1 00:00:15,476 --> 00:00:22,876 Speaker 1: Pushkin. Joe Jackson is an enigma. He showed up in 2 00:00:22,916 --> 00:00:25,396 Speaker 1: seventy eight seventy nine on the UK's new wave scene, 3 00:00:25,516 --> 00:00:28,196 Speaker 1: all nervous energy and biting wit with hits like is 4 00:00:28,276 --> 00:00:29,796 Speaker 1: she really going out with him, putting him in the 5 00:00:29,836 --> 00:00:33,756 Speaker 1: same conversation as Elvis Costello and Squeeze. But where a 6 00:00:33,796 --> 00:00:36,156 Speaker 1: lot of his peers stayed in that lane, Jackson kept 7 00:00:36,196 --> 00:00:38,756 Speaker 1: moving into the jump blue swing of Jump and Jive, 8 00:00:39,156 --> 00:00:42,556 Speaker 1: into the sophisticated, Latin tinged jazz sounds on night and day, 9 00:00:42,996 --> 00:00:46,276 Speaker 1: into classical composition, into a music hall concept album under 10 00:00:46,316 --> 00:00:49,796 Speaker 1: an alter ego named Max Champion, and so much more. 11 00:00:50,076 --> 00:00:53,036 Speaker 1: He's rarely made the same record twice, and that restlessness 12 00:00:53,116 --> 00:00:56,756 Speaker 1: has probably cost him the kind of mainstream consistency that 13 00:00:56,796 --> 00:01:00,356 Speaker 1: turns an artist into a household name. But I can't 14 00:01:00,356 --> 00:01:03,116 Speaker 1: help but love the boldness of his approach, even if 15 00:01:03,156 --> 00:01:04,876 Speaker 1: it's made him, over the course of his career, a 16 00:01:04,876 --> 00:01:07,596 Speaker 1: little unknowable to fans. I was hoping by the end 17 00:01:07,596 --> 00:01:09,756 Speaker 1: of a conversation he might be a little more knowable, 18 00:01:10,316 --> 00:01:12,356 Speaker 1: and I don't know if that really happened, but I 19 00:01:12,476 --> 00:01:14,156 Speaker 1: do think I have a bit of a better sense 20 00:01:14,156 --> 00:01:16,276 Speaker 1: as to why He's maintained a sense of mystery throughout 21 00:01:16,316 --> 00:01:18,476 Speaker 1: his career, and really, I think it's because he just 22 00:01:18,516 --> 00:01:22,116 Speaker 1: doesn't take himself all that seriously. On today's episode, I 23 00:01:22,116 --> 00:01:24,476 Speaker 1: speak with Joe Jackson about his new studio album, Hope 24 00:01:24,476 --> 00:01:27,076 Speaker 1: and Fury and dig into some of the songwriting on 25 00:01:27,116 --> 00:01:30,036 Speaker 1: it and some of his older albums. Plus, we discussed 26 00:01:30,076 --> 00:01:33,876 Speaker 1: Joe's collaboration with his longtime, criminally underrated bass player Graham Maybe, 27 00:01:34,236 --> 00:01:36,756 Speaker 1: and get into what makes comedy an important part of 28 00:01:36,836 --> 00:01:47,756 Speaker 1: Joe's artistic sensibility. This is broken record, real musicians, real conversations. 29 00:01:50,276 --> 00:01:53,236 Speaker 1: Here's my interview with Joe Jackson from Amazon Music Studio 30 00:01:53,356 --> 00:02:00,756 Speaker 1: one twenty six grow Back. 31 00:02:14,636 --> 00:02:15,876 Speaker 2: I forgot we did this question. 32 00:02:16,396 --> 00:02:20,756 Speaker 1: This is pretty cool, amazing. 33 00:02:23,636 --> 00:02:25,716 Speaker 3: Don't ask you want to think of you and I'm 34 00:02:25,756 --> 00:02:26,876 Speaker 3: not give the answer. 35 00:02:26,636 --> 00:02:27,196 Speaker 4: That you want. 36 00:02:27,276 --> 00:02:27,596 Speaker 5: Mazing. 37 00:02:31,556 --> 00:02:34,876 Speaker 2: Wow, I've got this girl. Huh. 38 00:02:35,476 --> 00:02:36,876 Speaker 1: Such a great writ I don't even want to turn 39 00:02:36,876 --> 00:02:37,156 Speaker 1: it off. 40 00:02:45,556 --> 00:02:50,716 Speaker 2: Let me kurd light upould do it. I think he's thinking. 41 00:02:55,996 --> 00:02:57,316 Speaker 6: And we're not talking to God. 42 00:02:57,356 --> 00:03:00,516 Speaker 3: A little stay sister, find me to be your guy. 43 00:03:03,876 --> 00:03:05,956 Speaker 3: Don't ask you want to think of you and I'm 44 00:03:05,996 --> 00:03:07,556 Speaker 3: not give the answer that you want me. 45 00:03:31,316 --> 00:03:41,716 Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, I'll want to break it out. You gotta 46 00:03:41,716 --> 00:03:47,156 Speaker 5: do it, it's all. Yeah, damn, it's weird. It's weird 47 00:03:47,196 --> 00:03:49,196 Speaker 5: that you it's kind of strange that you picked that 48 00:03:49,276 --> 00:03:49,996 Speaker 5: one that you did that. 49 00:03:50,596 --> 00:03:52,156 Speaker 2: I always thought it could have been written about me, 50 00:03:52,396 --> 00:03:54,316 Speaker 2: because like, I can't sing, I ain't pretty, and my 51 00:03:54,436 --> 00:04:01,356 Speaker 2: legs are thin, so you know that fits. Yeah, I'd 52 00:04:01,356 --> 00:04:03,876 Speaker 2: completely forgotten we did the version of that. Actually it's 53 00:04:05,036 --> 00:04:07,756 Speaker 2: but it sort of has this Afro Cuban vibe going 54 00:04:07,796 --> 00:04:09,876 Speaker 2: through it. So, I mean, if I ever do a 55 00:04:09,916 --> 00:04:11,716 Speaker 2: cover version of something, it's because I can see a 56 00:04:11,756 --> 00:04:14,716 Speaker 2: way to do it it's different to the original version. Yeah, 57 00:04:14,756 --> 00:04:15,676 Speaker 2: I don't see any point in that. 58 00:04:16,676 --> 00:04:19,116 Speaker 1: So you see, you definitely sense a way to do 59 00:04:19,196 --> 00:04:21,796 Speaker 1: it different, But there's also probably something about it you 60 00:04:21,996 --> 00:04:26,276 Speaker 1: sense that must feel familiar in some way or feel 61 00:04:26,356 --> 00:04:28,396 Speaker 1: like it it fits also. 62 00:04:28,836 --> 00:04:33,596 Speaker 2: Yeah, I suppose. So yeah, it's more about you know, 63 00:04:35,396 --> 00:04:37,956 Speaker 2: can I see a different way to do it that's interesting? 64 00:04:38,596 --> 00:04:41,636 Speaker 2: And can I can I sing it and actually capable 65 00:04:41,676 --> 00:04:44,116 Speaker 2: of singing it? I mean that was hard to sing. 66 00:04:44,396 --> 00:04:47,836 Speaker 1: Yeah, did you know that song from uh from one 67 00:04:47,876 --> 00:04:48,636 Speaker 1: of First Way Back? 68 00:04:48,756 --> 00:04:52,676 Speaker 2: Yeah, but I mean it wasn't something that's Uh, I mean, 69 00:04:52,716 --> 00:04:54,836 Speaker 2: I don't I don't know. It's just I guess maybe 70 00:04:54,876 --> 00:04:57,476 Speaker 2: I heard it on a radio somewhere or something and 71 00:04:57,596 --> 00:04:59,476 Speaker 2: thought I could see a way. 72 00:04:59,396 --> 00:04:59,716 Speaker 1: To do that. 73 00:04:59,956 --> 00:05:01,916 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't remember. Now. It's kind of like a 74 00:05:02,036 --> 00:05:05,956 Speaker 2: last Fleetwood Mac classic, you know. Yeah, I mean it's 75 00:05:05,996 --> 00:05:08,356 Speaker 2: not what you think of when you think of Fleetwood makes. 76 00:05:08,476 --> 00:05:11,716 Speaker 1: No not for a long time. It hasn't wrote. But 77 00:05:11,836 --> 00:05:15,196 Speaker 1: Peter Green, who wrote that, was the you know, leading 78 00:05:15,236 --> 00:05:17,076 Speaker 1: the band at the time. He did have a I mean, 79 00:05:17,076 --> 00:05:18,636 Speaker 1: I don't know. Maybe I'm just spacing this based on 80 00:05:19,476 --> 00:05:24,436 Speaker 1: Santana taking or doing or a Black Magic Woman. Oh 81 00:05:24,436 --> 00:05:25,956 Speaker 1: oh right, yeah, I was gonna say, oh, come on 82 00:05:25,996 --> 00:05:27,836 Speaker 1: by t by doing Black Magic Woman, which you wrote. 83 00:05:27,836 --> 00:05:28,956 Speaker 1: But I would feel like he had a bit of 84 00:05:28,996 --> 00:05:31,156 Speaker 1: a Latin flair. 85 00:05:31,156 --> 00:05:31,556 Speaker 2: Yeah. 86 00:05:33,316 --> 00:05:36,476 Speaker 1: Something. No, No, okay, you certainly do. 87 00:05:37,516 --> 00:05:37,716 Speaker 3: Yeah. 88 00:05:37,796 --> 00:05:39,636 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, I'm a Latin music not Yeah. 89 00:05:40,116 --> 00:05:40,836 Speaker 1: When did that start? 90 00:05:41,956 --> 00:05:44,356 Speaker 2: I'm telling you exactly because I was in London in 91 00:05:44,516 --> 00:05:47,516 Speaker 2: nineteen seventy eight something like that. It was around the 92 00:05:47,556 --> 00:05:50,836 Speaker 2: time that I recorded my first album, Yeah, and I 93 00:05:50,916 --> 00:05:53,596 Speaker 2: went into a second hand record shop. I saw this 94 00:05:53,676 --> 00:05:56,316 Speaker 2: speed up LP. It was called Salsa Live by the 95 00:05:56,396 --> 00:06:00,596 Speaker 2: Fania All stars, and I was intrigued by it because 96 00:06:00,636 --> 00:06:04,116 Speaker 2: the cover art was a painting of Latin musicians standing 97 00:06:04,156 --> 00:06:06,276 Speaker 2: on the platform in the New York subway. And this 98 00:06:06,396 --> 00:06:07,996 Speaker 2: was in the seventies, and all the trains are covered 99 00:06:08,036 --> 00:06:10,516 Speaker 2: in graffiti and stuff, and they looked like gangsters, you know, 100 00:06:10,596 --> 00:06:13,316 Speaker 2: with their instrument cases and like big broad brimmed hats 101 00:06:13,356 --> 00:06:16,116 Speaker 2: and stuff. And I thought, this looks really cool, and 102 00:06:16,756 --> 00:06:18,236 Speaker 2: I took it home, listened to it, and I couldn't 103 00:06:18,236 --> 00:06:20,956 Speaker 2: make sense of it. I couldn't understand the rhythms. They 104 00:06:20,996 --> 00:06:23,956 Speaker 2: were alien to me. I was so fascinated by it. 105 00:06:24,036 --> 00:06:25,956 Speaker 2: I started reaching out to everyone I knew in London, 106 00:06:25,996 --> 00:06:28,156 Speaker 2: all the musicians I knew in London, Does anyone know 107 00:06:28,236 --> 00:06:32,396 Speaker 2: any Latin percussionists, any Latin musicians who can kind of 108 00:06:32,556 --> 00:06:34,956 Speaker 2: teach me about this music. And managed to find a 109 00:06:34,996 --> 00:06:38,076 Speaker 2: couple of people, and that's where it started. And then 110 00:06:38,116 --> 00:06:39,876 Speaker 2: when I got to New York, one of the things 111 00:06:39,916 --> 00:06:42,356 Speaker 2: that I was most interested in was the Latin music scene. 112 00:06:43,036 --> 00:06:46,436 Speaker 2: And so, you know, the first tours I ever did 113 00:06:46,476 --> 00:06:48,476 Speaker 2: in the US, we would always be sort of based 114 00:06:48,516 --> 00:06:52,036 Speaker 2: in New York and we would have days off, you know, 115 00:06:52,356 --> 00:06:55,436 Speaker 2: like the early eighties and I would be going to 116 00:06:55,956 --> 00:07:00,516 Speaker 2: Latin gigs wow, and most of my band and crew 117 00:07:00,756 --> 00:07:03,116 Speaker 2: they wanted to go to CBGB's you know, which is 118 00:07:03,156 --> 00:07:06,476 Speaker 2: great too, right, And they didn't get it at all. 119 00:07:07,156 --> 00:07:08,996 Speaker 2: They thought it was crazy. But it was an amazing 120 00:07:09,196 --> 00:07:11,796 Speaker 2: time for Latin music in New York. It was such 121 00:07:11,836 --> 00:07:13,716 Speaker 2: a vibrant scene. I just loved it. 122 00:07:14,076 --> 00:07:15,956 Speaker 1: Where would you go at that time for Latin music? 123 00:07:15,956 --> 00:07:17,916 Speaker 2: If you remember, there was I mean I would go 124 00:07:17,956 --> 00:07:20,516 Speaker 2: to places like the Corso Latin Bore Room one hundred 125 00:07:20,516 --> 00:07:24,356 Speaker 2: and twenty fifth Street. And then there was a thing 126 00:07:24,436 --> 00:07:26,956 Speaker 2: called Salsa meets Jazz Monday Nights at the Village Gate 127 00:07:27,196 --> 00:07:30,156 Speaker 2: in Greenwich Village, which was amazing. They would have a 128 00:07:30,196 --> 00:07:32,156 Speaker 2: couple of the top Latin bands in the city and 129 00:07:32,196 --> 00:07:34,876 Speaker 2: then they would have guest jazz soloists playing with them, 130 00:07:35,036 --> 00:07:39,476 Speaker 2: people like Stanley Turrentine and nat Adalie and you know, 131 00:07:39,636 --> 00:07:43,196 Speaker 2: like really great players. That was incredible. I went every week. 132 00:07:43,436 --> 00:07:45,236 Speaker 1: That's why I loved it. I never heard those guys 133 00:07:45,316 --> 00:07:48,556 Speaker 1: do anything Latin. And you know, I can recall you know, 134 00:07:48,596 --> 00:07:50,916 Speaker 1: it's pretty yeah, yeah, pretty think of him as being 135 00:07:51,156 --> 00:07:53,236 Speaker 1: pretty smooth in terms of pretty soulful player. 136 00:07:53,396 --> 00:07:56,716 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, but there would also be people like 137 00:07:56,756 --> 00:08:00,356 Speaker 2: Pachito de Rivera, who's both Latin and a great jazz player, 138 00:08:00,476 --> 00:08:04,556 Speaker 2: you know. Yea, But I saw so many great artists there. 139 00:08:04,596 --> 00:08:07,476 Speaker 2: I mean everyone who was Ray Bareto was my favorite. 140 00:08:07,916 --> 00:08:10,636 Speaker 2: I saw so many gigs. Barretto always had the greatest band. 141 00:08:10,836 --> 00:08:13,556 Speaker 2: It was so exciting. Yeah, I couldn't understand why my 142 00:08:13,716 --> 00:08:17,356 Speaker 2: peers were not into this music. Yeah, was anyway? 143 00:08:18,156 --> 00:08:19,956 Speaker 1: Was there ever? I'm trying to. I mean, I guess 144 00:08:20,036 --> 00:08:23,316 Speaker 1: it didn't really come around in popular music until like 145 00:08:23,396 --> 00:08:24,956 Speaker 1: Miami Sound Machine or something. 146 00:08:25,036 --> 00:08:27,636 Speaker 2: You know, probably you got a bit of it with Santana, 147 00:08:27,756 --> 00:08:30,796 Speaker 2: I guess, But yeah, whose brother actually not a thing 148 00:08:30,796 --> 00:08:33,196 Speaker 2: about Yes, brother was in a band that I think 149 00:08:33,436 --> 00:08:37,276 Speaker 2: was signed of Fanya. Uh his brother was I think 150 00:08:37,476 --> 00:08:41,356 Speaker 2: in that group, uh Mallow or something, And I think 151 00:08:41,436 --> 00:08:42,796 Speaker 2: I think they were signed to Find You. But they 152 00:08:42,836 --> 00:08:45,236 Speaker 2: were like more they were kind of like Santana, but 153 00:08:45,356 --> 00:08:50,236 Speaker 2: even more like kind of more down the Latin. 154 00:08:49,996 --> 00:08:53,756 Speaker 1: Rock niche than even Santana was. You know, But nothing 155 00:08:53,796 --> 00:08:56,396 Speaker 1: from but find You didn't seem to really get too 156 00:08:56,476 --> 00:08:59,236 Speaker 1: much traction in mainstream music, you know. 157 00:08:59,676 --> 00:09:03,036 Speaker 2: But I mean, uh, yeah, if if you see mainstream 158 00:09:03,076 --> 00:09:08,556 Speaker 2: as being Anglo American pop rock, which was most people did. 159 00:09:08,636 --> 00:09:11,396 Speaker 1: But it is, but I don't know what it is. 160 00:09:11,876 --> 00:09:13,836 Speaker 2: But I mean, you know, when I first started living 161 00:09:13,876 --> 00:09:15,796 Speaker 2: in New York in the eighties, I was going to 162 00:09:15,876 --> 00:09:19,316 Speaker 2: Latin gigs and jazz gigs all the time, and that, 163 00:09:19,516 --> 00:09:21,196 Speaker 2: to me was the sound of New York, you know, 164 00:09:21,316 --> 00:09:23,636 Speaker 2: to me it was it was a Latin and jazz 165 00:09:23,716 --> 00:09:26,276 Speaker 2: town rather than a pop rock town. 166 00:09:26,556 --> 00:09:26,796 Speaker 1: Yeah. 167 00:09:28,716 --> 00:09:31,876 Speaker 2: So that that's that was very much what fed into 168 00:09:32,396 --> 00:09:35,396 Speaker 2: my album Night and Day, which I thought no one 169 00:09:35,476 --> 00:09:39,476 Speaker 2: was going to like. Yeah, but it. 170 00:09:39,676 --> 00:09:42,556 Speaker 1: Was a huge departure from the first three albums. 