A clear favourite among artists and a clear favourite for all ill-fated lovers. 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. 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. I wanted to know more about his writing but this isn't that sort of memoir. 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. How often do you see a poet's memoir these days! The name of a group is important and that one is unforgettable. Famous fans include Ben Drew, aka the aforementioned Plan B as well as Alex Turner and his Arctic Monkeys. I'm smiling. Its a great word. John Cooper Clarke shot to prominence in the 1970s as the original 'people's poet'. Show more Ratings Friends & Following What it sounds like is the most important part of any poem. The effect of this is to hammer home the points made. Read John Cooper Clarke's poem for Topman's show at London Collections Men. Nico and Clarke famously lived in south London together in the 80s. Ive worked with the best of them, but The Fall I would watch night in, night out, Clarke remembers. "With charm you've got to get up close." Login Sign Up. 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. He toured with Bill Nelson's band Be-Bop Deluxe in 1978 and was signed by Epic Records, who issued the studio album Disguise In Love, produced by Hannett, in 1978. Since my main imperative was now the acquisition of ever-increasing amounts of heroin, there was always something better to do than write poetry. 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. John Cooper Clarke Wiki & Bio Home Activity About Blog IQ Token FAQ The state of urban living has long been a strong concern for Clarke, and in Beasley Street he relays that with power. And, now, I will have to go and buy some of his poetry! Best line: The boys are on the wagon. And when you happen to see him, in these very ordinary settings, it's a bit like magic. His life is as extraordinary as youd expect and had me wondering if it is actually a privilege to be working class. Each day repeats on easy, cheesy, greasy, queasy, beastly Beasley Street. In one particularly grim passage he has to arm himself to try and score in the perilous underworld of late-70s New York. Four of Clarke's five lots made a loss, giving a total loss of 233.54. Then right at the end, in 2004, hes buying crystal meth. It's Working Men's Club. For all the ludicrous stories of drug-smuggling and evading the police, there are some truly harrowing moments. 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. Credit: Getty Images. This Time It's Personal CD. I can see the worth of a Martin's meat and potato pie. Depressing, we know, but the acclaimed slapstick of his poetic creations doesnt waver. If youre an Arctic Monkeys fan, youll probably recognise this one, as Alex Turner used its lyrics for a leading number on the bands 2013 album, AM. Anything else would be madness. Poetry with swearing in it.. Feargal Kinney gave us his top 10 John Cooper Clarke poems. 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. The veteran poet befriended Arctic Monkeys in their early days and knocked about with some fascinating non-famous characters. John Cooper Clark is a performance poet who first became famous in the late 1970s. Please continue to help us support the fight against dementia with Alzheimer's Research Charity. Best line: Im not your psychoanalyst, Id rather talk to mice.. How so? John Cooper Clarke (born January 25, 1949) is famous for being poet. A five star no-brainer for me, but I really wonder how others not having a similar background might feel about it. 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. 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. John Hegley Poet. So hes still out there wild mane and grungy tailored look intact soon set to embark on his 2019 British tour. 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. It doesnt say much, but it goes to great lengths to say it. I wanted to like this book, I'm a fan of John Cooper Clarke's work and have seen him on stage a couple times and loved his shows. 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. . Whenever I cite Pam Ayres as being an influence on me - which she was because of her success - it would always be met with laughter. Nay lads! They were speaking my language. The rest is history. It's 'mom' upside down. Every single person that visits Poem Analysis has helped contribute, so thank you for your support. It's consciously antediluvian., Hes a fan of rap music though, How could I possibly complain? Poems covered in the Educational Syllabus. I bought this book because I like his poetry. John Cooper Clarke: If I might start this off, I'm a late convert to your work, Grian! I want to talk to John about eating and drinking out. But little do I care. What made it easy to remember was the sonorous language of poetry. 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. 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. The second The Luckiest Guy Alive, came 35 years later. Why pull the ladder up? Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem I Wanna Be Yours, (Macmillan), is a groundbreaking piece of literature. