When the Stuck in the ’80s podcast got its start in 2005, I never imagined we’d stick around long enough – or have the required clout – to do any interviews with our heroes from the decade. In July 2006, though, we celebrated our first anniversary with an interview with Andy Wickett, one of the original singers of Duran Duran. (Listen to the full show here.)
Andy talked about the Birmingham music scene in the late ’70s and early ’80s, the time and setting where Duran Duran got its start. He was an incredibly gracious guest and I can’t thank him enough for giving our podcast team one of its first – maybe the very first – interview. Our interviewing skills weren’t the best, but Andy helped us find a groove. These days you can still find Andy making music and art. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter. Music journalist Annie Zaleski recently referenced our interview in her excellent book – Duran Duran’s Rio 33 1/3.
Here are some highlights from our 2006 conversation.
SIT80s: What was the Birmingham music scene like in those early days?
Andy: “It was just coming out of the punk era and they were getting disco creeping in. You got the new so-called New Romantic scene going on where people were dressing up and slapping the makeup on and stuff. It was like a coming out of that, really.”
And you were with the band, TV Eye, before Duran Duran?
“Yeah. I was in a band called TV Eye with a guy called Dave Kusworth, and Tom and Duffy, no relation to Steve and Duffy. Another guy called Greg, and we were sort of a New York Dolly side band looking, with dark, with eye makeup and stuff. Nick Rhodes used to come round to the house. We all lived in a house and we had a record, used to rear us there. And Nick used to come around and take us because he was quite a fan of the band sort of thing.”
How you ended up replacing Steven as Duran Duran’s lead singer.
“Well, I left TV Eye and Steven joined TV Eye, and I saw Duran Duran and, thought, oh, that sounds good. And I joined them.”
Did you have a hand at any of the later hits that we knew from Duran Duran? Was there anything that you guys were working on when you were with the band that later became hits?
“There’s one song that was a particular favorite, which I did in TV Eye, which is called Stevie’s Radio Station. And I did that with Duran Duran as well. And that later they sort of changed a few words here and there. And it became Rio. And then there was another song that I wrote, ’cause I was working at Cadbury’s, I don’t know if you’ve heard of the chocolate, but I was working there on the night shift. I used to write songs. It was so boring. And I wrote this old melody, so I carried it in my head till I got home, put it down and found some words so we got Girls on Film.”
Did you get any cash for those?
“I got 600 Pounds Sterling. Yeah, yeah.”
So when you hear those songs on the radio…
“Oh, yeah. I try to stop myself from feeling sad, but that’s the music business, ain’t it? We have to be philosophical, don’t we? At least I don’t get all the hassle of that beautiful group, all that money to worry about.”
What is the current Birmingham music scene? What does it think of Duran Duran today.
“Who are they? [laughter] Well, the younger ones don’t seem to take much notice. And I mean, the people in the guys in the Biker Band they’ve sort of heard the name. They don’t really, I mentioned Girls on Film to them, and they said, “What?” It’s like, you know what I mean? I suppose people my age sort still go for them. So I think the younger ones have passed them by and the older ones never got it in the first place.”
Do you still see any of the guys anymore? Or have you caught any of their live shows on their tour?
“I went to the last one. I took my little three-year-old Oliver to see it. And he thought it was great and all the lights. [laughter] But he sort of started falling asleep halfway through. [laughter] But, yeah. No, I thought that’s quite good.”
Did you go backstage?
“No. [laughter] No, I thought best not to. I thought I just, no, because… No. No.”
Now that is humility and good nature!