Lynn Barber
Observer July 2001
Page 348
- Lynn Barber is not impressed with Marianne Faithfully.
- First met MF sitting alone and reading a newspaper at 192 restaurant. She seemed sad and alone.
- When she was joined by a man she handed him a section and carried on reading.
- She was so cool and put everyone else in the restaurant in the shadows.
- When Barber heard she was in London to publicize her new film Intimacy she rushed to interview her.
- The plan was to pick her up from David Bailey's studio. He's an old friend. At 4.00. Do the interview. MF flight back to Dublin at 6.00
- Where could Barber take her for 2 hours.
- But MF was late to the studio. Barber arrived at 5
- The atmosphere is tense.
- Studio crowded with stylists, make up people etc
- Barber told to come back later.
- Barber meets MF manager. He's French. Promises dinner later.
- Barber has to cancel her own plans.
- When B returns MF still not ready. B complains that without an interview the photos are useless
- They are taking sex kittens photos of MF despite her being 55. Really inappropriate
- B finds the whole thing tortuous
- Suddenly session finishes. At 6.45 limo MF, manager and B to a restaurant only 50 yards away. MF can't possibly walk.
- Small family run restaurant.
- B makes mistakes but MF and B sit alone at a table with manager and PR overlooking
Page 349
- MF expects manager to do all the ordering. MF is very annoying
- MF impatient
- B fed up not even started the interview
- Suddenly MF becomes charming
Interview begins here
- B compliments MF's autobiography pop star at 17, mother at 18, girlfriend to Mick Jagger 19, heroine addict by 30
- But MF only wants to talk about the film
- MF asked the director if she could be in his next film
- He wrote a small - unglamorous part - part for her in his next film
- But she would do anything to be in his films. She loves him and his work.
- B thinks MF does well in the film
- B thinks MF had potential to have a career in acting but MF says that music was her top priority.
- films she did are rubbish
- B thinks she threw away the chance to be an actress by behaving so badly
- B thinks she really wanted to be a junkie - more than acting, music, marriage to MJ - who was very indulgent to her
- MJ said her pills were his. He was convicted
- Split with MJ in 1970, she became a junkie, lived in squats, got onto NHS rehab programme thanks to friends
- MF does not know how she survived the 1970's. No money, no job, did not sign on the dole - she is a snob
- B asks her why she took drugs, doesn't really know, loved forgetting about real life
- Spent much of the 1980's in various rehab clinics in the UK and US
- Moved to a remote Irish cottage alone, isolated for 9 years.
- MF sees this as healthy
- MF admits she's not liked by many
- B tries to give advice but MF doesn't want it. Gets rescued by PR they want to talk about the film
Page 352
- They get back on track MF talks about the film
- They discuss the sex scenes in the film including an orgy - she's not in them
- MF admits she found sex difficult in the 1960's, image, fantasy, illusion
- MF has a lover now. She is in love. Sex is not a problem
- In Dublin now she looks after herself
- She keeps fit, sees friends, watches TV, goes to bed early, avoids London because of the paparazzi,
- Misses her son and grandchildren
Page 353
- On good terms with him now
- She describes having Nicholas as fate or spiritual
- She admits her manager is her lover.
- He comes over to the table drunk. He gets angry, insults B and the Observer, demands the Observer will pay the bill
- B pays the bill, fantasizes revenge but leaves
- B like MF but finds her difficult
- B wonders who does MF thinks MF is?
Page 354
- will MF be remembered as MJ's girlfriend, a small part actress with a couple of good films, an artist yet to be at her best
Two sections
page 348 - 349 - pre-interview
page 349 -354 - the interview
MF is annoying but Barber actually likes her
MF acts as if she is a princess - she's very demanding, wants everyone to do things for her,
she is very undisciplined, always late, chaotic,
she can be charming when she chooses to be
she's doing the interview to promote the film Intimacy by Patrice Chereau
But Barber and her Observer audience are much more interested in her past rock n roll life style
She has one son Nicholas - she has grandchildren
although had the potential to be a good actress MF chose a career in music - music is her life
born in 1946
she's lived the life of a pop celebrity at 17 in 1963, at 18 in 1964 a mother, at 19 in 1965 girlfriend to Mick Jagger at 24 in 1970 split up with Mick Jagger by 30 in 1976 a junkie
