Duran Duran: A Public Figure
Neil Tennant, Smash Hits, 19 January 1984
Two people are having lunch in Paris. One of them is a tax exile who owns an Aston Martin sports car, is permanently pursued by the world press and gets regularly “clocked” by his girlfriend. The other one is Neil Tennant. John Taylor tells him all about life as… A Public Figure
“AH, MONSIEUR Tayleur. Your table will be ready in cinq minutes!”
The man voted Most Fanciable Male in the recent Smash Hits Readers Poll and I are being greeted at a posh restaurant à Paris. He’s here for a few days with the rest of Duran Duran to film an epic, 12-minute video for ‘New Moon On Monday’. I’ve just nipped over the Channel to join him for Sunday lunch.
Although John is suffering from the beginnings of a bout of ‘flu he enjoys a hearty lunch: Terrine Paysanne St-Antoinne, Coeur de Filet Grillé and Profiteroles du Glace au Miel, washed down with generous beakers of Beaujolais Villages Nouveau (egg and chips off, then? — Ed.). While we eat, he cheerfully answers the lengthy list of questions I’m armed with, all designed to discover: what makes John Taylor tick?
Do you ever find your own publicity unbearable?
On a light-hearted note, probably when you get things like “BOYCOTT SLAMS DURAN STAR” and things like that and you know there’s absolutely no truth in it whatsoever. Then, if I was to get more serious about it, I suppose sometimes I find the whole sex symbol thing you get a bit ridiculous — especially if you’re having traumas in your personal life at the time. I also get very annoyed when “Limited Edition” magazines — which won’t exist anymore because we took them to court — print photos of my parents’ house and Simon’s parents’ house. It’s just not fair. They might as well print the ‘phone number. But, having said all that, I suppose initially you invite it.
Are you a tax exile?
I see no reason why, with a career that may at best last five years, I should give away 70% of the money I earn now to the government when it may have to last me for a long, long time. Yes, it’s a very desirable job and all that, but it’s not a very stable job or a steady job. The fault doesn’t lie with us, it lies with the government. Bands like us that are breaking into the States or whatever, we’re doing well for exports, we’re employing a lot of people and we can’t stay. I defy anyone not to do the same thing in the same situation. Having said that, I won’t do it again. And I wish I hadn’t done it.
So how long have you been a tax exile?
Since June of last year.
Would you like to be on Blankety Blank?
No. It’s all part of the entertainment circus which has appealed to me but not now, not anymore.
Which is your favourite James Bond film?
That’s a toughie. Either Dr No, just because of the immortal line it it, you know “Bond, James Bond” while lighting a cigarette — those are my favourite five seconds of celluloid — or Goldfinger. I still haven’t seen Never Say Never Again. That’s how busy I’ve been.
You’ve got an Aston Martin, haven’t you?
Yeah. It’s a beautiful car but it’s like driving a tank. I had so many bumps over Christmas. At Christmas Eve, five o’clock in the morning outside the Shah in Broad Street, Birmingham, J.T. and the girlfriend coming out with our Chicken Bhunas, going home to open our Christmas presents and I couldn’t open the door! The curry house is right next to this disco and I’m trying to open the door and all these yobbos flooded out. I thought any second now, I’m really going to get it. But all these guys start going (assumes strong Birmingham accent): “Heeey, John, y’alright, are yer? How much did this set you back then? Can I take a photo for the girlfriend?” They were great. And I was like, “Oh, I’m not too bad but I can’t open this bloody door. Give us a hand with it.”
It’s an old car, you see, 19 years old. It’ll be a veteran in a year’s time. I’m going to lock it away. I love cars but I knock ’em about so much. I’m just going to keep my Golf. It’s great.
Why do you think so many girls fancy you?
I’m not falsely modest enough to sit and wonder about it, but, at the same time, I think if I was to get engaged tomorrow, publicly, it’d be Roger that would start to get the attention. I don’t really take that much notice of it. In fact I probably get more embarrassed about it.
The time you enjoy it most is when you get a cheer when you’re introduced on stage. All this winning polls business is dangerous because you could become an arrogant little sod like most rock stars are. You have to keep yourself in check. I’m lucky because my girlfriend clocks me one if I start to get arrogant!
If one member of the group gets a bigger cheer than the rest, does that cause problems?
