CHRIS POPE INTERVIEW JULY 2003 MANY THANKS TO JIM MCDONALD FOR SETTING THIS UP AND TO CHRIS FOR TAKING TIME TO ANSWERING THEM.
As an intro, I’m a big fan of The Chords. For what it’s worth, my biggest disappointment about the demise of the 1979 scene (and there were a few!) was that The Chords weren’t able to go on and show what they could have been.
Specifically, Chris Pope, who wrote some of the best songs I’ve ever heard – and I’m now 41 years old – wasn’t allowed to develop as a songwriter, at least publicly.
One of the great unanswered questions of our time – What would The Chords second album have been like?
I firmly believe that he’s up there with Weller, Strummer/Jones and Gallagher – I just wish that he had been given more chance to prove it.
I’m just lucky that one of my heroes has now become a firm friend.
Jim
Chris Pope Questions
1 What are your earliest memories of when The Chords started out?
A. Having joined via an ad in NME, rehearsing in Sydenham early 1978, moving the group from covers to our own stuff.
2 How did you all get together where did the early rehearsals take place?
A. See above. We used to rehearse in the Gas Board social club in Sydenham.
3 When and where was your first gig what was it like?
A. The Kings Head, Deptford, in March 1979. Audience of mates and curious punters. What was exciting was that there was already a feeling that something was happening – this scene was starting around us. Garry Bushell and Grant Fleming were there.
Also, it was a landmark night – the name of a particular song changed from “Deadly Underground” to “Maybe Tomorrow”…..
4 Why didn’t the Chords end up on the JP label?
A. We sort of fell out after the infamous incident at Guildford Civic Hall on the Undertones support tour in May 1979. Jimmy turned up with Steve Jones and Paul Cook, all a tad the worse for wear, and during The Undertones set led a stage invasion. A stack got knocked over which could have killed someone.
5 What was the feeling of all band members when you got the Polydor deal?
A. good, but it was a bit weird that we had no-one really looking after us. No A&R man had signed us, Polydor had just taken over the JP offer. We could and should have signed for Virgin
6 When did you realise you was part of a mod revival?
A. By the time of the first gigs (March 1979) it was obvious that something big was going on around us.
7 Was it hard being on the same label as The Jam?
A. Too right! Made it all too easy to pigeonhole us.
8 In your opinion who where the best mod bands around at the time of 79 revival?
A. The Purple Hearts. I also really liked Speedball
9 What was the gigs outside London like back then?
A. Varied! In London we were always pretty sure that we’d go down well; further north,we had some great gigs (Glasgow, Newcastle) and some not-so-good (we never had a good gig in Manchester!). Overall crowds were pretty enthusiastic.
10 Your favourite venue sound and crowd wise??
A. The Marquee without a doubt
11 What did you think of the Purple Hearts and Secret Affair the other (big) mod bands?
A. They both produced some very good stuff – “Millions Like Us” and “My World” were both terrific songs. They were both very different to us – the Hearts went for a sparser, jangly sound while Secret Affair were into horns, strings, the lot.
12 Which in your mind was The Chords finest moment?
A. Shagging 3 birds in one night on tour (only joking). Having the third highest number of people in The Marquee, after AC/DC and Jimi Hendrix. It was meant to hold 400 – we had over 1000 in!.
13 Any Chords song(s) you would have like to have seen as a single?
A. It’s common knowledge that I thought “So Far Away” should have been a single.
14 Did work start on a follow up to the LP “So Far Away”
Sort of. See the double album for the results.
15 Did you read /collect the many modzines around at the time?
Not really – I’d read Maximum Speed if it was around
16 What did you think of the music press opinions on The Chords?
Mixed. Some journos genuinely knew about us, and wrote fair reviews. But there was too much lazy journalism – people lumping us in with the “shiny suit” brigade, too much “labelling”
17 Did you enjoy the Mods Mayday 99 event it made my day when The Chords came on?
Yeah, it was good fun, but I was out my head, so who knows!
18 Did you meet up with some old friends at this gig?
A. Can’t remember –see above!
19 Are you pleased with all The Chords stuff coming out on CD at last?
It’s good it’s out there. To be honest, there’s maybe a bit too much stuff – quality control is not not always what it should be! For instance, “Circles” on The BBC Sessions CD is really rough – I don’t even remember doing it!
20 What type of music are you into today?
All sorts – from Chuck Berry to Jellyfish. But I still can’t get into Squire!
21 Are you still in contact with the other Chords members?
See Brett a lot, and the others occasionally.
22 Whatever happened to Kip?
Dunno – last I heard he was a carpetfitter in Watford
23 Anything else left for the Chords to release?
I think that’s it for the historical stuff
24 Any plans for a few gigs in the future or is this now dead for good?
No plans, but we’ve done a few gigs in the past couple of years, so you never know. Bill’s location makes it unlikely he’ll be heavily involved.
Having said that, we’ve got tentative offers of gigs next year. There’s a scooter rally in Morecambe that we’ve been sounded out about.
If that happens, then we’ll try and release some new stuff to fit in with it.
25 Are you currently playing in a band?
I’m enjoying doing some stuff on my own. I’m in the studio a lot, and I’m excited about making a new album. People like Gary Crowley have been very supportive –the old mod network lives on!
When I’m ready to go out live, I’ll put a band together. Brett’ll be the drummer. Anyone know a good bass player?
26 What was the 1979 mod revival all about why did so many bands jump on the bandwagon and why did the music press kill it?
I really feel like it (the revival) attached itself to us, we didn’t join it. We were just angry teenagers, influenced by The Who and The Clash, who wanted to make music. Mod- wise, I was never into the elitist, arrogant “I look better than you” attitude; what I did dig was young people saying “ bollocks, this is our scene”.
Full credit to bands for forming, but just like punk, it meant that there was some crap bands about, who if it wasn’t for the media interest in the mod scene, would never have been heard of. The press then lumped all ”mod” bands together, and slagged us all off.
27 Heroes and villains of the 79 revival?
Heroes – The Undertones, Goffa Gladding from Maximum Speed!
Villains – They know who they are!
28 If you could go back and start again would The Chords do it differently?
Dunno. I suppose we’d make a bigger effort to distance ourselves from the “cult” thing. It was very frustrating that some people would dismiss us without having heard us.
Also we’d have signed to Virgin!
29 What is your current day job?
Software development.
30 Plans for the future?
World domination! Music is still a massively important part of my life, and I’m looking forward to getting out there again.
Thanks Chris for your time.
Regards Steve
Thanks to Jim and Chris for this I owe you 2 a pint!!
Thanks also to Andy from Chords site for the pictures
stevethemod@hotmail.com
MORE ON THE CHORDS SOON!
THE CHORDS
PAGE ADDED JULY 19th
