Dan McCafferty Interview: Nazareth Rocker Ends 45 Year Career with Dazzling New CD

By Ray Shasho

An Interview with Nazareth legendary singer Dan McCafferty:

Scottish Rocker Dan McCafferty has been the quintessential and charismatic frontman for hard rock veterans Nazareth since the bands inception in 1968. McCafferty has fired up live audiences across the globe for 45 years with a heavy dose of undisputed hardcore crooning power. Most recently McCafferty has retired from touring with Nazareth due to a lung disease that makes breathing extremely difficult called COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Dan McCafferty will pass the microphone over to Nazareth’s new frontman, 41 year old Linton Osborne of Rosyth, Scotland.

McCafferty will cease touring, but will not cease from recording in the studio. In fact, McCafferty and Nazareth have recently released a mammoth new hard rock gem entitled ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Telephone.’ The album features Dan McCafferty on lead vocals, Pete Agnew on bass, Jimmy Murrison on guitars, and Lee Agnew on drums. It’s the band’s 23rd studio album and their first since 2011.The CD features 11 original heavy rockers and bluesy ballads. The deluxe digipack edition will include a second disc with two additional studio recordings and five live tracks, and will also be available in a double LP gatefold vinyl version.
Invigorating and commanding hardcore rock ‘n’ roll is back, just the way we remembered it ...It's the rock we all listened to and partied with in high school …I gave ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Telephone’ by Nazareth (5) Stars.

NAZARETH: Over the years …critics and music aficionados alike have correlated Dan McCafferty’s vocal styles with such artists as AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Slade’s Noddy Holder, and Humble Pie’s Steve Marriott. The band supported Deep Purple on tour during several occasions which led to Purple’s bassist Roger Glover producing their third studio album entitled Razamanaz (1973). Subsequent Glover produced albums included … Loud ‘N’ Proud (1973) and Rampant (1974).
In 1975, while looking for a new direction, Nazareth appointed lead guitarist Many Charlton as their new producer. The band’s new order resulted in their biggest selling album to date entitled …Hair of the Dog. The album spawned the self-titled hard rock classic “Hair of the Dog” and their popular Top 40 hit “Love Hurts” (1975 #8 U.S. Billboard Hot 100) a cover track penned by Boudleaux Bryant and first recorded by The Everly Brothers (1960) and Roy Orbison (1961).

Nazareth has maintained modest popularity in the U.S. while enjoying significant acceptance in Europe. Across the globe, Nazareth remains a consistent concert-pleaser.

Former band members that have contributed to the success of Nazareth were … original drummer Darrell Sweet (1968- 1999,Sweet died in 1999), original lead guitarist Manny Charlton (1968-1990), Zal Cleminson on guitars (1978-1980), Billy Rankin on guitars (1980-83,1990-94), John Locke on keyboards (1980-82, Locke died in 2006), and Ronnie Leahy on keyboards (1994-2002).

I had the great pleasure of chatting with legendary Nazareth frontman Dan McCafferty recently about the band’s brilliant new CD entitled… ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Telephone’ … The inception of Nazareth … ‘Hair of the Dog’ album … COPD … and of course my infamous ‘Field of Dreams’ question.

