Pauline Black Interview

I had the pleasure of meeting the multi talented (Award winning actress, singer and writer - Hey I didn't know she started in Holyoaks...) Pauline Black when she had a spot at one of VFM scooter rally knees up back in ‘99, this was my debut face to face interview and I was brickin’ it. Luckily for me I had the Rookie On Target Magazine ‘Photographer’; Graham ‘Boomer’ Seabrook at my side and he was as nervous as me. You see, the majority of the magazine crew was made up of down to earth normal young (ish) lads who just wanted to throw out a fun edgy read to the interested, none of us was really experienced journalists or business men, so for one day to be directing traffic, fitting carpets and nursing the sick and the next attempting to interview a celeb of any shape or form, was more than a little daunting it was OMG nerve racking. I can remember sat akin to the main stage, straining to hear Boomer forcing crazed words through sealed lips – ‘Shit! Shit!, she coming… he became extremely silent, I swivelled slowly to find Pauline sat there right in front of me smiling, ‘Alright?... ‘Erm, yeah, erm’.. I thanked her in a true Gareth Gates manor and for one little brief moment I even thought of putting an epileptic fit on as so to be carried out from this situation rather than go through with the interview. She seemed slightly amused that we were visually nervous but soon made us feel at ease when she offered to read the interview questions to herself from the shaking sheet of A4. How embarrassing… 10 years on, I’m in a simular situation... A little more at ease, thanks to 400 miles of broadband...

Howdoo Pauline, a careful clink of glasses and a little nod followed by a cheeky wink of the left eye for sparing me half an hour on your Sunday evening… I’ll try and keep it short and hopefully sweet … here’s goes ….

CASPA:

I’ve noticed that the gear you wear on stage isn’t the mainstream vintage rude girl clobber. but made up of things that most girls’ would possibly find hard to get their mittens on. A touch of Ska-ress Catwalk innovation, maybe time to put your name to your own range?

PAULINE:
I made my image up over 30 years ago. Suits me sir ;-) !!??? Experimentation with clothing is much better than following the herd.

CASPA:
At the height of 2tone, was there ever a covers song that one of the other bands released where you thought ‘oh, bugger!! I wished we’d have done that one’.. for instance Dandy Livingstone’s ‘Message to you Rudy’?

PAULINE:
The Paragon’s “Tide Is High”. Blondie did it instead.

CASPA:

Over the last few years there’s been a mad scurry of old bands reforming taking advantage of the new found interest in the early eighties scene and fashion. The ‘sadly’ Dammers free version of the Specials had a fantastic response, although Terry doesn’t look too overjoyed!!?? My view is the battle scarred incomplete bands like the Beat and the Selecter (not forgetting Neville Staples relentless touring) kept the 2tone flame burning. Especially with yourself continuing to write and record new music through the 90's and into the 2000's. How did you really feel that when the Specials reformed to mass media support you guys didn’t seem to get the recognition you truly deserved?

PAULINE:

That’s life. I don’t measure success by somebody else’s yardstick. My motto is stick to what you do and do it as well as you can. Besides Simon Jordan and The Sunday Times didn’t offer us any money or deals. Funny that? ;-)

CASPA:

I would have hoped for a 2 tone collaboration Dance Craze tour, are there any plans for this?

PAULINE:

None as far as I know.

CASPA:
I was almost on the brink of begging for some gritty exclusive shots to throw alongside our little chat, but you said they are all in your book 'Black by Design'.... Your monochrome image over the years has been very macho do you ever feel tempted to pink and frill it up a little on stage from time to time!??

CASPA:
Slipping back to the days after the split of The original Selecter line up, I heard a chinese whisper / rumour that you worked for the NHS in the x-ray department and that you got your little legs slapped for touring whilst you were suppose to be on the sick. What's the craziest rumor you've heard about yourself that wasn't true?

PAULINE:
Your first assertion is partially true. I don’t take any notice of rumours, They are usually wrong anyway. Spread by people with too much time on their hands.

CASPA:
Is there an artist you want to work with that you have not yet had the opportunity to work with?

PAULINE:
Tracey Emin (Now now Pauline you spell Ullman - U,L,M,A,N...!!?? Although not sure that she could have produced a work of art entitled ... 'my flange is wet with fear'... !!?? puzzled? Google Tracey Emin...

CASPA:
What's the biggest lesson you've learned from being in the music industry? And which do you prefer, writing, acting or singing?

PAULINE:
The biggest lesson I learned early on was “don’t confine yourself to just music”. I’ve always involved myself with other disciplines like acting and writing. I love the way that everything overlaps.

CASPA:
What do you like to do for fun outside of working on music?

PAULINE:
Running

CASPA:
What’s your view on the British Ska scene as it stands right now?

PAULINE:
New bands= good

CASPA:
Lastly, do you have any words of wisdom for other female Skaster wanting to follow in your steps? Oh.. and one from the obvious – What’s your favourites colour!!??

PAULINE:
Don’t follow in my footsteps, make your own indelible footprints. My favourite colour is not hard to guess- black

PAULINE:
How about this? Even my dresses are black. (St. David's Hall, Cardiff 'This is Soul Tour' 2007.

(I'll take this back... just going through some old tapes, Red Dress and long locks on the Old Grey Whistle Test - Celebrate the Bullet)

CASPA:
On the subject of the book can you talk a little about it?

PAULINE:
My memoir took 18 months to complete. Here is a brief synopsis. It’s more accurate this way.

“Black By Design” is the memoir of mixed race singer and actress Pauline Black, who was adopted into a white working class Essex family in the fifties. Her middle-aged adoptive parents brought her up as a white girl. Always a questioning, troubled child, by adolescence she was determined to define herself in the same way as society saw her, as black. But where to start when she had no idea who were her real parents? Her ultimate search for “who coloured me black” lends a fresh quality to her unique journey into the world of entertainment and beyond. She changed her name to Black by deed poll because “my family refused to call me black, so I named myself Black, then they had to”.

As lead singer of legendary 2-Tone band The Selecter, she found instant chart success, touring with labelmates The Specials & Madness. She tells what it was like working in a volatile band, thrust into the limelight of the 2-Tone movement and suddenly a spokeswoman for the conscious youth of Britain and beyond. Her abilities to deal with warring band members and racist skineads alike hardened her to the realities of this new world. Almost shot at by rednecks in Texas and nearly strangled by one of her bandmates, she remained resolutely unafraid to deal with the twin evils of racism and sexism in her songwriting. She consciously shaped her own destiny in this largely male dominated ska arena before moving on to work in other areas of the media. After leaving The Selecter in 1982 she explains how she was chosen to present Britain’s first black magazine programme “Black On Black” for Channel 4 in the mid 80’s, alongside establishing a successful acting career, that culminated in an award winning performance as Billie Holiday on the London stage in the early 90’s.

Her amazing story has many insights into the difficult dilemmas that a mixed race person with an unknown dual heritage had to face at a time when multiculturalism still had to be invented. She finally found the answer to her bigger question, who made me, half a world away in Australia. What she found put a whole new spin on the term “Jewish Princess”.

CASPA:

A majority of us know the basics of the foundation of 2 tone and how you played a major part in the labels formation but was there ever a time in those early days when you thought this projects never going to work?

And did you ever think of pulling out?

PAULINE:
No, nay, never.

Talkin' of female icons Motown Soul Diva Ms. Diana Ross appeared on at least one hit single every year between 1964 and 1996, an incredible 33 years.