I’ve seen and read quite a few interviews with Gary, and he’s ALWAYS struck me as a highly intelligent chap, and one with the rare ability to put his thoughts and ideas into gripping dialogue (and of course music)
Well, you've knocked it out of the park again boys! Could have listened to Gary's stories all day. I'm a huge Spandau Ballet fan and consider them way more than just another new romantics band.
Toby Chapman was a couple of years older than me at school and clearly musically head and shoulders above everyone else. Although I didn't know him well he was a great inspiration to me. Not only a brilliant pianist and guitarist but also a phenomenal drummer.
I know they didn't have such a dramatic hiatus during the year but Creedence Clearwater Revival also released 3 albums in 1969; Bayou Country, Green River and Willy and the Poor Boys. The hit singles speak for themselves; Proud Mary, Bad Moon Rising, Green River, Down on the Corner and Fortunate Son.
I totally get the Supper's Ready experience . Anyone who likes early Genesis , Bowie and Fairport Convention , gets my vote . In fact , my musical tastes are so very similar to Gary Kemp's .
really good- thank you chaps - who would have thought it 25 years ago i would be watching an interview with my sisters favourite pop star, but there you go. cheers
Thanks Gary echoes of a similar upbringing to mine, pointing out the influences middle class friends and their families had on us working class lads. Dipping toes into prog and folk rock was a shameful secret never openly shared with mates down the pub for fear of ridicule. Once he showed Fairport I was expecting Nick Drake next.👍
great session... great listen ... need to check out Humble Pie (never got around to it ... and I'm 60!) .... p.s. The Outlaws (affectionately known as the Guitar Army ... 3 guitars no less) are still going strong ... last 2 albums are great ...Dixie Highway came out last year ... love it
The only Spandau Ballet song I liked was “Through The Barricades” but Gary Kemp is hugely talented and comes across as a really decent guy - him picking Liege & Lief (one of my favourite albums) was a real surprise ... I love the passion for music and culture in this video 👍
The Zigzag concert that David Hepworth was referring to was with Help Yourself, not Man. That was in 1974, the Maximum Darkness album was a year later in 75...
One member of Man - Deke- did join the Helps for a couple of songs, though ( and two members of the Helps were members of Man at the time, so 3/5 Man were on stage.....so David Hepworth could be forgiven?
The Outlaws were most famous for their live album "Bring it back alive" and the song "Green grass and high tides" which was over 20 mins long. Their music is in the same family as Lynyrd Skynyrd
One of their guitarists would tour with Skynyrd in the 90’s. Their first record does have an Eagles connection, as JD Souther sings backup on one of the songs.
The spandau ballet comeback spoof docs on bbc iplayer are just brilliant. Both him and his brother play a parody version of themselves and their relationship. Made by the guys who made Down the Line. Subtle and hilarious self-parody. Search under, ‘The Kemps: All True’ and ‘All Gold’
Well,such another delight indeed.I think having Gary on the show is a very smart move,i like his personality very much.Let us not forget he wrote very memorable tunes and i was quite impressed with his acting as well.I remember reading a Peter Buck R.E.M.interview from the mid 80ies saying although Spandau Ballet was not exactly his preferred genre of choice he could not help himself loving ""True"and praised the high standard qualities to the upper ranks of the songwriting class.Well done gentlemen!
Interesting stuff. At King Edward's we all had Staffordshire Record Library boxes in which we would carry Genesis, Zep, Yes, Floyd or, in my case, Crim LPs.
Genesis came to my school, and Yes. I didn't bother to go .. I was into classical then and still am, largely. But then I did see Harry Webb in the chapel - we were forced to. Ugh!
Man were always on at the Roundhouse-I too went to the "Maximum Darkness" concerts-John Cipollina as special guest.Amazing that the Kemp brothers were there too-mind you-the amount of "herbal cigarettes" being consumed its amazing anybody can remember anything.Michael Nesmith wasn't on the bill -
The Outlaws would be considered Southern Rock, actually. They had the harmony singing in common with the Eagles, but musically they were closer to The Allman Brothers. And, yes, I liked them in addition to liking Television, Talking Heads, and The Clash at the same time. I also love Liege and Lief. Gary's podcast with Boy George was brilliant, BTW.
My favourite rock picture is the Joel Bernstein one of Neil Young and his White Falcon in the back of a limo off Decades. Live albums, I love Homer Simpson's favourite band, Grand Funk Railroad live.