Here’s my interview with the quintessential voice of rock, songwriter, and legendary frontman of 45 years with Nazareth …DAN McCAFFERTY.
Ray Shasho: Hi Dan, thank you for being on the call today … where am I calling anyway?
Dan McCafferty: “Hi Ray, I’m in Scotland near Edinburgh.”
Ray Shasho: Dan, first of all, I’d like to say congratulations on a remarkable career with Nazareth that has spanned over 45 years. You’ve recently decided not to tour with the band anymore is that true?
Dan McCafferty: “That’s true. I’ve got COPD, which is a lung disease, and I can’t sing on tour like I used to anymore. I figure if you can’t do the job then you really shouldn’t be there. But they’ve got somebody else, a guy named Linton Osborne and he sings really well. I’m sad about it but I just can’t sing a whole set live anymore.”
Ray Shasho: I always notice advertisements on television regarding medications to help battle COPD, what have you been doing to improve your condition?
Dan McCafferty: “I’m taking all the meds they can give you and going to rehab classes to help learn how to breathe again. So we’ll wait and see. At the moment there’s no cure for it. I exercise up to a point but because it’s COPD, if you do anything physical it makes you breathless and therefore you panic, so it’s a kind of a Catch-22. I feel great, but you’ve got to remember I’m sitting at home on my ass.”
Ray Shasho: Where did the band find Linton Osborne your new lead singer?
Dan McCafferty: “He was from the same area that we all grew up in, somewhat younger of course. He’s been involved in the local scene for years in different bands.”
Ray Shasho: Was Linton involved on the new album at all?
Dan McCafferty: “No, he was not, but I guess he will be on the next one though.
Ray Shasho: Dan, this doesn’t mean that you’re giving up recording?
Dan McCafferty: “No, no, no, I hope not, I plan to continue on recording. I’ll just need someone to support me or accompany me while I’m doing it.”
Ray Shasho: Dan, for years you’ve delivered that quintessential, commanding, raw rocker voice on stage and in the studio … and I know people sometimes compare your vocalist style to AC/DC’s Brian Johnson. But I hear a lot of Steve Marriott and Noddy Holder in those pipes as well.
Dan McCafferty: “I think if you listen to these guys you’re talking about, we all kind of grew up at the same time and probably influenced by the same people, so I think for some reason it all makes sense.”
Ray Shasho: Brian Johnson lives about twenty minutes from me here in Sarasota.
Dan McCafferty: “I see … the last time we played around there, years and years ago, Brian came along for the gig. We used to do a lot with Brian when he was with Geordie, it was great fun. We did college gigs in Britain and had a lot of laughs together. He’s a Newcastle guy, a Geordie, they’re really cool people.”
Ray Shasho: I always wondered about the true origin behind the Nazareth band name … did it actually derive from the classic tune “The Weight” by The Band?
Dan McCafferty: “(Dan began singing) … ‘I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin’ about half past dead’ …yup, that’s where it comes from. We were sitting around in the place we used to rehearse in when we first got together and we couldn’t agree on a name, there must have been four hundred different names. We were listening to “The Weight” when it first came out and Pete Agnew our bass player said what about Nazareth …and that was it, we all agreed on that one. So any rumors that God came down and spoke to me about it would be a lie. (In a Godly tonality, Dan utters) … ‘You will call your band NAZARETH!’ (All laughing)”
Ray Shasho: Nazareth was actually formed in 1968, what were those very early days like?
Dan McCafferty: “In the early days we were just playing in a band. We weren’t trying to be famous or trying to change the world or anything. We lived in a small town, loved music, and all the guys in the band liked different things. It was the chemistry of everybody that we eventually ended up with. It wasn’t something that someone came up with by saying … I have a plan! (All laughing) It was just a bunch of guys trying to meet girls basically …we were terrible spokesmen.”
Ray Shasho: Who were some of the bands you shared the stage with back then?
Dan McCafferty: “We used to play at a place in Dunfermline called the Kinema Ballroom and a lot of bands used to come up from London before they went out on the road. They’d play Glastonbury on a Saturday and the Kinema Ballroom on a Sunday to try out their new album or set. It was always a big draw on Sunday’s. We opened up for everybody man … The Who; the second time they did ‘Tommy’ was in Dunfermline. We played with Deep Purple, Cream, Jethro Tull … you name it … everybody!”
Ray Shasho: Let’s talk about your final studio album with Nazareth entitled ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Telephone.’ Invigorating and commanding hardcore rock ‘n’ roll is back, just the way we remembered it. It's the rock we all listened to and partied with in high school.
Dan McCafferty: “What we managed to do was to capture the feel of the music from back in the day, and it’s not an easy thing to do, you can’t do it forever. It’s kind of hard to maintain your identity with all the technology and what people expect to hear. It’s difficult, but I think we did it really well.”
Ray Shasho: Tried-and-True rock fans are going to cherish ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Telephone’ for years to come, because you sure as hell can’t find pure/fresh rock ‘n’ roll on your radio anymore. The legends of rock are unfortunately classified as 'classic rock' artists and those morons that run mainstream radio nowadays refuse to play anything new by rock folklore.
Dan McCafferty: I was talking to Billy, a local music guy that writes for a lot of music magazines and does radio shows, and I asked Billy, what happened to the music scene? Part of his job was to notice whose coming up, and he said nothing actually. He’s got colleagues around the world and he said unfortunately there’s nothing much to here right now, and that’s really sad. Music has become more of a visual thing. The last band that I got excited about from the states was ‘Kings of Leon,’ I liked them. Caleb has a very good voice you know.”
Ray Shasho: Straight off, from the very clever first track entitled “Boom Bang Bang,” the album delivers a long-awaited rock manifesto to all music fans.
Dan McCafferty: “It is a fact man, once you get a certain age like me, and you’ve spent a lot of time in hotel bars, you wait for something to happen. Or when you go to the show, going for a plane or waiting for the bus … I’ve become a people watcher these days and I’ve seen “Boom Bang Bang” go down more than a few times.”
Ray Shasho: “Speakeasy” was another favorite tune, what was the origin behind the track?
Dan McCafferty: “I was sitting around with Lee Agnew having a beer and imagining what it would have been like in the 1920’s in America when you couldn’t get a legal beer. So it was good because we went into this whole discussion and it developed with a Speakeasy in mind. We had a laugh about it at first, but the more he worked on that tune, the more serious the song got, and all of a sudden… this is a good tune man!”
Ray Shasho: My favorite song on the new release is “Just a Ride” because your vocals shine brilliantly on the track!
Dan McCafferty: “That’s a good vocals track. I liked it because it’s about Bill Hicks, he gave me many a good laugh that young man. We envisioned the track to show how epic the guy really was.”
Ray Shasho: “Love Hurts” became a huge hit for Nazareth reaching #8 on Billboard’s Hot 100 charts in 1976. It was a hard rock ballad and a cover tune. Was it The Everly Brothers or Roy Orbison’s recording that inspired Nazareth to record it?
Dan McCafferty: “Obviously The Everly Brothers, we used to sing the song in bars when we were sixteen. Like most groups we started out as a cover band, so you played what people liked. It was a massive hit for us and just amazing.”
Ray Shasho: I understand there was some controversy surrounding the title of the ‘Hair of the Dog’ album?
Dan McCafferty: “We wanted to call it ‘Son of A Bitch’ and A&M Records who we were with at the time said, oh no, you can’t do that, they won’t sell it. We said why won’t they sell it? We weren’t American so you see we didn’t know. It was Jerry Morris, God love him, who told us that it was a cussword here in America. So then we called it ‘Heir of the Dog’ which is ‘Son of A Bitch’ anyway, but the title eventually became ‘Hair of the Dog’ on the album. It was a good record for us and a good record anyway.”
Ray Shasho: Sources around the internet state that the album was released for a short while with the title ‘Heir of the Dog’ and is a heavily sought out collector’s item … any truth to that or just another worldwide web misconception?
Dan McCafferty: “(Laughing) it was never called ‘Heir of the Dog’ anywhere and never released under a different title, always ‘Hair of the Dog,’ but I guess it gives it some mystery.”
Ray Shasho: The most successful album by Nazareth was recorded immediately after Roger Glover stepped-down as the bands producer. ‘Hair of the Dog’ was produced by guitarist Manny Charlton. Did Roger Glover perplex about the album’s enormous success after his departure?
Dan McCafferty: “No, I don’t think so. We all wanted to have a change and Roger’s attitude was, yea, I can take that. We had done three together. The albums we did with him were all good and opened up a lot of doors.”
Ray Shasho: Dan, do you have any good road stories from back in the heyday of Nazareth?
Dan McCafferty: “The weirdest thing that ever happened to us was … we were playing Brazil and our gear got kidnapped and held for ransom. The guy’s were freaking out because you know how guitar players are without their guitars. They caught the guys but money was gone! Generally Brazil is a pretty cool place but there was some guy just trying to be a smart ass … there always is one isn’t there.”
Ray Shasho: Nazareth will be hitting the road beginning in June and tour throughout the summer including various dates in the Czech Republic, Canada, Europe and Brazil. Now that you’re not touring with the band anymore, bassist Pete Agnew remains to be the only original member left.
Dan McCafferty: “Yea, Pete is the only original member left, but you’ve got to remember, Jimmy Murrison the guitar player has been with the band for seventeen years, and our drummer Lee Agnew has been with us since Darrell Sweet died. So they’re not exactly new kids. It’s pretty much the same band with a new singer.”
Ray Shasho: Dan, 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?
Dan McCafferty: “I would have liked to been around Bob Dylan when he first started out and kind of picked up on the vibe he was getting, because he just had something that was totally magic. I liked all the changes he went through. Yea, I think I would have liked to hang out with Bob.”
Ray Shasho: Final thoughts Dan?
Dan McCafferty: “Look out for yourselves and be kind to each other.”
Ray Shasho: Dan, thank you for being on the call today, but more importantly for all the incredible Nazareth music you’ve brought us all these years and continue to bring.
Dan McCafferty: “Thank you very much indeed Ray … Cheers!”

