john cooper clarke famous poems

Nothing ages you more than trying to look like you're 'down with all that'. 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 . Give it a name. Around this time, he performed on stage with several punk and post-punk bands and continues to perform regularly. One of his more upbeat musical compositions accompany this one, the delivery of which veers startlingly close to a sung melody. I mean, crikey! John then interviewed Kevin Eldon a week . I'm smiling. I cant prove this, because sadly there is no recorded evidence, but youve gotta believe me.. The often divisive production that Martin Hannett brought to John Cooper Clarke's poetry works to best effect here, complimenting the dark undertones and careful alliteration of 'in an X certificate exercise ex-servicemen excrete'. [1] In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums. Around this time, he performed on stage with several punk and post-punk bands and continues . 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. Apart from the revolution, its another working day.. I knew nothing about Clarke but had listened to his interview for Desert Island Discs. It doesnt say much, but it goes to great lengths to say it. As he reveals in his book of the same name, we have the compilers of the 1990s GCSE English syllabus, who included three of Clarkes poems, to thank for it. S. Eliot was an English poet and critic. With a song, you can hold notes on. Benjamin Zephaniah Writer. ", John famously set his poetry to music when he signed to Rabid Records - not my favourite way to consume his poetry, I have to tell him and he agrees, saying he just couldn't think of a good argument against it. the girls are on the shelf. 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. He released several albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continues to perform regularly. When you hear his version of Lost In Music you realise that even when Sister Sledge did it, it was always a Fall tune.. Pest is ostensibly about someone urinating in public but really is Clarke delighting in his mastery of the English language. Instead we get perhaps John Cooper Clarkes hardest hitting poems. I used to think trees were dirty, because when I was a kid in Salford you'd climb them and come off filthy, it was like you'd been up a chimney and even if you got a stretch of park you just had to scrape the grass and there were, like, cinders underneath it was horrible[5], His first job was a laboratory technician at Salford Tech. Could anyone, I ask, with enough time and dedication, learn how to be a poet or is it something youre born with? He explains in an interview . I loved what they did with [my poem] I Wanna Be Yours. Failure to hang yourself justified the axe.. Since my main imperative was now the acquisition of ever-increasing amounts of heroin, there was always something better to do than write poetry. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums. But, yeah, actors just sound like twats when they get all high and mighty trying to shame talk TV hosts, I give you that. I can see the worth of a Martin's meat and potato pie. I mean, he is in my house, but in general houses. I think she's great. They've all turned into takeaways, secondhand shops, estate agents. 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. They have one daughter, Stella.[15][29]. Every Glastonbury poster and line-up since 1970, Soundtrack Of My Life: Ted Lasso star Phil Dunster, J-hope fulfils another fantasy with his J. Cole collab On The Street, Daisy Jones & The Six: backstage with the TV band everyones going to be watching, Final Fantasy 16 is a lavish RPG twist on Bayonetta and its all the better for it. I was surprised that the reviews and descriptions made no mention of Clarke's addictions. What it sounds like is the most important part of any poem. I saw people like John Lee Hooker, The Animals, The Who. I was in it to win it so I always wrote with a kind of loosely specified audience. The lists of people he knows and has worked with is impressive, from Bernard Manning to Gil Scot-Heron, from The Clash to Nico, from Plan B to Chuck Berry to list a very few. On Sale I Just Wanna Be Yours T-Shirt. Wait hang onit IS that crazy singer! I mean, crikey! This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers. First shown: 05/02/1979If you would like to license a clip from this video please . ", I'm seeing the value of pubs now because they've been banned. Leading line: If you like your coffee hot, let me be your coffee pot. This is perhaps a reflection of his upbringing in Salford which he describes in a way that highlights the fact that it is a dirty, grimy area this can often inform his poetry. 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. Putting a punk spin on simple matters has given the northern man a master status: purveyor of subcultural shock. [citation needed]. I do love a circular conversation.. I was eagerly anticipating this and got it within a few hours of release; went for the audiobook version because JCC has one of the most characterful and listenable voices in showbusiness. Its onomatopoeic innit? A native of Salford, Clarke and his trademark spiky bouffant have performed on the same bill as legendary Manchester bands like the Fall, the Buzzcocks, and Joy Division (as well as many other bands); managed to place Snap, Crackle & Bop, an album of his verses set to music, at #26 on the U.K . Technique. His recorded output has mainly centred around musical backing from the Invisible Girls, which featured Martin Hannett . She writes about her world, same as I write about mine.". Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem. In the 1800s, poetry was perhaps akin to rock n roll, with its proponents being declared mad, bad and dangerous to know. I can write blank verse, but where's the groove? Grab one of the last remaining tickets for John Cooper Clarke at The Bridgewater Hall here. The veteran poet befriended Arctic Monkeys in their early days and knocked about with some fascinating non-famous characters. Nay lads! It involved people that are much younger than myself in the gangster world of East London. If youre wondering how to deal with someone elses problems, the solution is right in this piece of poetry. Read John Cooper Clarke's poem for Topman's show at London Collections Men. [1] He released several albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continues to perform regularly. 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. Running parallel with Clarkes rise to fame is a descent into serious drug addiction. 14.00 GBP. I will say that I did miss some sort of lead up to his performances. Bob Mortimer has shared a new lockdown poem in the style of John Cooper Clarke - watch it below . Despair obviously drives the poem, carved into claims that instantly slots it into the social realism commentary club. A five star no-brainer for me, but I really wonder how others not having a similar background might feel about it. 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. The effect of this is to hammer home the points made. 