1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin and you were listening to Here's 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: the thing. The list of genres that singer songwriter Joe 3 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: Jackson has covered pop, jazz, punk, dub reggae and classical 4 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 1: reads like a school syllabus. It's fitting given that's where 5 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: the Englishman's love for music was born. A slight precocious kid, 6 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: he came alive when playing the piano, and for good reason, 7 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: he was exceptional at it. By eighteen, he'd earned a 8 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 1: scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Music, and by his 9 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: early twenties he had a d with A and M Records. 10 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: His first album, Look Sharp, was released in nineteen seventy nine. 11 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: It was daring, the mix of pop and punk with addictive, 12 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,680 Speaker 1: sardonic lyrics. By the time he moved from the UK 13 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: to New York City in nineteen eighty two, Jackson was 14 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: being approached by fans in public. I should know. I 15 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: was one of them. Gutsy, clever and unparalleled. His boldness 16 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: ushered in the new wave era of the late nineteen 17 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: seventies and set the stage for experimentalists of today like 18 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: Lady Gaga, But unlike many of his successors, Joe Jackson 19 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: didn't set out to make music from the start. No, 20 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: I don't no ambitions to be a musician. So I 21 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:47,320 Speaker 1: was probably like thirteen or fourteen. Was your family music 22 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: or your parents not at all. I'll come from a 23 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: musical desert, Portsmouth on the south coast of England, but yeah, 24 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: a lot of sailors and not a lot of music really, 25 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: um and my parents were not musical at all. Is 26 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: I don't know where it comes from. It's a big mystery. 27 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: I'm the total odd one out. And it began how 28 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 1: for you? It began when I got the opportunity to 29 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: escape from school sports by joining a violin class. And 30 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: I didn't like sports because I was an asthmatic as 31 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: a kid, a terrible asthma, was always sick. I don't 32 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: really get it anymore, but I need to get beaten 33 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: up all the time. So basically sports period was the 34 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: excuse to beat me up, and then I had this 35 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: opportunity to get out of it. You hated as so much, 36 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: you're willing to take up the violin, yeah, which is 37 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: which is saying something, I believe me. But the violin 38 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:41,239 Speaker 1: is like a sort of medieval torture instrument, and you 39 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: can just imagine a bunch of snot nose, the eleven 40 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: year old kids scraping away. And then of course you 41 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: were walking around carrying a violin case, so you still 42 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: got beaten. But in the meantime, I sort of discovered 43 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: that I was fascinated by music. So I got really 44 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,679 Speaker 1: interested in music and learned the music theory and all 45 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:04,679 Speaker 1: that stuff really early on. It's a good thing. Yeah, sure, yeah, yeah, 46 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: And and I switched to piano pretty soon. Did you 47 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 1: play guitar piano before a guitar. I've never played guitar, never. Never. 48 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: I don't understand it. I think it's a really weird instrument. 49 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: I don't understand why people think it's easy. Actually, I 50 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: think a keyboard is much more logical. But by the 51 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: time I was about four teen, my hero was Beethoven. 52 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,119 Speaker 1: And then I let you listen to classical music, and yeah, 53 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: I was like really really into it. And then I 54 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: got interested in jazz, and then I got interested in 55 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: apart from rock music again, which I hadn't really been 56 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: interested in since I was a kid, because when I 57 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: was ten, I loved the Beatles and the Kinks and 58 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: so on. So in a way. That's my real roots 59 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: is British pop music. But I went on this kind 60 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: of roundabout route back into the pop world gradually and 61 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: into writing songs. So how old were you when you 62 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: started writing? Well, my teens, I suppose when you wrote 63 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: for what? Just for yourself? And was there an eye 64 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: towards you getting a group together even as a solo 65 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: acting performing well? Um not. For a while I was 66 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: convinced I couldn't sing. I still sometimes wonder actually, But 67 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:16,359 Speaker 1: I was writing songs and trying to get people to 68 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: sing them, people I was playing in bands with, and 69 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: it never sounded right. They never phrased it how I 70 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: wanted or anything like that. So I started singing myself 71 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: and it sounded terrible, but I just stuck with it. 72 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 1: Sheer desperation. You kept telling people from the key would 73 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 1: no do it like this? Yeah exactly, And they couldn't 74 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 1: get it. Yeah, And so they'd say, we'll sing it yourself, 75 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: you know, yeah, Yeah, you had to be had a band. 76 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:46,679 Speaker 1: Eventually had a band. What was it called Joe Jackson band? Okay, 77 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: it's always yeah, well it keeps it simple. I'm glad 78 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: actually that it was never a band. Identity you know, 79 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 1: um in terms of what, well, in terms of not, 80 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 1: I've never been in that situation. Oh yeah, I liked 81 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: it so and so, but I didn't like him solo 82 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 1: kind of thing because I've always been solo. Um and 83 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: uh yeah. So my basic motivation was shared desperation and 84 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,559 Speaker 1: you get out of Portsmouth. When with my late teens 85 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: I went to the rural Academy of Music, I got 86 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:25,160 Speaker 1: what I guess you'd call a scholarship and did three 87 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: years at the Royal Academy Music, where I didn't fit 88 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 1: in at all. I just wanted to play in rock 89 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 1: and roll bands. But so I did everything I could. 90 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,719 Speaker 1: I mean, I played in jazz big bands. I played 91 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 1: piano for a theater group. I mean I did all 92 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: kinds of things, top forty pop bands, playing piano in 93 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: restaurants and pubs. Anything I could do. Um. I think 94 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: I was a great believer in the that the old 95 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:56,040 Speaker 1: adage of whatever doesn't kill me makes me stronger, even 96 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: though I don't think i'd heard that yet. But but 97 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 1: a very shot an approach to it. You do, who 98 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: would try anything? Yeah, anything absolutely any work yeah, and 99 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,919 Speaker 1: then learning something and hopefully making a few pounds to 100 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: live on. I never expected to have money. I mean, 101 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: I figured, well, if I'm going to be a musician 102 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: and forget about that. I wasn't that worried about it really, 103 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 1: as long as they had enough to just about live on. 104 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: So by the time I actually got the record deal 105 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: with A and M and made my first album, I 106 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 1: felt like I was this sort of seasoned professional, you know, 107 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:31,160 Speaker 1: who'd been around forever and done everything. And I was 108 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: twenty three. Well how did that happen you? When you've 109 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: got to deal with A and M? How did they 110 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: find you? Through a guy called David Kershenbaum who was 111 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: he was acting as a kind of unofficial talent scout 112 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: I think for them, um, and he ended up producing 113 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: my first couple of albums. And well, yeah, it all 114 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: happened just sort of like overnight, really after many years 115 00:06:55,440 --> 00:07:00,159 Speaker 1: of slugging away playing gigs and like naval bases and 116 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: weddings where fights broke out and all the rest of it. 117 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:06,719 Speaker 1: But I'm really glad I did all that stuff look 118 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: sharp as your first out. That was the first album. 