Julian Cope -

Julian Cope (Oct. 21, 1957) is a Welsh singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter who first emerged as the frontman of Liverpool neo-psychsters The Teardrop Explodes.

Cope launched his solo career with the 1983 Mercury EP Sunshine Playroom. Four albums followed through his 1988 release My Nation Underground. The title of his first album, World Shut Your Mouth, inspired his signature song that appeared on his 1987 third album, Saint Julian.

Background

Born Julian David Cope on October 21, 1957, in Deri, Glamorgan, he grew up in Tamworth after his family left Wales. Home life gave him books before bands: he later recalled a childhood steeped in poetry books and his mother’s fascination with first lines, while school performance included a turn as Oliver in a school production. After poor A-level results pushed him off the path his parents expected, he went to C.F. Mott College of Education in Merseyside for teacher training, the move that placed him inside Liverpool’s new punk network.

Before Liverpool, Cope’s ear already ran toward older and outsider records. He later pointed to The Doors and Love, then to Can and Faust, as pre-punk touchstones. Late 1976 added the Modern Lovers, Patti Smith, and Television, whose urgency pushed him toward the do-it-yourself route. Books also cut into that formation. William S. Burroughs became an obvious presence early, first in outlook and language, then in the name Nova Mob, which Cope borrowed from Nova Express.

The Crucial Three

Liverpool gave that appetite a scene and a set of foils. At C.F. Mott he met Ian McCulloch, Pete Wylie, and Pete Burns, then moved through a rapid chain of half-groups that became local mythology almost as fast as they collapsed. The Crucial Three lasted only weeks in 1977 and never reached a public career, but its core of Cope, McCulloch, and Wylie later fed the Teardrop Explodes, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Wah. After that came Nova Mob with Wylie and Budgie, the experimental Hungry Types, the one-gig Uh?, and then A Shallow Madness with McCulloch, Paul Simpson, Dave Pickett, and Mick Finkler. McCulloch left during rehearsals, Cope took the microphone, and the wreckage became the first Teardrop Explodes lineup.

Teardrop Explodes

A late-1977 stop with the Mystery Girls placed Cope beside Wylie, Pete Burns, and Phil Hurst for one Sham 69 support at Eric’s before that group also vanished. By 1978 he had fixed on a more durable unit with Gary Dwyer, Simpson, and Finkler, and he supplied the new name from a Daredevil panel caption: the Teardrop Explodes. Zoo Records signed the band, with Bill Drummond and David Balfe close at hand, and the early singles “Sleeping Gas,” “Bouncing Babies,” and “Treason” turned Cope from local instigator into a visible figure in the city’s post-punk revival. Kilimanjaro followed in 1980 and reached No. 24 in the UK.

Success widened the band’s audience and deepened its internal strain. “Reward” reached No. 6 in January 1981, the reissued “Treason” hit No. 18 that April, and “Passionate Friend” reached No. 25 after the band’s return from a chaotic American run. Wilder arrived later that year and reached No. 29, but the group entered 1982 in a more brittle state: Cope pulled back to Tamworth, the live lineup contracted, and the third-album sessions at Rockfield collapsed in argument. He quit after a difficult late-1982 tour, which closed the Teardrops as a working band before the solo records began.

Archivalism

Cope’s role as a musical excavator also surfaced before the Teardrops ended. Paul Simpson had turned him on to Scott Walker, whose late-1960s solo albums had already slipped out of print; Cope spent the period hunting copies down in Liverpool and Birmingham, then passing them to friends. In August 1981 Zoo released Fire Escape in the Sky: The Godlike Genius of Scott Walker, a Scott Walker compilation that Cope conceived and compiled to strip away Walker’s old middle-of-the-road image and place the strongest self-written material before a post-punk audience. The record helped reopen Walker’s catalogue to younger listeners and marked the first clear public sign that Cope would operate not only as a performer but also as an advocate, selector, and archivist.

“Sunshine Playroom”

Julian Cope issued “Sunshine Playroom” on November 11, 1983, on Mercury. It preceded World Shut Your Mouth by a few months and opened his solo run with a standalone release rather than an album lead-off in March 1984.

Cope packs the song into a brisk three-minute shape and cuts the drum pattern for the middle passage before the instrumental return. The arrangement stays compact and bright, with the title phrase set inside short vocal lines and a quick closing cadence.

