Chris Pope and The Chords UK are keeping the vibrancy of punk and the mod scene alive forged by the original incarnation of The Chords. Whilst The Chords were responsible for the revered singles ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ and ‘Something’s Missing’ in the late 70s, Chris Pope and The Chords UK are releasing critically acclaimed material today.
Their latest album ‘Nowhere Land’ retains the essence of The Chords but broadens the pallete set 40 years ago. Jason Barnard speaks to Chris Pope about then and now.
Can you describe the writing and recording process for Nowhere Land? How has it changed since the late 70s?
I would say 95% of every thing I’ve ever written has been on an acoustic guitar locked away in a darkened room! Always starting with the melody and the lyrics follow on sometime later. Occasionally I’ll have a title and I’ll try and work it into a song I have – with varying degrees of success.
So I guess writing for ‘Nowhere Land’ was a similar process to that of writing songs for ‘The Chords So Far Away’ album back in the day.
As for recording; it’s changed a lot since 1979 and yet, where we’re concerned, not that much different when you break it all down. Then it was basically: choose the best version from 15 -20 different takes! Then build the track from there.
Nowadays it’s more ‘comping’ together the backing track (drums) on a computer, possibly 3 takes at the max. Then building it up as we did in the late 70’s. But laying down guitars, vocals and overdubs etc are just the same. It’s true, editing is a lot quicker and easier these days & so is the band (honest!).
‘Hipsters of London’ has lots of great London references from the 60s and 70s scene. Was it looking back to those times that inspired you to write it?
Yes. I’ve always been fascinated with both decades and all what went with them (and the 80’s to a lesser extent). kind of used clubs /places from then as a back drop for the song. The track itself is a lighthearted run through the decades, having a little ‘poke’ at the constant need of people to be ‘where it’s at’, be it fashion wise or to be seen in the coolest place with the coolest people. A kind of ‘hanger-on’ always on the margins of it all, but kind of realising it and not caring how ‘fickle it is/was, just having a laugh with it all!
Which other tracks from ‘Nowhere Land’ are your favourites and why?
‘Our World’, I Like a lot as it’s a story about a couple of Mods from 1979 and what happens to them as they go through life. ‘One Last Shot At The Title ‘ is the only ‘love’ song on the album. A personal one for me, hence definitely one of my fave. ‘Lost In The Plot’ is a BIG change of direction for the band. Really pleased how this one came out.
Who’s currently in your Chords band at the moment?
in The Chords UK :
- Mic Stoner – Bass
- Kenny Cooper – Drums
- Sandy Michie – Lead Guitar
- & yours truly
This line-up been together for 5 years. Mic played with The Chords when we toured Japan & Australia in 2012, and both him & Ken where in POPE (doing my solo album stuff) from 2010. It’s a pretty permanent line-up!
Going back, can you tell me about growing up, your background and how/if this influences you?
I grew up in South East London through the 60’s and was a teenager in the 70’s. Not sure how but I ended up at a Catholic Grammar School which had a pretty strict code of conduct of which I did not ‘adhere’ to all that well. It definitely ‘shaped’ me for the rest of my days in more ways than one. But it was a wonderful time to be that age in London Town if you we’re in love with music (which I was). I got to see The Who (barely 13), Led Zeppelin, The Stones, The Faces.Bowie et al by the time I was 15. Then Punk happened….Nuff said!
Did you play in other groups before The Chords?
No … The Chords was the first & The Chords Uk will be the LAST!
I’ve heard you were recruited into first version of The Chords by answering an ad in the NME. What are your recollections of the early period for the group?
I answered an ad in the NME JAN 78 that Billy Hassett & Martin Mason had put together . We didn’t actually become THE CHORDS until late summer of that year. Unbeknownst to me when I suggested we call it The Chords that there was a ‘doo-wop’ band from the 50’s with the same name! I thought I was stealing if from Bob Dylan’s first band ‘The Golden Chords!
The very early days: we mainly played covers (60’s pop & 70’s punk) in pubs around Deptford, went through 2 – 3 drummers! Then later that year we thought we’d better start writing our own songs. That’s when I came up with ‘Now It’s Gone’, ‘Something’s Missing’, ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ etc which became the main stay of our set for the next 3 – 4 years.
