thirty yeabs later

THIRTY YEABS LATER &
HE'S STILL IN THE PUB!
Rod Tal ks
To
Exclusively
Snr iler About
MTV Unplugged,
Next Years UK
Tour, The New
Album & Aretha
Franklin's
"Big
q
Old Knockers!"
ON SEPTEMBER the l0th
196/.,
nineteen year old Rod Stewart arrived
at Decca's London studio to cut his
first single 'Good Morning Little
Schoolgirl'. For twenty-three of the
thirty years that have followed he has
been a household narne, enjoying the
kind of treatment normally reserved
for royalty, as well the luxuries a
personal fortune estimated at many
millions, can buy. In 1994 he is an
undisputed rock legend - one of only
a handful living. But anyone who
claims success has spoiled Rod
couldntt be more mistaken.
Rod outsida
tha pub!
{photo.' Ivrtt.bcr Bourke)
He
Many criticisms have been levelled at Rod
remains our most down to earth and
during his long career and one of them has
been the suggestion that he has lost contact
unaffected superstar. Despite the
trappings of wealth and his luxurious
lifestyle in Los Angeles, Rod has lost
none of his Britishness. He is the rock
star with the common touch,
a
genuine man of the people. There's
nothing he enjoys more than a game
of football followed by a few pints in
the pub. His best mates are members
of his team and band and he remains
close to his family. He also went to
great lengths to keep in touch with his
roots by ensuring both his children
with Rachel were British born.
- his British audience in
particular. This interview proves this claim to
be nonsense. Rod knows that Smiler is run
by his fans and it is to Smiler that he chose
to speak to exclusively during his recent two
month stay in Britain. With the exception of
a brief interview he granted Hello magazine
to accompany the pictures of baby Liam, this
is the one and only interview he gave! Whilst
New Musical Express crave for an interview
with Rod, (they recently told us if we could
persuade Rod to speak to them, they would
guarantee him the front cover) this is the fifth
with his audience
interview he has granted Smiler in just
over seven years - more than he has given
New Musical Express. Rolling Stone and
Melody Maker put together in the
past
seventeen years! Absolute proof that Rod
does care about his hard-core followers.
In this interview, which took place in
the pub (surprise surprise !) over a few
pints, Rod talks about his music and plans
for the future including the success of
'Unplugged and seated', the forthcoming
European tour and his next studio album.
Read on...JG
SMIIER: It's tlrirt lears
b
since
you went
the studio for the frnt drne, did You
tltittk you'd be siting herc all these lears
later talking ahu ,nusic?
ROD STEWART: I didn't realise it was
thirty years ago until I read it in the
Scottish papers the other day. It's just past
- it was September
n
I
lOth. At the time
I
thought it was a quick way of getting my
hands on a few bob and I thought if it
lasted a year I'd be happy. I had no idea it
would last this long - but I knew
sitting in the pub thirty years later!
I'd
be
SMIIER: Wrot ,tas been your favowin
SMILBR: Over the post srr years lou
luve gadully drifian fuck to the
Mercwy olbums for yow live ,naariol
playing songs likc 'Mat dolin Wind' for
thc ftts tit u qver. Was tltat something
tou decidcd b do younelf, or r'as it a
rcaction to the critics wln have alwoys
scid tlrot tlnse albums contained
yow
bcst
wor*?
Arnold had to push me.
I
don't
th
ink
I
ever react to critics really. Arnold's been
pushing me to do those songs because he
feels there's an audience for them. His
favourite song is 'The Killing of Georgie'
and that's another one I want to do when
I play Europe next year. When I put that
one in
I
th
ink
we'
Il
have covered the
whole field. I probably wouldn't
considered putting it in if it hadn't
have
been
for the 'Unplugged' album because I never
thought there was an audience
for
it.
During the 'Camouflage' period I attracted
such a young audience, especially in the
States, but now I seem to be pulling back
the older crowd and they want to hear
those songs, and the younger crowd do
too.
SMILER: When you p@en MTV
Unplagged, why did you ignore a bt of
period oYer the thitty yean?
the laU seventies and eighties naterial?
