1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:01,840 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk. 2 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 2: You know, nostalgia is a funny thing because it can 3 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 2: be cheapened by just kind of using it to get 4 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 2: a response. But on the other hand, if it reminds 5 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 2: us of the way we felt when we had an 6 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 2: optimism about changing the world to make it a better 7 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 2: place and all those kind of things, then I think 8 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 2: it has a more noble purpose. So that the great 9 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 2: nostalgia that you can engage with about saying, hang on, 10 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 2: we've been we've been derailed, We've been you know, kind 11 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 2: of pushed off our track by all the weird and 12 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,160 Speaker 2: wonderful and bad things that have happened in the world. 13 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,200 Speaker 1: I'm buzznight and this is the Taking a Walk Podcast. 14 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,160 Speaker 1: We talk with musicians and we get the inside stories 15 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: behind their music. Today a walk down a Memory Lane 16 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: with Tom Bailey, bass guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist. One of the 17 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: founders of Thompson Twins, remember the British pop band with 18 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: hits like Hold Me Now and Lay Your Hands On 19 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: Me and a slew of others. Tom is co headlining 20 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: the Totally Tubular Festival and he's returning to North America 21 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: for the first time in six years. This is a 22 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:13,680 Speaker 1: eighties Alternative Dream Festival. Thomas Dolby part of it, Modern 23 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: English Bow Wow Wow, Tommy two Tone, the Romantics, and 24 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: of course the Thompson Twins will be part of it 25 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: with Tom Bailey and he's next on taking a Walk. 26 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: Tom Bailey, Thanks for being on taking a Walk. 27 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 2: It is my pleasure. 28 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: Was good to ZUPSI. So tell me the moment you 29 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,479 Speaker 1: first knew in your life that you would be attached to. 30 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 2: Music, Oh, in a general sense. Before I could even 31 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 2: make sense of that idea, I think probably two or 32 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 2: three years old, I was reaching up to the piano keys. 33 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 2: My family had a lot of music going on, mostly 34 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 2: classical and baroque music, so that was my early influence. 35 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 2: My father, who was actually a he was a physician, 36 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,559 Speaker 2: a doctor, but he was an early high fi home 37 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 2: building high fi enthusiasts. So the music we had always 38 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,799 Speaker 2: sounded fantastic, you know, so whatever it was, it seemed 39 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 2: to kind of get through to you. And yeah, probably 40 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 2: that was my biggest influence. 41 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: And then as you got into the formative years, what 42 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: other artist and musicians influenced your style? 43 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 2: Well, I was kind of classical music snob until early teens, 44 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:34,799 Speaker 2: when I suddenly got the Beatles big time, and interestingly enough, 45 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 2: it wasn't the early love song Beatles. It was the 46 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 2: psychedelic era of the Beatles that really picked me into 47 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 2: the long grass, as they say, and I never really 48 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 2: recovered from that. I still love that period of music. 49 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 2: You know, when a band is successful and then suddenly 50 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 2: he uses the opportunity to go fully experimental. I think 51 00:02:57,440 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 2: that's one of the most noble things they can do 52 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 2: and just collect the money. They took serious risks with 53 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 2: their idea of what music could be and it changed 54 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 2: the world for me. 55 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: What was your first concert experience? 56 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 2: Oh? Well, I went to many, many classical concerts and 57 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,200 Speaker 2: recitals when I was too young to go on my own, 58 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 2: and I was taken by my parents and also performed 59 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:24,239 Speaker 2: in a lot of school concerts in choirs and orchestras 60 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,800 Speaker 2: and as a solo west and what have you. But 61 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 2: my first rock or pop experience was probably in the 62 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 2: kind of late blues British blues explosion period where it 63 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 2: kind of met up with the early progressives, so bands 64 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 2: like Free and Family and the earliest version of Fleetwood 65 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 2: Mac things like that. 66 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: I'm always fascinated talking with all musicians, but in particular 67 00:03:54,960 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: the British musicians, because the diversity of styles that influence 68 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: so many of the British musicians is one consistent thread 69 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: among all of them. Do you agree with that, well, 70 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: do you think. 71 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 2: It's more diverse than in America, for example? 72 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: I think so. Yeah. 73 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, well I've never really thought of that, but yes, 74 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 2: you're probably right. I mean, America is such a big 75 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 2: place in a strange ironic way, it creates local scenes. 