Singles

The Brighton Port Authority - He’s Frank (Slight Return)

TC 16/03/2009

Rating: 3/5

Known to his mum as Quentin, Norman Cook has appeared in several guises. He first came along as a bass-playing Housemartin before fronting Beats International then Freakpower, until finally making it to the big league as Fatboy Slim. Now, here he is as The BPA (Brighton Port Authority). Quite why he feels the need to move away from the Fatboy Slim branding I'm not sure, because what he's doing here is inseparable from his previous moniker's sound.

Taken from the album “I Think We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat', which is a set of tunes sporting a elaborate range of fellow stars, not dissimilar to that produced by Mark Ronson, but this time hopefully in a more credible manner!

“He's Frank (Slight Return)” was originally The Monochrome Set's debut single some thirty years ago. It gets a makeover here with the able assistance of none other than Iggy Pop, who has often laid his wares down for such collaborations, with “Aisha” by Death In Vegas being the highlight of those.

The song chugs and bumps along nicely and does sound a bit dated, but then that is what gives it appeal I guess. The usual funking-up bass line and an array of clappitty clapping and it's been given the traditional Cook treatment. It's not a remarkable single and maybe the man has had his day, but there's enough to whet the appetite for the album.

Another of Cook's trademarks has been the superb video footage given to his material and this is a strong candidate for one of his top efforts, with the muppet Iggy looking disturbingly healthier than the real one! If you haven't already seen it, take a gander below.