Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey on touring and Howard Jones
by Terri-Lynne Waldron
2014-08-19

This article shared 9976 times since Tue Aug 19, 2014
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


The British trio Thompson Twins were a staple of the '80s pop-music diet and they created a dent, both musically and stylistically. At a time when big hair and bright and bold colors made the cut, the group crafted songs like "Hold Me Now," "Doctor Doctor," "You Take Me Up" and "Lies," which became worldwide hits.

Nearly three decades after their last tour in 1987, lead singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Tom Bailey is back on the road performing the hits that put the Thompson Twins on the map.

Windy City Times: Your last record with the Thompson Twins was Queer in 1991. Why did the group break up?

Tom Bailey: We reached a point where we wanted to move away from the bright lights of the mainstream pop world and become more experimental again—what we had come from before. We changed our names and did two albums under the name Babble, and then I started to invent new projects to do which engaged different areas of music. I did some experimental, electronica, classical Indian music and working with film.

WCT: How did this tour come about?

TB: I had a fixed idea that this would never happen but everyone wanted the Thompson Twins to re-form, and it was perfectly obvious that is was never going to happen partly because two of the members ( Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway ) left the music business and went on to other things. I never stopped making music, so it's natural for me to do this on my own.

WCT: You are co-headlining with Howard Jones [who had songs such as "Things Can Only Get Better"]. Were the two of you friends in the '80s?

TB: We just knew each other from doing shows together occasionally. But I always knew that Howard was someone I got on well with—he's a nice guy. Sometimes creative people can be a little spiky [laughs] and we have none of that whatsoever—we're like brothers.

I had already crossed the line into pop music by working on a project with a Mexican singer who wanted to write something with me in the style of the Thompson Twins. Having done it and recorded it he said, "Why don't you sing on it?" I did it and I really enjoyed it. And it was shortly after, that Howard called and said, "What do you think about touring together?"

WCT: What happened to the clothes that you wore onstage with the group?

TB: Most of it doesn't exist anymore and it either got worn out or disintegrated or it's been lost. It's certainly not the kind of thing I would want to wear today. [Both laugh.] I think Alannah and Joe hung onto more of the clothes than I did.

WCT: When did you decide that it was time to leave the hairstyle behind?

TB: It's been a long time since I had red hair. In those days we were doing it to express ourselves and extending our personalities to the maximum in a cartoonish way, because that's what we wanted to do. It was also cutting edge, fashion-wise. I'm not quite concerned with that now—I don't feel the need to look fashionable.

WCT: How did you come to write music for the 1998 gay-themed film The Edge of Seventeen?

TB: They sent me scenes from the film, and I played them back on a VHS videotape and wrote music for it and recorded it in my studio. I just did the soundtrack for the various scenes in the film.

WCT: Did you have a hand in choosing the songs for the upcoming Thompson Twins CD Remixes and Rarities?

TB: This was going to happen whether I got involved or not. Since it was going to be done, I said that I would get involved. They interviewed me for the liner notes about each of the tracks and I talked about how they were made and what was going on at the time.

WCT: Is there a release date for the CD?

TB: I really don't know, but I'm hoping that we have copies to take on tour with us.

WCT: Are you nervous about going back on the road after all this time?

TB: Oh, for sure. I'm incredibly excited but also quite terrified. We just played full rehearsals in the last couple of days and I feel so good about the music and the way the band is playing, and I think that will carry me through. But I lie awake at night thinking, "Oh gosh, what have I gotten myself into?" [Laughs]

The Retro Futura Tour 2014 will be at Ravinia in Highland Park, 200 Ravinia Park Rd., on Wed., Aug. 27. Visit www.ravinia.org or www.facebook.com/ThompsonTwinsTomBailey .


