Ive been a fan since my teens and its always nerve-racking meeting your heroes. 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. They have one daughter, Stella.[15][29]. Im relieved. John Cooper Clarke (born 25 January 1949) is an English performance poet who became famous during the punk rock era of the late 1970s when he became known as a "punk poet". John Cooper Clarke: If I might start this off, I'm a late convert to your work, Grian! Part of me dies under my overalls. johncooperclarke .com. 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. I asked him what they were called, and he said The Arctic Monkeys, Clarke remembers. 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". Best line: The fucking scene is fucking sad, the fucking news is fucking bad, the fucking weed is fucking turf, the fucking speed is fucking surf. 14.00 GBP. Best line: Like a death a birthday party, you ruin all the fun.. Some extracts taken from an interview with Punk Poet - John Cooper Clarke. Poem Solutions Limited International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, Discover and learn about the greatest poetry ever straight to your inbox, Discover and learn about the greatest poetry, straight to your inbox. Crucially, he found the humour in these situations and used this extensively in his verse. 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". S lycklig ver att vara samtida med John Cooper Clarke. I wasn't a punk, but a signed-up drippy hippy, and the music I was into then Pink Floydian and trippy, but I rushed out quick and bought his Gimmix single, though with safety-pinned punks I had to mingle. Looks like Clarkes not the only one feeling entrapped this is a classic piece of poetry. Cant find it anywhere :-(. The most surprising influence of all, however, is the agony aunt section of his mothers Womans Own magazine, one of the first places he fell in love with the written word. John Cooper Clarke was born in Manchester in 1949. 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. I'm from an industrial city. Trochaic pentameter is an uncommon form of meter. "Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt (film)", John Cooper Clarke performs Beasley Street at Hammersmith Palais, "John Cooper Clarke interview: 'Poetry is not something you have to retire from', "John Cooper Clarke On Life In Higher Broughton", "John Cooper Clarke: 'It's diabolical how poor I am', "Plan B's Ill Manors set to hijack charts in Olympics opening week", "John Cooper Clarke honoured by University of Salford", "Does Rock 'N' Roll Kill Braincells?! Especially detailed are the account of his early years in a display that threatens to derail his story. I'm annoyed at myself for finishing this book so quickly but I couldn't bloody help 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. (Play Loud)". I chose the audiobook version, and who wouldnt given his unique style. 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. 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". 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 . His only prose work is I Wanna Be Yours, a memoir. I do love a circular conversation.. "What a great name! John Cooper Clarke is a different breed of the poet. Benjamin Zephaniah Writer. Putting a punk spin on simple matters has given the northern man a master status: purveyor of subcultural shock. Most of his poems are set to music and feel very contemporary. John Cooper Clarke's memoir 'I Wanna Be Yours' - the big talking points Features John Cooper Clarke's bracing new memoir 'I Wanna Be Yours' - the big talking points The veteran poet. However, I laughed out loud and thoroughly enjoyed the book once he started performing. I was watching a programme about Motown. 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]. It's not a place for a first date, is it? Clarke often seemed to bear beats in mind when writing and performing, possibly indicating there is a frustrated rock star hiding under the poetic exterior. Technique. His poetry concerned itself less with daffodils and summer days and more with the squalor and ridiculousness of the world around him. Have you got a sense of humour? He released several albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continues to perform regularly. [citation needed]. Not all of his groups were such a shambles, however. [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. "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).". British punk poet who set lyrics of rebellion to the music of lesser-known bands. Kae writes in a kind of language that I don't really use, addressing a public that I have no knowledge of. I can imagine how it went in the meeting when they were discussing the construction of MediaCity. 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. Opening and closing your mouth. John Cooper Clarke (born January 25, 1949) is famous for being poet. Leading line: Youre fucking lost and fucking found, stuck in fucking Chickentown. 5. Perhaps an indication of what would have happened if John Cooper Clarke shunned poetry to sing in a band, the artful defiance and proud cynicism of a friend in need is a friend in debt creates one of Clarkes most compelling creations. Think about it; the North Pole is no place for the higher primates. I've got MediaCity to thank for introducing me to the genius that was Sean Locke. . It is an immensely engaging memoir that fizzes with wit, and it is simultaneously a chronicle of a lifetimes worth of extraordinary culture. Children. He is considered a major figure in punk poetry and punk literature . Immediately were giggling like old pals. Grab one of the last remaining tickets for John Cooper Clarke at The Bridgewater Hall here. His working class roots are clear and make a fascinating tale. 