve set myself a time limit. At a certain stage, I’m going to give up, whatever happens.” Well, you haven’t! Did you change your mind?

“I didn’t follow up on that promise, did I? You see, when my deal with Warner Brothers ran out I started my own label and began producing and manufacturing my own records. And that became very exciting. Obviously you don’t have the same high profile – with millions of people following your every move. But you develop a relationship with the people who want to be associated with you and you cater for them. They’re still excited about what you do. Yes, it’s on a smaller scale – but it’s still great to do."

Over all those years since the 80s, how much time would you say you’ve spent producing and performing music and how much time have you spent doing other things?

“I’ve been doing music pretty much continuously. I’m always either touring or in the studio. Of course, I’ve done other things too. I started a vegetarian restaurant in New York at one time. I’m working with a Buddhist choir at the moment. I’m writing a lot of choral music. I love choral music and I’ve been practising Buddhist for about eighteen years. These days, probably about half my time is involved with Buddhism and the rest of it is spent with my work. Buddhism may not have a high profile in Britain but Buddhist philosophy is gradually seeping into the way people think: the idea of taking responsibility for your life and the idea that everything is connected.”

Once you’ve finished this tour, you’ll have performed all your most popular music from the 80s. What is there left for you to do next?

“My next new work, after this tour, will be based on a large show. The show will come first. The recorded version will follow on later. My thinking these days is to create live events that people will remember.”

Sounds good to me!

Photo © Fredrik Svensson

Howard Jones performs the entirety of his albums “Human’s Lib and “Dream Into Action” in the UK during April 2012. Ticket Hotline: 0844 477 2000, www.ticketweb.co.uk. Dates include O2 Academy Bristol (April 11), O2 Academy Sheffield (April 12), O2 Academy Liverpool (April 13), O2 Academy Birmingham (April 14), O2 Academy Newcastle (April 17), O2 ABC Glasgow (April 18), O2 Academy Bournemouth (April 20), O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire (April 21). More info: www.howardjones.com.

Howard Jones interview (coming soon)

2012-01-11T08:20:00.000-08:00

I last interviewed him in 1985. Suffice to say that when we talked again this afternoon, there were a few things I had to catch up on! I'll get the interview online next week. In the meantime, here's a little something to help you get in the mood for Howard's forthcoming tour....

Limahl Goes Back to 1983

2012-01-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

We're Limahl crazy on the 80s Empire. If you don't believe me, go and read the interview I did with Limahl a couple of years ago. Not to mention the interviews I did with him back in the 80s.

And, speaking of the 80s, that's where Limahl is going soon. Get a quick look at what I mean here: Coming out on Jan. 10th: Limahl "1983" (Teaser by Pat Sharp) - YouTube

1983. Sounds good to me...

Heaven 17 Radio

2011-09-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

Heaven 17 have launched their own weekly radio series on Absolute 80s entitled “Electronic 80s with Heaven 17.” Click here for more info about the series - http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/artists/Heaven-17/article/3975-Electronic+80s+with+Heaven+17

The hour long radio show will see Heaven 17 play the best of electronic 80s music from Kraftwerk, Human League to Scritti Politti and Blancmange. Each week the show will include a special guest. This week’s guest on the Sunday September 11th show is Kim Wilde, who, along with a number of other guest vocalists, will also participate in the “B.E.F. presents “Music of Quality & Distinction” concerts at the London Roundhouse on October 15th.

The Return of Twiggy!

2011-08-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

Twiggy is back on the music scene - says the BBC News...

Twiggy was, of course, one of the faces (and figures!) of the '60s. She also featured in Ken Russell's film, The Boyfriend and was on the cover of Bowie's Pinups album.

And in the '70s she had a hit with this...

Welcome back Twiggy!

Green Door – What’s That Secret You’re Keeping?

2011-08-06T03:10:00.000-07:00

Thirty years ago this week, Shakin' Stevens had a Number One UK hit with a song from the '50s. But there's more to the Green Door than may, at first, appear. I wrote an article about it a few years ago on the previous version of The 80s Empire Blog. I thought it might be worth repeating. So here it is...

