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01:00:19 19.82 |
Pete Fornatale: Hello again everyone and welcome to another edition of mixed bag radio This is Pete Fornatale at the Museum of television and radio in New York City with my special guest today Richard Thompson
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01:00:32 32.62 |
Richard Thompson
I’ll Tag Along
(live)
|
01:03:33 213.68 |
Pete Fornatale: Richard Thompson and a live version of the first single from his latest album, the old kitbag that's called I'll tag along. We will talk more about this new recording later on in the visit. But first of all, Richard, welcome back to mix back for a second time...They've been a few years in between the visits. You know, I've been a fan obviously since the Fairport days, and it's amazes me how you can still learn new things about people. And in preparing for this visit, I discovered the very seminal role that your father's record collection and your elder sisters record collection had on your musical influences my correct in that as well.
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01:04:22 262.62 |
Richard Thompson: Well, in the 50s, you know, music wasn't originally available, especially not the stuff you wanted to hear, you know, rock and roll was this rarefied thing. You know, you might sit for hours at the radio. And then suddenly Bill Haley comes on, it's like a flash of lightning across the, the drab gray world of 50s Britain, you know, postwar Britain. So, you know, something my father had some good records. He had a lot of junk as well, but he had some good stuff. Yeah, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, you know, Django Reinhardt, Les Paul. He was a bit of a guitar player. So I heard some good guitar music.
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01:05:01 301.88 |
Pete Fornatale: You gravitated immediately towards that instrument?
Richard Thompson: you know, but they'd never give me one thing I was 10 before I finally convinced them that to get me a guitar, or they found one for free, so they got given a guitar...It's seemed a cool thing to play. |
01:05:38 338.11 |
Pete Fornatale: A musical family? I mean, your father played guitar, but not not professionally, I'm assuming
Richard Thompson: didn't play very well. My mother could do a fantastic impersonation of Vera Lynn. She even looks a bit like Vera Lynn. Pete Fornatale: What's the famous world war two song of hers? I'll see you again. Don't know where don't know when Richard Thompson: We'll meet again Pete Fornatale: Yeah, there it is. Now. What did your sister add to the mix? Richard Thompson: She was five years older than me. So she's, she's buying rock and roll records just about from the beginning. And she particularly liked her Buddy Holly and Jim fence and Jerry Lewis. So that was that was great. That was real. That was real kids music, you know, |
01:06:27 387.03 |
Pete Fornatale: did you begin modeling your playing after any of them?
Richard Thompson: I suppose the guitar players would have had an influence, you know, great players, like, you know, Cliff gallop playing with Jim Vincent. But buddy Holly of course was a great guitar player. Pete Fornatale: You know, when you were warming up for the visit, I heard a very familiar guitar sound. Can you give us a little taste of the Duane Eddy influence? |
01:06:56 416.91 |
[Richard Thompson playing Rebel Rouser guitar riff]
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01:07:46 466.46 |
Pete Fornatale: You are mentioning right there the two elements that went into the foundation of Fairport Convention, I can remember in the earliest days of the group, they're being described as the British Jefferson Airplane or the new Jefferson Airplane. And of course, that was the idea of that group, that American group the combination of Marty balance folk background with the with the Rock and Roll background of of some of the others. Was, was there a conscious vision for Fairport Convention? Or did it evolve more organically than that?
Richard Thompson: Well, we had several visions, but we reinvented ourselves a few times. The original vision was to be a lyric, conscious band, we really liked lyrics. So we love Phil Ochs, and we loved Dylan and we loved Joni Mitchell. And we tried to dig out obscure songs, but by mostly American writers, they weren't really British equivalents at that point. And after a couple of years, we decided that we should really be playing a more Anglo centric style of music, and we should be playing something closer to our traditions that we kind of knew we'd grown up with folk music, traditional music. |
01:10:07 607.36 |
Pete Fornatale: And you did do a lot of you mentioned it already covers of American artists - Dylan, Eric Anderson...You know which album I liked a lot came out much later was the heyday. The BBC sessions.