76 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 2: So there's like, you know, there's a sound collecting around 77 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 2: one city where everyone's kind of copying each other and 78 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 2: forming a kind of movement in music. Here, not so much. 79 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 2: I'd say we're a smaller place, so everyone gets to 80 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 2: hear everything and we soak it up like crazy. Yeah, 81 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 2: it's an interesting way of looking at it, actually. Yeah. 82 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: I always wonder about it too, from the standpoint of 83 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:54,360 Speaker 1: the impact that you know, certainly radio has had on 84 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: the way people get music consumption and music discovery as 85 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 1: well well, because I think in certainly our earlier era here, 86 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: you know, Top forty radio played all different styles of 87 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 1: music at that time, and probably the same as you 88 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: were developing in England as well. 89 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,480 Speaker 2: That's right, I mean and there was one national radio 90 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 2: station that really captured the market as it were, and 91 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 2: they had to play whatever was popular, so it you know, 92 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 2: it would be some rocktastic heavy metal thing right next 93 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:34,479 Speaker 2: to a synthpop or some kind of one hit wonder record. 94 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:38,239 Speaker 2: And yeah, they didn't play a genre. They just played 95 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 2: what was popular from every style. 96 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,279 Speaker 1: Well, we're going to talk a little bit more about 97 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 1: the Totally Tubular Festival. I loved the name. I love 98 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: saying that three times fast. Totally Tubular Festival, Totally Tubular Festival, 99 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: and it's just an amazing bill. This is an alternative 100 00:05:55,560 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 1: music dream festival with folks like Thomas Dolby and Modern 101 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 1: English and Men without Hats. Were you close with a 102 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: lot of those folks during the era when Thompson Twins 103 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: was first beginning. 104 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 2: In this case, actually no, I hardly know most of 105 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 2: the people on the bill, apart from Thomas Delby, who, 106 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 2: strangely enough, I met in the very early days of 107 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:23,680 Speaker 2: the Thompson Twins and he was even a little bit 108 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:25,919 Speaker 2: of a mentor to me in terms of he was 109 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 2: already ahead of me and getting synths involved in the sound. 110 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 2: And so he played on our second album as a 111 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 2: guest a musician, just when I was beginning to get 112 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:39,599 Speaker 2: to grips with synthesis. But oddly enough, we never have 113 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 2: played on stage together. And that's been a long time 114 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 2: coming as an idea. We've discussed it many many times, 115 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 2: in fact, all sorts of weird and wacky ideas, ways 116 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:53,920 Speaker 2: of getting together. But finally this opportunity's come, and it's 117 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 2: going to be great, actually, because he's a special guy. 118 00:06:57,279 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 2: You know, he's got all sorts of great ideas. And 119 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:03,480 Speaker 2: I can't wait to see his show. Actually, and I 120 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 2: think I'm going to join him and play one of 121 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 2: the songs with him. 122 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: All right, Science, Well I could do that, goodn't I? 123 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:12,559 Speaker 2: Magnus Pike's part. 124 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: I just had to do that. I couldn't hold back Science. 125 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: It's funny. 126 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 2: I don't know what happened to Magnus Pike, but we 127 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 2: all remember that exclamation. 128 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: Yes, thank god. So the success of Timpson Twins. Did 129 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 1: it take you by surprise in any way? 130 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 2: Well? 131 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: There are kind of two. 132 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 2: Answers to that question, one of which is, of course, 133 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 2: you know the whole thing that blows you away when 134 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 2: it happens, you know, and you've got no idea what 135 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 2: it's actually going to be like But on the other hand, 136 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 2: as a young group, you're all the time looking forward 137 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 2: to success and you know, scheming and plotting ways of 138 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 2: getting there, and so when it arrives, you can't exactly say, well, 139 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 2: I never expected that, because it was everything you put 140 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 2: your your mind to. But of course, the roller coaster 141 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 2: ride of success you can't really anticipate because it's crazy. 142 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 1: And the roller coaster has to do certainly with the 143 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: way bands collaborate and get along and inspire each other 144 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: and probably drive each other crazy too. 145 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 2: Right, yeah, oh, for sure. And there are lots of examples. 146 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 2: I mean, forget the Thompson Twins, but there are so 147 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 2: many examples of bands who were great but hated each other. 