The Green Door was more than just an invented song lyric – the door really did exist. The song is an extended tease, constantly asking what is behind it but never quite answering the question:

“Midnight, one more night without sleepin'
Watchin' till the mornin' comes creepin'
Green door, what's that secret you're keepin'”

The song tells us there’s a piano playing behind the door and people laughing; but knock as much as he might, they just won’t let ol’ Shaky join the fun…

“Saw an eyeball peepin'
Through a smoky cloud behind the green door
When I said Joe sent me
Someone laughed out loud behind the green door
All I want to do is join the happy crowd behind the green door
Wish they'd let me in
So I could find out what's behind the green door”

It’s really not surprising that they laughed when he said Joe sent him. Joe Meek was the record producer who worked on the original recording of Green Door which was first a hit (Number 2 in the charts) for Frankie Vaughan way back in November of 1956. Joe is best known for his 1962 hit, Telstar (under the name, The Tornados). I’m not certain if the Joe in the song was meant to refer to Joe Meek. If it was then it was done with a certain irony as Joe was gay. Which brings me back to that Green Door…

In real life, the door belonged to The Gateways Club in the Kings Road, Chelsea. This, it turns out, was one of the most famous lesbian meeting places in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. I don’t think either Frankie Vaughan or Shaky would quite have blended in, somehow. The club itself featured in the 1968 film, The Killing Of Sister George, which was one of the first British mainstream films to feature lesbian characters in central roles. The Gateways finally shut its Green Door in 1985. And thus closed a little slice of pop trivia history…

There is even a book all about the club :: From the Closet to the Screen

And here, by way of comparison is the recording by Frankie Vaughan which got to Number Two in the UK charts in 1956...

Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley: 'I earn more today than in the Eighties'

2011-07-24T03:03:00.000-07:00

Tony Hadley is interviewed in the 'personal finance' pages of today's Telegraph.

This is the bit I liked...

WHAT'S BEEN YOUR WORST BUY?
Earlier in my career I bought some ridiculous clothes for thousands of pounds. In the Eighties, bands were so competitive and always trying to outdo each other. One way was to spend silly money on clothes that you could only wear once on telly because they were so identifiable.

Spending £2,000 on just one outfit was crazy. At the time I thought I looked great and even now occasionally think it's pretty cool, despite looking like something out of Robin Hood.

Actually, back in the '80s I bought some suits from one of the same tailors Spandau Ballet used. But I never paid £2000 for one!!!!

Read on... Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley: 'I earn more today than in the Eighties' - Telegraph

The Glam Assassin - murder, mayhem and Glam Rock

2011-06-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

My new novel is now available on Kindle...

This is the second in the 'New Romantic Murder Mysteries' series set in early eighties London. Available from Amazon US and UK...

New Romantics and Blitz Kids (again)

2011-06-12T10:30:00.001-07:00

At the time I have to admit that I thought the Blitz was a pretty pokey little place. Fun to go to for a night out in your most outrageous clothes but not something that anyone would remember 30 years later. How wrong I was! The more time passes, the more the glitzy glamour of Blitz nostalgia increases. Yeah, it was a fun time, I guess. We just didn't realise how transient it would be. Anyway, I just came across this vid on YouTube. It gives you a flavour of the Blitz and its clientèle in its heyday. See if you can spot Steve Strange, Boy George and Marilyn. I don't think I'm in it though... or if I am, I'm not admitting to it! ;-)

Boy George opens Isle Of Wight Festival

2011-06-10T04:22:00.000-07:00

Boy George launched the Isle Of Wight Festival with a concert in the Big Top last night.

The former lead singer of Culture Club perfomed Everything I Own and Do You Really Want To Hurt Me. Also appearing last night were 1980s act ABC...

Clare Grogan to present 80s Rewind Festival

2011-06-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

Clare Grogan, lead singer of 80s pop band Altered Images, has been confirmed as the Main Stage presenter at Rewind Scotland – The 80s Music Festival, featuring twenty-five iconic 80s bands and artists at Scone Palace in Perthshire, Scotland from July 29 – 31st.

Grogan will present both days at Rewind Scotland on Saturday July 30th and Sunday July 31st, by introducing artists including Spandau Ballet’s Tony Hadley, Rick Astley, the Human League, Howard Jones, Bananarama, Toyah, The Real Thing, Cutting Crew, Kim Wilde, T’Pau, Heaven 17, Kid Creole and the Coconuts and many more.

For further details, visit the official festival website: www.rewindfestival.com

Gender Benders and New Romantics - a bluffer's guide

2011-06-05T05:41:00.000-07:00

Just watch my latest video!

Duran Duran cancel UK tour dates

2011-05-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

Simon has voice problems, apparently, and has been told to take a rest.
See: BBC News

New Romantics, a Bluffer's Guide

2011-05-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Everything you need to know in two and a half minutes...

Heaven 17 - 30th Anniversary Tour

2011-05-11T06:31:00.000-07:00

Just got this press release...

Following the success of Heaven 17’s ‘Penthouse and Pavement 30th Anniversary Tour’ in 2010, Martyn Ware’s production project, ‘British Electric Foundation’ (B.E.F.) is proud to present ‘Music of Quality and Distinction Live’, a 2-day festival at London’s prestigious Roundhouse from October 14-15th, celebrating 30 years of seminal electronic music and unique collaborations.

