Interview: Robin Spielberg The Final On Vinyl Podcast

I had a great opportunity today to speak to an artist I have been covering for many years, Robin Spielberg.

Robin provided some great insight into her life and music.

Thank you Robin!

Kevin Godley Interview

10 Questions For Kevin Godley

I finally got a chance to interview a member of the legendary band 10cc. The opportunity never presented itself until now. Kevin Godley and Graham Gouldman have five new tracks for download only on their site www.gg06.co.uk. I don't do interviews that often but I have to say that this was one of the very best.  Sit back and enjoy some memories with Kevin Godley and step into the future with their new tracks online... 

MuzikMan: Kevin it feels like I am talking to an old friend! We go back to the days when I got the How Dare You album on vinyl LP from a record club! Since then I have been a huge fan. Actually I first heard Rubber Bullets when I was a junior in High School and was ready to consume everything I could get my hands on by 10cc and then Godley & Creme. I am sure you run into many folks that relate to you this way? 

Kevin Godley: Hello old friend. Good to be talking to you. Lovely, black, thin, precious vinyl. I think the rings of Saturn are made of vinyl. Re: meeting fans. Not that many. The occasional cabbie or train passenger. It’s wonderful though. Those who do care and remember care and remember passionately. I think we touched a small nerve but, for some, touched it quite profoundly.

MuzikMan:  The last 10cc studio album was the 1992 release Meanwhile. This release was an import only and seems to have disappeared into obscurity for some reason and actually is not even listed a main album release on sites like the All Music Guide. I remember the drummer Jeff Porccaro (Toto) dying tragically after this album was recorded. So it looks as though I have a rare recording on my hands now as I cannot find it anywhere.

Can you talk about what happened with that gem of an album and how it all came together?

Kevin Godley: I wasn’t involved with the making of this album at all so I know very little about how it was put together. I was simply asked to sing lead vocal on one song and was flown to NY to record it. The three of us had a lovely reunion breakfast on day one. As I recall all the basic tracks had already been recorded so it was myself, Graham, Eric and producer Gary Katz for two vocal heavy days. I do recall a strange atmosphere in the studio. An intangible awkwardness. Everything sounded ‘great’ everyone got on ‘great’ but there was an essential ingredient missing. I also sensed G and E growing apart. Gary Katz was acting as a political as well as creative buffer keeping personalities as well as music on course. I’ve never actually heard the complete album although I did enjoy singing “The Stars Didn’t Show.”

MuzikMan: Now it’s Godley & Gouldman, what happened to Lol Creme? Is he off producing artists and their videos and other multimedia projects?

Kevin Godley: Lol paints. He’s also involved with a Trevor Horne music project called “The Producers.” That’s all I know.


MuzikMan: I remember when “Cry” came out from Changing Faces and how groundbreaking the title track video was and from that point you and Lol were pioneers in the multimedia industry. What do you see as the cutting edge technologies that have changed the music industry since those days when the video’s really started taking hold during the MTV age?

Kevin Godley: “Cry” is one of my favorites. We were in our pomp on that one. New tech… Many devices and techniques like CGI, Q Base style music technology, non-linear video editing, digital filmmaking tools, ipods, blah blah. G + C’s old maxim: ‘If you can think of it, it can be done’ is now easier to achieve than ever. Meanwhile the internet, undoubtedly, has had the biggest effect on the cultural landscape. Now anyone can do anything and be seen and heard by a vast global community. I sometimes wonder how the quality of work will change if the line between artist and audience blurs any further. Right now everything’s cool and new but there’s a danger that the vocabulary of creativity may shrink to fit. I tend to function in a  ‘less is more’ world so I’m a bit skeptical about where it’s headed. ‘More is less’ could get messy…Discuss.

MuzikMan:  Will there ever be a 10cc reunion and the chances of boxed set coming out with rarities and such? I have been waiting forever for this to happen, is there hope for either events to take place?

Kevin Godley: Graham takes a version of 10cc on the road every year. This year I joined him at two gigs and sang “Old Wild Men” and new song “Beautifulloser.com.” I think that’s as close as we’ll get but it was an amazing experience to revisit after thirty years.

MuzikMan:  What was your favorite 10cc album to record?

Kevin Godley: Sheet Music, definitely, because we’d really started to explode creatively and didn’t recognize any boundaries. We were buzzing on each other and exploring our joint and individual capabilities. Lots of excitement and energy at those sessions and, more importantly, an innocence that was open to anything.

MuzikMan:  Looking back in retrospect now do you think all of the Godley & Creme recordings were a direct extension of the 10cc art form and style? Personally I love all that music because it does keep me connected to all the old 10cc releases and makes me want to listen again. Do you find this kind of reaction to your work typical?

Kevin Godley: 10cc taught us how to be ourselves, musically, so any work informed by those years would absolutely be a direct extension. Strange then that G+C’s first excursion into the unknown was an indirect contraction called Consequences. Con Sequences was our ‘Heaven’s Gate.” Great launch party, though. The bigger picture was about freedom from cheese and more emphasis on experiment. At least that’s how it felt back then. We eventually re-discovered our natural musical habitat with L and beyond. I guess however far one strays from an intrinsic style, if it comes from the same people, those who are listening closely enough will be able to join the musical / emotional dots.

MuzikMan:  I see you are right in step with the times releasing your music independently and for download now. Do you feel this is in not only in direct response to what the market dictates but something you have embraced and feel excited about?

Kevin Godley: It’s so clean and direct, particularly for artists with less obvious commercial appeal. If you’re interested in G+G we have a little shop selling G+G things. Come in, browse around. If we’re talking Art versus Commerce, record labels are 100% about COMMERCE. Godley / Gouldman / GG/06 doesn’t scream COMMERCE. Whether it screams ART is not for us to say. I like to think we’re, at least, whispering it in your ear. 

