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Julian Cope presents Head Heritage

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Teardrop Explodes on Toppermost
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Hunter T Wolfe
Hunter T Wolfe
1707 posts

Re: Teardrop Explodes on Toppermost
Aug 31, 2015, 22:13
Really good, fast-paced and evocative writing, and the first article mirrors quite closely the narrative of my own belated discovery of Cope and the Teardrops leading quickly to obsession.

A question though for those who were on board earlier. The received wisdom- repeated in the blog entry for Cope solo- is that the Teardrop Explodes were resolutely a teeny-pop act in the Duran Duran / Whsm mould and that this was still Cope's audience when Fried was released, but the turtle cover was so shocking and scandalous to this market that it completely ruined his pop career.

Really? Was that how it was? I know the Teardrops were in Smash Hits, but they seem to me like they were always mainly a credible post-punk act who happened to have a couple of hits- closer to the Bunnymen or the Smiths than Duran, and with an older discerning fanbase.

This being the case, and given it was his 2nd solo album after the already far murkier and more psychedelic Wilder and World Shut Your Mouth already, how shocking was the Fried cover on release? Was it really seen as career suicide? It always seems to me a classic memorable LP sleeve- quirky and original and suiting the fragile music within, but not shocking or abject or this guy's completely lost it. But is that really how it was seen at the time?

Sorry, off topic a bit but it got me wondering.
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Re: Teardrop Explodes on Toppermost (jb lamptoast-morsley)		 Replies:
Re: Teardrop Explodes on Toppermost (Toni Torino)
Re: Teardrop Explodes on Toppermost (IanB)
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