Heaven 17 will perform the world premiere of their 1983 album ‘The Luxury Gap’ on Friday October 14th, followed by B.E.F.’s first ever live performance featuring tracks from the albums ‘Music of Quality & Distinction Vol. 1 & 2’ on Saturday October 15th.

Tickets go on sale Thursday April 12th at 10am. Ticket hotline: 0844 844 0444. Book online: www.ticketmaster.co.uk. Day tickets: £23.50. Weekend tickets: £42.50.

And here's a nice video to go with it....

Depeche Mode or Depech-ey? How's it pronounced?

2011-05-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

You say Depeche, I say Depech-ey. So who's right? I think the little video should settle the matter....

Flexipop!, Depeche Mode and Fad Gadget

2011-05-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

I just discovered this fab recording from an old Flexipop! cover disc dating from 1981. I was a writer for Flexipop! back in those days and each month the magazine carried exclusive tracks on its cover disc. You can read my Flexipop! interview with Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan in Neon 80s - a collection of some of my old interviews - available for Kindle or in paperback.

Adam Ant: back from the brink

2011-04-28T02:21:00.000-07:00

According to The Daily Telegraph, Adam Ant is considering creating 'a third version of Adam & the Ants' but, sadly, this won't include Marco Pirroni (“He did something to me which I won’t forgive him for. I’ll never go on stage with him again in my life”).

More: Adam Ant: back from the brink - Telegraph

Adam Ant to headline Guilfest stage - Telegraph

2011-04-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

Eighties star Adam Ant will continue to resurrect his career after 15 years in the wilderness by performing at this year's Guilfest.

The previously swashbuckling 'Prince Charming' will be expected to 'Stand and Deliver' as he headlines the Good Time Guide Stage on Friday 15th July, with new back-up band The Good The Mad and The Lovely Posse.

Book Of 80s Pop Star Interviews now on Kindle

2011-04-27T04:36:00.000-07:00

Up to now, my book, Neon 80s, which reprints many of my published interviews with 80s stars was available only in paperback. I'm pleased to say, it is now also available for Kindle. Compendiously illustrated with photos and reproductions of the pages and covers from the magazines in which they originally appeared in the early '80s, Neon 80s contains interviews with Adam Ant, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, ABC, Toyah, Modern Romance, Limahl, Marilyn, Boy George, David Sylvian, Divine and many other stars.

New Romantic Murder Mysteries - interview

2011-04-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

Who am I? Why do I write New Romantic murder mysteries. These and other questions are answered (well, more or less) in this interview:

Interview With Author – Huw Collingbourne

Adam Ant, Hovis, Milk and More - 1981

2011-03-30T02:43:00.000-07:00

The Daily Telegraph does a pictorial history of 1981 today. Not sure why. But what the heck... here it is:
1981: What was the price of a pint and who was top of the pops? - Telegraph

Adam Ant, Goody Two Shoes, Number One this week...

2011-03-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

UK Number One this week in 1982. Well, that's a good excuse for this fab song from Adam!

New Romantics - so what’s New Romanticism anyway?

2011-03-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

New Romantic, Futurist, The Cult With No Name...

The ‘New Romantic’ movement never really existed, of course. It just happened that, towards the beginning of the 1980s, various young people decided they liked dressing up in funny clothes, wearing makeup and going to clubs that played Bowie, Roxy and electronic music rather than (for example) wearing safety pins through their noses, listening to The Sex Pistols and spitting at one another.

Along came groups ranging from the hard-core electro Depeche Mode to the funkier Spandau Ballet. On the face of it, many of these groups had very little in common with one another. But they weren’t punk, they weren’t heavy metal and they weren’t progressive so they must be something new and different and so what the heck were we supposed to call them?

There were various attempts at finding a name: Power Pop, Futurist, The Cult With No Name, New Wave, The Now Crowd, The Blitz Kids and so on. But ‘New Romantic’ was the name that stuck. According to legend, it was Richard James Burgess, the man who produced early Spandau Ballet songs and went on to have a hit with Landscape’s 'Einstein A Go Go' who came up with the term ‘New Romantic’ while producing Spandau’s first album. I really don’t know if that is the case or if there is any way of proving it, but it’s been said often enough that we may as well accept it as, well, moderately possible, at any rate.

On the other hand, I distinctly recall that the terms ‘Neo-Romantic’ and ‘Nouveau Romantic’ were also being bandied about in the early days. In his autobiography (Blitzed, page 54) Steve Strange seems to give the impression that the term ‘New Romantic’ was in use as early as 1979 which would have pre-dated the first Spandau album by over a year. Who knows?