171 00:09:42,716 --> 00:09:44,316 Speaker 2: That's one of the reasons I thought no one wouldn't 172 00:09:44,396 --> 00:09:44,556 Speaker 2: like it. 173 00:09:45,876 --> 00:09:48,556 Speaker 1: And it's looking in hindsight, it was a it was 174 00:09:48,996 --> 00:09:51,476 Speaker 1: a quick you made that detour rap quick. I mean, 175 00:09:51,516 --> 00:09:55,316 Speaker 1: it's the fourth album, but it's only three years later, 176 00:09:55,356 --> 00:09:56,116 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty one. 177 00:09:56,156 --> 00:09:58,196 Speaker 2: I guess that album, Yeah, but years were years back then. 178 00:09:58,756 --> 00:10:02,316 Speaker 2: Tell me about that, Well, they lasted a lot longer 179 00:10:02,316 --> 00:10:05,796 Speaker 2: than they do now, you know, I mean distance between 180 00:10:06,276 --> 00:10:10,076 Speaker 2: your third, first, and third and fourth albums. Yeah, looking back, 181 00:10:10,116 --> 00:10:11,716 Speaker 2: it was just a few years. But at the time 182 00:10:11,796 --> 00:10:17,476 Speaker 2: it didn't seem like, oh, it's you know, we made 183 00:10:17,476 --> 00:10:19,716 Speaker 2: an album last week. Let's make another one this week. 184 00:10:19,756 --> 00:10:22,236 Speaker 2: It didn't feel like that at the time. Yeah, and 185 00:10:22,356 --> 00:10:23,756 Speaker 2: yet that's what you were doing. I mean the first 186 00:10:23,836 --> 00:10:26,556 Speaker 2: two albums, well just came out in the same Yeah. 187 00:10:26,596 --> 00:10:31,196 Speaker 2: Yeah recorded months of I mean fun we recorded in 188 00:10:31,556 --> 00:10:33,516 Speaker 2: the summer of seventy eight and it came out in 189 00:10:33,596 --> 00:10:34,556 Speaker 2: January seventy nine. 190 00:10:34,716 --> 00:10:34,876 Speaker 1: Yeah. 191 00:10:35,676 --> 00:10:37,436 Speaker 2: From the second one, I can't remember when were recorded, 192 00:10:37,436 --> 00:10:39,916 Speaker 2: but I think it came out in September seventy nine. Okay, 193 00:10:40,036 --> 00:10:42,436 Speaker 2: but yeah, I mean who puts that two albums a year? 194 00:10:42,956 --> 00:10:45,396 Speaker 2: The Beatles and the Beatles did yeah, you know, well 195 00:10:45,516 --> 00:10:46,436 Speaker 2: back then people did. 196 00:10:46,516 --> 00:10:46,716 Speaker 1: Yeah. 197 00:10:46,796 --> 00:10:46,996 Speaker 2: Yeah. 198 00:10:47,756 --> 00:10:49,076 Speaker 1: Was there a reason you did? Like, was there? 199 00:10:49,716 --> 00:10:52,956 Speaker 2: No? It was just like, let's I weren't really thinking 200 00:10:52,956 --> 00:10:57,036 Speaker 2: about that much. I just had enough songs for another 201 00:10:57,116 --> 00:10:59,676 Speaker 2: album and everyone seemed to want to do it. Yeah. 202 00:11:00,276 --> 00:11:02,236 Speaker 1: What was what was your relationship with A and M? 203 00:11:02,396 --> 00:11:03,996 Speaker 1: Like at that time it was pretty good. 204 00:11:03,916 --> 00:11:06,516 Speaker 2: I think, yeah, yeah, when they were a pretty good, 205 00:11:06,836 --> 00:11:08,036 Speaker 2: pretty good label at the time. 206 00:11:08,556 --> 00:11:09,036 Speaker 1: Incredible. 207 00:11:10,036 --> 00:11:13,556 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean they had a lot of great people 208 00:11:13,676 --> 00:11:17,076 Speaker 2: and it was a really different era when the record 209 00:11:17,116 --> 00:11:18,196 Speaker 2: company made a difference. 210 00:11:18,836 --> 00:11:21,996 Speaker 1: Yeah, but it's also like it was that A and 211 00:11:22,156 --> 00:11:24,476 Speaker 1: M was you know, it's like KRB Albert and Jerry Moss, 212 00:11:24,596 --> 00:11:26,676 Speaker 1: that's the those are the founders. That's the A and 213 00:11:26,756 --> 00:11:29,316 Speaker 1: M in it. And then you know, and it's a 214 00:11:29,396 --> 00:11:34,196 Speaker 1: it's a substantial label, you know, And I don't know 215 00:11:34,476 --> 00:11:37,076 Speaker 1: it was an independent and yet it wasn't independent, but 216 00:11:37,876 --> 00:11:40,796 Speaker 1: because those guys were such record you know, record industry guys, 217 00:11:41,476 --> 00:11:43,956 Speaker 1: but they were also musicians, but there were also originally 218 00:11:44,036 --> 00:11:44,756 Speaker 1: did you meet them ever? 219 00:11:45,076 --> 00:11:46,196 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. 220 00:11:46,836 --> 00:11:47,436 Speaker 1: What were they like? 221 00:11:49,436 --> 00:11:51,396 Speaker 2: Jerry must seemed like a pretty cool guy. I mean 222 00:11:51,436 --> 00:11:53,236 Speaker 2: I met him a few times. Herb I only met 223 00:11:53,316 --> 00:11:55,156 Speaker 2: once or once or twice I think, and it just 224 00:11:55,196 --> 00:11:58,476 Speaker 2: seemed like incredibly laid back. Yeah. I don't know how 225 00:11:58,556 --> 00:12:00,956 Speaker 2: much they had to do with with my career, to 226 00:12:01,036 --> 00:12:04,316 Speaker 2: be honest, I don't think they were the people most involved. 227 00:12:04,956 --> 00:12:10,956 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's interesting that also you were Courted the first 228 00:12:11,036 --> 00:12:13,756 Speaker 1: album before The Police is for I mean the Police 229 00:12:13,756 --> 00:12:16,876 Speaker 1: were label mates, yes, and their first album came out 230 00:12:17,556 --> 00:12:20,876 Speaker 1: after it. Court is your first album. It came out 231 00:12:20,916 --> 00:12:21,756 Speaker 1: before I thought it was. 232 00:12:22,476 --> 00:12:23,996 Speaker 2: I don't remember, well, it. 233 00:12:23,996 --> 00:12:26,036 Speaker 1: Came out before yours came out, but you recorded yours 234 00:12:26,076 --> 00:12:29,276 Speaker 1: before it came out, and which is interesting just because 235 00:12:29,316 --> 00:12:31,436 Speaker 1: it feels like they were sort of the. 236 00:12:33,396 --> 00:12:35,836 Speaker 2: You know more about this than me, I'll just shut 237 00:12:35,916 --> 00:12:36,156 Speaker 2: up and. 238 00:12:36,356 --> 00:12:41,596 Speaker 1: You tell it like it is, I'll do about your career. 239 00:12:42,396 --> 00:12:45,476 Speaker 2: Yeah, I did not know that, but yeah, we were 240 00:12:45,516 --> 00:12:47,796 Speaker 2: contemporaries and Squeeze as well. It was the other band 241 00:12:47,836 --> 00:12:53,596 Speaker 2: that we're like. But like I said, time was was 242 00:12:53,676 --> 00:12:58,276 Speaker 2: so much bigger than you know, the fact that someone's 243 00:12:58,556 --> 00:13:01,356 Speaker 2: first album came out six months before or after mine 244 00:13:01,636 --> 00:13:03,876 Speaker 2: might have seemed quite significant at the time. Yeah, it 245 00:13:03,996 --> 00:13:04,876 Speaker 2: certainly doesn't, you know. 246 00:13:05,156 --> 00:13:06,556 Speaker 1: Yeah, I guess where I was going with the Police 247 00:13:06,556 --> 00:13:10,676 Speaker 1: comment was and kind of I think most people's popular imaginations, 248 00:13:10,796 --> 00:13:13,276 Speaker 1: like it felt like they were the Police were sort 249 00:13:13,276 --> 00:13:16,516 Speaker 1: of the lead off to I'm sure it was happening already. 250 00:13:16,556 --> 00:13:20,036 Speaker 1: You know, there was Madness and all those other groups 251 00:13:20,236 --> 00:13:23,276 Speaker 1: that were sort of SKA tinged at the time. 252 00:13:23,396 --> 00:13:25,156 Speaker 2: Yeah. I think their first time came out the same 253 00:13:25,396 --> 00:13:27,636 Speaker 2: year as mine. I think Madness and the Specials. 254 00:13:27,676 --> 00:13:30,996 Speaker 1: I think the special Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, But in 255 00:13:31,116 --> 00:13:33,556 Speaker 1: terms of in terms of I guess going back to 256 00:13:33,596 --> 00:13:35,316 Speaker 1: popular music, I felt like the Police were sort of 257 00:13:35,396 --> 00:13:39,636 Speaker 1: like the ones that sort of broke it that out 258 00:13:39,676 --> 00:13:43,476 Speaker 1: of being local to whatever was happening. In the UK 259 00:13:43,876 --> 00:13:47,076 Speaker 1: and made it feel worldwide, made it feel global or 260 00:13:47,076 --> 00:13:51,836 Speaker 1: at least transcontinental. But it must have been, like you know, obviously, 261 00:13:51,876 --> 00:13:53,836 Speaker 1: if you've recorded your first album before that came out, 262 00:13:53,876 --> 00:13:57,396 Speaker 1: that was a thing that was brewing, right, that sort 263 00:13:57,436 --> 00:13:59,236 Speaker 1: of SKA new wave. 264 00:14:00,556 --> 00:14:04,956 Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean, I think, like anyone else, I was 265 00:14:05,036 --> 00:14:07,276 Speaker 2: influenced by what was going on around me. And I 266 00:14:07,436 --> 00:14:10,636 Speaker 2: was in a certain place at a certain time, and 267 00:14:10,796 --> 00:14:13,756 Speaker 2: I was, you know, twenty three years old. And even 268 00:14:13,796 --> 00:14:16,276 Speaker 2: though I wanted to think that I was just being 269 00:14:16,316 --> 00:14:18,676 Speaker 2: original and I wasn't part of a movement or you 270 00:14:18,756 --> 00:14:21,996 Speaker 2: know that sort of stuff. You know, I think, yeah, 271 00:14:22,036 --> 00:14:24,036 Speaker 2: I was very influenced by everything that was going on 272 00:14:24,076 --> 00:14:26,276 Speaker 2: around me. And if I listened to my first album now, 273 00:14:27,196 --> 00:14:29,196 Speaker 2: but not that I do, to be honest, but it 274 00:14:29,436 --> 00:14:33,116 Speaker 2: just really sounds like London in nineteen seventy eight. You know, 275 00:14:33,876 --> 00:14:37,716 Speaker 2: It's very much of its time and place, and I 276 00:14:37,796 --> 00:14:38,996 Speaker 2: think you can't avoid that. 277 00:14:40,036 --> 00:14:41,756 Speaker 1: But that wasn't the intention, you did, want to know, 278 00:14:41,956 --> 00:14:42,916 Speaker 1: I mean, apart from. 279 00:14:42,836 --> 00:14:45,876 Speaker 2: Her, Yeah, I felt like this is my thing and 280 00:14:45,916 --> 00:14:47,916 Speaker 2: I don't want to be compared to anyone else, and 281 00:14:49,476 --> 00:14:53,796 Speaker 2: you know, and I would do interviews in Spain or somewhere, 282 00:14:53,796 --> 00:14:55,716 Speaker 2: and they'd say, so are you part of the new wave? 283 00:14:55,916 --> 00:14:57,796 Speaker 2: And I'd say, what are you talking about? I don't 284 00:14:57,836 --> 00:14:58,836 Speaker 2: even know what you're talking about. 285 00:14:59,396 --> 00:15:04,836 Speaker 1: You know, that term was particularly triggering for a lot 286 00:15:04,876 --> 00:15:06,236 Speaker 1: of artists, I think, you know. 287 00:15:06,356 --> 00:15:08,556 Speaker 2: I mean, it's just like, you know, you don't want 288 00:15:08,556 --> 00:15:11,276 Speaker 2: to feel like you just part of the cults, you know, 289 00:15:11,356 --> 00:15:14,516 Speaker 2: ideology or something. You know, we all want to feel 290 00:15:14,556 --> 00:15:15,956 Speaker 2: like we're brilliant originals. 291 00:15:16,396 --> 00:15:18,716 Speaker 1: What was playing live like at that time? Was there? 292 00:15:19,556 --> 00:15:21,116 Speaker 1: Who were you? Who would you have been playing with 293 00:15:21,276 --> 00:15:24,636 Speaker 1: at that time, pre pre getting signed, pre your album? 294 00:15:24,676 --> 00:15:27,436 Speaker 1: Were you playing out, playing live, working out those songs? 295 00:15:29,436 --> 00:15:34,476 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, only a couple of pub gigs. I didn't 296 00:15:34,516 --> 00:15:37,316 Speaker 2: have a regular band until I got the record deal 297 00:15:37,596 --> 00:15:42,876 Speaker 2: because I couldn't afford to pay them. So there's basically 298 00:15:42,996 --> 00:15:45,756 Speaker 2: the band that I made my demos with. You know, 299 00:15:45,916 --> 00:15:48,196 Speaker 2: I called them up and said, hey, do you want 300 00:15:48,236 --> 00:15:51,436 Speaker 2: to quit your whatever your job is and go on 301 00:15:51,516 --> 00:15:53,996 Speaker 2: the road and we can just about afford to pay 302 00:15:54,356 --> 00:15:56,716 Speaker 2: a living wage. So before that I was just doing 303 00:15:56,756 --> 00:15:59,836 Speaker 2: any kind of gig I could get, and not with 304 00:15:59,996 --> 00:16:03,196 Speaker 2: your not with the band, doing all kinds of stuff, 305 00:16:03,396 --> 00:16:07,196 Speaker 2: you know, like I played in the Playboy Club and 306 00:16:08,036 --> 00:16:10,476 Speaker 2: I played for a cabaret a duo called Coffee and 307 00:16:10,556 --> 00:16:14,716 Speaker 2: Cream when I really cheesy. I did that for six 308 00:16:14,796 --> 00:16:17,436 Speaker 2: months to save up money, you know. That's how I 309 00:16:17,516 --> 00:16:20,516 Speaker 2: saved up money to make the demos that became my 310 00:16:20,596 --> 00:16:21,156 Speaker 2: first album. 311 00:16:21,276 --> 00:16:22,676 Speaker 1: Wait, were you in Coffee and Cream? 312 00:16:22,876 --> 00:16:27,036 Speaker 2: I was the piano player. Don't shoot me. I'm only 313 00:16:27,076 --> 00:16:31,876 Speaker 2: the piano player. Yeah, it was my choice, but I 314 00:16:31,916 --> 00:16:34,716 Speaker 2: would just do anything, you know. Before that, I was 315 00:16:34,756 --> 00:16:38,956 Speaker 2: in top forty cover bands and playing weddings and playing 316 00:16:38,996 --> 00:16:44,156 Speaker 2: in restaurants and playing jazz gigs. Just I mean, it's 317 00:16:44,196 --> 00:16:47,156 Speaker 2: really weird to think back to when I made my 318 00:16:47,196 --> 00:16:49,996 Speaker 2: first album. I was only twenty three, and I felt 319 00:16:50,076 --> 00:16:52,916 Speaker 2: like a veteran at that point. I mean, I did 320 00:16:52,996 --> 00:16:56,076 Speaker 2: my first paying gig when I was sixteen, you know, 321 00:16:56,196 --> 00:16:58,756 Speaker 2: so I was doing all kinds of gigs and I 322 00:16:58,836 --> 00:17:04,036 Speaker 2: felt like sort of culmination of this long journey making 323 00:17:04,076 --> 00:17:04,556 Speaker 2: an album. 324 00:17:04,916 --> 00:17:09,756 Speaker 1: I was twenty three, sixteen or twenty three. It's it's 325 00:17:09,996 --> 00:17:11,076 Speaker 1: it's substantial. 326 00:17:11,796 --> 00:17:13,836 Speaker 2: Well again, when you're not age, it really is substantial. 