It's hard to say. The future is always the
best period for me and I'm looking
We didn't. We actually tried'Forever
Young' and we rehearsed a lot of stuff,
forward to next years European tour. The
last s ix or seven years have been
phenomenal as far as record sales go and
of course 'Unplugged and seated' is one of
the biggest albums I've had since 'Every
Picture Tells
A Story'. It's
going to be
hard to follow that - so I won't!
SMII^ER: Of all the albums you've made
tltnugh the yean, are there ony tlrot loa
regret naking?
Probably 'Camouflage'. Although it gave
us a couple of big hits with 'lnfatuation'
and lSome Guys Have All The Luck', it
was the one album I didn't have anything
to do with the production of. I just threw
myself in the hands of the producer and
said "Go on, I'll do whatever you want me
to do". I think I lost interest a bit. In any
career you can't be one hundred per-cent
hot all the time.
but it just didn't lend itself to the album. It
would have been pretty pointless doing
'You're In My Heart' because we couldn't
have done it any other way. We tried to
change 'Maggie May' by putting the slow
verse in, but a lot of the stuff wouldn't
lend itself . If you look at that eighties
period,
I didn't
really do very
acoustic material.
A
couple
of
much
Dylan
things I could have done acoustically, but
I th ink the choice we made on the final
album was good. We tried 'lt's All Over
Now' and we tried 'Sweet Little Rock 'n'
Roller' acousticalll,. bur hundreds of things
we tried just weren't up to scratch.
SMILER: WouU you consider doing an
Unplugged II and playing some of
the moterial loa didn't include the fint
MW
time?
I'd love to when I get the new album out
of the way. I'm not worried whether it
sells
or not, I just think there's an
audience
fcr it. Although I don't think it
SMILEk At d wlut ahw the age nnge?
would have been as big as it was if it
wasn't for 'Have I Told You [ately',
because that was such a big single the
That's never worried me,
second time around.
Americans. thev do come along and enjoy
themselves. Some are in their fifties and
sixties, we ve even had people in their
SMILEk Were lou slncked when the
album went irrto thc Billboard chor8 at
No. 2?
Yeah, totally shocked. I never thought it
would, to me it was just a live album, and
live albums traditionally don't do very
well. When I play it now, I think it's got
some wonderful rough edges and some
wonderful emotions. Some odd people
come up to me and say how much they
love it and how much they listen to it
every day. Jimmy Tarbuck for instance!
He told me it was the best album I'd ever
done and he listens to it every day in his
car. So maybe there is room there for a
volume two. I'll get slagged off for
jumping on the bandwagon, but fuck 'em.
SMILER: Do you plan to revive an! mrrne
oU naterial on next yearr tow?
No, only 'The Killing Of Georgie'. I think
it' ll probably be more or less the same
show as we played in the States, plus four
or five tracks from the new album. It'll be
in the round, with a bigger stage, because
I want to get a hydraulic thing that gets rid
of the fucking orchestra, because I can't
snnd looking at them all night! It drives
me up the wall.
SMII-ER: I-ost tirnc we spoke I asked if
wcre going to play 'Handbags At d
Crladngs' Eye and you said deftnitcly not!
lou
That was before the'Unplugged' album.
Everything changed with'Unplugged'.
SMILEk Was it a
vantd b pW Eve?
song
you'd
always
It's a good song to sing. 'The Killing of
Georgie'is a bastard though because it's
got so many verses!
SMILEk How
did you
fu
the audience
on the 'Unplagged' tour? Were thel
Evely as
uswl?
I thought they were wonderful.
u
I
don't
care
what age group come. As long as they
enjoy themselves and I find that with the
eighties! You know. they do come and
enjoy themselves. but I don'r f ind that in
th
is country.
SMILEk You
seem
to be druwing
a
tounger audicncc oyer there thot, over
herz.
I think
that happens all the time.
SMILER:
Ib
you btow why?
Good fucking music mate, and
some
people have just discovered it. I think
that's what's happened. Did you read that
article in the Independent on Sunday? I
think that guy [Nick Hornbyl put it in a
nutshell. He said when he used to go and
buy my records. he'd go back and find out
where the originals came from. and I think
there's a lot of that goes on. He's a great
writer isn't he? He's really good.