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. Famous fans include Ben Drew, aka the aforementioned Plan B as well as Alex Turner and his Arctic Monkeys. . He reckons the parts of Salford he grew up in havent changed and he doesnt think MediaCity counts. Immediately were giggling like old pals. One of my all time favourite memoirs. John's 2018 poetry collection The Luckiest Guy Alive features 30 new poems including the favourites; I've Fallen In Love With My Wife and Get Back on Drugs you Fat F*ck. Is solo dating the most romantic act of all? [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. In addition, he published two poetry collections, Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt and The Luckiest Guy Alive. Unusually, I was more interested in reading this biography for the company the man kept, rather than the man himself. [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. John Hegley Poet. Here are the biggest talking points. The second The Luckiest Guy Alive, came 35 years later. Time for an eyebrow raise Clarkes language rage is in full force here. Again we are presented with a nightmarish vision of the future that may sound unnecessarily alarmist these days, but as Tom Robinson once pointed out, just because it didnt go the way of military repression or fascists taking over the Conservative party, that doesnt mean to say it couldnt have done. The 70s were scary times and Clarke mirrored these concerns. I remember him from the 70s and from assorted TV appearances. And yet they voted for Tony Blair., Whoever went in a pub for the good of their health? Why pull the ladder up? By Paul Henderson. Beasley Street is one of John Cooper Clarkes darker poems. There's a certain snobbery that poetry that people enjoy must, by definition, be stupid. Everything that they wanted to achieve, I wanted to stop happening, he writes. JCC will be joining Squeeze on their UK tour - tickets available from Gigs and Tours. A book that I did not want to end, so I tried to eke it out rather than devour it. In this autobiography he is engaging and pretty honest (irritating as well). Poems covered in the Educational Syllabus. 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. A light hearted look at songs that could have been famous, this is Clarke at his most whimsical as he lists songs with titles that are almost familiar, such as Some Enchanted Afternoon and Greasy Kind Of Love. The name of a group is important and that one is unforgettable. Take a tip from John Cooper Clarke I was always more of a Baudelaire than a Wordsworth. Igr kvll underhll han hela Hammersmith Apollo med sin legendariska performancepoesi och den dr clarkeska deadpanhumorn. By 1978, he was opening for the Sex Pistols and the Buzzcocks, and . The relationship that tabloids have with their readership is not a didactic one of master-pupil. He kicked me in the balls and said something profound. John Cooper Clarke is an English poet who is regarded as a punk poet. He became famous in the late 1970s and released several albums. You can no more take the politics out of Kathe Kolwitz, Sue Coe, or Brecht than you could take the words out of poem. 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. 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) Especially detailed are the account of his early years in a display that threatens to derail his story. . I also recommend his love show! [23] He has appeared as a guest on the comedy panel show Would I Lie To You? Twat (certainly not Clarkes first or last foray into the four letter realm) is one of John Cooper Clarke angriest yet somehow most charming poems. I was watching a programme about Motown. Maybe it's a limitation in me. So in celebration of his birthday, we've delved into Clarkes archives and handpicked his top pieces of poetry. First book of 2021. [10], Clarke appeared in a 1982 music documentary compilation Urgh! That poem I wrote for Plan B for the movie Ill Manors. He still performs, and appeared on AM on "I Wanna Be Yours." The photographs of David Bailey, are quite rightly seen as a poetic take on the 60s. There is the PE teacher Mr Durcan who arranged for arguing students to duke it out, Marquess of Queensbury style in the ring after school. Especially not in Australia. Clarke also recorded a song with the band entitled "Dead Man's Shoes". John Cooper Clarke shot to prominence in the 1970s as the original 'people's poet'. Please continue to help us support the fight against dementia with Alzheimer's Research Charity. Please check for alternative titles or spellings. JCC featured on BBC Radio 4's Chain Reaction in August 2011 being interviewed by none other than New Order's Peter Hook. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The first, Ten Years In An Open Necked Shirt was released in 1983. I put it down to the smoking ban. I'm seeing the value of pubs now because they've been banned. Not all of his groups were such a shambles, however. This poem may be tailored towards a past decade, but its atmospheric despair still rings today. Among poets, John Cooper Clarke is the closest thing to a rock star our contemporary times can offer. Few artists could draw such vocal and heartfelt appreciation from a set as diverse and rich in talent as Steve Coogan, Alex Turner, Stewart Lee, Pete Shelley, Craig Charles and Wilko Johnson, the list goes on. 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. 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. Australian Premiere/UK] THE POPEYE, FEB 27, 2023. John Cooper Clarke - Haiku. The often divisive production that Martin Hannett brought to John Cooper Clarkes poetry works to best effect here, complimenting the dark undertones and careful alliteration of in an X certificate exercise ex-servicemen excrete. A fat book by a thin man that I felt didn't get to the heart of the matter, and I was left not knowing if I like him, knowing he wouldn't give a fuck about what I think. He released several albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continues to perform regularly.His recorded output has mainly centred around musical backing from the . So playing to my strengths, I thought, I'm gonna make a living doing this. Berry showed him how to write songs. There's a reason why John Cooper Clarke was dubbed the first "punk poet": his words have long delivered an honest exposure of urban Britain. THE VERY BEST OF JOHN COOPER CLARKE - CD. 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. It was too good. There's all sorts of things come into play, innit? Even one hes never read. If nothing else, I Wanna Be Yours stands as a thrilling document of some of musics most exciting moments of the last century. You go outside if you like fresh air that much.. Best line: The carpet was monotonous, its pattern gave the impression of small animal crapping at regular intervals.. Sort of rave kids. [20] On their 2020 eponymous debut album, English band Working Mens Club pays homage to the poet in the track John Cooper Clarke, referencing his poem "Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman" and book The Luckiest Guy Alive. A master wordsmith, his love of language and humour leaps from every page.