I remember when I interviewed Duran Duran in 1982, they insisted that they weren’t a New Romantic group. Which is curious since the first song I know of in which the term “New Romantic” appears is Duran Duran’s debut single (1981), Planet Earth – and here it is...

New Romantic Murder Mystery - the video

2011-03-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

Here's a little video to promote my new Kindle novel, Killers In Mascara. For more info go to www.darkneon.com

New Romantic Murder Mysteries

2011-03-08T04:07:00.000-08:00

If you fancy immersing yourself in the ‘Futurist’ (aka New Romantic) club scene of the early ‘80s you might like to read my new novel, just published for Kindle. It’s called ‘Killers In Mascara’ and it’s the first of a series.

Here’s the Blurb:

New Year's Eve, London, 1979. In the exclusive Spivz nightclub the city's trendiest trend-setters prepare to drink and dance their way into the new decade, unaware that a killer is in their midst. When the dead body of a young man is discovered, there is no motive and far too many suspects. But there is one deadly clue - a bottle of mascara. The hunt is on: "Find the mascara and you find the murderer!" Killers in Mascara leads the reader on an extraordinary journey into a decadent and glittering subculture where even killers do it with style!

Anyway, it’s available for immediate download from Amazon USA and Amazon UK at the bargain price of 99 cents/70p. If you grab a copy, read it and like it, suffice to say I’d be most incredibly grateful if you would write a review on Amazon.

The Dark Neon web site (which used to contain my old interviews with 80s pop stars has now been changed to provide more info on my books – and you can also download a map of the murder scene). Meanwhile, the 80s interviews have been moved over to their own area of the 80s Empire web site.

I hope you enjoy reading all this 80s stuff! :-)

Blancmange: Blanc Burn new album

2011-03-06T14:35:00.000-08:00

Blancmange are back with their first album since (gulp!) 1985. I always rather liked Blancmange so I'll bee keen to hear their new stuff. the album is called Blanc Burn and there's a teensy reviewette in The Guardian.

Wild Boys Bring Back The 80s!

2011-03-05T08:43:00.000-08:00

So you're having a party and you really want Duran Duran to do the entertainment but, guess what, they are busy on a world tour or lying around on palm fringed beaches somewhere, so what do you do? You hire an 80s retro band, of course! Well, here's a UK 80s band I've just come across: Wild Boys. Their repertoire takes in everything from Wham! to Madonna. Their music sounds pretty good but their wigs, it has to be said, make Limahl's two-tone mullet look positively tasteful. Anyway, this is their web site: http://www.wildboys80sband.co.uk

And here they are in action...

Former Japan bass player Mick Karn loses battle with cancer

2011-01-05T03:18:00.000-08:00

Mick Karn, former bass player with the band Japan, died of cancer yesterday surrounded by friends and family at his home in London, his website and Facebook page announced last night.
The 52-year-old musician, born Adonis Michaelides in Nicosia, Cyprus, had co-founded the band with schoolfriends from Catford but after its first demise in 1982, briefly formed Dali's Car with vocalist Peter Murphy, previously with postpunk bank Bauhaus.

More on The Guardian: Former Japan bass player Mick Karn loses battle with cancer | Music | The Guardian

Gerry Rafferty dies

2011-01-04T14:03:00.001-08:00

"Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty has died at the age of 63 after suffering a long illness. His career high came in the 1970s and included the anthemic Baker Street and Stuck in the Middle with You, recorded with his band Stealers Wheel. Rafferty had battled a drink problem and spent time in hospital in Bournemouth with liver failure."

Full story: BBC News - Gerry Rafferty dies at age of 63

Boney M singer Bobby Farrell dies

2010-12-30T05:55:00.000-08:00

BBC News - Boney M singer Bobby Farrell dies aged 61

Bobby Farrell, lead singer of the 1970s disco group Boney M, has died at the age of 61, his agent has announced.

Spandau Ballet - To Cut A Long Story Short, 30 years this month

2010-11-27T08:21:00.000-08:00

30 years ago (can it really be so?) this was Spandau's first hit. Number 5 in the charts and still sounds (and looks) great!

Jackie: The Party Album

2010-11-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

The Jackie brand is still amazingly potent long after the girls’ magazine to which it referred ceased publication. As I’ve said before, I was a regular writer for Jackie back in the ‘80s and so I guess I may feel some kind of personal connection with the various Jackie-branded books and CDs that are still being launched in the 2000s...