No, not at all. I think it only goes to prove what we’ve been saying for two years now: the strength of this group lies in the individuality of everybody. We’re mature enough now not to have the petty jealousies that there used to be two or three years ago. Me and Simon used to clash terribly because I thought, I started this band, it’s my band. And Simon would think, well I’m the singer, I’m the leader of the band. Subliminally, we both used to clash. We never used to admit it but we just basically never used to speak to each other. Now those sort of things are all ironed out. The group has actually never got on better than it does today.
How do you keep fit?
I don’t. I don’t believe in bar bells and jogging. I’m probably at my fittest if I’m doing two hours on stage every day, having an active sex life and eating well.
How many suitcases do you take on your travels?
I’ve had to trim things down a bit — one regular suitcase, one suit bag, and one quite large carry-on case. But we have wardrobes that go with the group. All you need is the essentials really — as long as you’ve got your toothbrush, you can always get by.
I’ve always got tons of dirty socks. You’re just about to go out for dinner and you haven’t got a shirt because they’re all crumpled up. All of a sudden you’re dressed in your best suit and your cheapest t-shirt. That’s one of the silliest problems which causes the most annoyance.
Which of the following would you rather see play — (a) Siouxsie And The Banshees; (b) Modern Romance; (c) Culture Club; (d) Big Country?
It would have to be Culture Club without a doubt. Musically I like them the most out of the four and also I’ve got an unbelievable sense of curiosity and I’ve never seen them. Find out how the other half lives, you know.
Do you like football?
No.
What do you think of the Greenham Common women?
Em, I think it’s a nice idea in theory but ultimately they look silly. It’s sad in a way. I’ve never questioned their motives but I do get a bit sceptical. Very simply: good luck to them but I think that they know as well as we do that all they can do is bring attention to it, they can’t actually do anything. I think you can talk about nuclear weapons forever but at the end of the day it’s all just a tragic waste of money. The money could be going on other things. Um, I’m terrible in this respect actually. Nick knows what’s going on in that respect. He takes notice. Maybe I’m terribly naive but I’m of the opinion that if it happens, it happens, and we’ll all go up in smoke.
Do you own a pair of old, blue jeans?
Yes, several.
Do you wear them?
Good Lord, no. Now if Levis had sponsored our tour instead of Sony…
How many times have you dyed your hair?
Well, we’re now at the profiteroles! How many times have I dyed my hair? Too many times but not as many times as Nick. Actually, this is the first time you’ve been able to see le natural colour.
How do you meet girls?
Usually it’s the cliché: the nightclub after the gig. But the girl I’m going out with now I’ve known for three years and we were born three miles from each other. We both grew up in Birmingham and yet we met in Australia. She was in Octopussy and she was promoting it there. She’s called Janine Andrews. We’re both very down-to-earth and spent Christmas at each other’s Mums and Dads. The papers go on about my “Page 3 girl” but it’s got nothing to do with any jet-setting. It’s not like that at all.
What do you look for in a girl?
Very initially, physical attraction. It’s got to be. You know, when your eyes meet with somebody. That’s the same with anybody. And then it’s personality: can you have a conversation with that person? And then you’re on your own, Neil!
What do you look at when you’re on stage?
One of the first things I try to do is click onto one person in the audience. It might be somebody I know. It’s usually a guy, actually, because there’s so many girls there. I do it as a focus for my projection, I suppose.
What would you change about your appearance if you could?
I wouldn’t be so knock-kneed.
If you had to do one of the following, which would it be: (a) be locked in a room with nothing to do but watch International Darts on TV; (b) join the Style Council; (c) walk down Carnaby Street wearing v-kneed loon pants; (d) enrol at Hatfield Polytechnic in a Business Studies course?
Definitely join the Style Council. Definitely. Just to inject a little bit of style.
© Neil Tennant, 1984
Reproduced courtesy of rocksbackpages.com
Main image: Villa Park marque – Neil Tennant of Smash Hits interviews Simon Le Bon before Duran Duran play at Aston Villa football stadium, July 1983. (Virginia Turbett/Redferns)
That time Neil Tennant reviewed a Duran Duran gig in Smash Hits. Talk Talk bring up the rear is here
Fame and fashion: John Taylor on Duran Duran’s life with David Bowie is here
