A master wordsmith, his love of language and humour leaps from every page. Any amateur review cannot do justice to the genius of JCC, so I just urge you to read it! Its onomatopoeic innit? I thought maybe I could get a job in advertising. I bought this book because I like his poetry. Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem I Wanna Be Yours, (Macmillan), is a groundbreaking piece of literature. Apart from the revolution, its another working day.. So in celebration of his birthday, we've delved into Clarkes archives and handpicked his top pieces of poetry. The subject of the piece remains unnamed (lucky guy), but the ambiguity of the poem deems it one of the Salford lads finest pieces. His vocals from both of his Suns of Arqa tracks have been used on numerous remixes by the band ever since. "Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt", Vintage . To me, it depends on the artist. Theres a whole wide world in those two words; it calls up an emotional response. Site by. But really it is another example of Clarke having fun with the written word. (Play Loud)". A lesser known Clarke number but amongst his most literary and witty, Are You the Business? I like learning about poetry, the nuances and the cleverly picked phrases. I grew up with much the same memories: UCP cafes, meat and potato pies, running home on a Friday night to watch Ready Steady Go, and the Twisted Wheel and Jigsaw clubs in Manchester. A clear favourite among artists and a clear favourite for all ill-fated lovers. Like a lot of Brits, he has a clear dislike of someone, but, unlike a lot Brits, he manifests that into angry, firing verses that make for a condemning rant. English punk poet John Cooper-Clarke first began performing his verse backed by a local folk group called the Ferrets, but with his rapid-fire verbal delivery and stinging social commentary, he quickly emerged as the poet laureate of the punk movement. Clarke's poem "Out of Control Fairground" was printed inside the Arctic Monkeys' 2007 single "Fluorescent Adolescent" CD. . 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. S lycklig ver att vara samtida med John Cooper Clarke. JCC featured on BBC Radio 4's Chain Reaction in August 2011 being interviewed by none other than New Order's Peter Hook. 9.50 GBP. Every single person that visits Poem Analysis has helped contribute, so thank you for your support. I asked him what they were called, and he said The Arctic Monkeys, Clarke remembers. Hailed as Manchester's 'punk poet', he is a key figure of the punk rock era in the UK, from his biting prose to his famously Messy Hair. John Cooper Clarke, punk poet and the Bard of Salford is in danger of becoming a national treasure. Pest is ostensibly about someone urinating in public but really is Clarke delighting in his mastery of the English language. John reckons literacy has always been important in Manchester, the birthplace of The Manchester Guardian. I will say that I did miss some sort of lead up to his performances. I was on drugs. Its a great word. He released several albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and continues to perform regularly. He enjoys cooking at home too, although hes a one pan guy. I've never been one of those people that writes poetry as a means of self-expression alone. Technique. Read More. John Cooper Clarke is a different breed of the poet. Best Poems does not have poems published by this Poet yet. [22], 2015 saw Clarke present a documentary on Thomas De Quincey's Confessions of an English Opium-Eater in the BBC's second series of The Secret Life of Books. Where was the editor? Features 30 new poems, including the favourites; I've Fallen In Love With My Wife and Get Back on Drugs you Fat F*ck. 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. Leading line: Far from perfect strangers; Id like to keep it that way. He might not be a pub man but John loves a good restaurant. Each day repeats on easy, cheesy, greasy, queasy, beastly Beasley Street. I was watching a programme about Motown. I Married a Monster from Outer Space is a top ten MUST. They're already selling a range of poisons. 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. 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 Otway is not exactly a household name. One of his more upbeat musical compositions accompany this one, the delivery of which veers startlingly close to a sung melody. At the same time, you had people like Wordsworth, waxing lyrical about the Lake District. Are You the Business? Follow us on Vero for exclusive music content and commentary, all the latest music lifestyle news and insider access into the GQ world, from behind-the-scenes insight to recommendations from our Editors and high-profile talent. I Wanna Be Yours is out now via Pan Macmillan. I can imagine how it went in the meeting when they were discussing the construction of MediaCity. It could have been bearable if he wrote decent prose, and used it to create more than a dull account of things. My all-time favourite, Sean Locke was the funniest guy alive. John Hegley Poet. How many people would take a scene like this and craft a poem from it? But Clarke is one of a kind, and with this piece he redefined traditional ideas of poetry altogether. 