Richard Thompson: that was very typical of, you know, what we might be playing live. And also, the BBC had this deal with the union, the musicians union, that they can only do so much needle time. So they had to have a lot of live performance set up. You know, all bands used to go in and do these recordings, it shows you do, you know, six songs, and what we get fed up doing the same six songs, so we just, we'd learn songs specifically to do for those BBC shows, you know, the Beatles did. I mean, everybody. Pete Fornatale: You know, it's funny how history repeats itself. There's this new ruling regarding the internet that you can't play three commercially released recordings by the same artist in a three hour period, more than three and a three hour period. So it requires a show like this to lean a little more heavily on live performance than we might have in the past. It has, in fact, I think made the difference between... there's just something about live performance on the radio that still grabs people and connects connects with them. When do you think you got your chops down as a songwriter? When did that all start happening for you? |
01:11:49 709.93 |
Richard Thompson: Um, I think I think I got better by the Fairport second album, second album, third album. Before that, it was pretty, pretty bad stuff.
Pete Fornatale: Learning on the job. I know that you participated in the 35th anniversary the Fairport 35th anniversary, Cropedy, tell me what that experience was like for you? Richard Thompson: Well, it was, for me the most enjoyable of those reunion festivals. And we've been doing them for maybe 20 years now. For some reason, it was just a nice coming together of people that everyone seemed really genuinely glad to see each other. And we did a major retrospective set. Like a four hour set. Going right back to the very first Fairport lineup 1967. I'm playing lots of old songs and we loved it. |
01:12:49 769.39 |
Peter Fornatale: Who did Sandy's parts?
Richard Thompson: They were kind of farmed out to various people, a lady called Vicki Clayton who usually sing Sandy's parts Peter Fornatale: in terms of anniversaries, it is 25 years since her untimely passing. Yeah, that's what I when when you think about Sandy these days, what are the thoughts Richard Thompson: well I think the abiding image of Sandy is of a very brilliant personality. She was tremendously bubbly and full of life. And, you know, very emotionally, emotionally up or, you know, sometimes she could be really horrible and bitchy and mean, but, but generally, she was a lovely person, you know, I know a fantastic singer. In British terms, I don't think anyone's really come close. Certainly in her area of music. Dusty Springfield was a great singer, but apart from Dusty that I don't think anyone could touch Sandy. Peter Fornatale: Are you surprised that Fairport has had such a long lasting influence? Richard Thompson: Um, well, it was never a commercially successful band. It was always a cult. And I suppose the band just kind of stuck to its guns. I suppose we chose musical style, it was never going to be fashionable, and we knew it. But we thought, well, this is what we're gonna do, and to hell with everybody else. And I think we saw it as something revolutionary or something. You know, quite an artistic choice. You know, we thought it was as valid as you know, David Bowie being weird or something or, you know, Roxy Music doing kind of a parody of popular music. I mean, it was kind of a very up to the minute and absolutely the thing to do. |
01:14:37 877.02 |
Peter Fornatale: Is there something from those days that you'd consider doing for us today?
Richard Thompson: Well, now that you mentioned it, this is an old song called Genesis Hall. |
01:14:46 886.01 |
Richard Thompson
Genesis Hall
(live)
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01:18:29 1109.43 |
Pete Fornatale: Richard Thompson and a live version of a song from the Fairport Convention days Genesis Hall. This is Pete Fornatale on mixed bag radio. I'll have more with Richard after this...back with you on mixed bag Radio Live from the Museum of television and radio in New York City with my guest Richard Thompson. I mentioned earlier learning new things about you after 35 years and one of them was that somehow or another you were jamming with Jimi Hendrix of all people in London in the late 60s. How did that come about?
Richard Thompson: Well Jimi was an affable person. You know, we used to play in a club called the speakeasy in the West End of London. And it was a place where musicians that come after their shows people started drifting and about midnight. And then they come in and eat basically. And Jimi was there you know, most nights probably. And we weren't particularly favored. He jammed with everybody. So he got with us a few times and play wherever we were playing and he was just a charming guy. Pete Fornatale: Do you think he expanded the vocabulary for guitar players if that's the right phraseology to use? Richard Thompson: Sure did yeah. And he was almost a point beyond which it was hard to go you know, as a guitar player, I think people who imitated Hendrix or got more technical than Hendrix never quite had his emotion and his musicality, he was a very very lyrical, very melodic guitar player. |
01:20:02 1202.33 |
Pete Fornatale: How did you guys feel about this American coming over there and you know you had your own homegrown Claptons?