148 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 2: By the time they reached that great pinnacle of greatness, 149 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 2: they could hardly bear to be on a stage together enough. 150 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 2: It's a funny thing. It's an intense relationship which often 151 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 2: doesn't survive, and yet it, you know, the chemistry throws 152 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 2: up all sorts of amazing stuff. And I guess that 153 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 2: happened in relatively mild way to the three of those 154 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 2: as well. You know, for a few years we were 155 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 2: so tight together that you know, we were like a family, 156 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 2: we were like brothers and sisters, and that was amazing. 157 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,439 Speaker 2: But there came a point where we just had to 158 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 2: spend time. 159 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: On what are your favorites from the catalog? There's so 160 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 1: many that were just the soundtracks, certainly to our lives 161 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: and so many people's lives. What were some of your favorites? 162 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 2: Well, I mean, in the end, the work kind of 163 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 2: falls into different categories for me, and I quite like 164 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 2: the quirky stuff that got people's attention, but it's the 165 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 2: other side, it's the emotional, heavyweight songs that seem to 166 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 2: have a lot more kind of life in them. You know, 167 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 2: only sing a song like say lies, the mind reinterprets 168 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:42,439 Speaker 2: the purpose of that song because you know, it was 169 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 2: certainly not written about politicians today, but that's what it 170 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 2: ends up being about today, you know, because because the 171 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 2: context has changed. But something like holmy now, the essential 172 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 2: meaning of it of people coming together and getting over 173 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:01,680 Speaker 2: a problem and kissing making friends again after an argument 174 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 2: is that's a universal and eternal idea that never is 175 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 2: changed by context. 176 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:08,199 Speaker 1: You know. 177 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 2: So I like those heavyweight, emotional contents and I tend 178 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 2: to save those for last and enjoy what it does 179 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 2: to me and to an audience. 180 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: Well, that was my other question, which is when you 181 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: look out in an audience when you're performing and see 182 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 1: that moment where the audience has come together, they're feeling 183 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:36,800 Speaker 1: the vibe, they're going back in their life and remembering 184 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 1: where they were at the moment when these songs first hit. 185 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: How does that make you feel as a performer. 186 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 2: Well, it's actually an amazing privilege. And you know, nostalgia 187 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 2: is a funny thing because it can be cheapened by 188 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 2: just kind of using it to get a response. But 189 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:55,720 Speaker 2: on the other hand, if it reminds us of the 190 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 2: way we felt when we had an optimism about changing 191 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:00,560 Speaker 2: the world to make it a better place and all 192 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 2: those kind of things, then I think it has a 193 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 2: more noble purpose. As so there's a great nostalgia that 194 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:10,200 Speaker 2: you can engage with about saying, hang on, we've been 195 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 2: we've been derailed, we've been you know, kind of pushed 196 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:17,680 Speaker 2: off our track by all the weird and wonderful and 197 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 2: bad things that have happened in the world and to us. 198 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 2: But if you can remember that there was once a 199 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 2: time when we felt good about the possibility of making 200 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 2: the world better. I think that's a great thing to remember, 201 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 2: and the world always needs that one way or another. 202 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 2: And you know, there's also a broader question because I 203 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:39,880 Speaker 2: think rock and roll used to have that ambition very 204 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 2: very clearly. And we're going to talk about something like 205 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:45,199 Speaker 2: Live Aid in a minute. So that, in a way 206 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 2: was a perfect example where rock and roll automatically wanted 207 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 2: to get involved in solving a problem. Now I see 208 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:58,320 Speaker 2: that rock and roll is more about celebrity and success 209 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:01,280 Speaker 2: on the Internet than it is about any ambition to 210 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:05,640 Speaker 2: make the world better. So that's another nostalgia. I like 211 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 2: to think about the time when it meant something like that, 212 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,280 Speaker 2: and I think that was one of the motivations for 213 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 2: a lot of my peer group. You know, we got 214 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:17,079 Speaker 2: into music because we loved music, but because it was 215 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 2: also a powerful position to be in. 216 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 1: Well, tell me how Live Aid came together. How were 217 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: the Thompson Twins ultimately part of that amazing event, and 218 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 1: tell me about your memories of that. 219 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:34,439 Speaker 2: Well, we were slightly