The latest, released today, is a three CD collection called Jackie The Party Album. This contains a wide-ranging selection of hits, mainly from the ‘70s and ‘80s with occasional forays into the ‘60s, encompassing everything from ABBA to Black Sabbath. I’m not entirely sure I’ve ever been to a party where both those particular artists have been played and nor, to be entirely honest, am I entire sure that Black Sabbath’s Paranoid is the obvious choice of music to pack the party dance-floor. Anyhow, that gives you some idea of the scope of this collection.

The sheer diversity of the songs is both the strength and the weakness of this set of CDs. As you listen through them there will be some tracks that will surely make you think, with plesaure, “Wow! I haven’t heard that one for a long time!” and others that will make you think, “Eeek! I was hoping I’d never hear that one again.” Personally, I have to admit that I’ve made frequent use of the Next Track button to skip over some teeth-gritting songs (I really could have done without David Bowie’s Laughing Gnome).

There are some definite party classics here: Norman Greenbaum’s Spirit In The Sky, Jeff Beck’s Hi Ho Silver Lining, Little Eva’s Locomotion; plus some Glam Greats: T. Rex’s Children Of The Revolution, Wizzard’s See My Baby Jive, Sweet’s Blockbuster; and some nice tacky pop classics such as Middle Of the Road’s Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum and Baccara’s immortal Yes Sir, I Can Boogie.

There is, in short, something for everyone; though bear in mind that there is also pretty sure to be something that just about everyone really doesn’t want to hear too!

BBC News - What happened to Rod Stewart the songwriter?

2010-10-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

BBC News - What happened to Rod Stewart the songwriter?

"The last original song the man behind global smash Maggie May released was the title track of 1998 album When We Were the New Boys. It was the only original on an album full of tracks written by other artists."

The BBC wonders why Rod's creative juices seem to have dried up.

Marilyn's Affair With Gavin Rossdale

2010-10-13T08:25:00.001-07:00

"Bush singer Gavin Rossdale has said he had a gay relationship with 80s star Marilyn. Both had denied the claims in 1995, when Boy George said the pair were former lovers. Marilyn, real name Peter Robinson, said last year that they had been together for five years before Bush became famous. He said he had reluctantly agreed to lie about the relationship to avoid damaging Rossdale's career and added that the singer had been "love" of his life."

More on Pink News

Back To The Future Without Michael J Fox

2010-10-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

According to CNN, it was originally going to be made with Eric Stoltz playing Marty McFly. They did five whole weeks of filming before deciding to change the casting!

Video - Back To The Future as It Might Have Been!

BBC News - Taking on A-ha classic

2010-10-08T02:17:00.000-07:00

BBC News - Taking on A-ha classic

3,000 drawings, 25 Years later and still looking (and sounding) good.

Heaven 17 Interviews and Tour

2010-10-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

H17 are interviewed “live” on the Funk & Soul Show from 8-8:30pm on BBC 6 Music. Martyn Ware and Glenn Gregory will do a face to face in-studio interview with Craig Charles in London. H17 are mentioned on the BBC 6 Music web page here – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0072ky7. Listen Online.

The band’s interview on BBC Radio 2’s Radcliffe & Maconie Show will now air on Wednesday October 6th at approximately 9:10pm. H17 and mentioned on the Radio 2 web page here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006wr8d/episodes/upcoming. Listen Online.

Both interviews will discuss Heaven 17’s forthcoming “Penthouse And Pavement” UK Tour which starts on November 22nd, and the release of “Penthouse And Pavement: The Collector’s Edition” a 3-disc set that will released on November 22nd by EMI Records.

From Borat To Queen

2010-09-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

Sacha Baron Cohen is to play Freddie Mercury in a film about Queen. The actor who is best known for his comic characters, Ali G, Borat and Brüno, will begin work on the film next year, according to the BBC.

Which is the perfect excuse for us to play this Queen video...

Stranglers' Cornwell on tour

2010-09-14T03:04:00.000-07:00

Former Stranglers front-man Hugh Cornwell hits the road for a series of UK dates from April 6th 2011, performing his critically acclaimed solo album Guilty, plus the following Stranglers epics The Raven, Schoolmaam, Down in the Sewer, Toiler on the Sea, Walk on By all performed by Cornwell in their entirety.

"The idea for this tour came from my fans,” says Cornwell. “The requests for Guilty haven't stopped since it was first released. Now the fans have heard my interpretation of Rattus, they're demanding to hear the other Stranglers epics ‘a la Hugh’. I can’t wait to perform them.”

Tickets go on sale from Friday September 17th at 9am by calling the National Ticket Hotline: 0871 230 1101, or book online from www.thegigcartel.com or www.seetickets.com. A 24 hour ticket pre-sale will be launched via Planet Rock Radio on Thursday September 16th at 9am - http://tinyurl.com/322whuo.