Richard Thompson: Well I know the Claptons and the Townsends were very, very disturbed you know, there's a famous story of Pete You know, finding Eric Clapton and saying, Well, now what do we do? I saw Jimi Hendrix play a show, a place called the Seville theater. And it was the week that Sergeant Pepper came out, and the Beatles were in the audience. And Jimi decided it would be a really, really nifty idea to play the opening of Sergeant Pepper, you know, at the Beatles, you know, in his own inimitable style, and so he opens the show with Sergeant Pepper, you know, the Beatles can't quite figure out what's happening. And of course, you know, he takes a solo, it's just like, you know, from Mars, and it gets hot, out of tune at the end of the song, you know, it's just so out of tune. He says. He knows Eric Clapton's in the audience is when he says, Hey, Eric, man, could you come and shoot this for me? |
01:21:13 1273.14 |
Pete Fornatale: It leads me to this thought - acoustic guitar versus electric guitar for you. Is there a preference is there, you know what determines what you're going to do in a given show or on a given track for that matter?
Richard Thompson: Well, acoustic guitars are easier to smash. It's different instruments totally. And you know, I like to do this, I probably play more acoustic guitar because I have the opportunity. I probably do more acoustic shows. And that's nice. I mean, I like acoustic shows because you can get a little closer to the audience. Right? Maybe lyrics are more important to an acoustic show. And I think electric shows that you know, you can overpower the audience in a very nice way. Pete Fornatale: You compose on acoustic and then go to an electric arranger? So usually, that's the easier way...You are prolific 25 albums in in these years. And that doesn't count the Fairport albums. Some things that you've recorded along the way, did not make their way onto albums until much later on. And I found one of those on one of your anthologies that really interested me because, you know, the Elvis phenomenon is so huge in this country and all around the world. And I noticed that you added your own take to the phenomenon on the song called Is it from Galway to Graceland? Could you tell me how that came about? Was Elvis on that list of people from the 50s? Who turned your head around? Richard Thompson: Oh, yeah. Obviously, he was a very important figure, you know, certainly in Britain, I mean, although he never went there. I think actually the colonel wouldn't let him with the, the great story is that the colonel, you know, claimed he had a bad back and he couldn't travel, but he's actually an illegal immigrant and was terrified of leaving the country because it didn't let him back in. Pete Fornatale: And as a result, Elvis only appeared a couple of times in Canada. And, well, Hawaii was already a state Richard Thompson: so you know, obviously UK fans suffered, but he was, you know, this serious icon and the figure around which, you know, the youth rebellion of the 50s was was wrapped... but I think Galway to Graceland is more about the fans and you know, the woman in the song is from Ireland. So I wanted to write a very, you know, British perspective song. And you know, Elvis is huge in Ireland as his as his country has that very close identity between the Celtic countries and the USA I think I've heard Irish people talk of the USA as the Big Island that they feel they own it somehow. So Elvis is an honorary Irishman |
01:25:24 1524.91 |
Richard Thompson
From Galway to Graceland
(live)
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01:29:06 1746.01 |
Pete Fornatale: Oh, that is lovely. from Galway to Graceland a version of that appears on watching the dark a 3 disc set the essential retrospective. My guest Richard Thompson. Richard, I told you that I was going to ask you about three icons today. Certainly Hendrix was one and Elvis another and we've already referred to the third that being Bob Dylan, you once said that he opened the door for lyricists like yourself What did you mean by that?
Richard Thompson: Well, he took intelligent lyrics into popular music you know when he crossed over from folk music, which was the traditional area for, you know, political songs, songs with you know, storytelling songs with more of a you know, more of an intellectual dimension and when he when he went into the rock area, rock pop area, he really changed popular lyrics forever, you know, he influenced the Beatles to be more intelligent in their lyrics. Everybody after that, you know, he made a lot of things possible Pete Fornatale: ...It's disappointing sometimes, when we meet our heroes, it fulfills our expectations. When did you finally cross paths with Bob? And what was that like? Richard Thompson: Oh, um, well, I met Bob at the Seville Guitar Festival. And he asked if I play with him, if I'd accompany him, it just just, you know, he was playing playing acoustic. And so that was great. And it's a great honor to play with him. But he was a bit remote. So it wasn't like a meeting. You know, it's hard to to get much out of him. Pete Fornatale: Do you think that goes with the territory for someone like him, that the spotlight flashes so brightly and intensely upon? Richard Thompson: I think he must have a hard time being normal, you know, I think a lot of people in his position, it's very difficult to to get a true reflection of who you are. And just to have normal human transactions that must be very difficult. |
01:32:14 1934.36 |
Pete Fornatale: By contrast, are you happy with your level of success? It's certainly not that burning hot white light that shines on the Dylans or the Elvises, but it seems comfortable?