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. He explains in an interview . Anybody with a pen and a piece of paper can do it. So playing to my strengths, I thought, I'm gonna make a living doing this. I am 53 and saw John many times.. and lover his warts and all adventures..not for everyone, but most working class boys or anyone who is not interested in average people and prepared to not to be told how to live..gets messy , but met all the rock n roll greats and all the people worth knowing who were on same path..his wit and compassion to fellow musicians in trouble would help emotionally never wandered..a good man knows a good man..first saw at Glastonbury..and said with paper they in hand look my divorce..not bad 50/50 on house she got the inside and I got the outside and pay for arrangements..I was hooked.. also part of the school curriculum (wanna be your washing machine). 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. 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 do recognise that there's a lot of the hack in the way I write poetry. 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 know he likes his food, saying in a recent Guardian interview that the only foods he wont eat are flapjacks, falafel and tripe. Maybe it's a limitation in me. Like having a cig and a pint at the same time and being able to swear about current events. I Wanna Be Yours is out now via Pan Macmillan. Despite a pretty grim situation occurring He kicked me in the balls and said something profound you cant help but laugh at his lines, because they paint an entertaining picture. From music hall and working mens clubs to punk and post-punk, whether as an observer or participant, Clarke has done it all. Read More. John Cooper Clarke is an English performance poet, who first became famous as a "punk poet" in the late 1970s. Leading line: People mention murder the moment you arrive. 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. I Wanna Be Yoursis very different from a lot of the poems that have been analyzed on Poem Analysis. Oh, those tragic Brit holidays. 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 same way that somebody who's a good painter back in them days would have been a commercial artist. Some advice for you. fascinating detail about his early life in Manchester leading up to punk superstardom, drug. 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. It's the only thing I ever had a natural aptitude for. [23] He has appeared as a guest on the comedy panel show Would I Lie To You? His recorded output has mainly centred around musical backing from the Invisible Girls, which featured Martin Hannett . And yet they voted for Tony Blair., Whoever went in a pub for the good of their health? [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." If youre wondering how to deal with someone elses problems, the solution is right in this piece of poetry. [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). He said, 'He taught me how to knock the poetry out of it. Theres a reason why John Cooper Clarke was dubbed the first punk poet: his words have long delivered an honest exposure of urban Britain. S. Eliot was an English poet and critic. I didn't want to work for a living when I was a teenager. John's 2018 poetry collection The Luckiest Guy Alive. He has such a striking and inimitable presence, it's like seeing a Tim Burton character come to life. Leading line: Time flies slides down the wall. "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).". 1. [27], In November 2019 Clarke was a participant, alongside Phill Jupitus, in BBC's Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. Lets just say its a lot. 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!). I've never been one of those people that writes poetry as a means of self-expression alone. [26] He has also been a panellist on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. The frog dies and nobody laughs. I couldn't put it better than the late Baz.. The sartorially suave punk poet grew up in the Higher Broughton area of Salford, opposite the Rialto Picture House where he spent a lot of time immersed in the movie world that inspired much of his work. In. Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem I Wanna Be Yours, (Macmillan), is a groundbreaking piece of literature. John Cooper Clarke (1983). I remember him from the 70s and from assorted TV appearances. It is not Clarke that embraced punk, however, but the other way around. He completely dismantles it sometimes and puts it back together. John reckons Jack has done a terrific job of maintaining Lytteltons air of lugubrious resignation. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. I digress. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums. Upon receipt, Clarke commented: "Now I'm a doctor, finally my dream of opening a cosmetic surgery business can become a reality. It is far from gratuitous, take the swearing out and the poem would cease to function as such. 