Who could forget their appearances on
Britain's Got Talent, as much as we tried. The god awful
Jedward, John and Edward the Irish twins who sang out of tune, danced awkwardly like marionettes and basically were just plain bad.
They've had the last laugh of course and have gone on to make millions with the help of
Louis Walsh who recognises a money spinner when he sees two. And they really are quite likable in a cringe worthy way.
Now pop impresario
Simon Napier-Bell has weighed into the debate with a look at Jedward's trousers, on the outside but with a few comments on what may lay within.
Napier-Bell has launched many show biz acts in his day including some who have gone
on to become legends. Like
Marc Bolan and
T-Rex and
Wham with superstar
George Michael.
He also wrote a few songs-one
You Don't Have To Say You Love Me was a mega hit for
Dusty Springfield and
Elvis Presley and which along with
Big Spender is still a favourite of drag queens the world over (Napier Bell grumbles that he never receives royalties from the drag acts)
His piece on Jedward is for the
Huffington Post and he descibes them as like "
asexual Teddy bears"and gives us an amazing insight into acceptable trouser crotch levels and heights as seen in the world of rock and pop. Not unlike
Vogue's Anna Wintour issuing a decree on hem levels. It should become required reading for anyone intent on cracking
Britain's Got Talent or
X Factor and as Napier-Bell is in constant demand to judge pop talent quests around the world he probably knows what he is talking about.
Regular
Shuttle readers may re-call we acted as a bit of a host when Simon Napier Bell visited Sydney in 2009 and ferried him to and fro to various media interviews.
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| Simon Napier-Bell |
One, with top TV daytime host
Kerri Anne Kennerley left her reeling when she asked him what was most outrageous thing that happened in the world of rock management and he replied-"
possibly when David Bowie said he would let me f*ck him if I would manage him". Fortunately for Napier Bell he didn't take Bowie up on the offer particularly as at the time the Thin White Duke was notable for his rotting green teeth.
Napier-Bell spends most of time commuting between a sumptuous villa in Thailand and the UK and USA where he hosts a radio show and lectures while writing some best selling books in his spare time.
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| KAK- shocked |
His
Black Vinyl White Powder is considered the definitive history of rock and pop from the 60s to the 90's and was required reading on the British school curriculum.
I'm Coming To Take You To Lunch is a rollicking read about his adventures as he attempts to (successfully) negotiate with Chinese party officials to have Wham as the first ever international pop act to appear in China, nipping in the bud the ambitions of
Freddie Mercury and
Queen. At the time it was one of the most talked about events on the planet.
Simon Napier-Bell is writing regular features for the Huffington Post which can be
read here.
At Simon's
website you can find more about his books.
Here is Elvis with
You Don't Have To Say You Love Me :
Whisper's spy disguised as top selling author Lesley -Ann Jones brings us some fascinating photos from Liverpool in the UK and the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts on Graduation Day, at
the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, courtesy of Sir Paul McCartney, Lead Patron of the fame school that was once
his and George Harrison's grammar school, Liverpool Institute.
