Belouis Some: Back In the USA with Lost 80’s Live

Photo credit: Kate Martin

Belouis Some: Back In the USA This Summer with Lost 80’s Live

Belouis Some recently completed his first proper tour of the States in 40 years, traversing across the country with Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel and Slim Jim Phantom.  Best known for 80’s classics such as Some People, Imagination, and Round, Round, Belouis Some has made a comeback at long last.  And for those who missed this first journey across the USA, Belouis Some will be on the Lost 80’s Live extravaganza this summer, along with A Flock of Seagulls, Big Country, General Public, The Vapors, Josie Cotton and more!  This will include a stop at the iconic Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on August 24th!  Highwire Daze recently caught up with Belouis Some prior to his first trek back in the States to discuss highlights from am absolutely brilliant career in music.  Read on…

What are you the most excited about with this upcoming tour with Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel and Slim Jim Phantom?
Well, you know what, Ken, my career came to an early end at the end of the ’80s. It was not supposed to end, and like everything in show business – unpredictable and things happen out of my control. I was in an upward spiral and then it stopped. Rather than hang around and be humiliated and have it not work, and it was a weird time, I pulled back. I still live in central London. I always lived in central. I was still around people, but I watched them get more successful and I had to sort of stay in the background. And it was painful. And I always wanted to go back on the road, but it was never the right time. And then I perhaps left it a bit late. But I got a call about 5-6 years ago, just before COVID saying, “Hey, you want to do something?” And of course, I jumped at it.

My children didn’t even know I was a singer. I’d go places, and kids would say things to my kids, and no one knew anyway. So obviously, I was desperate to get back on the road. And once you’ve got the business again, you’re offered, it’s a drug, you can’t stop this business. So when I was going to do The Alarm tour last year with Gene Loves Jezebel as well, I was so excited. And then, of course, poor old Mike Peters got diagnosed with cancer and that was a terrible shot. 5 days before the first date in New Orleans. So everything was sort of put on hold again. So that was a massive anticlimax. So to answer your question, having that long answer, I’m absolutely thrilled. In the meantime, just so you know, what I did was in England last year, I put a UK band together. I thought because, I couldn’t bring my American band over. So I’ve actually done 2 gigs here and got the ball rolling here as well now. So it’s good.

There is another big tour that you’ll be doing – Lost 80s this summer with this incredible lineup. What are you looking forward to the most about that? And had you ever played with any of that lineup?
I have. I did Queen, which is probably one of the biggest shows ever in this country with Big Country. I’ve worked with China Crisis and Big Country. I’m just thinking about the list going through them. I’ve never worked with A Flock of Seagulls. You know what the industry is like, Ken. You bump into people, and although I haven’t seen some of these people for 30 years, it won’t be any different. But I do think that Rob has brought together the best lineup I’ve ever seen in one of these. This festival lineup is amazing. If you like ’80s music, it’s a must see.

The last time you were here in the States, I believe, was 1985 with Frankie Goes to Hollywood. What was that experience like touring with Frankie Goes to Hollywood first of all?
It was exciting. My album had just come out and Some People was just coming out. Imagination had already been a big dance hit and was about to become a hit in Europe. So I was at that stage where young artists are, I was on a roll. And they were massive, particularly in Europe. This Relax was off the scale. They were so big. And they were great guys, they’re from Liverpool and they were appallingly behaved but great fun. And not appalling behavior in a nasty way, but a fun way. And I had a riot with them. I quietly joined in all the fun. Of course, I was on the stage every night. I did all the interviews that they didn’t want to do. They didn’t want to do interviews with radio stations in every town and city, I did. So, it was great for me. I loved it.

Now, that was 1985. Did you have any idea it would be like 40 years until you come back to the States again?
No, you never think it’s going to end. I did a small tour in 1988 with an amazing American band of clubs. But I knew it was going to be a struggle. I came back to Europe and there were management issues. Record companies were great. Part of them was always amazing. But because you got your management issues and it was coming up towards the end of the ’80s and my American manager was moving on to other things. He was still there. I’m a solo artist. You need a team when you’re a solo artist. You can’t just get in a van with the band and go and play. It’s quite hard. No, is the answer to your question. I carried on recording, made a third album, which I’m really proud of, which never really came out. Got a great review in Billboard, but that was it. And then I thought, well, you’ve got to make a living. So I did some other stuff.

One of the tours that you did was the Magic Tour with Queen. What in the world was that like opening for Queen? And then did you get to meet her, hang out with them at all?
Oh, yeah. I set my heart on that tour. I was on the same label, and I’d set my heart. I knew it was going to be the biggest tour of the year in the UK because stadium tours were rare. They were unheard of. So, I plotted getting that tour and I did everything I possibly could. In the middle of the night, I knew where they were having a party, and I went to their hotel room, but I never got to Freddie. Then Freddie came to me and offered me the gig after a TV show in Montrose, Switzerland, where I’d been with my band and we’d had an amazing show. I got a message that Freddie wanted to meet me. He offered me the gig in front of the managing director of EMI and said, “I want him on my tour.” And that was it. I had the tour.  It wasn’t easy, Ken. Trust me, there was a lot of making sure I was in the right place at the right time.

