The Official Adam Ant Story

160 Pages·1981·9.71 MB·English

by  James Maw

1
Transcribed in full by Carty
Nov 2005 - Mar 2006
(Including ALL of the book’s original spellings
and grammatical errors!!)
(with thanks to Ant Lady, Steve and Stace)
Reproduced without permission
22
James Maw was born in Bromley in 1957, and was at Art School
at the same time as Adam. His interest in the band dates back to
The Marquee gigs of 1978 when he glued the pictures together for
his local fanzine. In 1980 his play Milktrane about punks missing
the last train back to Bromley from Victoria was staged at The Old
Vic. From there he has written comedy for television and presents
Thames Television’s debate and Rock show White Light. Eighteen
months ago he place a five quid bet that The Ants would be the
biggest thing in pop
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Many thanks to EMI Music Publishers
for permission to quote from Kings of
the Wild Frontier and Antmusic.
Thanks also to Antmusic Ltd for
Permission to quote from Young Parisians
44
James Maw
The Official
Adam Ant
Story
Futura Macdonald & Co
London & Sydney
55
A Futura Book
First published in Great Britain in 1981 by Futura
Publications, a division of Macdonald & Co (Publishers) Ltd London
& Sydney
Copyright © James Maw 1981 © Adam and The Ants
(TM) is a trade mark of and licensed by MCA Inc. 1981
All rights reserved.
This book is sold subject to the condition that is shall not, by
way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise
circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of
binding or cover other than that in which it is published and
without a similar condition including this condition being imposed
on the subsequent purchaser.
ISBN 0 7088 2123 5
Printed by
William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd
Glasgow
Macdonald & Co
London & Sydney
Holywell House, Worship Street
London EC2N 2EN
66
Acknowledgements
I’d like to thank the following people:
Adam for his encouragement, Don Murfet for his trouble, Marco
for a course on ‘Antmusic’, Stephanie Gluck for the comedy, Jordan
for being Jordan, Vivienne Westwood for her clothes and Style,
Malcolm McLaren for roaring with laughter at the suggestion that The
Ants were more successful than Bow Wow Wow, Derek Jarman for
‘snucking in’ and paying for his pizzas, Danny Kleinman for singing
A Cowboy Needs a Horse, all those who talked and talked, Peter
Vague, Charles Whiteing, Falcon Stewart, Ian Wright. The gallant
people of the record companies in grand offices: David Betteridge,
Angie Errigo, Andy Stevens, Tracy Bennett. The performers and
artists, Lester Square, Andy Warren, Chris Brown, Dave Gibb, Peter
Webb, John Dowie, Juanito Antonio Wad Whani, Clare Johnson.
For those who helped on the production of the book, Lana Odell
for editing, Julian Sefton-Green for reaearch and saying goodbye
to Marco Pirroni and walking straight into his broom cupboard,
Rebecca Read, John Gordon and the unknown typist, Roger Gale
and Roger Thomas for their suggestions Michael Finch for painting
a clearer picture, Sheila Ming for shouldering the telephone, and
Bruce hunter for the dotted lines…
Sweathearts, all.
James. September 1981.
London.
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Dedication
When the pirate Blackbeard went into battle he would have silk sashes
crossed all over him out of which stuck six shining pistols. He had a
thick matted beard, like a rasta’s dreadlocks, from his elbows to his
eyeballs plaited into braids with twenty red silk bows tied on.
Out of his hat stuck six long pieces of string which he had dipped
in oil or tallow like slow-burning matches. He would light up the
ends so that he looked a mass of flame and smoke coming at you like
the Wrath of God. Then he would stand there, glaring at you from
inside his great beard, all his pistols at angles – and he never fought
a battle because he had more style than anyone else. That’s why he’s
lived through the ages.
And these are the images that people care about.

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