Purchase the hard rockin' new CD by Dan McCafferty and Nazareth entitled Rock 'N' Roll Telephone at amazon.com
Nazareth official website
Nazareth on tour
Nazareth on Facebook
Nazareth on Myspace

Very special thanks to Clint Weiler of MVD Entertainment Group

Coming up NEXT … Arthur Brown of ‘The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’ (‘The God of Hell Fire’)
Upcoming Interviews … My recent interviews with Susanna Hoffs the incredible lead singer of The Bangles … The legendary Jesse Colin Young of The Youngbloods … and pioneer of the electric violin Darryl Way of Curved Air

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

Andy Summers Exclusive: Brilliant 'New Group' & 'New Album' ...Says No More 'Police' Reunions!

By Ray Shasho

Legendary ‘Police’ guitarist Andy Summers and Rob Giles of the Los Angeles based indie/pop/ rock outfit, ‘The Rescues’ have joined forces to form an incredible new rock group called ‘Circa Zero.’ With the new band comes a brilliant new CD entitled ‘Circus Hero.’ The new release is brimming with virtuosity and rock and roll tenacity! Circa Zero’s progressive/pop debut single is entitled “Levitation” and succeeded by a music video. The musical chemistry of Rob Giles superlative vocals and Andy Summers rock guitar artistry has inaugurated a crucial new rock syndicate.

Favorite tracks on ‘Circus Hero’ are … “Levitation” -A progressive/pop/rock intro at its finest … “Underground”- An awesome psychedelic/rock tune supported by incredible wah-wah effects ... “Say Goodnight” and “Night Time Travelers”- Excellent tracks led by Bono-like vocalizations … “Gamma Ray”- is extremely innovative! … “Underwater” –A monumental rocker! …“Light the Fuse & Run”-Great title/ intricate guitar riffs … “Hot Camel” -An extreme instrumental groove!
… I gave ‘Circus Hero’ by Circa Zero (5) Stars!

 -You can purchase the brand new CD by ‘Circa Zero’ now at amazon.com.

ANDY SUMMERS: First entered the music scene in the mid to late 60’s. He was briefly a member of Eric Burdon & The Animals while recording one album with the band entitled Love Is (1968). The album spotlighted a 4 minute and 15 second solo by Summers on the Traffic cover track “Coloured Rain.” Side 4 of the album included a medley of songs by the Psychedelic rock group ‘Dantalian’s Chariot’ which included Andy Summers and Zoot Money. Summers also played with progressive rock pioneers Soft Machine for a short while. Andy also recorded and performed with acclaimed artists such as Kevin Ayers, Jon Lord, Kevin Coyne, and Michael Oldfield.

THE POLICE: formed in 1977 and were comprised of …Sting (lead vocals, bass), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums). The Police were highly regarded as one of the most important, successful, and eclectic bands throughout the late 70’s and 80’s, while helping to introduce a new musical genre called new wave. The Police achieved incredible worldwide mainstream success by integrating elements of reggae, punk, jazz, and rock into their music.

Some of their biggest hits included … “Roxanne,” “Can’t Stand Losing You,” “Message in a Bottle,” “Don’t Stand So Close To Me,” “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” “Spirits In The Material World,” “Every Breath You Take,” (#1 Billboard Hot 100 Hit) “Wrapped Around Your Finger,” “Synchronicity II,” and “King of Pain.”

The Police have sold more than (75) million records worldwide, won (6) Grammy Awards, (2) Brit Awards, an MTV Video Music Award, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
The Police broke-up in 1984 but reunited for a worldwide tour in 2007.

Since The Police disbanded, Andy Summers has released (12) solo albums. His solo projects gave Andy the fortuitousness to musically explore and create freely, including discovering an instinctive ability to compose. He’s written or collaborated on many film scores including …Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Weekend At Bernie’s, 2010, and Wild Life.

Summers has also become a critically-acclaimed photographer.
In 2006, Andy Summers released his autobiography entitled ‘One Train Later.”

I had the rare opportunity to chat with Andy Summers about his exciting new band with Rob Giles called ‘Circa Zero,’ and their brand new release entitled ‘Circus Hero.’

