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The Martin Jones Archives – Part 8

The 40’ foot long Goldie mural sprayed live for BBC Children in Need, November 1988 – image – Martin Jones

This was an attempt to establish a new category of record, specifically for spraycan mural painting. The occasion we chose was the annual BBC Children in Need telethon, based at BBC TV studios at Pebble Mill in Birmingham in November 1988.

The challenge was to execute a 40’ x 8’ mural, live and non-stop over 12 hours. The BBC themselves made and primed the mural panels and erected them on an outside wall of the Pebble Mill building. We received donations of paint from the UK distributor of Buntlack,paints and from Nicholls paints in Walsall who used to mix Goldie’s special colours. Viewers were invited to ring in and pledge money for the successful completion of the epic undertaking.

Goldie began the mural live at 12 noon, on the BBC Pebble Mill talk show, interviewed by Playschool’s former presenter Floella Benjamin. Over the next 12 hours, virtually non-stop, he sprayed this magical forest landscape, which was inspired by the Cheech Wizard cartoons of New York artist Vaughn Bode.

Cheech Wizard is seen reading a book of stories in the far left of the piece, and his apprentice, the Lizard called Razzberry, is seen sitting at a desk on the far right.

The mural was completed in the final part of the telethon, at 12 midnight. The Radio 2 deejay Simon Bates was the host for the completion, walking the entire length of the mural and congratulating Goldie for his supreme effort. Goldie was then invited on stage, waving goodbye alongside other celebs who had raised money that night.

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Ready for take-off

Check these pics of Freddie Flintoff, Rachael Wools, Goldie, and CHG en route to Silverstone. Question is, were they rocking a mixtape featuring such gems as “Chopper” and “The Helicopter Tune” to accompany them on the flight?

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Goldie Global Gathering Interview

The fine people at Underground Music UK caught up with Goldie at this year’s Global Gathering to talk TV, Timeless’ forthcoming 15th anniversary and everything else he’s been up to:

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Dr. Goldie

Goldie has been awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Social Sciences from Brunel University. This is what they have to say:

“The renowned artist, actor, musician and DJ, Goldie today was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Social Sciences at Brunel University, West London.

Goldie, whose real name is Clifford Price, grew up in a high rise council block in Wolverhampton in a deprived background. His career spans a range of art forms from electronic music to visual art and acting, appearing in the James Bond film, The World is Not Enough and Guy Ritchie’s Snatch. In the 1990s he set up the record label Metalheadz.

He appeared in the campaign, “Give Them a Voice” aimed at encouraging people to become social workers, a decision driven by his own experience of the help that social workers gave him during his childhood.

Receiving his degree, at Brunel University in Uxbridge, he said, “I am still living the dream,” adding, “what we do today will shape the future.”
He paid tribute to his wife, Mika, his daughter, Chance, aged 12, and “the universe for allowing me to spread my energy.””

The question on everyone’s lips is whether Mr. Goldie will change his name to Dr. Goldie.

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The Martin Jones Archives – Part 7

Goldie at Sun Street factory studio, Wolverhampton in 1987, with his ‘TAT’ mural. Image – Martin Jones

Goldie created a range of canvases experimenting with different styles for the ‘Rockin’ the City’ show in 1987. In recognition of his outstanding work he was made an honorary member of New York’s TAT crew and invited to return to New York to work with them again.

In 1988 he went back, carrying out several late night pieces in the yards and lay-ups on the New York subway, teaming up with his friend Vulcan once more. He extended his stay to visit Florida, where he met his father again after many years’ separation, and worked in the Miami Flea Market doing airbrush t-shirts. It was during this time that he met a trader who cast gold grills that fit over teeth, whom he asked to teach him the trade.

When he returned to the UK, he began a small business in Walsall making custom grills and gold rings for the Hip Hop community as well as carrying out mural commissions I obtained for him with a range of commercial clients such as Swatch Watches, British Telecom and Bass Mitchell and Butlers. He also appeared live on BBC Pebble Mill at One, defending his art form in a debate with local police and the Birmingham council cleansing department, and created a mural for a debate on graffiti art on ITV’s Central Weekend Friday night current affairs discussion show.