IN 1988, SOMETHING NEW AND EXCITING WAS EMERGING MUSICALLY. RECEIVING CRITICAL ACCLAIM, HER DEBUT ALBUM ANCIENT HEART MADE HER AN INTERNATIONAL NAME AT 19 YEARS OF AGE. TEN ALBUMS DOWN THE LINE (EACH ONE OF THEM VERY DIFFERENT) AND TANITA IS SOUNDING AT HER VERY BEST. THE LAST TIME I PHOTOGRAPHED TANITA WAS BACK IN 1997 AROUND THE RELEASE OF THE CAPPUCCINO SONGS. TWENTY YEARS ON, I VISIT HER AGAIN AT HER NORTH-LONDON HOME FOR AN INTIMATE PHOTOSHOOT AND CONVERSATION ABOUT CREATIVE FREEDOM, ARTISTIC INTEGRITY, COLLABORATION, AND DRESS.


DB
MTV WAS THE BIG THING IN THE MID 1980'S-90'S. GROWING UP WITH MUSIC, THE MUSIC VIDEO WAS A MAJOR PART OF THAT DISCOVERY. LOTS OF MONEY WAS PUMPED INTO VIDEOS WITH LARGE PRODUCTIONS. AT THE TIME, HOW MUCH CREATIVE CONTROL DID YOU HAVE IN TERMS WITH WORKING WITH PARTICULAR DIRECTORS AND TREATMENTS?

TT
I WAS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE WORKED WITH PEOPLE LIKE TONY KAYE. I HAD GREAT PEOPLE DOING VIDEOS. I GUESS IT'S DIFFERENT NOW BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY TO MAKE THEM. PEOPLE COULD GO OFF TO VIETNAM, OR BOLIVIA TO DO A VIDEO, WHICH IS SO ABSURD NOW. I MEAN, YOU COULDN'T EVEN GO AROUND THE CORNER AND DO A VIDEO IF THERE'S NOT THE BUDGET. WHEN I DIDN'T HAVE ANY ARTISTIC CONTROL, I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING ARTISTICALLY TO DO WITH THEIR CHOICES.  I WAS LUCKY JUST TO WORK WITH AMAZING PEOPLE, WHO JUST DID WHAT THEY DO. THINK BASICALLY, YOU JUST LEAVE PEOPLE TO DO WHAT THEY DO AND THEY WILL DO GREAT THINGS. A COUPLE OF THINGS WERE A BIT NAFF. I'M NOT A VERY VISUAL PERSON.

DB
WORKING WITH [JEAN-BAPTISTE] MONDINO?

TT
AH...FOR THE COVER OF LOVERS IN THE CITY. MONDINO, WELL HE IS A BIT OF A GENIUS. TO SEE YOURSELF IN ONE OF HIS PHOTOS, YOU REALLY FEEL THAT HE'S GOING TO POSITION YOU THE BEST WAY. HE THOUGHT A BIT 'ELVISY', AND A BIT REBELLIOUS. HE'S VERY PLAYFUL. HE'S INCREDIBLE. EVERY PHOTO SESSION HAD AN ATMOSPHERE. HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL THE PEOPLE HE WORKS WITH. HE SEEMED VERY JOYFUL.IT WAS VERY FOCUSSED BUT THERE WAS LIGHTNESS. YOU CAN TELL A LOT THROUGH HOW PEOPLE ARE TREATED. IF IT WERE A FILMSET I WOULD SAY HE RUNS A GREAT SET. HE'S QUITE PROVOCATIVE TO MAKE YOU REACT. HE WAS VERY KIND AND SWEET.

DB
CAN YOU REMEMBER THE CLOTHING THAT YOU WORE?

TT
IT WAS ALL JAPANESE DESIGNERS. YOHJI AND OBVIOUSLY ISSEY MIYAKE.

DB
WERE YOU WEARING JAPANESE STUFF IN EVERYBODY'S ANGEL? IT WAS A BIT ISSEY MIYAKE.

TT
YES. ISSEY MIYAKE.

DB
DID YOU STYLE YOURSELF? WAS IT ALL YOUR OWN?

TT
YES. MONDINO, NO. HE HAD A STYLIST. BUT ALL OF EVERYBODY. YES, THAT'S ME. THOSE WERE MY CLOTHES. OBVIOUSLY, MIYAKE'S CHANGED NOW BECAUSE HE DOESN'T DESIGN. HE'S REALLY GONE OFF AND BEEN AN ARTIST. WHICH IS INTERESTING ISN'T IT? HE HAS A KIND OF SOFTNESS AS AN ARTIST, MAYBE MORE THAN IN FASHION.