Tour dates include: Portsmouth South Parade Pier (April 6), Gasteshead Sage (April 7), Manchester Academy (April 8), Glasgow Academy (April 9), Sheffield Academy (April 10), Clitheroe The Grand (April 12), Leamington Assembly (April 13), Bath Komedia (April 14), Wolverhampton Slade Rooms (April 15), Islington Academy (April 16), Brighton Komedia (April 17).

Tainted Love, three decades later

2010-09-06T13:23:00.001-07:00

1981! Can it really have been so long ago? Yes, Soft Cell's Tainted love was Number One this week in 1981. I always loved Marc Almond's wrist movements...

Bollywood on the raunchy side

2010-08-14T06:28:00.000-07:00

I'd always thought that Indian musical films were pretty tame back in the '80s. This clip proves that I was wrong. This is from the 1986 Bollywood film, Janbaaz. The second song in this clip is my favourite...

Gunther and The Sunshine Girls, eat ya heart out!!!

August 1980, It's ABBA!!!

2010-08-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

I'd just graduated and was wondering what on earth I'd do next. I ended up (bizarrely) working as a market research executive for a year. It wasn't really me, though. Which is why I quit and became a pop music journalist. Anyway, in the UK this was the song that I was singing in August 1980. It went to the UK Number One stop on the 9th of August. Enjoy!

JoBoxers, Frank Bruno and Diana Dors!

2010-07-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Chris Bostock of JoBoxers wrote to tell me about the newly revamped JoBoxers web site. This has lots of new stuff for JoBoxers fans including videos featuring boxer Frank Bruno and star of stage, screen and Adam Ant's Prince Charming video, the one and only Diana Dors! Just to whet your appetite, here's the video of Diana and the boys...

For more go to The JoBoxers web site: http://www.joboxers.net/

And remember, you can also read my in-depth interview with Chris Bostock on the 80s Empire web site:

Peter Murphy of Bauhaus is a Vampire!

2010-07-02T13:03:00.000-07:00

True. Here's the picture to prove it...

Pete gets a small but important part in the new Twilight film, Eclipse. Pete has a vampiric history, of course. He previously featured in the film, The Hunger, singing about the legendary Hollywood vampire in "Bela Lugosi's Dead". More over on the BBC site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10490847.stm

Have Yourself A Merry '80s Christmas

2010-06-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

The sun is blazing and already we're looking forward to Christmas? Why...?

Here are a few good reasons: Kool and the Gang, Sister Sledge, ABC, Howard Jones, Go West, T’Pau and The Christians. Those are a few of the people who'll be performing in the '80s Rewind Christmas Tour.

Tour Dates (and booking numbers) are:

November 30th Birmingham LG Arena 0844 338 8000
December 1st Wembley Arena 0844 815 0815
2nd Manchester MEN Arena 0844 847 8000
3rd Newcastle Arena 0844 493 6666
5th Glasgow SECC 0844 395 4000
6th Sheffield Arena 0114 256 5656
8th Cardiff CIA 02920 224 488
9th Bournemouth BIC 0844 576 3000

Trunkie The Toilet Lives!

2010-05-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

I just discovered that there is a Trunkie The Toilet web site! Hurrah! For the uninitiated, I should explain that Trunkie was a cartoon toilet whose adventures graced the cult '80s mag Flexipop! (for which yours truly was a boy reporter) back in the early '80s. My Trunkie The Toilet keyring is, to this day, one of my proudest possessions.

Relive those golden days on http://www.trunkiethetoilet.co.uk/

Welcome to the House of Fun

2010-05-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

Number One this week in 1982. Great stuff! :-)

Duran Duran TV Special

2010-05-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

BBC2 (UK) tonight (28th May) at 10 o'clock 'Top Of The Pops 2 has a Duran Duran special. If you can't see it, well, here's a video to help over come your disappointment... ;-)

Heaven 17 Radio Show!

2010-05-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

Heaven 17 will host the Absolute 80s Happy Hour radio show between 12:00 – 13:00 from Monday May 31st to Friday June 4th. More details here - http://absolute80s.com/.

Martyn Ware and Glenn Gregory will select some of there favorite 80s songs by other artists of that era. A few Heaven 17 hits will also be thrown in for good measure including Penthouse And Pavement, Temptation and more. Tune in from at 12:00 GMT from Monday May 31st to listen to the Happy Hour show with Heaven 17.

Listen out for an exclusive radio session with Heaven 17 on the sister radio station Absolute Radio when the band perform three songs on the Geoff Lloyd Show on Thursday June 10th between 7-8pm. The band will perform Let’s All Make A Bomb, Temptation, and an acoustic version of Geisha Boys and Temple Girls.