119 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: And what happens then, Well, all of a sudden, I 120 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: was working regularly, you know, I was able to keep 121 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: a band together, going to all kinds of places that 122 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: I never thought I would go to, all over Europe 123 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: and the States, and uh it was great fun and 124 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: a bit scary at the same time because you're so young. Yeah, 125 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: you know, I didn't really know anything. Did you have 126 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: a manager? I had a manager, somebody who relied on 127 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 1: that helped you. Yeah, yeah, he was okay. I don't 128 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: think he was already all that much more prepared for 129 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: it than I was, to be honest, But we just 130 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: kind of blundered through. And when you became successful, was 131 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 1: it what you hoped it would be? Uh? Wow? It 132 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,240 Speaker 1: was both like way way better than I ever dreamed 133 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: and way worse at the same time, because well, I 134 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: mean I never thought that I would have that kind 135 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: of audience or those kind of opportunities or make any money, 136 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 1: you know, So it was it was amazing unfamiliar with 137 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: the feeling there you go in my business as well, Yeah, 138 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 1: you don't go into something like making music or acting. 139 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: I guess assuming that you're gonna success is more of 140 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 1: a stranger than failure. Yeah, well, I think you have to. Well, 141 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: I gradually learned over time that you have to have 142 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: your own definition of success. Right, you know, because otherwise 143 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: you're always trying to chase someone else's And I mean 144 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: to me, if you can do something you love and 145 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: you've got enough to live, you know, just to live 146 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 1: on and have a reasonably enjoyable life, you know, what's 147 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: what's wrong with that? Who were people that you admired them, 148 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 1: that all of a sudden you're one of them, you're 149 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,559 Speaker 1: in rooms with them, you meet them. Oh no, well, 150 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 1: you know that's never really applied that much to me. 151 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: Um My heroes have always been people who were mostly 152 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: dead a bit opening. It wasn't around could be get 153 00:08:57,360 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 1: him to come to the opening of the party. Now 154 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 1: he's gone, okay, And I would like to talk too 155 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:06,719 Speaker 1: much about people you might say my peer and you know, 156 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: I don't know. I mean, I may or may not 157 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 1: have things in calm with them, but that's not what 158 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: I looked to for inspiration. I look I suppose more 159 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:19,839 Speaker 1: to the past. Yeah, now when you do, when Luke 160 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,959 Speaker 1: Sharp comes out, is there a way that you I 161 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 1: mean McCartney once told me that he said that they 162 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: would go to the studio and they'd record two songs 163 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: in the morning, go to the pub, have fish and chips, 164 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: and a paint and a cigarette, come back and to 165 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: do two songs in the afternoon. They were on the 166 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: clock in the early days, and they had cut records, 167 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 1: and then then then it's a while before we're going 168 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 1: to take a year to do Sergeant Peppers, you know. 169 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 1: But in the early days was work and what changed 170 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: for you and albums like that? I mean, the studio 171 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: was only available for at certain times, and I actually 172 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 1: had to go in and try to work in the morning, 173 00:09:55,240 --> 00:10:00,599 Speaker 1: which was first possible. I don't, oh why, but I 174 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: never was a morning person even as a kid. I couldn't. 175 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 1: I just couldn't drag myself out of bed man as 176 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:09,679 Speaker 1: a kid. And one of the reasons I became a 177 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 1: musician is in the hope that I wouldn't have to 178 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: get up early in the morning. And that's actually true, 179 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: but none pleaves me. But anyway, it was a bit 180 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 1: like that near early days. But I've always been a 181 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 1: quick worker anyway in the studio. I mean, I don't 182 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: I don't see why people should take years to make 183 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:26,599 Speaker 1: an album. I think it's silly, to be honest. But 184 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:29,080 Speaker 1: were things that were available to once you became successful 185 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: that you didn't have before that you're excited about being 186 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 1: able to make another album, basically to be able to 187 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:39,439 Speaker 1: keep going to to do another tour. And I mean 188 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: that's what it's all about. What was songwriting like for you? 189 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:45,559 Speaker 1: Running out when you wrote the songs and look sharp, 190 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 1: how long did they take? Well? It still comes in 191 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:51,079 Speaker 1: fits and starts. I quite know how to describe it, 192 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 1: because sometimes I'll get on a role and I'll write 193 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 1: a lot, and other times I don't know anything quite 194 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 1: a long time. And that's gotten to be more the 195 00:10:57,280 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 1: case actually in recent years. I take longer and longer, 196 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 1: but more fussy because you know, I think some of 197 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: the early stuff is pretty lame, quite honestly. I mean 198 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: some of it I still like, and I think it 199 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: was the best I could do at the time. But 200 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 1: I tended to just like if I had an idea 201 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 1: for a song, I kind of like throw it together 202 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: and think, well, that's all right, I guess, and right, 203 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:20,320 Speaker 1: so let's move on, and it would get recorded and released. 204 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 1: Just looking back, I don't really have any serious regrets 205 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: about anything, but I think I've been too prolific and 206 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 1: made too many records that if I had taken a 207 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 1: bit more time in between you know, I might have 208 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: made a couple less records, but they would have been better. 