Boy Georgesaid in a recent interview that members of Culture Club are always threatening to quit the band.
So, who was the last one of the quartet to suggest they might walk out the door?
Probably me, says the singer, laughing over the phone.
Credit: Rankin
It was some stupid thing.
He started laughing and he went, You wentthere?
You know, one to a hundred!
But Im a Gemini.
Thats just who I am.
Why did they want to put out a new album now?
Weve done lots of tours over the years, and thats always been pretty easy, says George.
I was the one that always wanted to record a new record.
Without new music, youre just doing a nostalgia thing, which has its limitations.
Too much nostalgia is just boring.
It was a very different process making this record, I was a lot more open to suggestions.
My things always been the lyrics and the melody.
Ahead, Boy George details the new LP, name-dropping Michelle Obama, and touring with the B-52s.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You essentially recordedLifetwice, first with the producerYouth and then again with theduo Future Cut.
Why?BOY GEORGE:We rerecorded it because of the mood that we were in.
I think we were just in a better space.
Wed been on the road and wed played a lot of these songs live.
Whats that about?I wrote the lyrics during the Obama administration.
I was actually on tour in Boston.
It was really a travelogue, which Ive never done before.
I used to laugh at the idea of people writing about being on the road.
[Laughs] I used to say, Who writes about that?
But I set myself a challenge to write about traveling around America.
That particular tour was the first tour Id done since my life had got quite complicated and dark.
[Laughs]It is kind of bonkers.
I guess its like, Spare us the details!
Like, Yes, youre a bunch of weirdos, but we dont want to hear about it!
culture, you know what I mean?
Dont frighten the horses!
A few of the tracks, including the single Let Somebody LoveYou, have a strong reggae vibe.
Did you listen to a lot ofthat while makingLife?Ive always liked reggae music.
Im always surprised when people dont love it, but there are people out there who dont.
Look, there are people out there who dont like Bowie!
Ive met people that have said to me, Yeah, I didnt ever really get into Bowie.
Im like, Well, which period did you [not] get into?
Because theres so many different parts of Bowie.
And I think the same thing with reggae music.
People who dont like reggae music, I think, are quite disturbing.
[Laughs] I still chat online with Matt [Iseman], the guy who won.
Yourealwaysfriendly to people when you see them.
