Hugh Cornwell – original lead singer, guitarist and songwriter with The Stranglers and now an acclaimed solo artist – shares his love and fascination of animation in this one-off event at Waterside on Thursday 24 October, to celebrate and mark the launch of their brand-new exhibition on The Lost Worlds of Ray Harryhausen.
Hugh will be in conversation with Ric Michael as he explores Ray Harryhausen’s cinematic legacy and his own championing of animation in his music videos. At this event, Hugh will also share previously unseen animations developed during his music career.
Alongside a discography which features 21 top 40 hits during his time with The Stranglers, with millions of albums sold worldwide, Hugh is host of the Mr DeMille FM cinema podcast which devoted a full episode to Ray’s career, in conversation with Vanessa Harryhausen. Hugh is also an author, actor and music video director who has worked with renowned animators including Jan Švankmajer, Teru Noji and Jesse Bond. This event provides a unique insight into the impact of Ray’s work and the power of animation in the company of one of the country’s most celebrated musicians.
Following the discussion, there will be a film screening of Mighty Young Joe (1949), a Harryhausen animation classic with sequences regarded as being among the greatest stop-motion sequences in film history. This highly influential piece of cinema saw Ray Harryhausen collaborate with stop-motion legend, Wilis O’Brien (King Kong) with their work winning the Academy Award for Special Effects. The film tells the story of a young woman, Jill Young, living on her father’s ranch in Africa, who has raised the title character, a large gorilla, from infancy. Years later, she brings him to Hollywood, seeking her fortune in order to save the family homestead.
At this one off event at Waterside on Thursday 24 October, Hugh will be discussing Harryhausen’s cinematic legacy and why animation has been so evident in his music videos.
He comments:
“Ray’s body of work shows his passion for fantasy which, of course, is a key element of cinematic experience. When I was a kid I watched his films and fell under his spell. I must confess to a fascination for animation and what can be achieved dramatically with it. The sky really is the limit.”
Developed in partnership with The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation, The Lost Worlds of Ray Harryhausen exhibition opens at Waterside two days later, on Saturday 26 October and runs until January. It will feature rare and previously un-exhibited preproduction artwork for some of his classic and much- loved films including Clash of the Titans, Jason and the Argonauts and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Artwork ranging from early sketches through to detailed key drawings will show the creative process behind his groundbreaking special effects, containing some of his most iconic creatures and sequences.
Hugh Cornwell was the main songwriter of all of The Stranglers’ most memorable songs across their ten stellar albums. His lyrics to Golden Brown (from 1981 album La Folie) and their multiple meanings acted as a masterclass in songwriting, with the song reaching Number 2 in the UK singles chart. After releasing his final album with the band, 10 in 1990, Hugh embarked on a solo career.
His latest studio album Moments Of Madness was released in 2022 to ecstatic reviews, and a live double album All The Fun Of The Fair will be released on October 4th, with a UK tour to follow in November 2024. For full tour dates, see Hugh’s website.
Tickets for this evening with Hugh Cornwell and the film screening on Thursday 24 October at Waterside are now on sale: watersidearts.org/hughcornwell
THE LOST WORLDS OF RAY HARRYHAUSEN: CREATURES, MARTIANS & MYTHS is a free exhibition and runs at Waterside from Sat 26 Oct ‘24 – Sat 04 Jan ‘25
