Jack Bruce Interview: ‘Rock’ Icon Releases Brilliant New Album Entitled ‘Silver Rails’

By Ray Shasho

Jack Bruce is the esteemed bassist, lead vocalist, and songwriter for an array of legendary bands and distinguished musicians. Most notably, Bruce was a key member with the British rock power trio Cream which featured Eric Clapton (guitars, vocals), Ginger Baker (drums, vocals) and Jack Bruce (bass guitar, lead vocals). Bruce handled most of the lead vocalist and songwriting duties for Cream, recognized as one of the most revered groups in rock history.

Bruce wrote or co-wrote such Cream classics as… “I Feel Free” (1966), “We’re Going Wrong” (1967), “Sunshine of Your Love” (#5 Hit in1968), “White Room” (#6 Hit in 1968), “Politician” (1968), and “Doing That Scrapyard Thing”(1969). Bruce co-penned many of those classic tracks with poet & lyricists Pete Brown. Cream remained a group for less than three short years. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. The original lineup reunited briefly in 2005.

When you think of respected quintessential musicians, Jack Bruce immediately comes to mind.  Bruce has performed in such bands as … Alex Korner’s Blues Band Inc., the Graham Bond Organisation, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Manfred Mann, Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse, Cream, Lifetime, West, Bruce & Laing, Jack Bruce & Friends, Robin Trower, Ringo’s All-Star Band,  and The Big Blues Band.

Jack Bruce almost joined Marvin Gaye’s band when he was in his early 20’s.

Bruce fronted many other bands that included artists …Carla Bley, Mick Taylor, Billy Cobham, Simon Phillips, Tony Hymas, David Sancious, and Gary Moore … to name just a few.

Jack Bruce is a multi-instrumentalist and has collaborated on albums with Frank Zappa, Lou Reed, and Kip Hanrahan to name just a few. 

Bruce also wrote “Theme for an Imaginary Western” which was performed by classic rock legends Mountain.

The critically-acclaimed ‘Seven Moons’ (2008) was Jack Bruce’s most recent album with longtime friend and collaborator Robin Trower.

‘SILVER RAILS’ NEW RELEASE:

Jack Bruce has recorded 14 solo albums, but his highly anticipated new release ‘Silver Rails’ may be his very best yet. It’s his first studio release in more than ten years. The album was recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios.  I gave ‘Silver Rails’ (5) STARS.

‘Silver Rails’ is an all-embracing blend of pure innovative musical genius, while complemented by brilliant lyrical content. The album features legendary guest artists … Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music), Uli Jon Roth (Scorpions), Robin Trower, Bernie Marsden (White Snake), and others. Many of the lyrics were co-penned with Cream lyricist Pete Brown, long-term collaborator Kip Hanrahan, and Jack’s wife Margrit. 

‘Silver Rails’ is available NOW on CD, Vinyl or as Digital Download. The limited edition deluxe version of the album comes with a behind the scenes documentary DVD filmed on location at Abbey Road Studios. -Released on Esoteric Recordings/Cherry Red Records.

You can purchase ‘Silver Rails’at Amazon.com.

I had the rare pleasure recently of chatting with legendary bassist, singer, and songwriter Jack Bruce to talk about his highly anticipated new release ‘Silver Rails.’

Here’s my interview with Cream legend, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Lifetime Grammy Achiever and just an incredibly nice man … JACK BRUCE.

Ray Shasho: Hello Jack!

Jack Bruce: “How are you doing Ray?”

Ray Shasho: Did you have a rough winter in the UK?

Jack Bruce: “It was very wet and there was so much rain here that you wouldn’t believe it. It rained for like six months. It was very bad, a lot of flooding.”

Ray Shasho: I’d like to dive in and talk about your new album ‘Silver Rails.’ “Reach for the Night” was definitely one of my favorite tracks.

Jack Bruce: “I think that’s also one of my favorites because it’s kind of biographical isn’t it. To me it’s like a film noir version of me. I can see myself in the Philip Marlowe look, wearing the fedora and smoking camels.”

Ray Shasho: The first track of Silver Rails is entitled “Candlelight” which has a Calypso flavor to it.

Jack Bruce: “You being from Florida and not far from Cuba … I was over there a couple of years ago with Phil Manzanera who plays guitar on “Candlelight.” We went over there to play with some Cuban musicians and we became good friends. He’s a great guy and guitar player. So when I wrote that I thought I needed to get him on there.” 

Ray Shasho: Jack, I’ve always admired the collaboration between you and Robin Trower. Robin and you perform together on the song “Rusty Lady” which is about the death of Margaret Thatcher? Talk about the track. 

Jack Bruce:“Yea, I thought it was a lot like “Politician.” So I said to Pete Brown, let’s write a more modern version of “Politician.” So while trying to write something more up to date he came up with the death of Thatcher. So I thought, okay then, that’s cool. But the song is about … a lot of changes came out of that period in the 80’s in this country, and we’re still feeling the effects of it, like economically. I’m no politician but I do feel that a lot of damage was done because of misguided principals and the country is still suffering from it. You’ve got to write some stuff that has something to say.”

Ray Shasho: I really enjoyed all your work over the years with Robin Trower. I was saddened to hear of the loss of Robin’s wife recently.

Jack Bruce: “Yes, it was just terrible. He really had a bad time for years. I’m feeling for him right now, he’s a beautiful guy.”

Ray Shasho: One of my favorite albums with you and Robin was B.L.T. (1981).

Jack Bruce: I liked ‘Seven Moons.’ Robin is much underrated but I think he gets more recognition in the states and I’m glad to see that. I’m sure he’ll be touring again soon because he loves to tour. He toured nonstop. With his wife going like that it was very hard for him and he had to cancel a lot of tours. He’ll be back, I know him, and he’s a wonderful guy. He’s one of those hard workers who gets out there and plays.”

Ray Shasho: Were you trying to model ‘Silver Rails’ after your first solo album … ‘Songs for a Tailor’?

Jack Bruce: “Yes, it was sort of like a template, because when I did my first album, I didn’t just want to do a blues rock thing like Cream, great as it was, I wanted to do something different.  I wanted horns … wanted to play piano, cello, and just wanted to do different things. This is my fourteenth album and I think that’s what I was trying to do, just continue that diverse thing. I listen to a lot of different kinds of music and rather than just doing one thing when I make an album, the challenge to myself is to write all these diverse tracks, but to make them work. It’s like a jigsaw because if you’ve got a lyrical track going into a hard rock track …it’s got to work. You’ve got to write things that will work together.”

Ray Shasho:  Pete Brown and Kip Hanrahan collaborated with you on various tracks on the new album. We all know about your relationship with Pete Brown that began back in your Cream days, but you’ve also established a bond with Kip Hanrahan over the years.

Jack Bruce: “Kip Hanrahan wrote “Hidden Cities.” It was through Kip I got to know about Cuban and Afro-Cuban music. He had those great bands and we used to go to New York a lot. We made some really cool records. I learned a lot from Kip, he’s one of my closest friends. So he just came over to my house and wrote that lyric, but that was just an excuse to get him to come and hang out. Although he hates trees, he gets kind of fidgety when there are trees around (All laughing).”

Ray Shasho:  You played a beautiful piano on “Industrial Child.”

Jack Bruce: “I played piano on the entire album. Because we recorded at Abbey Road, they had a bunch of wonderful pianos there among other things, so I was able to choose each piano for each track, which is a great thing. Working at Abbey Road was such a joy.”

Ray Shasho:”Hidden Cities” is another great track, the song could easily be a soundtrack to a movie. 

Jack Bruce: “Love that track … that’s my version of Metal (Laughing). That’s why I’ve got Uli Jon Roth on guitar because he’s been with the Scorpions and all that. He understood that track immediately and got it.”

Ray Shasho: When was the last time you worked at Abbey Road?

Jack Bruce: “Over the years I’ve been in and out of there on sessions, but the last album I made was actually in 1965, so that’s going back a bit.  It’s just fantastic that place, the music just oozes off the walls.”

Ray Shasho: Jack, how did you decide on ‘Silver Rails’ as a title for the new album?

Jack Bruce: “I know this wonderful artist called Sacha Jafri who painted the cover and some other pictures on there. I’m very fortunate to know him; he’s a friend of mine and probably one of the most well known artists in Britain. I asked him if he would improvise.  I gave him a bunch of titles that I might call the album, and so he listened to the album and painted the cover. He did that and said “You’ve got to call it ‘Silver Rails’ because that’s what I was thinking.” I always create a bunch of funny titles and then end up with one.”