It’s Boy George (or is it...?)

2010-05-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

If you live in the UK, you may want to tune into BBC 2 TV this Sunday at 9:00 in the evening for what promises to be rather an interesting dramatisation of the youthful days of one George O’Dowd.

“Worried About The Boy” features actors playing Boy George, Marilyn, Steve Strange, Jon Moss and a host of other stars from the early ‘80s Blitz scene. George is played by 17 year-old Douglas Booth. According to Booth: "No-one has said that I don't look like Boy George. We had the original clothes and make-up artists, and had his friends around us, so I think we've got it right,.”

What do you think? This is Booth in the role...

The BBC web site has more here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8677997.stm

and here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tv/2010/05/boy-george-what-i-thought-of-w.shtml

John Foxx Back to the Future

2010-05-13T05:33:00.000-07:00

Interesting article about John Foxx on the BBC web site today. Foxx first came to musical prominence in the '70s with his band, Ultravox, before going solo and releasing some very innovative albums such as Metamatic and The Garden in the '80s.

Now he's bringing back that '80s analogue synth sound to a new audience.

Foxx is curating the Short Circuit festival of electronica at London's Roundhouse in June. The all-day event culminates with Foxx playing the original Moogs, ARPs and drum machines that he used on his 1980 album.

"There's a great surge of interest in electronic music. I don't know why that's happened, but it's fortunate for me because I did it a long time ago," he says.

Read the article here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8659215.stm

Meanwhile, to get you in the mood, here's a track from Metamatic (the 2010 edit)...

Heaven 17 Tour

2010-05-10T05:17:00.000-07:00

Heaven 17 has announced the 30th Anniversary November UK Tour of their 1981 concept album Penthouse And Pavement which they will perform in its entirety. Tickets go on sale Wednesday May 12th at 9am. Ticket Hotline: 08700 603 777. Book Online: www.seetickets.com.

Featuring original members Glenn Gregory (lead vocals) and Martyn Ware (synthesizers, vocals) and a full six-piece band, Heaven 17 starts their UK tour at the Edinburgh HMV Picture House on November 22nd. The tour follows the ultimate super-luxury edition of Penthouse And Pavement, released by EMI in the autumn. The show will include an LED wall featuring visuals by famous graphic artists and designers matched up to each track.

Dates include Edinburgh HMV Picture House (Nov 22), Glasgow O2 ABC (Nov 23), Manchester Ritz (Nov 25), Birmingham HMV Institute (Nov 26), London HMV Forum (Nov 28), Oxford O2 Academy (Nov 29), Brighton Corn Exchange (Nov 30) and Bristol O2 Academy (Dec 1). The concert will also include a greatest hits encore, including the band’s massive hit single Temptation.

Stand And Deliver - Number One this week in 1981

2010-05-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

What a great song! Adam really was one of the best 80s pop stars. The video is great too but here, for a change, is a live performance...

For more 80s stuff, be sure to join the 80s Empire Facebook Group!

Owen Paul + Ex Simple Minds = Tour

2010-05-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

Just heard that Own Paul McGee is teaming up with Derek Forbes and Brian McGee (formerly with Simple Minds and Propaganda) for a UK and European tour this year. Owen Paul is a singer, producer and co-writer of the 1986 hit "My Favourite Waste of Time". For more info go to: http://www.owenpaulmcgee.com and www.exsimpleminds.co.uk.

Boy George Snogs Jon Moss (Flexipop!)

2010-04-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

A couple of posts ago I happened to mention an old issue of Flexipop! (a fab mag for which I used to write) from the early '80s that featured a picture of Boy George snogging Jon Moss. Fortunately, this is one of the issues in my antique Flexipop! collection. And here it is...

The chap on the left, by the way, is a typical Flexipop! reader ;-)

Kid Creole Back In Action

2010-04-22T02:11:00.000-07:00

"It is so good to be here in London, England, where our overseas fame all started. To come back as a cult figure for a new generation is…” His pencil-thin moustache quivers. “Flattering. Especially when I was looking at my retirement."

Short interview with Kid Creole (August Darnell) in today's Daily Telegraph.

Strange interview with Boy George

2010-04-21T14:25:00.000-07:00

Almost in the good old Flexipop! style. I think Flexipop! was the first magazine to have a photo of Boy George and Jon Moss kissing (remember this was almost 30 years ago - things were different then). It would be fun to do another Boy George interview some time. If you are reading this, George, I'm available! :-) In the meantime, this interview will have to do instead...

Buck's Fizz Double-take

2010-04-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

There is, to my mind, a rather gruesome video being plugged by British political bloggers 'of a certain age' at the moment, which shows a range of politicians and assorted hangers-on desperately trying to mime to the Buck's Fizz classic, Making Your Mind Up. If you have a strong stomach, here it is...

