My Life Story feature

It's official - wit, irony and invention are dead, at least in the UK charts. It's a time when a cheesy, musically inept 'Millennium Prayer' which genuinely purports to be a meaningful statement can reach number 1. A time when the major requirement to be in a band is a Stage school rather than State school education (OK, manufactured bands have been going forever, but you don't think Steps, S Club 7 and the like were actually auditioned from the streets, do you ?).

Worse still, a time when boy bands are marketed, and subsequently perceived, as being serious & sophisticated artists thanks to expensive videos, and lavish but soulless productions. After the 70s disco covers (and initial gay scene appeal) that got them established are out of the way, of course. Bloody hell, it's getting to be like Japan !

So is there any glamour, wit or style left ? My Life Story are proof that there's life in UK pop yet. Formed by London club legend Jake Shillingford in the early 90s, MLS's first independent single 'Girl A Girl B Boy C' emerged in 1993, produced by Giles (son of 'fifth Beatle' George) Martin. An epic tale of a bizarre love triangle, its big sound, drenched in horns and strings, was reminiscent of a seedier ABC mixed in with the Teardrop Explodes, added to a dash of 60s meets 90s Londonpop verve - all this a full year before 'Park Life' exploded into Britpop.

An album "Mornington Crescent" followed, before the money ran out. MLS looked doomed, but the fine reputation they'd acquired from their constant gigging brought them to the attention of big guns Parlophone. Once on a major label, the hits started - most memorably the thunderous list of love of '12 Reasons Why I Love Her', and the saucy romp 'Strumpet'. Dropped last year despite having had five consecutive top 40 singles (albeit no higher than no.28) and a constantly increasing fan base, they've risen from the ashes with a new album "Joined Up Talking", which is where we join Jake.

The new MLS sound is still string-laden glam pop, but a lot harder.
“I appreciate we’ve changed. We always get an extreme reaction, especially from the press, and this time it’s a lot more personal. The songs are harder cos of that, they’re more direct.”
MLS has been more influential that a lot of people would know. Long before the Verve or Oasis were using strings, MLS were travelling up and down the UK with a 12-strong ensemble.
“Just listen to the Divine Comedy for example. We also wanted to say something about the bland rock around then (early 90s), and we were fed up with the Americanisation of London at that time.”
It must have been a bit of a blow being dropped by EMI.
“Yeah, a bit of a surprise. Five singles, five top forty hits. But on our new label, they do things differently. We have much more of a say in what goes on.”
Ever been to Japan ?
“(Smiles) Naaah.. but we’d love to. “
Word association – Japan ?
“Design.”
At their recent London Scala date, Jake ranted to the crowd on “how fucking awful the charts are these days”, for much the same reasons as I outlined earlier. He has a cautious optimism though about the future of top 40 music.
“Something has to happen soon, but it’s hard to compete against all that crap.”
Chart Pop needn’t always be crap, though. I remember in 1982 a top 5 that contained ABC, Madness, Adam Ant and Soft Cell.
“It goes in cycles, doesn’t it. After 1982 there was Go West and bands like that, and Live Aid, and it went shit again. .. “
It certainly did. But through all the traumas, Jake has clearly never lost faith in what MLS has always been about. He echoes the rallying call of Spearmint’s glorious “Sweeping The Nation” when he says “By being honest, we’ll eventually get what’s coming. MLS is about wearing your heart on your sleeve, and I’ve got really high hopes for this album.”
Keep sparkling, Jake.