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". Show more Download Higher quality (128kbps) Lower. He reckons the parts of Salford he grew up in havent changed and he doesnt think MediaCity counts. In addition, he published two poetry collections, Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt and The Luckiest Guy Alive. JCC goes into fascinating detail about his early life in Manchester leading up to punk superstardom, drug addiction and then the massive comeback as major poet he enjoys today. A relatively simple yet typically colourful condemnation of an unnamed individual; all the best components of Clarkes work are found here. 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. 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. So why pick on cigs? In 1988, he made an appearance in two UK adverts for Sugar Puffs, taking second billing to the Honey Monster. But I don't want to overanalyse what I do. 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. It is through you visiting Poem Analysis that we are able to contribute to charity. I didn't get any encouragement. We have a small favour to ask. John then interviewed Kevin Eldon a week . The projected track list included The Beat Goes On by Sonny and Cher, Love is Strange by Mickey and Sylvia, Welcome Home by Peters and Lee, I Just Want to Stay Here by Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorm, and Thanks for the Memory by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross. JCC goes into fascinating detail about his early life in Manchester leading up to punk superstardom, drug addiction and then the massive comeback as major poet he enjoys today. In his younger days, Clarke spent 36 hours in prison for supposed car theft, despite there being no concrete evidence against him. I got into it Michael Gove style, learning it off by heart without even understanding anything about it. I don't think that songs are poetry but I think that a good song has something poetic about it. But hes never mannered. (For adults and teenagers). Id consider killing you if I thought you were alive. It involved people that are much younger than myself in the gangster world of East London. We practised at home, and got to be pretty good, Clarke claims. Poet Laureate of Punk, fashion icon, TV and radio presenter, social and cultural commentator. If anything rejigged my career, it's the Arctic Monkeys doing 'I Wanna Be Yours., That's how I got into it, from school. You call the shots, I wanna be yours. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he released several albums. Authors; . I saw people like John Lee Hooker, The Animals, The Who. Having an idea to write such a poem is one thing, but to create such a masterfully crafted text is quite another. 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. I was watching a programme about Motown. I can write blank verse, but where's the groove? See Jim Moir aka Vic Reeves paintings for evidence of how broad his impact still is. At the same time, you had people like Wordsworth, waxing lyrical about the Lake District. This brings us to our shared love of specialised languages like Yiddish, which Inotice John lends from a lot, and Polari. Its what we all talk about in everyday conversation, but Clarke converts it to gritty poetry. It also contains the line 'Keith Joseph smiles and a baby dies, in a box on Beasley Street'. If nothing else, I Wanna Be Yours stands as a thrilling document of some of musics most exciting moments of the last century. Give it a name. 5. 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'. A book of two halves by Britain's "bargain basement Baudelaire" as poet John Cooper Clarke writes an autobiography of sorts. Is solo dating the most romantic act of all? May he rest in peace. Could anyone, I ask, with enough time and dedication, learn how to be a poet or is it something youre born with? 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. new Brix Smith track from her forthcoming Valley Of The Dolls album, Manic Street Preachers may be a classic band but its a new generation of fans who should be listening, John Robb announces book tour to go with his upcoming book The Art Of Dakness the History Of Goth, Video: Living Body release live session for new single CONSUMER, Everett True plays The Fall : music writer announces solo show playing songs of legendary post punk band, The Velvet Hands: Sucker Punch album review, From Bonham To Buddha And Back: by Clementine Moss book review, Dark Mark Lanegan: Confessions Of The Night Porter Iman Kakai-Lazell book review, Wild Billy Childish & CTMF : Failure Not Success album review, The Slow Readers Club: The Library, Barrow in Furness live review, WATCH THIS : Essential Logic video premiere for new single Sky Rocket, WATCH THIS! I listen to it on a Friday to see if I'm on it.. Clarke lost much of the 1980s to a heroin addiction, when he lived in a flat in Brixton with Nico, the late singer and muse of the Velvet Underground; he dislikes any attempt to glamorise that. (I Married A) Monster From Outer Space (I've Got A Brand New) Track Suit 23rd 36 hours A Distant Relation Action Man Apart From The Revolution Are You The Business Arts N' Crafts Beasley Street Belladonna Bronze Adonis Bunch Of Twigs Burnley Concussion Conditional Discharge Cycle Accident Day My Pad Went Mad Day .