Round, Round was on the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. Looking back, what did you think of being on that soundtrack and being in such an iconic movie?
I was thrilled when John Hughes actually called me. I was in the studio in London. In those days, it’s a very American thing. The Brat Pack movies, John Hughes movies, are very American. Everyone in America knows Pretty in Pink, and The Breakfast Club. In Europe, everyone’s seen the movies, but it’s not a cultural thing like it is in the States. I was playing with my band, touring, and got this phone call, “Would you do a song?” He sent me the bit of the script, and it was, I’d never done this before. It was quite hard. I was never really very happy with Round, Round, then now I love playing it live. It’s come alive. Obviously, I realized when I came to America to record it, came to L.A. to record the song, John Hughes is obviously one of the great film makers of all time. The guy’s a genius. Yeah, I love it, is the answer to that.

What was it like working with some of the members of Tears for Fears on some of your music?
Well, it was very early days, Ken. They weren’t Tears of Fears. They were a band called Graduate and they were in Bath and they were signed to the same publishing label, I think. This is like 1979 – around there. There was a real scene in Bath in England, which is a very pretty town. Peter Gabriel’s from Bath. And there are lots of bands from Bath. Someone said, “Will you can go and do some demos in Bath? And we’ve got some musicians.” It was Roland and Kurt, and Manny and they were brilliant. They were way ahead of me in the studio. They knew what they were doing and they were great players and they engaged beautifully. I think I went down 2 or 3 times and worked with them. But again, that was something I completely blanked out until someone reminded me. But it never meant anything to me. They hadn’t happened. They weren’t Tears for Fears. They hadn’t had a hit. They were just great guys my age who were trying to make it, like all of us.

Let’s go to 1993 to Living Your Life on BMG Records. I did not know this album even existed.
No one does.

Tell me about Living Your Life and what it was like to release that album.
You know what? I’d made 2 albums in New York with people I really loved working with. Some of the musicians had worked with me in New York had been in my live band, so I was close to them. Geoff Dugmore, who is one of the best drummers in the world. He’s still a dear friend of mine, and so he produced it with Nigel X. They’re great musicians. But I had to work differently. And I was more mature. I’d written the songs. Now, I think the songs are fantastic, and I love them, and I’d love to do them one day. But it’s not possible at the moment. Recording in London was very strange because again, for all the reasons I’ve just said, it’s a different vibe. It’s not the vibe I’m used to. I had to record differently.

So, it was a hard album, but I was more mature. And I think it turned out some great players. And I was very proud of the album at the end. I hoped that something would happen with it.  It got great reviews. But again, the music industry – it’s still the same. BMG had other priorities when it was release time. What can I say. There’s no point in just recording an album and putting out a single if no one knows about it. It’s not going to happen. That’s what happened.

Do you have any inkling to record new music? Is new music on the horizon for you?
I do, Ken. I’ve got an album of material that I want to record. The big problem I have is who I record it with because I can’t record it myself. There are so many great people out there – and they’re great songs. I’m going to have to experiment a bit with who I work with. That answers that question. I’m trying to get in my head who, I look around and I want to work with everyone. I don’t know where to start. I’ve got to be locked in, I think, to someone and then do a couple of tracks with them and see what happens.

What do your children think of your music?
Well, it’s funny because they’re old enough now. They’re 13 and 17. They’ve been coming to the gigs in London and they’re loving it. And my older daughter’s bringing all her friends and she’s half Swedish. My wife is Swedish. My first concert in London for 40 years had 50 Swedish exchange student females. So, you can imagine the audience were really shocked. I think a large part of the audience was female and beautiful and blonde. But anyway, I got away with that, and I didn’t tell anyone they were my daughter’s friends, by the way. I think they love it. They love the songs, and their friends seem to like the songs. I don’t think there’s any sort of demarcation between eras now. Do you know what I mean? You understand the music all the time. ’80s blends in with now, blends in with then.

Do you have any messages for your fans out here in the States who are going to be seeing you after like 40 years or who will be seeing you for the first time?
Well, the only message I got is, I don’t look the same as I did 40 years ago.

Who does?
Sorry, guys. Which is, I look at pictures of myself now on stage and I’m like, “Drat, what happened?” Unfortunately, I’ve got to deal with that. But no, I’m so excited to come to the States to play. I love American audiences. They were always the best and I can’t wait. I’ve got a great American band all based in New York. And I’m so excited.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

Belouis Some on Instagram