Housemartin Party:
Heaton and Cook Working Again

4 Sept 1998

Courtesy of A. Ott

NORMAN COOK has been working with former Housemartins bandmate PAUL HEATON on the forthcoming BEAUTIFUL SOUTH album, released on the Go! Discs imprint through Mercury.

Cook contributed to the production of the LP, which is called 'Quench' and comes out on October 12. Norman said: "If you're expecting big beats, you are going to be disappointed. I spent a couple of days in rehearsals in Hull with the band ­ and now I'm late with my own album!"

A spokesman said Cook had mostly helped out with the rhythm tracks on the record. He continued: "They're old mates and they're helping each other out. In no way is it The Housemartins getting back together!" The spokesman explained that although many people would see Cook and Heaton as being polar opposites musically, that, in fact, they still had a number of things in common. "They're both interested in a huge range of styles of music, as you'll see from the new Fatboy Slim album," he said. That album, 'You've Come A Long Way Baby', is out on October 19, with a single, 'Gangster Trippin'', preceding it on October 5. So far, seven tracks on the album have been completed, and Skint Records are waiting on the last three.

Other tracks include: 'Right Here Right Now', 'Build It Up Tear It Down', 'Love Island' and 'Acid 8000'. Another track, 'Fucking In Heaven', features guest vocals from hip-hop legend Freddy Fresh. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola in America is using Slim's track 'Michael Jackson' in a new advert. The ad is a sly dig at rival Pepsi, which has used Jackson for past ad campaigns.