Marcia! Marcia! Marcia! An interview with Marcia Hines from the Cream vault

Marcia Hines is still one of the key judges on Australian Idol, now in its eleventh season.

Cream cracks open the vault to retrieve an interview with Marcia in which she chatted about changing musical styles, pride for her daughter Deni, and going gay clubbing to avoid being hassled too much.

A CREAM CLASSIC INTERVIEW: MARCIA HINES

Anyone who religiously tuned in to Countdown on Sundays and subsequent repeats on Saturdays would likely remember Marcia Hines winning the prestigious title of ‘Queen of Pop’ three years running. Marcia was later immortalised in runs of Hey, Hey It’s Saturday in which her sound byte “This show is deep” would often be sampled over the more hilarious segments.

Having sold over a million records in Australia at the time (a lot given Australia’s population was around 14 million in 1977), there’s probably a copy of Something Missing lurking in your old box of 45s today.

Marcia also played Mary Magdalene, rather controversially for the time, in touring productions of Jesus Christ Superstar.

Antonino Tati chats with a prominent figure from his musical heritage and decides he “digs” her even more now. This interview was first published in Cream in 1997.

Hi Marcia. Pop music was so much fun in the 1970s. What’s happened?

I don’t know. I still go to the clubs a bit – mainly to the gay ones – to hear what people play, but sometimes that techno music can drive you crazy. It’s like, if they play that beat again, I’m leaving.

What do you get out of going gay clubbing?

“Dancing, fun, freedom, and not being hassled by heterosexual men.”

You’re an artist who appeals to a diverse audience – young, old, gay, straight. Why do you think the gays take to you so willingly?

I don’t know. I have a large group of gay male friends and I have a large group of lesbian friends. Being black, I’m very free with my feelings of myself. I’m not frightened to express myself, and I find that the case with gay people too. I suppose there’s the relationship there that we both come from the margins. But now we’re coming to the fore.

Well, the acceptance is getting there within the mainstream but then there’s some ignorance that goes with that…

There are people who will never accept you, but it’s like, so what? The same applies to being black. It really doesn’t matter. It’s not what I think about when I wake up nor what I think about when I go to sleep. I confront it when I must, which is very rare, and when I do, it’s sad, but it’s not really my problem. You know what I mean?

Sure. I’ve just realised what perfect teeth you have. You’re looking fabulous.

Oh, it gets better honey, it gets better.

How do you manage to look after yourself so well?

I don’t drink. I smoke cigarettes rarely. I drink a lot of water. I exercise. And I don’t really do late nights. But I give good late night. I can do that! [Laughs wickedly].

And what’s your secret to sticking with the music industry?

I work with people that I really dig.

You once worked with producer Robyn Smith who worked with The Rockmelons, the band your daughter Deni was once in. Deni also embarked on the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar. That full circle thing must blow you away…

I think it’s a pretty cool thing. She’s doing good. She’s doing work, and I’m happy for her. I’ll probably be really nervous for her, too. You know, do the ‘mother’ thing.

Madonna’s ‘Confessions’ part two officially titled ‘Revelations On A Dance Floor’