Adam & the Ants, pop stardom and Marco Pirroni’s brief spell in the spotlight
About this episode
Marco Pirroni reflects on his brief but impactful career with Adam & the Ants and the music industry during the punk era.
Marco Pirroni’s moment in the sun was big, lucrative but incredibly short. It was under a year from Adam & the Ants’ first hit to their last and immediate break-up. Adam, he remembers, was the perfect writing partner – driven, intensely competitive and with “a pathological fear of only being Number 2”. He’s got no regrets, hasn’t had to do day’s work since, and looks back here at … … being the first band writing songs for the video age … “you can’t confuse fans buying records with love, it’s nothing personal” … Telstar, Fireball XL5, Roxy Music and the “moon-stomping hits of Slade” … playing covers of songs they didn’t like with Siouxsie at the 100 Club: “punk rock and my part in its downfall” … Adam’s “Shakespearian tirade” at the legal meeting with Rolf Harris when he sued over Prince Charming and War Canoe … Malcolm McLaren’s jukebox: the Flamin’ Groovies, Alice Cooper, the Troggs, “songs that weren’t very good” … “we stopped being a punk band or a pop band or a glam band – or any sort of band at all” … never tour America when you don’t have a bank account. Order ‘Your Money Or Your Life’ here: https://tr.ee/P2_qxNZ6jC Help us to keep The Longest Continuous Conversation In…
People in this episode
Hosts: Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, Alex Gold
Guest: Marco Pirroni
Topics covered
- pop stardom
- music history
- punk rock
- collaboration
- music industry
- songwriting
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Adam & the Ants
Books & works: Your Money Or Your Life, Telstar, Fireball XL5, Roxy Music, War Canoe, Prince Charming, moon-stomping hits of Slade, punk rock, Flamin’ Groovies, Alice Cooper
Places: 100 Club
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