A. “Sunshine Playroom” (2:55)
B. “High Class Butcher” (3:56)

12-inch EP

A1. “Sunshine Playroom” (2:55)
B1. “Wreck My Car” (2:31)
B2. “High Class Butcher” (3:56)
B3. “Eat the Poor” (4:25)

Julian Cope recorded “Sunshine Playroom” with producer Steve Lovell. Laura Levine shot the sleeve photograph, and Cope took the sleeve credit.

Mercury issued “Sunshine Playroom” (b/w “High Class Butcher”) as a 7-inch single in November 1983, then expanded it to a 12-inch EP with two extra tracks. The single reached No. 64 on the UK Singles Chart and remained on the chart for two weeks. A promo clip directed by David Bailey accompanied the release.

World Shut Your Mouth

Julian Cope released his debut solo album, World Shut Your Mouth, on February 17, 1984, on Mercury.

Cope cuts the album in short bursts and oblique mid-tempo turns. A few longer pieces break that compact shape. Bright keyboard lines and clipped rhythm guitar give the record a light surface, while bass and drum patterns pull several songs toward a tighter mechanical pulse. Guitarist Steve Lovell threads lead lines around Cope’s organ and rhythm-guitar figures. Oboist Kate St. John breaks the surface at key points, while Gary Dwyer supplies much of the backbeat.

“Bandy’s First Jump” starts with an abrupt pick-up and immediate vocal attack. “Metranil Vavin” jolts the sequence with time-signature shifts, while “Strasbourg” compresses its historical conceit into a brief song. “An Elegant Chaos” opens the album outward with synth strings, oboe in the chorus, and rough guitar texture. “Kolly Kibber’s Birthday” rides a sequenced kick pattern under dirty guitar. “Head Hang Low” drops into a hushed ballad. “Lunatic and Fire-Pistol” opens with oboe and keyboard, then withholds drums until deep in the closing stretch.

A1. “Bandy’s First Jump” (2:50)
A2. “Metranil Vavin” (3:00)
A3. “Strasbourg” (2:25)
A4. “An Elegant Chaos” (4:03)
A5. “Quizmaster” (2:56)
A6. “Kolly Kibber’s Birthday” (5:14)

B1. “Sunshine Playroom” (2:55)
B2. “Head Hang Low” (5:04)
B3. “Pussyface” (4:11)
B4. “Greatness and Perfection” (3:16)
B5. “Lunatic and Fire-Pistol” (4:30)

Julian Cope recorded World Shut Your Mouth at The Point Studio in Victoria, London, with producer Steve Lovell and engineer Alex Burak. Phil Thornalley and Stephen Power also took engineering credits.

Anton Corbijn photographed the sleeve, and Cope designed it with Julian Balme.

Mercury issued “Sunshine Playroom” (b/w “High Class Butcher”) on November 11, 1983. The 12-inch added “Wreck My Car” and “Eat the Poor.” The single reached No. 64 on the UK Singles Chart, and David Bailey directed the video.

On March 5, 1984, Mercury issued “The Greatness and Perfection of Love” as a remixed single (b/w “24a Velocity Crescent”). The 12-inch added “Pussyface,” and the single reached No. 52 on the UK Singles Chart. World Shut Your Mouth reached No. 40 on the UK Albums Chart.

Fried

Julian Cope released his second solo album, Fried, in November 1984 on Mercury.

Cope pares the record to dry drum strikes and rough guitar. Several tracks strip the backing to voice with minimal support. Donald Ross Skinner cuts slide and electric lines through the songs, while Steve Lovell adds electric guitar and the recorder passage on “Sunspots.” Chris Whitten fixes a blunt backbeat, and Kate St. John threads oboe through key passages.

“Reynard the Fox” starts with a strong chorus and a garage-bred riff, then breaks into narrated visions and a long scream. “Bill Drummond Said” and “Me Singing” cut the backing to semi-acoustic form. “Laughing Boy” sets oboe against slide and strummed acoustic guitar over a slow drum pulse. “Sunspots” widens the scale with a brighter sweep, “Search Party” carries a softer drift, and “Torpedo” closes on spare keyboard tension.

A1. “Reynard the Fox” (6:14)
A2. “Bill Drummond Said” (2:28)
A3. “Laughing Boy” (5:47)
A4. “Me Singing” (3:33)
A5. “Sunspots” (5:14)

B1. “The Bloody Assizes” (3:17)
B2. “Search Party” (3:56)
B3. “O King of Chaos” (2:36)
B4. “Holy Love” (3:21)
B5. “Torpedo” (4:01)

Julian Cope recorded Fried at Spaceward Studios in Stretham, near Cambridge, with producer Steve Lovell and engineer Chas Watkins. Paul King supervised production.