In early 79 B Ascott joined on drums. By March we were gigging a lot around London, by April we had a record deal snf in May we were on tour with The Undertones. Crazy! And I was 17 and still at school!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrHkLK-7y-g
How did you get linked up with John Peel and record a session so quickly? Did you just send in a demo tape?
John Walters (Peel’s producer) came to see us at The Marquee and I guess recommended the band to John. We were gigging maybe 3 nights a week then, so the group was really tight. The recording took place at the BBC studios in Maida Vale – 4 tracks done in a few hours. I don’t remember that much about it too be honest. We went in and just did it. The next thing we know Peel’s playing it 2-3 times a month and calling us the ‘best thing since sliced bread’ or words to that effect. It really helped us secure the deal with Polydor. Bless his Cottons, best DJ there ever was.
What role did Jimmy Pursey play in helping you and the band get a record contact?
He actually signed us to his own label JP records .We did some recording with him in April 79, then things got a little ‘strained’ at a gig we did with The Undertones. He turned up with Cook and Jones from The Sex Pistols, invaded the stage, causing mayhem , amps, lighting rigs going into the audience etc. (Well, as far as I can remember, Good Ol Jimmy !) And throw in a few other disagreements, and we parted company very soon after that, for right or wrong!
How did you pick those early singles like ‘Now It’s Gone’ and ‘Maybe Tomorrow’?
Those 2 picked themselves, the one after that ‘Something’s Missing and later ‘In My Street’ were record company discussions. Not mine personally! I thought there were better tracks around.
Do you have any memories of being in Top Of The Pops?
Yes. Brilliant ones. First time with ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ we ended up in the BBC Bar with Bon Scott & Malcolm Young from AC/DC getting very merry! Two weeks later Bon died about 100 yards from our road managers house. Another time with ‘Something’s Missing’ we were sandwiched between the Nolans and Motorhead. Hmm! And we had to make a mad dash for it to get to Birmingham for a gig that night. No hanging out with Lemmy that time!
What’s your recollection of recording the ‘So Far Away’ album. How did you pick the material or what it simply representative of your live set at the time (including the two covers)?
We recorded it at Redan studio in Bayswater. Did it all in two weeks. It was basically our live set down on tape as was. Very few overdubs, just get it done! ‘She Said She Said ‘ The Beatles song was one Billy brought to the band in the early days. It was cool because it ‘s not the obvious Lennon / Mc Cartney song to cover. As for ‘ Hold On I’m Coming’, that was just in the set at the time. Could/ should have been another Stax/Motown tune if you ask me!
I remember prog rocker Yes were rehearsing in the next room, Jon Anderson often popped in. Very nice guy. Also, being able to go out drinking till very, very late and still make it for the next days session all ‘ship shape’. Oh to be 18 again!
Do you have any memories of The Chords gig at The Rainbow in 1980 released as ‘No One Is Listening Anymore’ in 1986? Did you endorse its release?
Very little of that one. I do remember more of the one supporting The Jam there (our 5th or 6th gig FFS!) As for the live album, I had nothing to do with it been released. And have had nothing to do with it ever since.
Why was, in late 1980, Billy Hassett sacked and replaced by Vibrators singer Kip Herring? Did this ultimately help or hinder the group?
There was a lot going on around then within the band. Things moved very fast back then. Billy had recently got married, the band was struggling money wise and success was managing to elude us and we had no management, no A&R guys at Polydor ‘rooting’ for us. It all just toppled over on us, it was not a decision taken easily.
Maybe we should have just ‘stepped back’ from each other for a while – looked at what was important to us, which was the music and develop a different sound. But time was and is off the essence, so we just made a split decision after the ‘In My Street’ Tour. That was it really.
Despite being a very strong track ‘One More Minute’ only reached the lower reaches of the charts. Was the musical climate making it harder for you i.e. the charts shifting towards groups like Duran Duran?
To me The Chords were a rock ‘n’ roll band and by the Autumn of 80, ‘ haircut’ groups like ‘Spandau’ And ‘Duran’ were hitting the charts and there was a lot more electronic stuff around. Which is fair enough, it was a new decade & new sounds/images & all that.
I think we just got ‘lost ‘ between all the fads and fashion. We were suddenly deemed ‘un-hip’ and ‘out of step’ as already stated ‘things moved very fast back then’. Shame as ‘One More Minute’ is a personal fave and a move forward from the original Chords sound.
Why did the band split?
