INSPIRAL CARPETS
An interview with Clint Boon

Inspiral Carpets. Bless 'em. They may not attract the respect and critical acclaim lauded on the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays but no one can deny the contributions they made to a blossoming music scene in the early 90s.

Sixties enthusiasts can appreciate where the Inspirals were coming from when they first burst onto the scene. The swirling organ sound, the fuzz guitars, the soaring harmonies and bowl haircuts were a throwback to 60s garage punk bands. They turned into a fine singles band, chalking hit after hit, outlasting many of the more critically acclaimed contemporaries.

When the Inspirals fizzled out, Clint Boon decided to go it alone. In this exclusive interview with Ready Steady Go! Clint Boon talks candidly about his illustrious past and his bright, colourful future fronting the Clint Boon Experience. This is the Clint Boon story.

Clint Boon stumbled across the Inspiral Carpets in Oldham during 1985. He found he could flex his talents on the organ and indulge in his love of 'space age pop music' covering everything from film soundtracks to The Tornadoes. In fact, Clint has come full circle, those primitive original influences are much more prominent with the Clint Boon Experience.

A demo recorded in 1986 introduced the irresistible trademark swirling Farfisa sound that was evidently inspired by 60s Garage Punk bands such as '? And The Mysterians'. The Inspirals released their debut single, 'Plane Crash EP' in June 1988 on the small independent Manchester label Playtime Records and it was the first of a dazzling array of singles that stood alone in capturing that raw, fuzzy, garage punk style of the late sixties.

'Trainsurfing' followed in March 1989 and these two EP's remain highly collectable to this day and can be held up against their later poppier efforts as serious slices of authentic garage pop.

1989 proved to be a rollercoaster of a year for the Madchester big three, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and the Inspirals. Each band seemed to be releasing a new single every month and as a 19 year old kid beginning to seriously indulge in music for the first time it was one whirlwind of a monumental year. Watching these bands spill out from the streets, breaking from the underground and into the charts (totally unprecedented at the time for indie bands). They went from being your best-kept secret to standing on top of the world in a matter of months. Such was the colour, buzz and overwhelming aura of cool these bands brought to the indie scene it made The Smiths look ridiculously out of time.

The Inspirals Carpets followed up their debut EP's with the two more infectious solid slabs of adrenaline fuelled punk pop. 'Joe'' was released in May 1989 and ‘Find Out Why’ hit the stores the following August.

Soon everyone was sporting daft haircuts and flamboyant clothes and it really did seem like the start of something special. It's hard to imagine, in these major label dominated days, where Radio One seem to have all the power in making and breaking bands. A time when 'indie' records are given the same cynical manufactured, production line treatment that was always associated with throwaway teenybopper fodder. This was one of the last great youth movements of our time and remains criminally undervalued by pop historians these days. None of the so-called big name bands around today would have made the charts in 1989 behind these fine, fine bands.

It was a time when 'word of mouth' was the most powerful marketing tool available, where kids in the street, not on the catwalks, dictated the latest fashions. The mainstream didn't latch onto it until it started to fizzle out in 1991. The Stone Roses could play to 30,000 die-hards in 1990 without the help of the huge TV and Media campaigns afforded to fledgling festivals. You could walk around your work place and no one could understand it, nobody on the peripherals got it. You felt like you were the one in the know, a cut above the rest and onto something really special.

In November 1989 the band released what many feel was their finest moment. Along with the Stone Roses 'Fools Gold' and Happy Mondays 'Hallelujah', the single 'Move' was a glorious, sweeping spiritual anthem that remains a nugget after all these years. It's one timeless artefact that you can always turn to for an instant snapshot of what it felt like to be part of a happening scene back in 1989.

By the turn of 1990 the Inspirals were bona fide popstars. Regular Top of the Pops appearances, sell- out gigs at the G-Mex, Manchester, headlining festivals and world tours followed as the Inspirals out-lived their rivals the Roses and the Mondays becoming if anything, a mighty fine singles band.

It fizzled out quite naturally in the middle of the nineties and the Inspirals went their separate ways. If anyone captured the spirit of the Inspiral Carpets it was Clint Boon, a natural pop star if ever there was such a thing. The pop world would be a duller place with out stars like Mr Boon and he is back where he belongs with the exciting new sounds of the Clint Boon Experience.

Following a run of low key but highly contagious singles for Rapid Badger, Clint is now signed to Artful Records and Clint is looking forward to starting over again..

Clint: "It is going really well, I'm busy. I am in the same position I was in about ten years ago, when 'The Inspirals' were just starting to kick off - to go mad. I have not looked when 'Life' came out, but I have a feeling it was almost ten years ago to my solo Album coming out. It was around the end of '89. Everything is brilliant at the moment. All I need now is loads 'a' money and I will be totally happy!"

RSG: I would like to talk about your memories of the Inspiral Carpets, 'The Clint Boon Experience!' and a little bit about your Organ (Oo-er, missus!).

