When talking about the '80s music scene, Boy George and Culture Club must be considered one of the seminal acts of the time, thanks to hits like "Karma Chameleon," "Miss Me Blind" and "Church of the Poison Mind." The act sold more than 50 million albums and 100 million singles. ( There are also whispers of a Culture Club reunion, which George has confirmed. )
Now, George is back with a new album, Ordinary Alien: The Kinky Roland Files, a club-thumper of a CD that even includes a song that samples President Obama. Windy City Times recently talked with the colorful singer—and discovered that he has a new perspective to go with the CD.
Windy City Times: Boy George! What's new with you today?
Boy George: I'm really good. I'm home. My dog had a big operation today so he's lying on top of me, stoned out of his mind. [ Laughs ] He'll be fine, though. He's just staring at me like a mad queen. [ Laughs ]
WCT: [ Laughs ] I'm glad you're back. I've been dancing quite a bit to your new CD.
Boy George: I'm glad to hear it. A lot of people have been getting at me to get a CD out. It's really great to be working with a label again; it's an independent label, but it's great to get things done. So it's nice to get a record out and promote it.
WCT: And where did the title come from?
Boy George: Well, I suppose I'm an alien you can take to meet your parents. [ Laughs ]
WCT: Obviously, there are deeper themes in the CD. How personal is this album for you?
Boy George: Well, my work is always very personal. I've always considered myself an emotional performer; I'm not a technical performer. I use my songs as a diary—about things going on in my life, stuff I'm feeling, stuff I'm seeing. That's the starting point of any song [ for me ] .
WCT: And one of the songs is "Yes We Can," which samples President Obama. I'm curious if any political figures have contacted you about the song?
Boy George: No. [ Laughs ] I haven't had permission to use Obama but I call that song my "recovery song" because I wrote it when I first got clean. I really tapped into the whole sense of optimism and positivity when Obama was campaigning, and it really affected me. His voice is quite calming—almost musical—and his speeches reminded me of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s. "Yes We Can" really translates into "Yes I Can," and I really tapped into that.
WCT: I don't know if you heard, but his administration has just decided not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court.
Boy George: That seems like a very good thing. It's about time.
When you're a politician, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. You have to worry about hardcore people in middle America, like British politicians have to worry about middle England. I think [ a lot of ] people have stopped caring [ about same-sex marriage ] because they realize it's not going to destroy the world. I don't get being upset about something that doesn't personally affect you. When I'm on the subway and people are staring at my nail polish, I'm like, "Why do you care?" [ Laughs ] I think it's so weird.
WCT: [ Laughs ] They might be staring because Boy George is taking the subway. But I'm curious: If you had five minutes alone with President Obama, what would you ask him?
Boy George: "Why did you become president? What were you thinking?" [ Both laugh. ] He seems like a really genuine, decent and sane person. I think he has integrity—but I think that might be his downfall because, in politics, you have to deal with so much dishonesty that he might have a tougher time with it. But he has so much character—and that's a rare thing to say about a politician.
WCT: Another song on your CD is a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way." Why that particular song?
Boy George: It's a breaking-up song; it's the kind of song I would've written. [ Laughs ] Whenever I cover a song, it's usually something I wish I'd written or something I can imagine myself writing. I also think that Fleetwood Mac and Culture Club are kind of similar, except we didn't swap partners. That kind of high, emotional drama was played out in the music; their songs are so amazing because they're personal.
I know that Stevie Nicks said that she used to hate singing that. She said there were times when it would really make her blood boil to sing it.
WCT: I also have to ask about the song "Sanitized." [ George laughs. ] The beginning of it has expletives, etc. Is that your voice?
Boy George: Yeah—the many voices of George [ deepening his voice ] . When I was DJ'ing, I saw this change. [ Talking about the song's lyrics ] When anything becomes popular, the audience starts to dictate the art form, and that can change things for the worse. I think some of the greatest things in music wouldn't have happened if it were left up to a public vote. Sometimes you have to hoodwink people into liking things; sometimes you have to come in through the back door. At a certain point, I thought that dance music had become so contrived; thankfully, it's always changing.
I think dance music's in a good place right now—there seems to be a renewed spirit. There's that early Chicago/Detroit sound.
WCT: Obviously, you've covered songs. Who would you want covering Boy George/Culture Club songs on a tribute CD?
Boy George: I'd love Marilyn Manson to do "Church of the Poison Mind"—I think that'd be amazing; he actually mentioned that to me when he met me. There's an amazing version of "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" by the Violent Femmes that I love. And there's a version of "Karma Chameleon" by Babyshambles that's fantastic. So I'd go for some of the more rock-y bands.
WCT: Now, for some reason, I thought you'd go toward the R&B divas.
Boy George: Oh, I could go for that. I think Rihanna could do "I'll Tumble 4 Ya." Leona Lewis could do "Time ( Clock of the Heart ) " and Mary J. Blige could do one. It's easy to make a list but I don't know how many I would get. [ Laughs ] And I'd get Justin Timberlake [ to do one ] .
WCT: Well, people try to get Justin Timberlake to do a lot of things. [ Both laugh. ]
Boy George: Join the queue!
WCT: I don't want to get into the details of your life. Everyone has had highs and lows; it's just that yours have been publicized. However, I do wonder if you have any regrets or if you consider your life to be one big learning experience.
Boy George: In the past, I probably would've said I had no regrets. I would've been defiant. But there are things I regret, of course. You can't change what's happened. What you have to do is concentrate on now. As I've gotten older, it puts things in perspective. I've learned, with age, that I have to chill out—and I'm a lot happier now. I appreciate what I have—my private life, my friendships. I've spent a lot of time focusing on what was wrong, what I didn't have and what was missing; I think a lot of us do that.
Luckily, I've reached the point where I can say I love what I do. I have a choice about how I respond to things; I don't have to be a drama queen. I didn't know that when I was 25. [ Laughs ] I was kind of disappointed when I had this revelation; I'm like, "That's it?" I'm a lot better at listening now.
WCT: Now, with that being said, do you feel there are any misconceptions about you?
Boy George: Loads. I don't know what they are, really—people have their own ideas of what I'm going to be like. There is so much said about me that's misinformation that people are surprised [ when they meet me ] .
I did a tour with Cliff Richards, and it was great. I had only met him briefly. At the end of the tour, he actually said to me, "I thought you were going to be a nightmare." [ Laughs ] And I said to him, "I thought you were going to be a real drama queen."
We have these preconceived ideas about people. Sometimes, people can really surprise you.
WCT: Culture Club is going on tour, correct?
Boy George: It is true. Next year is our 30th-year anniversary, and I think it'll be really wrong not to celebrate that. We need to do something exciting; it's absolutely going to happen. It's going to be extravagant and fun.
Ordinary Alien is out on Ultra Music. See www.UltraRecords.com or www.BoyGeorgeUK.com .