See above! By autumn 81, I/we’d been kicked in the teeth ‘one too many times ‘. I think we’d could have done another single or two for some indie labels but I Just wanted out, as did the others (I think). You know, a new morning, new faces, new everything – ‘rip it up and start again!
What did you do next?
Formed AGENT ORANGE with Ace face Grant Fleming, Kevin Peters and Brett. We managed to get a huge deal with Virgin Records and then managed somehow to totally blow it. Genius! I ended up in NYC in the late 80’s, with Kevin in my fave band called Gatecrash Heaven, which really was great fun indeed.
When did you come back to England, start your solo work and The Chords UK?
I came back early 90’s then proceeded to get ‘lost in the rave scene, which I quite enjoyed (for a while)! Recorded a lot of demo’s (4, 8 track) stuff through that period. Didn’t start recording any albums until around 2003, the first two with Brett Ascott on drums. I have released 3 solo albums (2006-14) and dtarted recording with The Chords UK in 2015 so far; 1 EP, & 2 studio albums.
So what led you to form Pope with Brett? What do you think about material you released in that period?
We’d be in and out of separate bands thru the 80’s and 90’s, but always seemed to end up jamming on songs I had on me at the time in some shitty old rehearsals space!
So in the mid 2000’s we decided to go into the recording studio:
GRACE of GOD (2006) and ‘ TALL TALES & CHEAP THRILLS (2009) is pretty much me recording /playing everything apart from Brett on drums and a few ‘ivory tinkles’ from Mr Mick Talbot.
PEACE OF MIND (2014) was a cross over to using Mic Stoner on Bass & Kenny Cooper on Drums on half the album.
Personally I’m very proud of the material on all 3 POPE albums. I still play them today and enjoy listening to them. ‘Peace of Mind’ in particular, out of all the albums I’ve recorded (inc Chords + Chords UK) sticks out as my favourite piece of work.
When and why did you get together the Chris Pope and The Chords UK line-up?
The line-up for POPE changed in 2011-12 . Mic Stoner joined on Bass, Kenny Cooper followed shortly after on Drums. We’d been doing a mixture of the solo/Pope album material and old Chords tunes live.
The Chords then did a tour of Japan & Australia that year with Mic on bass. I had suggested to Billy Hassett (who resides permanently) in Japan that I’d like to do a version of The Chords back in the UK.
Simply because I wanted to do the live thing a lot more regularly than what allowed (geographically) with Billy circumstances. He thought it was a great idea. So we started it around 2013-ish. Sandy Michie joined a year later, and were still out there doing it!
Was it a case of settling unfinished business of the original Chords i.e. adding to the short canon of Chords music? Your song ‘One Last Shot’ seems to capture that idea.
Yes , I think so to a certain extent. Actually, The first Chords UK album ‘ TAKE ON LIFE’ came about after I got sent a bootleg of a Marquee show in 81 .. I was surprised at how different the band sounded to that of 78-79 & how many new/un-released tunes were in the set . I got to wondering what some of those songs would sound like today … So we recorded 4 -5 of them for the album, of which ‘Burning all around’ & ‘ Home Sweet Home’ made the final cut.
‘One Last Shot ‘is a very personal song for me . A rare stab at a love song of sorts. But correct it is about unfinished business; as is the track ‘Lived to tell the tale’ just before it on the ‘NOWHERE LAND ‘album.
Is it important for you to continue releasing new material, rather than being a ‘nostalgia’ act?
100%. I have to keep creating new music and adding new tunes to the set. I have absolutely no interest in taking the band out live and just playing old songs from start to finish. I’d rather stay at home with a good bottle of red with me feet up!
What should fans expect with your forthcoming UK tour?
A good balance of old and new. We do all The Chords Singles and a fair few album tracks from ‘So Far Away’ along with a ‘healthy helping’ of tracks from both ‘Take On Life’ and ‘Nowhere Land’. A lot of people who come and see us now know the new material and react really well to it, which is a great compliment.
Has the band written or recorded any material for the album after ‘Nowhere Land’?
We’ve been in and out of the studio since finishing ‘Nowhere Land ‘ last May. We’ve got a lot of ‘Old, New, Borrowed & Blue’ material half-finished at the moment. A new single to coincide with the Autumn tour is a definite.
Thank you, Chris, it’s been a pleasure speaking to you. I look forward to hearing your new single in the Autumn.
