Hugh Cornwell is Touring Australasia from July: Interview 9 July 2024

Hugh Cornwell we are all familiar with as the guitarist, songwriter and co-lead singer for the notorious and infamous hard men contained in the Punk explosion, who went under the moniker of the Stranglers.

On researching the early career of Cornwell, the first big surprise was that he played bass guitar in a band with Richard Thompson. Since Thompson later went on to play with Fairport Convention places this time around 1966-67.

Maybe the most fertile two years of what is collectively called the Sixties. Revolver, Strawberry Fields Forever, Hendrix, psychedelia, the Syd Barrett Pink Floyd, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers were spawning future alumni of Fleetwood Mac.

There is a description somewhere, of Cornwell playing Blues. This seems to surprise him somewhat, but he does admit to playing Smokestack Lightning.

Cornwell was in Sweden pursuing post-graduate work in biochemistry whilst working towards a PhD. He had a band there called Johnny Sox.

Abba were exploding there and all over the place except America, curiously. This may have had something to do with arch music critic Robert Christgau labelling them as the enemy.

I mention them for Punk symmetry here. As both Simon Sid Vicious Ritchie and Glenn Matlock were huge fans.

Cornwell retuned to the UK in 1974 with his band in tow. Whether Brian Jet Black Duffy joined him, or Cornwell went to Jet Black is a point I forgot to clear up in the interview.

Next recruit was Jean-Jacques Burnel. A finger-picking classical guitar player who Cornwell taught to play electric bass.

The bass playing is a feature of the Stranglers melodic approach, and echoes Paul McCartneys inventive lines. Listen to the most brutal heavy Funk bass intro on Hanging Around.

Dave Greenfield was the last to join, and the crucial keyboard or trash organ sound was in place.

The Stranglers were belligerent and aggressive, with a nasty edge to their sense of humour. They had Rap counterparts later with the Beastie Boys.

But their melody lines have roots in the Doors, Sixties garage bands, post Peppers Prog Rock. Punk was a convenient Trojan horse.

Peaches and (Get a) Grip (on Yourself) were miles apart from Duchess and Golden Brown.

The Stranglers weren’t confined to genres. Neither were the Ramones, and they were helped in their breakout by Phil Spector (End of the Century), and Graham Gouldman (Pleasant Dreams).

Hugh Cornwell left the Stranglers in 1990 to pursue his artistic destiny.

Why is it that no one gives a shit when you step out on your own? I have had over thirty years as a solo artist.

I did tell him that I truly did not know any of his solo work, and I was acquainting myself with it about a week before talking to him. No offense was taken, as he pointed out that this was common amongst many.

There is startling, innovative and truly eclectic music to be found in close to a dozen studio albums.

The Stranglers evolved and sucked up many influences over the sixteen years he was at the epicentre. Hugh Cornwell continued the explosion as a solo artist.

We talked about just a few of the touchstones.

Remarkable is his first solo album Nosferatu (1979) in collaboration with Robert Williams, who was the drummer with Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band from Shiny Beast, Doc at the Radar Station and beyond.

As you would expect, it is full of rhythmic quirks and esoteric percussion instruments. It does echo some of the sounds of seminal album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, which came out two years later.

Whilst Eno is not there, Bob and Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo are (there’s the connection), as is Ian Underwood from the Frank Zappa band.

Nosferatu is an imagined soundtrack to the classic original movie by F.W. Murnau in 1922.

Cornwell is a passionate film buff and runs his own podcast.

Guilty (1997) has Hot Head which has baroque keyboards like Golden Brown.

Totem and Taboo (2012) has an extended piece In the Dead of Night which has ominous and edgy theatrics reminiscent of a disturbing David Lynch movie.

This Time It’s Personal (2017) is cinematic Lynch style again, but with John Cooper Clarke as a collaborator. Classic Fifties and early Sixties songs like Donna, Spanish Harlem, Johnny Remember Me and It’s Only Make Believe.

They are reverent homages but there is something unsettling at its core.

Monster (2018) is a dedication to heroes and anti-heroes. Steve Biko, Lenin, Evel Knievel (cheers to the stuntmen).

There is an acoustic version of No More Heroes which sounds like Folk. I relate the story of Glen Matlock who played a concert in Auckland some time prior to covid. Done solo with an acoustic guitar and those Punk anthems work well as Folk music.

Cornwell is a good friend of Matlock and told me he is currently playing bass (as that’s his happy place) behind Blondie on tour. I should have clarified if it is Debbie Harry solo, or as the band.

Moments Of Madness (2022) has a song dedicated to favourite dish Lasagna which echoes some of the ringing jangle guitar tones of Don’t Doubt Yourself Babe from the Byrds of 1964.

Cornwell is a reasonably prolific writer. He has written an autobiography (was it unauthorised like Ray Davies’ X-Ray?) and a book on his prison experience for drug possession.

There is more on speculative fiction. He is a big fan of Philip K. Dick, and I agree with him in that he must be the most underrated novelist of the last century.

If that is a crucial inspiration for his Future Tense (2020), it is essential reading.

Hugh Cornwell has a vast artistic vision which is not contained to fronting a seminal Power Pop band. He did move on from that to a much broader canvas.

As well as writing he has appeared on television and movies. He is a cricket fan and has guest commentated for the BBC.

He will be at The Tuning Fork, next to the Spark Arena, on Friday the 26 July 2024.

Until then, there is also a compilation album The Fall and Rise of Hugh Cornwell to check out.

Rev. Orange Peel