JIMI HENDRIX
LIZ: Now Brian, we must talk about the Hendrix song on this album and your interpretation of ‘One Rainy Wish’. I mean, I know you’re a huge Hendrix fan, but I wanted to sort of know why or what made you take on that particular track?
BRIAN: I’ve always loved that track, ‘cos I think it’s a real dream. I wrote ‘The Prophet’s Song’ about a real dream that I had, and I’m pretty sure that that was a real dream of Jimi Hendrix. And it has this wonderful floating quality. It’s not typical of his work, but I just always loved it and I love the way he sings.
He was very self-conscious about his singing, I know. He would always sing behind a screen, ‘cos he didn’t want to be seen in the studio to sing. I only know this ‘cos we toured with his Road Manager for years too, the wonderful Gerry Stickells, who used to tell me lots of Jimi Hendrix stories. And I was lucky enough to have Eddie Kramer come along, who was Jimi’s Producer. He came and sat in my studio and we did this Hendrix tribute together, which was really great.
Yeah, I consider myself so lucky and, yeah, I loved it, and I wanted to put my own little thing[s], the little stamps on it – my little trademarks, I suppose. Funny thing is I’ve never really tried to play like Jimi Hendrix because I can’t, and I don’t think anyone can play like Jimi. He’s from another Planet.
IAN HUNTER
LIZ: I have to talk to you about Ian Hunter and this album because you got him in for your version of ‘All The Way From Memphis’. You and Mott The Hoople have history.
BRIAN: Mott The Hoople taught us so much just by being Mott The Hoople, and by having us on tour and being so generous to us. They actually allowed us to have sound checks as a support band, which a lot of people don’t, you know. A lot of people feel threatened by their Support, and they saw us go on and get a great reaction and they always encouraged it, which is great, partly because they knew they would kill every night. There was no doubt, when Mott The Hoople hit that stage, it was a riot, and we learned from them. We learned how to connect with our audience – how to give them what they want and give them a little bit of what they didn’t know they wanted – and just to connect.
LOOKING BACK ON “ANOTHER WORLD” ALBUM
LIZ: I’m kind of curious as to how you look back on this album now. I know you’ve, you know, this reissue has lots of extra things added to it and you’ve spent time with it again,. Almost as though when you were describing spending time with Freddie’s voice for “Made In Heaven”. You were going back and listening through to stuff. How does it feel, revisiting yourself?
BRIAN: It’s been surprising, as with the first one I thought I would be older and wiser and sort of know better, but I feel I don’t. I feel like I’m still the same kind of kid who made that album. I still, if I was making an album now, it would be very much like that. So, I didn’t feel the urge to change anything in the main album. We just polished it up, remastered or whatever – didn’t change any of the mixes or anything. So I feel like it’s me now.
PUTTING ON QUEEN SHOES
LIZ: Once you’ve done this and once you’ve dealt with this, you’re putting your Queen shoes back on as well.
BRIAN: Mmm.
LIZ: How do you feel about that?
BRIAN: I feel good. A little nervous but because it’s been a while: two years since we finished off in Australia and headed back to England right into lockdown. That was very much a jolt, you know, from traveling the world – Korea, Japan. It was an amazing, beautiful tour that – one of the most successful tours we’ve ever done, including the “Firefight Concert” in Sydney, which was a bit like ”Live Aid” . Something amazing – then you come back, and I was confined to my house in London for months. Couldn’t get into the studio. Couldn’t get out to tour. Couldn’t even busk in the streets. So I took to Instagram, and how wonderful through Instagram to be able to encourage young artists of all kinds – musicians, but also visual artists – poets – the lot. I love it. I’m happy to be alive and happy to still be able to interact.
LIZ: And this is what’s wonderful though, you know, again you’ve taken a positive out of what was a huge negative for so many of us locked down. But it brought around a different side of you – a different, probably one that you maybe wouldn’t have even thought about doing if you hadn’t been in that situation. So, you’ve managed to see a glimpse of light in there and I think a lot of people actually did, you know, go through the lockdown journey with Brian May. It was, you know, because what else were we doing apart from looking at a phone going: “When can I go out?” [Laughter]
BRIAN: That’s good for me. I like it. I think that’s the way to be. Like they say, if life delivers you lemons, you gonna make lemonade. [Laughter]
LIZ: Brian, as always, it’s been an absolute pleasure to spend some time with you and for all the Planet Rock listeners I know feel exactly the same, and I know we’ll see you again. But for now, thank you.
BRIAN: Thank you. God bless.
<MUSIC>
LIZ: And that’s the final choice from my guest, Brian May on “My Planet Rocks”. Brian’s remastered album, “Another World” is out now.
END
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