|
Crook
and Chase
February
2, 1996
CC=Charlie Chase
LC=Lorianne Crook
MP=Martin Page
CC: Welcome back to the Crook and Chase show. We're visiting with
Martin Page, big hit song, "In the House of Stone and Light."
Now his new single, "Light in Your Heart." Let's talk about the
formation of this album. It's rather interesting how you came to put this
album project together.
MP: Well, it was a great project for me because I recorded everything at
home. I've always felt that when you work in the studio sometimes it gets
a bit clinical and you lose the spirit, so I built a studio in my garage
in my house.
CC: Wait a minute, "garage?" [American pronunciation]
MP: "Garage" [British pronunciation]
LC: "Garage" [British] You're from Southern England?
MP: I'm from Southampton, England, where we have lots of
"garages."
LC: And can I ask you--I don't mean to be tacky--but how can you afford a
studio in your home? That's terribly expensive.
MP: Well, I was very fortunate because before I made my own album I was a
songwriter for about eight years in Los Angeles and I was able to work
with a lot of writers and I was lucky enough to have a few hits.
LC: Like?
MP: I wrote "We Built This City" for Starship and "These
Dreams" for Heart and I wrote "King of Wishful Thinking"
and "Faithful" for Go West. And I did some work with Earth, Wind
and Fire and The Commodores.
CC: And you wrote with Bernie Taupin, who is Elton John's cowriter, on
some of those big hits.
MP: Bernie was the lyricist for "These Dreams and "We Built This
City" and actually was the lyricist for "Light in Your
Heart," this single that's out now.
LC: And, you know, I was so moved--I guess--when I read the story behind
"In the House of Stone and Light." Can you tell the folks just
briefly where it came from because I've been to the Grand Canyon, but I've
not heard that terminology.
MP: When I was recording the album I was going through quite a tough time
in my personal life and I really wanted to get away from Los Angeles and
just find my roots again. So I went to the Grand Canyon for peace of mind.
When I was there, I learned that the Indians called the Grand Canyon the
"House of Stone and Light." And that title really struck with
me, and it reminded me of songs I'd loved as a kid, like, "Bridge
Over Troubled Waters" or "Many Rivers to Cross." It had a
spiritual feel to it. I brought it back to my "garage"-- Not the
Grand Canyon, actually the title-- [laughter] and I just wrote it on a
piece of paper and left it on the floor. And I was playing the piano and
suddenly this song appeared. And to me the "House of Stone and
Light" meant the house of the soul because I was going through a kind
of rebirth myself and so to me it was about finding the light inside your
chest and inside your own home, which was your own soul.
LC: The whole album seems that way to me. All of your music--I think you
can separate the lyrics almost into poetry and they will move you, and if
you listen to the music by itself it will move you as well. A lot of
artists I don't think can accomplish that and you did.
MP: Well, I appreciate you saying that and it's very rare, I think, in
today's business to have the luxury to go for something very honest and
truthful. And although I'm very proud of what I did for other artists, I
always felt like I was an actor in somebody else's movie. So this--I was
lucky really to be honorable to myself and I was lucky people appreciated
it.
CC: You know, people in this country, when somebody like yourself comes
along-- you're a big hit star in music--they latch on, they want to know
more about you. So I'm sure the ladies are saying, "Well, is this
introspective man married?" Are you?
MP: No, no I'm not married. No, no I'm not. Although I had a kiss earlier.
[applause]
LC: No, I was complaining, I said, "I'm sorry I think I'm knocking
you over with my Cajun breath" and he says, "Let's find
out." So I planted one on him...and it was fun.
CC: In other words, we'll have Martin's 800 number up here shortly. Do you
have a girlfriend, do you have children from previous marriages?
LC: It's none of your business, Charlie.
MP: I have a cat at home and two goldfish, which I'm very close to.
[laughter] You know, I'm a bit of a workaholic, and I've been on the road,
really, for the last two years with this album. The single took a long
time to break and I've been very passionate about this recording. I'm
looking for the right lady when she appears, but my mother's always
saying, "You've got to work at it, you've got to put an effort
in." And I'm saying "No, it'll happen," but I realize now I
really have to work at it.
LC: You have to work at it. And you know what you have to do, Martin? You
have to listen to a woman.
MP: Oh, okay. [leans toward Lorianne]
LC: [laughing] You're scaring me. And you have to understand her
feelings--is the clue.
CC: And you have to get all that junk out of your "garage"--or
whatever you call it.
MP: There you go. That was nearly "garage."
CC: It was close. I tried, I really tried.
LC: This is your debut album as a solo artist, and it is hugely
successful, so when you do album number two, you have twice the pressure,
don't you?
MP: It's an interesting thing because people have started to say after a
couple of big songs, how do you feel about it. But I think, particularly
at this time in my career, I've been lucky enough to be behind the scenes
for a while so I feel I'm mature enough to understand what this is and as
quick as success comes it can go from you as fast. I think the main thing
is to concentrate on doing the best work you can and just hope that people
are touched by the emotions. I think if you at all start to worry about
copying yourself and following the style, well then you're in all sorts of
trouble. I think you've just got to go off of your emotions more than
anything else.
LC: Boy, I tell you, you are really on track. You've got something going
here. Good music. We wish you a lot of luck and give our love to your cat
and your goldfish.
MP: I will then. Thank you.
LC: Martin Page, everybody. Get the album, it's wonderful.
[After break, Lorianne and Charlie's goodbye:]
LC: I didn't want to say this when Martin Page was out here, but I have
seen him all over the television and, of course, heard him all over the
radio. I was so thrilled to meet him, but I didn't want him to know I was
just...gushing.
CC: My wife, Karen, goes crazy over his music. She's got his album.
LC: Why didn't you bring her today?
CC: Well, she said no, just get me a little, whatever.
LC: See, we're embarrassed. He's great.
CC: The first thing she was shocked about when she saw Martin Page's video
was how clean cut he was. Because she said, "Well, I was expecting
somebody with long hair." But he--he's really coming across.
Other transcripts
Home |