209 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 1: So that's more how I work nowadays. But I think 210 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: I was a bit more workaholic in the early days, 211 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:46,840 Speaker 1: you know, like I felt like I had to be 212 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: doing something new and putting something out. But when you 213 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:53,839 Speaker 1: say you would release songs early on that you look 214 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:55,439 Speaker 1: back on them now and they might not have been 215 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: something you would consider now, you know. Obviously that's that 216 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: hindsight thing is tricky, but that would apply to probably 217 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 1: things I've done in my life as well. But well, 218 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 1: you can't. You can't know, you can't. And also, you know, 219 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: we're supposed to move on, we're supposed to progress and 220 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 1: get better as artists. Otherwise, why are we doing it? Why? 221 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: I think? But what's what's an album that when you 222 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 1: when it came together, you thought, I really am proud 223 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: of this, this really represents here's one I thought for 224 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 1: the most what we got it right? Most of them. 225 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: At the time I did it, I generally felt excited 226 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 1: about it and like I've done the best I could. 227 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: And it takes a little bit of distance to be 228 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: able to say, well, looking back on it, this one 229 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:37,560 Speaker 1: really wasn't so good as this one. Um, But I 230 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 1: think I'm more consistent these days. I think my last 231 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 1: two albums have been among the best I've done, partly 232 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:45,640 Speaker 1: because I took a lot of time over them and 233 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: actually throughout stuff that I didn't think it was good enough, 234 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:50,440 Speaker 1: or I rewrote stuff that I thought was a bit 235 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:54,640 Speaker 1: too obvious, or have been done before or whatever. In 236 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 1: the earlier days, you had done videos like everybody to 237 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: support your work, and then you stopped making videos correct 238 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 1: for a little while, I did. I thought, I mean, 239 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:09,839 Speaker 1: this is remember this was or something, and the video 240 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 1: thing it got very big, very quickly, and I think 241 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: that I didn't really take it all that seriously. I thought, well, 242 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:17,599 Speaker 1: all right, yeah, we'll make a video. Might be a 243 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:20,320 Speaker 1: bit of fun. And then more and more it's just 244 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: seemed like you couldn't even have a single without a video, 245 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:28,719 Speaker 1: for instance, And I heard stories about young bands not 246 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: getting signed because there wasn't enough money for a video, 247 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 1: whereas before that, you know, a record would have been 248 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 1: enough actually, and things like that. And I started seeing 249 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,000 Speaker 1: more and more videos that I thought were stupid and 250 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: nothing to do with music, and I decided, in my 251 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 1: almighty hubris and arrogance to to not only not make videos, 252 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:53,840 Speaker 1: but to sort of make a protest about it. And 253 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:57,439 Speaker 1: I wrote that was published in Billboard. I think saying 254 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 1: video is killing music and we shouldn't do it. And 255 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: there was only one other artist that I'm aware of 256 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:06,079 Speaker 1: who made similar comments, and that was Bruce Springsteen because 257 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 1: he didn't make videos for a long time, and he 258 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 1: said when he finished the song, he felt like he 259 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:14,200 Speaker 1: painted the Mona Lisa, and if he had, if he 260 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 1: had to make a video, it was like he had 261 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: to draw a mustache on it. And I thought that 262 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,720 Speaker 1: was great, and that's how I felt too. I felt like, well, 263 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: why should I do this? It's it's silly. You know. 264 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 1: This did my career absolutely no good whatsoever. But if 265 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 1: you had it to do over again, you might have 266 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 1: done things differently About that. I don't know. I mean, 267 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 1: I think I probably it's like you can't hold back 268 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 1: the sea, you know, the waves, you know. I still 269 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 1: think a lot of videos are stupid and a waste 270 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 1: of money, But eventually got talked around to it and 271 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 1: did a couple more a bit later on, but I 272 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 1: think was the last video I made. I haven't done 273 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 1: it since the only time I see videos nowadays, it's 274 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 1: like on the exercise at the gym, you know, and 275 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 1: like one video after another, and it's quite amazing. I mean, 276 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: what I sort of said was happening all those years ago, 277 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: it really has sort of triumphed, which is that the 278 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: videos are now used purely to distract you from the 279 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 1: music exactly, you know, which a lot of the time 280 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 1: is so lame to enhance a week song. Yeah, and 281 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 1: that's true. And a lot of the videos now seemed 282 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 1: to be basically soft porn, like pushing candy to Yeah, 283 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: and uh, it's that, you know, I'm all right with that, 284 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:31,520 Speaker 1: but it doesn't change the fact that the songs suck. 285 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: It's masking something, that's masking something. When did you first 286 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: come to the States? What was your first trip here? 287 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 1: It was actually before my first album was released. The 288 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,280 Speaker 1: American division of A M. Records wanted me to come 289 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 1: over and just meet people and kind of schmooz and 290 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: some one and that was, believe it or not, in 291 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy eight. I think I was back in sevente 292 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 1: to do my first American tour. I met you then 293 00:15:56,120 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 1: you did, I don't remember, Oh yeah, was going to 294 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,640 Speaker 1: n y U and Gary my roommate, he was my 295 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:07,000 Speaker 1: roommate in college. And beyond Gary and I come to uh, 296 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: we come to the Binnie Bomb in the East Village 297 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 1: and there you were sitting there eating and you back then, 298 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 1: and I don't want to characterize you, just not in 299 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: a pejorative way. You were very, very kind of imposing. 