Richard Thompson: Well, I need more. It's never enough you know, you ask any, any any artists? If it's enough, they'll say you always want a few more people. You know, perhaps I should be realistic and say well, you know, another you know, 500 people in a theater and you know, another 100,000 reconciles that'll be fine you know, something I can deal with Pete Fornatale: as you mature, as as the times change and the industry that you work in changes, have you hit a comfortable pace for yourself in terms of the the album's that you make in the touring that you do and is this, Richard Thompson, for this foreseeable future what you will be doing? Richard Thompson: Well, I can't think like that, you know, I if there's a pattern then it's not good enough, you know, it's it's never consistent enough. You know, in the future, who knows, I hate to pin the future down I really do. So I really try and keep an open mind and keep open to you know, projects and different ideas and you know, restructuring anything. I mean, I don't think you can just be satisfied. Pete Fornatale: Do you enjoy being on the road? Richard Thompson: I do enjoy being on the road. It's the most rewarding thing that I do, is playing to an audience. Pete Fornatale: When do you do your writing? Do you have to put some time aside for that? Or can you do it in a in a motel Richard Thompson: I get ideas as I'm traveling and I find it hard to actually focus on songwriting to get stuff finished anyway, you know, I can get odd bits and verses and tunes but but when I get home is when I get time to work stuff up. |
01:34:40 2080.98 |
Pete Fornatale: While we're on the subject, I want you to tell our listeners what Alaska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Wyoming and Delaware mean for you.
Richard Thompson: The last states that I haven't played in yet. It's a bit of a challenge, isn't it? Alaska is easier that Alaska is a anytime I want to go that there's there's places to play and Alaska, North Dakota. But this year, you know, across I think across two of my legs. I certainly play South Dakota for the first time and I played Nebraska for the first time. And I'm playing Nebraska again next week so Pete Fornatale: 45 down five to go. When did you become aware that this had happened that you had traversed all of these states in America Richard Thompson: About last week. I get letters from people in Delaware saying you must come and play the Holiday Inn or something. Claiming there's great venues I don't believe a word of it. Pete Fornatale: Before we get away from Bob Dylan I asked you since Fairport did so many of his songs, including one in French if I'm not mistaken. I asked you for one of your favorites. And you said: Richard Thompson: Well, I think probably my what my favorite Fairport version of a Dylan song is Percy's Song, which I think we did a good job on. |
01:36:15 2175.02 |
Pete Fornatale: Let's listen on mixed bag radio. Fairport Convention and their original cover of Bob Dylan's Percy Song back from the days when Richard Thompson was a member of the group. Richard Thompson, my guest on mixed bag radio today, Richard, you become something of a man for all media. I just want to talk about one television show that has your music associated with it and one movie, the television shows called Crossing Jordan. It runs here in the States, Monday nights on NBC. And they included on the soundtrack from that album, your cover of a Donovan song. When did you do that...Season of the Witch? Was this like commissioned?
Richard Thompson: Yes. The producers asked various artists to contribute to you know, the show and the album. So and it's a good show. It has a good musical policy and they get interesting music all the time Pete Fornatale: I'm not sure if there'll be the time to include this or not, but I'm going to do a setup for it in case. this is Richard Thompson's contribution to the just released soundtrack from crossing Jordan. It's Donovan's Season of the Witch Richard Thompson: Which we used to play in Fairport actually. Pete Fornatale: Oh, really...That's Richard Thompson and Donovan Season of the Witch as it appears on the just released Crossing Jordan CD. The other medium that you've contributed to is film I think it was I don't remember the year Richard. But there was a film called Sweet talker. Yeah. How did you become involved in that? |
01:37:58 2278.13 |
Richard Thompson: Oh, that was a Taylor Hackford film. And I got asked I don't know, if I was if I was down the list of potential composers for that film. But I did get the call. And I did it. And it was it was a it was a tortured project. It was a sort of two weeks work that turned into about a year. Wow. You know, there's re editing and re re cutting, you know, reshooting it was just an endless thing. So I'd like to say it was fun, but it wasn't really.
