GP Answers Your Questions
Part 7
posted March 8, 1999
From Bryan M.:
Graham,
I think side 2 of Heat Treatment is some of the best music I've ever heard.
I've been a fan for 20 years and have been to 6 of your shows from D.C.
to L.A. with the Figgs. I remember seeing you live in concert on MTV (believe
it or not) broadcast in Jan. 1983. The show was taped in Chicago. Believe
it or not I taped the show on an old cassette which I still listen to (horrible
fidelity and all). By the way, "Empty Lives" was the highlight. Now the
question: How in the world can I get a copy of the tape in video form? Who
do I contact? Are there any videos of you in concert (with or without band)
available to the persistent fan?
TO BRYAN M.:
Maybe you're referring to the concert video recorded in the Park West in
Chicago, although I can't imagine they broadcast the entire thing on MTV.
I suppose that must be it, though. You may be lucky to find a copy in a
bargain bin somewhere. No other videos are commercially available. There
are grapevines that push this stuff around on the Net. I dunno.....be persistent,
to use your word.
From Doug Reed:
GP: Happy belated 48th birthday. You obviously haven't lost all your public
lustre if USA Today, the Hong Kong edition no less, publishes your birthday
in their celebrity birthday section! Did you do anything fun to celebrate
this year?
TO DOUG REED:
I really can't remember.
From Don Narensky:
Dear Graham:
so sad and sorry to read your "thoughts" posted on November 1......especially
about not touring or continuing to write songs. i thought the live album
with the FIGGS was incredible; and have loved your work, both acoustic and
with your various bands, for several years. i have no explanation for why
interest in your work has waned....as you say, "the masses don't care for
you" in sharpening axes, etc....but please, don't let that stop you from
continuing to create. if the urge, inclination and passion is still there.
anyway, thank you so much for what you've given over the years...and here's
hoping you'll be perfoming around my way (North Carolina) sometime soon.
dn
durham, nc
TO DON NARENSKY:
I did not say, "the masses don't care for you (me)." Only a whinging, humourless
old bastard would say that. And a bad lyricist, too. I said, "I don't appeal
to the masses and they don't appeal to me", (see "Sharpening Axes" on "Acid
Bubblegum") which is of course an entirely humourous play on words, the
epicenter of the joke hanging on the second "appeal."
Sorry to be a prig, but my lyrics must be quoted accurately to create the
import intended.
Thanks for your encouragement otherwise; I have indeed been writing like
a fiend and usually not too many months go by without a gig or two penciled
in the calendar.
And catch up on the Q&A and "Thoughts Of..." You're way out of date.
From Pam:
Graham,
I have been wondering for a very long time if you ever lived in Canada (many
years ago as a kid/young teenager) & living with you family on an airforce
base? If you find time, please respond.
Thanks!
TO PAM:
I believe you are referring to the Bizarro World version of me -- one of
many doppelganger GP's who inhabit co-existing universes simultaneously,
including that depressing, breeze block and corrugated iron airforce base
in Canada where the meager rations of split pea and franks soup with stale
baps served as my only nourishment through those long and oppressive winters.
From Chuck Kokkonen:
Did John Hiatt really spill a vodka and tonic on you in Madison Wi. USA.
I was at the show and enjoyed both of you!
TO CHUCK KOKKONEN:
This is a distinct possibility.
From Chris Sigetti:
What a thrill to get to send a message to an artist I've listened to for
my entire life! You have to be one of the few muscians that is willing to
perform alone (and live!) that can pull it off. I've got Live! Alone in
America, and some tape from a live show in Japan, (you did a killer version
of "No Woman No Cry"). But I've got a serious question, you've been pretty
accurate as to what artists are importiant, so I'm just wondering if you've
heard of Fretblanket. I've only heard one song of theirs, but it was pretty
cool.
Cheers!
Chris Sigetti
TO CHRIS SIGETTI:
The pleasure so far has not been mine, Chris.
From Jim Allford:
Hi Graham, WOW! I can't believe I'm e-mailing you. I've been listening to
you for years, I have a whole bunch of your lp's, etc...! I wonder if it
would be at all possible to send me an autographed picture of yourself,
please? [ My name and address is JIM ALLFORD PO BOX 232, DUDLEY, PA 16634
U.S.A.] I hope to hear from you and we can keep in touch. I always look
out for the local girls, too. Thanks for your time. ROCK ON, Sincerely,
JIM PS. HAPPY THANKSGIVING, too!
TO JIM ALLFORD:
Sorry, Jim, but I just can't be bothered. No offense, mate, but I don't
really have photos lying around the place. I'm actually quite depressed
at the thought of photos of me. I used to be reasonably photogenic, but
now I just look like a right old tosser. Live photos, it must be added (for
all those well-meaning people who present me with them from time to time)
are always horrific, even old ones. These days, I generally avoid photos
on my album covers and dread it when the record company publicity department
calls for new shots.
From Terry Walsh:
Dear Graham,
Greetings from another long-time, die-hard fan. Saw you at Brit's Pub this
past summer, and loved "It Takes a Village Idiot" and the way the beauty
of the song belied the comical title. The whole set was great, but that
new tune really stuck out for me.
Twenty years ago, when I was in high school, you were the first...uhh...shall
we say "unheralded" artist that I found on my own, without being prodded
by the local rock and mold radio stations. A budding musician at the time,
I always thought that if I could simply carve out a GP-like career, making
enough of a splash to be allowed to continue putting out records, I would
be happy. (I was still under the impression that if you weren't on the radio,
it meant you were unsuccsessful.)
Fast forward to 1998. I've played a thousand shows with a few different
bands (playing a handful of your songs from time to time, I'm glad to report!),
and have released two CDs through my own little record label. The releases
got good, sometimes great reviews, but were promoted and distributed in
such a half-assed, underfinanced manner that they never stood a chance commercially.
Clearly, I could use a real record label, and while I'm not holding my breath,
I'm not quitting either.
First question: When shopping for new labels, did you have an agent or manager
do the dirty work for you, or were there label representatives that actually
had the ears to recognize quality, and approached you to sign with them?
Once signed, how difficult was it to make sure that distribution and promotion
were being done with care?
Also, I have been using a computer program (Performer for Macintosh) to
write the basic tracks for new song ideas, and have found this extremely
freeing. The ability to write the bare bones of a song, then later add a
bridge or eliminate a verse (for example) without rerecording the whole
tune helps me write more in a shorter period of time. Do you ever use anything
like that or do you just pick up a guitar and run with an idea?