327 00:17:13,916 --> 00:17:17,836 Speaker 1: Yeah, super substantial. What was your like, what was your 328 00:17:18,196 --> 00:17:21,116 Speaker 1: so if you're playing popular music at the time that 329 00:17:21,196 --> 00:17:22,676 Speaker 1: what was your repertoire pre. 330 00:17:22,796 --> 00:17:25,356 Speaker 2: Yeah, well you know what whatever was in the charts, 331 00:17:25,516 --> 00:17:28,276 Speaker 2: and just depending what kind of band it. 332 00:17:28,436 --> 00:17:32,236 Speaker 1: Was, remember certain songs you would loath to have. 333 00:17:36,436 --> 00:17:39,996 Speaker 2: I wasn't crazy about the Neil Diamond medley we did 334 00:17:40,036 --> 00:17:45,676 Speaker 2: with Coffee and Cream. But you know, I don't think 335 00:17:45,716 --> 00:17:48,356 Speaker 2: it's it's a bad thing to use the skills you 336 00:17:48,436 --> 00:17:51,716 Speaker 2: have to make money, No, and also you get it. 337 00:17:51,996 --> 00:17:56,276 Speaker 2: It's all experienced whatever you do, and and I think 338 00:17:56,356 --> 00:17:59,836 Speaker 2: it it's a good groundwork. I think people don't have 339 00:17:59,916 --> 00:18:02,476 Speaker 2: it so much anymore. But but you know, when you've 340 00:18:02,516 --> 00:18:05,436 Speaker 2: gone on stage and had glasses thrown at you, buy 341 00:18:05,716 --> 00:18:09,316 Speaker 2: an audience of skin heads and things like that, you know, 342 00:18:09,356 --> 00:18:12,556 Speaker 2: it does kind of toughen you up a bit, prepare 343 00:18:12,596 --> 00:18:16,116 Speaker 2: you for the long haul. And yeah, so I said 344 00:18:16,156 --> 00:18:18,476 Speaker 2: to me, it sounds like they're seen in the Blues 345 00:18:18,516 --> 00:18:20,796 Speaker 2: Brothers where they have to have chicken wire in front 346 00:18:20,836 --> 00:18:23,636 Speaker 2: of the bed and they said, we longed for chicken wire, 347 00:18:26,436 --> 00:18:27,156 Speaker 2: if only. 348 00:18:27,396 --> 00:18:30,276 Speaker 1: There would have been an improvement. Yeah, what records were 349 00:18:30,316 --> 00:18:34,036 Speaker 1: you listening to then? Formative Views that's sixteen to twenty 350 00:18:34,076 --> 00:18:35,036 Speaker 1: three making the first album. 351 00:18:35,516 --> 00:18:42,236 Speaker 2: What were you ingesting? Let me think, David Bowie Stevie Wonder, 352 00:18:43,356 --> 00:18:48,716 Speaker 2: Joni Mitchell, Steely, Dan Little Feet, and I mean for 353 00:18:48,796 --> 00:18:51,716 Speaker 2: a while, when I was like sixteen seventeen, I was 354 00:18:51,796 --> 00:18:54,476 Speaker 2: into prog rock and I liked A Soft Machine was 355 00:18:54,516 --> 00:18:57,516 Speaker 2: a favorite band, and anything kind of jazzy I liked 356 00:18:57,556 --> 00:19:01,836 Speaker 2: as well, King Crimson and people like that. A lot 357 00:19:01,876 --> 00:19:03,436 Speaker 2: of that stuff I don't really like now, not to 358 00:19:03,516 --> 00:19:07,396 Speaker 2: be honest, but and reggae music. Bob Marley, you know 359 00:19:07,956 --> 00:19:10,196 Speaker 2: in the late seventies that came that was huge in 360 00:19:10,276 --> 00:19:12,236 Speaker 2: England at the time, all that music, So I got 361 00:19:12,316 --> 00:19:12,876 Speaker 2: really into that. 362 00:19:13,156 --> 00:19:14,876 Speaker 1: Was it like Clapton doing it that got it huge 363 00:19:14,916 --> 00:19:17,196 Speaker 1: out there or was it legitimo was it already it 364 00:19:17,316 --> 00:19:17,876 Speaker 1: was huge? 365 00:19:17,916 --> 00:19:22,276 Speaker 2: Yeah, Bob Marty really broke broke through. And there was 366 00:19:22,316 --> 00:19:25,156 Speaker 2: that Bob Marley Live album, which is a great live album. 367 00:19:25,196 --> 00:19:27,716 Speaker 2: I think that that was a big hit. Suddenly it 368 00:19:27,876 --> 00:19:30,876 Speaker 2: was all over the radio and it was It's just huge, 369 00:19:30,916 --> 00:19:34,756 Speaker 2: and then everyone was, you know, every record company was 370 00:19:34,756 --> 00:19:36,316 Speaker 2: signing reggae artists all of a sudden. 371 00:19:37,276 --> 00:19:41,716 Speaker 1: And did you did you notice other people? Were you 372 00:19:41,876 --> 00:19:44,396 Speaker 1: aware of the of the other like the Madness and 373 00:19:44,836 --> 00:19:48,396 Speaker 1: all those other sky bands that were sort of cropping 374 00:19:48,436 --> 00:19:49,116 Speaker 1: up around. 375 00:19:49,116 --> 00:19:52,396 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. I remember going to see one of the 376 00:19:52,476 --> 00:19:55,236 Speaker 2: Specialist first gigs in a pub in London was fantastic. 377 00:19:55,436 --> 00:19:59,196 Speaker 2: It was packed. I remember saying to my friend, was with, 378 00:19:59,356 --> 00:20:00,916 Speaker 2: these guys are going to be huge any they know 379 00:20:00,996 --> 00:20:04,316 Speaker 2: which they were, you know, But Madness is a band 380 00:20:04,356 --> 00:20:07,476 Speaker 2: that have really had longevity, and I think they're underrated actually. 381 00:20:08,116 --> 00:20:10,516 Speaker 2: I mean they're very very popular in England especially, but 382 00:20:11,476 --> 00:20:15,156 Speaker 2: I think, you know, there's there's a real depth of 383 00:20:15,876 --> 00:20:19,876 Speaker 2: songwriting and musicianship there actually in some of their later stuff. Yeah, yeah, 384 00:20:20,396 --> 00:20:20,916 Speaker 2: I'm a fan. 385 00:20:21,476 --> 00:20:23,156 Speaker 1: There is on your first few records too, and I 386 00:20:23,236 --> 00:20:26,676 Speaker 1: feel like you maybe, I think I read that on 387 00:20:26,796 --> 00:20:29,556 Speaker 1: your first few records you sort of embarrassed with the 388 00:20:29,636 --> 00:20:30,876 Speaker 1: songs to a certain degree. 389 00:20:32,476 --> 00:20:35,076 Speaker 2: What now I am? Now, Yeah, I mean some of 390 00:20:35,116 --> 00:20:37,636 Speaker 2: those songs are pretty silly and pretty immature, I think, 391 00:20:37,676 --> 00:20:39,436 Speaker 2: but that's you know, of course, that's what you get 392 00:20:39,476 --> 00:20:43,876 Speaker 2: when you're twenty three. Some of the songs I still 393 00:20:44,036 --> 00:20:49,516 Speaker 2: like can still play kind of cliche sort of just 394 00:20:49,836 --> 00:20:52,156 Speaker 2: I mean, I became over the years as a writer 395 00:20:52,356 --> 00:20:55,396 Speaker 2: much more particular about what I put out and much 396 00:20:55,476 --> 00:20:57,716 Speaker 2: more critical of myself. It used to be like, well, 397 00:20:57,716 --> 00:20:59,196 Speaker 2: I got an idea sort of knock it into some 398 00:20:59,316 --> 00:21:00,636 Speaker 2: sort of shape recording, and that was it. 399 00:21:01,596 --> 00:21:01,756 Speaker 1: You know. 400 00:21:02,236 --> 00:21:04,556 Speaker 2: I didn't really think about it much. And there's a 401 00:21:04,556 --> 00:21:06,916 Speaker 2: good side to that as well. But if you're going 402 00:21:06,956 --> 00:21:10,196 Speaker 2: to keep going for decades, which I somehow managed to do, 403 00:21:10,956 --> 00:21:14,356 Speaker 2: that's wasn't good enough for me in a way. I mean, nowadays, 404 00:21:14,436 --> 00:21:17,276 Speaker 2: I'm my own worst critic. If I start working on 405 00:21:17,396 --> 00:21:21,276 Speaker 2: something that starts to remind me of something I've heard before, 406 00:21:22,636 --> 00:21:25,076 Speaker 2: you know, whether it's someone else's or mine, then it's 407 00:21:26,116 --> 00:21:29,956 Speaker 2: scrap it, you know, start again, or twist it in 408 00:21:30,076 --> 00:21:32,916 Speaker 2: some way. I read somewhere that when Bruce Springsteen released 409 00:21:32,916 --> 00:21:35,756 Speaker 2: a Born in the USA album that he had sixty 410 00:21:35,876 --> 00:21:38,476 Speaker 2: songs and it was a really difficult job to narrow 411 00:21:38,556 --> 00:21:41,236 Speaker 2: it down to whatever it is, ten or whatever twelve 412 00:21:41,476 --> 00:21:45,036 Speaker 2: on the album. I thought, my god, I can imagine 413 00:21:45,076 --> 00:21:48,636 Speaker 2: being in that situation, having that many songs and finding 414 00:21:48,676 --> 00:21:52,596 Speaker 2: it that hard to I mean, my latest album has 415 00:21:52,836 --> 00:21:55,116 Speaker 2: the nine songs that's it, but. 416 00:21:55,196 --> 00:21:56,836 Speaker 1: It sounds like there could have been many. 417 00:21:57,036 --> 00:21:59,916 Speaker 2: But there was a lot of other like you know, 418 00:22:01,556 --> 00:22:05,316 Speaker 2: was going down streets that turned out to be couldest 419 00:22:05,356 --> 00:22:08,836 Speaker 2: acts you know, along the way. So half Wreckage of 420 00:22:09,236 --> 00:22:11,436 Speaker 2: finished songs by the roadside along the way. 421 00:22:11,956 --> 00:22:14,556 Speaker 1: Do you ever revive a bad idea in the end. 422 00:22:15,556 --> 00:22:17,796 Speaker 1: Do you ever feel like you've okay, maybe I've fown 423 00:22:17,836 --> 00:22:19,276 Speaker 1: that way too soon, or coming back to it and 424 00:22:19,396 --> 00:22:21,836 Speaker 1: it ends up actually working out. 425 00:22:21,956 --> 00:22:24,236 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, and the opposite. You know, something I'm really 426 00:22:24,276 --> 00:22:27,116 Speaker 2: excited about. This is a great song, and you know, 427 00:22:27,236 --> 00:22:28,396 Speaker 2: I sort of live with it for a while and 428 00:22:28,476 --> 00:22:33,316 Speaker 2: think nah, nah, and I might Actually, I mean, I've 429 00:22:33,396 --> 00:22:36,116 Speaker 2: done things like scrap the whole lyric of a song 430 00:22:37,196 --> 00:22:39,316 Speaker 2: and just put it aside, and then get an idea 431 00:22:39,356 --> 00:22:42,716 Speaker 2: and start again with a different lyric. Finally it's a song. 432 00:22:42,796 --> 00:22:45,236 Speaker 2: I mean, there's no real sort of pattern to any 433 00:22:45,276 --> 00:22:46,516 Speaker 2: of it. Actually, how hard is that? 434 00:22:46,556 --> 00:22:48,956 Speaker 1: Because I mean, you might, even if it's a bad lyric, 435 00:22:49,036 --> 00:22:52,396 Speaker 1: you must, at some point, on some level muscle memory, 436 00:22:52,436 --> 00:22:54,356 Speaker 1: even just at the muscle memory level, get. 437 00:22:54,636 --> 00:22:57,276 Speaker 2: Set on the lyric even if it's bad, you know, yeah, 438 00:22:58,236 --> 00:23:02,116 Speaker 2: but there'd be something about it that, you know, over time, 439 00:23:02,196 --> 00:23:05,556 Speaker 2: I figure out what it is that's bothering me and 440 00:23:06,356 --> 00:23:08,996 Speaker 2: why it's not good enough. You know, it's very hard 441 00:23:08,996 --> 00:23:11,956 Speaker 2: to explain because it's not scientific. It's not you know, 442 00:23:12,036 --> 00:23:15,796 Speaker 2: it's not an exact science, it's very much. I mean, 443 00:23:15,836 --> 00:23:17,956 Speaker 2: I've been asked to you right from the head or 444 00:23:17,996 --> 00:23:21,956 Speaker 2: from the heart, and it's neither. It's something else, and 445 00:23:22,036 --> 00:23:26,476 Speaker 2: it's something like intuition. It's intuitive. So it's like a 446 00:23:26,716 --> 00:23:30,356 Speaker 2: question of taste as well, you know, And so you 447 00:23:31,116 --> 00:23:33,036 Speaker 2: can only rely on your own taste and your own 448 00:23:33,156 --> 00:23:36,476 Speaker 2: intuition because you're the artist. That's what you're supposed to do. Yeah. 449 00:23:37,316 --> 00:23:39,836 Speaker 1: Yeah, And you feel like you must feel then, like 450 00:23:39,916 --> 00:23:41,156 Speaker 1: your taste has evolved quite a. 451 00:23:41,196 --> 00:23:46,796 Speaker 2: Bit from Yeah, I mean, it does get harder to 452 00:23:48,756 --> 00:23:50,916 Speaker 2: be as prolific as I was, for instance, back in 453 00:23:50,996 --> 00:23:53,796 Speaker 2: the eighties, where I seem to be constantly recording new 454 00:23:53,836 --> 00:23:56,156 Speaker 2: albums and touring, and from my point of view now, 455 00:23:56,596 --> 00:23:59,596 Speaker 2: the quality of it is uneven. You know, I made 456 00:23:59,756 --> 00:24:01,356 Speaker 2: at least three albums too many. 457 00:24:01,676 --> 00:24:03,836 Speaker 1: I think which ones would not make the cut if 458 00:24:03,916 --> 00:24:05,316 Speaker 1: you were now deciding. 459 00:24:05,396 --> 00:24:08,916 Speaker 2: You know what, I don't want to say because some 460 00:24:09,196 --> 00:24:11,956 Speaker 2: so someone will say to me, oh, this album of yours, bloke, 461 00:24:13,556 --> 00:24:15,876 Speaker 2: it's my favorite album. I love it. What am I 462 00:24:15,916 --> 00:24:17,116 Speaker 2: going to say? No, you're wrong. 463 00:24:17,996 --> 00:24:18,156 Speaker 7: You know. 464 00:24:19,756 --> 00:24:24,236 Speaker 2: If someone likes it, then great, but just for me. 465 00:24:24,396 --> 00:24:28,036 Speaker 2: But because I'm entitled to an opinion, about it too. Yeah, right, 466 00:24:28,156 --> 00:24:30,716 Speaker 2: And some of the albums are better than others just 467 00:24:30,916 --> 00:24:34,116 Speaker 2: for my own taste, but I don't want to spoil 468 00:24:34,196 --> 00:24:35,996 Speaker 2: anyone else's enjoyment of any of it. 469 00:24:36,316 --> 00:24:40,196 Speaker 1: What about musically, like stepping out once you once you 470 00:24:40,596 --> 00:24:44,596 Speaker 1: get to there, you're really you're you're really stretching out musically. 471 00:24:46,076 --> 00:24:49,556 Speaker 2: Yeah, that album in general, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's just 472 00:24:49,676 --> 00:24:52,356 Speaker 2: sort of it was really kind of starting a new 473 00:24:52,476 --> 00:24:56,076 Speaker 2: chapter where I feel like I was being more myself 474 00:24:57,036 --> 00:25:00,476 Speaker 2: and not so much influenced by what was going on 475 00:25:00,516 --> 00:25:04,436 Speaker 2: around me at the time. And and like I said, 476 00:25:04,436 --> 00:25:06,436 Speaker 2: it was bringing in a lot of those influences which 477 00:25:06,476 --> 00:25:09,036 Speaker 2: I thought were more New York influences of jazz and 478 00:25:09,196 --> 00:25:15,036 Speaker 2: Latin music rather than rock and roll. And even leaving 479 00:25:15,076 --> 00:25:17,676 Speaker 2: out the guitars, I still meet people who say there 480 00:25:17,716 --> 00:25:20,876 Speaker 2: were no guitars on night and day? Really, And I said, well, 481 00:25:20,996 --> 00:25:24,116 Speaker 2: did you hear any that no one seemed to notice? 482 00:25:24,156 --> 00:25:26,796 Speaker 2: Which is funny. Had this idea of it's just it's 483 00:25:26,836 --> 00:25:31,476 Speaker 2: all keyboards and percussion, And like I said, I didn't 484 00:25:31,476 --> 00:25:32,996 Speaker 2: think anyone was going to like it. I thought it 485 00:25:33,036 --> 00:25:36,916 Speaker 2: would be a really hard sell, and I was going 486 00:25:36,996 --> 00:25:40,156 Speaker 2: to do it anyway. Definitely stretching out musically because I 487 00:25:40,356 --> 00:25:42,916 Speaker 2: was capable of that, you know, I mean on the 488 00:25:42,956 --> 00:25:46,356 Speaker 2: first couple of hours, was a case of deliberately simplifying it, 489 00:25:46,356 --> 00:25:47,836 Speaker 2: which a lot of people were doing at the time. 490 00:25:48,436 --> 00:25:49,916 Speaker 2: You know, it felt like the thing to do at 491 00:25:49,956 --> 00:25:53,556 Speaker 2: the time. Even if you were you could be a 492 00:25:53,636 --> 00:25:57,516 Speaker 2: very good musician, but you'd play really simple deliberately, right, 493 00:25:57,916 --> 00:26:00,316 Speaker 2: you know. I mean my band was a pretty damn 494 00:26:00,356 --> 00:26:03,716 Speaker 2: good band, you know, but it was just keep it 495 00:26:03,876 --> 00:26:07,756 Speaker 2: really really simple. And I just stopped even thinking about that. 496 00:26:09,196 --> 00:26:12,316 Speaker 1: That was that likely a reaction to the progra that 497 00:26:12,436 --> 00:26:14,756 Speaker 1: was popular and all that, you know, sort of being 498 00:26:14,836 --> 00:26:16,636 Speaker 1: tired of it, people being sort of probably tired of 499 00:26:16,716 --> 00:26:17,916 Speaker 1: the frips of the world. 