P. St. John Nettleton handled the art direction and design, and Donato Cinicolo shot the cover image. The original UK release also carried a poster. The sleeve shows Cope naked beneath a turtle shell on Alvecote Mound.

Mercury issued “Sunspots” (b/w “I Went on a Chourney”) in 1985. A double-7-inch variant added “Mik Mak Mok” and “Land of Fear.” The single reached No. 76 on the UK Singles Chart, and Fried reached No. 87 on the UK Albums Chart.

B. “I Went on a Chourney”
C. “Mik Mak Mok”
D. “Land of Fear”

“World Shut Your Mouth”

Julian Cope issued “World Shut Your Mouth” on September 15, 1986, on Island. It arrived ahead of Saint Julian and reused the title of his 1984 debut for a new song that did not appear on that album.

Cope drives the title track with a clipped chant, a hard backbeat, and bright keyboard peals that fire the refrain in short bursts. The arrangement stays lean and direct, then the 12-inch widens the release with three extra tracks.

A. “World Shut Your Mouth” (3:34)
B. “Umpteenth Unnatural Blues” (2:58)

12-inch EP

A1. “World Shut Your Mouth” (3:34)
A2. “(I’ve Got) Levitation” (3:02) — Hall, Sutherland
B1. “Umpteenth Unnatural Blues” (2:58)
B2. “Non-Alignment Pact” (2:48) — Pere Ubu
B3. “Transporting” (3:34) — Julian Cope Group

Ed Stasium produced the title track. Steve Lovell produced “(I’ve Got) Levitation,” and Cope produced the three B-side cuts. Donald Ross Skinner played electric guitar, James Eller played bass, Chris Whitten played drums, and Cope took the organ and clavinet credit under the Double De Harrison alias. Peter Ashworth supplied the sleeve photography.

Island issued “World Shut Your Mouth” (b/w “Umpteenth Unnatural Blues”) as a 7-inch single and expanded it as a five-track 12-inch EP on the same date. A separate remix 12-inch added long and short Trouble Funk versions of the title track with “(I’ve Got) Levitation.” The single reached No. 19 on the UK Singles Chart and remained there for eight weeks.

Saint Julian

Julian Cope released his third solo album, Saint Julian, on March 2, 1987, on Island.

Cope tightens these songs around hard snare strikes and bright rhythm guitar. Donald Ross Skinner cuts sharp electric lines across James Eller’s bass figures while Chris Whitten fixes the pulse in a firm backbeat. Cope adds organ and clavinet under the Double DeHarrison alias, and the nine-string guitar widens several choruses with a metal edge.

“Trampolene” runs on a brisk bounce. “Shot Down” bears a heavier attack, while “Spacehopper” lands on rougher accents. “World Shut Your Mouth” turns a clipped chant around the start-up peal of Cope’s keyboard. “A Crack in the Clouds” stretches the close with fingerpicked Oregon guitar. Warne Livesey lays synth strings over that slow rise, and Kate St. John answers with cor anglais.

A1. “Trampolene” (3:35)
A2. “Shot Down” (3:59)
A3. “Eve’s Volcano (Covered in Sin)” (4:16)
A4. “Spacehopper” (3:20)
A5. “Planet Ride” (5:42)

B1. “World Shut Your Mouth” (3:33)
B2. “Saint Julian” (3:06)
B3. “Pulsar” (2:46)
B4. “Screaming Secrets” (3:27)
B5. “A Crack in the Clouds” (7:59)

Julian Cope recorded Saint Julian with producers Warne Livesey and Ed Stasium. Felix Kendall and George Schilling took recording credits. Livesey handled seven album cuts, while Stasium produced “Shot Down,” “Spacehopper,” and “World Shut Your Mouth.”

P. St. John Nettleton and Island Art designed the sleeve. Peter Ashworth shot the cover, and Lawrence Watson supplied the inner photography. The front image places Cope in a snowy night scene with his arms spread wide.

Island issued “World Shut Your Mouth” (b/w “Umpteenth Unnatural Blues”) on September 15, 1986. The 12-inch added “(I’ve Got) Levitation,” “Non-Alignment Pact,” and “Transporting,” while the remix 12-inch carried Trouble Funk versions. It reached No. 19 on the UK Singles Chart.

