Photo - Unknown - 1983

THE THE THE STORY
Adrian Devooy - International Musician - January 1984

‘Oh, you don’t want to talk about the lions do you?’ Matt Johnson is, of course, on his least favourite hobby horse, his CBS recording deal. Instigated and concluded by Stevo the sharp business acumen spearheading the ever increasing Some Bizzare movement, the infamous deal signed on the stone lions at Trafalgar Square left Matt Johnson AKA The The bewildered but £70,000 richer.

‘The funny thing was that all those record companies had turned down exactly the same song a year and a half previous to that. Even the same A&R woman who signed me for CBS had turned me down when she was at Island because it wasn’t fashionable then. That’s terrible. I was at CBS, the very same company, only a year before and this guy turned the tape off half way through and said, ‘No, we don’t bother with this stuff son’. They really treated me like shit.

‘Phonogram originally paid for the single that got me the deal and I was going to go with them, but Stevo gave them this piece of paper to sign which, unbeknown to them, said that I could tout the single around all the other companies and get them to compete with each other. Still, they signed it without really reading it and off we went. I was relieved when CBS signed, though. You should have seen the mountain of refusal letters I had at home.’

But far from being a tacky, McLarenesque swindle the deal gave vent to a frustrated soul already responsible for an uncomfortably surreal LP entitled ‘Burning Blue Soul’, an unreleased collection of sketches and a pocketful of singles. Amidst a tirade of rapid fire thought and vague tangents The The AKA Matt Johnson explains that he was so much older then, he’s younger than that now.

‘I’ve really come on in the last year or so and now I think I’ve come to a crossroads where I want to invest money in new equipment and start writing in a different way because you can only go so far writing with one approach. Generally I write a riff on keyboards or guitar and then stick a few melodic ideas on top. Then I arrange the lyrics haphazardly throughout the song. When I listen to the early things that I recorded under the name The The the lyrics have no meaning to me or anyone. I just wanted to make them obscure because obscure lyrics had a lot of credibility then. It was only because I was scared to write what I really wanted to because people wouldn’t like it or because it was a bit too truthful about myself so I used to mask it in all sorts of nonsense. Now I’m meaning what I’m saying and it’s coming from the heart. It’s all a lot less pretentious. All the time I tend to be writing down little lines and notes and I keep a diary of little phrases that come to my mind. But I think my strength is being able to listen to some music and put fairly catchy melody lines on top of it without taking ages over it and analysing the structure and so on. I think that’s quite unusual now – melody seems to be disappearing. Everybody sings in these monotone, semi-Northern accents. I enjoy putting a but of colour into the melodies and I like to make them sound sweet, especially if it’s a song with particularly hard lyrics; it’s quite satisfying to set them to a seductive melody. I did that with Perfect; if that had got the airplay you would have had all these people singing along with these morose, heavy lyrics. It didn’t get the airplay though ... still I suppose you’ve got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the Blues.’

Matt Johnson’s option has just come up with CBS. This seemed an appropriate time to talk. There was never any fear that the money men would want to amend the irrepairable – the situation was to their liking. With an album on their turntables and a glowing prospect on their hands they could have kissed Matt Johnson, instead they replenished the advance and congratulated him on the success of Soul Mining.

An introspective project that encompassed 6 months, 13 musicians and 6 studios, Soul Mining trips into your heart scattering the imagery of internal conflict and the confusion of personal politics. Meandering synths and bubbling cauldrons of rhythm lift you up and let you fall, never suddenly, never too gently. A journey from the depths of despair to the summit of despair, Matt Johnson flitting between guitar, keyboards and percussion releases the tensions of love and failure abetted by friends and the other half were session musicians. ‘I wanted a blend between my friends like Zeke Manyika and Thomas Leer, who are very soulful with that feel of session confidence and technical competence. They weren’t your stereotype session players though. Like we had they guy from Central Line on bass.