Pete Fornatale: There is a song that you did for that though, that has become memorable and been continues to be played on on radio stations in this country. Richard Thompson: Yeah, it's a song called persuasion which I wrote as an instrumental piece for the movie that Tim Finn put some words to? And Tim recorded it on one of his albums. And I started singing it with with my son because he's a Tim Finn fans. So we kind of sing as a duet and I think it's a good song. I think it turned out very well. Pete Fornatale: What's that like collaborating with your son? Richard Thompson: Cheap. It's great, this family thing I like that family thing. I like that thing where the voices kind of inter-modulate, you know, there's that nice sort of closeness of harmony and and I think that there's a real, there's a real bonding that you get, you know, singing with members of your family. It's just a wonderful thing. Pete Fornatale: So you didn't discourage his pursuit of music as a life and career. Richard Thompson: What Teddy was never gonna be an academic. This was obvious from early days. But he was always artistic. And I think he could have been an actor. He could still be an actor. But he's a I think he's a very fine musician. He's a really great singer. And he's a very good writer Pete Fornatale: do you offer him the wisdom of your experiences? Or does he just have to learn it on his own? Richard Thompson: Well, yeah, I for him musical things, in terms of the business that he knows more than I do. He's, he's way more canny. You know, he's been through like, Five managers already. Maybe several managers. So he's very up on on the business side, as I think his generation is, I think they saw our generation getting screwed. So that's how they figured out there was a different way to do it |
01:40:17 2417.23 |
Pete Fornatale: Indeed, yes, indeed. We're gonna play persuasion actually. But I wanted to ask you about collaborations that doesn't seem to be something that you seek out. Am I correct?
Richard Thompson: Yeah, it doesn't always feel comfortable to me. You know, I quite like the the lonely writing process. I think sometimes you can get more out of that. But the odd collaboration can pull things out of you that you didn't know were there. It can stretch you in other directions. So I think it's a good exercise sometimes. Pete Fornatale: Let's listen to persuasion. Maybe not a, it wasn't a collaboration in the purest sense of that word. The music had been done. And then Tim added the lyrics. Richard Thompson: Yeah, but but a lot of what you think of as collaborative songs that are written exactly that way. quite separate exercises Pete Fornatale: Very true. Often by post. I think Elton and Bernie work that way. Elton John and Bernie Taupin for a while and someone else, another pioneer of British folk rock Renaissance. They were on once and told me that a number of the things that they did were by mail...Here's Persuasion by Richard and his son Teddy on mixed bag radio... That's Persuasion by Richard Thompson and his son, Teddy Thompson. This is Pete Fornatale on mixbag radio I will have more with Richard after this. Heading into the stretch. Okay, now we're gonna get to finally the new one again. Pete Fornatale back with you on mixed bag radio with my guest, Richard Thompson, who just released a brand new CD called the old kit bag, the phrase that comes to mind immediately is pack up your troubles in the old kitbag and smile, smile smile. Was that? Was that the inspiration or the intended message Richard? |
01:42:32 2552.34 |
Richard Thompson: Well I think so, yeah. It's a quote from a world war one song, you know, when you're encouraged to, you know, smile and have a cup of tea. You know what, while the bombs are raining down on you. So I suppose, to me, that's some of the tone of the album, you know, the atmosphere of the album is sort of smiling through adversity.
Pete Fornatale: One of the things that you notice right away is that in this world of CDs, where there are no longer sides, one and side two, you broke it up anyway. Sort of like took a stand on that on that issue? Richard Fornatale: Well, I think so. Someone has to take a stand. Well, you know, from the vinyl days, I quite like sides, you know, I like you know, side one, and then then you go and do something else or play somebody else Pete Fornatale: and it's funny how in your head, it remains that way. There are certain recordings where you fully expect to hear the sound of the needle going on to infinity at the end of the end of the silence instead, there's cut one side to blaring at you before you want to hear. Richard Thompson: So I was just trying to encourage the listeners to take a small pause, you know, halfway through and do something else. Tea is good, you know, yes, your beverage of choice. |
01:43:52 2632.73 |
Pete Fornatale: Chapter one is called the haunted keepsake. Chapter Two is the Pilgrims fancy. It begins with the song. She said it was destiny. And I found a rhyme in there that I really loved. It was the one that rhymes really with touchy feely. Yes, I had never heard. I mean touchy feely is an expression that has made its way into the culture but I don't think I'd heard it in a song before. And I wanted to ask you something based on an interview that you once gave about how even the best songwriters, even the Dylans, will be tempted on occasion to go for that clever or easy rhyme Oh yeah. Do you find yourself in that category? Did you find yourself in that category in that instance?
