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John Earls
Writing for Classic Pop since our first issue, John has been to Adam Ant’s house, sworn at by Bob Geldof, touched Johnny Marr’s favourite guitar, interviewed Richard Coles on his vicarage bed and serenaded with Last Christmas by Shirlie Kemp. John first specialised in writing about music as editor of Teletext’s Planet Sound music column from 2000-09 and now writes about pop for a range of magazines and national newspapers. A Luton Town fan, John also writes about football. His bucket list interviews for the magazine are Grace Jones, Kylie, Siouxsie Sioux and Andrew Ridgeley.
One of pop’s most elusive collectives, Scritti Politti didn’t play live for 26 years and have released just five albums since forming in 1977. In this Green Gartside interview he…
Adam Ant Albums – The Complete Guide
From punk to mature acoustic moods via funk and visionary pop, the nine official (and one unreleased) Adam Ant albums have been a wonderful ride… By John Earls Adam Ant…
Sparks: Brothers Of Invention
We delve into the Classic Pop archives for this 2020 interview with Russell and Ron Mael, as they talked about their then-latest album, A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip… For a…
Street Fighting Men: Simple Minds interview
With Simple Minds’ 1989 album Street Fighting Years getting the reissue treatment and a new studio LP harking back to their dancey roots taking shape, Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill tell John Earls about…
Gabrielle: “I was strong enough not to chase fame”
Over 25 years after Dreams made Gabrielle a phenomenon, she remains one of the finest pop singers Britain has produced. We spoke to her in 2020… “Oh my God, I LOVE…
The Police Interview: ‘Being in The Police was like wearing a Prada suit made out of barbed wire’
Making Liam and Noel Gallagher look like The Chuckle Brothers, The Police were pop’s most famous brawlers, somehow making five iconic albums despite the hatred. They still loathed each other…
Then Jerico Interview: ‘I know I’m very lucky to be a functioning human being’
Then Jerico aren’t the most obvious name for an explosive tale of self-destructive anger, winding up Iggy Pop, rehab, shocking disability and heartwarming redemption. But singer Mark Shaw has lived…
OMD Interview: ‘Stockhausen or ABBA? Can’t we be both?’
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark began as an art project that played one gig for a dare. Forty years later, Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys’ art project has sold millions…
Kid Creole Interview: ‘I travel around, because it’s hard to catch a moving target’
The tropical gangster Kid Creole? Travelling showman August Darnell? Native New Yorker and former english teacher Tom Browder? The leader of Kid Creole and the Coconuts has more identities than…
Martin and Shirlie Kemp Interview: ‘For us, the words actually mean something’
Eighties pop royalty Martin and Shirlie Kemp have joined forces for an unexpected album of jazz covers. The couple talk to John Earls about their feelgood record, dinners with George…