500 00:26:18,196 --> 00:26:20,756 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, that going back, yeah, to the beginnings of 501 00:26:21,196 --> 00:26:23,996 Speaker 2: punk and all that. Yeah, it was, And at the 502 00:26:24,076 --> 00:26:26,596 Speaker 2: time I thought it was all great fun. I didn't 503 00:26:26,596 --> 00:26:29,996 Speaker 2: take it seriously at all. It just punk bands just 504 00:26:30,076 --> 00:26:34,396 Speaker 2: made me laugh, so I thought it was great. Really. 505 00:26:35,076 --> 00:26:37,876 Speaker 2: I had I once had a beer with Joe's Strauma 506 00:26:37,916 --> 00:26:41,636 Speaker 2: from The Clash, who was a great guy, and we 507 00:26:42,076 --> 00:26:47,436 Speaker 2: talked about how how critics especially lacking and they lacked 508 00:26:47,476 --> 00:26:51,196 Speaker 2: the humor a gene, you know, he was saying, how 509 00:26:51,236 --> 00:26:53,596 Speaker 2: that when when they were writing songs for the Clash, 510 00:26:53,636 --> 00:26:55,836 Speaker 2: him and Mick Jones, they would be cracking each other 511 00:26:55,996 --> 00:26:58,476 Speaker 2: up because they were, as we say in England, taking 512 00:26:58,516 --> 00:27:04,076 Speaker 2: the piss, you know, mocking making fun of and then 513 00:27:05,076 --> 00:27:10,876 Speaker 2: the reviews were come out excororating social political anger and 514 00:27:10,996 --> 00:27:15,476 Speaker 2: protesting this, and they'd be laughing for more. I was like, yes, exactly, 515 00:27:15,876 --> 00:27:18,516 Speaker 2: I felt exactly the same way. It was amazing how 516 00:27:18,596 --> 00:27:19,676 Speaker 2: seriously it was all taken. 517 00:27:20,236 --> 00:27:23,876 Speaker 1: Yeah, and people critics that you were taking yourself seriously 518 00:27:23,876 --> 00:27:26,236 Speaker 1: a lot often right, like you right. 519 00:27:26,556 --> 00:27:28,916 Speaker 2: Well, they have no sense of humor. It's been my 520 00:27:28,996 --> 00:27:32,436 Speaker 2: observation over the years. It's the one thing that they 521 00:27:32,556 --> 00:27:36,196 Speaker 2: missed consistently. Yeah, as you know, they take everything at 522 00:27:36,236 --> 00:27:40,036 Speaker 2: face value and take it very seriously. It's funny. 523 00:27:41,196 --> 00:27:43,276 Speaker 1: Would you read reviews then or now? 524 00:27:44,076 --> 00:27:48,156 Speaker 2: Back then I would, Yeah, Nowadays I don't. I avoid 525 00:27:48,196 --> 00:27:51,716 Speaker 2: them Yeah yeah, yeah, because that could just drive you crazy. Yeah. 526 00:27:52,436 --> 00:27:54,356 Speaker 2: If you pay too much attention to any of that stuff, 527 00:27:54,396 --> 00:27:56,836 Speaker 2: you they're not not being able to create anything. Yeah. 528 00:27:58,476 --> 00:28:04,876 Speaker 1: We'll be back with more from Joe Jackson. I always 529 00:28:04,876 --> 00:28:09,076 Speaker 1: found it funny, you know, critics just the as if 530 00:28:09,196 --> 00:28:11,956 Speaker 1: new wave wasn't bad enough a term, it's like, and 531 00:28:12,036 --> 00:28:14,276 Speaker 1: then critics moved on to some point. 532 00:28:14,756 --> 00:28:19,876 Speaker 2: Like, you know, like sophistic pop okay, sophisto pop likes 533 00:28:19,916 --> 00:28:23,276 Speaker 2: pretty pullity and you okay, and and uh it was. 534 00:28:24,756 --> 00:28:28,996 Speaker 1: I think they threw in, who's the band that made that? 535 00:28:29,156 --> 00:28:34,196 Speaker 1: Uh Steve, Steve McQueen was the Prefabs, pre Fab Sprout. Yeah, 536 00:28:34,436 --> 00:28:35,036 Speaker 1: and they were great. 537 00:28:35,076 --> 00:28:36,516 Speaker 2: I mean, album was great. 538 00:28:36,796 --> 00:28:39,756 Speaker 1: That was amazing. But then you know their clients fist 539 00:28:39,916 --> 00:28:43,916 Speaker 1: pop pop sound terrible. You know, it's like it's a 540 00:28:43,996 --> 00:28:44,636 Speaker 1: terrible name. 541 00:28:44,956 --> 00:28:45,756 Speaker 2: Yeah, of course it is. 542 00:28:48,156 --> 00:28:51,196 Speaker 1: I guess I should bring up at this point that 543 00:28:51,476 --> 00:28:54,996 Speaker 1: Sonny Rollins just died, yes, ninety six or something, it 544 00:28:55,076 --> 00:28:57,796 Speaker 1: was ninety five, ninety six. Yeah, he got, he gotn't 545 00:28:57,796 --> 00:29:00,396 Speaker 1: played for quite quite a while. He was still playing 546 00:29:00,396 --> 00:29:01,476 Speaker 1: a still sorry. 547 00:29:01,676 --> 00:29:05,076 Speaker 2: Yeah, I saw him again, Like going back to the 548 00:29:05,396 --> 00:29:06,996 Speaker 2: days when I was first living in New York in 549 00:29:07,036 --> 00:29:09,476 Speaker 2: the eighties, I saw Sonny Rollins perform a couple of times, 550 00:29:10,076 --> 00:29:13,356 Speaker 2: and I was absolutely blown away he had been back then, 551 00:29:13,516 --> 00:29:15,676 Speaker 2: you know. I mean one of the shows that I 552 00:29:15,756 --> 00:29:18,036 Speaker 2: saw he did was one of the most powerful performances 553 00:29:18,076 --> 00:29:20,556 Speaker 2: I've ever seen, you know, by by a jazz musicians. 554 00:29:20,596 --> 00:29:24,236 Speaker 2: Certainly my hair was standing on it. You know, he 555 00:29:24,396 --> 00:29:25,316 Speaker 2: was really special. 556 00:29:25,836 --> 00:29:28,196 Speaker 1: Wow, what do you know? What? Where was it? Do 557 00:29:28,236 --> 00:29:28,636 Speaker 1: you remember? 558 00:29:29,196 --> 00:29:31,996 Speaker 2: Yeah? It was the bottom Line, which was a great venue. 559 00:29:32,036 --> 00:29:33,196 Speaker 2: It was long gone unfortunately. 560 00:29:34,156 --> 00:29:37,036 Speaker 1: Is that it was that because I know you also 561 00:29:38,436 --> 00:29:42,516 Speaker 1: you inspired for Body and Saul by his volume. 562 00:29:42,676 --> 00:29:46,076 Speaker 2: Yeah, that wasn't It was just, you know, we were 563 00:29:46,116 --> 00:29:50,196 Speaker 2: trying to think of a cover concept and we felt 564 00:29:50,236 --> 00:29:54,556 Speaker 2: we tried something with that classic blue note look, sort 565 00:29:54,596 --> 00:29:59,556 Speaker 2: of homage to that, which other people have done since then. 566 00:30:00,156 --> 00:30:02,476 Speaker 2: Maybe they had done before then, but if so, I 567 00:30:02,596 --> 00:30:05,676 Speaker 2: wasn't aware of it. But it was more just just 568 00:30:05,756 --> 00:30:07,116 Speaker 2: the look of it, you know. It wasn't just the 569 00:30:07,196 --> 00:30:08,676 Speaker 2: fact that I was a fan of Sonny your Eyes. 570 00:30:09,116 --> 00:30:10,396 Speaker 1: It's still an amazing album cover. 571 00:30:11,476 --> 00:30:14,516 Speaker 2: Yeah, I like it. A few years later, Rolling Stone 572 00:30:15,116 --> 00:30:17,796 Speaker 2: published a little thing with they put the Sunny Rollins 573 00:30:17,836 --> 00:30:22,756 Speaker 2: album in Mind side by side. They busted me, you know, 574 00:30:23,516 --> 00:30:26,756 Speaker 2: apparently I ripped it off and they're revealing to the 575 00:30:26,836 --> 00:30:29,396 Speaker 2: world this terrible ripoff that I did. 576 00:30:29,916 --> 00:30:32,876 Speaker 1: Me play something from the new album any particular song 577 00:30:32,956 --> 00:30:36,276 Speaker 1: you like off the album? Do you have a favorite? 578 00:30:36,516 --> 00:30:40,876 Speaker 2: No? I would never even if I did. I wouldn't 579 00:30:40,916 --> 00:30:45,596 Speaker 2: tell you. But now I'm always reluctant to pick favorites. 580 00:30:45,596 --> 00:30:47,956 Speaker 2: I feel like that's not my job. But if I 581 00:30:48,036 --> 00:30:50,316 Speaker 2: didn't really like every track, I wouldn't put it out 582 00:30:50,356 --> 00:30:51,356 Speaker 2: that way I feel about it. 583 00:30:51,516 --> 00:30:57,156 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm play this made God laugh as. 584 00:31:00,196 --> 00:31:07,916 Speaker 8: Everything still side, which means you never know what's coming next. 585 00:31:09,196 --> 00:31:13,996 Speaker 1: Of luck, the stroke of ten, the freaking, the flash 586 00:31:14,236 --> 00:31:15,036 Speaker 1: of fame. 587 00:31:16,796 --> 00:31:18,196 Speaker 4: So now down. 588 00:31:18,916 --> 00:31:20,196 Speaker 7: But that's not to it. 589 00:31:20,996 --> 00:31:26,556 Speaker 4: To listen to why the wise man said another day 590 00:31:27,436 --> 00:31:33,276 Speaker 4: another song, SA say where you could be wrong? 591 00:31:33,836 --> 00:31:37,796 Speaker 6: You made shot life when you told in your pants. 592 00:31:39,196 --> 00:31:43,756 Speaker 7: Come on, you know it's true, and you make shot not. 593 00:31:44,156 --> 00:31:48,956 Speaker 6: When you made you out of your pance moreful you. 594 00:32:00,116 --> 00:32:02,516 Speaker 1: So I love the I love the It's a great 595 00:32:02,596 --> 00:32:05,076 Speaker 1: song and you celebrate on it. It's also a great 596 00:32:05,116 --> 00:32:07,316 Speaker 1: performance by your bass player by Grant. 597 00:32:07,156 --> 00:32:09,436 Speaker 2: Oh It's yeah, Well he's always great, Gray. 598 00:32:09,516 --> 00:32:11,636 Speaker 1: I mean that I would say that sounds amazing, isn't it. 599 00:32:13,876 --> 00:32:16,116 Speaker 1: I want to ask you about him? But yeah, what 600 00:32:16,476 --> 00:32:19,596 Speaker 1: one did? What was the genesis of that song? 601 00:32:20,676 --> 00:32:22,756 Speaker 2: It was a quote that I read somewhere and I 602 00:32:22,796 --> 00:32:25,956 Speaker 2: can't remember who who it was, but they said, if 603 00:32:25,996 --> 00:32:28,996 Speaker 2: you want to make the God's laugh, tell them your plans. 604 00:32:29,796 --> 00:32:31,516 Speaker 2: And I thought that was really interesting. The more I 605 00:32:31,556 --> 00:32:33,596 Speaker 2: thought about it, and more I thought it was a 606 00:32:33,636 --> 00:32:38,836 Speaker 2: happy thought, because you know, we all need to figure 607 00:32:38,876 --> 00:32:41,756 Speaker 2: out that we can't control everything. And the sooner you 608 00:32:41,836 --> 00:32:44,596 Speaker 2: realize that, the better, because it makes life less stressful 609 00:32:44,676 --> 00:32:47,876 Speaker 2: and generally, you know, nicer if you can do that. 610 00:32:48,676 --> 00:32:51,316 Speaker 2: It's funny because yeah, there's been a couple of people 611 00:32:51,996 --> 00:32:54,356 Speaker 2: interpreted as a sad song, and I don't think it 612 00:32:54,436 --> 00:32:58,036 Speaker 2: is at all. But that was the origin of it actually, 613 00:32:58,196 --> 00:33:01,116 Speaker 2: after I had written the song, and and by the way, 614 00:33:02,276 --> 00:33:05,076 Speaker 2: no song is all about the lyrics. It's just that 615 00:33:05,196 --> 00:33:08,596 Speaker 2: that's what we all end up talking about, you know. 616 00:33:09,556 --> 00:33:14,356 Speaker 2: But having written a song, I decided to try and 617 00:33:14,396 --> 00:33:17,196 Speaker 2: find out where i'd heard this quote. And turns out 618 00:33:17,236 --> 00:33:20,436 Speaker 2: Woody Allen said something very similar, but he got it 619 00:33:20,476 --> 00:33:23,596 Speaker 2: from an old Yiddish proverb which I'm not going to 620 00:33:23,636 --> 00:33:26,676 Speaker 2: try to say in Yiddish, but it because man plans 621 00:33:26,716 --> 00:33:29,476 Speaker 2: and God laughs, you know. So it's been around for 622 00:33:29,556 --> 00:33:30,796 Speaker 2: a while, this idea. 623 00:33:31,396 --> 00:33:34,716 Speaker 1: Are you always aware of the sort of the meta 624 00:33:34,796 --> 00:33:38,316 Speaker 1: text of a set of lyrics that you write or. 625 00:33:39,956 --> 00:33:44,116 Speaker 2: Meta text? Do I have meta texts? I'm not sure, 626 00:33:46,836 --> 00:33:53,836 Speaker 2: there's always layers to it. I find it very difficult 627 00:33:53,876 --> 00:33:56,516 Speaker 2: to I mean, I don't write I don't want to 628 00:33:56,556 --> 00:33:59,196 Speaker 2: write songs that are didactic telling you what to think. 629 00:33:59,396 --> 00:34:04,196 Speaker 2: You know, this is that what it is. And like 630 00:34:04,276 --> 00:34:08,356 Speaker 2: I said, songs are seventy percent music anyway. Yeah, I think, 631 00:34:08,836 --> 00:34:11,276 Speaker 2: you know, for me anyway, I mean, I think there's 632 00:34:11,316 --> 00:34:15,396 Speaker 2: a tradition of songwriting that's different that it's more about storytelling, 633 00:34:15,436 --> 00:34:17,356 Speaker 2: it's more about lyrics. It's more of a folk tradition. 634 00:34:18,116 --> 00:34:20,236 Speaker 2: That's not really what I do. And I think for 635 00:34:20,316 --> 00:34:22,676 Speaker 2: the most part, it's the music that really moves people, 636 00:34:23,516 --> 00:34:27,276 Speaker 2: and the words kind of tag along afterwards, and sometimes 637 00:34:27,396 --> 00:34:33,036 Speaker 2: they're you know, worth thinking about. I mean, I certainly 638 00:34:33,076 --> 00:34:37,516 Speaker 2: try to write the best lyrics I can, but it's 639 00:34:38,756 --> 00:34:40,676 Speaker 2: I'm really primarily a music guy. 640 00:34:41,556 --> 00:34:44,556 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think people listen for different things. Some people 641 00:34:44,596 --> 00:34:49,196 Speaker 1: are lyrics people, some people are I tend not to be, 642 00:34:49,636 --> 00:34:51,916 Speaker 1: and yeah, I don't either. I kind of take in 643 00:34:52,156 --> 00:34:55,596 Speaker 1: the whole thing, you know. Yeah, and if the lyrics 644 00:34:55,596 --> 00:34:59,036 Speaker 1: are particularly interesting, they'll draw me in at some point, 645 00:34:59,436 --> 00:35:01,716 Speaker 1: and bad lyrics can probably ruin out an otherwise a 646 00:35:01,756 --> 00:35:02,116 Speaker 1: good song. 647 00:35:03,476 --> 00:35:06,476 Speaker 2: No. On the contrary, this is one of the reasons 648 00:35:06,516 --> 00:35:08,396 Speaker 2: I think music is more important the lyrics, because there's 649 00:35:08,396 --> 00:35:10,436 Speaker 2: a lot of songs I really like that. If I 650 00:35:10,476 --> 00:35:13,436 Speaker 2: really think about the lyrics, they're pretty stupid. It don't 651 00:35:13,476 --> 00:35:16,716 Speaker 2: even make sense or anything. Not to mention the fact 652 00:35:16,756 --> 00:35:18,916 Speaker 2: that there's a lot of music I really love, where 653 00:35:18,956 --> 00:35:21,396 Speaker 2: the words are in a language that I have no 654 00:35:21,516 --> 00:35:22,076 Speaker 2: idea about. 655 00:35:22,316 --> 00:35:22,996 Speaker 1: What's often. 656 00:35:24,836 --> 00:35:26,436 Speaker 2: Sometimes it's a good thing. 657 00:35:26,836 --> 00:35:28,276 Speaker 1: Removes that he's sort of critical. 658 00:35:28,436 --> 00:35:31,396 Speaker 2: Yeah, the lyrics might be terrible. I might be listening 659 00:35:31,476 --> 00:35:33,476 Speaker 2: to some music from Serbia. You know it was the 660 00:35:33,556 --> 00:35:36,636 Speaker 2: worst lyrics ever. I would never know. I'm just enjoyed it. 661 00:35:37,076 --> 00:35:39,316 Speaker 1: And sometimes you know, like the class like just like Joe, 662 00:35:39,396 --> 00:35:42,076 Speaker 1: and then we're singing, you know, like such an accent 663 00:35:42,116 --> 00:35:45,836 Speaker 1: did make every other word. 664 00:35:46,476 --> 00:35:48,556 Speaker 2: That's the thing I could never understand about Shane mc gowan, 665 00:35:48,596 --> 00:35:51,076 Speaker 2: because he wrote great lyrics and when he sang, you 666 00:35:51,076 --> 00:35:55,076 Speaker 2: couldn't understand a word. Amazing. 