"Yeh, cool. A lot of people ask me whether I mind talking about 'The Inspirals' - well how could I? I benefited a lot from the days with them. the world, met my wife. Everything happened as a direct result of the popularity of the band. I am proud of what we did. I still listen to the tunes occasionally and I feel that as a musician (or actually I should say Songwriter) I have developed incredibly since those days. Well I have probably regressed as a musician 'cos I do not spend as much time playing keyboards. I just sing and write tunes. Those were good times. We did it for nine years, which in pop music is a lifetime. A lot of people ask me whether we will get back together again. Maybe not at all, but at the moment I have no desire to 'cos I am so into what I am doing right now".

RSG: What are your best memories, and your worst memories about that time?

"(Best Memories) The feeling of security. You do feel secure. Everything is in order. You do not have to worry about financial stuff. You get to travel the world, meet lots of people who love your songs blah, blah, blah. Everything is beautiful. Doing gigs, Reading, G-Mex - all these are high points. Becoming a friend of Mark E Smith, meeting Iggy Pop".

"(Worst Memories) All the arguments you have with your partner on the phone 'cos you are on tour in Japan and she is stuck in Oldham washing dishes and looking after your baby. The frustration of having so many people in control of your destiny - but this is the way the music industry works. You have your band and you do your best to control it. It is difficult because there are record companies involved, agents and publishers involved. Massive teams of people have so much involvement. In the end the reason why 'The Inspirals' stopped was beyond my control. I fought to the end to try to make it carry on but I could not do it. Even within our band there were disagreements as to whether we should, or should not carry on. I really thought I had put too much into the band to let it all go. I really had no control though. This time around with 'The Clint Boon Experience!' it is only me controlling it and ultimately it will be me who will decide when it will stop. Lack of control with the 'Inspirals' is one of my worst memories. It was an amicable split, but it was very sad".

RSG: Would you say that in the end outside influences did bring the end of the 'Inspirals' nearer, sooner?

"Maybe. Our deal with 'Mute Records' ended. We were dropped one year before the end of our contract. This was a shock! And then we had trouble finding another deal. Yeh, definitely outside people had an influence. The 'Inspirals' were a democracy and we voted on everything. Even within the band there were problems though. You see it is my opinion that when you are in a band there are certain things that you do not vote on - you should just get on with it - otherwise there is no point to it. If you had a pop band with say, Paul Weller, Tricky, Sting and me in it well, maybe we would vote on everything! (laughs). You know what I mean.

I am not saying that there should be a dictatorship or anything but I have learnt a lot from my past experiences. 'The Clint Boon Experience!' is just that in every sense of the words. It is my experiences that I have gained before and a lot of the songs relate to them".

RSG: A fans perception of a band is that the members are all best buddies. Would you say that the 'Inspirals' were close?

"We were a gang definitely, but, we were not close before the band. The band was the only reason why we got together. This is weird. Most bands for example 'The Manics' all knew each other before; they went to school together, worked together, whatever. We came together just for the band, we became a gang. We were five guys, a couple of us around the same age, had the same sort of geographical background. We became like brothers, close, very close; we knew everything about each other. Deepest personal problems were laughed at, made fun of; either to your face or behind your back. The new things I am doing now there seems less chance of this happening. It is less likely to develop into a 'schoolyard mentality'. I am in control, I am responsible for the band, I hope that does not sound pompous, but the band is not a free for all. It is not five guys all shouting and arguing about the design for a record cover. I say what we do, when we do it".

RSG: Can I take you back to '89 (a massive year - brilliant music all round). In my opinion it was one of the best years for music. What was it like for you?

"Brilliant. I can't even say that there were years and years of hard work to achieve the result. It somehow felt like I had stumbled into it accidentally. In '89 I felt great. Some of the best memories of my life come from then. It was good to walk down Oldham Street in '89. People had 'bowlhead' haircuts, people copied our dress sense. I enjoyed all of that. It made me feel good. I finally got rid of the haircut in '94 - it felt the right time. I was very recognisable with that haircut. I would go into a supermarket and lads would ask me for an autograph - which I do not mind. I would not refuse an autograph or a handshake. There were times when I just wanted to dash in for some sprouts and dash out again!"

RSG: Ten years on - looking back - at the Manchester 'thing' some people look back at that time as being quite nostalgic. Do you ever think there will be another time like that?

"There have been certain movements in music (music fads). '2 Tone' - for example this could be put into one category. Then there are other movements, which have seriously changed the substance of pop music. In this category you could put: The 'Hippy' movement, 'Flower Power', 'Rock 'n' Roll', 'Punk' and you could definitely include the Manchester 'thing' in that, because to this day, worldwide, you can still feel the effect of Manchester music. In my opinion it did redefine pop again - but I am bias. I really do not think it was a 'superficial fad'. I thought it was a very substantial milestone in the development of pop music. Look at the charts now - 'The Manics' - they developed out of the Brit Pop scene. They will tell you that they used to go watch 'The Inspirals'. You do not always feel the effects of '2 Tone' and 'Grunge', but Manchester really changed the world a little (for the better)".

