Fatboy Slim Misplaces His Housemartins Past

Norman 'Fatboy Slim' Cook launched an astonishing attack against electroclash and its early 80s roots this week, apparently forgetting his own background as one of the decade's cheesiest and naffest pop stars.

Playing bass guitar with The Housemartins, Norman stormed the pop charts with the band's Cliff Richard style happy-clappy anthems Caravan Of Love and Happy Hour, though speaking to Manchester electro pioneer Greg Wilson this week, unashamedly tore into electroclash and its New Romantic leanings.

"I'm more worried about electroclash recycling all the worst bits of the 80's," he sneered.

"I think the electroclash thing is definitely listening too much to A Flock Of Seagulls."

The Housemartins split in 1988, with an ironic press release declaring 'in an age of Rick Astley, Shakin' Stevens and the Pet Shop Boys, quite simply they weren't good enough', though ironically, the t Shop Boysappeared in this week's Observer competing with Norman yet again.

"We haven't sold our shares in electroclash just yet, we really like it," said Neil Tennant.

"It's like what people used to call 'sleaze' in the early 80s."
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