‘There’s been about 18 members of The The all in all, probably more actually. It all started around the time of the Punk thing when NME used to run free ads for bands. I used to put loadsof ads in every week asking for people into Velvet Underground, Syd Barrett, Throbbing Gristle, The Residents – all that kind of stuff. At one point I ended up with a violinist, a synth player and a girl drummer. I only kept the synth player but even during the time we were playing together loads of other people came and went.

‘David Johanson, who was in the New York Dolls, played harmonica on Perfect. The thing is I wanted an old black Blues harp player because Perfect is about a modern day depression era, so I wanted to blend that modern idea with an authentic idea. But we couldn’t get one anywhere so the Producer Mike Thorne, said that he knew David Johanson who isn’t old or black but he’s really quite a good harp player!

‘One thing , though,. There were a few things on the three singles that I released around the time of Perfect. Well, people have used harps before but not many people were using them around that time and we got the single played on round table and John Martyn, the guitarist, said ‘Christ that’s a bit dated isn’t it? Fancy using a harmonica in the Eighties.’ Then everybody started using harmonicas. They cropped up all over the place. Paul McCartney, Culture Club, all having hits with them.

‘Another thing, I used all these little marimbas and zylimbas on Uncertain Smile and then Tears For Fears had a hit using exactly the same percussion sounds. This Is The Day we recorded using accordion and fiddles and what do you know? Nick Haywood’s next single comes out with, surprise, surprise… violins and accordion on it. So what’s the next big thing …?

‘Well, I don’t think I’m going to tell you. I mean this might just be paranoia on my part but it just happens a bit regularly. I‘m going to invest in a whole new load of technology I’ll tell you ... bloody uncanny though, isn’t it.?’

The old question rears its head again. What is a computer? And do they detract from creative processes?

‘What I want to do is set up a good home computer systems and use it to store lyrics and plans in. I want to use it as a tool rather than coming on like some professor character like Thomas Dolby. You know, I’m a whacky professor, I know about computers because I’m clever and your not.’ He just created a mystique around them.

‘I think I’ll get that Chroma Polaris because they’re linkable with home computers and I can make up my own programmes. I want to start getting into computers more but I really don’t intend to ignore acoustic sounds, because some of those are still the best. I’d like to marry electronic stuff with acoustic sounds. Use technology as opposed to letting it use me. Thomas Leer is a good example of that, he’s got so much soul but he utilises technology too. Actually he’s just bought himself a Fairlight. Record company advances are wonderful things!

‘But I want to use computers for other areas of my life as well. Writing and educating myself. I left school with no qualifications at all when I was fifteen and went to work at De Wolfe Studios and I learnt more there that I did at school, and I think I can continue that education on my own now and computers can be used to accelerate the rate at which you learn. I think computers will become a second language and people who can’t use them will be considered illiterate. So, I’d rather get used to them now than struggle to keep up in ten years.’

Matt Johnson’s apprenticeship at De Wolfe proved, as he said, to be an invaluable aid in his educational development, but did it lead to much deliberation over a choice of studio for the album?

‘Well I suppose it did but the atmosphere was always an important factor. We were in so many studios. I mean it took six months in all. I really like the Garden because it is so homely there. They just give you the keys and we came and went as we liked. It was like having your own studio. We did some of the album at the Townhouse which was totally clinical and everyone there thinks they’re a superstar – just horrible, you can’t relax. We were meant to mix at SARM but I got tonsillitis so for some reason we did the vocals there. We did some more at Advision which is all decayed and falling apart. I didn’t really like it much there. Genetic was fantastic, out in the Country, really relaxed, and the facilities they’ve got there are great. They’ve got a Fairlight, Synclavier … you name it.

Have The The now outgrown their means of making music? Will you surface from a mountain of outdated machinery with a new perspective and a clever synthesizer?

