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A Touch of Honey Questions and Answers with Martin Brett of Voice of the Beehive Voice of the Beehive scored numerous top twenty hits the world over with their first two albums, "Let It Bee" and "Honey Lingers." While most Madness fans know the band as drummer Daniel "Woody" Woodgate's and bassist Mark "Bedders" Bedford's second home after the split with Madness in 1986, the band was a collective of superb musicians and songwriters, led by the two sisters Melissa Brooke Belland and Tracey Bryn and backed by guitarist Mike Jones and bassist Martin Brett (who took over for Bedders after he left the band). Madness Central was fortunate enough to spend a few moments talking with Martin Brett about his time with Voice of the Beehive and the numerous other projects he's been involved with since Voice of the Beehive took leave of the pop music world. Interview by Steve Bringe |
 Supermartin - Bassist Martin Brett |
Madness Central: How did you end up joining Voice of the Beehive, taking Mark Bedford's place after he left the band?
Martin Brett: I was having a beer with Andy Ross in a pub in Soho one lunchtime. I knew him from his time as a journalist on Sounds magazine. I had just come back to London from a year playing with a band in Manchester called "Colour Code" who had a minor hit in 1985. Andy had invited me to go and see "Voice of the Beehive" the week before and I drove up to "The George Robey" pub in Finsbury Park to see them. Woody and Bedders were in the band then. The funny thing was at the time I had no idea I was ever going to be a part of the band. I watched them, thought they were pretty good and then went home.
A week later I'm in a pub in Soho with Andy telling me he had a major problem with one of his bands. He explained that Woody and Bedders were helping out the band for a while but Bedders had decided to go back to College to study printing. Andy was really worried because the band were getting a lot of interest in the music press and he didn't want to lose momentum. I just said "I'll do it " He said ok come down for an audition in two days time.
I had a day to learn three songs which at the time were "Just A City", "Seven Shocks" and "I walk the Earth". I turned up at 333 studios in the Holloway Road, did the audition and got the job. I heard later that Woody had been a major factor in the choice of who they got on board as stepping in to Bedders shoes wasn't easy. Woody hadn't played with another bass player for a long time. We spent the next six years playing together all over the world.
MC: Did you ever feel Voice of the Beehive was competing with The Madness (the band Suggs, Chas, Chris and Lee went on to form after Madness broke up), considering Mark Bedford and Woody were in the original line up for Voice of the Beehive?
MB: It wasn't an issue at all, although I think Woody may have had a point to prove to the other guys in Madness. Don't forget Woody had 7 top twenty hits with "VOTB" which after being sacked from "Madness" must have been quite satisfying.
MC: Many of our subscribers "discovered" Voice of the Beehive due to Woody being in the band line up. What is your take on this: Was it a liability or a boon being associated with Madness through Woody?
MB: It helped a lot in the UK but "VOTB" were so different it sort of cancelled itself out. When we toured outside the UK it wasn't even relevant.
MC: What is your favorite Voice of the Beehive track?
MB: It's a very hard question. I think some of the "VOTB" songs were classic songs that everyone in the world should be aware of. Some of the B sides were great and never got the recognition they should have. You know the only song I really didn't like was "I think I Love You". There you are I've chosen my least favourite because we didn't write it !!
MC: Do you have a particularly memorable Beehive gig?
MB: I don't think people realised how many we did. We would go to the USA and do 60 dates in 3 months. We used to do 10,000 miles at a time all on a bus. You get to know each other pretty well. My personal favorite was "The Filmore West" in San Francisco. It had all the elements of music history attached to it and we blew them away. The festivals were always good, Glastonbury, Reading etc. I suppose the London dates at "The Town and Country Club" were always good. My favourite tours were the Australian ones.
MC: Were you surprised by Voice of the Beehive's success on both sides of the Atlantic?
MB: No. In some ways I think we were more suited to the USA although the UK has always been the place that found us first.
MC: What did you think of the 2003 reunion Beehive gigs? Was there any talk of making the reunion a more permanent thing and maybe release some new material?
MB: Well that was amazing. Even though Woody couldn't do it because of "Madness" dates it was as if we hadn't been away. Tracey and Missy flew over, we had three rehearsals, played a warm up gig and then walked out to 5 thousand people at the Hammersmith Apollo. The audience were singing along to every word. After that tour we could never say never but we all have our own things going on. Don't forget we still talk to each other on a regular basis. We're not one of those bands who can't stand the sight of each other.
MC: What are you Monsters? What are you Angels?
MB: You'll have to ask Tracey that question. Bad and Good I think.
