Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem. The subject of the piece remains unnamed (lucky guy), but the ambiguity of the poem deems it one of the Salford lads finest pieces. A live performance of the same poem appears in the film Control, with Clarke portraying himself in a re-creation of a 1977 concert in which he supported Joy Division, despite being 30 years older than the events depicted in the film. Those are the places they were playing - not pubs. 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". [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. So witty and clever, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of fashion, music and pop culture. 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 Wanna Be Yours by John Cooper Clarke is available to buy now from all good book shops. It's not a place for a first date, is it? I love playingWheres Wallywith poems find the metaphor, spot the simile detour relationship never really went beyond that which is strange because I love music and essentially lyrics are just poems to music. I asked him what they were called, and he said The Arctic Monkeys, Clarke remembers. I was born one year after JCC and about three miles from where he was born, so it was pretty obvious this was going to resonate with me. Nay lads! Famous fans include Ben Drew, aka the aforementioned Plan B as well as Alex Turner and his Arctic Monkeys. 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!). Apart from the revolution, its another working day.. I've got MediaCity to thank for introducing me to the genius that was Sean Locke. I wanted to know more about his writing but this isn't that sort of memoir. Authors; . "My paternal grandfather had been a regular soldier in India until 1948, and bore an uncanny resemblance to Mahatma Ghandi (who apparently suffered from corns and bad breath, in other words a supercallousedfragilemysticplaguedwithhalitosis, as Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke almost sang).". Every single person that visits Poem Analysis has helped contribute, so thank you for your support. He also cites poets like Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud and Edgar Allan Poe among his chief inspirations, but even more influential in his early days were figures such as Muhammad Ali, with his swaggering rhyming trash talk, and Edwardian music hall star Billy Merson. Leading line: Far from perfect strangers; Id like to keep it that way. His musical albums include Snap, Crackle & Bop; Zip Style Method; Disguise in Love; and Walking Back to Happiness. I Don't Wanna Be Nice "One of the more upbeat compositions made to accompany Clarke's poetry, the delivery of the recorded version of "IDon't Wanna Be Nice' veers startlingly close to a sung melody. Think about it; the North Pole is no place for the higher primates. In addition, he published two poetry collections, Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt and The Luckiest Guy Alive. 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. He was known in his pomp as the punk poet. It is essentially just one joke stretched across a poem, but it showcases Clarkes sense of humour perfectly. But what they refuse to see is the absolute madness of it all. 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. What can I say, the 70's and 80's were a weird, weird, gloriously outrageous, wonderfully fun, utterly ridiculous era. Not in the smoothest sense, though: Clarke makes a lot of claims concerning death, unemployment and the passage of time. 1. Few and far between, we say. Why pull the ladder up? Evidently Chickentown [11] The film featured live performances of mainstream artists (the Police, the Go-Go's, XTC, Devo) as well as more obscure bands (Pere Ubu, Invisible Girls, the Alley Cats, Athletico Spizz '80, Chelsea) using concert footage from around the world. Having an idea to write such a poem is one thing, but to create such a masterfully crafted text is quite another. Its at this point Clarke, then a local favourite in the working mens clubs and casinos of the North West, transforms in an instant into the nationally known poet laureate of punk hes still venerated as today. It's a good example of going in the opposite direction, rather than trying to fit in with the yoot'. 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. His life is as extraordinary as youd expect and had me wondering if it is actually a privilege to be working class. '''Twat"", one of his most famous poems. In. "[15] In 1987, he performed live (on crutches owing to a broken ankle) at the Albany Empire in London with Suns of Arqa, recorded two tracks ("Libera Me" and "The Truth Lies Therein") for their album Seven, and featured in the music video for the latter. This one is all about violence. The shock and awe of those times would not seem to be particularly fertile ground for a poet to thrive in, but, hidden in the depths of Salford, a young poet was getting ready to do exactly that. Well, he admits, I got drunk with another fella whod just brought up a previous paella. This may have been the artists worst nightmare, but at least he saw the funny side of it. John Cooper Clarke: 'If anything rejigged my career, it's the Arctic I ask John what he thinks of modern poets like Kae Tempest who he says he likes and describes as "a river to [their] people". Leading line: If you like your coffee hot, let me be your coffee pot. British Performance Poet - Dr John Cooper Clarke - YouTube meet Salomey Maloney. 