300 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 1: You know, you were sitting there eating and you your 301 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: album was this big album and when New York in 302 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: the East Village the kind of epicenter of self conscious 303 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: bullshit coolness in New York, and there you are. Me 304 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: and Gary walked up to you and I said, excuse me, 305 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 1: can I ask you a question? And you looked up 306 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:38,120 Speaker 1: and you and looked up at me and you went no. 307 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 1: And you could just tell you were like sick. I 308 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: didn't make it. I wouldn't do that anything kind of 309 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:48,680 Speaker 1: fake news. Well it might as well be, as far 310 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 1: as I'm concerned, because I certainly don't remember. Of course 311 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 1: you don't remember. It might be it was one of 312 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 1: countless people who might have been in a bad mood 313 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: or who knows what was happening. He was sick of 314 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: fame and it was just acting like I was sick 315 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:01,640 Speaker 1: of fame from the beginning. I mean, I look, I 316 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:05,439 Speaker 1: love performing and connecting with people through music, right, but 317 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:08,479 Speaker 1: I'm not interested in being a celebrity that way. So 318 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: and I think like, especially in the early days, I 319 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 1: was very defensive a lot of the time because I 320 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:17,879 Speaker 1: just felt like, you know, so much of what was 321 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 1: going on around me was sort of phony and and bullshit. 322 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:23,159 Speaker 1: And it did take some getting used to, you know, 323 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: being stared at and people coming up and there's sort 324 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: of weird things where someone would come up and say, Hey, 325 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: my friend tells me you're someone called Judge Jackson, and 326 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 1: I've got a bet with him. It's worth twenty bucks 327 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: to me, So are you aren't you? You know that 328 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: kind of you think? And then people would say, why 329 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: do you have a problem with that? They're your fans, 330 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:43,360 Speaker 1: they love you. When did you move to New York 331 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: and get home here? Um N two? I had a 332 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:49,679 Speaker 1: sublet here for four months and I was really in 333 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:53,840 Speaker 1: love with New York and made I'm called Night and Day. Here. 334 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 1: Where did you recordinating? It was a student called Blue 335 00:17:57,359 --> 00:18:00,640 Speaker 1: Rock in Soho. It's long gone actually, as are most 336 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:03,040 Speaker 1: of the studios in the city. But so yeah, it 337 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: was actually in Soho, and at that time, Soho didn't 338 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:08,400 Speaker 1: have a whole lot of shots, even the New York 339 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 1: that I fell in love with. And I don't want 340 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: to start getting into all that because I'm sure that 341 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:17,360 Speaker 1: anyone younger, if anyone who wasn't here in the eighties, 342 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 1: rolls their eyes. I'm the same way, the old New York, 343 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:22,920 Speaker 1: the old New York. So you moved here in two 344 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 1: and you'll record night and day. How long did it 345 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: take you to record that album? It was all done 346 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:29,879 Speaker 1: within a month, I'm sure like most of my albums, 347 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: did you did you have a sense of what you 348 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:35,640 Speaker 1: were onto when you recorded them? Not at all? And actually, 349 00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 1: to this day, I'm surprised that that's well my most 350 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 1: successful album ever because it was a bit of a 351 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:46,919 Speaker 1: departure from the earlier ones, which were more like I 352 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 1: guess what you would call rock and roll and had 353 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: guitars in them. And I've broken up that band. I 354 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:56,440 Speaker 1: mean it broke up because the drummer left. But anyway, 355 00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:59,560 Speaker 1: I had this crazy idea to do an album no guitars, 356 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:03,520 Speaker 1: and I was really interested in, um, let's say, non 357 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,440 Speaker 1: rock and roll music, like a lot of the time 358 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 1: when I was in New York, I would be going 359 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:12,000 Speaker 1: to check out Latin music or things that were more 360 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 1: like in the direction of soul funk, and you know, 361 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: even the early beginnings of hip hop all interested me 362 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 1: more than rock and roll at that time. You like 363 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:22,000 Speaker 1: to go to clubs, and yeah, and jazz clubs. I mean, 364 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 1: I've always been a big jazz fan. So I wanted 365 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 1: to make an um that was a bit jazzy and 366 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 1: had Latin rhythms in it, and my keyboard and all keyboards, 367 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 1: keyboards and percussion and no guitars, and so what's what's what? What? 368 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: What Spanish club were you win? The Motivated? What Latin 369 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 1: club were you in? What we were listening to? The 370 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:44,119 Speaker 1: Inspired cancer? Um yeah, yeah, Well that was what I 371 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: saw as something that was starting to happen then, which 372 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 1: has happened a lot more now, which is a kind 373 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:54,280 Speaker 1: of like terrible, all encompassing obsession with anything to do 374 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:56,919 Speaker 1: with health and the possibility of any kind of risks 375 00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:00,440 Speaker 1: in ones health becoming dominant to the point of sort 376 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 1: of like sucking all the fun out of life. Um. 377 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,639 Speaker 1: So that was about that when it was supposed to 378 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 1: be tongue in cheek. I don't know, But what made 379 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: you put it through a Latin beat like that? I 380 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: don't know. It's just I just thought it would be fun, 381 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:16,439 Speaker 1: you know, I mean it's funny. People say why did 382 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:17,879 Speaker 1: you do this? And why did you do it this 383 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: way all that way? And usually it's just well, I 384 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 1: just thought it would be fun. But occurred to you, Yeah, 385 00:20:22,359 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 1: I thought it would be worth a try. Why not? 386 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:49,639 Speaker 1: What the hell coming up? Joe Jackson reflects and what 387 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 1: it was like working with Francis Ford Coppola. To hear 388 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 1: from another musical legend as well as pianist. Take a 389 00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 1: listen to my interview with Billy Joel. I know what 390 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: good piano ling is, and I'm not good. My left 391 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: hand is lame. I'm a two finger left hand piano player, 392 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: as opposed to post somebody who knows what they're doing 393 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 1: with the left hand. I never practiced enough to use 394 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 1: all my fingers on my left hand, so I just 395 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:17,639 Speaker 1: play octaves, bass notes. My right hand tries to compensate 396 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:20,960 Speaker 1: from my left hand being so gimpy, so I overplay 397 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 1: on my right hand. My technique is horrible. I can't 398 00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 1: read music. I never really don't read music I used to, 399 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 1: but I don't anymore. I forgot how here our entire 400 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: conversation that here's the thing, Dot Org, this is Alec 401 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 1: Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the thing. For a 402 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 1: kid raised in what he calls a musical desert, Joe 403 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:50,000 Speaker 1: Jackson is unbelievably prolific. The English singer songwriter released his 404 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 1: nineteen studio album Fast Forward in two thousand fifteen, which 405 00:21:55,119 --> 00:22:01,440 Speaker 1: was recorded in four different cities across America. Currently touring nationwide, 406 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 1: he considers his newest work to be some of his best. Still, 407 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,680 Speaker 1: he looks back finally on the albums that propelled him 408 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 1: to fame, Look Sharp and Night and Day, and the 409 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: creative freedom that got him there. I think I just 410 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 