offsided by the fact that we 220 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 2: were in New York working on an album with Narle Rodgers, 221 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 2: and so we weren't in London, where which would have 222 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 2: been our natural Bill to join the Wembley Show, so 223 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 2: we said, can we do it in Philadelphia instead, and 224 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 2: they said sure. But then of course we had a 225 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:52,319 Speaker 2: problem of having no band because our regular band and 226 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:56,560 Speaker 2: live band in London were either not available or over 227 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:00,120 Speaker 2: there and so on, and at very short notice we 228 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 2: had to put the band together. But someone pointed out 229 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:05,080 Speaker 2: that the David Letterman band had the night off because 230 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 2: of live age, so they were available, and I think 231 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 2: Nile used his influence to get them and Steve Stevens, 232 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:16,680 Speaker 2: Billie Idol's guitarist, who had already played on that record, 233 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:19,560 Speaker 2: I said, come along and play your part on one 234 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:23,200 Speaker 2: of the songs. Nile of course was producing, so he 235 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 2: was another guitar. We had think five guitarists we had 236 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,680 Speaker 2: that day, and he just worked with the Madonna So 237 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 2: we did a kind of backstage deal do backing vocals 238 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 2: on each other's sets. So the Thompson Twins and Niles 239 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 2: sang Bev's on her songs and she sang on one 240 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:43,079 Speaker 2: of ours. So it was a ridiculous kind of superstar 241 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 2: band thrown together like in a day and a half 242 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 2: or something. 243 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 1: Amazing. Wow, yeah, it must have been a blur and 244 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:53,559 Speaker 1: a blast at the same time it was. 245 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 2: And of course it was one of those things where 246 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:56,560 Speaker 2: we just had to go with the flow. At the 247 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 2: last minute before we walked on stage, we had to 248 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,480 Speaker 2: cut a song out of our because someone had gone 249 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 2: on too long before is or something. You know, those 250 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 2: things happened. You just have to roll with them and 251 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 2: get on. But it was an amazing event. I met 252 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 2: a lot of people who were my heroes from way back, 253 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 2: you know, and some of whom I was kind of 254 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 2: deeply touched to even be in the same backstage area 255 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:21,920 Speaker 2: as them, you know. So those kind of events are 256 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 2: one of the little rewards of getting involved in the 257 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 2: music business, I think, to meet your heroes. 258 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 1: Who were some of those folks that you met that 259 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: really stuck out well? 260 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 2: I mean, actually, there was a whole long list of 261 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 2: people that I met that day that I hadn't met before, 262 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 2: But the one that really stands out for some reason 263 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 2: is Joan Biaz. When I was a young kid, someone 264 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:46,720 Speaker 2: gave me a Joan Byers record, which I loved. I 265 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 2: didn't even know who she was really, and then later 266 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 2: kind of figured out that she was one of the 267 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 2: great influences of American folk music and a great musician 268 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:00,160 Speaker 2: with a wonderful voice and a wonderful sense of poetry. 269 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:02,640 Speaker 2: And I think all her ideas were kind of on 270 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 2: the right side of the line as well, you know, 271 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 2: she was fighting for the right team, as it were. 272 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 2: And Yeah, amazing to meet her. And she was thrilled 273 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 2: that the kind of younger generation of kind of UK 274 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 2: synthpop troublemakers were also getting involved in activism, you know. 275 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 2: So it was a great meeting. 276 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: That's really cool. Thank God. We'll be right back with 277 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 1: the Taken a Walk Podcast. Welcome back to the Taken 278 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: a Walk Podcast. Tell me how you got involved in 279 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: some of these things that I want you to explain 280 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 1: to the audience and explain to me. Experimental electronic, babbel 281 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 1: and collab what is that, sir? Well. 282 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 2: Babel was what the Thompson Twins turned into when it 283 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 2: decided to go back into the underground and made two albums. 284 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 2: It was basically Alana and myself when we Yeah, we 285 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 2: kind of signed a new record deal and said, yeah, 286 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 2: but we don't want to be kind of top forty 287 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 2: popsters anymore. So as a result we felt free to 288 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 2: kind of re engage with Yeah, the underground because there's 289 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,240 Speaker 2: something fertile in that soil, you know, which you can 290 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 2: then translate into more commercial activity, I guess. But there's 291 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 2: something really fertile in the underground that I really like, 292 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 2: and so I always keep you know, at least one 293 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 2: toe in that water, and it helps, and it's very interesting. 