Not content with hanging around in the background ... Jay-Z. Photograph: Scott Gries/Getty
Musicians are a sneaky bunch. They'll do just about anything to keep the wheels of publicity turning and one often requires eyes like a hawk if one is not to get the metaphorical wool pulled over them.
Take Jay-Z for instance. Would we all be quite so interested in new LP Kingdom Come if he hadn't publicly proclaimed his departure from the world of rap three years ago for a new life running Def Jam records and hanging around in the background in Beyonce's videos? Would we? Would we?
Well yes, we probably would, because Jiggaman is one of the greatest rappers of the last decade, if not all time. But that's not the point. What if Take That, for instance, were to suddenly announce a comeback? The streets would hardly be lined with 30-something fans desperate to throw their knickers at Barlow's boys in concert, now would they? Huh? What's that you say?
Anyway, the point is, you can't trust 'em. They're always announcing it's The End. Finito. No more, only to remerge a short while later pretending it was all a Bobby-Ewing-in-the-shower moment. Little Richard was supposed to stop recording rock 'n' roll way back in 1957 and devote himself to spiritual music, for Pete's sake. It took at least another three decades for him to finally accept that that elusive comeback hit was probably not going to happen. How many farewell tours has Barbra Streisand had? And does anyone really believe Cher won't be tempted back into the studio in a few years' time by the prospect of new advances in cosmetic surgery and updated vocoder technology?
The answer, of course is no. Which is why we need your help. Which other musicians have stepped back into the limelight after promising never to grace the stage again? And has anyone of any note actually stayed retired after announcing they had had enough? Post your answers below and together we'll build a repository of pop cynicism which, with a bit of luck, will ensure none of us ever gets fooled again.