SMILER: You wear headplnnes on stage
now - lnw did they help you?
We didn't cancel as many concerts - that's
how much they helped!
SMILER: Wrtat difference do they ntoke
b yow sinsins?
The best way to explain it is that it's the
same as when you go to a football match
and you're shouting and hollering - when
you get home you find you've lost your
voice! If you were to shout and holler in a
stadium when there's no-one there,you
wouldn't lose your voice. because you'd
know how far to push it. So what I was
doing before was trying to get above the
band. What the earphones do is give me a
perfect mix. First of all they give me my
voice as loud as Ican possibly make it,
which I can't alwavs have with monitors,
because it's all in the air and the band are
behind me playing loud. This gives me the
perfect pitch - in other words, I don't push
my voice. I've never sung as good as I did
on that last tour. You saw some of the
EF
I
I'u. &
lbq Ftctg: Str'.rt,
7996 t*oa: @ft c.rtbs)
Wood
tt wobloy iz 7986'
gigs, I mean in the old 9.Vt_ I used to
itiuggle to sing 'People Get Ready' and
Jeff (Golub) loves playing that one.
SMII-Ek You don't ftttd thcY sbP lou
running ahut?
No - I wish I'd used them ten years ago.
SMILBR: Where did You get the idea b
use them?
Ricky Farr who does the sound and lights.
He actually tried to get me to wear them
but I wouldn't have any
on the last tour,
of it. I said n No, fuck off , people will
think they're hearing aids!" Now I think
anyone who doesn't wear them is a mug.
It saves your voice. AnYbodY who's
having voiie problems should wear them.
They're just tremendous.
It wos surprising to sce lan
in the ba nd. Mn't You bth
seriously fall out at one tirru?
I don't think we actually had a verbal
falling out. It all goes back to that last
SMII-ER:
IIIcI-agan
album we did with the Faces when Ronnie
Rod'
aty' thcy wiIT gour i!
and Mac accused me of not taking much
interest, and they were right, I didn't. I'd
just finished my own album and I didn't
- it was 'Ooh L^a La'.
there was probably a bit of
give a shit about it
I think
resentment there. They all turned round
and said "You c***1" But we're the best
of
mates now, and Mac's playing
is
tremendous.
SMII-ER: How dfuI he come
fut d?
b ioin
the
I
saw Woody when we were doing the
'Unplugged' album. I nfact, I must have
seen Woody for two months, nearly every
night of the week! I was looking for
someone to play and he said "Why not
give Mac a ring?"
I
said "No, he's
a
miserable bastard" and he said "No he's
not actually. I've just done a tour with him
and he was fine. " So I gave him a ring
and he said 'Yeah, I'd like to do it. "
SMII-ER.' So
all past
differences are
forgotten?
Yeah, everything's fine. We're still trying
I'm having lunch with Kenny
to work out -
- this
Jones tomorrow
Faces re-union.
SMIIER: Is it rcally going
n happen?
Oh yeah. Once the Stones finish their tour,
next August and
be finished around
next Christmas, then we can think about
it.
I'll
SMILER: There was a tirru when you
scid the Faces wottW nqycr get fuck
bgether and tltat
it
wottW he a poinfl.ess
don't know them. 'Silicone Grown'
don't think anyone would know
-
I
it.
'Memphis Tennessee' wouldn't mind
doing and 'Cindy Incidentally' - those two.
If we did just two, that would be enough.
'Cindy Incidentally'was a good record.
I
SMILER: Is it sill iuprtont for you to
Itwe a hit single?
As much as money in the bank. selling
tickets, ego., or what?
erercise.
I think there's moie of an audience for it
now than there probably was two years
ago. I say that because I went to see
Woody play on his little solo tour and the
Faces songs went down better than the
Stones things he
did! The people just loved
them, and what with the Black Crows
coming along, I think it's the right time.
It's not going to be a big tour, not the
Wembley Stadiums or anything like that.
Six nights indoors at Wembley would be
just right, but we've got to find a bass
player. I'm keen on having Bill, but I'm
the only one at the moment.
SMIIEk Mac soid he fancicd h,aving
C.omine Rojas on bass.
Yeah, Carmine would be fabulous.