Ray Shasho: You have a wonderful sense of humor. In an interview you did, you said that many of the personal issues between you and Ginger Baker occurred because Ginger didn’t have a sense of humor …is that true? 

Jack Bruce: “Well he’s got his own sense of humor, I don’t understand. He doesn’t get my humor that’s for sure. I think I’m a pretty funny guy but then I guess a lot of idiots do (Laughing). If you haven’t got a sense of humor you’re making your life a hundred times harder. It doesn’t matter what happens to you, if you can have a laugh about it, and don’t take yourself so serious, you have the battles halfway won.”

Ray Shasho: Who were some of the artists that got you interested in becoming a musician?

Jack Bruce: “As far as the big name influences I would say Charlie Mingus, a great bass player and American composer. I played upright bass. I wanted to write great tunes, play the bass, be a band leader, and smoke a big funny pipe like Charlie Mingus. So I went out and bought the pipe when I was around 18 or 19 years old. You know even women smoke a pipe in Glasgow. I worked with Carla Bley and she smoked a pipe, which I find fascinating. She worked in a band of mine with Mick Taylor.”

Ray Shasho: They used to say that James Brown was the hardest working man in show-biz … I think it’s Jack Bruce!

Jack Bruce: “That’s nice of you to say so but I have to take my hat off to James Brown. He was amazing. Another one of my influences over the years who is also a hard worker is Albert Collins. ‘The Ice Man’ they called him. He was a fantastic guitar player. I like the people who work hard in their career and on stage. He was one of those guys who had the big long guitar cable and would go in the audience. He said to me, “Jack, don’t forget you’re just an entertainer when it comes down to it.”

Ray Shasho: Jack, you’ve played with so many legendary artists … and you were actually asked to play in Marvin Gaye’s Band?

Jack Bruce: “I was man, when I was around 21 or something like that. We did this TV show and we just got to talking and he said let’s go to your place. We sat up all night talking about music. Then he asked me to join his band. Of course I was thrilled to be asked but at the time I couldn’t do it. I was going to get married a couple days after he asked me, I couldn’t not show up at the wedding. I don’t know the way things have panned out; maybe I should have gone to Detroit.”

Ray Shasho: You’ve been extremely successful crossing into various genres, not only on the new album but throughout your music career.

Jack Bruce: “Yea, that’s what I do. But I think people who basically do one thing like Eric Clapton is great, although he has crossed over more in recent years, doing a bit of jazz here and there. But I’ve always enjoyed playing different kinds of music and playing with different kinds of musicians because I find that really interesting, like learning and working with Kip Hanrahan. There’s a great conga player called Milton Cardona and he taught me a lot of the nuances, he’s a Santeria Priest and so he knows his onions as it were.”

Ray Shasho: You wrote lyrics on Frank Zappa’s ‘Apostrophe’ album?

Jack Bruce: “I wrote “Apostrophe,” just the one track. That was simply Frank Zappa who I got to know when Cream first went to New York. Eric and I used to go to this little theater in the Village and Frank used to do these mad things in the afternoon.  At these gigs he would gather hobos off the street and give them a ukulele or something, I thought this guy’s outrageous; and then of course I had the first Mothers of Invention album and fell in love with him. Frank was very kind and helpful to me. He liked my singing. He called me up when I was in New York and asked me to come down to the studio and play some cello. I told him that I didn’t have my cello with me; it’s not something I carry around that much. He said we can rent one. I told him that you can’t really rent a cello, it’s very personal. So I went down to the studio and there was this really terrible cello and I tried to play it but it sounded awful. Frank said, “Oh well, why don’t you just play bass guitar.” So I played on “Apostrophe” with Jim Gordon on the drums and Frank. Then when he mixed it, it had that sort of distorted sound I used in Cream.”

Ray Shasho: You also worked with Lou Reed on the ‘Berlin’ album?

Jack Bruce: “That was fun because the drummer was Aynsley Dunbar who also worked with Frank. It was kind of funny to me because Lou Reed was pretty out of it actually. There was Bob Ezrin who was producing it. When I finally heard the finished product, I thought wow, this Bob Ezrin is good, and he’s really taken it somewhere else.”

Ray Shasho: I was a huge Rory Gallagher fan …one of the most energizing performances I’ve seen you do was a You Tube video with Rory doing “Politician” on the German music  television show Rockpalast … what a jam!

Jack Bruce: “Rory and I should have done more together.”

“I was a big fan of Gary Moore, he was my buddy and I miss him a lot. I loved his playing because you’ve got that passion; it was sort of a Celtic thing. The Irish and Scots they just go for it and not too worried about looking good. When I was in the states touring, I landed in Seattle to do a gig and one of the fans came to me and told me about Gary’s death. It was very hard for me to carry on, it was awful.”

Ray Shasho: Jack, you’ve worked in numerous band configurations prior to the inception of Cream … Blues Incorporated, the Graham Bond Organisation, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Manfred Mann, Eric Clapton with Powerhouse.  And although Cream was only together for about three years, it appeared that you finally found the musical chemistry you may have been searching for.

Jack Bruce: “I definitely was. I had worked with Eric a little bit with John Mayall, but he left the band quite soon after I joined. But it wasn’t because of me (All laughing). He left the band because he wanted to do this world tour, but he got as far as Greece. Then he saw this butcher shop with this lamb hanging up and all the flies crawling all over it and he said I’m going home. That’s the story anyway. I didn’t play with him much with Mayall. The Powerhouse thing was purely a get together thing that Joe Boyd did …the great record producer. So we did that and it was great fun. As soon as Cream got together for the first time, we all knew that there was magic there.”

Ray Shasho: You wrote or co-wrote many of the classic tracks for Cream.

Jack Bruce: “Well somebody had to do it (All laughing).”

Ray Shasho: I would have thought there’d be a little more songwriting collaboration at that time.

Jack Bruce: “That was really done because of the management. They just worked us so hard. When we were off the road, which was briefly, we just didn’t have time. Later on in the 70’s people always said we were going to go and get it together in the country… that was the phrase.  But we never had that. We were making so much money you can’t fret about it. They didn’t want us to stop, because every time we had a day off they were losing money. They just kept us going because I think they thought it wasn’t going to last, and it didn’t last as long as it might have because of that. We had a shortsighted and really terrible manager. He just kind of worked the band to death. The one thing that would have kept the band alive would have been if we all got together and co-written the songs, but we never had the chance to do that.”

Ray Shasho: Jack, I’m really going to put you on the spot now …Do you think Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton was the better blues guitarist?

Jack Bruce: “That’s a hard one, but I would say Eric. Simply because Jimi was this force of nature, and I don’t even think of him as a great blues guitarist, he was something else, like from another planet. Just this amazing force and he was a friend of mine. But it’s very difficult to say whose better. Eric had such a great knowledge of the blues; he knows the blues inside out, like a musicologist. So I would have to say Eric, but that’s probably out of loyalties love.”

Ray Shasho: Jack, here’s a question that I ask everyone that I interview. If you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish like the movie, to play, sing or collaborate with anyone from the past or present, who would that be?

Jack Bruce:  “It’s a tricky one for me. We nearly had a band with Jimi Hendrix and Tony Williams. We were talking to each other about forming a band with those guys and I would have loved to see what would have happened if the three of us had got together. So I would say Jimi and Tony Williams.”

Ray Shasho: Final thoughts Jack?

Jack Bruce: “I’ll probably be doing some gigs in the UK later on in the year and hopefully get to the states, do the odd festival here and there. But I’m going to be taking it nice and easy.  I just really like what I’m doing …enjoying life.  I bought a wonderful new house in New York. I just want to go hang there and write some more songs and then get back into Abbey Road … I’ve got the recording bug back. It’s not a bad life.”

Ray Shasho: Jack, thank you for being on the call today but more importantly for all the incredible music you’ve given us and continue to bring.

Jack Bruce:  “Ray, I really appreciate speaking to you and it’s been very interesting.”

Purchase ‘Silver Rails’ the brand new CD by Jack Bruce available now at amazon.com

Jack Bruce official website

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Very special thanks to Chip Ruggieri of Chipster PR

Coming up NEXT … My recent interview with Chris Thompson former lead singer and guitarist of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (“Blinded by the Light”)

Contact classic rock music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

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IAN ANDERSON In-Depth Interview: Migration, Human Sustainability, Politics and Jesus

                           
By Ray Shasho

-An In-Depth and special Interview with the legendary Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull:

I interviewed Jethro Tull legend Ian Anderson on Tuesday, March 18th and our conversation transposed into something exceptional and quite monumental. Our in-depth discussion covered an array of atypical and riveting topics concerning… World issues, Politics, Human sustainability, The Bible, Religion, Jesus Christ, David Cameron, Barack Obama, Tony Snow, Our Vets, Ian’s family heritage, Commercial airline piloting , UFO’s … and then of course about the music… including the inception and concept behind his Gerald Bostock character & Anderson’s latest studio release ‘Homo Erraticus.’