LOTS of words in my ears! Good words, interesting words, humorous words! Your interview with half of the Rockenteurs here was/ is great. When Gary mentioned using classical influences plus Floydian music manovuers, to add substance to their sound is why I as an American loved and still love Progressive/ prog music today. Conversely when punk started oozing itself into Philadelphia eclectic record stores, I rejected it, fashion and all, because of the nihilist posturing. Maybe London, Coventry needed it, but not me! For me the music that is most inspirational is the complex, intricate, the journey ahead... Thanks guys! Another thought provoking conversation!
Like you people I've watched a ton of these but this one more than most, despite the banter and chuckles, really does serve as a lament for the loss of a certain culture and the social foundations necessary to create it. I don't which is sadder....to be someone, like them, who knows what we've lost or someone young now who will never witness it. Anyway on a more cheery note, is that a copy of Bumpers I can see in Hepworth's record collection down to his left? I can't see Fill Your Head With Rock or Picnic anywhere near it but I think that might be his Various Artists section in that corner. Which means the portion of the shelf directtly above is probably his section for bands beginning with N or O or maybe P. With that ongoing serious lean there, his Pink Floyd records must be getting bent quite a bit. Or would it be Ottawan and John Otway getting a good old creasing?
@@kamandi1362 I hope my comment about the poster didn’t come across as rude. It wasn’t meant to be at all, especially as I had Marc Bolan all over my bedroom wall.
Gary - intelligent, interesting, talented; musician. As an observation on those great rivals, I've always thought Duran Duran became a brand while Spandau Ballet were a brand from the off. Likely due to successfully fusing image, Art and pop music right from the off via the Blitz.
I was refused entry to blitz because i WAS wearing a shirt. A ben sherman i think. My mate got in because got in because he came from germany and had a big booming voice. I had no such superpower.
Agreed. I enjoyed the fact he mentioned Lana Del Rey. Being the wrong side of 50, I’ve decided not to mention my love for this girl’s music as it makes me sound like a pervert. The fact she is a songwriter with a unique delivery and so prolific is one of the reasons I haven’t give up hope on modern music. Also, she is very easy on the eye.
@@davidrobinson2776 I am in the same boat. I am over 50 and LDR has become one of my favorite musical artists ever. I feel ridiculous going to her concerts but I am proud that I am not forever stuck in music from my youth.
@@jeffreylong9533 I missed her at the O2 in Newcastle. To say she is the only artist I would cross the street to see is an understatement. I remember seeing David Letterman almost melt after she sang on his show and that’s the way I feel whenever I watch her.
Speaking of rude things on albums, I'm still gobsmacked that families in living rooms like mine up and down the country in '73 were witnessing the spoken words 'I've been mad for fucking years' every time the needle went down on the beginning of Side One of Dark Side Of The Moon. I would hazard a guess that, even though thousands were listening intently, many families like mine were not aware of what was being said under all that musique concrete. Mainly because it was unthinkable that they would be saying that word in any case. As a seven year old, I certainly had no idea at the time even though I was bewitched by the whole thing.
Gary Kemp doesn't seem to age like regular human beings. I just watched a clip on RUclips from 2008 and he looks EXACTLY like he does now. What's his secret?
His bloody brother is the one that gets to me. The guy hasn’t changed his hairstyle for 40 years and has gone as grey as a badger but look at the bloke! He’s gorgeous. Did I really type that?
@@davidrobinson2776 LOL! Speaking of vintage wine, perhaps this is what David was referring to. I love how Sinatra acts the song out even though that won't make it onto the record. ruclips.net/video/Zh0rwbtI9Ro/видео.html
@@stevehoran5595 That was literally breathtaking. Sinatra was on another level. I recently heard The Beatles rehearsing Something before George had the lyrics down and that had the same vibe. You are hearing genius at work.
In this great interview there is a reference to The Outlaws towards the end. The band Gary is talking about is a British band from the early 60’s with, among others, Ritchie Blackmore. It’s not the American country rock band from later on.
If Neil B doesn’t make a comment soon, I will be genuinely concerned. Captain Haddock too, but I’ve kind of lost track of his aliases. Maybe they are mourning Prince Phillip? I must say, I never liked the geezer and I suspect Meghan is breathing a sigh of relief. No more looking in her rear view mirror every time she drives through a tunnel.