294 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 2: Collab was also another kind, and that was really really 295 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 2: experimental music collab. You know, it's it's kind of ambient 296 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 2: textural sound really and it's important to do these things 297 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 2: and I couldn't release them as thomsentraines obviously. I mean 298 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 2: it's just way way way left of center, but it's 299 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 2: important to do them anyway, and you know, dig and 300 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 2: dig around and discover what's in there. 301 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 1: You know, as I'm talking to you, sort of prompted 302 00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: to ask you about Jerry Cassally from Devo as somebody 303 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 1: who I was fortunate to speak with, who you know, 304 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: explores into these places that are unique, much like you. 305 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:15,440 Speaker 1: Do you know him? To Jerry who Jerry Cassally from 306 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: the band Devo? 307 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 2: No, I don't know him. I mean i'd mind Devo 308 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,080 Speaker 2: from a distance for years obviously, but I don't know 309 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 2: any of them. And yes, I mean but you can tell, 310 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:28,200 Speaker 2: can't you that from the devo that they're not your 311 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 2: regular rock and roll group. That's right, They actually hit. 312 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:35,399 Speaker 2: They're seeking out a weird angle on everything, you know. 313 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,439 Speaker 2: So we need bands like that for sure, you know. 314 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 2: And it's and it's because they're experimentalists. I mean, some 315 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:47,200 Speaker 2: of the best pop musicians ever, like David Bowie are experimentalists. 316 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:50,879 Speaker 2: And that's why, for example, every third album of his 317 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:53,719 Speaker 2: was not very good because he was going in an 318 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 2: area that he didn't understand yet, but he had to 319 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 2: grapple with it, you know. So with him another artist 320 00:18:01,119 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 2: like that, every successful album isn't followed by another successful 321 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 2: album all the time. They have to be divergent and 322 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 2: look in other places. I think that's really important. 323 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:15,680 Speaker 1: Tell me about Indo fusion of the Hollywater Band. 324 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 2: Well, once someone asked me to because I'm interested in 325 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,879 Speaker 2: Indian music and in film music as well, and someone 326 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 2: who was making a film about water conservation and the 327 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 2: rivers in India said, would you would I consult on 328 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:32,919 Speaker 2: the music for the film. I said sure, it sounded 329 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,919 Speaker 2: like an interesting project and he'd already met up with 330 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 2: some musicians there in Northeast India. In Varanasi and we 331 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 2: ended up meeting and writing music together, recording it for 332 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:47,919 Speaker 2: the film, which was never completed. By the way, the 333 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 2: film never never go finished, but by that stage as 334 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:54,720 Speaker 2: it were formed a band and we went on tour 335 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:58,719 Speaker 2: in India and in New Zealand and it was completely 336 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 2: wonderful and we love each each other and it's a 337 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:06,320 Speaker 2: kind of musical marriage made in heaven. I wanted to 338 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:10,199 Speaker 2: learn more about Indian North Indian classical music, so it 339 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 2: was a great opportunity to do that. And the musicians 340 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 2: are brilliant and very generous in teaching me as well. 341 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 2: So I just get involved and whereinever we can, we 342 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 2: play together and. 343 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 1: Then tell me about the visual astronomy project. 344 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:29,239 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh. Well, one day a message from an 345 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:34,520 Speaker 2: astronomer who makes films about the night sky and such subjects, 346 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:38,399 Speaker 2: called Joseo Francisco Salgado, and he was at the time 347 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 2: working at the Adela Planetarium in Chicago, and he wanted 348 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 2: to license a piece of music that I've made. It 349 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:48,920 Speaker 2: was actually a piece of music by Babbel. He wanted 350 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:51,719 Speaker 2: to just use it in a film for a lecture, 351 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 2: and I said, you know, I can get in touch 352 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 2: with the publisher and the record company and ask them 353 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 2: and get the permissions that you acquiring all the rest 354 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:04,720 Speaker 2: of it. But I'm not doing anything this week. Why 355 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,240 Speaker 2: don't I just write a new piece of music a 356 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:10,679 Speaker 2: film instead. It would probably be simpler and a lot 357 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 2: less boring than chasing up the admin on all of that, 358 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 2: you know, to actually make some music. And I thought 359 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:19,359 Speaker 2: that would be, you know, like a few days work. 360 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:24,639 Speaker 2: We ended up making twelve films together. It was a 361 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:28,679 Speaker 2: fantastic thing, and we still when we can do such things. 