Cope lifted “Trampolene” (b/w “Disaster”) as the next single in January 1987. The 12-inch added “Mock Turtle” and “Warwick the Kingmaker,” and a separate remix 12-inch carried the Warne Out Mix. It reached No. 31 on the UK Singles Chart.

“Eve’s Volcano (Covered in Sin)” appeared as the third single in 1987 with “Almost Beautiful Child (I & II)” on the 7-inch flip. The 12-inch and CD added live versions of “Pulsar N.X.” and “Shot Down,” and the remix 12-inch carried “Spacehopper — Annexe.” It reached No. 41 on the UK Singles Chart. Saint Julian reached No. 11 on the UK Albums Chart.

My Nation Underground

Julian Cope released his fourth solo album, My Nation Underground, on October 25, 1988, on Island.

Cope drives these songs with clipped rhythm guitar and bright keyboard figures. Guitarist Donald Ross Skinner cuts electric lines across bassist James Eller’s undercarriage, while drummer David Palmer and percussionist Rooster Cosby fix a hard snap that leaves space for brass swells and backing voices.

“5 O’Clock World” opens with Cope’s rewrite of the Vogues hit and folds in a bridge from Petula Clark’s “I Know a Place.” “China Doll” lowers the temperature into a string-backed ballad with Danny Thompson on double bass. “Someone Like Me” recasts the Shadows of Knight song in a short guitar cut, while the title track and “The Great White Hoax” lean on wah-bass churn and a heavier low-end drag.

A1. “5 O’Clock World” (3:45) — Allen Reynolds; excerpt from “I Know a Place” by Tony Hatch; lyrics updated by Julian Cope
A2. “Vegetation” (3:55)
A3. “Charlotte Anne” (4:55)
A4. “My Nation Underground” (7:13)

B1. “China Doll” (4:12)
B2. “Someone Like Me” (2:12) — Rick Novak, David MacDowell, Harry Pye
B3. “Easter Everywhere” (2:39) — Cope/Skinner
B4. “I’m Not Losing Sleep” (4:35) — Cope/Skinner
B5. “The Great White Hoax” (6:10)

Julian Cope recorded My Nation Underground in London during summer 1988 with producer Ron Fair. Hugh Padgham handled the mix.

Island packaged the original UK LP in a picture sleeve with an illustrated lyric inner.

Island issued “Charlotte Anne” (b/w “Christmas Mourning”) on September 19, 1988. The 12-inch, picture disc, and CD added “Books” and “A Question of Temperature.” It reached No. 35 on the UK Singles Chart and spent one week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks in January 1989.

In January 1989, Island lifted “5 O’Clock World” (b/w “S.P.Q.R.”) as the second single. The CD and 10-inch also carried “Reynard In Tokio.” It reached No. 42 on the UK Singles Chart.

In June 1989, “China Doll” appeared as the third single. The 7-inch paired it with “Crazy Farm Animal,” while the EP expanded the release with “Rail On” and “Desi.” It reached No. 53 on the UK Singles Chart. My Nation Underground reached No. 42 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 155 on the Billboard 200.

Skellington

Julian Cope released Skellington in November 1989 on CopeCo. It later appeared through Zippo in 1990.

Cope strips these songs to acoustic guitar, terse drum hits, and quick keyboard stabs. Donald Ross Skinner cuts short electric figures through the set, while Rooster Cosby punctuates several passages with drums, percussion, and horns. Most of the record passes in brief bursts with the backing left sparse and the room sound left bare.

A1. “Doomed” (2:40)
A2. “Beaver” (2:29)
A3. “Me & Jimmy Jones” (1:30)
A4. “Robert Mitchum” (2:43) — Cope/McCulloch
A5. “Out of My Mind on Dope & Speed” (3:28)
A6. “Don’t Crash Here” (1:00)

B1. “Everything Playing at Once” (1:31)
B2. “Little Donkey” (2:44)
B3. “Great White Wonder” (2:12)
B4. “Incredibly Ugly Girl” (3:04)
B5. “No How, No Why, No Way, No Where, No When” (2:00)
B6. “Commin’ Soon” (2:20)

Julian Cope recorded Skellington at Townhouse 3 in London in April 1989 with engineer Hugo Nicolson. He completed the album in two days and handled production himself.

Donato Cinicolo photographed the sleeve. The original release also carried a locked-groove coda titled “Skellington’s inner groove.

Discography: