Malcolm McLaren: Spectacular Failure

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Archive on 4: Malcolm McLaren: Spectacular Failure

BBC Radio 4 - Archive on 4, Malcolm McLaren: Spectacular Failure

Paul Gorman assesses the exceptional achievement of Malcolm McLaren who died 10 years ago.

4 Extra Debut. Paul Gorman assesses the career of Malcolm McLaren beyond being the Svengali of punk, the manager of the Sex Pistols. From 2020.

Malcolm McLaren's reputation was shaped by his mis-management of the Sex Pistols. But he was much more than the Svengali of punk.  

Cultural commentator Paul Gorman, who worked with Malcolm, gives a new spin on his achievement. 

He roots him in the art school movement of the 1960s when, less concerned with selling records, McLaren wanted to shake things up - the grip of authority , the power of the corporations, the risk aversion of the record companies, the complacency and dreariness of English life. 

Paul tells the punk story rather differently before launching into the years in which Malcolm, as a solo performer and music collaborator, stole a march on many in the industry.  He scored a first with introducing the UK to what became known as world music, and on to hip hop, to scratching and to Voguing. 

He had a serious crack at becoming Speilberg's ideas man in Hollywood, at becoming London Mayor, and at staging a musical about Christain Dior. 

Not everything worked - but as Malcolm suggested - better to be a spectacular failure than a benign success.

Producer: Susan Marling

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