This article shared 9976 times since Tue Aug 19, 2014
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Jamie Barton brings nuances of identity to her Lyric Opera 'Aida' performance 2024-03-18
- Chicago's Lyric Opera is currently featuring a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida starring Michelle Bradley as Aida, Jamie Barton as Amneris and Russell Thomas as Radamès. The opera runs through April 7, 2024, with Francesca Zambello ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, 'P-Valley,' Wendy Williams, Luke Evans, 'Queer Eye,' 'Transition' 2024-03-15
- Lady Gaga came to the defense of Dylan Mulvaney after a post with the trans influencer/activist for International Women's Day received hateful responses, People Magazine noted. On Instagram, Gaga stated, "It's appalling to me that a ...


Gay News

House-music festival on Aug. 30-Sept. 1; icons, Idris Elba to be part of it 2024-03-13
- The ARC Music Festival—an event celebrating house music—will take place Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Chicago's Union Park, per WGN-TV. This will mark the fourth year that the festival will celebrate the genre at Union Park—less than ...


Gay News

COBRAH slithers into Chicago and brings Feminine Energy 2024-03-08
- COBRAH snaked her way into Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., for two nights March 7 and 8 for her Succubus Tour. This Swedish-born talent has a way with naughty words and ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Jinkx Monsoon, Xavier Dolan, 'Frida,' Lena Waithe, out singer 2024-03-08
- Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is headed back to the New York stage, joining off-Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey beginning April 2, according to Playbill. The casting makes Monsoon the first drag ...


Gay News

Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret 2024-03-05
- Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...


Gay News

THEATER 'R & J' puts a female, queer spin on Shakespeare 2024-03-05
- Romeo and Juliet is the theatrical gift that keeps on giving. It's been reworked for the masses numerous times, whether in direct adaptations or musicals such as West Side Story. Shakespeare's plotline points have even inspired ...


Gay News

THEATER When growth is paramount: Jim Corti helps fuel Aurora theater expansion 2024-03-01
- Out actor/director/choreographer Jim Corti made his Broadway debut in 1974, in the ensemble of Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide. Director Harold Prince's acclaimed Tony Award-winning revival is often cited as a ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer actors, icons duet, Hunter Schafer, Oscars, Elizabeth Taylor 2024-03-01
- Queer actor Kal Penn is set to star in Trust Me, I'm a Doctor—a film that chronicles the final days of actress/model Anna Nicole Smith, whose overdose death in 2007 at age 39 sparked a tabloid ...


Gay News

'Always Olivia' celebrates Olivia Newton-John at Raue Center 2024-02-26
- From a press release: Always Olivia, a tribute to one of the most celebrated and beloved pop culture icons of all time, the late Olivia Newton-John comes to Raue Center in Crystal Lake on Saturday, May ...


Gay News

Samuel Savoir-Faire Williams's violin stylings help COH mark Black History Month 2024-02-23
- As part of its celebration of Black History Month, Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., presented a solo jazz performance by violinist Samuel Savoir-Faire Williams on Feb. 21. The two-hour long performance presented a showcase ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Kristen Stewart, Rock Hudson, Talia Keys, 'True Detective,' Marvel comic 2024-02-23
- At the Berlin Film Festival, Kristen Stewart defended her photo shoot for a Rolling Stone magazine cover that went viral and divided audiences on social-media platforms, per The Hollywood Reporter. "The existence of a female body ...


Gay News

Theater Review: Billy Elliot, The Musical 2024-02-19
- Book and Lyrics: Lee Hall; Music: Elton John. At: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora Tickets: 630-896-6666 or Paramountaurora.com; $28-$79. Runs through March 24 Billy Elliot: The Musical may nearly be two decades old, but ...


Gay News

REFLECTIONS: An Evening of original music with the Jeannie Tanner Quartet 2024-02-19
--From a press release - REFLECTIONS will be a night of feel-good, upbeat original music written by Jeannie Tanner. Songs range from jazz, to pop, to soulful R&B. Jeannie's music can be heard in many television shows and movies, with recordings ...


Gay News

Lakeside Pride Wilde Cabaret Valentine's Day Feb. 17 2024-02-16
--From a press release - Lakeside Pride Wilde Cabaret puts their own spin on Valentine's Day with a show celebrating things done and sacrificed for love - not just romantic love, but love for pets, friends, family and art. Join the ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.