667 00:35:55,276 --> 00:35:57,276 Speaker 1: I know, I know, I didn't know he was even 668 00:35:57,316 --> 00:35:59,556 Speaker 1: revered as a songwriter until he passed away, and then 669 00:35:59,596 --> 00:36:00,636 Speaker 1: all of a sudden it became. 670 00:36:01,676 --> 00:36:07,716 Speaker 2: Really turn to songwriter reed. But it was I mean 671 00:36:07,916 --> 00:36:09,356 Speaker 2: I envied him in a way because I saw the 672 00:36:09,396 --> 00:36:11,796 Speaker 2: poke's live once and I think he sang on about 673 00:36:11,836 --> 00:36:14,596 Speaker 2: three songs and he would say thank you very much, 674 00:36:15,996 --> 00:36:19,996 Speaker 2: and everyone would cheers, like, yeah, good old drunk, shambolic Shane, 675 00:36:20,076 --> 00:36:23,116 Speaker 2: not making any sense. We love it, you know, I thought, oh, 676 00:36:23,236 --> 00:36:23,916 Speaker 2: that's a good gig. 677 00:36:26,636 --> 00:36:28,756 Speaker 1: Did you ever did you ever get to know him? 678 00:36:28,836 --> 00:36:31,396 Speaker 1: Or no? No, no, did you get did you ever 679 00:36:31,436 --> 00:36:33,756 Speaker 1: get to know many peers or like as in terms 680 00:36:33,836 --> 00:36:36,556 Speaker 1: of beyond you know you mentioned having a beer. 681 00:36:36,676 --> 00:36:41,076 Speaker 2: I mean I met quite a few people. Andy Partriy 682 00:36:41,116 --> 00:36:42,876 Speaker 2: is just a bit of a bit of a friend 683 00:36:43,316 --> 00:36:46,756 Speaker 2: of XTC, someone that I think you have a lot 684 00:36:46,996 --> 00:36:49,956 Speaker 2: in common with someone no one ever compares me to 685 00:36:50,596 --> 00:36:53,836 Speaker 2: musically very different. No, I think we have a lot 686 00:36:53,876 --> 00:36:59,476 Speaker 2: in common. Really, yeah, yeah, and yeah Joe's trauma was 687 00:36:59,916 --> 00:37:02,276 Speaker 2: was a great guy. I was really sad when he died. 688 00:37:02,436 --> 00:37:06,316 Speaker 2: I can't believe he's actually not with us still. But 689 00:37:07,276 --> 00:37:09,116 Speaker 2: I can't say, you know, it's I don't hang out 690 00:37:09,196 --> 00:37:12,756 Speaker 2: up with a whole bunch of my peers. I'm not 691 00:37:13,076 --> 00:37:15,716 Speaker 2: friends with these people. I mean, I don't mean that 692 00:37:15,756 --> 00:37:18,036 Speaker 2: in a dismissive what it's just not the way it's 693 00:37:18,196 --> 00:37:18,636 Speaker 2: turned out. 694 00:37:18,876 --> 00:37:21,716 Speaker 1: What do you find yourself listening to primarily these days. 695 00:37:22,956 --> 00:37:25,636 Speaker 2: Whole kinds of stuff. I'm really all over the map, 696 00:37:25,836 --> 00:37:28,436 Speaker 2: a lot of jazz, a lot of Latin music. Still 697 00:37:29,756 --> 00:37:31,916 Speaker 2: listening to a lot of music from Colombia, which I 698 00:37:31,996 --> 00:37:36,076 Speaker 2: think some really interesting music coming out Columbia. I got 699 00:37:36,116 --> 00:37:39,796 Speaker 2: into early jazz in recent years, so listening to people 700 00:37:39,876 --> 00:37:45,356 Speaker 2: like Rahines, Sydney Beshet, Jery Rollmorton. Late twenties, early thirties 701 00:37:45,436 --> 00:37:48,756 Speaker 2: jazz I really love and late fifties early sixties jazz 702 00:37:48,796 --> 00:37:53,196 Speaker 2: are the two eras that I really love. But I mean, 703 00:37:53,916 --> 00:37:56,196 Speaker 2: I don't hear a lot of interesting stuff in the 704 00:37:56,356 --> 00:38:00,596 Speaker 2: pop rock, the Anglo American pop rock world. Yeah, I 705 00:38:00,676 --> 00:38:03,116 Speaker 2: don't think it's that great. I mean there's some things 706 00:38:04,756 --> 00:38:09,036 Speaker 2: from outside of the Anglo American sphere, you know. Yeah, 707 00:38:09,316 --> 00:38:12,396 Speaker 2: some interesting music from I mean like Stromai from Belgium. 708 00:38:12,596 --> 00:38:15,876 Speaker 2: I think it's really cool. Wow. Yeah, you know, that's 709 00:38:15,916 --> 00:38:19,076 Speaker 2: a band from Berlin called Zed. I really like, you know, 710 00:38:19,756 --> 00:38:23,076 Speaker 2: Rosalia from Spain is really interesting. So there's some some 711 00:38:24,076 --> 00:38:26,956 Speaker 2: some you know, original things breaks through here and there. 712 00:38:27,636 --> 00:38:30,956 Speaker 1: I don't know there was the band the band was sorry, 713 00:38:31,156 --> 00:38:33,676 Speaker 1: was the band from Berlin? You said, Okay, I don't know, Z. 714 00:38:33,876 --> 00:38:37,236 Speaker 1: But the other two Stroma and Rosalie. I mean they're 715 00:38:37,396 --> 00:38:40,596 Speaker 1: they're really I don't want to say I'm on guard, 716 00:38:40,676 --> 00:38:44,156 Speaker 1: but they do things outside of what they're contemporaries that's 717 00:38:44,516 --> 00:38:48,116 Speaker 1: interested in their their sort of vocabulary as musicians seems 718 00:38:48,796 --> 00:38:53,196 Speaker 1: extra you know, extra extraordinary perhaps, so. 719 00:38:53,236 --> 00:38:56,156 Speaker 2: That must be with Draji to that, right, Yeah, it 720 00:38:56,156 --> 00:38:59,596 Speaker 2: feels very different, right, It's not just something that you 721 00:38:59,636 --> 00:39:02,196 Speaker 2: can easily put a label on and you know, file 722 00:39:02,276 --> 00:39:04,436 Speaker 2: it and it's this, this, this, and it's for these 723 00:39:04,516 --> 00:39:11,116 Speaker 2: people and that's more interesting area. But it's harder to 724 00:39:11,196 --> 00:39:15,676 Speaker 2: pin it down. Yeah, in just a minute, we'll be 725 00:39:15,756 --> 00:39:23,076 Speaker 2: back with more from Joe Jackson. It's funny that early 726 00:39:23,156 --> 00:39:28,116 Speaker 2: on there was this sort of keep it simple philosophy. Yeah, 727 00:39:28,716 --> 00:39:30,676 Speaker 2: you eventually ditch it and then it really is. So 728 00:39:30,716 --> 00:39:35,356 Speaker 2: it feels like, you know, in a weird way. Probably 729 00:39:35,356 --> 00:39:37,756 Speaker 2: that's probably what you heard in the prog rock when 730 00:39:37,796 --> 00:39:39,596 Speaker 2: you were young that you enjoyed, even though you don't 731 00:39:39,876 --> 00:39:43,516 Speaker 2: like it now the presentation of it maybe. But yeah, 732 00:39:43,596 --> 00:39:45,756 Speaker 2: well this goes back to when I was, you know, 733 00:39:45,916 --> 00:39:48,676 Speaker 2: fifteen or something like this, and I because it's because 734 00:39:48,676 --> 00:39:51,796 Speaker 2: I had a classical training, you know, so I learned 735 00:39:51,836 --> 00:39:55,116 Speaker 2: to read music when I was eleven, and it's no 736 00:39:55,236 --> 00:39:59,796 Speaker 2: big deal, you know, So I think that I kind 737 00:39:59,836 --> 00:40:02,556 Speaker 2: of maybe there was a couple of years where I 738 00:40:02,676 --> 00:40:05,756 Speaker 2: turned my nose up at pop music, and but then 739 00:40:05,796 --> 00:40:07,756 Speaker 2: I started to get interested in it again. And the 740 00:40:07,796 --> 00:40:09,596 Speaker 2: things that interested me were the things that I thought 741 00:40:09,636 --> 00:40:14,556 Speaker 2: were musically more sophisticated. But then after a while there 742 00:40:14,596 --> 00:40:17,396 Speaker 2: were things like people like David Bowie. You know that 743 00:40:17,956 --> 00:40:20,836 Speaker 2: that would have brought me back more towards pop music. 744 00:40:21,436 --> 00:40:24,156 Speaker 1: Because it blended a bit of the sophistication of. 745 00:40:24,356 --> 00:40:26,156 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I also started to think, well, you know, 746 00:40:26,276 --> 00:40:28,116 Speaker 2: I don't want to be stuck up about anything. I mean, 747 00:40:28,276 --> 00:40:31,076 Speaker 2: all kinds of music, can you have something good about them? 748 00:40:31,156 --> 00:40:33,276 Speaker 2: So I think that's been my attitude ever since. 749 00:40:33,996 --> 00:40:36,196 Speaker 1: Do you keep up with your sort of classical training? 750 00:40:36,396 --> 00:40:39,356 Speaker 1: Is that as a muscle that you've continued to I 751 00:40:39,436 --> 00:40:42,716 Speaker 1: think it's just kind of part of the arsenal of something. 752 00:40:42,956 --> 00:40:47,436 Speaker 2: It's just in there. So do you practice practice a lot? 753 00:40:49,396 --> 00:40:51,036 Speaker 2: I play quite a lot, so I guess it's all 754 00:40:51,076 --> 00:40:54,516 Speaker 2: practicing in a way. YEA, yeah, I mean I don't 755 00:40:54,556 --> 00:40:57,036 Speaker 2: practice scales and stuff like that for hours like I 756 00:40:57,116 --> 00:41:03,316 Speaker 2: did when I was a teenager, but and you what will. 757 00:41:03,236 --> 00:41:04,876 Speaker 1: You pick up like a piece you haven't played and 758 00:41:05,036 --> 00:41:07,076 Speaker 1: just try to get through it occasionally. 759 00:41:07,156 --> 00:41:10,076 Speaker 2: Yeah, one's the last. I mean did so it's kind 760 00:41:10,116 --> 00:41:13,356 Speaker 2: of cool. Well, I'm not recently, to be honest. I 761 00:41:13,436 --> 00:41:16,196 Speaker 2: mean technically I was probably much better at eighteen than 762 00:41:16,236 --> 00:41:21,676 Speaker 2: I am now. Yeah, But in terms of being able 763 00:41:21,716 --> 00:41:25,516 Speaker 2: to improvise and be creative at the keyboard, I was 764 00:41:25,556 --> 00:41:28,756 Speaker 2: not very good then. I think I'm still getting better 765 00:41:28,876 --> 00:41:29,116 Speaker 2: at that. 766 00:41:30,116 --> 00:41:32,436 Speaker 1: So you weren't early on, you weren't good at improvising. 767 00:41:33,876 --> 00:41:38,596 Speaker 2: I mean I tried, you know, but I think I've 768 00:41:38,636 --> 00:41:40,636 Speaker 2: gotten better, but I think I'm still learning. I think 769 00:41:40,676 --> 00:41:43,036 Speaker 2: my playing is still still getting better. Yeah. 770 00:41:43,876 --> 00:41:45,996 Speaker 1: Yeah, that must have been. It must have been great 771 00:41:46,036 --> 00:41:48,956 Speaker 1: then being around guys like her and Jerry Marson. I 772 00:41:48,956 --> 00:41:50,516 Speaker 1: guess Quincy Jones would have been at A and M 773 00:41:50,596 --> 00:41:52,556 Speaker 1: at that time, or at least. 774 00:41:52,556 --> 00:41:55,116 Speaker 2: I mean, I wasn't hanging out with these people, but 775 00:41:55,636 --> 00:41:57,436 Speaker 2: I mean I was aware that I was with a 776 00:41:57,676 --> 00:42:01,036 Speaker 2: fairly cool record label, you know, and other acts that 777 00:42:01,116 --> 00:42:05,476 Speaker 2: I liked. I like Squeeze quite a lot, and some 778 00:42:05,636 --> 00:42:08,436 Speaker 2: of the things that were really interesting I picked up 779 00:42:08,476 --> 00:42:11,556 Speaker 2: on a M, like they had yellow Magic orchestra from Japan. 780 00:42:12,356 --> 00:42:15,076 Speaker 2: I remember picking up a couple of their records from 781 00:42:15,076 --> 00:42:17,236 Speaker 2: the A and M officers and really enjoyed them. 782 00:42:17,476 --> 00:42:22,356 Speaker 1: I don't know they're on an MS. Yeah, how did 783 00:42:22,396 --> 00:42:25,476 Speaker 1: you find your guys? How did you find your band? 784 00:42:26,676 --> 00:42:28,996 Speaker 2: Well, they were local guys. The bass players of the 785 00:42:29,036 --> 00:42:33,116 Speaker 2: drummer Graham maybe Dave Olton. We're local guys that, I mean. 786 00:42:33,156 --> 00:42:35,996 Speaker 2: Graham I met when I was eighteen or something, so 787 00:42:36,116 --> 00:42:38,796 Speaker 2: we were playing in different kinds of bands together, and 788 00:42:38,996 --> 00:42:44,036 Speaker 2: Dave Olton was playing with, you know, other people I 789 00:42:44,156 --> 00:42:47,596 Speaker 2: knew and you know, so we all grew up in 790 00:42:47,676 --> 00:42:50,636 Speaker 2: the same area around Portsmouth on the south coast of England. 791 00:42:52,116 --> 00:42:53,676 Speaker 2: But by the time I made my first album, I 792 00:42:53,756 --> 00:42:56,476 Speaker 2: was living in London and Gary the guitarist, was in London, 793 00:42:56,476 --> 00:43:01,076 Speaker 2: who was someone that I met then. So yeah, it 794 00:43:01,276 --> 00:43:03,716 Speaker 2: was just a kind of pretty organic kind of thing. 795 00:43:04,436 --> 00:43:07,996 Speaker 1: It's pretty wild that those guys were just around and 796 00:43:08,236 --> 00:43:12,596 Speaker 1: I mean they were they're really great players. Yeah, did 797 00:43:12,636 --> 00:43:14,476 Speaker 1: they have him? Did they have their own things going on? 798 00:43:14,836 --> 00:43:15,276 Speaker 2: What were there? 799 00:43:15,596 --> 00:43:16,996 Speaker 1: What were they at when you kind of fot were 800 00:43:16,996 --> 00:43:19,996 Speaker 1: they were they? What were their ambitions? 801 00:43:20,116 --> 00:43:22,356 Speaker 2: Just I don't know what Actually, you have to ask them. 802 00:43:22,436 --> 00:43:25,636 Speaker 2: I suppose just doing gigs, whatever gigs they could get, 803 00:43:25,756 --> 00:43:29,036 Speaker 2: and doing part time jobs and scraping by. 804 00:43:29,556 --> 00:43:31,716 Speaker 1: And how do you typically work with them? 805 00:43:33,076 --> 00:43:33,236 Speaker 3: Dave? 806 00:43:33,556 --> 00:43:38,156 Speaker 1: Dave's still around often, right, not always, but I mean, well. 807 00:43:38,076 --> 00:43:42,836 Speaker 2: He hasn't wanted to tour for quite a long time. Yeah, 808 00:43:42,916 --> 00:43:45,996 Speaker 2: he's kind of was. I mean the reason I broke 809 00:43:46,076 --> 00:43:47,636 Speaker 2: up my first man was because he didn't want to 810 00:43:47,676 --> 00:43:48,276 Speaker 2: tour anymore. 811 00:43:48,516 --> 00:43:49,196 Speaker 1: Is that what happened? 812 00:43:49,316 --> 00:43:52,156 Speaker 2: Yeah, And rather than just replace him and carry on, 813 00:43:52,236 --> 00:43:55,076 Speaker 2: I thought, well, maybe it's time for a break, take 814 00:43:55,156 --> 00:43:59,516 Speaker 2: some time off and rethink. But he came back on 815 00:43:59,636 --> 00:44:01,716 Speaker 2: board later and we did a couple more albums and 816 00:44:01,756 --> 00:44:03,756 Speaker 2: tours together, and then he kind of dropped out again. 817 00:44:04,636 --> 00:44:08,836 Speaker 2: So I've had a sort of procession of drummers, some 818 00:44:09,116 --> 00:44:13,556 Speaker 2: eight ones actually, so Doug Yol, who's I'm working with now, 819 00:44:13,876 --> 00:44:16,116 Speaker 2: been working together for about ten years. 820 00:44:16,956 --> 00:44:18,596 Speaker 1: How does it work when you bring something to your 821 00:44:18,636 --> 00:44:21,356 Speaker 1: band it? How do you work with them? 822 00:44:21,436 --> 00:44:24,356 Speaker 2: How do you work Make a demo of some sort 823 00:44:25,356 --> 00:44:27,396 Speaker 2: and say we'll listen to this and kind of get 824 00:44:27,436 --> 00:44:31,836 Speaker 2: familiar with it, learn the chord changes, learn learn the parts. 