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. It's the only thing I ever had a natural aptitude for. Surely a poet of the music world, if ever there was one, and one whose impact on left-field arts is impossible to overestimate. He enjoys cooking at home too, although hes a one pan guy. Came across JCC through the Arctic Monkeys. I got hold of your stuff last night and I like your style, the overcoat, the look, the voice, these are all the ingredients to make great records. And today he turns 70. John Cooper Clarke shot to prominence in the 1970s as the original 'people's poet'. After a decade or two lost to heroin, John Cooper Clarke was able to pick up his mantle of alternative poet laureate and carry on making us laugh and cry. Who would have voted for anybody who said, I'm going to abolish pubs? I'll give you an example whereby I've tried to stay true to myself while dealing with the modern world. "Id been halfway out the door when the proprietor told me that some young men in a band wanted a word because theyd done my poetry at school. Having an idea to write such a poem is one thing, but to create such a masterfully crafted text is quite another. Leading line: People mention murder the moment you arrive. 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. I didn't want to work for a living when I was a teenager. Nay lads! What kind of poet is John Cooper Clarke? [21] In October 2020 Clarke published an autobiography which took its title from his poem I Wanna Be Yours. JCC goes into. Each performance seemed unique., Clarke got to know Arctic Monkeys in their early days at the Boardwalk in Sheffield. Best line: I pleaded for mercy, I wriggled on the ground. The Luckiest Guy Alive is the first new book of poetry from Dr John Cooper Clarke for several decades - and a brilliant, scabrous, hilarious collection from one of our most beloved and influential writers and performers.. Cooper Clarke's status as the 'Emperor of Punk Poetry' is certainly confirmed here, but so is his reputation as a brilliant versifier, a poet of vicious wit and a . He hastens to add that he values newspapers hugely and doesnt like to see any newspaper collapse. 4. Cooper Clarke spent some time in the 80s sharing an apartment in Brixton with notorious femme fatale Nico - famous for singing in The Velvet Underground with rock legend Lou Reed. We practised at home, and got to be pretty good, Clarke claims. John Cooper Clarke is a phenomenon: Poet Laureate of Punk, rock star, fashion icon, TV and radio presenter, social and cultural commentator. [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. You go outside if you like fresh air that much.. From the emergence of rock n roll in the late 50s; The Beatles and The Stones; the rise of Northern Soul at the Wigan Casino; mid-70s dub reggae; punk rock; and Manchesters immortal Factory-led post-punk scene in the 80s, Clarke saw them all. Please continue to help us support the fight against dementia with Alzheimer's Research Charity. I never really understood that. A prime example: I Dont Want To Be Nice. Pest He first encountered Mark E. Smith when the late singer was a schoolboy, and Clarke ended up becoming an unofficial uncle to the future Fall frontman you know, the type of uncle who doesnt give a fuck what you get up to, as he puts it. I don't think that songs are poetry but I think that a good song has something poetic about it. Best line: Poverty and pollution have all swept away. For decades it was seen as corny. At 5 feet 11 inches (32in chest, 27in waist), in trademark dark suit, dark glasses, with dark messed-up hair and a mouth full of gold teeth, he is instantly recognizable. 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. And, now, I will have to go and buy some of his poetry! "For many years as well - this is where Ive been ploughing the lonely furrow - rhyming was seen to be a capital offence. meet Salomey Maloney. He released several albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continues to perform regularly. Contents John cooper clarke twat on after dark 1982 Nothing ages you more than trying to look like you're 'down with all that'. He was known for his phrasing. [2] His first releases were on Tosh Ryan and Martin Hannett's independent label Rabid,[7] starting with the EP Innocents in October 1977. Best Poems does not have poems published by this Poet yet. It is not Clarke that embraced punk, however, but the other way around. I've never heard anybody with an Ordsall accent in employment in MediaCity.". There was a cut off in the 80s where people like me were just rendered completely old fashioned. He's met the fish man on the way. This Time It's Personal CD. Is solo dating the most romantic act of all? Are you happier now than you have ever been? The saddest of all, however, is when he realises that an emaciated, greasy heroin dealer is in fact Chet Baker, once jazzs handsome, charismatic Prince of Cool, now a shadow of his former self. 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. 'It will provide some much-needed employment in a depressed area'. He might consider himself relegated to the realm of the old fashioned but at 73, John Cooper Clarke is as relevant and influential as ever. On Sale His wife Evie, whos French, is the better cook. Best line: "The fucking scene is fucking sad, the fucking news is fucking bad, the fucking weed is fucking turf, the fucking speed is fucking surf" Kung Fu International "In which I get beaten up" says Clarke as introduction to this poem on its live recording. In Majorca, he offers a playful perspective from Spains crowded holiday resorts, noting its hysteria but also kind of embracing it. Twat 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. It's an alarmingly ridiculous idea. In. 