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. 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. Some advice for you. I didn't get any encouragement. Subscribe to Louder Than War and help keep the flame of independent music burning. 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. 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. Though he needs no such affirmation, it cements Clarkes status as one of the most distinctive voices in pop cultural history its impossible not to hear him read every word aloud in your head with that unforgettable Manc drawl and reveals much about a remarkable life and career. How often do you see a poet's memoir these days! And yet they voted for Tony Blair., Whoever went in a pub for the good of their health? Running parallel with Clarkes rise to fame is a descent into serious drug addiction. JCC featured on BBC Radio 4's Chain Reaction in August 2011 being interviewed by none other than New Order's Peter Hook. But, yeah, actors just sound like twats when they get all high and mighty trying to shame talk TV hosts, I give you that. Australian Premiere/UK] THE POPEYE, FEB 27, 2023. Dr John Cooper Clarke & Hugh Cornwell Official Store | Dr John Cooper Putting a punk spin on simple matters has given the northern man a master status: purveyor of subcultural shock. John Cooper Clarke Wiki & Bio - everipedia.org The constant use of the word fucking functions as a hammer, used to drive the points home. The book is a sure fire cure for insomnia. fascinating detail about his early life in Manchester leading up to punk superstardom, drug. 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. City curiosities: an alternative tour of Manchester Part One, Mundane Magic: Oxford Road, River Medlock and a Frenchman. His unique poetry and delivery style was recorded and put to music by legendary producer Martin Hannett. What is John Cooper Clarke most famous poem? - Fuckbuttons.com We practised at home, and got to be pretty good, Clarke claims. All rights reserved. Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem I Wanna Be Yours, (Macmillan), is a groundbreaking piece of literature. Berry showed him how to write songs. He eats out a lot more these days than in the throes of his well-documented drug addiction where he survived on sugary cakes and pastries. . Dr John Cooper Clarke | King's Lynn Corn Exchange John Cooper Clarke | Punk Poet | Punk | Afternoon plus | 1979 Well bet that when you listen to its leading lines, youll naturally prescribe a name in your head. John Cooper Clarke Net Worth 2023: Money, Salary, Bio - CelebsMoney I didn't want to work for a living when I was a teenager. John Cooper Clarke | Dundee City Council 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. 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. Much older than Johnny Rotten, Pete Shelley and co. (or at least the only one not lying about his age), he always loathed the hippies. He would approach a song as though it were a poem and then he would decide how to sing it. John Cooper Clarke is a poet and musician who was most popular during the late 70s/early 80s but has had widespread success in recent years. I thought maybe I could get a job in advertising. None of them were licensed. So playing to my strengths, I thought, I'm gonna make a living doing this. Beasley Street- a punk poem by John Cooper Clarke Best line: Im not your psychoanalyst, Id rather talk to mice.. Nothing ages you more than trying to look like you're 'down with all that'. "Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt", Vintage . There are pharmacy-robbing brothers Angie and Marcel, and there is moustachioed jazz aficionado Spanish Fred, dressed with psychotic attention to detail in a pinstripe suit with his hair slicked back. Leading line: People mention murder the moment you arrive. 5. Best line: Theyd hang you for incontinence and fiddling your tax. Famous fans include Ben Drew, aka the aforementioned Plan B as well as Alex Turner and his Arctic Monkeys. He has a great deal of respect for the tabloid hack who puts themselves in danger for a good story. I Wanna Be Yours by John Cooper Clarke He might not be a pub man but John loves a good restaurant. I mean, crikey! After a 40 odd year career, its perhaps surprising that John Cooper Clarke has only actually released two books of poetry. [2] He returned to live performance in the 1990s, appearing again with Suns of Arqa in 1992 at The Witchwood in Ashton-under-Lyne. John Cooper Clarke punk poet, bard of Salford has had a chequered life, from growing up in post-war austerity Britain, through hardcore drug abuse, to being a kind of national treasure. Best Poems does not have poems published by this Poet yet. British punk poet who set lyrics of rebellion to the music of lesser-known bands. When I saw the book in my local bookshop on Christmas Eve, I grabbed it. He believes The Guardian now pushes a narrow set of beliefs, insisting he was always more of "a red top guy. 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. The punk . It was heavily weighted toward the early years and away from his poetry. I Married a Monster from Outer Space is a top ten MUST. John Cooper Clark Offers 3 Simple Words on Heroin: "Don't Do It". Leading line: Time flies slides down the wall. 