I'm heading out to see Billy Bragg in a few minutes, so I must wrap this
up. Thanks for the years of great music. I'm one of the poor sods whose
demo tape you pitched in the trash (First Avenue, Minneapolis 1996), but
I want you to know that there were no pipe dreams attatched to it. I honestly
didn't once hope that you would try to "make me a star" or something goofy
like that; I really just wanted to show you that you have a musical legacy
out here, and that I'm a (very) small part of it. My band may never be able
to half-fill a five hundred seat venue, but I am happy and proud of the
music we've made. Your perseverance in your own career helped inspire me
in some of the toughest times. Every album you release and every gig you
play disproves your theory that creativity wanes with age. Your priorities
change, and I think you become inspired by more subtle things. "It Takes
a Village Idiot" is more solid proof that you can still write great songs.
Please keep going!!
Terry
TO TERRY WALSH:
Thanks for the great comments and for playing my stuff occasionally at your
gigs.
1) I used to have managers do the dirty work for me, a fine thing, but it
comes with a price (I don't just mean the 15%, either). Now I personally
ring up a few labels and try to get a feel for the people I'm dealing with,
then make a decision based on gut instinct.
My first record deal, however, came about in a virtually Cinderella-type
fashion. I was living in the suburbs of England, working part-time mornings
in the oft-mentioned gas station (plus cleaning just-built houses in the
afternoon) and sending reels of tape to names I'd pick out of the classifieds
in The Melody Maker. I got precisely nowhere with this method and so decided
to advertise for musicians in the aforementioned rag. A motley bunch of
alleged musicians answered and through one of them I met yet another motley
musician who new a guy in London who had an 8- or 16-track studio -- a man
who used to manage a band whose name I had seen in the gig guide of the
MM, a band named Brinsley Schwarz. I had never heard this band but was impressed
that I'd finally met someone who had had something to do with an outfit
whose name had actually been in print! (This story, by the way, has been
well documented {often inaccurately} and I'm cutting out a lot of interesting
details because they are extremely boring.)
Anyway, this guy with the studio who used to manage B.S. (and claimed to
have had something to do with Hendrix and Heir Apparent {!?}) recorded my
songs with a few musos he could use for free and sent a tape of two tunes
to a London DJ named Charlie Gillett who ran an eclectic roots music show
called "Honky Tonk" on Radio London. Good old Charlie (you might hear his
recent World Music show next time you're on a transatlantic flight) played
the cuts and a young and savvy fellow named Nigel Grainge happened to be
tuned in. Nigel worked for Phonogram and he immediately got on the blower
to Charlie and asked him who the hell that was he just played cos he wants
to sign him, like right now! I was 25 years old. It was 1975. The man with
the 8- or 16-track became my manager, made a few bucks with me, then formed
Stiff Records, and a scene called punk and new wave exploded across the
UK. (Authors note: Something like this will not, repeat, will not, happen
to you.)
The second part of your first question is answered by my song, "Mercury
Poisoning."
2) I get a guitar and run with it.
Thanks for digging something new of mine. You really get it, and that's
rarer than hens teeth.
From Bruce MacQueen:
Graham:
You are really brilliant! Now that the niceities are out of the way, may
I ask why you are so down on Another Grey Area ? Sure it was wretchedly
expensive to make, but there are some great songs on it.
Come visit D.C. - you can have the mother in law suite - O.K. - it's a hide-a-bed!
Best Regards, Bruce
TO BRUCE MACQUEEN:
I guess "Another Grey Area" is emblematic of that period in my career when
I succumbed to the ennui that too much money, nose candy, and that whole
eighties zeitgeist can, and did, create. The songs aren't bad, but there's
a fuzziness to them. They just don't quite bite down hard enough. And I'm
not talking about aggression or "anger" here -- obviously I made a vaguely
conscious decision not to make an "angry" record -- I'm talking about something
less definable. Still, although faulty, the record is worthwhile, and you
have to go through it to get to it, and other clichés, etc. And I'm always
pleased that people do appreciate it.
From Rich:
Graham: I recently heard your version of the Arthur Alexander song "Every
Day I Have to Cry". It was great to hear so many wonderful musicians perform
such great material. Is there any chance you might consider touring with
a few of them? I'd pay any price to see you perform on stage with the likes
of Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, etc. Also, any plans for a new disc?
TO RICH:
Nope.
From Andy Winfer:
Graham,
What on earth inspired you to do a (soulful and melancholic, in my opinion)
cover of Bill Idol's Sweet 16 on the Live in Japan album? Just seemed like
an odd choice really! (And I've never even heard the original...;-)
thanks,
Andy
TO ANDY WINFER:
I do enjoy the odd Billy song, and I'd been playing the album that contained
that particular tune (I forget the albums' title) and it just seemed to
take hold of me, as these things sometimes do. The original, like much of
Billy's stuff, is quite brilliant.
From Sandra J. Hunt:
Hello! I caught the Tellin' Stories gig in Birmingham, AL (I was 'the girl
in Alabama' who had emailed you, and who was very,incredibly excited to
finally meet you!), and I was wondering, and you've probably already answered
this one for someone else, but I was wondering how you got hooked up with
the other guys. I'm familiar with Radney Foster (in fact, I had seen him
play once before, as half of Foster and Lloyd. At a state fair, even.),
but I had never heard of either Tom Freund (who wasn't at the B'ham gig)
or Jeff Black (by whom I was thoroughly impressed!).
Anyway, for whatever reason, and by whatever means the show was put together,
it was well worth it. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, and, more
importantly, I had a great time.
Thanks for giving us all a tremendous show, and for being so nice to me
when I couldn't remember what I had wanted to say to you.
Lots o' love to you.
later,
Sandra J.Hunt
TO SANDRA J. HUNT
Hi again.
The "Tellin' Stories" tour was put together by bigtime music distributors,
BMG. They own (or have by the balls) all the record labels that the 4 artists'
involved are currently signed to. (Ok, I'm not actually signed to anyone,
but I was.)
Also, Hennessy put some money in (or at least some of their reps' turned
up and got us all shitfaced every now and again) and the Coalition of Independent
Record Stores was involved too.
But basically, it was a BMG vehicle. And a good idea, too.
Perhaps this is the wave of the future (or at least next week): you get
a bunch of artists who can't get arrested, put 'em on the road, pay 'em
nothin', and let people see them for free! Sounds fucking idyllic, I'd say.
From Kevin Brockway:
Graham,
How is it going? Being a regular visitor to this web site, I can't help
but notice (who couldn't) your cynicism about the record industry in general.