Here’s my recent interview with multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, photographer, and legendary guitarist with 'The Police' …ANDY SUMMERS.
Ray Shasho: Hey Andy!
Andy Summers: “Hey there Ray, how are you doing?”
Ray Shasho: ‘Circus Hero’ the new album … ‘Circa Zero’ the new band … a superb and brilliant new group loaded with rock and roll virtuosity & vigor! I think the band presents a genuine opportunity to grandstand your ingenuity as one of the finest guitar players in the world.
Andy Summers: “It was obviously great fun making this record, you can hear that in the tracks. Part of the fun for me was to be able to sort of build all of the guitar parts. I’ve got to say Rob was very cool about that because we would get a sort of basic track and try and get a decent enough drum part, you’d get a bass line, and as we’d sort of put the first thing down, I’d put down some sort of a guitar part and then Rob would leave. He’d say you know what to do … and leave me to it. So I would take the time to really get the sounds, the colors, and the guitar parts really right, including the solos. In other words, he didn’t hover over my back, so there’s nothing inhibiting me whatsoever and that’s the way I work best. I can take time and experiment until I feel the sounds are right. So that’s why I think the sound is so good on this record.”
Ray Shasho: Rob Giles has an incredible voice … I thought Rob’s vocals sounded a bit like Bono on several tracks of the new album.
Andy Summers: “I think he’s one of the best singers out there and one of the best voices I ever heard. I think there is a little bit of sound in the voice like Bono.”
Ray Shasho: Andy, I really liked The Police, but I’m so glad that this album doesn’t sound like The Police. You’ve demonstrated so many facets of guitar ingenuity on ‘Circus Hero’ that were never musically expressed while you were with The Police.
Andy Summers: “Yea, it’s more of a rock album with a different vocalist. A lot of people commented like that, saying it was really great that you cut out on this one. I’m pleased because I did. I thought I would play all the solos, go to all these textures and let it really come through …people really like it.”
Ray Shasho: I especially enjoyed the enhanced usage of the wah-wah.
Andy Summers: “It was right for the album, you get that rock and edgy tone to it with a wah-wah and it just seemed appropriate.”
Ray Shasho: My favorite track on the new album was “Underground,” kind of a psychedelic/rock tune but also very mainstream. Did you swap guitar licks somewhere on the album with Rob Giles?
Andy Summers: “No, all the guitar is me. Rob is the drummer on everything except three tracks, which we added after we finished the album. On those tracks we used Dan Epand who we thought was going to be in the band. But Rob plays bass, drums, and sings.”
Ray Shasho: Wasn’t there actually a lot of drummers considered for Circa Zero?
Andy Summers: “Oh my God, I think we’ve had nine drummers. It’s weird; I don’t know why we’ve had a hard time with drummers (All laughing). The truth is that the album is made by me and Rob and he plays drums very well, but I didn’t want him to be stuck behind a drum kit singing vocals in a rock band. At first I thought he’d play a little guitar and we’d get a bass player, but he also plays bass very well and he decided that he wanted to play bass. We had a girl from Canada for awhile and it was sort of a cool ideal to have a girl drummer, so we found her and she came to LA. Honestly, the trouble was she lived in Montreal and we could never get her to stay in LA. It just wasn’t working. Then we had this other guy that we thought was good but he was in another band. Finally we got this Danish drummer, Fredrik Bokkenheuser, who is a fantastic rock drummer and we’re going to play with him next week. He’s on the video that is on You Tube now, just a killer rock drummer!”
Ray Shasho: I also really enjoyed the track “Say Goodnight” on the new release.
Andy Summers: “That’s a very nice Pop Song. A lot of people just love that one; it will probably be our next single.”
Ray Shasho: “Light the Fuse & Run” … Wow, what a great title for a song!
Andy Summers: “Yea, that came later, as a track, it started out with that lick that I had and it kind of built up from there. So it was only lyrics and then Rob suddenly came in with this one … yea, “Light the Fuse & Run”… that’s kind of a rocker, so you find this, you find that, and you finally kind of agree on what’s really working … and we felt really good about that one.”
Ray Shasho: Andy, what is the lyrical meaning behind the song “Underwater?”
Andy Summers: “It’s all about what we’re looking at on the nightly news now …floods and fire in this country, denial of climate change and environmental related things because they want to make money, economic growth and all that, while ignoring the real problem. It’s a concerned song.”
Ray Shasho: “Hot Camel” is a really cool instrumental groove.
Andy Summers: “That was one of the last things we did. It was intended maybe for the next album and then the record company wanted more songs. So we said let’s make this an instrumental and stick this on. You can really hear the band playing and it just makes the album interesting. We felt, we’re coming out of the door with this one, so we should just make it great. Literally, value for money, there’s a lot of great music on this album. “
Ray Shasho: Will ‘Circa Zero’ be hitting the road soon to promote the new album?
Andy Summers: “Hopefully, we’re looking at some touring this summer, we’re just waiting for the phone to ring from our manager to tell us which one. We want to get out there and start playing it for real.”
Ray Shasho: Andy, 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?
Andy Summers: “Louis Armstrong. What a great singer, just fantastic! It all came from Louis Armstrong.”
Ray Shasho: Anything else you’d like to promote?
Andy Summers: “I think the new album is the main thrust of our lives at the moment. I’m doing a bunch of photography shows and going off to China in a couple of weeks. My movie entitled ‘Can’t Stand Losing You’ is coming out September 26th. It’s based on my autobiography called ‘One Train Later,’ and pretty much about my life as a musician, before The Police, and then throughout The Police. There’s some fantastic concert footage and a lot of my photography in it.”
Ray Shasho: Andy, do you think there will be another reunion with The Police?
Andy Summers: “It sort of seems impossible, I don’t think so, and I’m not hoping so. Sting calls me every day and I tell him not to call me again and leave me alone. But I don’t think so, unless it’s Vegas in like 2025 (All laughing). Time is changing, the world is changing, and you’ve got to cling on to whatever you’ve got. I’m hoping ‘Circus Hero’ goes through the roof.”
Ray Shasho: Andy, thank you for being on the call today, but more importantly for all the incredible music you’ve given us and continue to bring.
Andy Summers: “Thanks Ray, see you mate!”

Purchase the brilliant new CD by Circa Zero (featuring Andy Summers and Rob Giles) entitled ‘Circus Hero’ at amazon.com
Andy Summers/Circa Zero official website
The Police official website
Andy Summers/Circa Zero on Facebook
Andy Summers on Twitter
Andy Summers on Myspace
Purchase Andy Summers 'One Train Later: A Memoir' at amazon.com

Very special thanks to the amazing Kim Estlund

Coming up NEXT … My recent interview with the legendary Dan McCafferty -original lead singer for Nazareth
Coming SOON … The pioneer of ‘theatrical rock’ Arthur Brown of ‘The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’ (“I am the God of Hell Fire and I bring you …FIRE!”)
AND … Susanna Hoffs the remarkable and proficient lead singer of The Bangles

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

Jann Klose Interview: The Next Generation of Essential Music and Artistry

By Ray Shasho

Pop/Rock singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jann Klose is not only the quintessence recording artist and live performer; he’s also a perfect paradigm for what the contemptible music mainstream ought to be promoting extensively over commercial radio airwaves worldwide.

JANN KLOSE has lived an intriguing life. Born in Germany, Jann was raised in Kenya, South Africa, and Hamburg. He came to the U.S. by way of Cleveland, Ohio as an exchange student and eventually began performing in touring productions of Jekyll & Hyde, Jesus Christ Superstar, and The Who’s Tommy.
Jann’s awe-inspiring songwriting, charismatic voice, and musical styles have been associated with such legendary artists as Paul McCartney, Julian Lennon, Sting, Paul Simon, Dan Fogelberg and many others. But Klose has undeniably conceived his own musical trademark and characteristics. Jann has shared the stage with such esteemed music artists as Hot Tuna, Rusted Root, Gary Lucas, Suzanne Vega, Annie Haslam and Renaissance, The Yardbirds, John Hawken (Spooky Tooth, Renaissance, and Strawbs), Roger McGuinn, Rosanne Cash, Pete Seeger and Les Paul.

'MOSAIC' the latest album:

Most recently, Jann Klose released an incredible studio album entitled ‘Mosaic.’ ‘Mosaic’ is enticing, exceptional, and musically essential! Guest artists include guitarist Florian Opahle (Ian Anderson, Greg Lake), guitarist/record producer David Bendeth, flautist Tia Roper, and oboist Megan Marolf (Phillip Glass, Roger Waters). ‘Mosaic’ is also set to be released in vinyl very soon. Some of my favorite tracks are … “Make it Better” spotlighting crucial and relevant lyrical content. The song is also promoted in an avant-garde music video … The beautiful, graceful, and inviting acoustic serenade of “Still”… “Long Goodbye” features a superlative guitar performance by Florian Opahle. I also encountered hints of Julian Lennon idiosyncrasy on the track … The hip & bluesy, lyrical despairing “Falling Tears” was undeniably my favorite track … and next the breathtaking Tim Buckley cover entitled “Song to the Siren.” ‘MOSAIC’ is mesmerizing and magnificently all-embracing …I rated ‘Mosaic’ the latest CD by Jann Klose with (5) Stars.