RSG: Looking back do you feel that Manchester ended too soon?

"It is hard to say. I do not know. A part of me wishes that it would have gone on forever. A part of me is glad that we buried it when we did, or rather, that other people buried for us.

Certain events started happening. We were gutted when we heard that 'Factory' had gone out of business. We were on tour in Europe at the time when we heard the news. It was like someone phoning you up and telling you that your best mate had just died. We had no particular affiliation with 'Factory' (on a professional level) but we were friends with them. We love the bands they released and they were part of the 'Manchester Family'. We also saw 'The Mondays' split, and 'The Roses' come back gig at Reading was shite and then we got dropped. For a couple of years after that we did all right, but things came to a end - all beautiful things do. Hopefully the enigma of Manchester will always be there and will always blossom".

RSG: What does it feel like to be starting all over again?

"I was the one who wrote a lot of the stuff that the 'Inspirals' released. I was forced to accommodate a lot of the wishes/desires of the other members of the band. As a writer I felt held back. I could not use a lot of my crazy ideas with the 'Inspirals'. I could not say (for example), "here is my opera singing friend who I want to sing on the next single" - this would be totally unfair to the other members of the band. The 'Inspirals' were quite conventional. Five piece, electric guitar, organ, blah, blah, blah, nice backing vocals. We did not take a lot of risks. We did not go out on the edge. It is not like that now. I could have the entire music press saying 'what a dick' - I'm not bothered. I am taking a chance and doing just what I want to do. I have had to wait until now to be honest. I can do whatever I like and I do not have to waste time sitting around discussing ideas. I just get on with things".

RSG: You seem quite enthusiastic about you new work?

"A lot of people in my position could not be arsed making a come back. I have been building this up for three or four years now. It has cost me a lot in terms of money, sweat and hard work. Even blood has been shed for this band. We were in a crash on the motorway and we could have died. It is easy to say "f**k it, I have had enough", or to say, "I am getting a normal job now!" However, my passion for music is still there. The first thing that comes into my head on a morning is tunes, everyday I think about the Love Affair ‘Everlasting Love’, 'Elvis Presley' and 'The Buzzcocks'. This is the soundtrack to everything I do, that is in my head all the time. I am dead lucky. I am in a position where I can make this my career or my day job. I am really fortunate".

RSG: Listening to the tracks that you have released so far with 'The Clint Boon Experience!" is space-age pop, or that kind of thing, the sound that you are aiming for, can I, maybe, hear Joe Meek?

"Definitely. Yes. Actually he is mentioned on the album as a thank you. Do you know one of the best things of being born, when I was born, was that I have grown up with Joe Meek. What a brilliant time to have been alive. I have seen the birth of pop music and seen it at its best. I do not think that pop music can develop any more. I believe that we have seen the best of pop. I grew up with the music of the 60s, 70s ('Motown', 'Glam Rock'). How can you not be affected by all of that? Little bits of everything are included on my album. The album is kind of my autobiography so far. It is a fun album. Generally, it is a celebration of pop and Joe Meek is definitely in there".

RSG: You definitely have a colourful, fun, outlook in your music. Is this intentional?

"Yeh. This is the way I feel. I have more energy, I feel happy and I am more enthusiastic now that I have ever been before. I am working with brilliant musicians and I love working with them. Everything is cool, life is brilliant, and the kids are smart. I have no money, but everything is great. How I feel now reflects in the songs. The album is very self-indulgent. I sing songs about me and the triumph over the adversity of the past three or four years when things were going against me".

RSG: Do you think that, in general, music is taken too seriously today?

"Yeh. Definitely. I am on a crusade to bring colour and fun onto the music scene. Nobody’s doing pop songs.You do not have to be miserable to be a pop star!"

RSG: Finally, how did you get into the 'Farfisa' organ?

"I have always loved the sound, ever since I was a kid. The sound just comes right out and gets you! It hits me like a big electric bumble bee whenever I hear it. I fell in love with the sound and I bought mine in 1984 and it was only £100. Plugged in the machine and it showed me the world! I also like 'Hammonds' but everyone has them, it’s a bit cliched. The difference between the Hammond and the Farfisa is the difference between the Electric Guitar and the Banjo".

RSG: Who are the keyboard players that have influenced you?

"The big one is Phillip Glass. He’s a composer/keyboard player and he inspired me. Ray Manzarek (The Doors), Mark Riley (with the Creepers), Brian Auger, Alan Price. All the big keyboard players".

The pop-tabulous and seriously cosmic ‘Compact Guide To Pop Music and Space Travel’ is out now on Artful Records.