Richard Thompson: Um, I didn't think was an easy rhyme I think I think absolutely fit that you know, the sentiment of the song. But you know, to keep a song moving I think it's not really a problem. You know, there's crappy rhymes and everything is you know, in, you know, Alexander Pope or something. There's some some crappy rhymes the easy ones Certainly and Dylan had some easy ones. Oh, yeah. |
01:45:15 2715.94 |
Pete Fornatale: What's the longest single piece that you've ever attempted?
Richard Thompson: I don't know. I mean, some sometimes. So is that there's some songs on this, that were just millions of verses, you know? 20 verses? Yeah. We have to do some serious editing. But I don't think I should stay as 20 verses. I don't really, I don't really like really long songs. Excuse me? You know, I think five six verses is, is enough. Pete Fornatale: Do you know when it's time to let it go out into the world? Are you good about that? Or - Richard Thompson: I think you have a feeling of when a song is ready, but you can play a song in public for the first time. And at that moment, you know, that there's there's things that are wrong. But it's not until you really do that you're going to find out but suddenly you get that reflection and you see it through other people's eyes. And you think, oh my god, you know, you know that there's a there's a bridge missing or, you know, the song doesn't communicate. I think often you feel a song that doesn't get across to the audience. You fix it or lose it, you know? Pete Fornatale: And then are you haunted by the recorded version forever? The song we were referring to is she said it was destiny. Would you do that one live for us...Richard Thompson and a live version of song that appears on his new CD, the old kitbag, she said it was destiny. We were talking lyrics earlier, Richard. And there's this thing I do from time to time, called named droppers, in the nicest sense of the phrase, it's songwriters who have incorporated names of public figures or celebrities or popular personalities in their lyrics, it could be done for fun, it could be done seriously. And I divide them into two categories. One is the volume of names. Billy Joel, we didn't start the fire. Oh, it's in that category. I think that might be the all time champion. Yeah. But the other one is classy, esoteric, name dropping. And there's a song on your album, that I felt immediately fell into that category, the one called outside of the inside. And it's not a light bouncy tune either. It's a very serious, serious song. I just like to get your your impressions of where it came from, and what it means Richard Thompson: It came from, ah, I wrote that fairly soon after 911. A month afterwards. And I suppose it's a kind of Taliban's eye view of the West, you know, of Western civilization, Western culture. And through the eyes of the speaker in the song, it's basically rejects a lot of Western values. I'm a fan of Western values. And I think Western culture is is wonderful and Western Art and Sciences. It has been a terrific thing for the world. And so, you know, so I've kind of satirized the fundamentalist viewpoint, but it could be a Christian fundamentalist viewpoint. |
01:49:02 2942.79 |
Pete Fornatale: Steve Earle ran into trouble when he did a song from the American Taliban's point of view. Have you encountered any flack for this track for that reason
Richard Thompson: Um, some you know, I get a bit of hate mail occasionally. For many reasons, for many songs, but but particularly this song, I mean, from from Muslims and from Christians. Pete Fornatale: You write with some knowledge, if not authority on the subject because you practice Islam if I'm not mistaken. How did you how did you come to embrace that as a faith? Do you mind telling us Richar Thompson: um, I met people in in London back in the 70s. And I like the qualities of that kind of good quality of life, good quality of being One that I thought was fascinating. So hung out with these people. And I decided that I was I was like that too. |
01:50:08 3008.99 |
Pete Fornatale: In the current global atmosphere where there seems to be such misunderstanding as to whether we're fighting a war against terrorism or a war against a religion, how would you explain to people the the difference there, the the fact that mistakes of perception are being made about people who practice a faith that you've obviously gotten some derive some benefits?