SMIIfr,k For
loa
seemed
then-
For
b
the Faces spl\
be reluctant to talk ahu
yeara after
a few years yes, but time heals
everything, you'd be surprised. As the
years go by you grow up a little bit and
I've realised how good they were. They
were badly good!
SMILER:
h you
ever ploy their oU
albums?
When they all came out on CD me and
Mac sat around listening to them. We
were never great on record, a great live
band, but I don't think we ever captured it
in the studio.
SMILBR: When yoa tow are you going
b pW oU Faces songs Ahe 'Miss Jttdyfs
Form' ot d 'Silbone Grown'?
I'd love to play
those songs, but people
SMILEk lbes it stiil gtvc loa a thrill?
Oh fuck yeah, it really does. You really
need a hit single to launch an album.
SMILFn: Do you fitittk it's as irrwttant
as
it
was tcn
yean ago?
Unless you're Pink Floyd, I still think it
helps. Maybe if the Stones album had had
a hit single on it, it would have sold a lot
more than it has. If it had 'Start Me Up'
or something like that it would have been
a runaway success, although I haven't
heard the album yet. But I think we all
need something to launch an album off.
It's like a springboard.
SMILER: How do loa rate low
contempories nowadoys and wlut they're
doins
the Sbnes, Bowic, Elton,
Ib you tokc note, do you
McC.antcy?
Iook at them?
"I went to
see
Woody play on his
little solo tour and
the Faces songs
went down better
than the
Stones
things he did! The
people just loved
them.i'
"l've got a family now. Whereas in the
old diVs it wasiust me - I couldn't wait
to go on tour shagging and drinking!"
Bowie hasn't made a record for ages, I
never really was a McCartney fan, and the
last Stones album I haven't had a listen to
apart from the single, which sounds like
'l,osing You' to me, it's the same chords.
SMIIfr,k How ohut thc clut&,
do You
syer chcck out the comPetition?
n
l
Los
h
Angebs?
Yeah, but it has to be someone really
special, for me to get in the car and go
and see them.
When
lou
were 30,
lou
said
bc ntnning anund the stage, wearing
silly clothes, when Yoa were 40...
I
lied
!
When lou werc 40, You said
ohul reaching 50. So lnw do
SMIIER:
the sanu
No, not really. I don't think I'm going to
radically change what I do overnight at my
stage of the game. I love Prefab Sprout
and Aerosmith make good records, I like
some of the re:ords they make, but apart
tiom that it's Sam, Otis and MuddY.
SMILER: Do you go and see furtds
SMILEk
there wos ,n ws! you were still going to
you
see
younelf
h
tcn Years time?
I can't answer that. I don't think anybody
could see what they're going to do in ten
years.
SMIIER: Arz yoa going to do a Frank
Sirrafru.?
I don't know - what is a Frank Sinatra? I
could never see myself walking around the
stage singing. I think during the next five
years we'll see whether I should give up
or carry on. It's impossible to say, maybe
if I hadn't had any success with the last
few albums I'd have given it up five years
ago.
SMIIfrR:
Yeah,
if
Reolly?
everything had gone sour.
SMILER: You wouWn't ltwe gone hack
to playing smoller venues?
No. I don't think so. Idon't need it
that
bad.
SMILER: Can you teU us a little bit about
Gasoline Nley Recotds?
I've got nothing to do with them. Nothing
financially whatsoever. They just borrowed
the name.
SMIIfr,R.' So lou don't pick ony of the
funds?
[b,a wi f c: Rrc.bcl wiEh 2 ya,rr old
Rcrrac r f aw days af t,cr t.bc bi rt.h of
.triem (pboto PtuI Duffy)
They'd like me to. Maybe when I get a bit
more time I
will, that's
something me and
q
In thc pr:.b witb, brotbcrs
Don [LcfEJ
Woody talked about once. It would be the
e:tsiest thing to do, pick a band, put them
together and make them play and write the
songs
for them - we might do that
(pboto.'pru]. Dufty)
rad Bobby frigbtl
and do it.
t
"
SMILER: Is Sting a mate of youn?
one
String? Yeah, he's fine now. We had a
day.
good old laugh.