@David Robinson I’m here, Davey Boy!!! Still about. It’ll take more than that poxy Covid to get rid of me! No, I gave the last two podcasts a swerve: dare I say it, the guests seemed a tad on the dull side. But I’m hugely looking forward to this one, having long been an admirer of Gary Kemp. We’ll discuss further when I’ve watched it. Glad you’re about, DR. However, concern is growing for the whereabouts of Captain Haddock.......
@@neilb224 Glad to hear it. I’ve kept half of the show for tonight to cheer me up after the sad news of the Duke. I thought I better say that after being scolded for being a “lefty” and not taking his demise seriously. Both of those comments are almost true however but don’t actually go far enough.
@Freddie The Flute I should have guessed! The revelation that I have a fellow Lana Del Rey fan should have tipped me off. Sir, I seriously hope this sh*thouse of a government meets a grisly end for the way they have treat the NHS and Carers. Bevan will be spinning in his grave at the state of the last institution the whole world envies. Well, the common people envy it, at least. I remember my Gran telling me how the miners were the bravest men on earth as they produced the coal to keep Britain going. Then Thatcher rocked up. Now, the NHS is in their sights. Boris’s child support would keep the average UK family in luxury for a year. Christ, I hate the tories.
@@davidrobinson2776 Gary’s great value - as he always is. I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for Spandau. Hadley has a great set of pipes. I was hoping the chaps would stir the poo pot slightly by asking about Hadley’s sudden departure from the band. What was that all about? Maybe old wounds couldn’t be healed. After all, how can you play in the same band as someone who’s taken you to court?
A vinyl EP should be produced with that on the A side, and "Grandad" and "Two Little Boys" on the B side....All UK number 1s too .......that would be epic!
Wrong about John - he went to art school, didn't he? He was better off than the others - not really w-class. Wrote In His Own Write &c - always arty farty
@staircase2 I think as someone else pointed out it was more referring to JL identifying with music, rather than whether he himself was working class. In terms of his background, definitely middle class. The richest person I knew in primary school, in the 70s, lived on Menlove Avenue
Could never stand Spandau Ballet - so this chat with the wonderfully tasteful and enthusiastic Gary Kemp surprised and delighted me.
I’ve seen and read quite a few interviews with Gary, and he’s ALWAYS struck me as a highly intelligent chap, and one with the rare ability to put his thoughts and ideas into gripping dialogue (and of course music)
Well, you've knocked it out of the park again boys! Could have listened to Gary's stories all day. I'm a huge Spandau Ballet fan and consider them way more than just another new romantics band.
Brilliant. Up there with the best Word in your attics. Gary is fantastic value here.
Well said, exactly right. Didn't want this one to end.
Gary Kemp is such an interesting guest and also remembering Spandau as was, its fascinating to see how much of his musical taste chimes with mine
Great that MAN got a mention. Good live album that, Maximum Darkness.
One of the best bands ever
Great interview, more fav classic albums, worth another show with Gary 👍🏻🤘🏻
Toby Chapman was a couple of years older than me at school and clearly musically head and shoulders above everyone else. Although I didn't know him well he was a great inspiration to me. Not only a brilliant pianist and guitarist but also a phenomenal drummer.
Loved this and love Gary's new track Ahead of the Game, looking forward to the Album. Thanks guys.
Well done great stuff!
Truly fabulous....loved this one
Joyous chat gentlemen, thank you
Great interview guys.......
I know they didn't have such a dramatic hiatus during the year but Creedence Clearwater Revival also released 3 albums in 1969; Bayou Country, Green River and Willy and the Poor Boys. The hit singles speak for themselves; Proud Mary, Bad Moon Rising, Green River, Down on the Corner and Fortunate Son.
I quite like it when musicians use words like "disparate". I hadn't realised that Kemp was such an interesting and astute artist.
3 of the most interesting people in the music business . they actually love this business.
This is great; thank you.
I totally get the Supper's Ready experience . Anyone who likes early Genesis , Bowie and Fairport Convention , gets my vote . In fact , my musical tastes are so very similar to Gary Kemp's .
really good- thank you chaps - who would have thought it 25 years ago i would be watching an interview with my sisters favourite pop star, but there you go. cheers
Thanks Gary echoes of a similar upbringing to mine, pointing out the influences middle class friends and their families had on us working class lads. Dipping toes into prog and folk rock was a shameful secret never openly shared with mates down the pub for fear of ridicule. Once he showed Fairport I was expecting Nick Drake next.👍
great session... great listen ... need to check out Humble Pie (never got around to it ... and I'm 60!) .... p.s. The Outlaws (affectionately known as the Guitar Army ... 3 guitars no less) are still going strong ... last 2 albums are great ...Dixie Highway came out last year ... love it
"when it comes to the guitar solo, you might be worried a bit there, fretting a bit there"
Literally!