362 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:32,119 Speaker 2: He does a lot of work with making films that 363 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,880 Speaker 2: synchronize to classical pieces that are performed by an orchestra 364 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:40,440 Speaker 2: in front of a projection of things about the night 365 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:44,520 Speaker 2: sky aura or the influence of the moon on tides. 366 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 2: It's kind of scientific things to do with astronomy. 367 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:53,199 Speaker 1: I'm asking this question with tongue in cheek. What do 368 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:54,440 Speaker 1: you do in your spare time? 369 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:59,680 Speaker 2: Ah? Well, I just last night I flew back from 370 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 2: Ants where I live when there is spare time, and 371 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 2: I had a couple of weeks there working on a 372 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:11,640 Speaker 2: very old house, fixing it up and gardening and going 373 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,399 Speaker 2: for long walks in the forest and cycling over the 374 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 2: mountains and all the rest of it. I like a 375 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:21,720 Speaker 2: country lifestyle to forget about the kind of urban rock 376 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 2: and roll that takes up most of my life. 377 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 1: So the totally tubular festival hitting somewhere near you coming up. 378 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 1: First time you've been back in six years to the US, 379 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:34,880 Speaker 1: is that right? 380 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's taken too long, of course, because of COVID. 381 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 2: Normally you can leave it three years and that's enough. 382 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 2: But yeah, so we've been looking for ways of getting 383 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:46,359 Speaker 2: back to the States all this time, and then this 384 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 2: possibility came up and it seemed like a really good 385 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 2: idea and we jumped into it. And as I say, 386 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 2: I'm very pleased to be finally working with Thomas Dolby. 387 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:57,880 Speaker 2: And it's a relatively big tour. I think we're doing 388 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 2: thirty odd dates with a few here and. 389 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:05,399 Speaker 1: There, Minern english Men without hats, the Romantics Bow Wow Wow, 390 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:08,680 Speaker 1: Tommy two Tone, the plim Souls. 391 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 2: I want to know who's got the stage management job, 392 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 2: because getting all those bands on and off in time 393 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 2: is going to be hard work. 394 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:20,879 Speaker 1: You got that right. Tell me about the current band 395 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 1: that you're playing with. 396 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:27,880 Speaker 2: Well, my band is an incredible group of musicians, they're 397 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 2: all female. Actually is something I've for some reason that 398 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:35,120 Speaker 2: just emerged as an idea and it's now become a tradition. 399 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:40,479 Speaker 2: I love working with women, and they bring a new energy, 400 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:44,399 Speaker 2: a different kind of energy to men in contemporary music. 401 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,720 Speaker 2: Some of them are fairly young as well, which means 402 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:50,639 Speaker 2: I mean I sometimes mention when I introduced them that 403 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 2: they weren't born when the songs they're about to play 404 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:58,159 Speaker 2: were written, so they have a different take on it altogether. 405 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 2: You know, they are not going, oh the good old days, 406 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 2: They're going what's this? And it's fascinating to work with them. 407 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 2: In fact, they're not always consistently available, so at the 408 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 2: beginning of this tour, I've got some different people playing 409 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,160 Speaker 2: with me, and after about a week it settles into 410 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:20,159 Speaker 2: the usual team that we have. But that's one of 411 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 2: the things I've discovered is that, I mean, back in 412 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,440 Speaker 2: the eighties, I mean, sure you could get female back 413 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:28,960 Speaker 2: in vocalists, and with a lot of searching, we for example, 414 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:33,640 Speaker 2: found a female bassist and a female guitarist for one 415 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:37,360 Speaker 2: of our tours, But generally speaking, there wasn't the kind 416 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 2: of gene pool of female musicians that there is now, 417 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:46,120 Speaker 2: and they're incredibly clever female musicians available to work now, 418 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:49,680 Speaker 2: so something's changed and I think that's a great great news. 419 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 1: Tom Bailey, one of the coolest guys on the planet. 420 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 1: Good luck on the Totally Tubular Tour festival and have 421 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:01,440 Speaker 1: a glass with it, and thanks for all the great 422 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 1: music that you continue to give. 423 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:05,800 Speaker 2: Us, and you are very kind. Well it's my pleasure 424 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 2: and I'm so much looking forward to getting to the 425 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,680 Speaker 2: States and having a good time. 426 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 1: Travel safe, sir, will do. Thank you, Bye bye bye, Tom, 427 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:22,360 Speaker 1: Tom Bailey Thompson Twins hitting the States on the Totally 428 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 1: Tubular Tour with a blast talking to him on the 429 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:30,720 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk podcast, Available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 430 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.