SMILER: Is it tue tltat yoa attd Robert
Polncr on going to record a duet?
It's for Power Station. not for
Robert's
album. They haven't sent me the track yet.
The album's finished and John Taylor
asked me to do it and I said " Yeah I'd
love to", but I haven't heard anything
about it since.
SMILER: Wasn't therc a IUIe bit of
Aoublc on his plane at one time arrd
didn't he cluin your gatcs up?
Oh those days.
thc 'AIl For l-ove' singlc with
Adarrrs
and
Bryan
Stfutg?
According to Bryan, they were sitting
around writing it and it was always going
to be a three piece, but they couldn't think
who, and then suddenly they thoughs "Oh
fuck, Rod's got do it. " Bryan was a bit
apprehensive about bringing the whole
idea up in front of String lsicl. because of
what's gone down over the years. but then
String said " Yeah. that's great. Lrt's go
,
that's
al
I true. He
was deeply serious and
Iwrote on the
plane "Cheer up you miserable c***,
String.
SMILER: How did you get involved with
Yeah
went through this period where everything
" So he got Basher who
was
working for him - remember Basher who
used to work for me - and they chained
my gates up. M y security guard caught
them just as they were putting a padlock
on and he got his gun out and they ran off.
I think String felt a bit bad about it the
next morning because he sent round
bunch of flowers saying
a
"l'm sorry, it was
only a laugh". lt was good fun doing the
video with him. We do a bloody good
version of it live, it was fucking great,
because I've got the three singers who can
do it.
conceft last year?
Chrissie Hynde - I think her voice and mr
voice would make a good combination.
I didn't enjoy it. I don't think Elton
else.
SMIIEk How
was thc
,4retlu FrunHin
enjoyed it very much either. She's really
reitly shy, which I hope it is, or she's just
arrogant- We tried to be all friendly but
she didn't really talk to me or Elton.
SMIIfr,k Ind lou
sce
the PWback?
Yeah. I saw it the day it was done. You
can't compete with her when it comes to
singing. She was absolutely fabulous.
SMIIER: I tlnught You arrd her sbh the
slrow.
il
Yeah I enjoyed it, but I really wanted to
get to know her, but she was really very
closed off. I think she was just real proud
to have me and Elton on the show and she
was shy of us, really shy. Her tits fell out,
I turned round and saw her big old
knockers! Oh fucking hell! Some of the
dresses she wore were unbelievable! Those
big old knockers - I saw her when they
fell out. She turned to me and went
" Oops " and went off the stage and put
them back in! It was a good night though Dustin Hoffman was there and Robert de
Niro.
SMIIER: How did the BobbY Womock
taek comc ohut?
Other than that
I can't think of anvbodr
SMILER: Dwing thc seventies attd eut!
cightics yoa uscd b release a nev olbum
ever! !cu, now it takes a lot bnger.
whv?
Making the album doesn't take longer. it's
just that the tours have got longer and I'r'e
got a family now. I can't be in the studio
and go on tour. Whereas in the old days it
was just me and I couldn't wait to get out
on tour - shagging and drinking and
drinking and shagging! Now, I've got a
family to bring up.
SMILER: Do you feel loa luve
younelf cach tirru a liltle
mtrtne
b better
as you've got
ta Eve up to?
Yeah, there's that as well.
SMILER: Can you tcU zs
ahut
the
forthcoming olbum?
I had a meeting with Trevor Horn todav
and we've actually got an album finished
now. Twelve tracks are done, a couple of
sets of lyrics have got to be finished, and
we're going to go and write a bit more in
November so we can have fifteen tracks so
I don't get complaints from you about Bsides! There's no title yet and there's some
Woody got me into that, because it came
out on his label and he asked me to do it,
he said 'Come or, you owe him" and I
said "Yeah, I really do". It took us a long
tin,e to get it done, but talk about the
teacher and the pupil! That's really how I
felt. H is voice is just tremendous. I
haven't heard the track yet. It was only a
little tiny bit I did.
tracks that haven't even got titles yet.
There's a couple of cover versions, but I
don't want to tell you those really, in case
someone picks them up and does them
before me. It should be out in the new
year. probably April.