1: allowed myself to allowed myself to stretch a bit more 411 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:22,160 Speaker 1: and be a bit more sophisticated, because the first couple 412 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 1: of albums, it was very much the thing of the 413 00:22:24,359 --> 00:22:27,640 Speaker 1: time was to strip everything down and to their absolute 414 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: basic raw essentials, you know, And I think I've gotten 415 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:33,639 Speaker 1: a bit tired of that. It's only so far you 416 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:38,439 Speaker 1: can go with that, basically, So I just allowed myself 417 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: to stretch out a bit and use more chords and 418 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 1: so on, because I knew them all already anyway, you 419 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:46,879 Speaker 1: know what I mean. It was like I just discovered 420 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:50,359 Speaker 1: if minor servants or something. But it was just I 421 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 1: just thought, well, I'm just going to not think about 422 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,199 Speaker 1: what anyone might think of this and just do do 423 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:59,639 Speaker 1: what I want to do. And there's a lesson in 424 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: this where because it was my most successful album, But 425 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 1: a lot of that has to do with timing and 426 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 1: other stuff. Being still a relatively new artist that people 427 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:16,159 Speaker 1: were interested in, um, interested in knowing what I was 428 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:19,399 Speaker 1: going to do next, um Still signed to a record 429 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 1: company that was very strong, really on a roll at 430 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:24,960 Speaker 1: that point, was willing to spend some money, able to 431 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: do a really big tour. I mean, we toured for 432 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 1: a year off the album. A lot of things circumstantially 433 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 1: got me the kind of attention for that album that 434 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:38,640 Speaker 1: I wouldn't inevitably wasn't going to get later on. It's 435 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 1: really no more complicated than just needing to feel comfortable 436 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:44,679 Speaker 1: being in your own skin. And what happened if the 437 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 1: night and day we did, everybody approach you and saying 438 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:49,240 Speaker 1: we were deluged with you, order to do this now, 439 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:52,080 Speaker 1: and do this now, we're now. I think people have 440 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 1: sort of gotten a message even by then that. But 441 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,400 Speaker 1: I've also I've always said this. I mean, it's hilarious 442 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 1: when you hear artists say, well, yeah, you know, I 443 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 1: know that album of mine wasn't a success because it 444 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 1: was bad, but you know it was I was forced 445 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 1: into it somehow. It was the influence of the Bracle 446 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:14,720 Speaker 1: company or the producer or this or that. And I think, 447 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,159 Speaker 1: what what do they do? Come in the studio and 448 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 1: put a gun to your head. You do what you 449 00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:21,200 Speaker 1: want for a lot of people. And I see it. 450 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: And I've met people at this and I'm not going 451 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,719 Speaker 1: to name names, but you know that they're just like 452 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 1: so obsessed with hanging onto They're a certain level of 453 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 1: of success defineding you know, numbers and amount of their 454 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:39,879 Speaker 1: time and print space and however you define it. Yeah. 455 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: So after that album you had, you moved here, you 456 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: were living here, Yeah, I mean, after being on the 457 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:47,719 Speaker 1: road for a year and that and that in has 458 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 1: a couple of ballads in there, you know, real manners 459 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:53,479 Speaker 1: on that album. It's just so powerful to them at 460 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 1: a time of aids and aids is royal ing in 461 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 1: this city and royally in this country, and your music 462 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: just is so honest and from the heart that and 463 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 1: so romantic. I think that's one of my better albums, 464 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:07,440 Speaker 1: you know, so I don't have a problem of playing 465 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,479 Speaker 1: those songs. What's the next album you made? After Night 466 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:14,119 Speaker 1: and Day? That was Body and Soul? And again, you know, 467 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:16,880 Speaker 1: I thought, well, okay, I did the album with keyboards 468 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:19,000 Speaker 1: and percussion, so now I am going to do an 469 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 1: album with a horn section. And everyone said, oh, he 470 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:24,520 Speaker 1: made a Latin album. Now he's done a jazz album. 471 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:26,960 Speaker 1: You know. It's the kind of thing that it's been 472 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 1: making you roll my eyes through my whole career, really, 473 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,080 Speaker 1: but there you go. When did Coupler call you? That 474 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 1: was late eighties or eady nine. I think was he 475 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 1: the first person to asked you to get involved in 476 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 1: a movie project? No? I did one movie's called before 477 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:44,919 Speaker 1: that for a film called Mike's Murder Um where they 478 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: ended up. There was actually a soundtrack album was released, 479 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:50,680 Speaker 1: but my music was cut from the movie the end, 480 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 1: so that was a bit of a disaster. What was 481 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 1: the experience like with couple That was fantastic. I mean 482 00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:59,679 Speaker 1: it was really the high point in my film scoring career, 483 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:05,919 Speaker 1: and it was all downhill. It's actually something that in 484 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:08,400 Speaker 1: more recent years I've pretty much come to the conclusion 485 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:10,680 Speaker 1: I'm not cut out for it. I mean, I would 486 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:13,800 Speaker 1: do it again under the right circumstances with the right director, 487 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:19,280 Speaker 1: but I'm not cut out for Hollywood. Well, the last 488 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 1: film score I did, actually, I quit fairly early on 489 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:26,200 Speaker 1: the project because they wanted me to make rough demos 490 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:28,439 Speaker 1: of everything I wrote and send them to them on 491 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 1: a daily basis pretty much. And everything I did was 492 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:34,639 Speaker 1: then sort of nitpicked to death by his kind of 493 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 1: committee about seven or eight people, and no one really 494 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 1: knew what they were the wrong guy, yeah, you know, 495 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:43,359 Speaker 1: the director didn't really know what he wanted that they're 496 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:45,760 Speaker 1: The way they heard my ideas was completely different to 497 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:49,080 Speaker 1: what I thought that happens. Yeah, And and in the end, 498 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 1: I said, look, this is just it was driving me insane. 