‘I don’t know. As I said I must buy a computer but I’ve got so much equipment anyway. I hoard it, I’ve never thrown any away or sold it. I’ve still got my first amplifier that I got when I was 13. I kept it because my mum lent me £20 to buy it. ’ve still got lots of those old Electro-Harmonix pedals that always used to break and no one knew how to mend them. Great big things made out of old bean cans. I’ve still got the first keyboard I bought, and old Crumar that I saved up for for ages. It cost £120 and when I got it I just sat in my room and played it for days. Come to think of it I’ve still got all the mike stands I’ve bought or nicked.’

Do you respect the difference between atmospheres being created synthetically and real atmosphere developed through interaction between lyrics and expression?

‘There is a difference yeah, I like the synthesizers to be played quite physically anyway. I think The Twilight Hour is very descriptive. It’s got African slit drums, shakers and bongos on it. I was trying to describe an image of a bloke lying in bed in a tenement block as the sun’s going down in a very hot city. The guy is a composite character, not necessarily me, but with parts of me in him. I wanted it a bit like a Nick Roeg film, tense, hot and atmospheric. There’s also violins and cellos to build up the tension in a traditional way.’

Do The The find externalising that kind of thought difficult? Do other people understand?

‘I don’t find it difficult getting atmospheres and thoughts into songs. I don’t think I’ve done it that well to date but I am getting better at it. I’ll tell you, the person who’s best at that is Tom Waits. He’s brilliant. That’s his speciality. But in a way I think you’d have to have his experience behind you to write like that. When I was doing Perfect I went to Detroit for inspiration because I couldn’t sing it properly. It worked too, all those wide streets and Art Deco buildings, they really put me in the mood. I never explain what I’m really thinking when I write songs, maybe I should. It’s difficult and almost embarrassing, but someone like Tom Waits must absolutely live it. He must have such a wealth of experience behind him, such a rich life. He’s a fantastic lyricist and a great musician. That soundtrack he did for One From The Heart with Crystal Gayle was brilliant. She’s got such a pure voice and it complemented that growl of his really well. Swordfish Trombone is such a good album. That song about the guy writing home to his girlfriend from Vietnam, the imagery is amazing.’

Matt Johnson’s career has always been a solo venture, not for reasons of vanity or preciousness but because of its efficiency and purity. Does he ever yearn for other people to share the experience with on a permanent basis? Isn’t it lonely?

‘The good thing about being on my own is that I don’t have to put up with the standard instrumentation that a group is stuck with. Therefore you can have a new atmosphere or a different feel to each song. It’s great to have that mobility. I can use any instruments I like and any musicians I want. I have this sort of team which is my brother Andy Johnson who does all the artwork, the co-producer Paul Hardiman, Zeke and Thomas. It’s all quite close and we all think along the same lines. It’s a team of individuals with a common interest.

‘I was in a rehearsal studio the other night. It was really big and I was just in there with a tape recorder and I did start to feel quite lonely. It started me thinking that maybe I should start a band as a separate entity. I wouldn’t make records with a band because records are too important for that (laughs) but I’d quite like to hand pick a few people, although the people that I would like to play with always have other commitments. If I did it would be a standard rock and roll band and I’d only do it for a few months just as a fun way to interpret the songs.

‘I’d wanted to form a super-group so I took people from Soft Cell, Orange Juice, Cabaret Voltaire and we played a residency at the Marquee, which was the most unlikely place I could think of, so we played every Thursday for four weeks last May. It was all quite tongue – in – cheek and although I lost money it was a great laugh.

The only thing that spoilt it was when people, the lesser known people actually, that I asked to play as a gesture, started demanding money. The famous people did it for the laugh, but when somed people started getting greedy it all turned a little bit sour.’

Whether it’s an innate distrust of people or a fascination with the empty corridors of life that has gained Matt Johnson the treasures he has earned, he is doing alright. He has yet to call the charts his own and in some respects it’s a shame that one day he will do just that. If that isn’t enough to restore your faith you should have stopped listening a long time ago.