Previous releases by Jann Klose include … (Sacrifice (EP), Reverie, Healthy Food for Thought, Black Box (EP), The Strangest Thing, and Enough Said).

Jann Klose tours extensively while performing 75-100 shows per year in the U.S., Europe and Asia. He currently has dates in the U.S. and Germany. Check out Jann’s touring schedule HERE.

Klose has (4) four nominations in the 13th Annual Independent Music Awards (IMA). You can vote for Jann Klose at www.independentmusicawards.com

Recently I had the wonderful privilege of chatting with Jann Klose about his latest music endeavor entitled ‘Mosaic,’ the current tour, music videos, collaborations, my infamous ‘Field of Dreams’ question and much-much more.

Here’s my interview with singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and next generation of musical proficiency artists …JANN KLOSE.
Ray Shasho: Hello Jann from beautiful sunny Florida.
Jann Klose: “Hello Ray from rainy New York.”
Ray Shasho: You’ve got kind of a mini tour going on and performed most recently in Ridgefield, Connecticut with Bret Michaels?
Jann Klose: “Yes, it was great. He had a pretty full house and rocked it! Bret thanked me and the crowd was really nice. It was at the Ridgefield Playhouse; I played there a couple of times and opened for Ben Taylor, James Taylor’s kid about a year and a half ago. It’s a really great room; the sound is great and the people that works there are great. So it’s one of those places that you want to keep coming back to, it’s just a comfortable place to play and a beautiful theater.”
Ray Shasho: You also performed ‘The Last Waltz Live’ at The Highline Ballroom in NYC … an All-Star re-creation of The Band’s classic concert film. You sang Van Morrison’s “Caravan” and there was also quite a lineup at that show?
Jann Klose: “Yes, I did Van Morrison’s “Caravan.” I told Michael Falzarano of Hot Tuna/ New Riders of the Purple Sage a story about one of my first gigs in college back in 1998-99. I opened for Jorma Kaukonen and Hot Tuna which is how they were billed at the time. I was so green and didn’t know what I was doing. But I asked Michael …do you remember when I opened for you guy’s at Peabody’s Downunder? He said, “No I don’t remember, but I remember the gig and I remember that I was there.” I said, that was probably a good thing because I walked up to Jorma and said … Hey, you guys want to do something together? I’m sure he doesn’t remember, but it’s one of those things that I wouldn’t do now. I wouldn’t walk up to the headliner and say, Hey man what’s up; do you want to do a song together? (All laughing)”
Ray Shasho: Nowadays you are collaborating with many of those legendary artists … Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds, and Annie Haslam of Renaissance. Does the list also include Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull?
Jann Klose: “I actually did play with Ian’s son James who has a band, and we’ve done stuff together in England. Annie and I have been writing together. I opened for Renaissance for their fortieth anniversary tour. But yes, these days are much different.”
Ray Shasho: One of the many interesting places you lived while growing up was in Nairobi, Kenya. Any amusing childhood memories?
Jann Klose: “My dad retired a few years ago and still goes to Mombasa twice a year and stays there months on end. He relaxes, enjoys the weather, and the Indian Ocean.”
“But I have a lot of memories about living in Kenya when I very young. We had a creek behind our house and it was fenced off and we were not supposed to be in there. Somehow my brother and I got out of my parents eyesight and walked into the creek. The creek wasn’t clean and they were concerned about infections, viruses, and what not. I just remember my dad seeing us playing in that little creek and freaking out. He ran up and grabbed us while screaming, “Oh my God, my children, you’re going to die!” So he was really freaked out, I remember that very vividly.”
Ray Shasho: Who were some of the artists that got you interested in becoming a professional musician?
Jann Klose: “It’s very across the board; I listened to a lot of classic rock growing up, but the person that really made me want to be a musician was actually Prince, believe it or not. When I first saw Prince and discovered him everything changed. I knew I wanted to be like that, although I’m totally different. He wanted me to be a performer.”
Ray Shasho: I thought ‘Mosaic’ your latest release… was enticing, exceptional, and musically essential. Would you say it’s your best album to date?
Jann Klose: “I’m proud enough to press a vinyl of it. We’ll have the vinyl release in a couple of months. I’m really happy with it and love the record.”
Ray Shasho: The first glimpse I had of Jann Klose was on the “Doing Time” video in 2010. I knew immediately that you were destined to become a very important artist. Critics are notorious for comparing great new artists to legendary performers, and your style has been correlated with the likes of Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, and Sting to name a few. But I hear Julian Lennon traits on many of your tracks.
Jann Klose: “Of course, I grew up listening to Julian Lennon a little bit. He’s a lovely guy. I was in a compilation with him in 2011 called ‘Healthy Food for Thought,’ and we got a Grammy nomination from it. From what I can tell, Julian is centered and very much himself, like Sean his kid brother, who is pretty together these days, and does his own thing.”
Ray Shasho: Both “Doing Time” and “Make It Better” are phenomenal music videos. They would have been played relentlessly during the heyday of MTV.
Jann Klose: “We did get a considerable amount of airplay with it. We charted with ‘Mosaic’ and made the first round for the Grammy’s. I got four nominations for The Independent Music Awards. So we got a really good reaction for it being an Independent release. As you know, the industry is not what it was, but we’re happy with the results.”
Ray Shasho: Another incredible track on ‘Mosaic’ is “Long Goodbye.” You’ve got Ian Anderson’s proficient guitarist playing awesome electric on several tracks on the new album?
Jann Klose: “Yes, Florian Opahle from Ian’s band played on “Make It Better” and “Long Goodbye.”
Ray Shasho: My very favorite track is “Falling Tears”… just a really cool tune. And of course “Song to the Siren” your Tim Buckley cover. You’ve developed a unique bond with the Buckley family?
Jann Klose: “It started when I discovered Jeff Buckley’s “Grace” in college, which became my favorite record. I started doing tributes in Chicago every year and that’s where I met Jeff’s mom Mary. Later I did a tribute in New York and that’s how I met Gary Lucas. And since then I’ve been working with Gary. That’s how I got the gig in the movie because he recommended me to the director. So it was just one of those things that happened and I didn’t expect. Artistically it was very-very satisfying, a career boost, and one of those lucky moments.”
Ray Shasho: Jann, your music ingenuity allows you to perform any given genre. I do worry about certain genres disappearing. Many of the musicians I interview say those genres hopefully will circle back again soon someday.
Jann Klose: “The one thing that I do hope is that people continue to support the arts as much as they can. I think that’s something we always have to remind people to do. It’s one of those things where people assume that all of that stuff is paid for. Even that Bret Michaels show the other night … that was an expensive tour. It costs a lot to go on the road and bring all those people with you. A lot of what you make goes right back into it. The one thing that you can’t download for free is a live show. It’s very much a reflection of society at large. We have a big gap between rich and poor and also a big gap between the few major label artists that are still left and this huge pool of Indie musicians.”
Ray Shasho: You have four nominations for the upcoming Independent Music Awards (IMA)?
Jann Klose: “Yes, there’s a panel of judges including …Raul Midon, Heart's Ann & Nancy Wilson, Suzanne Vega, Sharon Jones, G. Love, and the Smithereens' Dennis Diken. So they’ll vote and the results come out in May. Then there’s an audience vote that will be publicized in July. It’s significant and great to be honored in that way. We submitted to them for years and never got anything, and then all of a sudden this year I got four nominations.”
Ray Shasho: Jann, what do you hope to accomplish with your music over the next five years?
Jann Klose: “We’re doing the vinyl release of ‘Mosaic’ and I’m hoping to release a live album later this year. I’m also working on a record with Gary Lucas and I’m touring more in Europe. I’m doing all the things that I want to do, so just keep growing, writing, and changing.”
Ray Shasho: It has to be remarkable about all the support you’ve received from so many classic rock legends.
Jann Klose: “Yea totally … Jim McCarty, Annie, Ian, Gary, and just lots of folks. I have a great agent in Germany that I work with that is wonderful. It’s tough out there so you need that kind of support. It’s great to see some of the classic rock legends helping out the young up and coming artists. Hopefully I can do that in twenty or thirty years from now.”
Ray Shasho: Jann, 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?
Jann Klose: “In modern times … I would say Joni Mitchell or Led Zeppelin. Someone from the past … it would be somebody that’s old school from the 1920’s-30’s in the Berlin Theater world. I would transport myself back to those early times because I have a feeling it would be a blast!”
Ray Shasho: Jann, thank you for being on the call today but more importantly for all the incredible music you’ve given us and continue to bring.
Jann Klose: “Thank you buddy… you take care in Florida.”