825 00:44:33,116 --> 00:44:39,956 Speaker 2: In some cases there'll be things that that really suit 826 00:44:40,036 --> 00:44:42,796 Speaker 2: them and sound great, and other times it doesn't really 827 00:44:42,836 --> 00:44:46,276 Speaker 2: work and we have to negotiate. So it's kind of like, well, 828 00:44:46,716 --> 00:44:48,916 Speaker 2: that doesn't seem to work for you, what can you 829 00:44:48,996 --> 00:44:52,836 Speaker 2: do that's along the same lines, And so it becomes 830 00:44:53,036 --> 00:44:57,676 Speaker 2: collaborative to a certain extent, but I have the final 831 00:44:57,756 --> 00:45:00,756 Speaker 2: say because someone has to and it should be the 832 00:45:00,796 --> 00:45:04,236 Speaker 2: guy whose names on the record. So people have asked me, 833 00:45:04,276 --> 00:45:07,156 Speaker 2: as you're burning democracy, and it's not as a dictatorship actually, 834 00:45:07,676 --> 00:45:10,516 Speaker 2: but it's what they call it nine dictatorship where the 835 00:45:10,596 --> 00:45:11,676 Speaker 2: dictator is not a bad. 836 00:45:11,596 --> 00:45:14,276 Speaker 1: Guy anti. 837 00:45:15,836 --> 00:45:15,956 Speaker 2: Sir? 838 00:45:16,116 --> 00:45:19,596 Speaker 1: Can we please change this? Can I change this part? 839 00:45:19,636 --> 00:45:22,236 Speaker 1: It's not suitable. I mean, so you you have the demo, 840 00:45:22,316 --> 00:45:26,596 Speaker 1: it's pretty fleshed out, and they mostly learn it how 841 00:45:26,716 --> 00:45:27,436 Speaker 1: you presented it. 842 00:45:27,796 --> 00:45:30,436 Speaker 2: But there's always some things that change along the way. 843 00:45:30,836 --> 00:45:33,036 Speaker 2: And I quite enjoy that that process because I do 844 00:45:33,156 --> 00:45:35,676 Speaker 2: want people to feel like they're involved in it and 845 00:45:35,716 --> 00:45:38,196 Speaker 2: they're not just you know, like session guys or something. 846 00:45:38,396 --> 00:45:38,596 Speaker 1: Yeah. 847 00:45:40,156 --> 00:45:43,916 Speaker 2: I'm very particular about picking the people who I like 848 00:45:43,996 --> 00:45:47,716 Speaker 2: their personality, both as people and as players, you know, 849 00:45:47,876 --> 00:45:52,036 Speaker 2: and trying to find ways to especially in a live situation. 850 00:45:52,436 --> 00:45:54,796 Speaker 2: I was trying to find ways to make everyone in 851 00:45:54,876 --> 00:46:00,196 Speaker 2: the band shine, you know, give each player share of 852 00:46:00,236 --> 00:46:02,516 Speaker 2: the spotlight. Yeah, that's one of the really fun things 853 00:46:02,516 --> 00:46:03,676 Speaker 2: about playing live. I think. 854 00:46:03,956 --> 00:46:09,356 Speaker 1: Yeah, the begs parts, those they're not that fleshed, are 855 00:46:09,396 --> 00:46:10,196 Speaker 1: they are the flesh? 856 00:46:10,836 --> 00:46:12,836 Speaker 2: Some of them are, Yeah, some of them are. But 857 00:46:13,036 --> 00:46:15,636 Speaker 2: there's Yeah, there's this baselines part of the song as 858 00:46:15,676 --> 00:46:18,956 Speaker 2: I conceived it, you know, so so I you know, 859 00:46:19,076 --> 00:46:21,476 Speaker 2: some of the baselines are what I've written. Some of 860 00:46:21,556 --> 00:46:24,156 Speaker 2: them are Graham doing something along the lines that I 861 00:46:24,236 --> 00:46:26,636 Speaker 2: ask him to do, because I know him well enough 862 00:46:26,676 --> 00:46:30,596 Speaker 2: that he's generally going to come up with something I like. Yeah, so, 863 00:46:31,516 --> 00:46:33,596 Speaker 2: and if I don't like it, I'll tell him that 864 00:46:34,236 --> 00:46:39,596 Speaker 2: that's my prerogative. But yeah, it's it's hard to explain 865 00:46:39,596 --> 00:46:42,236 Speaker 2: it because the question comes up quite a lot, you know, 866 00:46:42,556 --> 00:46:45,996 Speaker 2: how much, say, do the musicians have in the creation 867 00:46:46,116 --> 00:46:48,876 Speaker 2: of their own parts? And it's it's not like black 868 00:46:48,956 --> 00:46:51,156 Speaker 2: and white, This is kind of somewhere in the middle. 869 00:46:52,516 --> 00:46:55,396 Speaker 2: How much does a song come to you when when 870 00:46:56,396 --> 00:46:59,236 Speaker 2: fully formed? How much do you kind of hear the 871 00:46:59,276 --> 00:47:03,236 Speaker 2: full thing a lot of the time. Yeah, yeah, I 872 00:47:03,276 --> 00:47:07,076 Speaker 2: don't know why, but I don't think in terms of well, 873 00:47:07,156 --> 00:47:10,116 Speaker 2: I have this few cores and what do I do now? 874 00:47:10,196 --> 00:47:10,316 Speaker 7: You know? 875 00:47:10,356 --> 00:47:14,516 Speaker 2: I tend to sort of hear whole the whole kind 876 00:47:14,556 --> 00:47:18,956 Speaker 2: of sound world in my head if you like, hard 877 00:47:19,036 --> 00:47:21,916 Speaker 2: to describe with us sounding a bit kind of pretentious. 878 00:47:21,636 --> 00:47:25,516 Speaker 1: Let's play. Maybe I'm not sorry for sure, it's im agreeable. 879 00:47:25,556 --> 00:47:27,356 Speaker 1: Whatever you whatever you like, Okay. 880 00:47:40,756 --> 00:47:44,196 Speaker 6: Hello cruel mode. I'm not going away, so I might 881 00:47:44,316 --> 00:47:46,076 Speaker 6: as well at my side. 882 00:47:52,716 --> 00:47:56,236 Speaker 8: For other dancer I never gave, and for every damn 883 00:47:56,356 --> 00:48:07,116 Speaker 8: wild That'll failed to say, for every little fat I didn't. 884 00:48:06,956 --> 00:48:17,556 Speaker 6: Chase, for every little fool just like my face, I 885 00:48:17,756 --> 00:48:18,396 Speaker 6: know that you. 886 00:48:18,756 --> 00:48:24,276 Speaker 1: Die, I know that you want it. I know that 887 00:48:24,476 --> 00:48:27,196 Speaker 1: you need leave it alone. 888 00:48:27,316 --> 00:48:30,516 Speaker 6: Because I'm not gonna say that I'm not sorry. 889 00:48:31,156 --> 00:48:32,596 Speaker 1: I'm not sorry at all. 890 00:48:35,756 --> 00:48:38,676 Speaker 2: I'm not sorry. I'm not sorry at. 891 00:48:38,516 --> 00:48:51,556 Speaker 1: All for every cause. 892 00:48:51,356 --> 00:48:54,276 Speaker 7: That I didn't support in any love that I broke 893 00:48:54,436 --> 00:49:05,356 Speaker 7: saying what I thought for every California dude I let 894 00:49:05,396 --> 00:49:06,556 Speaker 7: the love to observe. 895 00:49:06,636 --> 00:49:10,396 Speaker 1: I had an attitude I feel seen. 896 00:49:14,996 --> 00:49:18,876 Speaker 7: For every FLYNT choose to fly and all the crocodilechies. 897 00:49:19,036 --> 00:49:20,596 Speaker 6: I refuse to cry. 898 00:49:28,116 --> 00:49:28,436 Speaker 5: That you. 899 00:49:31,356 --> 00:49:32,476 Speaker 1: You so. 900 00:49:35,796 --> 00:49:39,036 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm saying no, it's funny to because I haven't 901 00:49:39,036 --> 00:49:44,076 Speaker 2: actually listened to that for a while and and because 902 00:49:44,156 --> 00:49:46,996 Speaker 2: we've been were what is it, twelve shows into our 903 00:49:47,036 --> 00:49:49,436 Speaker 2: tour now, and we're playing this song live and it 904 00:49:49,556 --> 00:49:50,356 Speaker 2: sounds different. 905 00:49:51,116 --> 00:49:51,836 Speaker 1: How's it change? 906 00:49:52,076 --> 00:49:57,316 Speaker 2: Well, it's things just just sound different, you know. Yeah, 907 00:49:57,356 --> 00:50:00,476 Speaker 2: it's funny. Yeah, they're here now, and I think, well, 908 00:50:00,636 --> 00:50:03,796 Speaker 2: the bass sounds different, the drums sound different, the balance 909 00:50:03,916 --> 00:50:07,516 Speaker 2: between the guitar and the keyboard sounds different. But in 910 00:50:07,596 --> 00:50:10,436 Speaker 2: a way that's we're not it. We're not really changed 911 00:50:10,476 --> 00:50:14,316 Speaker 2: the song, you know. But yeah, it's funny. It's just 912 00:50:14,396 --> 00:50:17,716 Speaker 2: hard to explain. It just takes on a different life live. 913 00:50:17,796 --> 00:50:19,476 Speaker 1: I think, does it feel good to hear it the 914 00:50:19,516 --> 00:50:20,076 Speaker 1: original way? 915 00:50:20,196 --> 00:50:20,356 Speaker 6: Yeah? 916 00:50:20,356 --> 00:50:21,356 Speaker 2: I think that's pretty good. 917 00:50:21,436 --> 00:50:21,636 Speaker 1: Yeah. 918 00:50:21,956 --> 00:50:25,996 Speaker 2: Yeah, but I think we're doing some little different things 919 00:50:26,036 --> 00:50:29,076 Speaker 2: to it now. Yeah yeah. Interesting? 920 00:50:29,236 --> 00:50:30,996 Speaker 1: Is that kind of Is that worth investigating for you? 921 00:50:31,116 --> 00:50:31,236 Speaker 8: Ever? 922 00:50:31,396 --> 00:50:35,356 Speaker 1: That will have? The way a song changes live, I. 923 00:50:35,356 --> 00:50:37,836 Speaker 2: Don't know, it just sort of evolves. I Mean, one 924 00:50:37,876 --> 00:50:42,356 Speaker 2: thing I do find is that very often things get 925 00:50:42,436 --> 00:50:44,676 Speaker 2: better as a tour goes on, and you think, oh, 926 00:50:44,836 --> 00:50:47,756 Speaker 2: I wish we could record the album now. And I 927 00:50:47,796 --> 00:50:51,316 Speaker 2: actually did that once on an album called Fool for 928 00:50:51,396 --> 00:50:55,156 Speaker 2: a few years ago. That's what we actually did. Finally, 929 00:50:56,036 --> 00:50:58,636 Speaker 2: we did a one month tour where we played all 930 00:50:58,676 --> 00:51:02,156 Speaker 2: the new songs, and then the idea was wherever we 931 00:51:03,276 --> 00:51:05,996 Speaker 2: finished up, assuming it was somewhere where there was a studio, 932 00:51:07,876 --> 00:51:09,716 Speaker 2: you know, the day after the Life Our show, we 933 00:51:09,756 --> 00:51:12,036 Speaker 2: would go in the studio and record the album. It 934 00:51:12,036 --> 00:51:16,876 Speaker 2: turned out to be Boise, Idaho, which I love because 935 00:51:16,916 --> 00:51:19,116 Speaker 2: everyone was saying, what the hell are you doing recording 936 00:51:19,156 --> 00:51:22,756 Speaker 2: an album there? It's actually not a bad place. We 937 00:51:22,836 --> 00:51:25,916 Speaker 2: did the album in a week, wow, you know, did 938 00:51:25,996 --> 00:51:27,996 Speaker 2: some of the vocals later in New York and mixed 939 00:51:27,996 --> 00:51:30,636 Speaker 2: it in New York. But that was great. But it's 940 00:51:30,676 --> 00:51:35,356 Speaker 2: so logistically so hard to do that. So this album 941 00:51:35,476 --> 00:51:38,236 Speaker 2: was quite different because so we actually I did some 942 00:51:38,476 --> 00:51:41,836 Speaker 2: demos for it that turned out really well, and we 943 00:51:41,956 --> 00:51:44,516 Speaker 2: ended up using a lot of the demo tracks on it, 944 00:51:44,636 --> 00:51:46,836 Speaker 2: including some of the lead vocals, which I didn't expect, 945 00:51:47,316 --> 00:51:48,276 Speaker 2: you know, I thought I was going to have to 946 00:51:48,316 --> 00:51:50,636 Speaker 2: do them all over again. But I was listening to 947 00:51:50,716 --> 00:51:52,916 Speaker 2: them and thinking, wait a minute, I don't know how 948 00:51:52,956 --> 00:51:54,996 Speaker 2: to do this any better, so we may as well 949 00:51:55,076 --> 00:51:57,476 Speaker 2: keep it. So we saved some time. I don't like 950 00:51:57,556 --> 00:51:59,316 Speaker 2: to spend a lot of time in the studio anyway 951 00:52:00,276 --> 00:52:03,796 Speaker 2: always or just because generally I don't know. So some 952 00:52:03,876 --> 00:52:06,036 Speaker 2: of the lead vocals on there are from Yeah, the 953 00:52:06,156 --> 00:52:11,436 Speaker 2: demo vocals, that's that's amazing, but you know, I couldn't 954 00:52:11,476 --> 00:52:13,116 Speaker 2: figure out why you're do them any better. 955 00:52:14,116 --> 00:52:17,036 Speaker 1: That's great though. A lot of times I hear, you know, 956 00:52:17,356 --> 00:52:19,396 Speaker 1: people will down the line put out a demo of 957 00:52:19,516 --> 00:52:21,116 Speaker 1: a song, yeah, and. 958 00:52:22,076 --> 00:52:24,276 Speaker 2: You're here like, wow, the demo is actually. 959 00:52:24,036 --> 00:52:26,396 Speaker 1: Better than that, you know, But I think it's maybe 960 00:52:26,476 --> 00:52:27,676 Speaker 1: hard to believe that. 961 00:52:27,916 --> 00:52:30,956 Speaker 2: For something else, right, you know, But it's very interesting 962 00:52:31,036 --> 00:52:33,476 Speaker 2: of what happens sometimes if you if you don't have 963 00:52:33,596 --> 00:52:36,756 Speaker 2: much time and you've got to just get it done 964 00:52:37,316 --> 00:52:39,956 Speaker 2: and not be too fussy, and you're telling yourself, well, 965 00:52:39,956 --> 00:52:43,036 Speaker 2: it's only a demo anyway, and I guess that in 966 00:52:43,196 --> 00:52:46,716 Speaker 2: that process you're kind of relaxed in a way, but 967 00:52:47,476 --> 00:52:49,636 Speaker 2: at the same time you're not you're not wasting any time, 968 00:52:49,716 --> 00:52:52,236 Speaker 2: so you kind of, whether you realize it or not, 969 00:52:52,356 --> 00:52:55,556 Speaker 2: you're actually zeroing in on what's important, which you can 970 00:52:55,636 --> 00:52:58,516 Speaker 2: lose sight of if you've been too long in the studio, 971 00:52:58,516 --> 00:53:01,316 Speaker 2: which a lot of people do. So I think it's 972 00:53:01,396 --> 00:53:03,156 Speaker 2: quite an interesting lesson in there somewhere. 973 00:53:03,356 --> 00:53:11,796 Speaker 1: Yeah, that song I'm Not Sorry musically pretty cool, Yeah, 974 00:53:12,596 --> 00:53:16,236 Speaker 1: did it. But it's cool because it's because there's an 975 00:53:16,276 --> 00:53:20,396 Speaker 1: aggressiveness to it. But then there's you know, the sort 976 00:53:20,436 --> 00:53:24,316 Speaker 1: of like Latin harmonic thing going on. And usually those 977 00:53:24,316 --> 00:53:29,436 Speaker 1: two things aren't aren't melded together. But that's that's even 978 00:53:29,476 --> 00:53:31,836 Speaker 1: in your music, those things, because there's songs that are 979 00:53:31,876 --> 00:53:33,876 Speaker 1: viewers that feel acerbic and have like a more of 980 00:53:33,956 --> 00:53:36,836 Speaker 1: a that kind of aggressive feel, and then there's songs 981 00:53:36,836 --> 00:53:40,836 Speaker 1: that are of course have had Latin grooves. But it's 982 00:53:41,156 --> 00:53:43,716 Speaker 1: it feels rare that those two things kind of converge. 983 00:53:44,156 --> 00:53:44,276 Speaker 3: You know. 984 00:53:45,196 --> 00:53:51,276 Speaker 2: That's an interesting angle. I think maybe because it's it's 985 00:53:51,316 --> 00:53:56,196 Speaker 2: actually quite humorous, you know. I mean, it strikes some 986 00:53:56,316 --> 00:53:59,836 Speaker 2: people as being angry, but it's it's really more more humorous. 