Erasure

Erasure was formed by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell in 1985. Always experimental and unexpected, they produced some great melodious pop that took off at various tangents. Their electronic, effervescent sound appealed to clubbers, the gay market and pretty much anyone who could appreciate a good tune.

They have to date produced nine albums of almost exclusively original compositions. Notably they played around with the cover version on their Abba-esque EP in 1992. In January they dipped their toe in the water again with the 'does exactly what is says on the tin' titled album Other People's Songs.

Andy Bell obviously enjoyed singing the Abba songs and was understandably keen to immerse himself in more of his favourite music. "When we did the Abba songs I was a man singing a woman's lyrics," he explains. "But I thought as a gay man that works really nicely. You don't have to change anything. So it worked in a cheeky way.

Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) from the new album entered the singles chart at number nine, much to the delight of Mr Bell.

"I heard a version from the girl from Fame Academy, Siobhan, it was terrible. We did it at the same time and thought, 'Well, our version's ten times better than that,' so we thought we better put it out before they get theirs out."

He's a little cynical about these TV talent acts. "Really you can't compete with those people (benefiting from such massive TV exposure). It's very unfair, but I can't complain we've had our time anyway. I don't think they're doing themselves any favours really. I can't imagine them having any longevity."

Although he pulls no punches, Andy is not negative about everything in the modern music scene. "We saw a band in America recently - a three-girl group, a bit like the Sugababes but more Charlie's Angels, called WIT (Whatever It Takes). They were very good, quite tongue-in-cheek and more like a youth movement rather than commercial and doing it for themselves really.

Listing current favourites, he says, "I just bought the Sugababes album, which I was really surprised with and thought it was really good. I like Ladytron. I must admit I bought the Danni Minogue album. I like Tatu and am looking forward to the Eurovision entry. There is some stuff around that I like but it is few and far between."

Today's talent has also paid tribute to the music of Erasure. Wheatus, for example, produced a very passable cover of Respect.

"I thought it was good," Andy concedes. "Quite a sweet and saccharine version. I think ours is the definitive version, but anybody is going to say that about their own including Steve Harley."

It's not just their music that's been covered, the band clearly has a distinctive sound and image, which some are keen to replicate with a couple of Erasure tribute acts playing the circuit. "It felt quite weird about seven years ago," admits Andy. "I was going through coke paranoia and then you start hearing about cloning and thinking there's a parallel universe somewhere with another Erasure. I saw one guy on Stars in Their Eyes who did me wearing a feather boa and I thought, 'Is that it?

Is that my legacy to pop?"

The idea for Other People's Songs had been knocking around for a few years. "It was going to be my first solo project," Andy explains. "I wanted to do my first solo album at 40, I'm 39 this month, so it was going to work out that way.

"I wanted to do a torch album, I thought Freddie Mercury is no longer around and Dusty Springfield is no longer around. Someone needs to carry the torch for them so I thought 'I'll do it' in my naive way.

"It was inspired by my parent's record collection, my dad was a big Elvis fan and my mum was a Buddy Holly fan.

"I was pleased that I was born in the 1960s and having a pop education and knowing the stuff that was around before me. I don't think kids have that nowadays, everything is so immediate and so commercial, it's all about now. All these pop idols were doing their cover versions. So it's a bit of an answer to that really.

"Then Vince said he thought it was a good idea so we did some of his favourite songs as well. It's about half and half. I would never have dreamed of doing Come Up And See Me or Solsbury Hill. So it kind of stretches you a little bit."

So does Andy have an affinity to the music of yesteryear? "I do think I was born out of my time," he admits. "I do think I am a natural crooner. I'm kind of looking forward to being 80 years old and doing the whole Frank Sinatra thing and I was very envious of Robbie (talking about Mr Williams Swing When You're Winning project). I think I could do it better than that."

These days Andy divides his time between homes in England and Spain, and has done for the past 12 years. It was one of his visits home to visit his parents that he discovered the joys of karaoke. "I start getting withdrawal symptoms when I haven't been performing for a while. I'll do busking or anything and karaoke is, I suppose, one step up from that. I had come up to see my parents (in Peterborough) and had a little row with my mum, so went out to the pub and it was karaoke night. They asked if I'd do a couple of songs and I said I would if I could have a drink.

"They (the locals) are all so young no one knew who I was, but as soon as I opened my mouth and sung the songs I was asked for autographs."

Erasure's gig at the Southampton Guildhall is sure to exceed even the fun of a karaoke night with the boys providing a mix of material - five tracks from Other People's Songs, about 16 hits and five tracks from old albums.

Andy also promises to come on dressed as an Edwardian lady and perform a striptease, to allegedly reveal his toned body. He made assurances that this was no wind-up, so those of a sensitive disposition - you have been warned.

Erasure play Southampton Guildhall on May 8. Performance: 7.30pm Tickets: £20 Box office: 023 8063 2601