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. Maggie's Grand Costume Ball, March 2023 - What inspired the city's biggest Fancy Dress Ball? John Cooper Clarke is a different breed of the poet. John Cooper Clarke (born 25 January 1949) is a British performance poet from Salford, Lancashire. British punk poet who set lyrics of rebellion to the music of lesser-known bands. It couldn't be more accessible. Not all of his groups were such a shambles, however. I was watching a programme about Motown. Get that monkey out of there!". Salford poet John Cooper Clarke has certainly led a fascinating life and documents it in - a lot of - detail in this memoir. Fact: I Wanna Be Yours is a metaphorical masterpiece. Enter the Dragon, exit Johnny Clarke. My late great friend Barry Cryer used to say, Analysing humour is like dissecting a frog. After 20 years of performing the same material, Clarke re-established contact with guitarist Rick Goldstraw, who had founded Blue Orchids and played with The Fall and Nico. For all the ludicrous stories of drug-smuggling and evading the police, there are some truly harrowing moments. He was known for his phrasing. Theres a whole wide world in those two words; it calls up an emotional response. Clarkes episode of being beat up on a Saturday night outside a takeaway is translated into a playful (and ironic) piece here, proving that he isnt scared to admit his human downfalls post-night out. His recorded output has mainly centred around musical backing from the Invisible Girls, which featured Martin Hannett . 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". was John Cooper Clarke, a skinny punk from up north, from whose mouth down south this poem poured forth. What is John Cooper Clarke most famous poem? You could still smell the polycell. Ive been a fan since my teens and its always nerve-racking meeting your heroes. He released several albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continues to perform regularly. It refers to lines of verse that contain five sets of two beats, the first of which is stressed and the second is unstressed. In the 1800s, poetry was perhaps akin to rock n roll, with its proponents being declared mad, bad and dangerous to know. But I don't want to overanalyse what I do. I put it down to the smoking ban. John Otway is not exactly a household name. How many people would take a scene like this and craft a poem from it? The second The Luckiest Guy Alive, came 35 years later. [18], In July 2013, Clarke was awarded an honorary doctorate of arts by the University of Salford in "acknowledgement of a career which has spanned five decades, bringing poetry to non-traditional audiences and influencing musicians and comedians." One of his more playful numbers, this tale of take away violence at the hands of an embryonic Bruce Lee was released as a b-side to single Post War Glamour Girls in 1978, and its light hearted nature echoes the nightclub circuit in which Clarke cut his teeth before the punk era. John Otway & Kevin Short - Adelaide Fringe 2023 Review I never really understood that. Their common problem is that theyre not someone else. Best line: Like a death a birthday party, you ruin all the fun.. For me it will be The Clash, The Slits, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Blondie, Siouxsie and the Banshees and of course, The Saints. 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 . Her run of success on the British TV show Opportunity Knocks led both Clarke and his mother to believe that he could make a living at poetry.[8]. Was Jesus Christ a decent bloke?. Sometimes a band hit . In addition, he published two poetry collections, Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt and The Luckiest Guy Alive. John then interviewed Kevin Eldon a week . I Wanna Be Yours, (Macmillan), is a groundbreaking piece of literature. The brilliant and irrepressible Dr. John Cooper Clarke.For those who don't know, John Cooper Clarke is an English performance poet, who first became famous d. I will say that I did miss some sort of lead up to his performances. Often referred to as "the bard of Salford",[9] he usually refers to himself on stage as "Johnny Clarke, the name behind the hairstyle". John Cooper Clarke interview: 'Poetry is not something you have to Could anyone, I ask, with enough time and dedication, learn how to be a poet or is it something youre born with? What it sounds like is the most important part of any poem. With more and more millennials beginning to search for political clarity through poetry, sales of Clarkes work are currently soaring high. Cant find it anywhere :-(. [citation needed]. Written in the style of what I did on my holiday, liberally sprinkled with old man type groovy speak, eg natch kinda. One of the greatest and coolest things I've always been able to tell people is that, not only do I live in the town where Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Humpty Dumpty were written, but that the captivating individual that is John Cooper Clarke lives here. So in celebration of his birthday, we've delved into Clarkes archives and handpicked his top pieces of poetry. John Cooper Clarke: a poet with a fondness for the f-word The influential English punk poet is still full of piss and vinegar after five decades By Liisa Ladouceur Apr 9, 2018 Gerald. Describing himself as more ofa boulevardier, John tells me he was never a frequenter of pubs, seeing them as somewhere your dad went. John Cooper Clarke is an English performance poet, who first became famous as a "punk poet" in the late 