I must admit it has always annoyed me, what with the likes of Phil Collins
(just plucking one of the many million selling f**k-wits out of the top
of my head) getting away with dishing out sonic-diarrhoea every couple of
years or so, and seeing it go straight into the top five of the album charts
worldwide. In order for this to happen, people obviously have to be buying
it. Have you got a theory why so many people are so easily pleased? Surely
there is more to it than just subjective taste. Why are there so many Joe
Morons who believe popularity equals quality?
PLEASE don't give up. The music industry (shitty as it is these days) really
would be a whole lot shittier without me being able to walk into a record
shop and seeing a new GP album screeming "BUY ME!" on the shelf!!
Kevin Brockway
TO KEVIN BROCKWAY:
Uh......beats me.
From John O:
I showed a friend of mine the Howlin' Wind CD. He said, "that guy looks
like Kramer from Seinfeld." Ever have anyone say that to you?
TO JOHN O:
G..g..giddyup......
From Michael Palma:
I'm a 41 yr.-old songwriter and a big fan of your new music. It's great
to hear adult themes in your work. Can we expect more work like "Episodes"
and "Lightning"? I'm sorry to hear you are negative about the radio, record
labels, etc.. Some of your recent songs ("Disney", "Worthy of Your Love",
"That's Where She Ends Up") Should be on adult radio. I'd like to manage
you -- free of charge. I believe in your music and I can do deals. I'm in
Atlanta. My company is called CREATIVE SEARCH & MANAGEMENT.
Michael Palma
TO MICHAEL PALMA:
You're hired.
From Kirk Anderson:
Hi Graham,
I've been a fan of yours since before you were born.
Remember the free Earth Day solo gig outdoors at Copley Square Park in Boston?
The Earth Day wind caught hold of the stage covering and blew it up behind
you like a small tidal wave. That was a fun show. I dug it, my wife dug
it, my 2-year-old dug the free cookies.
Yes I have a question. I would like to know what it feels like to be on
stage in front of a bunch of people doing that rock n' roll thing. I mean,
when the audience numbers more than 150 and the stage isn't blowin' in the
wind. Do you feel like you're being yourself, or playing a part? Do you
still get nervous? And what's Kathie Lee Gifford really like?
p.s. "Habit Worth Forming" did come out as a b-side in the USA. Always liked
that one.
TO KIRK ANDERSON:
That was the gig where some chick jumped up on stage and started running
her hands all over me. That I remember. I never forget a psychopath.
Regarding your question about being onstage, the feelings experienced are
complex -- too broad to pin down and simplify. I've gone from feeling like
an ant to feeling like God in the course of a 3 minute song -- with all
the stages in-between (you know: grain weevil, tsetse fly larva, natterjack
toad, European wall lizard, pied wagtail, pygmy opossum, giant extinct 3-toed
sloth, someone's matronly and formaldehyde-scented Auntie, a man with an
extra digit on his left foot, a saint, an archangel, Jesus, Buddha, Screaming
Lord Sutch -- all the way up to the Old Man himself).
I feel like I'm being myself and playing a part. They're the same thing. And yup, I get nervous as all hell.
Kathy Lee Gifford is a serious mating device.
From Mark Verheiden:
First, thanks for taking the time to answer all these questions. I've been
buying your records/CDs since SOS, and first saw you at a $2.00 concert
in Portland Oregon back in 1978. (Opening act was Rachel Sweet.)
While I love "Sparks", your most meaningful record, for me, was "The Real
McCaw." "Life Gets Better" struck an incredibly optimistic note that year,
as I was engaged, in love, etc. (In typically Parker-esque fashion, the
engagement fell apart and I was left bitter and desolute, but that's another
story.) Similarly, Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" always reminds me of the
Summer of '72, working at a McDonalds (this was high school) and the spitty
AM radio in my '64 Rambler. My question to you: are there any songs, good,
bad or indifferent, that propel you back to a specific time or place?
Mark
TO MARK VERHEIDEN:
Funny you should mention it, but before I even had the merest hint of a
career, I managed to blag my way into playing at a works party at the Marconi
electric company in Frimley, Surrey. Must have been around '72. One of the
songs I played was "Crocodile Rock." I kid you not.
Sorry, but an engagement falling apart and being left "bitter and desolute"
are not "Parker-esqe" experiences. Righteously pissed of, maybe. So angry
you could bite your own foot off, possibly.
Back to your question, I listened to "27" from Tom Fruend's "North American
Long Weekend" this evening and it propelled me back to October last year
when we toured together and he played the song every night. The tune is
so damn atmospheric, though, that I became confused and felt like I must
have known it 30 years ago. It blew my mind.
From David Seal:
Graham:
I am a longtime fan (since Sparks) and greatly appreciate all of your albums.
Your music contains such variety and originality, and has consistently superior
lyrics to 99% of the other "music" that I am bombarded with daily. For the
past few years you have played in Orange County, California approximately
once a year, at The Coach House. I have seen all of those shows, including
the one with The Figgs which was the best concert or gig that I have ever
been to. I have turned on many friends to your music, and in fact have brought
some of them to your more recent shows. Okay, okay, the audience was pretty
small, but I only have so many friends!
In reviewing this website, I learned that you are also a very talented writer.
I especially appreciate your willingness to comment or criticize, and speak
your mind freely in your writing as well as your songs. I too share this
characteristic and get wrongfully accused of being "negative", "sarcastic"
and "whiny", especially by mindless salesperson automotons and others who
need more bran in their diet.
Are you planning on touring to Southern California (or the Southwest in
general) soon, and if so, when?
I have read reference to an article written by Greil Marcus early in your
career, in which you purportedly discuss certain views on life. I understand
that these views or attitudes include something about the importance of
us all getting off our ass and taking control of our lives, a belief I also
subscribe to. How could I obtain a copy of this article by Marcus? Also,
are there any commercially (or better yet - free!) concert tapes from the
Squeezing Out Sparks days?
Also - Have your records been selling better lately? The record stores in
my area now seem to be carrying a larger supply of your material than they
did a few years back? I would find this encouraging as it would seem to
show that talent alone (and certainly not marketing power) can have an impact.
Best Regards - David Seal
TO DAVID SEAL:
Thanks for supporting the Coach House gigs. They get thinner on the ground
every year and I never know when the last one will be. No, I have no plans
to tour the West Coast, but something may come up. Keep your eye on the
tour dates page.
No idea where you can get the Marcus article. Have you checked the Struck
By Lightning site?
"Live Sparks," formerly a radio-only promo, is now available on Arista coupled
with a remastered "Squeezing Out Sparks." There must be tapes from that
period floating around, too.
No, my records are in fact selling zilch. Can't imagine why the record stores
in your area are carrying more of them. They must be nuts.