Purchase ‘Mosaic’ the latest CD from Jann Klose at amazon.com
Vote for Jann Klose for the 13th Annual Independent Music Awards (IMA) at www.independentmusicawards.com
Jann Klose official website
Jann Klose on Facebook
Jann Klose Twitter
Jann Klose on Myspace

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

Coming up NEXT … My recent interview with Andy Summers (The Police, Circa Zero)
And coming SOON …Original lead singer of Nazareth Dan McCafferty

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

Chris Thompson Interview: Ex- Frontman for Manfred Mann’s Earth Band Releases New CD

Chris Thompson releases 'Toys and Dishes' new CD

By Ray Shasho

Chris Thompson legendary Manfred Mann’s Earth Band lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter, most recognized for singing the #1 hit/ classic rock radio anchor “Blinded by the Light” has released an extraordinary new CD entitled ‘Toys & Dishes.’ It’s Thompson’s first studio release in over ten years. Released by Esoteric Antenna/ Cherry Red Records …the album consists of pure driven rock & roll tempos while enchanted by powerful lyrical content. …I gave ‘Toys & Dishes’ by Chris Thompson (4) Stars.

MANFRED MANN and drummer Mike Hugg founded the British Beat /R&B/ Psychedelic/ Pop/ Rock/ band Manfred Mann in 1962. Manfred Mann scored a huge hit with their cover “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” (#1 Billboard Hot 100 hit in 1964) and played an important role with the British Invasion. The first incarnation of Manfred Mann also spawned the hits “Sha- La- La” (#12 U.S. 1964), and “Pretty Flamingo” (#29 U.S. 1965) with Paul Jones as lead singer.

Manfred Mann’s second incarnation began with singer Mike d’Abo. In 1968, the band generated a hit with the Bob Dylan penned “Mighty Quinn” (#10 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 hit).Over the years Manfred Mann featured such bandmates as Jack Bruce and Klaus Voormann.

MANFRED MANN’S EARTH BAND was formed in 1971. The third incarnation began while lead singer and guitarist Chris Thompson took over the frontman duties in 1974. Thompson was born in Ashford, Kent, England but raised in New Zealand. After joining the band as their new lead singer, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band scored huge with their #1 hit song penned by Bruce Springsteen “Blinded by the Light” (1976). The tune remains a mainstay on commercial radio stations. The Manfred Mann’s Earth Band track also became the only #1 hit written by Bruce Springsteen. The Earth Band toured excessively and released many other popular recordings including another Springsteen composition entitled “Spirits in the Night,” “Davy’s on the Road Again,” “You Angel You,” and the Top 40 hit “Runner.”

In 1979, Chris Thompson left Manfred Mann’s Earth Band but returned periodically through 1999. Thompson recorded seven solo albums including two albums with his band Night. Chris also scored Top 40 hits with “If You Remember Me,” “Hot Summer Night, ” and perhaps his biggest hit co-penned with Andy Qunta (Icehouse), Keth Reid (Procol Harum), and Maggie Ryder entitled “You’re the Voice” performed by John Farnham.

Chris Thompson has collaborated with The Doobie Brothers, Roger Daltry, Alan Parsons, Ray Charles, Rita Coolidge, Michael McDonald, Bonnie Tyler, Isaac Hayes, Jan Hammer, Jennifer Rush, Heart, Mike Oldfield, Brian May, Bob Geldof, Mavis Staples, Paul Rodgers, Joe Walsh, Steve Lukather, Ian Gillan, and Starship to name just a few.

In 2004, Chris toured with Jeff Wayne’s musical version of ‘The War of the Worlds’ while finishing in 2010 with 21 sold-out shows in England.

In 2005, Thompson rejoined Manfred Mann for 22 sold-out shows in Germany with “Night of the Proms.”

Chris Thompson also released an album featuring Big Band and Orchestra music entitled ‘Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me’ in 2012.
I had the great pleasure of chatting with Chris Thompson about his incredible new album ‘Toys & Dishes’… the inception of “Blinded by the Light”… Manfred Mann’s Earth Band … touring… and much-much more.

