Paul Heaton [Long laugh] Erm, no! I understand the dangers of a novelty song becoming bigger than anything else. If we did Bring Me Sunshine, people would be disappointed if we didn’t dress up as Eric and Ernie and dance. Hmm. I’m heating it up now. Jacqui Abbott I generally don’t deal with remakes. When I heard there was going to be a Blade Runner 2 I thought, ‘Oh my God.’ When I joined the Beautiful South we did Everybody’s Talkin’ but I was only 20 at the time. Now that I’m older I’d think, ‘A Harry Nilsson song – what if I get it wrong?’ Paul, I saw you in front of the Housemartins at the Leadmill in Sheffield and I remember you saying: “This is for anyone who voted Tory. Get off your knees, you bastards.” Do you think we ever will? [escape Tory rule]? Flashblue Heaton I was very boring when I was younger. I don’t think it will happen in my lifetime. As we can see from the current climate, we are groomed for serfdom. For two years people like GB News have been telling us we’ve been brainwashed about the masks, but now we’re happily falling for a much bigger brainwashing scam. It’s a lot of fun, but not so much fun when you have a record in your playlist and now they won’t play it [after the Queen’s death] because he is very high! Jacqui, have you had the opportunity to perform other people’s songs outside of your collaboration with Paul, and if not, is it something you would consider? Alan Camburn Abbott After we did the 8th [a Heaton show turned solo album with guest singers], Aaron Knight invited me to sing with him in Edinburgh, which was a great experience. I wasn’t in a cover band when I was younger. A friend asked me to sing when I was a bit drunk. When I walked into the Beautiful South I was told not to worry, that we were doing a low-key warm-up to just 650 people. I was like, “What? I haven’t even appeared in front of my family!” Paul, Prettiest Eyes is one of the most perfect love songs ever written. The tenderness and understanding of the aging process is amazing. Since you were much younger when you wrote it, how did you come up with the idea? Nomaddeacher205 Heaton I was about 30 and someone commented on my facial lines. I started writing about how every wrinkle was because of the fun, but then I twisted it and made it about my mom and dad and their happiness as they grew old together. I have an aging question about Perfect 10. You sang that you love “her body, especially the lines.” How do you feel about getting older? DaddyPig Heaton It is actually “especially the lies”. The joke of the verse is that they make fun of themselves and each other about their bodies. He especially likes the way she doesn’t tell the truth about hers – he finds that shyness quite endearing. Jacqui, the lyrics to Don’t Marry Her are quite aggressive for a pop song and When I Get Back to Blighty seems to celebrate the untimely death of Phil Collins. Paul is a witty, controversial and sometimes aggressive lyricist, but do you ever think he goes too far? Bernard Munch Abbott No, because it’s a narrative. One or two might seem rude or impolite or whatever, but I’ve never been offended. However, there are things that have been sung jokingly in rehearsals that we would never do in public [laughs]. Also, being from St. Helena, I’m used to the northern way with language. The first time I went to London, I called someone “love” and they looked at me like I’d walked in with a pink giraffe. The most beautiful eyes… Heaton and Abbott in the Beautiful South, 1996. Photo: Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images Pavlos, of all the great songs you’ve written, which one wouldn’t you write now? SaGa333 Heaton [The Beautiful South’s] 36D is not well dated. I like the idea of ​​blaming the newspapers [for page three girls], but to blame the model involved was a mistake. I wouldn’t sing it now, although Dave Hemingway sang it then. Jacqui, Wigan Pier, early 90s … top night? Stephenson Abbott In the 90s, it was the place to go for me. They had an indie club on Wednesday and switched to dance music on the weekend. You’d go there with no idea how you’d get home at 2 in the morning. You figured someone would come back to you in St. Helena, and that someone wasn’t too drunk. Paul, have you ever considered reforming the Housemartins, just for a laugh and maybe charity? Mikeollier Heaton It wouldn’t be a laugh to me and you can’t sing Flag Day and then reform for charity. We did a makeover for an interview 10 years ago, which was