SMILER.' Is there anYone
really Afu b sing vith?
It's hard to tell. at the moment there
else
You'd
SMILER: And most
of it ls original
,notcriol?
12 tracks and we're going to
are
do 15, then
pick the twelve that will be on the album.
"I tell you what - I don't know what
happened to 'Lead Vocalist'. lt all
finished up in a heap of shit really, 'l
SMIIfr,k
low
Hovc
loa written
onything on
own tltis tirrre?
No - you sound like Rob Dickens! He says
"Get your guitar and write a song on your
own.
n
You're right, I should.
SMILEk lt's arguably the beg
loa'Ye qcr done!
Alright! There'll be one on there
fitfr
- mark
my words!
SMIIEk Is it going b
wos rcpofied tlrat
loa
be acoustic? It
wcnc serbusly
corcidering doins an all<cousic alban-
The next phase
of it will be acoustic,
yeah. There's some really good old rock
'n' roll tracks on there though.
SMILEk Are loa ushg the cunent furrd
on it?
Yes and there's a new guitar player
joining when I get back. His name is
Gresham, I think. He was with John
Mellencamp and John Mayall - so he's the
Rod oD &c Anpluggc,d tour
t&io yc,ar (phota: l(tggie Eteel)
crrJicr
songs released as a single, so I got a bit of
bash round the head there. I started losing
my confidence. That was the 'Vagabond
Heart' album - 'Rhythm Of My Heart' was
first, then 'The Motown Song'
and
Cregan.
'Broken Arrow', and that's the first time
an album has ever been released I think,
where at least one of my songs has not
SMIIER: Is Mac still in the furrd?
been a single.
new guitar player alongside Golub
Yeah, Mac'll be
someone
and
in the band. Mac
is
I'll bring in right at the end when
there's piano and organ to do. He lives
down in Austin, Texas now with Ronnie
I-ane.
SMIIfrk Wlrat luppencd to thc 'Once in
a Blae Moon' alhum?
if it's
relevant to the new album, because that
That's a good title, but I don't know
wils all going to be for the album that was
SMIIfrk Arc you prducing this album"
or is it Trcwr wln is dohs il all?
There's four or five that I've done, two or
three that have been done by Danny
Kotchmar, and there'll be five done by
Trevor - all cover versions they are - and
then there'll be five done by me and
Trevor.
SMILEk How do yoa feel ahat
prducing? Everyone sqys the best
,rratcrial loa've done is the wlut you'ye
prduced younelf.
Well my confidence took a bit of
a
bashing a few years back, not so much the
producing, but the songwriting. There wiu
one album where there wasn't one of my
called'[rad Vocalist'.
SMILER: Was it going to be a completc
album at onc time?
Yeah and it should have stayed that way,
in retrospect. I'll tell you what, I don't
know what happened to '[,ead Vocalist'. It
all finished up in a heap of shit really,
because there were some good things that
escaped. I don't know how that came
about, but it ruined the album. I don't
think people wanted to hear those old
Faces things again. Actually, it didn't help
the 'Unplugged' album either, because we
released two albums in the space of three
months and record companies have their
If one artist gets too much money
spent on him, even if he's released two
budgets.
I
albums, all the others get pissed off. So in
Europe I don't think 'Unplugged' got the
promotion that it did in the States, because
we didn't release 'lJad Vocalist' in the
States. What we did was we took five
tracks from 'IJad Vocalist' and kept them
Oh, you like it. I thought it was a bit fey.
I'm surprised. I thought you would have
turned round and said you didn't like it.
We've just done another one on the new
album, it's a much better song than that.
for the new album, and they're the five
that will be on next years album.
song.
SMIIfrk h
bw pnfrle over here at the momenl Is
we
an going b hear thcm?
Yeah, and they are better than the five
tracks that we put out, if you get my drift.
It's called
SMILEk AIso rcbascd last lear
wenc
Yeah, what was that? Was that on an EP,
or what? I never saw those.
SMILEk
Thsy wenc all on singbs.
Oh, they were B-sides and extra tracks. I
didn't think '[,ove Wars' was very good,
n
il
but I enjoyed 'One Night'.