Ian Anderson’s latest musical endeavor ‘HOMO ERRATICUS’ is an extraordinary and all-embracing musical arrangement that poetically and wittily interprets man’s pilgrimage with brilliant lyrical optimism. -I gave it (5) Stars! Pre-order your copy of Ian Anderson’s latest studio release [Here] or amazon.com … Released on Anderson’s own label imprint Calliandra Records in conjunction with Kscope. ‘Homo Erraticus’ will be officially released on April 14th but available now for pre-order.

Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson will be performing the new album ‘Homo Erraticus’ & The Best of Tull Live In Concert at a city near you throughout 2014. The Ian Anderson touring band is …Ian Anderson (flute, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, harmonica and lead vocals), David Goodier (bass guitar and double bass), John O’Hara (orchestral conductor, piano, keyboards and accordion), Florian Opahle (guitar),Scott Hammond (Drums and Percussion), and Ryan O' Donnell (Vocals and stage antics).

This is my second interview with Ian Anderson; our first encounter was published on April 3rd 2012. Mr. Anderson is not only a legendary singer, songwriter, musician, rock icon, and entrepreneur; he’s also an extraordinary and brilliant man. I can envision Anderson achieving and inspiring the world in so many other critical roles in his lifetime besides becoming a musical and creative genius … perhaps in such roles as …Novelist, College Professor, Pilot, Political Analyst, Economist or Theologian. The hands of time may only permit Mr. Anderson from accomplishing a few of these added goals that I have suggested, so I’ll devotedly conclude that I am eternally grateful for the JethroTull legacy and the evolving musical ingenuity of Ian Anderson.

Here’s my in-depth and very important interview with the Scottish gent we attest as Jethro Tull … IAN ANDERSON.
Ray Shasho: Good evening Ian, thank you so much for being on the call today. Your latest studio release ‘Homo Erraticus’ will be officially released on April 14th but is available now for pre-order.
Ian Anderson: [PURCHASING ‘HOMO ERRATICUS’]
“Absolutely, you can order it in four different formats. There is the double vinyl records, there’s what we call the media book which has a CD and an accompanying DVD in a sort of hardback package, then there’s the simple CD in a plastic case which is the last one to be released in fact, and then there is also the special limited edition box set which has two CD’s, two DVD’s and a 64-page booklet that will grace your coffee table for years to come. So yes, four different formats and a lot of work in compiling all of that and getting all the video material and the 5.1 surround mixes and all the extra goodies in there including all the original demos that I made in a hotel room in Barbados last March. So there are all sorts of stuff there to intrigue the fan who wants to unpeel and examine the many layers of the onion.”
Ray Shasho: Ian, do you also have your own record label?
Ian Anderson: [CALLIANDRA RECORDS]
“We have a label imprint which is a profit sharing enterprise with a rather specialist record company in the UK which employs about fifteen people. It’s kind of reminiscent to Chrysalis Records in the early days, and kind of a homely place where you can always talk to the top three or four guys who are always at the end of the phone …which is good. I was grateful to have the same offer from two other record companies, one was Warner Brothers which of course is one of the majors. But I just felt maybe it would get a little lost in something as enormous as Warner Brothers, especially a time when they’re trying to integrate the huge amounts of catalogue and manage an expanding business. So it’s probably not a good time to get their undivided attention.”
Ray Shasho: I have heard from a lot of artists that say Warner Brothers is one of the best record companies to work with.
Ian Anderson: “A lot of the reasons why I gave it serious attention are that Warner Brothers were our U.S. record company back in 1968-1969. When Chrysalis Records was boarded and too was just a label imprint and on a full service deal with Warner Brothers, so we kind of started off with Warner Brothers, actually the Reprise label which was a division of Warner’s, and that was our original American home until Chrysalis became independent two or three years later.”
Ray Shasho: Why did you initially create the Gerald Bostock character and why did you bring him back?
Ian Anderson: [GERALD BOSTOCK]
“He’s like kind of an old friend, a Harry Potter who has grown into a grumpy middle-aged man who wants to pontificate on things. So he’s a useful writer’s tool and can be an alter-alter ego. He’s just another stage removed. He can say things that I wouldn’t say and voice opinions that I don’t have. So he can create lyrical material which I can occupy as a performer by singing in character. He doesn’t necessarily speak with my voice. He being a fictional character can have his own fictional opinions and views on life, some of which I’d probably share with him but some I don’t.”
Ray Shasho: Ian, you bear an unyielding intelligence and you’re a master storytelling …traits essential in becoming a great novelist.
Ian Anderson: [TOO OLD FOR BRITISH AIRWAYS BUT NOT TOO OLD TO ROCK & ROLL]
“I have the intelligence to probably learn to fly a 747 Jumbo Jet but I’m now a year too old to be employed by British Airways. I would have had to retire last year, so I’m better off doing what I’m doing. But I do sometimes fantasize about testing my mental and physical skills by flying 250 people around the world and remembering to keep my transponder on.”
Ray Shasho: Have you actually flown a jet before?
Ian Anderson: [AIRLINE PILOT ANDERSON]
“I’ve only flown a Boeing 737, at Heathrow Airport Terminal 5. We went out and did a climb out and did a big circling thing around Surrey, south of London, and I came back in and landed surprisingly not too badly. But we did a second landing which I have to say was just brilliant; I could almost hear the applause at the back of the airplane, and my very pregnant lady first officer sitting next to me, I was just concerned not to kill the baby. So when we did land the second time it was with a huge sense of relief. Then I disembarked the 737 British Airways simulator and caught a taxi home (All laughing). The simulators are just like the front of a real airplane, they are the real deal. They’re not sort of video games; they are bewildering in their complexity. I kind of understand kids who play video games because they’re quite realistic. In a computer graphic world they do begin to detach themselves perhaps from reality. It’s kind of a little worrying because sometimes the borderline between fantasy and reality is getting blurred in people’s lives too easily.”
Ray Shasho: I’ve heard that those video game wizards may be the medical surgeons and military experts of tomorrow.
Ian Anderson: [SUPPORTING OUR VETS & POLITICS]
“What does seem to be the case are the kids that play the shoot ‘em up video games have actually become officers serving in the military, basically because they’re chicken- shits. They’d rather stay home in their bedrooms and fanaticize about blowing the heads off people instead of actually going out there and doing a real man’s job. I think if people try and do that for a living, they’d better go in and do it with a sense of duty and patriotism. I think young people in America or Britain when they join the military they think it through pretty carefully. Certainly the ones that I meet who’ve come out usually the hard way with tremendous injuries and victims of IED … the folks that I meet sometimes in America when I do meet & greets with the Vets and from recent excursions to Iraq and Afghanistan, the tales they have to tell me are certainly not video game shoot ‘em up tales. They have lived only to tell the tale of their own war injuries … frequently blindness and deafness through roadside bomb activity.”

“The thing that I do hear from them a lot is their belief in having gone there to try and do something to improve things for other people. They haven’t gone there to fight a war for America, they’ve gone there to try and create a better opportunity for people in Afghanistan or Iraq. Overwhelmingly I hear that the Iraqi’s were not worth fighting for. But the Afghans … a lot of Brits and Americans feel that it’s worth a try. It was worth just seeing that things could be made better and a real democracy could flourish in the face of the inevitable Taliban overturn when the Americans are out of there. It doesn’t look good but I think it was worth a try too. But Iraq I think we could have all done without. I personally would have paid Saddam Hussein to stay in power, keep the lid on things, and then shoot him … actually shoot his sons would have been the better bet because they were a couple of evil buggers, but they got it even before he did. I think Iraq was just a mess, a place where nothing good could possibly be done, to overcome the huge divisions within the country. The sectarian divisions will probably prevent it forever in becoming a united country. It’s a mess. But Afghanistan was really worth a try. I was with George Bush on that one, but not on Iraq.”
Ray Shasho: I think Pakistan is another country that we should not support.
Ian Anderson: [DAVID CAMERON, BARACK OBAMA, AND TONY SNOW]
“We actually do collectively give them quite a lot of monetary aide, probably to keep them on their side (All laughing). I don’t think we’ll be going in there, I think Syria was the closer call in recent times, but luckily the decision was taken to not go in there, and it all happened on one particular day in the UK Parliament where a left-wing leader decided to stand- up to David Cameron, the Prime Minister, to not support the venture to take military action in Syria. That precipitated a cave-in, which Obama, much as he hated the idea, suddenly realized he didn’t have the Brits anymore and faced the same kind of repercussions in congress where he wasn’t going to get a vote of confidence to go into military action. I think the people and their representatives, the House of Representatives and the House of Commons in Britain, I think the people spoke and our leaders backed down from a confrontation that would have been a grave error in judgment. So luckily we managed to escape that particular issue. Obama and Cameron both fell into that trap of thinking … we could have our own little war here and be remembered for something great. It would have been a fatal mistake.”