From Stevie B:
AMAZING - After listening to your music for the past 20 years your songs
continue to sound better and grow with insight the more I listen to them.
I first saw you at the Calderone Concert Hall in Hempstead, NY at 18. At
the door they were giving out blue spark wheels; saw you at Roseland, NYC
a few years later; and in New Orleans during Marti Gras '95. Pete Drodge
warmed you up..By the time you began your Haunted Epoisodes material the
crowd was in a drucken Marti Gras stooper. You only played like 40 minutes
and stormed off. I felt cheated - - Were you pissed?
Question 2- What led to the break-up of the Rumour and do you have current
friendly relationships with the guys.
Q #. 3 - What made you settle in Upstate NY.
Still being amazed.....SB
TO STEVIE B.:
New Orleans is not a great place to play, I think. I didn't "storm off"
though. I was only slated to play for 40 minutes as there were a lot of
acts on that night. I wasn't particularly pleased or pissed just took it
in my stride, as usual.
I've covered the Rumour questions earlier on -- probably in part one of
"GP answers your Q's"
I live between England and New York and don't consider myself "settled."
Settle is what logs do when they've sunk to the bottom of the pond and the
crevices in the bark holding tiny air bubbles have finally been leached
of all traces of oxygen and floating off somewhere else is no longer a possibility.
Thanks for the deep understanding of my work.
From David Goodfriend:
Hi Graham.
Greetings from Wash, Dc. Thanks for all the great music. I play in a band
called "The Original Sinners" and we cover "protection" and "turn it into
Hate". We just had a cut on Dave Alvin tribute record that is getting some
airplay. Anyway... I was wondering if you are familiar with Paul Kelly the
Australian songwriter? If you are, what do you think of his work? I always
look forward to new songs from you. Sweet inspiration!
David Goodfriend
TO DAVID GOODFRIEND:
Really chuffed to hear that you play "Hate." Cool.
I am not familiar with Paul Kelly's work.
From Michael Moreau:
Hello, Graham! Happy Holidays to you and yours and may I add it's a treat
to view your eloquent views of the world on this site. We are listening!
My question to you today is: will you ever come back to Canada (specifically
Montreal)? Someone on this list recently suggested that you have personal
reasons for not crossing this border, without being able to elaborate. Graham,
what's up? You've not graced our fair country since 1988 I believe, and
we sure would appreciate an appearance. How about it? cheers, mike
TO MICHAEL MOREAU:
Often, when a tour is booked, the agent slides in a Canadian gig in the
East Coast section, as if it's no big deal to take a band, some of whom
may have UK passports, like myself, into a totally different country for
one show. I always nix this idea because it is actually a major deal to
haul across that border for one show. Coming back into the States is the
bit that causes the agro, and I have had many confrontations with immigration
robots that are almost Kafka-esqe in their bizarrity (should be a word).
Now, a whole tour of Canada would make more sense -- at least you might feel
the degradation of dealing with these idiots was partially bearable and
that something had been accomplished, apart from a loss of money, which
playing one gig in Canada usually is, if you take a band.
No, I really don't like the idea of giving these uniformed creeps the pleasure
of jerking me around. And in recent years, my records have been so poorly
represented there, it just doesn't make sense to go through the angst.
But never say never (well, almost never say never), because my current agent
has had some interest from the Edmonton Festival which takes place in August
and I may indeed be interested in doing this alleged prestigious event.
Know anything about it? Is it worth considering?
Later.....
From Robert Whyte:
Hi Graham,
I recently managed to get a copy of The Great Trouser Mystery through an
outfit called Stiltjack books, which can track down such things and dispatch
them across the world. I'm interested to know the circumstances surrounding
your writing that, anything that particularly struck you about writing and
publishing it. I note on page 114 you have Rodney Shook singing to backing
singers and a "full rock band of self-playing instruments". Jungian slip?
If you have a moment, could you tell us -- were you reading anything in
particular that inspired or influenced TGTM; did you work closely with Willy
Smax; and what sort of editorial help or hindrance did you experience. Thanks.
TO ROBERT WHYTE:
Does Stiltjack Books have a website? I know people who are interested in
obtaining a copy of TGTM.
I was influenced by drugs, actually. Well, that's the flip answer, but I
have to admit Michael Moorcock's work was a source, particularly "The Final
Program" and that whole series of books that revolve around this entropic
character whose name escapes me. Cornelius something or other? Whatever
-- it's been a long time since I read any of Moorcock's work. Also, there's
a healthy dose of Monty Python and, of course, Clockwork Orange in there
too.
As for Willy Smax, I would visit him regularly as he worked on the illustrations
and we had quite a team going. It was great fun.
Thankfully, very little input came from Wyndam, the publishers. I was famous
enough in the UK at that time to get a deal instantly, no questions asked.
A bookish, straight girl was assigned the job of project manager and it
was patently clear to both Willy and I that she had not a clue as to what
was going on in the book. I allowed her one concession, though, because
I felt kind of sorry for her -- she seemed so in over her depth. She seemed
to think that chapter two would make a better start than chapter one! So
I let her change the order of those chapters!
Cheers.
From John:
First of all I am one of the believers in Christ before you say oh shit
here we go. I do not knock on doors dont wear a suit and not a Republican.
If you would throw me to the lions for my faith so be it. I do not belong
to the religious thing. I just base my faith on the teachings of my lord
Jesus Christ. Been a listener of your music for a while I like your songwriting
a lot, you are very talented. My question is I just picked up the Sparks
and live Sparks cd. Besides being a joy to listen too.You did a real cool
better than the original "I Want You Back" Jacksons hit. I was wondering
what was the idea behind covering that tune. Well I wish you Merry Christmas
{thought youd get a kick out of that!}Well cheers and take care.
John
TO JOHN:
Thanks for the good humour.
Usually, when I decide to cover a tune, there is no great plan behind it.
I think with "I Want You Back," I probably just heard it on radio 1 one
day and thought it would be a cool idea to try it. Uninteresting, I know,
but that's usually the way these things work. A lot of great stuff comes
from the most mundane beginnings. I do remember that there were no complaints
from The Rumour at this suggestion, and they threw themselves into learning
the tune with great alacrity. They dug the challenge, cos it's a bitch of
a thing to get right. It is a very difficult piece to do justice to. I think
we did fairly well with it.
From Kevin:
Given your love of Stax/Volt and R&B, you must have a certain appreciation
for a great rhythm section. Do you look for anything in particular in your
bassists and drummers (aside from being able to keep time and work cheap,
naturally). I liked the pairing of you and Graham Maby for "Madness of Love."
I think he's one of the more inventive, melodic rock bassists around.
