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…
Album Spotlight: Depeche Mode – Ultra
That the ninth album by Depeche Mode, Ultra, exists is somewhat of a miracle given the strife that surrounded its making but the result was one of the band’s best……
Terry Hall and the Fun Boy Three
In December 2022, we lost one of British pop’s most significant figures with the sad passing of Terry Hall. Shooting to fame with The Specials, he also broke the mould…
Album Spotlight: New Order – Get Ready
Having spread their wings via their various solo enterprises, New Order’s first album of the new millenium was a (very) long time coming. Yes, it’s far from a classic, but…
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…
Dr Robert interview: A kind of magic
As the Blow Monkeys’ Animal Magic returns as a new deluxe reissue, frontman ‘Dr Robert’ Howard tells Classic Pop how his plan to rope in a certain children’s TV legend…
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…
Sparks interview: Too latte for goodbyes
Classic Pop talks to Sparks about their latest album, The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte Sparks adore their coffee, so it was perhaps inevitable that one day they’d write…