Smart fella that Mr Kemp. Very enjoyable chat.
The only Spandau Ballet song I liked was “Through The Barricades” but Gary Kemp is hugely talented and comes across as a really decent guy - him picking Liege & Lief (one of my favourite albums) was a real surprise ... I love the passion for music and culture in this video 👍
Surprised to hear Gary's affection for roots rockers The Band also...
The Zigzag concert that David Hepworth was referring to was with Help Yourself, not Man. That was in 1974, the Maximum Darkness album was a year later in 75...
One member of Man - Deke- did join the Helps for a couple of songs, though ( and two members of the Helps were members of Man at the time, so 3/5 Man were on stage.....so David Hepworth could be forgiven?
@@olivergoodwin9821 Well they did change lineups more often than I change my socks so I’ll let him off 👍
The Outlaws were most famous for their live album "Bring it back alive" and the song "Green grass and high tides" which was over 20 mins long. Their music is in the same family as Lynyrd Skynyrd
One of their guitarists would tour with Skynyrd in the 90’s. Their first record does have an Eagles connection, as JD Souther sings backup on one of the songs.
Great one guys.
The spandau ballet comeback spoof docs on bbc iplayer are just brilliant. Both him and his brother play a parody version of themselves and their relationship. Made by the guys who made Down the Line. Subtle and hilarious self-parody. Search under, ‘The Kemps: All True’ and ‘All Gold’
I dare Kemp to fashion a timemachine go to 1983 and play Liege and Lieg on ToTP! My 14 year old ears needed to hear it!
Brilliant thank you
Great show!
Great episode.
That was great!
Very entertaining and fun.
I saw MAN Maximum Darkness at the Roundhouse.
What a great gig that was..
Gary should try to hear The Zones’s “Mainman” which is exactly about Bowie fandom
Well,such another delight indeed.I think having Gary on the show is a very smart move,i like his personality very much.Let us not forget he wrote very memorable tunes and i was quite impressed with his acting as well.I remember reading a Peter Buck R.E.M.interview from the mid 80ies saying although Spandau Ballet was not exactly his preferred genre of choice he could not help himself loving ""True"and praised the high standard qualities to the upper ranks of the songwriting class.Well done gentlemen!
Interesting stuff. At King Edward's we all had Staffordshire Record Library boxes in which we would carry Genesis, Zep, Yes, Floyd or, in my case, Crim LPs.
The thing to do was walk down the high street with the 1st Crim record cover in front of your face......
Genesis came to my school, and Yes. I didn't bother to go .. I was into classical then and still am, largely. But then I did see Harry Webb in the chapel - we were forced to. Ugh!
Brilliant!
Man were always on at the Roundhouse-I too went to the "Maximum Darkness" concerts-John Cipollina as special guest.Amazing that the Kemp brothers were there too-mind you-the amount of "herbal cigarettes" being consumed its amazing anybody can remember anything.Michael Nesmith wasn't on the bill -
When will he finally admit that Spandau Ballet is no more? Two lead singers out within two years. Job well done Gary!
this has got to be the way forward for music journalism....keep it up, chaps !
The Outlaws would be considered Southern Rock, actually. They had the harmony singing in common with the Eagles, but musically they were closer to The Allman Brothers. And, yes, I liked them in addition to liking Television, Talking Heads, and The Clash at the same time. I also love Liege and Lief. Gary's podcast with Boy George was brilliant, BTW.
My favourite rock picture is the Joel Bernstein one of Neil Young and his White Falcon in the back of a limo off Decades. Live albums, I love Homer Simpson's favourite band, Grand Funk Railroad live.
Caught in the Act is even better
LOTS of words in my ears!
Good words, interesting words, humorous words!
Your interview with half of the Rockenteurs here was/ is great.
When Gary mentioned using classical influences plus Floydian music manovuers, to add substance to their sound is why I as an American loved and still love Progressive/ prog music today. Conversely when punk started oozing itself into Philadelphia eclectic record stores, I rejected it, fashion and all, because of the nihilist posturing. Maybe London, Coventry needed it, but not me!