And, by the way, what's with all the references to monkeys in your lyrics
and liner notes over the last 10 years of albums? Just wonderin' ...
The Shiner Bock (beer) will always be cold and waiting for you here in Dallas
...
Cheers, Kevin
TO KEVIN:
Well, I must say, I don't look too hard for the right people -- they just
seem to be there for me. I'd say Andrew Bodnar is one of the greatest bass
players of all time. His whole feel is deeply influenced by Motown and his
inventiveness is frightening. Pete Thomas has got to be one of, if not the primo drummer working today.
I also loved Denny McDermott's work on "12 Haunted Episodes." He had to
play on the tracks after I had already recorded them with vocal, acoustic guitar and bass -- and
in some cases lead guitar -- and he did a job infused with great subtlety
and delicate feel.
Gary Burke on drums and Graham Maby on Bass was a serious combination, too.
The tour I did with them was solid as a rock.
As for those damn monkeys, you'll notice my new spare tracks record uses
the word in its title, no less. Let's hope this means I will have finally
got our simian friends out of my system once and for all. Really, I think
they're out of here.
From Kelly S:
Dear Graham Parker - I saw you play an ecoustic show in San Juan Capistrano
at the Coach House the last time you were here. I was amongst the loyal
fans but was determined to be heard as the loudest fan. Though you did not
play "Back in Time" (which I repeatedly begged you from the front) I was
still overjoyed by the selection you did share with us. I thank you for
even noticing that I was repeatedly screaming out for the same song, over
and over again. After the show you explained why that song was not to be
performed that evening (You had just flown in from New York and felt you
did not have the energy at that moment to do that song justice) You signed
my "Sparks" cd and my "Acid Bubble Gum" poster which now hangs on my bedroom
wall. Knowing that in the past you have received the the short end of the
stick I was pushed beyond calm when a Supposed Fan sitting next to me told
me to be quiet because he was taping you. With a recorder hidden in his
jacket he was trying to steal your thunder and your money. So I, along with
my boyfriend (who is an articulate fan on your web site) continously and
nonstop asked him how his apple pie was or any other glutinous piece he
decided to pursue (which was endless). We managed to irritate the *?!!*
out of him and completely ruin his decitful act. If the tape were to ever
be heard it would have my voice in non stop chatter. He had to give up after
a while! He was a Wanker! So I thank you for your extreme talent and will
now ask the most important question of this holiday season. How do I obtain
the "Christmas Cracker" cd? I have tried unsuccessfully to order it through
Tower records...any suggestions?? Can I possibly order it directly from
the label? And, of course, when is your new album coming out and will you
be touring alone or with a band? Though I adored you in your red t-shirt
and your many guitars, I'm dying to hear "Back in Time" Take care and I
wish all the best for you and your family. love!
kelly
TO KELLY S.
Dakota records, the label "Cracker" came out on, is now defunct. (They may
in fact have released only one record and I think it killed them!) It is
probably still available from Demon (now called Crimson, I believe) in the
UK. I don't know if CDNOW has it. Sorry to be of so little assistance.
From Steve McCullough:
GP,
Love your music...all of it. Too many favorites to list (perhaps Lightning
is my favorite) but I must say that I love Steady Nerves and can't understand
why some of these website visitors count it among your least desirable records.
Blockheads. Many thanks for taking the time to hang out after the most recent
show in Atlanta @ The Cotton Club and discuss a few things. All your shows
at The Point were great, but I am sure you are sick and tired of crawling
in and out of that side-entry hatch to get from the street to the stage.
Question is this....Does performing come easy to you? How do you go about
preparing for a tour/show? You report that it is a grind to tour, and you
have said that you don't remember a lot of your past gigs. So how do you
get ready for a performance (particularly in the midst of a tour) and go
about making it memorable. For me, your shows have always been memorable.
Lastly, I dont know how often you are recognized...but do you get annoyed
fans who see you on the street and ask for autographs or ask you questions?
I ask because I don't want to piss you off should we ever cross paths. I
promise not to ask those questions (you know the ones) that have been asked
a million times even on this website. (dont people read your responses?)
Looking forward to more great material...hope we can chat after a show again
someday....
TO STEVE McCULLOUGH:
Almost every time I walk onto a stage, it is like entering a totally alien
environment. Like stepping onto the surface of Mars. I just don't understand
why I can't get used to it. It's like there's this little boy inside me
saying: "You shouldn't be here. You can't do this!" It is extremely unnerving,
nerve-wracking....torture, in fact. Sometimes, when the combined sound of
the onstage monitors and the in-house PA don't come together and it becomes
apparent that they just are not going to come together and I am going to
be stuck with a weird, difficult sound all night, this dread feelings of
inadequacy and utter uselessness stays with me for the entire performance.
But I am a tremendous bluffer, and most people go away thinking they've
seen a good show. Extraordinary what you can get away with. Thankfully,
once my ears adjust to the sound, which they do if it's halfway decent,
I'll usually relax and start to enjoy myself a bit. Not as much as if I
was sitting around drinking, or, like, walking aimlessly in circles, or
eating sushi, or scratching my teeth, or coughing loudly, or sleeping -- but
some form of enjoyment. A vague sense of achievement, at least.
I think I like the expansiveness of playing solo, and, I suppose, the almost
exquisite fear it creates must stimulate something primal inside me. I mean,
there must be some damn reason I keep doing it, right?
As for preparing, I just wind myself up like a fucking spring and try to
uncoil the bastard in the next hour and a half.
No, can't say anybody has recognized me since about 1979.
From Sonny:
Happy New Year, Graham! In response to one question on this list, you wrote,
"I guess the mind really can block out vile, traumatic experiences," I think
in reference to some of the venues you've played in your career.
I saw a few of your incendiary performances at the now defunct Bayou in
Washington, D.C., which closed its doors December 31st, 1998.
Any memories of this place? And which nightclubs would you particularly
like to piss on or torch?
TO SONNY:
The Bayou was my kind of rock 'n roll gig. Well scruffy but not disgusting,
and the staff always came through with the requirements on the rider.
As for torching niteclubs, sometimes there is such a shortage of venues
to play, I'd rather they all survived, no matter how crummy.
From Timothy Urner:
who did you duet with on "soul christmas"?
TO TIMOTHY URNER:
Nona Hendryx.
From Barry Ledgister:
You have said that you were influenced by musicals before making your first
album, or you were listening to a lot of Busby Berkeley soundtracks. I can
detect that influence in songs like Heat Treatment,Silly Thing, Heat in
Harlem and Canned Laughter..I can virtually see them performed on stage
with loads of dancing. Are musicals something you have ever actually been
to see? It was damn brave to admit an influence such as this, but I think
Rock and Roll from West side story to Sprinsteen has always had that element.