“I came to the conclusion that Mr. Obama is not the man that we all hoped he was. I think we all rather liked his straightforward, nice guy, not too liberal but pragmatic democratic kind of stance. However he’s been a grave disappointment, not only to you guys but to the world. Because he wasn’t just your President … we thought he was going to be our President. Throughout the world people wanted Obama to be the man that would be for all of us. But we’re all feeling a bit let down. And my good friends at Fox TV are probably even more let down (All laughing) because they never much liked him anyway.”

"My old pal Tony Snow, who was a Fox guy, an ardent Republican and was Press Secretary for Bush Jr. prior to his colon cancer returning, his last job was to be taken up by CNN in the run-up to the last election. I was so sorry that Tony didn’t get to hang-on for at least a few months to cover that. He was a guy I would love to have seen giving another view on the emergence of that President. I do remember saying before Tony died that I hoped he’d make it long enough, because I’d love to see him be the Press Secretary in the Obama Administration. He was someone that the media loved; they thought of Tony as a straight guy. He would do his job in a partisan way if necessary… but he was a journalist, he was a writer, a broadcaster, and just one of the guys …they held a huge respect for him.”
Ray Shasho: Let’s talk about your new release ‘Homo Erraticus’… I gave it (5) Stars!
Ian Anderson: “Out of twenty? (All laughing)”
Ray Shasho: Ian, I believe ‘Homo Erraticus’ is an extraordinary and all-embracing musical arrangement that poetically and wittily interprets man’s pilgrimage with brilliant lyrical optimism.
Ian Anderson: [HOMO ERRATICUS CONCEPT AND HUMAN SUSTAINABILTY]
“If it’s about anything it comes from the very opening lines on the very first song and I had that and then on the third day of writing the album I pieced out the whole rest of it as kind of a bullet point scenario and continued to write for the next three weeks. It’s the story of all of us. It’s about migration, the movement of people from the last ice age on to even the future. It’s about the story of all of us… we’re all from somewhere else. None us are really ancestrally born and bred, we all came ultimately and possibly from one single tribe sixty thousand years ago in Africa. I’m not going to go that far back because I’m really only concerned with the point where my own country first was permanently occupied by our ancestors who at the time were predominately Homo sapiens in the aftermath of the last Ice Age. It’s just a way of talking about the fact that we’re all from somewhere else and we ought to accept that migration is the story of our planet. It goes on today and we fearfully and sometimes in protective terms refer to it as immigration because we naturally and understandably have some suspicion and sometimes hostility towards those who want to come and join our party, who perhaps are not always invited or welcomed, and that’s the way some people think about it.”

“But I just want to remind everybody that we’re all from somewhere else. It’s a difficult moral, a human ethical problem to try to find the solutions for accepting people who may enrich your culture and society, and on occasion may cause difficulties which has to be worked through and overcome. We have to find our way to accept the idea of human migration. However, we are living in a different world now to fifty years ago. Certainly, Five thousand years ago when increasing the population was necessary for the good of human kind on the planet, right now the migration that we’re talking about in future years of climate change is going to be a very-very enormous moral dilemma for our great grandchildren. That generation is going to have to make some terribly difficult decisions about who can be accepted where. We don’t have the resources and there are parts of the planet that prove to be not really habitable, in the way they are in some cases barely now, and it will get a whole lot worse in the future inevitably. We’ve got to start thinking about, talking about, and discussing in a sensible, rational, and friendly way about these issues before they start impacting us in ways that can be very divisive and damaging to people everywhere. We have to start thinking about our resources that isn’t just about recycling or Green Energy, it has to do with sustainability long-term beyond the life of any politician or any government of today. We have to start thinking long-term and people are not very good at doing that. They’re not very good at thinking beyond their own fragile lifetime, maybe that of their children but that’s as far as it goes.”

“We have a very beautiful planet here, one that we should be looking to think of in terms of sustainability, and that means sustainable populations. We’ll probably have to think about over a period of a few hundred years, reducing the global population and not increasing it, because we’re certainly going to find it very difficult to feed the nine billion people on planet earth in forty or fifty years time. So everywhere where sensible and responsible thinking women have an average of 1.5 children, which is the average for most of Western Europe except for Britain and France where it’s close to 2, everywhere else is about 1.5. Women are educated; they have equality with men and the family unit. They choose to have modest family sizes, not because the government tells them they should, but because they make an educated responsible family choice. And I would venture to say that those who back it up with excuses of religion and culture and want to have 5, 6 or 7 children, they have to question if it’s socially responsible in the long term. The argument they present as well is God wants us to multiply … well then I think you picked the wrong God. Educated women that receive a basic or secondary education, they make those choices, the evidence is here already. We don’t actually have to change the culture of most of Europe, it already works that way. People have made those choices in the last twenty or thirty years increasingly to have modest family sizes. So I just want people to be talking about this stuff with a smile on your face and a friendly hug, and not to have it erupt in fisticuffs at a local bar. So my words and lyrics of this album was not designed to be lecturing, hostile, provocative or create violent arguments, they’re to get people thinking and talking and doing it in a friendly and smiley kind of a way, because that’s the way to get into people’s hearts and minds.”
Ray Shasho: So many people turn to the Bible as if it were a set of plans or instructions to guide them throughout their lives. How factual do you believe the Bible really is?
Ian Anderson: [THE BIBLE, RELIGION, AND JESUS CHRIST]
“I think the Bible is a tremendous document and I now have a copy of it on my iPhone. I have a copy of the Quran as well. The point being, these existers have bona fide plans, they are “Plan A”, but your interpretation of the Bible and your interpretation of the Quran is a very complex issue. In years gone by people did not take this absurd evangelical literal view of the words in the Bible, it was all considered to be allegory, it was all considered to be lots of ways of creating the metaphors. A thousand years ago people looked at the Bible in a much less literal way. It served as a very useful function for people to stand by a set of general rules and applications. In many ways the words of the prophets, Muhammad, are not so different to many of the words of Jesus Christ and many of the sentiments, good, sound, and sensible structure or advice that you get from the Bible. It’s all good stuff!”

“However, it’s got to be seen in the light of today. Anyone who takes those words as literal meaning is missing the whole point. The hundreds of people who put together painstakingly work over a huge number of years to come up with these words, they are less about being literal than being about inspirational, being about something that gives you guidance. You have to be able to interpret and to paraphrase in the context of today. Whatever happened back then was back then and this is today. I think the Bible is still a very relevant document, not only for Christians, but for people everywhere. But don’t literally for God’s sake just take that simplistic view. The words are merely the English translations from King James’ Bible and in itself is an interpretation for goodness sake. Unless you are incredible learned scholars who can go back beyond the ancient Greek to look at the origins of the words that make up the Bible, than you really are on dangerous ground. There are a lot of good things in the Bible to be used in the inspirational sense, not in the literal sense. That’s the simple message there… I’m all for Christianity and all for the Bible but handle with care and respect. A lot of Christian scholars spend a great deal of time looking at the Bible and trying to make sense of it in light of today’s world, and that’s something that is a vital part of Christianity today. I’m not a Christian, don’t get me wrong, but I have a full respect and a huge sense of following Christianity and being predominately the Religion of my nation.”