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 . The term I'm looking for here is the common touch. Hes even on the GCSE curriculum these days! I Wanna Be Yours Pest is ostensibly about someone urinating in public but really is Clarke delighting in his mastery of the English language. Among the revelations of I Wanna Be Yours, however, is the fact that the two distinctly voiced flatmates came extremely close to recording an album of duets under the name Nico And Johnnie. Are we still asking if you can wear black with blue? Article What is Baroque? JCC goes into . The most striking thing about hearing this poem performed live is the staccato call-and-response nature of the delivery. Even his shambolic attempts to form a Beatles-inspired band in the 60s meant we were punk rockers before that became a good thing.. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. There is the local thug Lemonhead, an embittered nutter who spends his time camped out on waste ground taking potshots at passers by with a sniper rifle. 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. He also starred in another 1982 film titled John Cooper Clarke Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt produced for the Arts Council of Great Britain and Channel 4. 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. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Best line: Theyd hang you for incontinence and fiddling your tax. 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". I loved what they did with [my poem] I Wanna Be Yours. Around this time, he performed on stage with several punk and post-punk bands and continues to perform regularly. Goldshaw began handling Clarke's affairs, and the two toured with the Mescaleros and several times supporting the Fall. In fact, theres a lesson to be taken from these 36 hours: he may announce lifes many depressing elements, but he also aspires to address them through some commentary and a spot of dark humour. This the man who first taught him that poetry should be heard, not read, and who managed to transform his classroom into a hothouse of proto-rap battles. Interspersed with the most unlikely offerings that came with the disco era. 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. He never does the same song the same way twice. We are still experiencing political turmoil, after all. John Hegley Poet. You never meet an artist who isn't a fan [of Mark]. With kind-of-terrible, kind-of-hysterical comments Like a nightclub in the morning, youre the bitter end every claim is unleashed like a bomb. Finally, we get back onto the subject of Radio Four and another shared love:Im Sorry, I Havent a Cluewhich has survived many personnel changes from the deaths of Willie Rushton and Barry Cryer as well as long time presenter, Humphrey Lyttelton making way for Jack Dee. Then right at the end, in 2004, hes buying crystal meth. He shot to cultural prominence in the Seventies, producing and performing poetry that tackled real-life matters with zero fear and total vibrance. In fact it is extremely dark but, given that it looks at the worst excesses of slum dwelling, how could it not be. I can write blank verse, but where's the groove? His only prose work is I Wanna Be Yours, a memoir. 9.09 GBP. [2][9] Clarke toured with Linton Kwesi Johnson, and has performed on the same bill as bands such as the Sex Pistols, the Fall, Joy Division, Buzzcocks, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Elvis Costello, Rockpile and New Order (including at their May 1984 Music for Miners benefit concert at London's Royal Festival Hall). [2] He lived in the Higher Broughton area of the city and became interested in poetry after being inspired by his English teacher, John Malone,[3] whom he described as "a real outdoor guy, an Ernest Hemingway type, red blooded, literary bloke". I'm smiling. But you might be surprised to learn that hes not a fan of its modern-day iteration. Meet the men who get turned on hearing about their partners sexual past, Simone Rocha is the incumbent Cool Guy brand, An entirely accurate ranking of the 15 best comedy films ever, Print copies & Digital access for only 1. Like having a cig and a pint at the same time and being able to swear about current events. Some of the toughest guys I ever knew were all vying for attention with million-dollar words, the slickest of rhymes, and ever more arcane vocabulary, Clarke recalls. Much later down the line, now a successful performance-poet, he spent time as the de facto frontman of The Invisible Girls, a band assembled to provide musical accompaniment that included an eye-watering number of bona fide legends including Buzzcocks Pete Shelley, Joy Division and New Orders Stephen Morris, The Falls Karl Burns, 10ccs Paul Burgess, Be-Bop Deluxes Paul Nelson and the Durutti Columns Vinni Reilly. [15] That same year, Clarke featured in rapper Plan B's feature film Ill Manors and subsequently the Ill Manors album. Apart from the revolution, its another working day.. The 73-year-old poet was born in England, United Kingdom. Fact: I Wanna Be Yours is a metaphorical masterpiece. Sinatra sings it. SNAP, CRACKLE & BOP CD. I mean, crikey! On Sale POETRY QUOTE BLACK T-SHIRT. D r John Cooper Clarke, Salford's favourite son, arrives in the whitewashed upper room of St John near London's Smithfield meat market trailing a suitcase. Rhythm machines at the ready, his cultural performance is about to kick off Theres a real sense of artistic perception when Cooper Clarke is on stage, because he doesnt just stand there and read lines of words.