A transcription of a Select Magazine article from 1995, in which Stephen gets interviewed, I assume, during the time of writing and recording the "Duffy" album. Funny moments with Stephen's typical droll humour. What, may I ask makes a manly pasta (???) - erm, Stephen?

Thanks to Jenny Darling for the original transcription. Stephen's answers to the interviewer's questions are in quotations.

The Think Tank
Stephen Duffy outlines the finer points of Camden, cooking, fisticuffs, kissing men (no tongues) - and tells us why he chose the ludicrus monicker Tin Tin...

What was it like big in the original line-up of Duran Duran?

"It was profoundly stirring to have worn so much make-up, dressed up in women's clothes and danced to the strains of the clarinet and punk rock. No, we haven't stayed in touch."

What's with all this Camden business?

"It's not anything, it's not even like the New Wave of New Wave of Shoegazing or anything. It's not even like Manchester, cos at least those bands had a similar sound. Anyone who's even thought of the word seems to get associated. I mentioned it once (on 'London Girls'). Having been born and grown up in Birmingham, it's rather strange to be dubbed the elder statesman of the Camden Scene."

What do you think non-Londoners make of it?

"I remember when we were kids and we used to read about CBGB's (Legendary New York punk dive) with Richard Hell and Patti Smith playing there. I could imagine that some people make it a little mythic. But there's nothing wrong with a little myth in your bedroom."

So what were your bedroom myths?

"My dreams."

Which were?

"It's all mixed up with narcissism, decadence and the old Labour party. Have I read a couple of F. Scott Fitzgerald novels? Oooh, you've found me out."

How are you with jungle? Or Trip Hop?

"Doesn't interest me at all, I'm afraid."

You don't dance then?

"I spent a great deal of my life dancing. Friends of friends play this stuff from time to time, but it has no interest for me. Actually I'm making a dance record now, and I find you have to take an awful lot of books into the studio with you. No, I can't tell you what it's like until it's finished. It's an anti-Camden trip hop jungle record. And I don't sing on it."

What are you afraid of?

"Being alone. He said truthfully."

What's your greatest love?

"Being in love."

When were last in love?

"When was the last time I wasn't. I try to make sure I'm constantly in love."

Surely it's can't be forced?

"I'll have to ask my therapist...yes, I have had therapy. Talking generally, I had some stress-related problems, so it was time to sort out what was going on upstairs. We're just about scraping the surface of my personality."

Is it working?

"Yes, I'm very, very happy."

What'll you leave behind when you're gone?

"This is a bit morbid, isn't it? A long shadow."

What can you cook?

"A manly pasta. And a very boring vegetables and rice thing. Simple quick stuff and I'm not damaging anything other thatn the vegetables. I stopped eating meat because I had trouble with the flesh element...I lived opposite a turkey farm. And you'd see see all these turkeys running round wondering what to do with their huge legs. They must've thought they'd been bornt to participate in some Olympic sport. And then, suddenly, their life ends.

Have you ever kissed a boy?

"Yes. The last time was on Sunday. Don't all chaps kiss these days? No, my tongue remained firmly in my cheek."

Would it ever leave it?

"I'm still not comfortable with the idea of dull, penetrative anal sex."

That wasn't what I asked?

"Well, no. If there's a chap that you like...well, boys keep swinging, or so I'm told."

What makes you jealous?

"Other people's songs. When you hear a record and think 'Oh, God, I wish I'd done that.' No, nothing else. Virtually any song I hear makes me jealous actually, 'cos all records are great. But I think, I'm getting beyond jealousy now."

Who's your god?

"Maybe if I had one It'd make things easier. Being your own God is a full-time occupation. Organised religion is a waste of time - they just rip people off. And the way they wrote women out of The Bible was nonsense."

Do you have a personalized religion?

"I believe in making pop records. They're the greatest invention of the 20th century, probably any century."

When was the last time you had a fight?

"On Thursday, I punched the two chaps from my record company, and then a chap from another record company. We had a temporary falling out. Yes, I might have had a couple to drink. It wasn't so much a fight, more an expression of love expressed with sharp punches to the face."

Who do you reckon you could have in a out of Morrissey, Liam Gallagher and Dale Winton?

"Having only had one fight, I don't think I could have any of them. No, I didn't get into fights at school. They were all too busy fighting with themselves. I could always talk my way out of situations."

"How competitive are you?

"Not at all. Although sometimes when someone gets all their letters out at Scrabble I start to feel a little hot under the collar."

What's your fave pharmaceutical?

"I don't know, what have you got?"

Who does the most for you - Pamela Anderson or Polly Harvey?

"Well, not being that familiar with Pamela's work I would have to say Peej. She's a fine artist."

How low would you go to get what you want?

"I started out pretty low actually. How low have I gone? I've been below sea level. But when you get what you want, you often don't need it anyway."

Do you know Nigel Kennedy?

"Yes. But I'd never record with him 'cos I'm better at playing the violin than him." What would you put on your covers album?

"Stop That Girl by the Subway Sect, 'FM' by The Slits, 'World Weary' by Noel Coward, 'Hypersonic' by Fluffy and 'The Chauffeur' by Duran Duran."

Julian Cope recently described someone as having an expression like Tin Tin Duffy's handshake. What does he mean?

"I've been querying my handshake for varying degrees fo velocity and feyness, and then there isn't a typical Duffy handshake. Do you think he's trying to be uncomplimentary? There's no animosity on my part towards Julian. I'm an admirer of his music and I though his book (Head On) was one of the best there is on pop life."

Why on earth did you call yourself Tin Tin?

"We were taking a lot of amphetamine sulphate and we were in the studio having a good old laugh. We finished the track and the guy making the tap said 'What do you want to put on the box?' And I said 'Tin Tin.' This chap at Warner Brothers who looked like Tin Tin-blond hair with a little spiky bit at the front-saw the tap, listened to it and signed me. So, however idiotic it was it helped."

first posted 11.01.03