“Obviously with Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism …they’re kind of in our culture too. We may not embrace them with the same ease that we embrace Christianity but nonetheless they are in our culture too. But I’m from here… I’m a white middle-class from Great Britain and my natural first response is to Christianity as something with a calling card that I can easily understand. However, it’s not going to make me a Christian. I like almost everything about Christianity except for the Jesus bit. I’m pretty big on Jesus the historical character in the context of his time. But Jesus as the son of God, well, that’s where you have to start thinking in looser terms; you’ve got to step out of the box once you get to Jesus in that role. He is symbolic, he is important, he is an example, and it’s terribly important to have that, but you’ve got to stop short of creating Jesus as essentially the face of God. We do know he really was a historical character in Palestine at a given point in time. He was a revolutionary; he was a Jew for God’s sake. He was a revolutionary Jew who was pissed off with stuff that was going on and the fact that many of the Religious hierarchy at that time were in cohorts with their Roman overlords to have a quiet but influential and powerful life. Jesus was an angry prophet. He was a guy who got pissed off … I like that Jesus. I don’t want to confuse him and give him Godlike status, that’s where I have to stop short and why I can’t really be a Christian.”
Ray Shasho: Ian what are your thoughts on UFO’S … have we been visited by life from other worlds?
Ian Anderson: [UFO’s AND ALIEN ABDUCTIONS]
“Having been born in 1947, it was a good year for UFO’s. I may be the son of Roswell, who knows? Maybe aliens visited in 1947 and my mother was whooshed up into some alien encounter and was abducted and impregnated and I’m the result. Who knows? It’s a spooky tale but extremely unlikely. I think the chances of physical presence of alien spaceships from another far-off star are pretty slim in possibility terms, for a number of reasons. But I think there is every possibility that we have and we may be visited in the future. But I don’t think they will be real living creatures who have traveled at or beyond the speed of life. For the time it would take to get here, it seems to me; either we are talking something really in terms of the supernatural, in terms of parallel universes, in terms of multiverses, or in terms perhaps of just human imagination wanting to see bogey men when there aren’t any.”

“But I doubt if we’re really going to see living, breathing aliens. I think what we might see is rather the equivalent to the unmanned probe to Mars and beyond, because we can send machinery where we are not able to go. And right now a lot of scientists are trying to figure out how to get beyond the Van Allen radiation belt, because you’re going to have your testicles fried if you step outside the safety zone of magnetic shield into the trip beyond to Mars. There may be a lot of people who fanaticize about going to Mars in the next 30-50 years, whenever it might be possible, but personally I’m keeping my testicles where they belong (All laughing).”
Ray Shasho: Ian, here’s a question that I ask everyone that I interview. If you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish like the movie, to play or collaborate with anyone from the past or present, who would that be? You can even go back to the classical period.
Ian Anderson: [FIELD OF DREAMS WISH]
“Well, it would probably go a little further than that. Because with Beethoven who I enormously love, appreciate, and respect as the most all around classical composer of all time. He came relatively late in the day in true classics terms and benefited enormously from Bach and Mozart before him. But he was very clever and way complicated and very consummate in his ability to understand and to arrange. It would be difficult to collaborate with him because certainly later in life he wouldn’t hear a word I say.”

“So I think I’ll go back to the very first time when music was first written down and the first notions of harmony came about. That would be kind of simple. So you’d have to plant me in a Medieval Monastery about a thousand years ago, where I could have talked in more equal terms to those who were spearheading the development of music, harmony, rhythm, and to find fault in music too, because maybe I could have helped them with lyric writing.”
Ray Shasho: Have you ever traced your family heritage?
Ian Anderson: [IAN’S ROOTS]
“Not very far back …there’s probably some dreadful Danish Viking who landed on the east coast of Scotland and probably didn’t even leave the sheep alone (All laughing). Probably with a bit of a dastardly piratical past combined with a bit on my mother’s side, maybe some Celtic weaver from Britain perhaps. But no, it’s not been researched very far back. My much older brother did try a few years ago but he only got so far and then they couldn’t find anything else reliable further back than that. So they only went back about a hundred years or so. So I think we have some Viking blood. Not very romantic or glamorous but we were people that migrated, we came, we saw, some of us stayed behind and put down roots. We brought with us the customs, the language, and costume jewelry (All Laughing).”
Ray Shasho: Ian, thank you for being on the call today but more importantly for all the incredible music you continue to bring.
Ian Anderson: “Nice to talk with you Ray.”

Pre-order your copy of Ian Anderson’s latest studio release entitled 'HOMO ERRATICUS' [Here] or at amazon.com …on Ian Anderson’s own label imprint Calliandra Records in conjunction with Kscope

Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull official website
Jethro Tull on Facebook
Jethro Tull on Twitter
Jethro Tull on Myspace
Ian Anderson on Tour

Very special thanks to the incredible Anne Leighton of Leighton Media: * Music Services*Motivation

Coming up NEXT … My recent interview with Jack Bruce of the legendary Cream

Contact classic rock music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Purchase Ray’s very special memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ -The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com - Please support Ray by purchasing his book so he can continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting.
“Check the Gs is just a really cool story ... and it’s real. I’d like to see the kid on the front cover telling his story in a motion picture, TV sitcom or animated series. The characters in the story definitely jump out of the book and come to life. Very funny and scary moments throughout the story and I just love the way Ray timeline’s historical events during his lifetime. Ray’s love of rock music was evident throughout the book and it generates extra enthusiasm when I read his on-line classic rock music column on examiner.com. It’s a wonderful read for everyone!” …stillerb47@gmail.com

© Copyright rayshasho.com. All Rights Reserved

Judy Collins Interview: New Release –‘Judy Collins Live in Ireland’ from Dromoland Castle

By Ray Shasho

An Interview with the legendary Judy Collins:

Judy Collins, the award-winning singer and songwriter has been captivating audiences across the globe for over five decades. Collins would rather not dwell on past successes and glory because she tenaciously plans for what’s coming up next. Judy challenges herself daily by asking … did I practice today, have I written in my journals, have I written any new songs, when’s the next show? Collins remarks … “That’s who I am and the way I’m built.”

Judy Collins most recent endeavor is a much anticipated CD/DVD release on Cleopatra Records entitled …Judy Collins Live in Ireland. The show was recorded on September 29th 2013 at Dromoland Castle in County Clare, Ireland and was recently aired on PBS. The collection features many of Judy’s cherished hits along with her favorite Celtic folk songs and stories (Including duets with Irish singer Mary Black & NY singer-songwriter Ari Hest). The collection also spotlights Judy’s brand new composition … “New Moon Over The Hudson.” This amazing CD/DVD set is available to purchase now at amazon.com.

JUDY COLLINS became a prodigy of the piano and guitar before launching a prominent stretch at local clubs in Greenwich Village. In 1961, Collins recorded her debut album with Elektra Records entitled … Maid of Constant Sorrow. Collins primarily sang cover songs by artists like Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan. She also became known for introducing unknown artists to the public. She began recording songs by singer-songwriters Leonard Cohen, Eric Anderson, Randy Newman, Robin Williamson, Ian Tyson and Joni Mitchell to name a few.

In 1967, Collins released the critically-acclaimed Wildflowers (#5 on Billboard’s Pop Album Charts). The release spawned her first big hit “Both Sides, Now” (#8 on Billboard’s Hot 100) penned by Joni Mitchell. Judy won a Grammy Award in 1968 for Best Folk Performance. Collins also recorded Joni Mitchell’s “Chelsea Morning” released in 1969. Throughout the 60’s, Judy Collins was usually regarded as a folk singer, but she may also have been revered as a progressive rock pioneer. Collins scored commercially again with the Ian Tyson composition “Someday Soon” that same year.
The Judy Collins release Who Knows Where the Time Goes was her first album to feature guitarist Stephen Stills who she became romantically involved with. Judy became the inspiration behind the Stills penned classic “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” which was performed at Woodstock in 1969 by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Collins became known for her own compositions throughout the 70’s, but also scored big hits with cover songs. Her awe-inspiring renditions of “Amazing Grace” (1970) and Stephen Sondheim’s "Send In The Clown’s" (1975 and 1977) became Top 20 Hit singles and proverbial classics.

Judy Collins profound vocalizations and musical perception are just a few reasons why she can brilliantly master any given musical genre.

Judy says … “I love it all, if it’s a good song, it’s for me.”

Collins is also an established author with nine published books to her credit and has a brand new book in the works and on the way soon.

Judy Collins performs live at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater, Florida on April 11th at 7:30 p.m. Purchase tickets here or call 727-791-7400 for further information.