The excuse for the embarrassing spectacle appears to be that the song was a hit at just this time in 1981 and now there is a general Election coming up so (are you getting the drift?) it's take for making your mind up! (groan)

Anyway, here to lift your spirits is the fabulous original:

Kids In America - was it so long ago?

2010-04-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hard to think how long ago this was! This week in 1981, Kim Wilde had a Number Two hit in the UK with Kids In America - which is as good an excuse as any for playing this video!

But why didn't she make Number One? Well, she was kept off first by Shaking Stevens (This Ole House) and then by Bucks Fizz (Making Your Mind Up). Heck, there was so many good pop songs back in those days!

Gene Hunt for Prime Minister?

2010-04-03T03:16:00.000-07:00

This must be the weirdest election poster ever! Britain’s ruling Labour party is launching its election campaign this week with a poster that depicts the opposition leader, David Cameron, playing the part of Gene Hunt - the star of 80s detective series, Ashes To Ashes.

Cameron is seen sitting on the bonnet of a red Audi Quattro, the iconic car that Hunt drives in the TV series. The slogan says: “Don’t let him take Britain back to the 80s”.

This poster is wrong in so many ways I hardly know where to start. For one thing, a lot of us have very fond memories of the ‘80s; compared to the grim recession-hit Britain of 2010, the prospect of bringing back the style, the music and the sheer fun of the ‘80s doesn’t seem all that bad. For another thing, Gene Hunt is one of the most popular characters on TV. He’s tough, funny and (so I’m told) sexy (?) - at any rate, compared with the dull and gloomy image presented by the Labour leader, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, being portrayed as “just like Gene Hunt” is an astonishingly positive image.

Which idiot at the Labour Party gave the go ahead to this poster? Truly amazingly stupid...

Ashes To Ashes (Finally)

2010-04-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

At last the another season of the ‘80s time-travelling detective series, Ashes To Ashes, starts on UK TV station, BBC 1 tonight. Once again we’ll have the fab fashions, a decent sound-track of ‘80s music and the ever-wonderful cop-you-love-to-hate, Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister), screeching through the mean streets in his turbo-charged Audi Quattro.

For more info see the Radio Times.

80s Empire - Now On Facebook!

2010-03-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

All fans of all things '80s can now mingle, chat, upload photos and generally socialize with other 80s fans in the new 80s Empire Facebook group. Come and join us: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid=108322832529794

Boy George Drama on the Beeb

2010-02-07T06:01:00.000-08:00

BBC TV is making a drama about Boy George. According to the BBC web site...

"The 90-minute drama will focus on how the star went from a cloakroom attendant to a cultural icon... Marc Warren, best known for Hustle, and Mark Gatiss, from The League Of Gentlemen, will also appear alongside newcomer Douglas Booth, who has landed the role of the pop star himself."

Jackie Love Songs CD Set

2010-02-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

For a magazine that's been dead for well over a decade and a half, Jackie continues to have a surprisingly long afterlife, not least in the form of a brand-name which, for British girls of a certain age, instantly conjures up a warm glow of nostalgia for times when David Cassidy was every girls’ (and a few boys’) ideal sex symbol and the Bay City Rollers’ half-mast trousers were thought to be quite fashionable, actually...

And now here comes yet CD collection of Jackie-branded songs to help us relive those distant days. This 3 CD set is called ‘Jackie - Love Songs’ and it is what one might call an ‘eclectic’ collection, which is another way of saying there really is no discernable connection between these songs and, what’s more, they have nothing whatsoever to do with Jackie Magazine. Well, apart from the fact that most of the artists no doubt appeared in pictures in the pages of Jackie.

You can find the full track listing here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jackie-Love-Songs-Various-Artists/dp/B0033PRSS6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1265485648&sr=1-1

This is a ‘70s themed collection with some great songs from the likes of ABBA, Bryan Ferry and Lindisfarne (though I’m not entirely sure that Lady Eleanor is my idea of a ‘love song’!) and some not so great songs from The Osmonds. Oh, and there are (of course) a couple of songs from the ever-lovely David Cassidy (swoon)...

David Cassidy also featured on the last Jackie CD set which I reviewed a little while back. You can see that review on the old ‘80s Empire Arena’ site: http://www.80sempire.com/arena/archive/2009-11-08/jackie__the_annual_2010

Oh, by the way, welcome to the new blog. The 80s Empire Blog has now moved to this new site on Blogger. The old blog is still online (for now, anyway) but from now all the new Blog-type stuff will appear here so, 80s fans, be sure to update your bookmarks!