Maybe you could write one about the glamour and excitement of the rock and
roll life.
Thanks for your informative reply to my question about the Surrey Moddy
Boy scene...for twenty years I, and dimwitted music critics had pegged you
as belonging to the more naff mods you mentioned (white socks, ahem, parkas,
and mopeds for chrissakes)..weekenders and office-boys, sorry to confuse
you with them; the critics held you partly responsible for the mod revival
in the late seventies -- a certain Irish bandleader's son borrowed mod images,
the Jam, the Merton Parkas, the Lambrettas and Secret Affair. I want to
tell people not attuned to British youth cults that these kids of the mid-late
sixties you describe were the only ones who genuinely frightened people,
also called, I think Suedeheads and Bal`heads unlike the Teddies and the
Biker/Rockers, they never sold out. I remember the Rumor backing Desmond
Dekker and the Israelites track got a good amount of airplay but didn't
chart, so it must have been on Stiff and this was in the middle of a ska
revival. Stiff said let's get a middle-aged Jamaican artist backed by late
thirtysomething white guys. Great idea. The track was fast, tricksy, with
a horn solo; the Israelites which my mom used to play constantly in the
mid 60s is a slow, lope skipped beat track. I bought the other Rumour albums
but not that one...Soultime is a great track that reminds me of similar
clubs and music in the late 70s in fact the whole first side of Human Soul
is a great recreation of Northern Soul. Durban Poison on that Live Alone
album was a highlight and I look forward to the band version on your forthcoming
internet-only demos and lost track tape due out early this year. But my
question is; you are now based in America, are there any musical trends
there that amaze or perplex you? Over here I have heard there have been
recent swing, ska and punk revivals? This is not anti-American; I hear about
Americana a lot and it sounds great...but American ska..? Any comments?
TO BARRY LEDGISTER:
Around '73, '74, just when I was making what I perceived to be major breakthroughs
with my songwriting, they were showing a lot of old Busby Berkeley movies
on TV. I actually went out and bought an album of this stuff, songs written
by, I think, Harry Warren and Al Rubin. Songs like "Shuffle Off To Buffalo."
Combine this with a healthy dose of Van Morrison, particularly the swingy
things on "Tupelo Honey," and you can see where the groove inspiration for
"White Honey" "Lady Doctor," and, as you point out, "Silly Thing" comes
from.
I have seen musicals in the theater, of course, but find that medium so
overwrought and loaded with artifice that I can't take it seriously. The
Busby Berkeley stuff may have been musicals, but they were movies, too.
The theater is not my cup of tea.
On to your second comment/question.
Funnily enough, I had a night off in Chicago sometime in the mid-'90's whilst
on a solo tour. I saw an add for a gig featuring The Skatalites and some
of those '80's British ska bands. Not 100% sure, but I think it might have
been Selector and The English Beat, or a member of that outfit and his current
band. There might have been 4 acts on the bill. You get the idea: a ska
night, in Chicago, of all places.
Me and my tour manager checked the show out. It took place in a boxy old
venue that reminded me of some of the old English joints I used to go to
in the '60's. It amazed me to find the place packed, mostly with people
well under 30. Late-teens and early-twenties, actually. Some of these kids
affected English moddy-boy looks. They didn't get it quite right, of course,
but some came surprisingly close. There were probably 1200 attending, and
they seemed well up on the music. I couldn't believe it! A fight even started
in front of the stage to add a touch of authenticity. At this time, ska
was totally outside the mainstream media and, I suspect, even pretty subliminal
in the fringe media. I smelt something might be in the air, but soon forgot
about the whole thing. Fast forward a few years, and white, American kids
are popping up from seemingly nowhere with ska bands, out of tune horns
and all, and having hits! I play towns sometimes and find out there's some
local band on the night after me, doing 3 nights in a row, sold out, and
I'm pulling 50 people! Some of these bands might be unknown apart from in
that particular area, but the local college kids have discovered good party
music, and good for them. This, to me, is quite extraordinary. I mean, it
seems like yesterday when the youth of America thought Journey, Kansas and
Styx were rock 'n roll bands.
However bogus it may seem to have white Americans playing this stuff, some
of it ain't that bad, and it's a lot healthier that young people are into
this than all that satin trouser and air guitar crap, surely.
Yep, there was a USA "punk" revival recently, and bands like Green Day and
The Offspring have made the style mainstream. (What actually happened was,
radio, and an always desperate-for-ratings MTV, finally allowed "punk" to
become accessible to the youth market, 20 years too late, when it was safely
de-fanged, natch.) It's a tad cartoonish, of course, but still, anything's
better than that classic rock sensibility.
Swing, too. There are people jiving all over America. The Brian Setzer Orchestra
is a million selling (multi by now) outfit, and they do very enjoyable fluff.
Most of the other would-be swing bands are quite undistinguished, which
is typical of any trend.
From David Plotkin:
Hello Graham,
You are one of the very few recording artists that make collecting your
every released note...well, fun. It is indeed comforting to know that in
any given year, there is a distinct possibilty, that a live GP album may
appear from any given era (and on any given label) I've enjoyed your recent
tours with both The Episodes & The Figgs...However, the live album that
I've pined for, is "GP with LaBamba & The Hubcaps". Were any of the shows
on the brief Rhino Anthology tour properly recorded? I saw the show at the
Paradise in Boston and it was such a special night of music. A live CD of
this material would surely become a prized possesion if ever released. Thanks,
David Plotkin
Boston, Massachusetts
TO DAVID PLOTKIN:
Damned if I remember hearing even a cruddy board tape of anything from that
tour. An oversight on my behalf. Maybe someone tuned in has a decent tape
they'd care to share? That would be a nice boot.
From Rick Fredde:
Graham:
Yet another worshipful scribbling! Been a fan since 78, have all CD's, records,
etc. The best show I have ever seen by any artist was your show at the Borderline
in London around Thanksgiving 1988. I was on vacation, saw an ad in TimeOut.
Met a beautiful Polish girl at my hotel who passed herself as Dutch. We
ate first at a pseudo-TexMex place in Earl's Court then went to see you
at this pseudo Texas joint. Place was stuffed, but no more that 300 max
could it hold. You, Brinsley, Bob, etc tore the place down with the classics.
Remember me, in the front with the blissful expression? Anyway, question:
Was that show a dress rehearsal for a tour or a recording session? I did
not hear of any more shows in the UK or US post that date. Any tapes of
that show for release?
Thanx
Rick
TO RICK FREDDE:
Damned if I remember a thing about it.