I had the rare pleasure of chatting with Judy Collins recently about her latest CD/DVD entitled Judy Collins Live in Ireland, the Greenwich Village days, rock and roll pals and so much more!
Here’s my recent interview with singer, songwriter and author JUDY COLLINS.
Ray Shasho: Hi Judy thank you for being on the call today. You’ve got quite an extensive tour beginning in Collingswood, New Jersey on March 22nd and you’ll be performing at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater, Florida on April 11th.
Judy Collins: “Yea, my life is a tour so I just keep connecting the dots. I just did a PBS show called Judy Collins Live in Ireland. I was just in Boston last night doing the pictures for it and it will be all over the country. It was a wonderful show.”
Ray Shasho: You actually performed at a castle in Ireland?
Judy Collins: “It was a beautiful place, Dromoland Castle in County Clare and right at the right place at the right time and I loved it. The CD/DVD will be out on March 18th.”
Ray Shasho: Judy what were the Greenwich Village days like for you?
Judy Collins: “Very exciting. There was a lot of turbulence going on in the country. All kinds of wonderful artists and I lived here in New York. I lived in the Village for a few years and that was incredible … The Village Gate, Gerde’s Folk City, The Bitter End, Gaslight Café, and The Fat Black Pussycat swarming with singers, songwriters, talent, and just wonderful times.”
Ray Shasho: Who were some of the artists that you hung out with in Greenwich Village back in those exciting days?
Judy Collins: “The Village was filled with people of course, but there was Shel Silverstein, Bob Dylan, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Peter, Paul & Mary, Arlo Guthrie, Cisco Houston …they were all here! Dave Van Ronk, Tom Paxton … I sang a lot of Tom Paxton’s songs. It was just great, everybody came to the Village and a lot of us lived here.”
Ray Shasho: I always thought of your early musical styles as perhaps a prelude to Progressive Rock.
Judy Collins: “Yes it was. I did a lot of different kinds of music and made records that had a very folk rock feel. So yea, it was Progressive Rock I’m sure.”
Ray Shasho: I think “Chelsea Morning” was a good example. I hear similarities to Annie Haslam of Renaissance and also Sandy Denny of The Strawbs and Fairport Convention.
Judy Collins: “Yes indeed. Our orchestrations were unusual then, so I was on the Cutting Edge so to speak.”
Ray Shasho: Who were some of the rock bands that you spent time with in the 60’s? I know for a fact, Crosby, Stills & Nash … who else?
Judy Collins: “Guaranteed Crosby, Stills & Nash … I also spent a lot of time with The Doors and Al Kooper of Blood, Sweat & Tears, we were very good friends. I had a lot of fun getting to know them. In fact, Al Kooper is the one that called me in the middle of the night and put Joni Mitchell on and sang me “Both Sides Now” so that was a nice connection.”
Ray Shasho: “So Stephen Stills definitely wrote “Suite: Judy Blues Eyes” about you?
Judy Collins: “Sure was. He sang it to me in 1968 and then started recording it. It was very beautiful.”
Ray Shasho: I always liked how Stephen ended the song singing Spanish lyrics. I know he has Tampa roots but didn’t he spend time in various Latin American countries as well?
Judy Collins: “Yes, he had some South American life experience. Stephen and I are still friends after all these years … nice-nice.”
Ray Shasho: Judy, how important was it for you to score a hit with a song that you composed?
Judy Collins: “It wasn’t important to me. I didn’t write anything until Leonard Cohen asked me why I wasn’t writing anything. I didn’t have any excuse so I started writing. I just wrote a new song that is in the Irish show which is called “New Moon Over The Hudson” which seems to be taking off and people seem to like it a lot, and that makes me very happy. I wrote that three days before I went to Ireland in September last year. I’m always writing and have a lot of songs coming out.”
Ray Shasho: You’ve also had great success as an established author.
Judy Collins: “I’ve written nine books and have got another one coming along, but I can’t tell you what it’s about. You’ll just have to see when it comes out.”
Ray Shasho: What about plans musically … another studio album in the near future?
Judy Collins: “Always! I’m working on an album of duets with men singers. That’s just one of the things that I’m doing. Besides the Live in Ireland CD/DVD, there’s also a big collection from Cleopatra Records of all the songs that I’ve been writing and singing since about 1984-85, from a box-set of the most recent years. And there are many other things planned.”
Ray Shasho: You’ve sustained an amazing music career and fan base since your debut album … A Maid of Constant Sorrow in 1961. What do attribute your longevity to … especially with all the changes throughout the years in the music industry?
Judy Collins: “I like what I do, I’m passionate about what I do, and a good song is a good song. Media, methods and styles come and go, but if you love what you do … essentially it’s the first thing you want to think about … did I practice today, have I written in my journals, have I written any new songs, when’s the next show? That’s who I am and the way I’m built.”
Ray Shasho: I think the fact that you are open to sing various musical genres has a lot to do with your longevity as well …and just the fact that your voice can sing multiple genres.
Judy Collins: “I love it all, if it’s a good song, it’s for me.”
Ray Shasho: I think your rendition of “Send In The Clowns” is the best version of Stephen Sondheim’s composition, followed by Sinatra’s version in 1973. When did you first get the idea for recording the song?
Judy Collins: “I found it in 1972 and recorded it in ’73. It came out in 1974 and became a hit a couple of times in 1975 and ’77. It’s also something that continues to be played a lot.”
Ray Shasho: I don’t know how you can perform that song without shedding a few tears?
Judy Collins: “People say that. They find it very moving and I do too.”
Ray Shasho: Talk about the Judy Collins Wildflower Festival … is that an ongoing event?
Judy Collins: “Well, in a way, I did a CD/ DVD called the Wildflower Festival. I haven’t done festivals with the artists that are on the Wildflower Festival, but we did for PBS … Eric Anderson, Arlo Guthrie and Tom Rush. That was a great show.”
Ray Shasho: I chatted with Tom Rush back in November of 2012, he’s a great guy! Have you heard Tom’s “The Remember Song”?
Judy Collins: “Tom Rush is a wonderful artist, I’m crazy about him. In fact, “The Remember Song” is on Judy Collins Wildflower Festival. He sang it at Humphrey’s By the Bay In San Diego in 2003. That song has had millions of hits on You Tube. It’s a great song.”
“I also like when Tom sings “Galveston Flood” and “Panama Limited.”
Ray Shasho: Judy, you’re involved with so many important causes, is there one in particular you would like to talk about?
Judy Collins: “I’ve always done speaking engagements in the area of mental health … suicide prevention and alcoholism recovery. That’s what has remained steady for the past several years.”
Ray Shasho: Judy, here’s a question that I ask everyone that I interview. If you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish like the movie, to play, sing or collaborate with anyone from the past or present, who would that be?
Judy Collins: “I’ve performed with just about everybody that I’ve wanted to including Johnny Cash. I think I’m more interested in what’s coming around the corner. I am having fun doing some shows with Don Mclean and that’s been very satisfying. I’m having a good time doing our shows.”
Ray Shasho: Judy, thank you for being on the call today but more importantly for all the incredible music you’ve given us and continue to bring. We’ll see you at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater on April 11th.
Judy Collins: “Thank you Ray.”

Judy Collins much anticipated release -Judy Collins Live in Ireland CD/DVD on Cleopatra Records is NOW available to purchase at amazon.com. -Recorded September 29th 2013 at Dromoland Castle for the PBS broadcast Live in Ireland.
DVD Track Listing: 1) Wild Mountain Thyme 2) Chelsea Morning 3) Grandaddy (featuring step dancer Emily Ellis) 4) New Moon Over The Hudson 5)Bird On A Wire 6) Cat’s In The Cradle 7) John Riley 8) She Moved Through The Fair (feat. Mary Black) 9) The Fire Plays (feat. Ari Hest) 10) How Are Things In Glocca Morra? 11) Danny Boy 12) Amazing Grace Bonus Tracks: Gypsy Rover, Barbara Allen, Innisfree Plus additional Interview Footage
CD Track Listing: 1)Wild Mountain Thyme 2)Chelsea Morning 3)Gypsy Rover 4)Grandaddy (featuring step dancer Emily Ellis)5) New Moon Over The Hudson 6)Cat’s In The Cradle 7) John Riley 8) She Moved Through The Fair (feat. Mary Black) 9) The Fire Plays (feat. Ari Hest) 10) Innisfree 11) Danny Boy

Judy Collins performs live at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater, Florida on April 11th at 7:30 p.m. Purchase tickets here or call 727-791-7400 for further information.

Judy Collins the author on amazon.com
Judy Collins official website
Judy Collins on tour
Judy Collins on Facebook
Judy Collins on Twitter
Judy Collins on Myspace

Very special thanks to Billy James

Coming up NEXT … My recent interview with Ian Anderson of the legendary Jethro Tull

Contact classic rock music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Purchase Ray’s very special memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ -The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com - Please support Ray by purchasing his book so he can continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting.

