When The Housemartins split in 1988, legend has it the band’s members vowed they’d never reunite. Nearly a quarter century later, that remains as true, according to bassist Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, who this morning told a BBC radio interviewer that it would take an equally unlikely reunion of The Smiths to spur his bandmates into action.
Cook was interviewed by BBC Radio 5’s Colin Paterson because he’s performing, as Fatboy Slim, at the Big Beach Bootique next month at Brighton’s new football stadium.
The subject then turned to band reunions:
“Couple years ago, we all met for the 25th anniversary, I believe, of London O Hull 4. We had lunch together and we renewed our vows to never get back together again. We just all looked at each other and said, ‘Do you still not want to do this?’ We’re all a lot happier being friends rather than being in a band with each other. I don’t think we really want to go back, and we don’t need the money. What I’d say is, The Smiths said they would only get back together if the queen would abdicate. So how about: The Housemartins will only get back together if The Smiths reform.”
You can stream a portion of Cook’s interview on the BBC’s website.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Vintage Video: The Housemartins’ full ‘Hold Tight!’ TV special — first aired in 1986
- The Housemartins look back with ‘Happy Hour: The Collection,’ new 20-track best-of
- Expanded reissue of The Housemartins’ ‘London 0 Hull 4′ due out next month
Darn…I’m heartbroken.
I know right? They were never anything more than a vastly inferior version of the Smiths anyway. Stay in retirement, no one misses you.
Probably for the best. I cherish the Housemartins and have loved them since day one but have not liked Fat Boy’s solo work nor the vast majority of South’s output aside from a full albums worth of songs. I would be afraid of how new material would sound. A few live dates might be cool but its not necessary in my book. What I really want is the deluxe version of The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death to come out!
“They were never anything more than a vastly inferior version of the Smiths anyway.”
not sure i follow…then again i sometimes don’t get jokes.
I think it’s great that Fatboy Slim still has hope for a potential reunion of The Housemartins, but it seems like it all depends on some crucial circumstances.