ANDY BELL and PAUL HICKEY�s Chapter: EXCERPT FROM MEN TOGETHER (BY ANDERSON JONES) "I could die tomorrow and feel really happy that I got to experience Andy and true love, real love and a loving relationship" says Paul as he and Andy settle in over champagne and cigarrettes to talk about their 12 year relationship. Andy and Paul have just returned from Spain where they�ve purchased a house next door to Annie Lennox, which explains why their London home is littered with pieces of furniture and art that are wrapped and packed, ready for the move.Sting and Boy George don�tlive far from this roomy, modern mini-mansion in the Highgate section of London. His reflection gleaming in the shiny surface of his grand piano, Paul tells the story of how he met Andy the year before Aandy met with fame. Paul, who�s 13 years older than Andy, had been single for 2 years and had decided it was time to get back into the dating game-mostly because as he approached the age of forty he was frightened hewould end up spending the rest of his life alone."I thought if I waited any longer" he says "I�d be too old to get another relationship".A few years earlier he had quithis job and left his home in Carmel, California, for England, in search of a new life. One Suday afternoon he found himself in a pub for what we in the States wouldcall a Sunday tea dance." I used to live right down the street from the pub" Paul says"It was sort of the social thing to do. You�d grab your friends and meet".Andy, who was dating two other men at the time, also was at the pub that afternoon. Paul noticed him as soon as he walked in."I went �woo!�" Paul says." He looked like Sting-a young Sting with the pure white hair". Neither spoke to the other for about two hours, until Andy finally approached Paul and tapped him on the shoulder."He said, Excuse me,would you mind if we saw each other sometime?�You know,real English and polite" Paul recalls. "I said,�honey, you could spend any time you want with me. How about right now?�From that moment I didnt let him go" A year later, in 1986, Andy became the voice of the pop duo erasure, one of the world�s most successful and longest lasting bands.Since the beginning, most of Erasure�s core audience has been gay and lesbian. Perhaps were attracted to Andy�s angelic falsetto; perhaps its the lovesick angst he wrings from hits such as Sometimes, Chains of love, A little Respect and Oh! L�amour; or maybe its just because of Erasure�s infinitely danceable beat. Back then, Andy�s decision to have an openly gay persona and songwriting sensibility was against Paul�s wishes. But Paul, who manages the financial aspects of Andy�s career doesnt regret it at all today."I was all against being very open" Paul remembers, "doing interviews and teling the people we were gay. And I was so wrong. It was the smartest move to make I think"."People always think that because you say youre gay, inmediately your private life is exposed" Andy adds. Open or not, Paul discovered almost inmediately that no matter how much he and Andy loved one another, he would have to share Andy with other crucial relationships. First, there was Andy�s openly straight songwriting partner, Vince Clarke. "That relationship is another love relationship that�s not like ours" says Paul, who admits there were lots of jealousies in the begining."It�s important that I dont become an obstacle in the way of that because I respect and love them so much as well". It didnt help that in the early days Andy had a crush on Vince that lasted about a year. "I was so shy in the beginning, " Andy says, exhalling smoke into the air above his head. "And when we were in the studio for the first time I just used to sit and stare at him". Then there were-and are-Andy�s groupies."We were in Germany and he had these six guys come up one right after the other" says Paul. "All tall, gorgeous looking, pushing me out of the way like I didnt exist.There�s nothing you could do but sit back and go, okay, I�ll see you later�". Andy just shrugs and takes another drag of his cigarette. Finally, there�s always Andy�s music."We went through the Abba-esque thing" Paul says rolling his eyes, referring to Erasure�s 1993 tribute to the Swedish band."All we heard was Abba, over and over and over" Andy laughs."All night long. Now it�s Blondie, because he�s doing a cover of a Blondie song". Andy says his songs rarely have included references to his relationship with Paul. More than anything else, he feels this is because his relationship has been so untroubled. "When you�re writing a love song there has to be turmoil", he says, "but I dont know enough about turmoil in relationships and stuff to really write this kind of song, so I just make it up". A relationship free of turmoil seems uncommon when celebrities are involved. Paul thinks its because celebrities tend to marry other celebrities-not the case here. "Can you imagine Madonna and Sean Penn?" he asks."Imean, great sex. But theyre both actors. Those egos!" Paul remembers always wanting to be involved with a musician some day-to feed Paul�s love of music and the piano. Andy hoped to meet a farmer or at least somebody really down home. "youve got to know big your head is" Andy says"how big you really are, and sort of keep it intact". Click to see the pictures that were featured in the book |
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