Hugh Cornwell - A Multitude of Sins - Golden Brown, The Stranglers and Strange Little Girls

So, as I have mentioned, we finished the tour with that gig at Alexandra Palace and I walked out. I didn’t even have any faith that the rest of the band would be disappointed. I didn’t want to discuss it amidst all the acrimony and recrimination. I had no idea if they were intending to carry on or not without me. David Buckley, who wrote The Stranglers’ aforementioned biography, No Mercy, told me he was very surprised that none of the band tried to persuade me to reconsider leaving and perhaps take a sabbatical instead. I guess he had a point.

As far as answering that second question – about rejoining the group – it’s as far from my mind as anything could be. Maybe if they had split up when I left, there could be some dynamic excitement about getting back together again after such a long time. But you can’t re-form a band that hasn’t split up. Good old Ian Grant, one-time manager of The Stranglers and my first manager as a solo artist, said he could get me a million quid if I got back together with them, but I don’t need a million quid. I’ve put a lot of work into where I am today, and I have no intention of nullifying all that effort by such a dumb move.

The day after the gig at Alexandra Palace, I telephoned the others to tell them what I had decided. I said I didn’t want to be a Strangler any more. Their reactions were:

JOHN: very sympathetic, said he felt I hadn’t been happy for a while. He was quite emotional.

JET: he said, ‘OK. Fine,’ was completely nonplussed and didn’t comment, which surprised me.

DAVE: he asked me, ‘Will we be having a meeting?’

We did all meet up together once more in our accountants’ offices about two months later to divide the spoils. I said that I’d like to get my amplifiers and guitars back. John said, ‘You’ve been collecting guitars for years. You shouldn’t get them all back.’

I thought of something.

‘If you hadn’t smashed so many basses on stage, you’d probably have had as many yourself.’

Jet tried to keep a straight face but collapsed into his chair with laughter.

I finally got my equipment back a year later.

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