...“Check the Gs is just a really cool story ... and it’s real. I’d like to see the kid on the front cover telling his story in a motion picture, TV sitcom or animated series. The characters in the story definitely jump out of the book and come to life. Very funny and scary moments throughout the story and I just love the way Ray timeline’s historical events during his lifetime. Ray’s love of rock music was evident throughout the book and it generates extra enthusiasm when I read his on-line classic rock music column on examiner.com. It’s a wonderful read for everyone!” …stillerb47@gmail.com

© Copyright rayshasho.com. All Rights Reserved

Joe Bonsall Interview: The Oak Ridge Boys to Release Their Very First Live Album!

By Ray Shasho

An Interview with Joe Bonsall of The Oak Ridge Boys:

The legacy of The Oak Ridge Boys reaches way back to World War II. The original group was called the Oak Ridge Quartet and performed faithfully at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. They quickly earned recognition as one of the top drawing Gospel groups in the U.S.A. The group managed to sustain a steady following of faithful fans and followers over the next several decades with numerous lineup variations.

In 1973, a new chapter to the Oak Ridge dynasty was written. The Oak Ridge Boys new lineup consisted of … Duane Allen (lead vocals), Joe Bonsall (tenor), William Lee Golden (baritone), and Richard Sterban (bass singer). The new Oak Ridge Boys would also cross-over musically into the realms of country, rock, and pop while preserving their traditional gospel roots. The 1973 legendary formation of The Oak Ridge Boys would eventually earn them status as “American icons.”

In 1977, The Oak Ridge Boys backed up Paul Simon in the studio on his classic hit “Slip Slidin’Away.” The group also recorded with George Jones, Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, Roy Rogers, Billy Ray Cyrus, Bill Monroe, Ray Charles, and Shooter Jennings. ‘The Boys’ have also appeared before five presidents.

The Oak Ridge Boys incredible string of hit singles include … “Y’all Come Back Saloon,” “You’re The One,” “I’ll Be True to You,” “Cryin Again,” “Come On In,” “Sail Away,” “Dream On,” Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight,” “Trying to Love Two Women,” “Heart of Mine,” “Beautiful You,” “Elvira,” “(I’m Settin’) Fancy Free,” “Bobbie Sue,” “I Wish You Could Have Turned My Head (And Left My Heart Alone), “American Made,” “Love Song,” “I Guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes,” “Everyday,” “Make My Life With You,” “Little Things,” “Touch a Hand, Make a Friend,” “Come On In (You Did the Best You Could Do),” “It Takes a Little Rain (To Make Love Grow),” “This Crazy Love,” “True Heart,” “Gonna Take a lot of River,” “An American Family,” and “No Matter How High”… to name a few.

The Oak Ridge Boys have spawned (12) gold, (3) platinum, and one double platinum album. They’ve also generated more than (12) Number One Hit singles and over (30) Top Ten Hits, including one double platinum single. The Oak Ridge Boys recently celebrated the sale of over (41) Million albums worldwide.
Their mega-hit “Elvia” (1981) penned by Dallas Frazier and sung by Joe Bonsall on lead vocals, became one of the group’s biggest hits and their signature song.

The Oak Ridge Boys celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2013 and today are stronger than ever. Their first live album ever entitled Boys Night Out will be released on Cleopatra Records April 15th on three different formats… CD, vinyl and digital download. ‘The Boys’ recently returned from sea on their annual Oak Ridge Boys Rally-at-Sea aboard the Celebrity Reflection with stops in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Philipsburg and St. Maarten. The Oak Ridge Boys are currently on the road in support of Boys Night Out.

Tenor Joe Bonsall is also an established author. He’s written a series of children books and several exciting novels including the commercially successful G.I. Joe & Lillie, An American Journey: A Look Back Over Thirty Years with The Oak Ridge Boys, and From My Perspective that includes a foreword by General Chuck Yeager.
I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Joe Bonsall recently while on the road in Laughlin, Nevada. We chatted about … Boys Night Out the new live album, Nashville, Joe’s latest book, The inception of “Elvira,” Phillies baseball… and so much more.

Here’s my interview with legendary Oak Ridge Boys Tenor and Author … JOE BONSALL.
Ray Shasho: Hello Joe!
Joe Bonsall: “Hi Ray, hold on, let me turn this music off here, I’ve got Rosanne Cash blaring on my iTunes today.”
Ray Shasho: That’s a good thing.
Joe Bonsall: “Yea man, she’s got a new album out that’s just great!”
Ray Shasho: So should I call you Joe or Ban-Joey?
Joe Bonsall: “You can call me either one, but I am Ban-Joey though … how did you know that?”
Ray Shasho: I dug deep. (Laughing) I’ve always thought the banjo was a difficult instrument to play.
Joe Bonsall: “I’ve never really played an instrument, I’ve always just sang. I play a little piano but not enough where I can say that I play. When I decided to take up the banjo, I didn’t realize that it would be so hard, if I knew that, I may not have even started it. I’ve been playing banjo for eleven years now and after all the years I should be better … but I can at least take it out of the case and make it sound like a banjo now (All laughing).”
Ray Shasho: Joe, do you still live in Nashville?
Joe Bonsall: “The Oak ridge Boys make their home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, right outside of Nashville, and I’ve lived there for the forty-one years that I’ve been with this group. I’m in Laughlin, Nevada right now and its eighty degrees, I should be feeling guilty. For the fourth or fifth time this year we’ve had a real-real winter in Nashville. We don’t usually get that kind of winter, but a lot of the country just got blasted … I guess its global warming Ray (All Laughing).”
Ray Shasho: My wife and I used to take the kids to Opryland USA Theme Park when they were young and we just loved it. I didn’t realize the park and other important landmarks were closed down primarily due to flooding. I chatted with Tony Joe White recently who actually wrote a song about the Nashville flood on his latest album.
Joe Bonsall: “The flood of several years ago flooded out downtown Nashville. It not only closed the Opry but flooded all the way above the stage and the dressing rooms. It was amazing! Everybody got damage from that flood. It was one of the worst floods in the history of the mid south. There was a big rain that came over and stayed, it did not go away. It was dropping seven to ten inches an hour. Every river, especially the mighty Cumberland River which goes right through Nashville, Tennessee flooded out big time. It created a lot of problems. They’ve got a big mall now where the Theme Park used to be … we call it the Grand Ole Shopry (All laughing).”
Ray Shasho: You and the rest of the group will be sailing out to sea soon for The Oak Ridge Boys Rally-at-Sea II.
Joe Bonsall: “We actually have a show in Key West the night before, and then we depart out of Miami for about seven days on the Celebrity Reflection. A bunch of fans and friends of The Oak Ridge Boys can all come out on the ocean with us for seven days … enjoy some islands, some concerts, and personal time. It’s only the second time we’ve ever done it and quite frankly it’s something I really enjoy doing … just really fun. I think it was a nice experience for the folks who came on the tour and it was good for us. I was reading USA Today the other day and they had the top ten brand new cruise ships on the water today and the Reflection was number one.”
Ray Shasho: So Joe how did a guy from Philly windup in a Country and Gospel group?
Joe Bonsall: “I was always musically inclined and loved singing since I was really little. Growing up in Philly … it was the Mecca of the early rock ‘n’ roll. I loved Elvis and all the Philly acts so being in the Philly Hall of Fame now just blows my mind, as a kid I loved the Philly sound. When I was in my early teens going to church, kids got a hold of me and started driving out to the suburbs of Philadelphia to listen to some of the great Southern Gospel groups. Loving Doo-Wop and the harmony like I did, I thought the power harmonies of these Gospel Quartets just blew my mind. I started charting a path in my life when I was fifteen years old that someday I was going to sing in a quartet like this. So I started my own little quartet in Philly when I was younger and it was a metamorphosis for sure, but to end up today being sixty-five years old and spent my whole life singing in a quartet … so I did what I wanted to do.”
Ray Shasho: Philadelphia is usually known for American Bandstand and Soul music, but the city has also been associated with some of the top Gospels singers in the world like … The Dixie Hummingbirds and Clara Ward ( Famous Ward singers).
Joe Bonsall: “You’re exactly right; a lot of great gospel music came out of Philly. I lived in Philly since I was nineteen years old. Since I lost my parents I don’t get up to Philly as much as I used too. I love the city and growing up there, it’s a melting pot for sure, and I wouldn’t change anything about growing up in Philly. My neighborhood was a little rough and that was good for me too, I learned how to either fight or run and I learned how to do both (All laughing).”
Ray Shasho: I know you’re a huge Philadelphia Phillies fan, have you ever done a fantasy camp with the team?
Joe Bonsall: “I did the ultimate fantasy camp; the Phillies let me hang in the dugout for three straight days. I went out there in a Phillies uniform and took ground balls and fly balls and just hung out with the team, and that was right after they won the World Series with Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose, Steve Carlton and all that bunch. I became friends with all those guys and they were all Oak Ridge Boys fans. The whole time we were out there taking batting practice, they were blasting “Elvira” over the speakers at the old Veterans stadium. The first piece that I ever wrote, that was published, was a piece called ‘Daydream’ in which I chronicled that event, and it was published in Country Music Magazine at that time. It was a great experience for me and I still love the Phillies.”
Ray Shasho: I also heard that you have nine cats …did you name each cat after a Phillies lineup?
Joe Bonsall: “No, my wife is actually in charge of naming the cats. I’m actually down to seven now. My wife and I are big cat people … I love my cats. Having cats leads to having more cats, and for some reason I think that’s how it happens. My wife Mary and I married in 1982 and we’ve always had cats around. They’re fun and unique in their personalities, traits, and the things they do and I really enjoy watching and studying them. I wrote a series of books on cats back in the early 90’s called Mollie the cat book series where I took the four cats that I had and made a story out of them. I made my little kitty Molly famous at the time; we lost her a couple of years ago. I still get mail from people who read Molly to their kids or grandkids.”
Ray Shasho: You’ve written numerous books as an established author … but I believe your most popular novel to date is GI Joe and Lillie.
Joe Bonsall: “It’s my best-selling book, it came out in 2003 and it still has legs. It’s a story based on the life of my parents. My father was there at D-Day on Utah Beach on the first day of the invasion on June 6th. He fought about fifty days and then got hit at St. Lo. He won a Silver and Bronze Star, a Purple Heart. My mother was in the Women’s Army Core, she was a (WAC).They met after the war and what I do in the book is follow her life growing up and his growing up, both of them and their war experiences, then them meeting and going on as a family. I wrote it as a third person. People that know that the writer is the son doesn’t really hurt the story any. Most people if they read the book and really don’t know me, at the end will realize that it’s the son that’s writing the story for the parents. For me it was a rare opportunity that very few of us ever get to honor our parents. They both rest in Arlington today. I think the story hit a lot of positive chords with people because so many people from that generation lived that same exact life.”