For me the music that is most inspirational is the complex, intricate, the journey ahead...
Thanks guys! Another thought provoking conversation!
Like you people I've watched a ton of these but this one more than most, despite the banter and chuckles, really does serve as a lament for the loss of a certain culture and the social foundations necessary to create it. I don't which is sadder....to be someone, like them, who knows what we've lost or someone young now who will never witness it.
Anyway on a more cheery note, is that a copy of Bumpers I can see in Hepworth's record collection down to his left? I can't see Fill Your Head With Rock or Picnic anywhere near it but I think that might be his Various Artists section in that corner. Which means the portion of the shelf directtly above is probably his section for bands beginning with N or O or maybe P. With that ongoing serious lean there, his Pink Floyd records must be getting bent quite a bit. Or would it be Ottawan and John Otway getting a good old creasing?
Love Gary Kemp a talented a talented songwriter and then overall a jolly nice man
You had a Spandau Ballet poster on your wall, back in the day, didn’t you, Geraldine.
@@davidrobinson2776 Good for her if she did.
@@kamandi1362 I hope my comment about the poster didn’t come across as rude. It wasn’t meant to be at all, especially as I had Marc Bolan all over my bedroom wall.
Gary - intelligent, interesting, talented; musician. As an observation on those great rivals, I've always thought Duran Duran became a brand while Spandau Ballet were a brand from the off. Likely due to successfully fusing image, Art and pop music right from the off via the Blitz.
I was refused entry to blitz because i WAS wearing a shirt.
A ben sherman i think.
My mate got in because got in because he came from germany and had a big booming voice.
I had no such superpower.
Spandau were good until they produced MOR rubbish like True and Gold , always preferred the excellent Japan !
@@mikewest1542 Ah, Japan the shoegazing proto new romantics.
Genesis & Yes performed in my school hall - I gave them both a miss - whilst Bowie & Floyd boomed down the corridor, I was into Mozart & Haydn
I really enjoyed that...and Mr Kemp picked out at least 8 of my favourite records there!
Agreed. I enjoyed the fact he mentioned Lana Del Rey. Being the wrong side of 50, I’ve decided not to mention my love for this girl’s music as it makes me sound like a pervert. The fact she is a songwriter with a unique delivery and so prolific is one of the reasons I haven’t give up hope on modern music. Also, she is very easy on the eye.
@@davidrobinson2776 I am in the same boat. I am over 50 and LDR has become one of my favorite musical artists ever. I feel ridiculous going to her concerts but I am proud that I am not forever stuck in music from my youth.
@@jeffreylong9533 I missed her at the O2 in Newcastle. To say she is the only artist I would cross the street to see is an understatement. I remember seeing David Letterman almost melt after she sang on his show and that’s the way I feel whenever I watch her.
60s-70s were the best era's for music.
Speaking of rude things on albums, I'm still gobsmacked that families in living rooms like mine up and down the country in '73 were witnessing the spoken words 'I've been mad for fucking years' every time the needle went down on the beginning of Side One of Dark Side Of The Moon.
I would hazard a guess that, even though thousands were listening intently, many families like mine were not aware of what was being said under all that musique concrete. Mainly because it was unthinkable that they would be saying that word in any case. As a seven year old, I certainly had no idea at the time even though I was bewitched by the whole thing.
I'm worried that someone's going to open the door suddenly and knock the Gold Les Paul over.
My daughter is the 'guy' that wants to be the drummer.
Maximum Darkness, best live album ever!
I was in the roundhouse audience. It. Was. Great.
I spotted Billion Dollar Babies by Alice Cooper in there too...
Well, as a bloke I've had a fine lockdown living in the country and i"ve had no need to "talk about my feelings"......(zzzzzz)......
Very true, but I've just watched a guy with my Vinyl collection x 100 in the background. Now that would be an interesting discussion.......
Gary Kemp doesn't seem to age like regular human beings. I just watched a clip on RUclips from 2008 and he looks EXACTLY like he does now. What's his secret?
His bloody brother is the one that gets to me. The guy hasn’t changed his hairstyle for 40 years and has gone as grey as a badger but look at the bloke! He’s gorgeous. Did I really type that?
@@philiphalpenny3783 some people age like a fine wine and others, like myself, age like a beaker of milk left out of the fridge on a hot day.