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 . Trochaic pentameter is an uncommon form of meter. 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. He laughs as he remembers The Vault, a room many pubs had with a dartboard, no carpet and no women - a room where swearing was allowed. I loved what they did with [my poem] I Wanna Be Yours. He's met the fish man on the way. I think it was on Sky Arts. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . Johns thrilled that people too young to remember punk rock may have discovered him on a compulsory basis when his poems were added to the GCSE syllabus in the 90s. The first, Ten Years In An Open Necked Shirt was released in 1983. Clarke writes about his English teacher, Mr. Malone, with affection. But, yeah, actors just sound like twats when they get all high and mighty trying to shame talk TV hosts, I give you that. He hastens to add that he values newspapers hugely and doesnt like to see any newspaper collapse. Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem I Wanna Be Yours, (Macmillan), is a groundbreaking piece of literature. He never relies on style. 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. TWAT."". A Music War, in which he performed his poem "Health Fanatic". Ive been a fan since my teens and its always nerve-racking meeting your heroes. Well, I'm a fan so I found this autobiography super charming. His musical albums include Snap, Crackle & Bop; Zip Style Method; Disguise in Love; and Walking Back to Happiness. How often do you see a poet's memoir these days! Anything else would be madness. 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. If anything rejigged my career, it's the Arctic Monkeys doing 'I Wanna Be Yours., That's how I got into it, from school. 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. As the acclaimed punk poet turns 70 today, weve delved into his lyrical archives and sourced his best works. John Cooper Clarke is an English performance poet, who first became famous as a "punk poet" in the late 1970s. His recorded output has mainly centred around musical backing from the Invisible Girls, which featured Martin Hannett . First shown: 05/02/1979If you would like to license a clip from this video please . Please continue to help us support the fight against dementia with Alzheimer's Research Charity. 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. Credit: Getty Images. I listened to it as an audiobook, and Clarke is so engaging and skilled at storytelling that this book could've been twice as long and it still wouldve felt like no time at all. I'm seeing the value of pubs now because they've been banned. JCC goes into . Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem. Id consider killing you if I thought you were alive. Pest In July 2019 Clarke was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. 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. Depressing, we know, but the acclaimed slapstick of his poetic creations doesnt waver. 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. For decades it was seen as corny. 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. Written in the style of what I did on my holiday, liberally sprinkled with old man type groovy speak, eg natch kinda. He would approach a song as though it were a poem and then he would decide how to sing it. Who would have voted for anybody who said, I'm going to abolish pubs? John reckons Jack has done a terrific job of maintaining Lytteltons air of lugubrious resignation. He shot to cultural prominence in the Seventies,. His recorded output has mainly relied on musical backing from the Invisible Girls, which featured Martin Hannett, Steve Hopkins, Pete Shelley, Bill Nelson, and Paul Burgess. Very sonorous, a kind of mezzo baritone. 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. The Road to Mandalay by Rudyard Kipling. His musical albums include Snap, Crackle & Bop; Zip Style Method; Disguise in Love; and Walking Back to Happiness. An odd staple of many wedding ceremonies, I Wanna Be Yours was the first John Cooper Clarke poem to make the GCSE syllabus in 2002, and introduced a young Alex Turner to the art of the well crafted verse. 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. So playing to my strengths, I thought, I'm gonna make a living doing this. Discover John Cooper Clarke famous and rare quotes. 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. "One of Britain . [28], Clarke has lived for nearly 20 years in Colchester, Essex, with his second wife, Evie, who is French. All rights reserved. I knew nothing about Clarke but had listened to his interview for Desert Island Discs.