499 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:53,880 Speaker 1: I couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it. I mean, 500 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:55,920 Speaker 1: I just felt like everyone was trying to cover their 501 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,360 Speaker 1: houses and you know, I don't know, I didn't feel 502 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:02,000 Speaker 1: there was any career process him whatsoever. How much of 503 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,880 Speaker 1: your music stayed a couple of movie, um, most of it. Yeah, Yeah, 504 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:09,679 Speaker 1: And the recording was actually in London because I think 505 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:12,640 Speaker 1: it was just cheaper too. But I spent a lot 506 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:15,639 Speaker 1: of time with Francis and his um, what do you 507 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: call it his ranch? I think in northern California, and 508 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:20,720 Speaker 1: I spent much more time with him than I thought 509 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,200 Speaker 1: I would, and it was a much more interesting creative 510 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:26,239 Speaker 1: process because he's a very musical guy and he had 511 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: good ideas, you know what I mean. He kind of 512 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 1: knew what he wanted, but he also was willing to 513 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: give me some freedom as well. And you just don't 514 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 1: get that really, um alone with a great director, you 515 00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:40,919 Speaker 1: know what I mean? Whatever became of the of the 516 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 1: project Stoker that you did? Oh right, well, I mean 517 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:48,720 Speaker 1: that that's languishing. It's a play. It's a musical theater 518 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:50,879 Speaker 1: piece that I've been working on and off for years 519 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 1: with a with a writer and a director, and it's 520 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:55,679 Speaker 1: I think it's a great piece. It's it's about the 521 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: life of Brown Stoker and how he created Dracula, where 522 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:00,439 Speaker 1: the ideas came from and so on. What inspired you 523 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 1: to do that? Well, the script that they came to me, 524 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 1: the writer and the director, Um and the writer Raymond 525 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:09,160 Speaker 1: Hardy had written it as a play originally, and they 526 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:12,320 Speaker 1: thought that it could be musicalized, and we've done a 527 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 1: lot of work on it, but we've never been able 528 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:17,160 Speaker 1: to get anyone to to put up the money to 529 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,960 Speaker 1: produce it or you know, it's just we've had so 530 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:21,720 Speaker 1: many near misses. I mean, I don't know if it's 531 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:23,480 Speaker 1: ever going to happen at this point. OK. I hope. 532 00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 1: So it'd be great in your life. I would assume 533 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:29,919 Speaker 1: someone as gifted as you have you been approached by 534 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 1: other people who wanted you to produce them as well. Yeah, 535 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:37,920 Speaker 1: a few, and have you done. No, No, I'm not interested. 536 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 1: It's hard enough to to make my own records, dealing 537 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:49,040 Speaker 1: with other people's ideas and other people's egos, especially if 538 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 1: it's a band you know, but banned politics, and it 539 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:54,600 Speaker 1: also it's going to involve record company politics and all 540 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 1: this sort of thing. And I know, I just I 541 00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 1: don't know the patience for it. So no mentoring for you, No, 542 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 1: not really, No, I don't. I don't think I'm cut 543 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 1: out for that somehow, I don't think. I don't think 544 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 1: I have the patient story. Actually, I mean, I don't know. 545 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: Maybe if something will happen when I'm older, I have 546 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 1: no idea. Maybe maybe I'm good at it and I 547 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:18,719 Speaker 1: don't know, I just never really I only mentioned in 548 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:21,080 Speaker 1: terms of passing it on you know some great Yeah. 549 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:23,960 Speaker 1: Well I just think it's all there in the whatever 550 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:30,040 Speaker 1: work I do. And example, Yeah, yeah, Graham maybe has 551 00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:32,720 Speaker 1: been your basis for years, Yeah, on and off, but 552 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:37,240 Speaker 1: mostly one. And how does that collaboration survived where others haven't. Yeah, 553 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 1: I don't know, It's just just just works out that way, 554 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:43,320 Speaker 1: mainly mainly because he's an amazingly fantastically brilliant bass player 555 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 1: and he's never really changed, you know, So I don't 556 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:49,360 Speaker 1: really need anyone else. I mean, I may do Calvium, 557 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:51,760 Speaker 1: for instance. I worked with Christian McBride, who's an amazing 558 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 1: jazz bassis. Um Graham can't do what he does because 559 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 1: he doesn't play acoustic bass or one thing, you know. So, 560 00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 1: I mean I have worked with other bass players here 561 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: and there, but I always seem to come back to 562 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:04,840 Speaker 1: Graham and uh. We were on the road together again 563 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:06,959 Speaker 1: the last couple of years, which is great after all 564 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:08,600 Speaker 1: this time. I mean I think we were teenagers when 565 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: we first met. Do you have to do anything now? Two? 566 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,600 Speaker 1: Because you still sing very well I listened to on 567 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:19,600 Speaker 1: YouTube viewers. I take pride and still because a lot 568 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 1: of people's voices are shot by the time they get 569 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:24,280 Speaker 1: to this. Remember what there are things that you have 570 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:26,840 Speaker 1: to do. Yeah, well, I haven't ruined my voice over 571 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:29,240 Speaker 1: the years. I've been very careful with my voice and 572 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 1: and I actually learned a lot of techniques fairly early on. 573 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:35,440 Speaker 1: And you can belt, did you not ruin your voice 574 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:37,240 Speaker 1: and your belts? Because I don't do it all the time, 575 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: And I as I warm up my voice before I say, 576 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 1: then I warmed down after I sing. And I have 577 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 1: a lot of little tricks that I learned to sing 578 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:49,400 Speaker 1: without straining my voice. And I find that I can. 579 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 1: I can do it as long as I don't, you know, 580 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 1: try to do a show every night for months on 581 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:57,840 Speaker 1: end and get some rest her in there. I think 582 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:00,800 Speaker 1: my voice sounds pretty fresh, and I sing much better 583 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:04,120 Speaker 1: now than I didn't here any days. Actually, well, let's 584 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:06,160 Speaker 1: just say as well as you sang in the early days, 585 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:09,280 Speaker 1: it's like it carried away. In those early days, you 586 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:11,240 Speaker 1: sounded pretty damn good at m say, well, I was 587 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:14,080 Speaker 1: never a natural singer like some people just burst into 588 00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 1: song in the shower. You know, I've never been that guy. 589 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:19,400 Speaker 1: I don't sing unless and that's another reason I think 590 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:22,000 Speaker 1: I haven't read my voices because I only sing if 591 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:24,480 Speaker 1: I really have to, if i'm making a record, orf 592 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:26,440 Speaker 1: i'm touring. That's I don't sing any of the time. 593 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,040 Speaker 1: And when you divide your time between a couple of 594 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:30,920 Speaker 1: places you live, Berlin as one of the places that 595 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:33,000 Speaker 1: you live by how did that did that the feelings 596 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 1: for that city developed? I think I find in Berlin 597 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:39,120 Speaker 1: something that I found in New York back in the eighties, 598 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 1: which is I don't find free very much in New 599 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 1: York Now. I mean it's it's very free. You basically 600 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 1: do anything you want. Um, it's relatively cheap, so therefore 601 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:52,520 Speaker 1: you get a good mix of people. You get a 602 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:55,280 Speaker 1: lot of young, creative people. There's a buzz to it 603 00:31:56,720 --> 00:32:00,400 Speaker 1: that it's nice to be around. Um, it's very relaxed city. 604 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 1: I think it has a very good quality of life, 605 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 1: and it has great bars, and it's a city that's 606 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 1: very interesting, UM in a lot of a lot of ways. 607 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:14,480 Speaker 1: But it's also very easy to live in and very 608 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 1: relaxed to live in, and um kind of a pleasure 609 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:20,720 Speaker 1: to be And I always feel very free there. It's funny. 