Here’s my recent interview with singer, songwriter, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and legendary frontman for Manfred Mann’s Earth Band … CHRIS THOMPSON.
Ray Shasho: Hi Chris, you’re in Belgium?
Chris Thompson: “I am.”
Ray Shasho: You’ve begun a tour that kicks off soon in Norway?
Chris Thompson: “We’ve actually already done ten gigs in Germany at the end of last month. We’ve had a little bit of time off so I can do a radio promotions tour in Germany. I wouldn’t say we’re touring but we are doing four or five gigs in Norway beginning next weekend, then we go into festivals in the summertime. We’ll be touring properly in October-November. But these days, at least for me anyway, touring is not what is used to be. Thank goodness in a lot of ways. We used to tour America and never knew where we were going.”
Ray Shasho: I’ve always admired the way musicians traveled and performed on lengthy worldwide tours.
Chris Thompson: “Touring has never really been ridiculously hard. I never did up and down the motorway in a transit van, like most people, which is the hardest kind of touring. I think probably what we do now, the travelling is fairly difficult in Norway… it’s always been difficult in Norway. But I think in Germany we have it easy, our journeys aren’t too far. I would think the worst time was in America when we were taking a scheduled flight, which was the worst because you’d have to be up at ridiculous times to catch the scheduled flight to wherever you were going. You’d be in New York one day and then Atlanta the next day… then Los Angeles and Chicago … I think that was very-very difficult. But that was early before we were successful enough to organize our own tours.”
Ray Shasho: Chris you grew up in New Zealand, what was the music scene like there?
Chris Thompson: “The music scene was very isolated. There was a New Zealand Rolling Stones, the equivalent of, and a New Zealand Beatles as it were. The New Zealand well-known bands were Ray Columbus & the Invaders, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, and then there was a bunch of bands doing cover music which was what I did. I played in one band that did just Blood Sweat & Tears and Chicago music. Now the New Zealand scene is quite active, there are a lot of bands doing their own material and has been for the last 10-15 years. But when I was growing up in New Zealand there was mostly cover bands unless you were lucky enough to be one of those successful bands. On the other hand, it was fantastic because I got to sing all sorts of different styles, songs, and paid my dues doing that, which was great really.”
Ray Shasho: Who were some of the American music artists you grew up listening to… and was American music easily obtainable in New Zealand?
Chris Thompson: “Your records were easily available. English musicians listened to The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Kinks, Manfred Mann, and all the pop kind of stuff. I listened to an awful lot of jazz. The American bands that influenced me were Blood Sweat & Tears, Chicago, and I listened to a lot of Edgar Winter, they were kind of jazz/rock/pop. I listened to a lot of blues obviously. I grew up doing a lot of Sam & Dave covers, James Brown, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and all of that. Then into the pop music genre and by the 70’s we were listening to the Eagles and The Doobie Brothers.”

‘TOYS & DISHES’ the new album

Ray Shasho: Speaking of the blues … “Woe Is Me” was my favorite track on ‘Toys & Dishes’ the new album … I absolutely love that tune! Have you ever recorded an album devoted solely to the blues?
Chris Thompson: “Thank you so much, no I have not. Whatever albums I have done, I’ve always done some kind of blues song. It was actually a couple of blues songs that we were going to do for this album and they just ended up not fitting in with everything else. “Woe Is Me” came from the very first song I wrote for the record and it got changed at the very-very last moment. On the album I made it a very big point to try to make a booklet that would be worth people reading and looking at. I took a page for each lyric and then wrote some comments about what was meaningful to me about the lyric, or I’d put some photographs related to the song in some way or another.”