987 00:54:00,996 --> 00:54:04,356 Speaker 2: There's a bit of a kind of you know, deffun 988 00:54:04,716 --> 00:54:09,436 Speaker 2: attitude it. I mean, it's very different, and it's a 989 00:54:09,476 --> 00:54:15,036 Speaker 2: bit of a kind of anti cancel culture sort of idea. 990 00:54:16,876 --> 00:54:19,516 Speaker 2: You know, I quite like the idea just saying, you know, 991 00:54:19,716 --> 00:54:21,556 Speaker 2: I'm not sorry, whatever it is. If you've had some 992 00:54:21,756 --> 00:54:25,356 Speaker 2: problem with me, I'm not sorry. And there's a line 993 00:54:25,396 --> 00:54:29,316 Speaker 2: in the song that goes, don't apologize to someone who 994 00:54:29,396 --> 00:54:32,036 Speaker 2: just wants to make you their bitch. You know. It's 995 00:54:32,076 --> 00:54:35,436 Speaker 2: like the last thing you should do is apologize. So 996 00:54:35,716 --> 00:54:39,276 Speaker 2: that's that's the message, but it's I think done in 997 00:54:39,356 --> 00:54:42,316 Speaker 2: a rather humorous way rather than an angry way. There's 998 00:54:42,356 --> 00:54:44,516 Speaker 2: one song on the album I'm I'm not going to 999 00:54:44,516 --> 00:54:46,676 Speaker 2: say it's my favorite, but I'm particularly proud of in 1000 00:54:46,956 --> 00:54:49,836 Speaker 2: certain ways. It's called an End of the Pier and 1001 00:54:50,276 --> 00:54:53,156 Speaker 2: the idea that I had for the song, I got 1002 00:54:53,196 --> 00:54:55,116 Speaker 2: to a point where I thought it's over ambitious. I 1003 00:54:55,156 --> 00:54:58,116 Speaker 2: don't think I could pull this off. And I more 1004 00:54:58,236 --> 00:55:00,716 Speaker 2: or less, you know, I might be exaggerating a bit, 1005 00:55:00,796 --> 00:55:02,876 Speaker 2: but like shut myself in a room for a week 1006 00:55:02,956 --> 00:55:06,756 Speaker 2: and you know, with a rhyming dictionary and a phosaurus, 1007 00:55:08,316 --> 00:55:10,436 Speaker 2: and just worked on it and reworks it and reworks 1008 00:55:10,436 --> 00:55:12,676 Speaker 2: it until I thought, wait a minute, yeah it works. 1009 00:55:13,036 --> 00:55:15,036 Speaker 2: I did pull it off. Wow. 1010 00:55:16,436 --> 00:55:17,836 Speaker 1: So I. 1011 00:55:19,836 --> 00:55:21,956 Speaker 2: You know, if you want to know, you haven't asked. 1012 00:55:21,996 --> 00:55:24,516 Speaker 2: If you want to know my favorite lyricist, there are 1013 00:55:24,596 --> 00:55:34,076 Speaker 2: people like I Regressing, Johnny Mercer, Lorenz Hart, Colporter, you know, 1014 00:55:34,636 --> 00:55:41,716 Speaker 2: all those guys just just the the the brilliance of 1015 00:55:41,796 --> 00:55:45,636 Speaker 2: the wordplay and I just love that, you know, and 1016 00:55:45,796 --> 00:55:51,556 Speaker 2: the wit I love so. I like the idea of 1017 00:55:51,676 --> 00:55:54,356 Speaker 2: being a craftsman when it comes to, you know, crafting 1018 00:55:54,396 --> 00:55:56,916 Speaker 2: the words of the song, even though I'm saying that 1019 00:55:56,996 --> 00:55:59,396 Speaker 2: they're not as important as the music. Ultimately, I don't 1020 00:55:59,436 --> 00:56:02,316 Speaker 2: think they are. It's the music that still is what 1021 00:56:02,476 --> 00:56:03,076 Speaker 2: moves you. I think. 1022 00:56:03,116 --> 00:56:05,036 Speaker 1: Well, it's interesting though, But those guys like Johnny Mercer 1023 00:56:05,116 --> 00:56:08,996 Speaker 1: and that like they are, you know, there's a lot 1024 00:56:09,036 --> 00:56:13,036 Speaker 1: of clever world but they're fairly earnest songwriters. 1025 00:56:12,396 --> 00:56:14,796 Speaker 2: You know. Yeah, but they also can be very witty 1026 00:56:14,916 --> 00:56:19,556 Speaker 2: and you know, very funny, which I think is really 1027 00:56:19,636 --> 00:56:22,396 Speaker 2: lacking in a lot of a lot of songwriting. Yeah. 1028 00:56:22,676 --> 00:56:24,956 Speaker 1: Can we talk about the Duke Ellington album that you did? 1029 00:56:25,116 --> 00:56:26,516 Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, what made you? 1030 00:56:27,036 --> 00:56:30,036 Speaker 1: What brat can you do? That was about twenty twelve, 1031 00:56:30,076 --> 00:56:32,756 Speaker 1: I think, yes, I think it was. You did a 1032 00:56:32,836 --> 00:56:36,356 Speaker 1: Duke album. Yeah, and it's pretty cool. 1033 00:56:36,716 --> 00:56:38,996 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm really proud of it. And it actually is 1034 00:56:39,036 --> 00:56:44,236 Speaker 2: a Joe Jackson album, you know. I mean, I I 1035 00:56:44,316 --> 00:56:47,596 Speaker 2: did the arrangements, I was the producer, I did the 1036 00:56:47,756 --> 00:56:52,636 Speaker 2: keyboard playing, programming, I did some of the vocals. The 1037 00:56:52,716 --> 00:56:56,556 Speaker 2: only thing I didn't do was write the original source material. Yeah, 1038 00:56:56,676 --> 00:56:59,276 Speaker 2: you know, right, yeah, So it was now idea I 1039 00:56:59,356 --> 00:57:00,956 Speaker 2: had for a long time because I'm a huge fan 1040 00:57:01,036 --> 00:57:04,116 Speaker 2: of Ellington and he is. One of the reasons that 1041 00:57:04,596 --> 00:57:06,556 Speaker 2: he's inspiring to me is because of the way that 1042 00:57:06,996 --> 00:57:10,996 Speaker 2: he constantly reworked his own material, different versions of his 1043 00:57:11,076 --> 00:57:14,316 Speaker 2: own songs, which I've always done. It's one of the 1044 00:57:14,396 --> 00:57:16,996 Speaker 2: things that keeps things interesting, you know, touring after so 1045 00:57:17,116 --> 00:57:17,836 Speaker 2: many years. 1046 00:57:18,076 --> 00:57:19,876 Speaker 1: Even the classic to take the A Train, it's like 1047 00:57:19,916 --> 00:57:22,156 Speaker 1: there's yeah, there's many versions. 1048 00:57:21,876 --> 00:57:25,996 Speaker 2: Yea, many versions of everything. For a long time, I'd 1049 00:57:26,036 --> 00:57:28,476 Speaker 2: had ideas about what you could do this Ellington tune 1050 00:57:28,516 --> 00:57:32,596 Speaker 2: with this kind of nomraigement whatever, And I can't remember 1051 00:57:32,796 --> 00:57:34,196 Speaker 2: at what point I said, you know, I want to 1052 00:57:34,316 --> 00:57:38,796 Speaker 2: try and do a whole project of this. And then 1053 00:57:38,836 --> 00:57:41,796 Speaker 2: I started to make some rules for myself, because this 1054 00:57:41,876 --> 00:57:43,636 Speaker 2: is one of the things you have to do to 1055 00:57:43,756 --> 00:57:46,996 Speaker 2: create anything, is to set limits. You can't be limitless, 1056 00:57:47,116 --> 00:57:50,436 Speaker 2: you know, it doesn't work. So one of my rules 1057 00:57:50,636 --> 00:57:54,276 Speaker 2: was no horns, because I mean, I want to pay 1058 00:57:54,356 --> 00:57:58,196 Speaker 2: tribute to Ellington, not compete with answer, right, So there's 1059 00:57:58,236 --> 00:58:02,156 Speaker 2: no horns, and none of the songs have a traditional 1060 00:58:02,356 --> 00:58:06,076 Speaker 2: swing rhythm, you know, so they're all different grooves and 1061 00:58:06,156 --> 00:58:07,316 Speaker 2: different kinds of sounds. 1062 00:58:08,396 --> 00:58:10,276 Speaker 1: Was that a struggle playing to the rhythm session that 1063 00:58:10,356 --> 00:58:12,716 Speaker 1: you're going to play some tunes naturally? 1064 00:58:13,436 --> 00:58:19,756 Speaker 2: No, which is crazy to say, Yeah, but that was 1065 00:58:19,836 --> 00:58:23,276 Speaker 2: the whole idea. And sometimes if you give yourself the guidelines, 1066 00:58:23,436 --> 00:58:28,236 Speaker 2: that's actually inspiring. It's not limiting. You know, it opens 1067 00:58:28,356 --> 00:58:33,596 Speaker 2: up possibilities. You know, seems contradictory, but it doesn't close 1068 00:58:33,636 --> 00:58:38,196 Speaker 2: down possibilities. And so I found myself of thinking, well, 1069 00:58:38,516 --> 00:58:41,956 Speaker 2: what other directions could we take this? I mean, Caravan, 1070 00:58:42,076 --> 00:58:45,116 Speaker 2: for instance, is sung by sus Sandy Him who's a 1071 00:58:45,316 --> 00:58:50,796 Speaker 2: singer from Iran, and as she did the translation of 1072 00:58:50,836 --> 00:58:56,236 Speaker 2: the lyrics into Farsi. So you know, I thought that 1073 00:58:56,396 --> 00:58:58,196 Speaker 2: was such a cool idea. I mean, no one had 1074 00:58:58,236 --> 00:58:59,996 Speaker 2: done that, but it seemed to me, in a way 1075 00:59:00,036 --> 00:59:04,596 Speaker 2: an obvious thing to do. And again, Perdido, I had 1076 00:59:04,636 --> 00:59:07,316 Speaker 2: this idea of it having a kind of Brazilian groove. 1077 00:59:07,556 --> 00:59:09,636 Speaker 2: And there was a band from Holland I really like 1078 00:59:09,716 --> 00:59:13,396 Speaker 2: called Zuko one oh three with a Brazilian singer Lillian Vera, 1079 00:59:14,476 --> 00:59:17,676 Speaker 2: who also did the translation into Portuguese of the lyrics. 1080 00:59:17,716 --> 00:59:20,716 Speaker 2: You know, So so it was like let's just try 1081 00:59:21,076 --> 00:59:23,196 Speaker 2: just doing all kinds of different things with Ellington that 1082 00:59:23,236 --> 00:59:27,316 Speaker 2: hadn't been done before, and different kinds of grooves using 1083 00:59:27,436 --> 00:59:32,396 Speaker 2: electric guitar and electric violin and and just you're getting 1084 00:59:32,436 --> 00:59:36,076 Speaker 2: away from the horns. And I think it turned out great, 1085 00:59:36,116 --> 00:59:38,516 Speaker 2: and I'm very, very proud of the album. Actually, yeah, 1086 00:59:38,836 --> 00:59:40,276 Speaker 2: I'm sure a lot of people didn't quite know what 1087 00:59:40,356 --> 00:59:42,316 Speaker 2: to make of it, but there you go. 1088 00:59:42,476 --> 00:59:44,996 Speaker 1: I think that's fine. It kind of reminded there was 1089 00:59:45,396 --> 00:59:47,956 Speaker 1: like Mingus at some point put out an album where 1090 00:59:47,956 --> 00:59:50,956 Speaker 1: he was like a lot of his sort of more 1091 00:59:51,036 --> 00:59:52,996 Speaker 1: well known tunes, but there was like you know, with 1092 00:59:53,276 --> 00:59:56,996 Speaker 1: with a band that was not really fit, not not fit, 1093 00:59:57,156 --> 00:59:58,636 Speaker 1: but now she would think, you know, it was like 1094 00:59:59,796 --> 01:00:02,756 Speaker 1: there was like a I think it was in the 1095 01:00:02,836 --> 01:00:04,356 Speaker 1: mid seventies, and there was like a bit of a 1096 01:00:04,396 --> 01:00:07,436 Speaker 1: shredder of a guitar player doing like pork you know, 1097 01:00:07,476 --> 01:00:10,916 Speaker 1: good bye porn and things. It's like, yeah, it was 1098 01:00:10,996 --> 01:00:13,516 Speaker 1: kind of kind of like defamed the songs, but in yeah, 1099 01:00:13,756 --> 01:00:16,196 Speaker 1: I'm sure, you know, critically defamed the songs. But it's 1100 01:00:16,236 --> 01:00:19,916 Speaker 1: kind of interesting. You know, let's you hear jazz in 1101 01:00:19,956 --> 01:00:22,756 Speaker 1: this kind of interesting modern context, right and putting caravan 1102 01:00:22,876 --> 01:00:26,796 Speaker 1: back in like into like a Middle Eastern sort of context. 1103 01:00:26,916 --> 01:00:29,636 Speaker 1: Is interesting too, because that's obviously the inspiration for the 1104 01:00:29,756 --> 01:00:34,556 Speaker 1: melody and things as it driven you crazy that I mean, 1105 01:00:34,596 --> 01:00:38,756 Speaker 1: I feel like for a lot of years, a lot 1106 01:00:38,796 --> 01:00:43,956 Speaker 1: of decades, you've you've been ducking into jazz, yeah, and 1107 01:00:44,236 --> 01:00:48,076 Speaker 1: making like really great records based around jazz tunes or 1108 01:00:48,156 --> 01:00:52,596 Speaker 1: jazz arrangements, and it doesn't stick in the sense of 1109 01:00:52,596 --> 01:00:54,956 Speaker 1: when people think Joe Jackson, they don't necessarily think jazzy. 1110 01:00:55,516 --> 01:00:59,076 Speaker 2: I'm not a jazz musician. I'm a jazz fan, and 1111 01:00:59,236 --> 01:01:01,716 Speaker 2: I can fake it a bit. I can play decent 1112 01:01:01,836 --> 01:01:04,596 Speaker 2: jazz piano, but I'm not gonna, you know, go up 1113 01:01:04,636 --> 01:01:09,396 Speaker 2: against the people who devote their whole lives to playing 1114 01:01:09,476 --> 01:01:12,716 Speaker 2: jazz piano, you know what I mean. So yeah, I'm 1115 01:01:12,956 --> 01:01:16,436 Speaker 2: I'm a I'm a jazz fan, and I like bringing 1116 01:01:16,476 --> 01:01:19,676 Speaker 2: in different influences and seeing what you can fit with 1117 01:01:20,276 --> 01:01:22,356 Speaker 2: what other you know, which pieces of the jigsaw you 1118 01:01:22,436 --> 01:01:25,076 Speaker 2: can fit to which other pieces. I mean, I think 1119 01:01:25,116 --> 01:01:28,476 Speaker 2: that's kind of what I do. You know, I don't 1120 01:01:29,596 --> 01:01:35,476 Speaker 2: I can't really staying in a very specific genre. And 1121 01:01:35,596 --> 01:01:37,916 Speaker 2: it's not a decision, you know, it's just the way 1122 01:01:37,956 --> 01:01:41,196 Speaker 2: it comes out. The way it comes out comes from 1123 01:01:41,236 --> 01:01:44,236 Speaker 2: who you are, and you know, so I'm just someone 1124 01:01:44,276 --> 01:01:48,916 Speaker 2: who's had very very broad musical experience and interest, and 1125 01:01:50,076 --> 01:01:52,876 Speaker 2: so what interests me is is finding ways to put 1126 01:01:52,916 --> 01:01:58,556 Speaker 2: these different things together in a way that works. That's yeah, 1127 01:01:58,596 --> 01:02:00,956 Speaker 2: I mean that probably sums it up as good as anything. 1128 01:02:01,716 --> 01:02:04,276 Speaker 1: It feels like I feel, it feels like a good 1129 01:02:04,276 --> 01:02:06,196 Speaker 1: summation of all the most of your work, you know. 1130 01:02:06,956 --> 01:02:08,716 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's it's almost it's kind of like 1131 01:02:08,796 --> 01:02:11,756 Speaker 2: being a co largist rather than a portrait painter or 1132 01:02:11,796 --> 01:02:14,156 Speaker 2: a landscape pounds paint or something like that. Maybe. 1133 01:02:14,476 --> 01:02:18,676 Speaker 1: Yeah, So you're twelve dates and doing eighty date tour. 1134 01:02:18,796 --> 01:02:20,396 Speaker 1: Roughly twelve dates and an eighty date tour. 1135 01:02:20,876 --> 01:02:23,476 Speaker 2: I think if if you put the North American tour 1136 01:02:23,516 --> 01:02:26,436 Speaker 2: or Europeans altogether, it's about eighty shows. Yeah, I think 1137 01:02:26,476 --> 01:02:28,396 Speaker 2: we're about twelve shows in point. 1138 01:02:28,676 --> 01:02:29,756 Speaker 1: Yes, I feel dancing. 1139 01:02:32,036 --> 01:02:34,796 Speaker 2: If I thought about it, it probably would try not 1140 01:02:34,916 --> 01:02:37,556 Speaker 2: to think about it. I mean, really it sounds cheesy, 1141 01:02:37,636 --> 01:02:39,316 Speaker 2: but on the road it's just you have to just 1142 01:02:39,396 --> 01:02:42,356 Speaker 2: concentrate on today. But you just think about today. I 1143 01:02:42,356 --> 01:02:44,196 Speaker 2: don't think about the gigs. We already did or what 1144 01:02:44,276 --> 01:02:47,916 Speaker 2: we're doing tomorrow. It's just really concentrate on today and 1145 01:02:48,756 --> 01:02:51,796 Speaker 2: it's going great, and it's we're at that kind of 1146 01:02:51,836 --> 01:02:54,196 Speaker 2: magic point of the tour where we got over some 1147 01:02:54,316 --> 01:02:57,196 Speaker 2: of the initial nerves and glitches and so on, and 1148 01:02:57,316 --> 01:03:00,356 Speaker 2: we're really enjoying it and it's just getting better. 