610 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:22,479 Speaker 1: David Bowie said the same thing when he lived there 611 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,040 Speaker 1: in the seventies, when it was surrounded by a wall. 612 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:28,080 Speaker 1: You know, it's always had that. It's always been a 613 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:33,480 Speaker 1: very very tolerant place and a sort of oasis of freedom. 614 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:35,440 Speaker 1: And it's a special place. I like it very much. 615 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:37,479 Speaker 1: I'm not there all the time. I still have so 616 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:39,800 Speaker 1: many connections in New York, and I'm back here quite 617 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 1: a lot. When you tour next, are you gonna come here? 618 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:45,360 Speaker 1: You're gonna come to New York? And are now? Um? Well, 619 00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:48,240 Speaker 1: we did, I mean the last couple of years played 620 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:50,640 Speaker 1: I think five shows in New York and we finished 621 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 1: up back in July with a show at the Apollo, 622 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:56,719 Speaker 1: which was fantastic to play there, and I thought we 623 00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 1: were done, you know, but everyone seems to want to 624 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:03,120 Speaker 1: do it again. So I think we're going out again 625 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 1: in June to play a whole bunch of places we 626 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:06,960 Speaker 1: didn't get to the last time around it, which will 627 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,440 Speaker 1: probably not include New York as because we've really done, 628 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:12,160 Speaker 1: like I said, five shows. I think you know you've 629 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:15,720 Speaker 1: written something, You've done some classical composing as well. Correct Well, 630 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:19,440 Speaker 1: I wouldn't really call it classical. I wrote a symphony 631 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:24,000 Speaker 1: which was an instrumental piece in four movements that structured 632 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:25,760 Speaker 1: like a symphony, but I didn't want to sound like 633 00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:28,560 Speaker 1: classical music. And it's not an orchestra. I mean people 634 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:31,760 Speaker 1: have compared it to some of Frank Zapper's instrumental music, 635 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:36,160 Speaker 1: for instance, and it won a Grammy. A complete fluke. 636 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:39,480 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm still astonished by this. It won't the 637 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:43,320 Speaker 1: Grammy for Best Pulp Instrumental Recording. So there I was 638 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:45,560 Speaker 1: with a Grammy for a record. Were you there when 639 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 1: you won? No, I was actually on tour in the UK. 640 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:52,040 Speaker 1: I thought, I think I was in Scotland. I would 641 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:53,440 Speaker 1: get I would have given a lot of money to 642 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:56,080 Speaker 1: see your Grammy acceptance speech. I mean, I remember my 643 00:33:56,920 --> 00:33:59,040 Speaker 1: calling me, let's say you've just wont a Grammy, and 644 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:03,280 Speaker 1: I said, oh, I literally thought he was fuck off. Yea, 645 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:10,200 Speaker 1: that is what I said. Symphony Number one released by 646 00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:13,360 Speaker 1: Sony Classical in two thousand, I believe or two thousand 647 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:15,600 Speaker 1: and one. I'm not sure now. But the great thing 648 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:18,960 Speaker 1: about it is that you're able to be referred to 649 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:22,879 Speaker 1: as a Grammy winning artist and some people like that. 650 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:25,640 Speaker 1: You know, I can't remember the last well, actually I 651 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:27,440 Speaker 1: do remember the last time I watched the Grammys, Like, 652 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:28,879 Speaker 1: I don't know what year it was, it was quite 653 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:31,240 Speaker 1: a long time ago. And a friend I was watching 654 00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:33,080 Speaker 1: with said, look, if you're just going to get solved 655 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:37,000 Speaker 1: upset and throw things at the team strain and cursed, 656 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:39,279 Speaker 1: why don't you just, you know, just don't watch it. 657 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:41,000 Speaker 1: And I thought, you know what, You're right, And I 658 00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:43,600 Speaker 1: haven't watched it since. Are you a music listener? Do 659 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:46,479 Speaker 1: you have music other than your own in your life? Yeah, 660 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:48,799 Speaker 1: all the time. What do you like? Yeah, I'm a 661 00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:51,719 Speaker 1: big jazz fan. Actually I do, probably listen to more 662 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:55,920 Speaker 1: jazz and anything else. But yeah, I mean I'm all 663 00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:58,480 Speaker 1: over the map really. I mean, lately I've been into 664 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:01,640 Speaker 1: Colombian music and listening to a lot of African music 665 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:03,680 Speaker 1: as well. I don't listen to a lot of Anglo 666 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:08,200 Speaker 1: American sort of pop mainstream music. Everything. Most of its crap, 667 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:13,880 Speaker 1: quite yeah, And I mean there are exceptions, okay, but 668 00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:16,839 Speaker 1: I think in general it's not a great time for 669 00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:20,759 Speaker 1: British or American pop music. I just don't do to 670 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 1: throw on music from the old days of music you 671 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:27,799 Speaker 1: listen to and play it like the British pop music. Yeah, yeah, 672 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,239 Speaker 1: I mean I still actually listen. I still put on 673 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:36,520 Speaker 1: a Beatles album. Yeah, and the Gym No, I still 674 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:38,960 Speaker 1: love all that stuff, and the Kinks I love as well, 675 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:42,520 Speaker 1: and a lot of the other you know, bands that 676 00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:44,319 Speaker 1: have been forgotten that I used to love when I 677 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:49,480 Speaker 1: was ten. But but yeah, I'm also I'm very interested 678 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 1: in music from other other countries and it often seems 679 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:56,120 Speaker 1: to me to be more vibrant and and more interesting. 680 00:35:56,719 --> 00:36:00,560 Speaker 1: And I'm always trying to find something, you like, some 681 00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:03,879 Speaker 1: new artists out there that's really interesting. And it does 682 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:07,120 Speaker 1: happen now and again, you know, it's not happening every week, 683 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:11,719 Speaker 1: and it's not always from the States or from the 684 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:15,080 Speaker 1: UK either. When you talk about jazz, and obviously, I 685 00:36:15,080 --> 00:36:16,840 Speaker 1: mean I've heard the jazz influences and a lot of 686 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:20,200 Speaker 1: your music. You ever think about exploring that more, like 687 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:23,959 Speaker 1: if you ever wanted to, you know, go to jazz 688 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,960 Speaker 1: at Lincoln Center and play with Wynton Marsalis or record 689 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:29,920 Speaker 1: an album with something like that fuse your where you 690 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 1: feel like you don't really want to mix your thing 691 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:34,960 Speaker 1: with somebody else's thing. Yeah, I don't know. I mean 692 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:36,680 Speaker 1: I did do this album the Duke a couple of 693 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:40,080 Speaker 1: years ago, which was a Duke Ellington tribute album where 694 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:41,920 Speaker 1: I got to work with some pretty cool people like 695 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:46,480 Speaker 1: Regina Carter, the violinist, and well a whole bunch of people. Actually, 696 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:49,479 Speaker 1: Igy Pop is on there as well, like this. Mary 697 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:51,719 Speaker 1: and Faithful was one of your recent albums. She was 698 00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:53,960 Speaker 1: on Night and Day two and another