From Kimberly:
Graham,
The testosterone is rather thick on this website, but fear not -- here is
another Y-chromosome deficient (e.g., a girl) fan. I first heard you on
a midwestern college radio station when I was a wee prepubescent, and you
inspired me to start playing guitar. (Tangential Confession: I joined a
band to impress a GUY, not another girl.) You also got me through my years
at college, where the concept of "college music" simply meant that someone
on campus was playing "Stairway to Heaven" at any given moment of the day
or night.
I think your reading of "Visions of Cody" is absolutely enthralling. I am
a Kerouac freak too and when I discovered you were reading that book, I
was nearly felled with bliss!
Quality and popularity are inversely proportional, but perhaps if your publisher
wants to promote your upcoming book by sending you on a book tour, you could
combine book signing appearances at chain bookstores (that also sell CD's
and cassettes) with solo musical performances there. That way the publisher
and stores would be *paying* for you to sell books and music at the same
location. This could lead to increased sales and interest. In addition,
the publishing industry has fewer assholes per capita than the music business.
Okay, on to the questions:
1. Tell us about your current guitar collection. Favorites? Oddities? Regrets?
2. Literary preferences: a. Maggie Cassidy vs. Mardou Fox? b. "Howl" or
"Kaddish" (AG) or "Mexico City Blues" (JK)? c. Diane DiPrima or Anne Waldman?
3. How did the song "Milk Train" come about? (Maybe you could lease it to
the La Leche League as a theme song! -- kidding)
I'm looking forward to actually seeing one of your shows someday. (You haven't
played anywhere near any cities where I've lived thus far.) And how could
a woman NOT find you attractive? After all, you wrote "And It Shook Me";
Chris Isaak et al did not. 'Nuff said.
Best of luck with everything this year.
Kimberly
TO KIMBERLEY:
Many thanks for the uplifting and intelligent comments.
My fave acoustic of the moment is a Gibson J200. I don't take it on the
road much -- I've got a Washburn Cumberland (freebie) for that. Nice guitar.
The J200, however, has a serious bottom end to it and when the humidity
and barometric pressure are at their optimum for wooden instruments, that
thing sounds like a real beast. It's not an old one -- a '94 I think, but
with these classic boxes, they just improve every year. I bought a new white
Tele with gold-plated hardware a couple of years back so I wouldn't have
to keep risking my marvelously funky reissue/Seymour Duncan-doctored job
on the road. But this white thing is tinny sounding. It didn't cost much,
but I suppose that's about as close to a regret as I'm gonna get.
a: Um....Um...Duh..
b: Never read the first 2, and I don't like poetry.
c: Um.............
Milk train? -- Newborns. Breasts. All that.
Yes, I did indeed write "And It Shook Me." How nice of you to so fully appreciate
it. Ta, and best of luck to you, too.
From Jim Doyle:
Do you ever plan to make a tour of China? I'm currently doing an assignment
here and would appreciate a visit by yourself.... Shanghai preferably
TO JIM DOYLE:
Surely, only Wham! have ever toured China. Probably because even the Chinese
officials could see they weren't a threat to oppression.
From John Howells:
GP,
Once and for all could you clear something up for all of us? It is often
stated that the live album "The Parkerilla" was intended to be a contract
breaker, deliberately put out by you so you could jump ship to Arista. This
has never made sense to me because your very next album in the UK was still
on the same label (Vertigo) that released "The Parkerilla". So what's the
real story here? I have always thought it was a pretty good live album.
John Howells
TO JOHN HOWELLS (if that really is your name):
You're correct, it does not make sense. The absolute fact is: We recorded and released "Parkerilla" because GP and The R. were known,
and had a great reputation, as being a primo live outfit, and it was high
time we released a live album. (After 3 studio albums, every band used to release a live album.) Simple as that, period. The rest is
press mythology, like me being a "pub rocker," etc. Once this stuff enters
their press kits, it never goes away. I could go on, but I think I've made
my point.
From Terry Walsh:
Hi Graham,
Will this partisan bickering ever end, and if not, can Larry Flint singlehandedly
bring down the Republican party?
TO TERRY WALSH:
No and no.
From Curt:
What is your take on the newer crop op "pup-pop" bands like Maxx Average
and The Figgs?
TO CURT:
I like the Figgs, obviously. Don't know Maxx Average.
From Evan Ferguson:
From Evan - A Scotsman now in Houston,
Graham,
Just found this web site and I'm real pleased to be able to catch up on
what you're doing. I first saw you in the late 70's in Aberdeen when Southside
Johnny & The Asbury Jukes were opening for you. As a double bill this was
great - a warm up act that was top notch and then a headliner that was better
and brilliant! Do you ever hear from these guys now and what do/did you
think of them? We've also just moved into a new house and the web-site inspired
me to open up my LP's which have been in storage for 5 years whilst I was
abroad working. Last night I had a blast playing Heat Treatment, White Honey,
Hey Lord et al. Thanks for everything and will you ever be coming to Houston?
Cheers, Evan
TO EVAN:
After Southside & the Dukes opened for us in the UK, we opened for them
in the States. Or was it the other way around?
I just played a double bill with Southside at the Bottom Line, New York.
I played solo and he used a few musicians, working in a fairly acoustic
setting. It rocked.
I've played Houston a number of times throughout the years. Maybe I'll get
there this year. Check the tour news page later in March to see where I'm
gonna be.
From Gregg Weinlein:
Whatever happened to the Bearsville club. Your show there was one of my
all time favorites. That, and one too, too many years ago in NYC (maybe
the old Academy or Fillmore) and you with Rumour opened for Thin Lizzy.
I didn't even stay for much of Phil's show - your performance blew me right
out into the NYC streets - great!!! God - am I getting old!!!?
TO GREGG WEINLEIN:
You mean the Bearsville Theater? Presumably. It's still there, but usually
has plays on instead of music. Can't remember where we played in NY with
Lizzy.
From Steve J.:
Hey gp. was that kind of weird listening to the piss and vinegar sessions?
Was it like an out of body experience or was it more a bother, like all
these hoodlums and friends were out digging up songs you'd rather forget?
Anyway, I hope you are ok and yer family is well and I actually interviewed
you backstage at the Belly Up in Solana Beach when you played with the Figgs--good
turnout. Have you kept up with Dion in any way since you toured with him
and Dave Edmunds a decade or so ago? I'd love to hear an "Abraham, Martin,
and John" again--excellent, and even the fella in the Union-Tribune, who
hates yer tunes liked that. Well...I'm actually writing a blurb about you
for this music.com site in a few moments and we'll see how it goes. By the
way, I got a kick out the "Someone to Watch Over Me" when you played at
the Coach House, too. I couldn't believe you even tried it, as your voice
has had the bad luck to go out on you at times. Thx, Steve
TO STEVE J.
