He was one of my favorite people from the very best time of my life. In the mid-1980s, his albums were THE SOUNDTRACK to my life… & they still get played at Post Apocalyptic Bohemia in the new century. I can’t really articulate what his music meant to me, how it moved me & how it provided the background music to a very important era for me personally. He is gone, but his music will always be with me.
Malcolm McLaren moved from Art School dropout to Kings Road merchant,& then to band manager, socio/political instigator, musician, wry social commentator & influential media manipulator. In the late 1960s he started designing clothes & by 1972 he opened a clothing boutique in London with his then girlfriend, Vivienne Westwood.
In 1975, after a failed stint at managing the image of the notorious band -The New York Dolls, Malcolm nurtured the most infamous punk band in history- The Sex Pistols. He became their manager, & controlled their contracts, & their image in the media.
In the ’80s, after the Sex Pistols had broken up, Malcolm became the manager of another band, Adam & the Ants who moved away from Punk to the New Romantic movement with their rhythmic African style drumming. When Adam Ant rebelled & left the band, Malcolm re-packaged the musicians to form the band Bow Wow Wow. He used his headline making skills to propel the band & their underage lead singer to the top of the charts with a nude album cover scandal.
In the early 1980’s, Malcolm began producing his own records that would soon become my favorites: Buffalo Gals & Double Dutch from his groundbreaking 1983 album- Duck Walk which was the 1st time I became aware of NYC hip hoppers & scratch DJ’s that he used to get that cool sound. He next turned to opera, masterminding a pop adaptation of Madam Butterfly on the album Fans using an assortment of female vocalists, & musician Robby Kilgore.
McLaren's 1989 album Waltz Darling, was a funk/disco/vogueing inspired album. Waltz Darling incorporated elements of his former albums: spoken verses, string arrangements & an eclectic mix of genres, but featured prominent musicians like Bootsy Collins & Jeff Beck with very swank production values. The singles, Waltz Darling & Something's Jumpin' in Your Shirt became top radio hits in Europe.
In his later years, McLaren contributed to newspapers & magazines, directed & produced films. He died on the morning of April 8th 2010, following a battle with cancer.
Please note, I wish to have Un Bel di Vedremo, Waltz Darling, House Of Blue Danube, & Deep in Vogue played at my memorial service. Be sure to use Something’s Jumping In My Shirt for the processional. Gone, but not forgotten. Much loved.
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