1149 01:03:00,676 --> 01:03:04,836 Speaker 1: That's amazing. Yeah. Do you what makes a good show 1150 01:03:04,876 --> 01:03:05,076 Speaker 1: for you? 1151 01:03:05,196 --> 01:03:05,236 Speaker 3: Like? 1152 01:03:05,276 --> 01:03:05,876 Speaker 2: Do you feel like it? 1153 01:03:07,196 --> 01:03:09,596 Speaker 1: How do you what makes a good show for versus 1154 01:03:09,676 --> 01:03:10,156 Speaker 1: a bad show? 1155 01:03:10,796 --> 01:03:12,556 Speaker 2: Well? I think it goes with that saying that it 1156 01:03:13,156 --> 01:03:15,436 Speaker 2: would be a show where I feel like I performed 1157 01:03:15,476 --> 01:03:17,716 Speaker 2: well and the band performed well and we didn't screw 1158 01:03:17,796 --> 01:03:21,476 Speaker 2: everything up. But beyond that, it's just something you can't define. 1159 01:03:21,476 --> 01:03:24,516 Speaker 2: It's magic. It really is magic. It's something that happens 1160 01:03:24,596 --> 01:03:29,356 Speaker 2: between between the band and the audience and everyone and 1161 01:03:30,676 --> 01:03:35,996 Speaker 2: some nights it's just it's magic. I can't explain it 1162 01:03:35,996 --> 01:03:38,396 Speaker 2: any better than that, and that's why it's great. 1163 01:03:40,156 --> 01:03:41,676 Speaker 1: Do you do you have to think about the audience 1164 01:03:41,716 --> 01:03:42,516 Speaker 1: in terms of set list? 1165 01:03:42,556 --> 01:03:46,116 Speaker 2: Do you do? Oh? Yeah, I try to be as 1166 01:03:46,156 --> 01:03:49,436 Speaker 2: objective as I possibly can. But how will this come across, 1167 01:03:50,276 --> 01:03:52,836 Speaker 2: you know, to someone sitting in the you know, the 1168 01:03:53,236 --> 01:03:56,356 Speaker 2: twentieth Rowe. I'm always thinking like that. 1169 01:03:56,756 --> 01:04:01,676 Speaker 1: That's amazing. I'm excited to come out tomorrow smart. 1170 01:04:01,796 --> 01:04:02,236 Speaker 2: I believe that. 1171 01:04:02,436 --> 01:04:04,196 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, tomorrow, they see you guys. 1172 01:04:04,876 --> 01:04:08,316 Speaker 2: Great. Yeah, it should be good. That's a good venue, 1173 01:04:09,156 --> 01:04:11,476 Speaker 2: played a couple of times before, so it should be good. 1174 01:04:11,676 --> 01:04:16,396 Speaker 1: I'm excited. Man. Quite a different attitude on I'm Not 1175 01:04:16,476 --> 01:04:18,196 Speaker 1: Sorry that on Battleground. 1176 01:04:18,316 --> 01:04:21,756 Speaker 2: Oh oh god. Yeah, well that's one of those songs 1177 01:04:21,756 --> 01:04:25,036 Speaker 2: I'd rather forget big. 1178 01:04:25,956 --> 01:04:28,796 Speaker 1: Was it ernest at the time or was at the time, 1179 01:04:28,916 --> 01:04:29,476 Speaker 1: And yeah, I. 1180 01:04:29,516 --> 01:04:33,076 Speaker 2: Guess it was. But so that was a that was well, 1181 01:04:33,116 --> 01:04:35,036 Speaker 2: you dragged it out of me, know that. That's one 1182 01:04:35,076 --> 01:04:36,556 Speaker 2: of the albums that I don't think is one of 1183 01:04:36,636 --> 01:04:39,276 Speaker 2: my best. Was Beat Crazy because the first two albums 1184 01:04:39,276 --> 01:04:45,036 Speaker 2: are basically the same album. You know, Really Be Crazy 1185 01:04:45,236 --> 01:04:46,876 Speaker 2: was kind of like trying to mix it up and 1186 01:04:46,956 --> 01:04:49,236 Speaker 2: do something a bit different, but without really quite knowing 1187 01:04:49,996 --> 01:04:51,836 Speaker 2: where I was going. So it's a bit of a 1188 01:04:51,916 --> 01:04:55,876 Speaker 2: confused album. I think he's got some interesting ideas on it, 1189 01:04:56,316 --> 01:04:59,476 Speaker 2: you know, some good bits, but I don't think it 1190 01:04:59,556 --> 01:05:01,956 Speaker 2: worked very well. I think that was probably another reason 1191 01:05:01,996 --> 01:05:05,156 Speaker 2: why when Dave the Drummer wanted to leave that I 1192 01:05:05,316 --> 01:05:09,876 Speaker 2: decided to kind of just break out the band and 1193 01:05:09,996 --> 01:05:11,836 Speaker 2: rethink rather than just kind of carry on. 1194 01:05:12,236 --> 01:05:14,276 Speaker 1: You realized it wasn't gonna that was broken. I wasn't 1195 01:05:14,316 --> 01:05:17,076 Speaker 1: gonna get better in that form. Yeah, at least at 1196 01:05:17,076 --> 01:05:17,476 Speaker 1: that point. 1197 01:05:17,516 --> 01:05:20,436 Speaker 2: I mean, we we got back together again twenty years 1198 01:05:20,476 --> 01:05:23,436 Speaker 2: later or whatever it was to do the four album, 1199 01:05:23,876 --> 01:05:26,516 Speaker 2: which was actually the best album we've made as a band. 1200 01:05:26,596 --> 01:05:28,596 Speaker 2: I think it's a good album. You know, it's a 1201 01:05:28,636 --> 01:05:31,356 Speaker 2: good it does. I mean, it's just it could you 1202 01:05:31,436 --> 01:05:34,116 Speaker 2: can't compete with nostalgia. That's the thing. I mean a 1203 01:05:34,196 --> 01:05:36,236 Speaker 2: lot of people said, well it's good, but although it's 1204 01:05:36,276 --> 01:05:39,036 Speaker 2: not as good as look sharp though, you know, well, yeah, 1205 01:05:39,836 --> 01:05:42,436 Speaker 2: they don't want it to be. That's good in a way. 1206 01:05:42,596 --> 01:05:44,756 Speaker 1: You know, it's hard, Like you say, it's hard, just 1207 01:05:45,036 --> 01:05:46,876 Speaker 1: too many memories built up. 1208 01:05:46,876 --> 01:05:49,556 Speaker 2: And you can't compete with that. But I mean as 1209 01:05:49,596 --> 01:05:52,516 Speaker 2: an album of songs and the playing the band was, 1210 01:05:53,076 --> 01:05:55,596 Speaker 2: you know, playing much better. And I think it's a 1211 01:05:55,636 --> 01:05:56,076 Speaker 2: good album. 1212 01:05:56,356 --> 01:05:58,596 Speaker 1: Yeah right, we hold on, We'll hold on, We'll play 1213 01:06:01,196 --> 01:06:03,596 Speaker 1: I guess do do do y fabulous people? 1214 01:06:05,236 --> 01:06:06,076 Speaker 2: That's good. 1215 01:06:13,996 --> 01:06:16,436 Speaker 1: This is why I shout and making instead over. I 1216 01:06:16,636 --> 01:06:17,716 Speaker 1: was taking my time. 1217 01:06:17,756 --> 01:06:18,676 Speaker 4: I've joked in the bag. 1218 01:06:20,636 --> 01:06:21,996 Speaker 1: This is why they're using bacon. 1219 01:06:22,316 --> 01:06:25,276 Speaker 8: The kind of stuff is making me fatter about the day, 1220 01:06:27,556 --> 01:06:31,276 Speaker 8: right right right, Coming from the song. 1221 01:06:34,196 --> 01:06:39,276 Speaker 1: I grave and then I'm not avery one. 1222 01:06:42,116 --> 01:06:44,596 Speaker 6: We're out of the from the mirror. It's getting out 1223 01:06:44,636 --> 01:06:46,116 Speaker 6: of a clearer They. 1224 01:06:45,836 --> 01:06:46,876 Speaker 2: Saying is to laugh. 1225 01:06:48,796 --> 01:06:50,956 Speaker 1: This is the place I'm stuck with. I wish you 1226 01:06:51,076 --> 01:06:57,236 Speaker 1: lots of luck with your iPhones over the grass, Yeah, 1227 01:06:57,236 --> 01:06:58,876 Speaker 1: I think again, written. 1228 01:07:00,156 --> 01:07:03,276 Speaker 2: Chicily. Yeah, I mean that's a really silly song. Yeah, 1229 01:07:03,756 --> 01:07:08,676 Speaker 2: it actually came came to me in a dream. Doesn't 1230 01:07:08,716 --> 01:07:11,196 Speaker 2: that sound like the pretentious artists. I woke up one 1231 01:07:11,236 --> 01:07:14,676 Speaker 2: morning and I head, oh, do do do do? Dude 1232 01:07:14,676 --> 01:07:15,916 Speaker 2: are stuck in my head and I thought, what the 1233 01:07:15,956 --> 01:07:18,996 Speaker 2: hell is that? That's really dopey, but it's stuck with me, 1234 01:07:19,116 --> 01:07:21,836 Speaker 2: and I thought, maybe it's a really silly song and 1235 01:07:21,916 --> 01:07:23,956 Speaker 2: what the hell is it? And then I thought, do 1236 01:07:24,196 --> 01:07:27,476 Speaker 2: ray Me. Oh, I wouldn't if I could do a 1237 01:07:27,556 --> 01:07:31,396 Speaker 2: dough ray me song. That's different too, but use different 1238 01:07:31,476 --> 01:07:34,956 Speaker 2: rhymes and you know meanings to dough a deer a 1239 01:07:35,076 --> 01:07:38,796 Speaker 2: female deer, right, So it's a dough ray me song. 1240 01:07:39,076 --> 01:07:41,116 Speaker 2: And it was just have fun with the words with 1241 01:07:41,236 --> 01:07:45,716 Speaker 2: the wordplay and just do something really really silly and 1242 01:07:45,956 --> 01:07:47,716 Speaker 2: it's funny. A friend of mine listened to it and 1243 01:07:47,796 --> 01:07:49,516 Speaker 2: he said, this says like it could be a kids 1244 01:07:49,596 --> 01:07:52,476 Speaker 2: song written for kids. That never occurred to me. I 1245 01:07:52,556 --> 01:07:56,516 Speaker 2: don't have kids, And I thought that's interesting thought. And 1246 01:07:56,636 --> 01:07:58,716 Speaker 2: I thought about it, and I could not have written 1247 01:07:58,796 --> 01:08:00,796 Speaker 2: this song but when I was back when I was 1248 01:08:00,836 --> 01:08:03,476 Speaker 2: in my twenties, because I was too serious like so 1249 01:08:03,636 --> 01:08:06,676 Speaker 2: many young people, you know, you take yourself way too seriously, 1250 01:08:06,796 --> 01:08:09,556 Speaker 2: and you're in your twenties. So I had to you know, 1251 01:08:09,636 --> 01:08:12,316 Speaker 2: all this time had to go by for me to 1252 01:08:12,396 --> 01:08:15,436 Speaker 2: be able to write a kid's song, which is kind 1253 01:08:15,476 --> 01:08:15,916 Speaker 2: of interesting. 1254 01:08:15,996 --> 01:08:17,676 Speaker 1: It's great some of the some of the best kids 1255 01:08:17,716 --> 01:08:21,836 Speaker 1: songs aren't necessarily written, yeah, you know, for kids. It's 1256 01:08:21,876 --> 01:08:23,476 Speaker 1: not like, you know, I don't think there's like a 1257 01:08:23,596 --> 01:08:25,116 Speaker 1: great kids song. 1258 01:08:25,916 --> 01:08:26,116 Speaker 5: You know. 1259 01:08:26,956 --> 01:08:28,356 Speaker 2: Actually I'd never really thought about it. 1260 01:08:28,436 --> 01:08:30,436 Speaker 1: But so it's like Randy Newman might be one of 1261 01:08:30,476 --> 01:08:32,236 Speaker 1: the more successful ones in modern times, but it's like 1262 01:08:32,276 --> 01:08:35,156 Speaker 1: it's not like he's specifically ever thought of himself someone 1263 01:08:35,236 --> 01:08:36,156 Speaker 1: write songs. 1264 01:08:35,876 --> 01:08:39,916 Speaker 2: For kids, you know, just that it's funny. I mean, 1265 01:08:39,916 --> 01:08:43,036 Speaker 2: I thought it had a place on the album that 1266 01:08:43,156 --> 01:08:45,396 Speaker 2: there was a place in the office, something just really 1267 01:08:45,476 --> 01:08:49,396 Speaker 2: completely silly and yeah, you know, just humorous. And it 1268 01:08:49,516 --> 01:08:53,676 Speaker 2: doesn't it doesn't mean anything really, it's just wordplay, having 1269 01:08:53,756 --> 01:08:54,516 Speaker 2: fun with words. 1270 01:08:54,876 --> 01:08:58,236 Speaker 1: And yeah, although I said that there must be there's 1271 01:08:58,316 --> 01:09:03,516 Speaker 1: probably something like, you know, like there's some dissatisfaction with Yeah. 1272 01:09:03,356 --> 01:09:06,116 Speaker 2: There's a sort of self deprecating thing about it. I 1273 01:09:06,236 --> 01:09:08,556 Speaker 2: was trying to think of all the different meanings of 1274 01:09:08,596 --> 01:09:12,676 Speaker 2: these sounds. Do ray me far? You know, Yeah, it's 1275 01:09:12,756 --> 01:09:15,476 Speaker 2: just fun to write. It's fun to play with me, 1276 01:09:15,636 --> 01:09:17,436 Speaker 2: me me when I look in the mirror, you know, 1277 01:09:17,916 --> 01:09:24,116 Speaker 2: oh my god. So it's like making fun of myself 1278 01:09:24,436 --> 01:09:26,516 Speaker 2: in a lot of ways and just just having a 1279 01:09:26,596 --> 01:09:29,196 Speaker 2: bit of fun. So it balances some of the more 1280 01:09:29,236 --> 01:09:31,356 Speaker 2: serious moments on the album, although I do think it's 1281 01:09:31,436 --> 01:09:33,196 Speaker 2: generally a pretty upbeat album. 1282 01:09:33,356 --> 01:09:35,996 Speaker 1: Yeah, do you do you feel like? Do you ever? 1283 01:09:36,156 --> 01:09:39,036 Speaker 1: Do you ever That's maybe a bad way of phrasing it, 1284 01:09:39,196 --> 01:09:42,276 Speaker 1: but do you ever wish your band had been more 1285 01:09:42,316 --> 01:09:44,316 Speaker 1: of a band in terms of not having your name 1286 01:09:44,396 --> 01:09:44,596 Speaker 1: on it? 1287 01:09:45,996 --> 01:09:48,236 Speaker 2: No? I wish to be really really glad that it 1288 01:09:48,396 --> 01:09:52,476 Speaker 2: wasn't that. Okay, yeah, because I don't get stuck with that, 1289 01:09:55,876 --> 01:09:57,316 Speaker 2: you know, Well, I like so and so, but I 1290 01:09:57,476 --> 01:10:01,516 Speaker 2: like X the band you know better, right, they cannot 1291 01:10:02,036 --> 01:10:03,996 Speaker 2: they cannot throw that at me because it's always just 1292 01:10:04,076 --> 01:10:05,836 Speaker 2: been I always felt like, no, I'm just going to 1293 01:10:05,876 --> 01:10:08,396 Speaker 2: take responsibility for myself. It's not going to be a 1294 01:10:08,436 --> 01:10:11,596 Speaker 2: band name and then I have to change it or 1295 01:10:11,676 --> 01:10:15,396 Speaker 2: try to live it down or whatever. You know. I 1296 01:10:15,476 --> 01:10:17,596 Speaker 2: think that was the right decision in the first place. 1297 01:10:17,756 --> 01:10:22,036 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's uh. I'm happy to hear it, man, And 1298 01:10:22,116 --> 01:10:24,436 Speaker 1: thanks for all the music over the years, you know, 1299 01:10:24,516 --> 01:10:25,516 Speaker 1: even the ones you don't like. 1300 01:10:25,756 --> 01:10:31,436 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's all right. It's a good album, right, some 1301 01:10:31,556 --> 01:10:34,516 Speaker 2: good ideas on anything it does. I mean, I quite 1302 01:10:34,556 --> 01:10:39,396 Speaker 2: like the title track. Yeah, that's kind of fun. We 1303 01:10:39,476 --> 01:10:41,676 Speaker 2: thought about reviving it for this tour because somehow I 1304 01:10:41,716 --> 01:10:43,636 Speaker 2: haven't done it. We may do, who knows. 1305 01:10:44,196 --> 01:10:45,956 Speaker 1: If you can add that or oh well, you know, 1306 01:10:46,436 --> 01:10:51,876 Speaker 1: oh yeah, I've made my ma. Well great, nice to 1307 01:10:51,916 --> 01:10:57,716 Speaker 1: meet you man, Thank you it too. In the episode description, 1308 01:10:57,836 --> 01:10:59,516 Speaker 1: you'll find a linked to playlist of some of our 1309 01:10:59,556 --> 01:11:02,476 Speaker 1: favorite songs from Joe Jackson. Be sure to check out 1310 01:11:02,516 --> 01:11:05,356 Speaker 1: YouTube dot com slash Broken Record podcast to see all 1311 01:11:05,396 --> 01:11:07,676 Speaker 1: around the news, and be sure to follow us on 1312 01:11:07,796 --> 01:11:10,916 Speaker 1: Instagram at the Broken recod Broken Record is produced and 1313 01:11:11,076 --> 01:11:13,636 Speaker 1: edited by Leah Rose, with marketing help from Eric Sandler 1314 01:11:13,716 --> 01:11:17,716 Speaker 1: and Jordan McMillan. Our engineer is Ben Pollinay. Broken Record 1315 01:11:17,796 --> 01:11:20,436 Speaker 1: is production of Pushkin Industries. If you love this show 1316 01:11:20,636 --> 01:11:24,276 Speaker 1: and others from Pushkin, consider subscribing to Pushkin Plus. Pushkin 1317 01:11:24,316 --> 01:11:27,076 Speaker 1: Plus is a podcast subscription that offers bonus content and 1318 01:11:27,156 --> 01:11:29,716 Speaker 1: ad free listening for four ninety nine a month. 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