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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.
After ruling the 80s, Diamonds And Pearls proved that Prince could boss the 90s, too. Classic Pop asks New Power Generation, Prince’s engineer, plus his estate’s archivist and new owner,…
Soft Cell interview: “Being a pop star was a weird secret I had to keep to myself”
Re-examining work from both ends of their career, Soft Cell have just released two companions to 2022’s comeback album *Happiness Not Included as well as a mammoth boxset of their…
Andrew Ridgeley interview: “Wham! was our friendship set to music”
For the first time since George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley professionally parted company in 1986, a major Wham! reissue is happening, with a singles compilation and 7” boxset. As their…
Andy Taylor interview: “I’ve got more music to make – and I’m going nowhere until I get it done”
Refusing to be dragged under by his terminal cancer diagnosis, Andy Taylor has not only been playing guitar on a new Duran Duran album but also making his first solo…
Classic Album: New Order – Republic
We remember New Order’s first album release after the demise of Factory Records – the No.1-charting Republic… There are very few people who would nominate Republic as their favourite New Order album.…
New Order – the later years
New Order have been much less prolific in their second 12 years together than in their first incarnation. But, despite the bitter feud between the rest of the band and…
Pet Shop Boys interview – SMASH the system
In June 2023, Pet Shop Boys released what’s possibly their ultimate statement – SMASH, a boxset of all their singles. But, in the 2020s, what is a single? What’s the…
Lloyd Cole interview: King of pain
More closely involved with his fans than ever before after nearly losing his house in lockdown, Lloyd Cole has emerged with On Pain – a stunning album nearer to Talk…
Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz interview: “CBGBs was a wonderful incubator for baby bands”
One of the great love stories in music, as well as one of its finest rhythm sections, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz are preparing to share their memories of life…
Haircut 100 interview: “We always had the confidence that we were something special”
Shiny enough to have their own comic strip and potential TV sitcom, Haircut 100 were also an odd mix of six diverse personalities, incorporating post-punk, jazz, Brazilian rhythms and martial…