Haven't kept in touch with either Dion or Edmunds. Not much of a keep in
toucher, actually. Having a tribute made was exhilarating and flattering.
Always good to know someone somewhere is bothering to sit down and learn
the things you've written.
From Andy:
GP: Here's an open-ended series of questions: Why do you live in America;
are you (or will you become) a US citizen, and why did you choose to live
in upstate NY? Can't wait for the Net-only CD....
TO ANDY:
Two questions that bore the pants off me and elicit mild but nagging depression
are: "Why do you live in America?" and "So what's Brinsley doing these days?"
Thanks for only asking one of them, Andy!
As I'm sure your interest is genuine, I'll give you some kind of answer.
I actually live between London and New York. I don't consider myself to
have "settled" (quotation marks not directed at you -- I just see that word
all the time in connection with my alleged "lifestyle") anywhere (connotations
of mildew, dry rot, maturing wheels of cheese, etc.), but I do love the
wildlife (birds, snakes, bear in the orchard) in the Upstate NY area and
spend a lot of time here, staring at what the Chinese refer to as "moving
things." Plus, you can get a large property in this part of the world with
lot's of acres for the price of a two-bedroom London flat. I don't live
anywhere because of the music scene and generally try to avoid musicians
at all costs -- or at least situations that might provoke any kind of casual
interplay, like "jamming" (ugh!).
Hey, you don't have to wait for the Net-only CD -- tis here!
From Mad Max:
Hi Graham, just been put onto the website, and excellent material. Saw you
at Leeds Uni in 79 and Birmingham in 82. Don't have the UK tour dates, hopefully
you'll be nearby sometime. Question - I'm not too far from Monmouth and
Rockfield Studios - why did you record there, and where did you stay at
the time. Wasn't it Stick to Me which went wrong and you had to re-record
it in a week or something? Still have the In Concert tape of you from Radio
1, and YOUR own hit show on Star Special - Rag Doll still the fav track
of all time?
Good to know you are online - best wishes to you and the family (how many
are in the Parker camp now, and ages?)
Max
TO MAD MAX:
Hey Maxxy boy, how's it going?
There aren't any UK tour dates, by the way -- I just did a one-off in London,
is all.
Rockfield just seemed like a logical place....I dunno....my manager just
said that's where you're going to record your next album, so far as I recall.
Rockfield had accommodations onsite. Nice little apartments.
Yes, the original "Stick" had to be re-recorded because oxide was coming
off the tapes and when we tried to mix the album, the hi-hat would bleed
through over every other instrument. Catastrophic, at the time. We'd spent
over a month recording it. The producer should have been alarmed when he
saw this black stuff flaking around the heads all the time, but he ignored
it!
So, seeing as we had a tour lined up, my manager (again) decided that to
do the album in the available time (a week!) Nick Lowe was the only man
for the job.
Crazy stuff, really. The original album was a much different animal than
the frenetic, grungy-sounding thing that came out. A mistake, to be honest.
I don't think "Rag Doll" would top my charts right now, but it is a transcendent
recording.
From Tom Trescott:
Hi Graham. I've been a fan since 1980.I've seen you live 8-10 times at clubs
like the Wax Museum, Steeltown, Hammerjacks, the Bayou, which have since
all closed down. I hope this is no reflection on you. I heard once that
back in the dark ages you wrote a science fiction novel. Does it exist?
Any chance of doing more writing, perhaps of the autobiographical nature?
Also, Jolie is a cool name. What are its origins? Hope to see you live again
soon. Rumors of your death seem greatly inflated! I plan on having a blowout
40th birthday party 5/2/01. How about coming down and playing a set? Free
lodgings and all the hard crabs you can eat! A really down home good time
is guaranteed. I'm sincere in this request.. I'll bug you about it again
as the year gets closer. Much respect for you and your thang! All the best.
TO TOM TRESCOTT:
Yes, t'was me closed all those clubs down. And that's just in your area.
"The Great Trouser Mystery" is indeed a sci-fantasy/comedy that I wrote
around '72/'73 and had published in 1979/'80, on Wyndam/Stiff (please see
Robert Whyte's question above for how to obtain a copy). I have done plenty
more writing and have explained the status of my recent work in earlier
Q&A's. You'll have to wade through them all to find it, I'm afraid.
It's French for "pretty." Zsa Zsa's sister was another one.
Yes, I'm looking forward to the birthday party circuit; Perhaps I could
combine music with clowning and juggling. Sounds like I'm set, mate. The
future's so bright, I gotta wear a fuckin' straightjacket.
From Barry J. Ellis:
Dear Graham, I have been an admirer of your music since 1979 when I bought
"Sparks". I think "Acid" may have been your best album since then. I loved
"Lisa" and "Soul" as well, but I really believe "Acid" was a stunning example
of creativity and r&r musicianship. Anyway, my question is = if you're ever
in Pittsburgh PA again, how about letting my wife cook you dinner and we
can play with my "children and dogs" and listen to my Dylan CD's (yours
too, if you want). Seriously, I hope you forego your temporary retirement
soon and get your caustic butt back in the studio and on the road where
you belong.
Peace,
Barry J. Ellis
TO BARRY J. ELLIS:
Right, I've got hectares of time for that sort of thing. Let's go bowling,
too! (Swell offer, thank you, but on tour, one rarely has time to eat, let
alone eat with someone else.)
My caustic body parts will indeed be flinging themselves about in May and
onwards. Maybe even in your town. Stay tuned to tour page.
From Robert:
GP,
Was it mere coincidence that, for a while there in the late 80's/early 90's,
your Seattle gig-space was "Parker's Pub and Ballroom"?
TO ROBERT:
Yup, total coincidence. (Oxymoron?)
From Michael Moreau:
Hey, Graham, I'm slowly purchasing your catalogue (unfortunately over the
Internet; very expensive) and my question is: Why do think Acid Bubblegum
sold only about 8,000 copies? In my humble opinion, it's a great cd, there's
not a day that goes by that I don't hear at least some of it. Secondly,
it's been over 3 years since we've heard any new material from ya, what's
up with that. While I'm certainly looking forward to Loose Monkeys, I would
prefer to hear what's going on in your head these days.
Cheers, mike
TO MICHEAL MOREAU:
Cos my name was on the cover.
You'll have to see me live to hear new stuff, for the time being. Glad you're
interested in current creativity, though. Inspiring.
Cheers.
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