DB
DO YOU STILL HAVE THE CLOTHES? YOU DIDN'T GET RID OF THEM DID YOU?

TT
 I THINK I DID. I GAVE SOME TO THE CHARITY SHOP, BUT I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT. NOW I THINK "OH, WHAT?" MAYBE THAT'S A GOOD THING.

DB
GOING BACK NOW TO ELEVEN KINDS OF LONELINESS AND THE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT STEFANO MASSEI MADE. THAT WAS WHERE THE MASCULINE IMAGE STARTED TO COME THROUGH. BEAUTIFUL LITTLE PICTURES.

TT
YES, VERY OLD TECHNIQUES.

DB
CAN YOU REMEMBER HOW THIS NEW IMAGE CAME IN? WAS THERE SOMETHING THAT TRIGGERED IT OFF?

TT
HOW DID I MEET STEFANO? I WAS LIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO...I WAS LIVING IN LA, I WAS LIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO (LAUGHS), SORRY.

DB
BECAUSE IT WENT FROM LONG HAIR TO SHORT CROPPED HAIR, AFTER THE SWEET KEEPER. THE SOUND ALSO CHANGED.

TT
THAT'S A REALLY ODD ALBUM. I THINK THAT'S A FITTING PHOTO FOR THE ALBUM REALLY. IT IS A BIG CHANGE AND IT IS QUITE A CHALLENGING ALBUM. I HAVE A REAL AFFECTION FOR THE ALBUM. I THINK IT'S QUITE A STRANGE ALBUM, BUT IT'S FUNNY. THERE IS A SONG MEN & WOMEN, THAT REALLY STARTED QUESTIONING THE GENDER THING AND I WAS LIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO. THE IDEAS THAT ARE NOW BECOMING VERY DOMINANT, WE ARE TALKING NOW VERY MUCH ABOUT NON-BINARY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. HOWEVER, IT'S AMAZING HOW IDEAS START AND I REMEMBER A LOT OF THOSE THINGS BEING KIND OF EDGY IDEAS AND I MET PEOPLE WHO WERE STARTING TO EXPERIMENT, GENDER-NOUGHT'S...JUST TO BE ON THE EDGE OF PEOPLE HAVING THESE IDEAS. I THINK THAT SORTS OF ENDS UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE PHOTOS. I THINK OF SAN FRANCISCO THEN. I THINK I WAS ON THE TAIL END OF ALL THAT. NOW, I THINK IT'S BECOME A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE MAKE A LOT OF MONEY FROM SOFTWARE (LAUGHS). IT WAS THE TAIL END OF THE TALES OF THE CITY ATMOSPHERE. YOU REALLY WOULD MEET VERY INTERESTING, ECCENTRIC PEOPLE.

DB
DO YOU REMEMBER THE SUIT THAT YOU WORE FOR THAT SHOOT?

TT
I THINK IT MAY BE JUST A JOSEPH SUIT. IT'S FUNNY, WE CAN OFTEN THINK OF IT AS VERY BOURGEOIS. SOMETIMES THEY CAN HAVE VERY ANDROGYNOUS STYLING, AND THE CUT IS VERY WELL CUT, THE SUITS.

DB
MEN & WOMEN IS AN AMAZING SONG.

TT
YEAH, I LIKE THAT SONG.

DB
HOT STONES.

TT
TO DRINK THE RAINBOW. ELEPHANT, NOBODY LIKE'S ELEPHANT.

DB
I LIKE ELEPHANT.

TT
YOU LIKE ELEPHANT (LAUGHS). YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE IN THE WORLD. MY TOUR MANAGER USED TO HATE ELEPHANT.

DB
IT'S A GREAT SONG.

TT
IT'S A COOL SONG. I THINK IT'S AN INTERESTING SONG, BECAUSE IT'S ALL ABOUT SIZE AND IT'S ABOUT NOT WANTING TO BE SEEN , BUT OBVIOUSLY IF YOU'RE AN ELEPHANT IT'S HARD NOT TO BE SEEN. I LIKE THE FACT THAT THE LYRICS ARE REALLY OUT THERE.



READ THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH TANITA IN PpR ISSUE 3





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