012002 Sunday Mail

January 20, 2002
Sunday Mail
The Diary
by Billy Stone and Steve Hendry

FIVE YEARS AFTER ASSOCIATES STAR'S TRAGIC DEATH, IT'S...BILLY: THE MOVIE

A MOVIE about the roller-coaster rock career of tragic Associates' singer Billy Mackenzie it to be shot in Scotland.

The film - called The Glamour Chase - will chart the spectacular rise to fame of the Dundee-born singer who committed suicide in 1997.

And among the stars tipped to portray Billy and his music partner Alan Rankine, are Johnny Depp, Ewan McGregor and Dougray Scott.

Billy had a string of hits in the 1980s including Party Fears Two and Club Country.

Now, Edinburgh-based producer Pete Martin of Smuji Films has snapped up the rights to The Glamour Chase - a best- selling book about Billy's career.

Pete said: "The aim of the movie is to honour Billy's unique talent.

"My dream would be to find an unknown Scots actor to play Billy, but of course the film companies have been more keen on stars such as Johnny Depp or Ewan McGregor.

"Another executive fancied Josh Hartnett - from Black Hawk Down - in the lead role.

"I think that Dougray Scott would be perfect as Associates' guitarist Alan Rankine - they look very alike."

The soundtrack would feature many of Billy's classic songs, including a rare duet, The Best Of You, which he recorded with Annie Lennox.

"The master tapes of that song went missing - and the story is it was Billy himself who stole them," revealed Pete.

"He never owned up to nicking them, but we're hopeful we can locate the tapes." Billy will join pop icons such as Tina Turner, Jim Morrison and Buddy Holly who've been the subject of big screen bio-pics.

The project has been welcomed by the rock world.

U2 singer Bono said: "The Associates were a great group.

"We ripped them off. Billy was such a great singer - I couldn't rip him off.

"I hope the world never forgets him."

Five years ago this week troubled Billy killed himself by taking an overdose of prescription drugs at his Dundee home.

He had been left heartbroken by the death of his mother some months earlier.

Pete said: "Billy should have been a teen heart-throb - he certainly had the looks for it.

"But he just always seemed to press the self-destruct button.

"That amazing voice means he's now regarded as one of the best singers of all time."

"I think it's a great story which deserves to be told.