great. I enjoy spending time with them and we are all very good friends. If you absolutely had to have a boxing match like in the video for Too Much for One (Not Enough for Two), who would you want to face: Simon “The Beautiful Southpaw” Hickson, Trev “The Beautiful Southamptoner” Neal or Phil “The Cheeky Chico” Daniels? simonmhickson Heaton [Laughs] Having worked on the video with them, definitely not Simon because he was like a dog unleashed! In the ring with him, I’d explode, but he’s brilliant and a lot of fun. I spoke to Phil Daniels about the old days when they used to come down to Chelsea, when they used to throw bricks at us Sheffield United fans and we would reply with a monkey. Abbott Who is the youngest? Probably Phil Daniels. I would go a round or two with him. What is your favorite pub and why? WurzellGummage Heaton On any given night, any pub may or may not be rocking. Me and my wife come in which doesn’t even have a jukebox, but it’s a room, you all sit across from each other and people just talk. Abbott For me, it’s not the place but the people you’re with. Going back a few years, I was out in Liverpool with my boyfriend. By midnight, there was hardly anyone left except for a young kid playing an acoustic guitar. I got up and made him play [the Beautiful South’s] Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) while singing it. I said to my partner, “I’m a little drunk, did that sound awful?” And he said: “I don’t know. I don’t even like the song.” [Laughs] I once saw the Beautiful South supporting Pere Ubu in Morecambe Bay. Any chance of playing live in the sand again? LeeBirch Heaton That was Womad in 1989. We were pretty weird people and this was the first gig we played where we didn’t break our gear, so three of us rolled a huge 10ft wheel on stage during Pere Ubu’s set. They screamed: “What are you doing?” We went “It’s part of the show!” Then suddenly they kicked us out [laughter]. I didn’t like them when they supported the Clash in 1978, so it was silent revenge. What is your writing relationship? Is it mixed in the studio or created elsewhere? karlcronin Abbott Paul writes the songs with Jonny [Lexus, guitarist]. He goes somewhere very dark or rainy to write the lyrics, then somewhere sunny like Spain to make the music. That’s why the lyrics can be dark or brooding and the melodies are lovely and flowing. I love seeing it happen and then helping to bring it all to life. Do you think your anti-royal, anti-Tory credentials have cost you in terms of sales over the years? Hibernica Heaton I don’t think so. Will Young is a royal and I’m an anti-royal, and radio has treated us both pretty well. You get to a point where people appreciate that you stick to your principles. I’m not going to compromise if someone asks me about something, but I’m not into ramming it down people’s throats. Abbott I wouldn’t have thought anyone could say to us, “Stop singing that because your album has to sell,” or, “You’re going to get busted for this.” You express what you feel. Do you think musicians and bands are more reticent about being overtly political these days than they were in the 80s and 90s? HilsLM Heaton When we started we were surrounded by people like the Redskins, Billy Bragg, Jimmy Somerville, Paul Weller, and we were influenced by Clash or Steel Pulse and Linton Kwesi Johnson. I guess people making bands now are influenced by the people they were listening to, so maybe the Arctic Monkeys, or before that Blur, who weren’t really political. Jarvis [Cocker] he wrote the odd political song, but there isn’t that much leadership now. Abbott I think this kind of commentary has carried over to social media. You can say what you think without having to write a song around it. Heaton I still prefer to put it in songs or the odd humorous comment on stage. Social media is like Speakers’ Corner, everyone is shouting at each other. Paul, in your 1989 song Love Is … you estimated your life expectancy at 52. Given that you’re still going strong, is there any reason you envisioned such a short lifespan? Bernard Munch Heaton At school everyone started drinking and smoking and I always said I’d wait until I was old. I would write it all down: start smoking at 28, do drugs at 29, start driving at 55. All the crazy stuff. I smoked for 15 years and then got tired of it, but gradually I had to delist because I didn’t want to die. Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott’s new album, NK-Pop, is out on October 7th.