When Scotland had Paul Floored

25 Oct 1998

Courtesy of B. Gross

THE first time singer Paul Heaton came to Scotland, he was so poor he had to sleep on the promoter's floor.

These days, the Beautiful South frontman could afford to buy the whole house.

Hull's most-famous son has seen his band rise to become one of the most successful British groups of the nineties.

Changed days since his old band, The Housemartins, did things on a shoestring budget.

"We had a few hits and did all right for ourselves but, first time round in Scotland, we were so skint we ended up sleeping on the floor.

"In fact, I'm still with that same promoter in Scotland - Stuart Clumpas, who is now Mr T in the Park."

But what's all this about getting too big for their boots and doing down old Hull?

Where once The Housemartins called their album London 0, Hull 4, now the South are singing: "I feel like London but I look like Hull" on their new CD, Quench.

"It's a storm in a teacup," says Paul.

"It's about feeling a bit glamorous when you don't look glamorous. It's about having ideas above your station, really.

"Hull isn't a glamorous place, but it's not an ugly place either. Four of us still live in Hull - the drummer, guitarist, bassist and myself.

"Jack and the other singer, Dave, live pretty close by and we rehearse in Hull. We have our own studios there and we go out and socialise in Hull. We're definitely not having a go at the city. We recently opened our own bike park, which John Prescott came along to.

"It's a huge big cycling area where the people of Hull can come and borrow a bike and cycle round."

A veteran on The Housemartins' nights on the floorboards was Norman Cook, better known these days as Fat Boy Slim.

He lent a hand with Quench, but there seems little chance of him joining the Southerners on stage when they play the SECC in Glasgow in April.

"He helped on the album, pointing us in the right direction and bringing a couple of samples in here and there," says Paul.

"He came in for a couple of days of rehearsals and for the early part of the album. He also helped on a day's mixing.

"It was very useful just having him around, because there's usually a few tracks where I lose the thread. Having a fresh ear is really a good thing."

The pair have taken very different musical directions since the days of The Housemartins, but Paul thinks his own is the most surprising.

"The sort of music that Norman's making now is similar to what he has always listened to. I listen to sixties soul and stuff like that and I don't really listen to pop music.

"I've hardly ever bought a pop record, yet I've chosen to make pop. It's just what I'm good at."

His brand of pop has always had a twist in the lyrics and the new single, Perfect 10, is no different.

Peppered with double entendres, is it a plea to stop judging women by their shape?

"Originally, it was sort of a romantic notion that you could love anyone regardless of their size. But now my girlfriend put on about 15 stone and I've left her," he jokes.

"The bank thinks it's one of the best songs we've written. Personally, I think we've written a lot better."

But if the charts are anything to go by, it's getting a perfect score from the punters.