Idle Thoughts and John Cooper Clarke
I’ve been pondering all sorts of useless things in my half sleep this week for some strange reason. And in my half sleep I have been consciously reminding myself to blog about it later in the day when I am awake. Buggered if I can remember anything now – everything seems so clear in the demi-sleep of 04:45am. One of the things that popped into my head was why we have 3 different ways of accounting for shoe size in the world. Why do we? It took me years to work out whether I was a 37 or 38 and always secretly wanted to be a 39. Why do we have English 1,2,3,4,5, etc, European 35,36,37 etc and then there are US sizes which are half a size down I think. How did that all come about? Answers on a grain of rice please. I’m dying to know.
There is an excellent piece on how crap Katie Melua’s lyrics are over at Urban Woo’s. I commented by posting up a poem titled I Wanna Be Yours by genius poet legend John Cooper Clarke by way of a point that lyrics that are made up of analogies can be very powerful – unless of course you are Mike Batt ex-wombler and chief lyricist for Katie Crap. This led me to an inevitable foray into youtube. I found one of my favourite JCC pieces from 1979 music show called Something Else – god I loved that programme mainly because they had a lot of punk bands on playing live that no one else would air. In 1979, Something Else broadcast John Cooper Clarke in a urinal reciting ‘Twat’. I was going to post it up but some ‘twat’ has put silly noises over all the rude and swear words – it is utterly ruined. So you will have to make do with this instead. It is the opening number to a film by Nick May called Ten Years In An Open-Necked Shirt about punk performance poets. Midnight Shift by John Cooper Clarke accompanied by Linton Kwesi Johnson’s band (I think).
Stop Press: we have a new candidate at Munterspace this week – click here for extreme munterness
Rockmother 
John Cooper Clarke lives in Wivenhoe, Essex apparently. I’ve been there a few times but never seem him.<br/><br/>Wivenhoe was also Mary Whitehouse’s residence.
I’ve not played the clip yet. I’m having problems with that pic at the top of your post. It’s actually two people through a hole in the sofa, isn’t it?
I had a comment, but I was distracted by the first photo…<br/><br/>Um… oh yes – I think John Cooper Clarke (the real him,not an actor) was in Control, recent film about the Joy Division.
mmm – beasley street. fantastic!<br/>jcc and ray davies – my nominations for poet laureate
Billster – I’ve been to Wivenhoe – it’s quite nice isn’t it? Did you know that JCC lived with Nico for years?<br/><br/>Ister – no – she tripped and the weight/velocity of the shoes flipped her over like that. Nice od her to smile – she is probably in agony!<br/><br/>Annie – ah yes – he would be. I have yet to see that film. I’ve heard it very good.<br/><br/>Rivergirlie – yes – I absolutely agree!
What dainty little feet you must have RM. Mrs. Jimmy Pages Trousers has giant, Hobbit feet compared to you. <br/>Christ, I hope she doesn’t read this.
speechless, sugar…i don’t know what’s causing more visual pain..the pose or the shoes..jaysus, i feel so old. . .
Geoff has been writing about the perils of poets reading their own, over at ‘Contains Mild …’ whotsit. Nice to be reminded of JCC who is superb. Superb! Wouldn’t you want to hug him, except he might break?
I worked on the mid-night-shift 12 hour actually- always had charley to help me get started, but then I ended up a bit like John Cooper Clarke and his friends in the background, talkin’ and movin’ in slow motion, now I’m on Selegiline all shuck up a hey hey,Oooo yeh.
Jimmy Pages Troosers – I won’t tell her you said that I promise! <br/><br/>Savmarshmama – I know – do you think she is grimacing as opposed to smiling sweetly as if it was nothing!? x<br/><br/>Arabella – yes – he might snap – all brittle and crackly<br/><br/>Anonymous – welcome to Romoworld! I’ve just had to google Selegiline – lawks a lawdy – I guess you are just taking it for fun or it is prescribed for possible drug induced shakes/depression? Thank you for popping by.
Gosh you do know some super people rockmum, that Urban Woo looks like a handful. I might give her a bit of a commenting. <br/><br/>I am familiar with the well-worn base ball boot with the tongue hanging out because I see it in the mirror every morning.<br/><br/>So there you are….I just thought I’d give this blogging thing a go..
Dickley – snap. I wear Converse everyday unless I’m partying in which case it’s the vintage Terry De Havilland’s x
what – nico as is chelsea girls?(one of my fave tunes) – bet that was a jolly menage!
Rivergirlie – yes – that one. It’s quite a combination isn’t it? I think he went back to his wife eventually but don’t quote me on that.
Somehow I’ve always managed to miss JCC’s gigs. Beasley Street i still one of the most cutting poems I’ve ever heard. Thanks for posting these.
David – thank you for dropping by and glad you liked the John Cooper Clarke. I’ve always missed him too – I love his work. I had a look at your blog – keep writing and performing won’t you.
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Nice to be reminded of JCC who is superb. Superb! Wouldn’t you want to geoff