1970s. The first half of the book acts as a social history of Salford and Manchester in the 50s and 60s and it's a fascinating read and it flew by. Please check for alternative titles or spellings. This brings us to our shared love of specialised languages like Yiddish, which Inotice John lends from a lot, and Polari. The second, post-Pistols half of I Wanna Be Yours sees Clarke encountering just about all of the great, good and downright grim of 70s and 80s music Elvis Costello, Gil Scott-Heron, Nico, Mark E. Smith, Richard Hell, Linder Sterling and legendary NME scribe Nick Kent to name a few but its the obscure local characters, the figures skulking around the peripheries, that are the most entertaining. John Cooper Clarke | Rock Music Wiki | Fandom I thought he had a lovely voice, you know? From squid-gaming to gladiator-duelling, love is a battlefield with these unconventional Manchester date nights. Beasley Street is one of John Cooper Clarkes darker poems. John is warm and effortlessly funny and before I hang up, he agrees to have a glass of wine with me next time hes in Manchester for his two (now almost sold out) shows at The Bridgewater Hall. 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. Poetry and I have a difficult relationship. I think she's great. 'It will provide some much-needed employment in a depressed area'. I was going to preface this by saying its not really a poem, but it would be better to say it isnt a poem at all. 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. Poetic License: John Cooper Clarke meets Fontaines DC's Grian Chatten Grab one of the last remaining tickets for John Cooper Clarke at The Bridgewater Hall here. [6] He began his performance career in Manchester folk clubs, where he began working with Rick Goldstraw and his band the Ferrets. 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. Yeah, I think you can learn to be a poet to a greater or lesser extent. Top 10 John Cooper Clarke Poems - Louder Than War [28], Clarke has lived for nearly 20 years in Colchester, Essex, with his second wife, Evie, who is French. I've never been one of those people that writes poetry as a means of self-expression alone. Surely a poet of the music world, if ever there was one, and one whose impact on left-field arts is impossible to overestimate. I Wanna Be Yours : John Cooper Clarke : 9781509896103 It is an immensely engaging memoir that fizzes with wit, and it is simultaneously a chronicle of a lifetimes worth of extraordinary culture. John Cooper Clarke shot to prominence in the 1970s as the original 'people's poet'. 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. Revolutions are often bloody affairs and, in this instance, there were executions, somebody had to pay but the result of this is a land where peasants eat cake and children have healthy teeth and gums. As the acclaimed punk poet turns 70 today, weve delved into his lyrical archives and sourced his best works. Credit: Getty. Leading line: I cant go back to Salford, the cops have got me marked. Clarke's poem "Out of Control Fairground" was printed inside the Arctic Monkeys' 2007 single "Fluorescent Adolescent" CD. Children. In October of 1981 Clarke appeared in episode 2 of series 3 of The Innes Book of Records (TV series), reciting "Evidently Chickentown". [1] In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums. This Time It's Personal CD. Sinatra sings it. 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[27], In November 2019 Clarke was a participant, alongside Phill Jupitus, in BBC's Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. And when you happen to see him, in these very ordinary settings, it's a bit like magic. First shown: 05/02/1979If you would like to license a clip from this video please . Best line: The boys are on the wagon. Around this time, he performed on stage with several punk and post-punk bands and continues to perform regularly. John Cooper Clarke, punk poet and the Bard of Salford is in danger of becoming a national treasure. The first half of the book is an exercise in nostalgia as Clarke details growing up in the 1950's, 60's and early 1970's and the social and cultural developments in Britain during those decades with a welter of information about his favourite films, books, comics, songs, bands and much more. Evidently Chickentown wouldnt have achieved its master status had it not been for Clarkes repetitive fucking (words only, dont worry). John Cooper Clarke has always been adjacent to musicians, but in I Wanna Be Yours he recounts his many attempts at forming bands of his own. 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. John Cooper Clarke was born in Manchester in 1949. He said, 'He taught me how to knock the poetry out of it. Poems by John Cooper Clarke - YouTube 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. [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". Kung Fu International I asked him what they were called, and he said The Arctic Monkeys. I'm from an industrial city. Im relieved. "Don't do it.". When gangsters were no longer cool thanks to early 1960s TV series The Untouchables, they changed their name to The Vendettas, then again to The Chaperones after a line-up change, and then again to The Lovely Flowers in a doomed attempt to cash in on the whole horticultural vibe of the late 60s, and for which he assumed the stage name Brett Vandergelt Junior.
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