Fresh, March 1989: Difference between revisions
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"In the late sixties I was more into Tamla Motown or Rocksteady. My friends were envious that I had hip parents — my dad was able to get a lot of records. In fact, my father was pretty far out as Dad's go. I listened to all the pop stuff that went beforehand but I got out of beat group music. I liked The Beatles and I really liked [[The Small Faces]] but from there I really got into R 'n' B more. Except for the singles, I never really liked [[The Rolling Stones|The Stones]]. When I say I like Tamla Motown, Stax and soul it wasn't obscure stuff just singles. [[Wilson Pickett]] and stuff." | "In the late sixties I was more into Tamla Motown or Rocksteady. My friends were envious that I had hip parents — my dad was able to get a lot of records. In fact, my father was pretty far out as Dad's go. I listened to all the pop stuff that went beforehand but I got out of beat group music. I liked The Beatles and I really liked [[The Small Faces]] but from there I really got into R 'n' B more. Except for the singles, I never really liked [[The Rolling Stones|The Stones]]. When I say I like Tamla Motown, Stax and soul it wasn't obscure stuff just singles. [[Wilson Pickett]] and stuff." | ||
''[[My Aim Is True]]'', his arresting and imaginative debut album was on its release universally acclaimed by the media and public alike. Over 12 years, and as many albums, he's never let up and his list of collaborations, through singing, songwriting, producing, performing etc. is impressive. The list includes [[John Hiatt]], [[The Pogues]], [[T Bone Burnett|T-Bone Burnett]], [[Eurythmics]], [[Paul McCartney]], [[Was (Not Was)]], [[Bruce Springsteen]], [[Roger McGuinn]], [[Roy Orbison]], [[Daryl Hall]], [[Tony Bennett]], [[Dusty Springfield]], [[Squeeze]], [[The Specials]], [[Jimmy Cliff]], [['Til Tuesday|'Till Tuesday]] etc. Although Elvis has been collaborating in the studio with various artists since the release of his last album 2½ years ago (''[[Blood & Chocolate|Blood and Chocolate]]'') is he going to have | ''[[My Aim Is True]]'', his arresting and imaginative debut album was on its release universally acclaimed by the media and public alike. Over 12 years, and as many albums, he's never let up and his list of collaborations, through singing, songwriting, producing, performing etc. is impressive. The list includes [[John Hiatt]], [[The Pogues]], [[T Bone Burnett|T-Bone Burnett]], [[Eurythmics]], [[Paul McCartney]], [[Was (Not Was)]], [[Bruce Springsteen]], [[Roger McGuinn]], [[Roy Orbison]], [[Daryl Hall]], [[Tony Bennett]], [[Dusty Springfield]], [[Squeeze]], [[The Specials]], [[Jimmy Cliff]], [['Til Tuesday|'Till Tuesday]] etc. Although Elvis has been collaborating in the studio with various artists since the release of his last album 2½ years ago (''[[Blood & Chocolate|Blood and Chocolate]]'') is he going to have to psyche himself up to go back on the road this year? | ||
"Well people don't seem to realise that after I did the Stadium shows here in Ireland, which were the last shows with [[The Confederates]] (his ''[[King Of America|King of America]]'' backing band) here, I went off to America for [[:Category:Almost Alone Tour|solo shows]], but that obviously doesn't get into the papers. And in the Autumn I did another Confederates [[:Category:South of the Mason Dixon Line Tour|tour]] in honky tonks in the Southern U.S. States — then we went to [[:Category:1987 Australia Tour|Australia]] and [[:Category:1987 Japan Tour|Japan]]. It all takes time. I did the [[Roy Orbison]] ''[[A Black And White Night|Black and White Night]]'' thing. I started writing with [[Rubén Blades|Rueben Blades]] and [[Paul McCartney|McCartney]]. We were living here for three months when Cait was doing ''[[The Courier: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|The Courier]]'', and during the music for that I started writing these songs. So it all takes time. It doesn't make headline news but it's fine by me. | |||
With The Confederates it was an indulgence on my part. I was really fascinated at the thought of what it might be like having really enjoyed playing with them over here — to play in places like, say, [[Concert 1987-11-09 Tulsa|Tulsa]]. That was the best place actually, a ballroom in Oklahoma. That was where [[Bob Wills]] played. And we played [[Willie Nelson]]'s club, the Texas Opera House in [[Concert 1987-11-10 Austin|Austin]]. Some of the other places weren't really honky tonks, they were just southern state gigs. The trouble is that when you go down there many of the kids have kinda been force-fed country music, so many of them want you to play industrial funk or something 'cos it's a novelty to them. I get up there with what, to them, is this bunch of old guys and they're not actually as hip to it as people in New York are. But we had fun doing it and it was fun trying to convince them. The good thing is I don't have any easy options with that line-up. I can't suddenly start playing all the singles. I just get to play my tunes and the tunes they've learned, so we have a much smaller repetoire. You have to make the show work every night. There's no cruising. Not that we generally slap with [[The Attractions]] but sometimes, on long tours — in America particularly where people are much easier to manipulate, if you want to be cynical, you can sort of get away with murder basically — if you're tired or have a hangover or whatever, by just pandering to the audience." | |||
As someone who never had to change with the times because you were never really part of any identifiable movement as such, how do you look upon the state of rock 'n' roll as we move into the nineties? | |||
"Well, earlier you used the phrase 'post Live-Aid rock.' I think there's too much piousness in some people on the one hard, as hare as they try to deny it. It's been bolstered up by a commodity behind their backs. It seems now that the behind-the-scenes people, whether they be record people or management, are the ones that are kind of stroking and stoking this image of world saviours, when the individuals are quite sincere about it. They're being blown out of all proportion. I think the biggest mistake is to keep trying to re-create [[Concert 1985-07-13 London|Live Aid]], and every statement has to be 9 foot tall because the Stadium thing requires those gestures. The problem is to deflate the thing. It's much easier if you take it down to a small group of people because once it gets to the big stage you have to say things in such large and crude terms that the subtleties get lost. In the end people only think in slogans or cliches. People really don't think at all. They just assimilate all these things. It's not enough." | |||
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{{Bibliography notes header}} | {{Bibliography notes header}} | ||
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[[Category:Magazine articles|Fresh 1989-03-00]] | [[Category:Magazine articles|Fresh 1989-03-00]] | ||
[[Category:Interviews|Fresh 1989-03-00]] | [[Category:Interviews|Fresh 1989-03-00]] | ||
[[ | [[Category:Columbus incident|Fresh 1989-03-00]] |
Revision as of 23:56, 18 March 2013
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