album of mine 699 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:57,480 Speaker 1: that didn't do very well. Um, but in fact we're 700 00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 1: merry and faithful seeing things that My favorite lyre she 701 00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:03,239 Speaker 1: ordered the coffee says there'll be a merger before it 702 00:37:03,280 --> 00:37:06,160 Speaker 1: gets cold? Is that the lyric? Yeah, she's supposed to be. 703 00:37:06,360 --> 00:37:11,440 Speaker 1: She's a businesswoman who's has no life. Really, Um, I'm 704 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:13,600 Speaker 1: quite proud of that song. Actually, I like that. It's 705 00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:15,680 Speaker 1: a good one, and it was a fantastic to work 706 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:19,120 Speaker 1: with Mary Anne. She's a real character. I loved her. Yeah. 707 00:37:19,239 --> 00:37:21,520 Speaker 1: So the Duke, which was Duke come into with no 708 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:24,920 Speaker 1: horns and really radical new arrangements, and I thought that 709 00:37:25,040 --> 00:37:29,120 Speaker 1: was a very good Joe Jackson album. Actually, I mean, 710 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:30,719 Speaker 1: the only thing I didn't do on it was right 711 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:34,120 Speaker 1: the original compositions, but I did the arrangements. I produced it, 712 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:37,160 Speaker 1: I sang, I played keyboards, and so on, you know, 713 00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:39,640 Speaker 1: and I got some fantastic people to to play on it, 714 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:43,439 Speaker 1: so that was coming fairly close to jazz. But I'm 715 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:46,439 Speaker 1: not even sure it was a jazz album actually, even 716 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:49,200 Speaker 1: though I'm a huge Ellington fan and I'm a big 717 00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:51,560 Speaker 1: jazz fan, and I can play jazz piano a bit, 718 00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:55,080 Speaker 1: you know, not bad, but I'm not good enough to 719 00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:58,920 Speaker 1: get up there with you know, like major jazz players 720 00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 1: and jazz played jazz. Plus what's the point, you know? Um, 721 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:05,240 Speaker 1: If I have anything distinctive to offer, it's as a writer. 722 00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:08,560 Speaker 1: So I should really get on with that. I should 723 00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:11,440 Speaker 1: really get back to it. Anything now, I'm sure you're 724 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:14,359 Speaker 1: familiar with you and the people who you work with, 725 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:17,239 Speaker 1: who who manage you and stuff of this kind of 726 00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:21,360 Speaker 1: album oriented revival thing they have now. Frampton did the 727 00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:24,200 Speaker 1: show with us, and Frampton talked about how they go 728 00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:29,200 Speaker 1: to the Beacon and they reenact they play Frampton comes 729 00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:33,520 Speaker 1: alive people see. I just saw Steely Dan do that recently. 730 00:38:33,560 --> 00:38:37,000 Speaker 1: They did the whole of Countdown to Ecstasy, which was 731 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:39,360 Speaker 1: great in a way, But would you do that with 732 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:42,920 Speaker 1: the night and day life? I don't, I don't think so, 733 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:48,400 Speaker 1: I don't really want to be honest at least in 734 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:50,320 Speaker 1: a row. Well, I don't. I don't know if I 735 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:53,640 Speaker 1: would or not. I guarantee you would, but I guarantee 736 00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:58,000 Speaker 1: you would. To live in New York in the nineteen 737 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:01,960 Speaker 1: eighties and beyond, music was changing. I can honestly say 738 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:05,359 Speaker 1: that right after your biggest album's broke it was when 739 00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:08,640 Speaker 1: music my music consumption changed radically in six and I 740 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:11,640 Speaker 1: literally turned off popular radio and never turned it on again. Ever. 741 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:14,080 Speaker 1: That's one of the reasons why I think it's you know, 742 00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:15,960 Speaker 1: when when I say I don't think it's a particularly 743 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:18,160 Speaker 1: great time now, I don't think it's just because I 744 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:20,640 Speaker 1: got older. Actually, I mean it might be in some way, 745 00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:24,000 Speaker 1: but but you know, I was just completely fed up 746 00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:26,960 Speaker 1: with pop music altogether. I wasn't interested. And then it 747 00:39:27,040 --> 00:39:30,840 Speaker 1: started to get more interesting again in the nineties. I 748 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:32,680 Speaker 1: think there was a lot of really cool stuff coming 749 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:36,000 Speaker 1: out of the UK, especially at that time, and um, 750 00:39:36,239 --> 00:39:37,960 Speaker 1: can you name one act that was a big trigger 751 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:42,760 Speaker 1: for you? The Prodigy. I liked a lot of electronic stuff, 752 00:39:42,920 --> 00:39:46,279 Speaker 1: Chemical Brothers, that kind of thing, and I like the 753 00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:48,600 Speaker 1: so called brit pop bands as well. I like Oasis, 754 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:53,120 Speaker 1: I like Pulp and Blur, um Talvin Singh. I thought 755 00:39:53,160 --> 00:39:56,000 Speaker 1: it was amazing. I like a lot of drum and bass. 756 00:39:56,800 --> 00:40:01,400 Speaker 1: I'm writing down furiously everything I got Joe Jackson in 757 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:04,080 Speaker 1: my eye line for the next few minutes. I'm seriously 758 00:40:04,120 --> 00:40:08,400 Speaker 1: scribbling down all your recommendations. Yeah. Well, but I'm a 759 00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:10,600 Speaker 1: believer that in the were the way we live now 760 00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:14,000 Speaker 1: because of the Internet is that everything is new now. 761 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:18,000 Speaker 1: People are starving for that music. They're starving for that 762 00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:20,840 Speaker 1: music I never dying for. I have no idea what 763 00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:23,799 Speaker 1: to say to that. I can't be objective, go back 764 00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:26,160 Speaker 1: to bed because you no. No, I mean, I don't 765 00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:29,839 Speaker 1: know it's flattering, you know, but I think my last 766 00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:32,080 Speaker 1: album is pretty damn good too, you know. So that's 767 00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:33,719 Speaker 1: what I wanted to play a lot what do you do? 768 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:35,840 Speaker 1: Another thirty minutes of what do you do? Whatever the 769 00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:37,680 Speaker 1: hell you want to do. I mean, I was going 770 00:40:37,719 --> 00:40:39,600 Speaker 1: to say, if I ever did do that, I would 771 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:42,200 Speaker 1: certainly play a lot of new stuff as well. I mean, 772 00:40:42,239 --> 00:40:44,440 Speaker 1: not to get too much into it, but I'm a 773 00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:47,000 Speaker 1: huge Steely Dan fan. So I mean that show where 774 00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:49,560 Speaker 1: they did the whole album, and they also did a 775 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:51,359 Speaker 1: lot of other stuff that they didn't do anything that 776 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:53,719 Speaker 1: I've figured this out afterwards. It didn't really occur to 777 00:40:53,800 --> 00:40:57,560 Speaker 1: me afterwards. But nothing they did was produced any later 778 00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:01,920 Speaker 1: than And I thought that was kind of amazing. And 779 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:05,560 Speaker 1: I don't think I would be able to allow myself 780 00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:07,680 Speaker 1: to do that. But but but the thing is that 781 00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:12,480 Speaker 1: I turned off popular radio and I turned on classical 782 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:17,359 Speaker 1: radio and something happened. That music teaches me that that 783 00:41:17,440 --> 00:41:19,680 Speaker 1: other music lives in the same way as well. You're 784 00:41:19,719 --> 00:41:23,120 Speaker 1: the same as Monsart, You're the same as Brahms, You're 785 00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:25,400 Speaker 1: the same as Britain. We have to lay that. We 786 00:41:25,440 --> 00:41:28,080 Speaker 1: have to keep playing it again and again and again, 787 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:30,440 Speaker 1: and every time you hear it, if it's good music, 788 00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:34,480 Speaker 1: you hear something different. Yeah, that much I go on with, Yeah, 789 00:41:35,640 --> 00:41:37,560 Speaker 1: that's one of the way ways I know that something 790 00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:39,400 Speaker 1: is good. It makes me want to listen to it again. 791 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:59,680 Speaker 1: Be much. We could stay stare and maybe we got 792 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:07,759 Speaker 1: a hour maybe then weet see you at always something 793 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:40,960 Speaker 1: breaking us, always something breaking, Nassis. This is Alec Baldwin 794 00:42:41,200 --> 00:42:42,960 Speaker 1: and you were listening to here's the thing