MuzikMan:  Do you think the major labels have a fighting chance now with the way indie music has torn down the traditional distribution model and rebuilt it?

Kevin Godley: Maybe. If the big boys learn to listen and take chances again. If they ditch the purely corporate mentality and get rebooted by people with vision. A few more Chris Blackwell’s, circa 2007, wouldn’t go amiss. 

MuzikMan:  In closing Kevin I would like to give you heartfelt thanks from a lifetime fan for your time. What do all of us diehards have to look forward to in the coming year from you and Graham?

Kevin Godley: My pleasure. Thank you. It’s good to know people are still listening. I hope we can deliver. Expect more music, obviously. Perhaps some film / video stuff. Lots of ideas in the air. We’re not fast, though. Diehards may die before we complete an album’s worth. As of now we only have 5 tracks for download but we’re proud of them. As ever, GG/06 is a further direct extension but, in my opinion, this one has a little more bite and focus than last time around. If you want to know / hear more www.gg06.co.uk is the place to go.  Bye for now…

Interview Granted By Kevin Godley With His Permission To Publish And Distribute 2007

Exclusive Interview with Paul Nelson

Exclusive Write A Music Review Interview 
With Paul Nelson

Life With Johnny Winter And After

By Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

Paul Nelson had been working with Johnny Winter Since 2001 as his guitarist, producer, song writer and above all trusted friend. After several years I got a chance to talk with Paul again, about the man’s music, his untimely passing, and the latest album release and what he plans to do now.

MuzikMan:Paul it was great to talk to you again after all these years!  The last time we met was in January 2009 at a gig. I know it’s been hard on you losing Johnny so suddenly. 

Paul: Yes it was a great personal loss! We were very close

MuzikMan:What did you learn from Johnny over the years as a musician? 

Paul: Johnny took me under his wing and upon himself to show me everything he listened to and learned from. I was very honored.

MuzikMan:  Certainly what happened was unexpected.  Do you know now what the cause of Johnny’s death was? Was he in your eyes healthy in every way at the time?

Paul: I fear that the final cause of Johnny's passing will be related to his battle with emphysema. He had quit smoking 3 years earlier, but the damage was already done. He had a clean bill of health in every other respect. He exercised both on and off the road, he had stopped doing everything that was bad for him. He was on top of his game. 

MuzikMan:  How many performances were you and Johnny doing every year before he passed?

Paul: We were doing between 100 and 140 shows every year for 8 years. He loved performing; he loved traveling on our tour-bus, and loved the road! 

MuzikMan:  I understand you have been incredibly busy for many years, what changed in your life due to recent events? Are people coming out of the woodwork knocking on your door now?

Paul: Actually - yes - that is the case! I have received many offers from companies for my next solo project, and I am working on material as we speak. Johnny always expressed his support to me in that respect; he always wanted good things for me and my career. 

MuzikMan:  Johnny’s new album sounds amazing and there are so many legendary performers on it. I am sure he was very proud of the recording. Can you take us through how it all began and how it was all pieced together to get to the final product?

Paul: I came up with the concept that I proposed to Johnny, and that was to finally do a series of albums which were totally blues related, but I said; "there would have to be a catch!" I told him that the songs that he chose had to be done by artists that influenced him growing up. I then said that I would bring in guests that would be a tribute to him – then paying tribute to them… He loved the idea and picked all of the songs for the first album "Roots" in 15 minutes. Once he picked the songs, I researched the original versions that he had listened to, worked them out with myself and the band members, then went and learned secondary versions of those same songs to spawn a variety of ideas when we entered the studio. After this was done we rehearsed with Johnny, who then what we called "winterized" the songs - making them his own. We then went in to the studio, recorded the tracks, put down his vocals - and then I began the task of choosing the right guests for the right songs.

MuzikMan:  You have been all over the world before and with Johnny what are your plans for your solo career?

Paul: I plan to continue on the same way I always have. I have worked with many artists before Johnny, with Johnny and will do so into the future… 

MuzikMan:  Can you talk about the Johnny Winter Remembrance Show and how it came about and who is involved?

Paul: After Johnny's passing, our agency had to be contacted to cancel shows that were booked almost a year in advance. When I contacted the agency I was told that there was a huge outpour from the fans that they did not want to return their tickets. They still wanted to hear Johnny's music performed by his band, so we put together the Johnny Winter Remembrance Tour with a host of special guests participating - as well as a screenings of his upcoming movie "Down & Dirty." The first of these shows was with Sonny Landreth and Lance Lopez. Soon more shows with more guests developed with more guests coming on board such as Joe Louis Walker, Gary Hoey, Debbie Davies, Jason Ricci, James Montgomery, Jeff Pitchell, Arlend Roth, Edgar Winter, David Gogo, Mike Zito and the list has been growing…

MuzikMan:  Is there plenty of music in the can from Johnny that can be released in the future? I am sure every blues fan in the world is hoping that will happen!

Paul: With all of his shows and studio work over the years - yes he has left us with a huge body of work yet to be released. 

MuzikMan:  What are the plans moving forward with continuing the legacy of Johnny Winter? Do you think you will consider writing a book about all of your experiences?

Paul: A book hasn't really crossed my mind as of yet, right now I am very happy that Johnny's final album "Step Back" is doing so well and that Johnny's movie will be released soon. 

www.paulnelson.com

 RemembranceTour Paul Nelson w/ Sonny Landreth

Step Back CD

Interview granted with permission of Paul Nelson. All photos the property of Paul Nelson and Johnny Winter. Copyright MuzikMan Productions 2014.