Adam & The Ants
Adam & The Ants started off in early 1977, one of a dozen
bands trying to keep up in the wake of The
Sex Pistols.
What
turned them into a top-of-the-bill band was the bondage routines -
the sadomasochist set pieces between Adam (real name Stuart
Goddard) and the band's manager Jordan, a punk ex-crony of Malcolm
McLaren's and with just as much attitude.
 Although the music was nothing exceptional, the stage act kept
the crowd away from the bar and landed Adam (and Jordan) parts in
Derek Jarman's film, Jubilee.
In it, he played 'Kid', who sang a couple of songs, pouted a
bit and eventually got killed - all good promotion for the first
LP, Dirk Wears White Sox, released in 1979.
The self-produced LP's word-heavy tunes examined sexual excess
(Cleopatra), bizarre visions (Day I Met God),
alienation (Digital Tenderness) and the like.
Adam's old Ants subsequently left for the employ of Malcolm
McLaren, transmuting into Bow Wow Wow.
In their place, Adam teamed up with guitarist Marco Pirroni
(who proved to be a significant collaborator) and recruited
drummer/producer Chris Hughes (aka Merrick).
Undeterred, Adam recruited a new band, found himself a new
image (appearing in a bizarre mix of pirate costume and Red Indian
makeup) and now fronted a drum-heavy pop band, inspired by the
African drummers of Burundi.
A re-recorded single of Car Trouble got Adam's new era
off the ground in the mid-80's. Adam found his groove with Kings
of the Wild Frontier. Goodbye heaviness and failure, hello
hit parade.
Adam and his merry crew bounced through a delightful program of
modern bubblegum. Dog Eat Dog
used the pseudo-tribal drums Adam picked up from McLaren, while Antmusic
shamelessly self-promoted (as did many of Adam's early
lyrics) to the accompaniment of an irresistible stop-start melody.
Prince Charming was a letdown, Stand and Deliver
offered more percussive entertainment (a la Dog Eat Dog)
and the title track was florid melodrama, but much of the LP
seemed forced, ill-tempered and silly. Adam hit rock bottom on Ant
Rap, an embarrassing stab at rap filled with braggadocio.
'Antmania' was briefly newsworthy and, with the help of
flamboyant promotional videos, sold a lot of records, especially
in the UK. Between 1980 and 1982 Adam released eight singles - all
hits in Britain, including three that reached the Number 1 spot.
After dumping all the Ants except for Marco, Adam went solo and
came up with Friend or Foe, an LP with plenty of energy
and variety. Adam and Marco tried a little of everything; soul,
rockabilly, his usual weightless pop, all with convincingly joyful
results.
 Highlights
included Goody Two Shoes and The
Doors' Hello, I Love You. Following that triumph, it
was time for another bad album, and Strip was pathetic.
Adam's attempt to grow up was recorded at ABBA's
state-of-the-art studio in Stockholm and featured two tracks
produced by Phil Collins.
By taking a less sensational approach, Adam exposed the
weakness of his melodies and the inherent silliness of his
sleazoid attitudes.
Adam pulled in his horns and, with the production suss of Tony
Visconti, made a big-league pop album even a mother could endure.
Vive le Rock's spirited title track is a perfect send-up of ELO's
Dave Edmunds phase; Rip Down
likewise recalls Marc Bolan.
The songs (Razor Keen, Miss Thing) proffered
Bolanesque lyrics but suffered from characterless backing. Apollo
9, a wonderfully gimmicky single (also included in an
acapella version), proved that the old boy still had it, whatever
it may have been. Yabba yabba ding ding, indeed . . .
Monsieur Ant spent a few years concentrating his energies on an
acting career. His best role was in 1987's stylish Slamdance,
but he also appeared in Trust Me (1989) and Nomads
(1986) as well as on television and in the theatre. In the
meantime, his British label issued Hits, a compilation of
his biggest singles.
In 1990, Adam resurfaced in Los Angeles with the confident and
entertaining Manners & Physique, diving into
electronic dance music without drowning in synthesized rubbish.
Marco contributed to the song writing (as did ex-Dexys
Midnight Runners leader Kevin Rowland, surprisingly enough)
and played guitar.
But the thrill had really gone by now, and it all went quiet
until early 1995 when Adam brought his sexpot looks and downright
dirty voice back with Wonderful, aiming to warm another generation
of underwear.
In later years he has been plagued by depression with spells in
psychiatric care. In 2002 he was arrested and sectioned when
he returned to a North London pub brawl dressed as a cowboy and
threatening to use the (replica) pistol he was carrying. he was
placed under 12-month community rehabilitation and entered a
psychiatric hospital.
In 2003 he was nabbed on suspicion of criminal damage for
chucking rocks through a neighbour's window.
Malcolm McLaren
Bow Wow Wow
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