Eighties band Hue and Cry have hinted at new music ahead of a joint tour with other music icons of the decade, but singer Pat has revealed that unlike some of their contemporaries, the band will never take part in ITV competition The Masked Singer.
Hue and Cry were formed by brothers Pat and Greg Kane and, speaking exclusively to Daily Star about their upcoming Essential Eighties Tour with Paul Young and T’Pau singer Carol Decker, Pat explained that the group are currently working on a new album, as well as having plans to perform a series of small concerts later this year.
However, when asked if the band would ever consider following in the footsteps of other eighties band members including Morten Harket from A-Ha and take part in The Masked Singer, Pat’s answer was a firm “no”.
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He said: “No, The Masked Singer is absolutely dreadful,” adding: “It’s just so bizarre.”
Pat did share fond memories however of Hue and Cry participating in pop competition Hit Me Baby One More Time, which saw artists perform some of their greatest hits alongside covers of popular songs.
Hue and Cry made it all the way to the final with their own hits, plus a cover of Beyonce’s Crazy in Love, with Pat saying: “Hit Me Baby One More Time is one of these classics.
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“They show all the pictures of the band in their youth, and then they say, here they are now. We were alright actually.”
Despite being beaten to the crown by Shakin’ Stevens, Pat added that the show was “a great experience,” adding that they were “very pleased to get to the final, delighted”.
Pat and his brother Greg formed their band Hue and Cry in 1983, and later went on to achieve chart topping success with songs including Labour Of Love and Looking For Linda.
They most recently released the album Pocketful of Stones in 2017.
(Image: Getty Images)
Hue and Cry are now preparing to perform some of their biggest hits on The Essential Eighties Tour, which Pat describes as a celebration of the decade, saying: “The thing that is great about The Essential 80s tour and these kind of tours, is that it celebrates that era of music that is often looked down on.
“It gives us a chance to slightly redefine that and also for our audience, to redefine it too. I think everyone who was writing songs in the eighties, were really trying to make timeless classics.
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“I’m very happy to do it, because it gives us a chance to celebrate what we did and I think the audiences love that.
“They still believe in your music. It’s a guaranteed good night.”
Pat revealed that he recently had a blast from the past moment while promoting the tour too, when he realised he was standing in the very same spot where he stood on his first Top Of The Pops performance.
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He said: “We did ITV’s This Morning about a week or two ago, promoting this tour. We actually realised that the show was made in Television Studio, or what used to be BBC Television Centre, and we were actually standing on the ground where we did our first Top Of The Pops appearance.”
Hue and Cry performed on the same episode as T’Pau, but Pat has explained that despite the musicians not speaking much back in the eighties, backstage on The Essential Eighties Tour, there’s a great camaraderie between the artists.
“The funny thing is, everyone was very young and egotistic at that time, we all sat in our various corners of the BBC TV room,” said Pat.
“Now we’re all wonderfully civil and pleasant to each other when we’re backstage. There’s no airs and graces. We’re all very friendly to each other. We have a good time.”
(Image: Redferns via Getty Images)
Reflecting on reuniting with Paul Young and Carol Decker again, he added: “We did a few gigs with Paul Young a couple of years ago and he’s one of my favourite voices. I’m looking forward to seeing them both and complimenting both of them.
“It’s going to be a great night. It really does get people emotionally, because we’re still there making the songs as good as we can.
“The audience are still pursuing their dreams and their ideals and their own lives, so when it comes together, it’s a glorious celebration the way we all come together.”
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
With a growth in eighties and nineties themed festivals and tours, generations of music fans are constantly rediscovering music by bands such as Hue and Cry, with Pat saying: “It’s a phenomenon.
“The idea that we shape people’s lives, you start to realise you accompany people’s tragedies, joys, weddings, births.”
Speaking about some of the messages he has received from fans at these concerts, he added: “It’s quite humbling and it’s moving the way people come up to you and say, you helped me through a break up, or helped me jump to make a different ambition for myself.
“It’s very human. The stories stick to you.”
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Asked why he thinks the music of that decade and the music of Hue and Cry is still so enduring, Pat reflected on the ambitions of many of the artists of the time, saying: “We shot for the moon early. That kind of period in the eighties, someone called it ‘Sophisti-pop’ – Swing Out Sister, Johnny Hates Jazz, Curiosity Killed The Cat, The Blow Monkeys – all that kind of stuff.
“You could make it as classy as you wanted, but make it edgy. We wrote them to be great pop songs [Labour of Love and Looking For Linda].
“We were ambitious but we were edgy at the same time. It gave the music a bit of a longstanding quality.”
Along with The Essential Eighties Tour, Pat also revealed that he and his brother were working together on a new album and that fans could hopefully hear some of the new tracks at their shows in the future, saying: “We’re brewing up an EDM album at the moment, a digital record.”
He also added that he and his brother are still “great pals,” saying: “It’s a moving, beautiful experience to play with your brother.”
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However, Pat was keen not to give any hints away about other albums that the band have in store, but that fans can definitely expect more from the iconic duo in the future.
“We’ll get this EDM record finished probably by the end of the year,” said Pat.
“We enjoy playing these big eighties and nineties festivals, but we want to write some bangers for people so they can jump about joyfully at these events.
“That’s hopefully what the EDM record will do. Add a few bangers into the Hue and Cry repertoire and then we’ll see what happens after that.
“We’ve got so many ideas for records. We have our own studio and my brother is a brilliant multi-instrumentalist, so there’s no shortage of music coming from Hue and Cry.”
PAUL YOUNG, T’PAU & HUE AND CRY WILL PERFORM AS PART OF THE ESSENTIAL 80’S UK TOUR IN AUTUMN 2022 – TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