““Woe Is Me” has got a little tag on the bottom which says, “If it wasn’t for Johnny Cash this song would be in D major (All laughing).” It was in D major all of the time until the very end and it didn’t sit correctly for me. I was listening to the radio and heard a Johnny Cash song and I went s**t, what would happen if I played it in a minor key. So I just started playing it and came right at the last moment. I’m glad you like it because it’s really kind of a sarcastic funny song. But a lot of people like it. I got a letter from a friend of mine who’s worked with Randy Newman, I sent him a copy of it and he said that was his favorite song.”
Ray Shasho: The album is a monumental mix of music. Most of the tracks are upbeat but you’ve also recorded a beautiful acoustic composition entitled … “Dream Away Little Girl.”
Chris Thompson: “When we were trying to put the album together, I was struggling where to put that ‘Dream Away’ song, so I just imagined that I was making an album that had two sides. So that’s why at the end of “Hey You” the track before ‘Dream Away’ has got a little record clink, just to kind of give people a hint that we were going to change over and listen to the other side, which is styled totally differently from the first side.”
Ray Shasho: ‘Toys & Dishes’ spotlights intriguing lyrics as in “Million Dollar Wonder Hit” and “Millie Christine.”
Chris Thompson: “We try to tell some stories and inject a little bit of humor into what we are doing, and “Million Dollar Wonder Hit” is definitely tongue-in-cheek, it’s for my life and a million other people’s lives. I sang a number one hit that I didn’t write and wrote a number one hit that I didn’t sing. So I’m hoping that I can write one and sing one but it’s difficult, it’s always been difficult, but nowadays it’s more difficult than anything, I’m glad that I’m not a young musician starting off anyway.”
Ray Shasho: There are a lot of great musicians out there that will never have a legitimate opportunity to be showcased on mainstream radio. Radio station owners are more interested in playing an outrageous amount of commercials rather than providing the public with admirable entertainment.
Chris Thompson: “Everybody plays the same thing! I just can’t believe it! If you go back to the 70’s when you used to open a Billboard magazine and see what somebody in New York was playing or in Chicago was playing … it would be nothing like what was being played in LA or in New York. I had a song called “If You Remember Me,” it was released and nobody really played it at all. Then one station in New York started playing it and became a top request. And because it was a top request and remained a top request on that station, in the end other stations thought … well gee, I guess we’ll play it. Everywhere they played it people began asking for it more. Eventually it got up to number four or something like that on the charts. I think it was six or seven months from the first entry until it got to the top and that just doesn’t happen anymore. A radio station won’t play a song and believe in it anymore… it’s very sad.”
Ray Shasho: Chris, talk about the players in your touring band?
Chris Thompson: “It’s the same band that I’ve had for thirteen years and they come from Norway. The guitarist is Mads Eriksen, bass player is Frank Hovland, the keyboard player is Gunnar Bjelland and he was the only one that played on the record. It’s so difficult to fly people in and out to do a record because you just have to get things done; otherwise it’s a waste of money. So I decided that I would take my time and do stuff at home. In the end I brought Gunnar over for a couple of days on several occasions. But it’s the same touring band I’ve had for thirteen years and they’re a fantastic band. We do a very good show and I’m very lucky. We’ve been having some fun playing the new songs; in fact just before you called I was sitting down listening to the recording and always thinking of ways to improve things and ways to make the music a little bit more alive instead of just playing the music from the record.”
(Other band members include Szolt Meszaros and Steinar Krokstad on drums).
Ray Shasho: Any chance of touring in the U.S. again soon?
Chris Thompson: “I’d be there in a shot if somebody would ask us. I still have a couple of friends who deejays in Los Angeles …Joe Benson and Cynthia Fox and they always play Manfred Mann and talk about me which is very nice. I sent them the new record, so I’m hoping they will start the American Revolution by playing something new. But we’re going to try everything possible to get this record played in America. All the ABC radio news stations picked up the fact that I made a record and it was amazing. So it was very nice that people are still interested that I’m making new records. I think for America, “Dark Side” is the song for me, the one with the piano intro … for me that’s the song for America. But I’m really happy with this record and I’m going to really concentrate on it until the end of the year. We’ve got a lot of exciting things coming up, we’re playing in Kiel in the north of Germany at a great festival called Kieler Woche and we’re playing an hour of our music with an orchestra. So I’m really-really happy about that. So we’re going to keep plugging away and look for that breakthrough.”
Ray Shasho: Manfred Mann continues to tour with Mick Rogers?
Chris Thompson: “He’s always on the road …him and Mick… they’re the two originals of the Earth Band.”
Ray Shasho: The band Manfred Mann has evolved into many diverse and commercially successful facets during their career. An early #1 hit with “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” (1964) and probably their most successful #1 hit single “Blinded by the Light” by a revitalized Manfred Mann’s Earth Band in which you were the lead singer and guitarist. How did the band select that Bruce Springsteen tune?
Chris Thompson: “Manfred was given the album by a deejay in Philadelphia called Ed Sharkey, a fantastic man, he’s dead unfortunately, he knew Manfred and loved Manfred’s Earth Band and he just brought the record and gave it to him and said listen to this, I think you could do something with a couple of these tracks. When I joined the band, Manfred was fiddling around with “Blinded by the Light” and I never had heard Springsteen’s version until I went and saw him live in 1977 in Montreal. So Manfred just sang me the song and said this is how it goes. I didn’t want to listen to the original and be swayed by it in any way. So I never heard it at all, we just sat around a piano and Manfred said this is the way it goes. Then we worked it out with the band and the rest is history.”
Ray Shasho: Did the band actually change some of the original lyrics to the song?
Chris Thompson: Originally it was … ‘Cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night’… and we replaced it with … ‘Wrapped up like a deuce, another runner in the night.’ (Note: the song lyric around the web states … ‘Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night’) I think one of the major reasons it was a hit as well is because nobody could understand the lyrics (All laughing). But when a record gets played and played and played it becomes a hit.”
Ray Shasho: Of course Manfred Mann’s Earth Band had other hits as well like … “Davey’s On The Road Again,”“Runner,” and several other Springsteen penned tracks … “Spirit in The Night” and “For You.”
Chris Thompson: ““For You”…with me singing it was on the German dance charts for about 132 weeks. A band called The Disco Boys did a dance version of it and is very-very good actually. I’ve been playing piano and voice version of that song for fifteen years. We mix it up and kind of do a disco version of it now and a lot of people love it.”
Ray Shasho: Your biggest hit was co-penned with Andy Qunta (Icehouse), Keth Reid (Procol Harum), and Maggie Ryder called “You’re the Voice” and performed by John Farnham.
Chris Thompson: “It continues to be a very good track for us. It’s found its way into all sorts of things like movies … and funny enough; the Australians use it almost like their national anthem. I remember I was in Australia when it was a hit. I was driving with John I think and I had the radio on and drove into a gas station to get some gas. “You’re the Voice” was being played and I could tell where it was being played on the song that it wasn’t what I was listening to on the radio. Then I went to the next gas station and it was also being played there, but at a different place as well. So it was being played on three different radio stations at the same time. It was insane. On You Tube there’s a great version of Coldplay doing “You’re the Voice” when they were in Australia … it’s really great.”
Ray Shasho: A YouTube video that gets millions of hits is “Blinded by the Light” on The Midnight Special … the band performed flawlessly on the show.
Chris Thompson: “The funny thing about The Midnight Special was the Eagles were on that night as well. It was at a time when the band was falling to pieces and they didn’t want to play with each other anymore. They kept stopping every thirty seconds and theirs was a prerecorded thing. Ours was done in one take but the Eagles kept doing it again. It became too embarrassing so they asked everybody to leave.”
Ray Shasho: Chris, 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?
Chris Thompson: “If I go back to when I was in Manfred Mann’s Earth Band …one of the greatest live bands in my opinion was Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer. At the time I would give my eye teeth to play with them. I was lucky enough to be on stage with The Doobie Brothers every night for nine months. That was pretty fantastic. I think as far as writing is concerned …if I could sit in a room with Elton John, Bernie Taupin and myself and written a couple of songs, I think that would have made me pretty happy.”

“I went back to New Zealand one time and they asked me who I would really like to work with and I chose Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, The Doobie Brothers and the Eagles. Those were the four people that I wanted to work with. I’ve worked with Ray Charles and the Doobies; I sat in the studio with Aretha while she was working, and never worked with the Eagles. But to have written with Elton John and Bernie Taupin or be in a band with Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer would be unbelievable, listening to that ‘Roadworks’ album… it’s just phenomenal.”
Ray Shasho: Rick Derringer lives very close to where I live here in Bradenton.
Chris Thompson: “You tell him hello from me, I did a lot of gigs with him. He was fantastic; he’s the only person I knew that used to dress down for a gig in the 70’s. He was such a dapper dresser, always perfectly dressed. When he came in he’d put on an old pair of jeans with a ripped knee, sneakers, and a T- shirt and go on and do the gig (All laughing).”
Ray Shasho: Chris, thank you for being on the call today but more importantly for all the incredible music you’ve given us and continue to bring.
Chris Thompson: “My pleasure Ray, thank you!”

Purchase Chris Thompson’s incredible new release ‘Toys & Dishes’ [Here] or amazon.com
Chris Thompson official site:
Chris Thompson on Facebook:

Very special thanks to the great Billy James of Glass Onyon PR
Coming up NEXT … My recent interview with Jann Klose

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