MC: How did you get together with Michael Dempsey (of the Cure)? What types of projects does Brett Dempsey Music take on, and what are some of your current productions?
MB: Michael and I met when we left school when we both worked together in a psychiatric hospital. We used to move dead bodies to the morgue. He was in the Cure who were still not known and we used to play each other our demos in my car at work. He used to play me demos of "Boy's Don't Cry", "Killing an Arab" etc. Robert Smith and Lol Tolhusrt would come up to nurses parties at the hospital. We kept in touch over the years and when the VOTB thing stopped we got together and formed "Brett Dempsey Music". We compose most of the music on TV adverts in the UK and abroad and employ 15 freelance composers to do that.
(Ed. note - http://www.bdmmusic.com/real.htm)
MC: Your song "Playing House" made it onto the Voice of the Beehive album "Sex & Misery", but the same can't be said for your bass-work. What happened between "Honey Lingers" and "Sex & Misery"?
MB: Well that was a strange time. I suppose we were victims of the industry. The band never really split up but on the third album budgets were tight and the idea of session musicians came in. That as you can imagine was, as far as Mike and I were concerned, not a great move. We were still helping write and i think "Playing House" is great song but the album bombed. I think the girls were put in a position where they were pretty burnt out and not in control of the decisions anymore. I don't mind the third album but it isn't anything like what VOTB is really about. The first two albums were outstanding.
MC: Did you run into many people who were hip to "Honey Lingers" being a touch rude for an album title?
MB: Yes. Mainly DJ's.
MC: Voice of the Beehive videos are particularly kinetic in their imagery and stylistic originality (especially videos like "I Walk The Earth"). Were the ideas that birthed the videos a democratic exercise involving the entire band?
MB: Usually it was done with the director. Tim Pope directed "I Walk The Earth" and we chose him because of his work for "The Cure". Greg Mazuak was a good friend and knew what we wanted. He directed "I Say Nothing", "Don't Call Me Baby" and "Perfect Place". "Monsters and Angels" was my favourite. It was based on the bands favourite painting "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper and they built the set exactly like it. "Gimme Shelter" with Jimmy Somerville was filmed in a house in Ealing, London.
MC: After moving on from Voice of the Beehive, what are the things that kept you busy?
MB: My family and Brett Dempsey Music. Dollshouse is my other band and we have written some great songs over the last few years.
MC: Do you keep in touch with your bandmates from Voice of the Beehive?
MB: Yes.
MC: What can you tell us about Brettpack Music? What types of acts do you look at for the label?
MB: Well Brettpack is very new. I have discovered a great band in London called "Freedom High" www.myspace.com/freedomhigh and have decide to manage them. The other band on Brettpack are "The Kooler Kings" which is my youngest son Bert's band. They are only 16 years old but are amazing.
MC: You're with a new band now, Dollhouse, again fronted by female vocals. Do you have an affinity for a girl at the mike?
MB: Only if they are good looking !! Oh and can sing.
MC: Was the transition from bass guitar with Voice of the Beehive to lead guitar with Dollhouse a natural transition? What are the dynamic differences?
MB: Well I was forced into it by Alexandra Palace our singer and I'm glad I did because I discovered a whole new world. In the end it's the song that counts and bass guitar will always be my first instrument.
MC: And to finish off with Dollhouse, does your band have any gigs coming up so our readers can drop in and see you?
MB: At the moment we are not gigging just writing but you can check out what's happening on: www.myspace.com/dollshouseband
MC: Your first book of poetry, "4 LINERS 4 LONDON", has been published with Paula Brown Publishing. You've described the book as, "a collection of poems describing the humour, anger, frustration , joy and madness of living in London." What are you trying to say about London? Are there common themes when observing London lifestyles and people?
MB: It was written as a form of therapy. You have to be a bit mad to live in London and if you don't laugh at everything you would have problems. London now reminds me more of New York 20 years ago but ten times bigger.
6 July 2007
Many thanks to Martin for taking the time to answer a few questions for Madness Central. Here are links to the multi-faceted World of Martin Brett:
Martin's Profile on MySpace - Drop in and say hi, he's a very friendly dude.
www.myspace.com/martinbrett
Martin's Record Label/Band Management Profile on MySpace
www.myspace.com/brettpack
One of the band's currently managed by Martin
www.myspace.com/freedomhigh
The other band Martin manages, his 16 year old son Bert's band
www.myspace.com/thekoolerkings
Martin's new band
www.myspace.com/dollshouseband
Self-explanatory
www.myspace.com/voiceofthebeehive
Brett Dempsey Music - TV Advert Composers United!
www.bdmmusic.com
© 2007 Madness Central. All Rights Reserved.
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