Richard Thompson: Yeah, it's easy to make those mistakes. Yeah, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, but very close together as religions really. You know, I say that the differences in the origin of all those religions is minimal. I think things become distorted as time passes. And so the differences become more pronounced, but, but really, you know, fundamentally the intention of all of them is the same. And they're all monotheistic religions. And I believe they're all They're all peaceful religions. At the bottom, at the root, so I think there's a lot of misunderstanding about Islam being being hostile, being warlike. It's really not true. I think a lot of the voices you hear from the Middle East are the hostile ones. But but it's a considerable minority. Really. Think in terms of leadership, it's not a terrible thing that some of the, the regimes in the Middle East tumble, it will be a good thing, that there was a clean sweep. I don't think the the bush model is a particularly good one. But But if those those regimes fail, I think it will be a good thing. And you suddenly find if people had a bit more freedom, that they now have a bit more of a voice, and you'd hear a lot, you'd hear a lot more moderation, and a lot a lot more. Peace taught from the Middle East. Pete Fornatale: Well said. Okay, we got we're heading into the final part. Richard, are you optimistic about the tensions in the world? Richard Thompson: Well, I think you have to be optimistic Yes. Think you have to hope for the best outcome whatever happens. The world is extremely complicated place at the moment. And you know, it's hard to say what, what cause is going to have what effect so I just hope for the best. Pete Fornatale: I'm going to suggest to everyone that they listen very closely to this track from Richards new album, the old kitbag, it's the one called outside of the inside and listen for some of those classy names that I mentioned that I referred to earlier...That's outside of the inside from the latest CD by my guest. Richard Thompson, the CD is called the old kitbag. When you were last a guest on the show, Richard, I asked you, because there were two songs about dreaming on that particular album across the crowded room. I asked you about the role of dreams in songwriting? Do you have a newer take on that forest that you can talk about today? |
01:53:59 3239.88 |
Richard Thompson: There's dreams and there's dream like states, I think, I think when you create something, you go into a kind of a dream state. I don't know the technical or scientific name for it, but it's a different side of your brain or something that kicks in so I think I think when you create something, you go in and out of dreams, and sometimes you wake up with a song, you dream a song. Sometimes it's crap.
Pete Fornatale: Well, I guess the other classic story there is McCartney's scrambled eggs, which became became Yesterday. Richard Thompson: yeah, there's Benny, who's the jazz arranger, Benny Golson, told a great story about about you know, he had a dream and he heard this incredible celestial music and he had to write it down. So he woke himself up and he wrote it, wrote it down and and then went back to sleep. And in the morning he looked at the manuscript and it was it was the middle eight to stardust. So things get very distorted in dreams Pete Fornatale: and things get borrowed. I mean, the whole process is one of influences coming together. Pete Seeger calls it the folk process, you know, where, you know, borrowing elements is very common and probably very necessary. Richard Thompson: Well, I think it is necessary. Yeah. But you have to borrow it and then make it your own. You know, Mozart borrows from Hyden but it's, it becomes Mozart. So you have to, I think you have to have a strong style. So if you import something it becomes you. And I think you import stuff all the time, but who said steal from everybody except yourself? Pete Fornatale: Any songs of yours that came out full blown from a dream? Richard Thompson: Can't remember Pete Fornatale: I asked you if you would do one last selection live from the new album, The Old kitbag. And you chose the one called Word unspoken sight unseen What can you tell me about that one? Richard Thompson: speaking of movies, I wrote this for a movie and I didn't get the job but if this sounds any good then the joke's on them I think and I wrote a song about a Russian mail order bride but but actually you know the song has got a different dimension altogether and it's quite spiritual song I think so about your real spiritual journey seems to me anyway |
01:56:56 3416.92 |
Richard Thompson
Word Unspoken, Sight Unseen
(live)
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02:01:21 3681.42 |
Pete Fornatale: and that just about does it for this edition of mixed bag radio. My thanks to Richard Thompson for being our guest. Thanks also to Bill Coleard Chris Hall and Bruce Raines. Special thanks this week to Ken Beck and Chip Krista Rella at the Museum of television and radio in New York City. If you'd like to know more about our programs, please visit our website at mixed bag radio.com This is Pete Forney. Ciao. Thanks for listening. And thank you thank you...I didn't want to ask you...where is it? Henry the human fly is the worst selling album of all time for Warner Brothers Records...
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