@@davidrobinson2776 LOL! Speaking of vintage wine, perhaps this is what David was referring to. I love how Sinatra acts the song out even though that won't make it onto the record.
ruclips.net/video/Zh0rwbtI9Ro/видео.html
@@stevehoran5595 That was literally breathtaking. Sinatra was on another level. I recently heard The Beatles rehearsing Something before George had the lyrics down and that had the same vibe. You are hearing genius at work.
Not having a 'regular' job?
If you told me back in the Spandau heyday that one day I would think Gary Kemp is absolutely entertaining I would have scoffed. Yet, here we be. 😀
In this great interview there is a reference to The Outlaws towards the end. The band Gary is talking about is a British band from the early 60’s with, among others, Ritchie Blackmore. It’s not the American country rock band from later on.
No he's definitely referring to the American Outlaws who were on the bill at The Who's Charlton gig in 1976.
@@Gordon1957 Just realised after looking again that he was refering to a 76 gig, and not early 60's.
If Neil B doesn’t make a comment soon, I will be genuinely concerned. Captain Haddock too, but I’ve kind of lost track of his aliases. Maybe they are mourning Prince Phillip? I must say, I never liked the geezer and I suspect Meghan is breathing a sigh of relief. No more looking in her rear view mirror every time she drives through a tunnel.
@David Robinson I’m here, Davey Boy!!! Still about. It’ll take more than that poxy Covid to get rid of me! No, I gave the last two podcasts a swerve: dare I say it, the guests seemed a tad on the dull side. But I’m hugely looking forward to this one, having long been an admirer of Gary Kemp. We’ll discuss further when I’ve watched it. Glad you’re about, DR. However, concern is growing for the whereabouts of Captain Haddock.......
@@neilb224 Glad to hear it. I’ve kept half of the show for tonight to cheer me up after the sad news of the Duke. I thought I better say that after being scolded for being a “lefty” and not taking his demise seriously. Both of those comments are almost true however but don’t actually go far enough.
@@neilb224 I’m so pleased I saved the second half. Gary starts showing stuff and the lads are absolutely orgasmic. That sounds weird but trust me.
@Freddie The Flute I should have guessed! The revelation that I have a fellow Lana Del Rey fan should have tipped me off. Sir, I seriously hope this sh*thouse of a government meets a grisly end for the way they have treat the NHS and Carers. Bevan will be spinning in his grave at the state of the last institution the whole world envies. Well, the common people envy it, at least. I remember my Gran telling me how the miners were the bravest men on earth as they produced the coal to keep Britain going. Then Thatcher rocked up. Now, the NHS is in their sights. Boris’s child support would keep the average UK family in luxury for a year. Christ, I hate the tories.
@@davidrobinson2776 Gary’s great value - as he always is. I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for Spandau. Hadley has a great set of pipes. I was hoping the chaps would stir the poo pot slightly by asking about Hadley’s sudden departure from the band. What was that all about? Maybe old wounds couldn’t be healed. After all, how can you play in the same band as someone who’s taken you to court?
bill wyman had a decent amp they could plug into..."yr in mate"..
Minor quibble - that's a string winder, not a guitar tuner.
Wer ist dieser Kerl? P.S. you lot know Needsy?
That might be the best one yet. And I can’t stand Spandau B
Former prog fans are slowly emerging from the closet. "Year Zero", hah!
George Martin says the only reason he signed the Beatles was they were great company, musically, nothing special, he knew the public would lov3 them..
"the greatest record ever made"............Joe Dolce , Shaddupa ya face
A vinyl EP should be produced with that on the A side, and "Grandad" and "Two Little Boys" on the B side....All UK number 1s too .......that would be epic!
Nick Kemp turns out to be a great guy.Working class,but knowing.
'Working class,but knowing' - the words of a twat
Hwpworth's head is getting bigger,or his body is getting smalller.Get some John Grant in your lives.
Wrong about John - he went to art school, didn't he? He was better off than the others - not really w-class. Wrote In His Own Write &c - always arty farty
Lennon might have been a lot of things, but working class wasn't one of them!
"rooted in working class culture" - I suppose he meant that Lennon identified with a working class sensibility. The directness of rock 'n' roll.
@staircase2 I think as someone else pointed out it was more referring to JL identifying with music, rather than whether he himself was working class. In terms of his background, definitely middle class. The richest person I knew in primary school, in the 70s, lived on Menlove Avenue
Gary Kemp,sorry.