SMILER:
Wos there
an!
couUn't ltave been on
ncoson why thcy
'Irod Vocalist'?
tltat a deEbcrute thing?
I
don't know, we had a lot of
SMILEk
'LoYc
I
in fte NSht Hands'
was
pictures
think the press probably realise
that what we do now is we give the
to Hello magazine so we can
pictures
control what they look like, otherwise they
sneak up behind hedges and you get all
these horrible scrunched up photos. Then
we sell them and the money goes into
Liam's bank account so he's got a few bob
in the bank. So I think they probably
thought well fuck it, you know. They
know they won't get pictures of the baby
until after they've been in Hello.
SMILEk Next ycar when lou come fuck
orrd bw ane you going b be playing a
mbaue of indoor and outdoor Srgs
again?
It looks like it,
No, none at all.
I like that
SMILER: You sccm to be kceping a Yer!
taken.
sornc out&kes fnm 'Vagahond Heart':
'One Nightt, 'I^ovc Wotr', 'Let The Do,
Bcgin' orrd 'LoYc In The fflglrt Horrds'.
'Separate Ways',
yeah.
SMILEk Are lou going to do Wemblcy
Stadium?
greaL
I don't know, that's the one I'm toying
with. I don't know if I told you, I didn't
want to play Wembley again. I'd rather
stay at Earls Court and get settled in there
and make it the venue for l,ondon and if
we're going to play in the round,
know how we can do
I don't
it at Wembley
Stadium. Everyone says we can, but
I
prefer the indoor gigs.
,4re lou wonied ahut heing on
ot thc same time as the Snnes?
SMIIER:
the
nd
Well it's not only the Stones. I think Elton
and Billy Joel are touring. No, I'm not
worried about it. It would be better if they
weren't there and
it
would be better if
Elton wasn't there.
SMILER: Are you ever going to play
Bajoying
footbl'll
I
lrugh
tftc.r
(phoco: f,ettlcr Bourkc)
r
g.nc
of
any low-key small secret gigs to wann
up, like the Stones played at the 100
"I get really
pissed off
with people
getting
awards that
shouldn't
get awards.
EspeciallV
when it
comes to
Grammy's."
Drinkiag partaers..
metcg (phoEo.. lletthcr
Club a few yeans ago?
I could do. I think we're going to warm
up somewhere in
Luxembourg
.I
don't
think it really means much whether you
play in front of 600 people in a place or
whether you play to 6,000. A warm up is
a warm up, you know, as long as it isn't
somewhere important.
SMILER: I)on't you eyer get the urge to
just get up on stage?
I could now . now we don't have th is
trouble with hearing myself sing. We
could literally play anywhere. We could
go and play the Marquee or something.
SMILER:
Ib you still lute
prcmotional videos
for
It's not my favourite
making
singles?
,I
Rod yi th AIe,a,
of bis
SMILER: How did you feel
awatds you got last year?
ahu aII the
It was nice. It's nice to get an award. I'm
not too keen on award shows. I get really,
pissed off with people getting awards that
shouldn't get awards. People that
ROD STEWART \I'AS INTERVIEWED
ON SEPTEMBER l4th 1994 BY JOHN
GRAY. PHOTOS AS
CREDITED.
TO
MATTHEW
SPECIAL THANKS
house
BOURKE, PAUL DUFFY
now. I've got a mobile unit and I
love it. If the drum snare skin breaks, I go
and play
w
ith my rrains or pur
some
Dubbin on my foorball boos. As opposed
ger
Grammy's that shouldn't get Grammy's. I
think there's a lot of people that should be
g iven awards that have m issed . Espec ial lr
when it comes to Grammy's. When ),t-lu
think that Christopher Cross had five. arrd
what the fuck 's happe ned to h i nr'l
must adm it.
I've got the attention of a flea! There's so
much down time. Ilike recording ar the
day
bast
Bourkc)
HALL.
&
VAL
SMILER 1994
to a studio, where if
something goes
wrong for an hour. we go down the pub
and by 1 o'clock I'm as pissed as a fart
and don't get anyth ing done
!
lDoN'T M|SS PART TWO OF
TH|S
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW' IN ISSUE 42. OUT
DECEMBER!]
I