“Today at our show, General Chuck Yeager will be here. He’s 91 years old today. For the fourth consecutive year, he will be celebrating his birthday with The Oak Ridge Boys. He’ll be here with us tonight in Laughlin, Nevada. He’s an amazing human being. He was just in South Africa training young South African pilots to fly F-14’s.”
Ray Shasho: Joe, The Oak Ridge Boys recently signed with Cleopatra Records and are finally releasing a Live album on April 15th… what took you so long man?
Joe Bonsall: “You know that’s a real good question. Over all of these years, I can’t tell you how many fans and friends have asked us …when are you going to do a live album? I guess it never felt right to do it. A live album idea was always put on the shelf. We got the idea last year after our manager Jim Halsey started talking with Cleopatra Records. After we came up with the idea of a live album …they loved it! So what we did is take recording equipment out and started recording shows one after another and had some forty some songs in the can. We picked out the best twelve or thirteen, best ones and biggest hits. We tweaked and remixed them, then turned it in to the record company and they just loved the album. We’re all real happy with it … it came out just great!”

“The album will be released worldwide and even be available on vinyl. It could even start a series of live albums because believe me we’ve got the songs now. We’ve been listening to some great old classics that weren’t hits that people love. Songs like … “Dig A Little Deeper in the Well” for instance, it was never a single but it’s an Oak Ridge Boys song that everybody knows. So we’re trying to bring songs like that back on stage and record them live too. Who knows within the next year or so we could have a whole box set of live music, it could be an anthology like you will not believe. The album will be available on tax day April 15th, so if anyone has any money left, they can buy the album. We’ll be promoting it pretty heavily and hitting the road really hard this year.”
Ray Shasho: Everyone loves “Elvira” but my favorite Oak Ridge Boys tune is the group’s rendition of Wood Newton’s “Bobbie Sue” The Oak Ridge Boys definitely rock on that one.
Joe Bonsall: “Speaking of that …right after we turned this album over to Cleopatra, they came back to us and said we’re going to do a tribute album to The Allman Brothers, would you guys like to be a part of that. So we recorded “Ramblin’ Man” and our version rocks! We’re also staging it. We’re pinning people’s ears back with “Ramblin’ Man” right now.”
Ray Shasho: Did The Oak Ridge Boys back up Paul Simon on “Slip Slidin’ Away”?
Joe Bonsall: “We sure did. That was a great experience… we were starving to death yet we sang with Paul Simon. It really put some fire under us to get us through another year.”
Ray Shasho: Was it the Dallas Frazier version of “Elvira” that inspired the group to record it?
Joe Bonsall: “I had heard “Elvira” by Kenny Rogers and The First Edition; I also heard Rodney Crowell and was familiar with the old Dallas Frazier cut. When Ron Chancey our producer back then pitched the song, he played us the Dallas Frazier cut and I listened to it only one time. I knew if we were going to do it, we’d have to do it different. We’d need to feel it like we feel it. If you notice there’s some melody changes and a few things in there that aren’t like the other Elvira’s. But it was the Dallas Frazier cut that Ron Chancey pitched to us. Dallas is still around and still writing. We ran into him not too long ago. He wrote a couple of other songs for us …a gospel song called “The Baptism of Jesse Taylor” which was a big record and won us a Grammy. He also wrote a song that’s on our The Boys Are Back album called “You Ain’t Gonna Blow My House Down.”
Ray Shasho: Joe, here’s a question that I ask everyone that I interview. If you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish like the movie, to play, sing or collaborate with anyone from the past or present, who would that be?
Joe Bonsall: “There are so many people I already have collaborated with. I sung with our longtime friend George Jones on a record and then our history with Johnny Cash. I never knew Elvis like Richard (Richard Sterban) did, but I kind of feel like I knew Elvis because Richard spent a couple of years with him. I know all the stories and of course was a big Elvis fan. I sometimes envy Richard singing gospel songs around the piano with the Stamps Quartet and Elvis. I would have loved being around that circle and singing with Elvis.”

“To tell you the truth, I wish we could have done something with Bruce Springsteen. Springsteen is a real hero of mine …actually Springsteen or Bob Seger. Those two guys come to mind because I love that style of what they do and how they write. It would have been fun to collaborate with either or both of those guys.”
Ray Shasho: Joe, thank you for being on the call today but more importantly for all the incredible Oak Ridge Boys music you’ve given us and continue to bring.
Joe Bonsall: “I enjoyed talking with you Ray, and your personality, insight and preparation… thank you! I’m so proud to be with The Oak Ridge Boys, I joined the group in 1973 and I was 25 years old. I’m 65 today and my group is still out there. We’re singing good, we’re feeling good, and very blessed with good health.”

THE OAK RIDGE BOYS LIVE -BOYS NIGHT OUT (Track list) …1) You’re The One 2)American Made 3)(I’m Settin’) Fancy Free 4)Love Song 5)Y’all Come Back Saloon 6)Sail Away 7)Dream On 8)This Crazy Love 9)Trying To Love Two Women 10)Come On In 11)Make My Life With You 12)Thank God For Kids 13)Elvira 14) Bobbie Sue … Pre-order your copy here

The Oak Ridge Boys official website
The Oak Ridge Boys concert dates
Author Joe Bonsall on amazon
The Oak Ridge Boys on Facebook
The Oak Ridge Boys on Twitter
The Oak Ridge Boys on Myspace
Very special thanks to Billy James of Glass Onyon PR

Coming up NEXT … Interviews with Judy Collins and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull

Contact classic rock music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com


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“Check the Gs is just a really cool story ... and it’s real. I’d like to see the kid on the front cover telling his story in a motion picture, TV sitcom or animated series. The characters in the story definitely jump out of the book and come to life. Very funny and scary moments throughout the story and I just love the way Ray timeline’s historical events during his lifetime. Ray’s love of rock music was evident throughout the book and it generates extra enthusiasm when I read his on-line classic rock music column on examiner.com. It’s a wonderful read for everyone!” …stillerb47@gmail.com


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