| 1. What are you currently up
to? |
I've just finished
the first leg of the North American tour with "Yes" and the second leg commences
in the middle of October . I have a new prog rock album entitled "Out There"
that will be released in January worldwide . I also have an unusual album
due out soon entitled "The Wizard and the Forest of all Dreams" this is a
classically based work that I recorded with just piano and the English Chamber
Choir . It is likely to become a ballet some time next year premiering in
Milan . I also have an album just out with Dave Cousins from Strawbs, entitled
Hummingbird. All three projects have really turned out very well indeed and
that will pretty much be all the recording I will do now until I go into
the studio with Yes later next year . |
| 2. Who was/is your biggest influence
on your career? |
There is no
one person . I listened , learned and gained knowledge from a lot of people
. To name three........my father , David Bowie and Serge
Prokofiev. |
| 3.Which band would you like to
see reform? |
If you could
reincarnate the wonderful Viv Stanshall...then it would have to be the Bonzo
Dog Doo Dah Band |
| 4.Which style of performance do
you prefer - solo or as part of a band? |
As long as I'm
playing and making music, I really don't care!! Variety is the spice of
life. |
| 5.Any chance of some European/UK
Yes dates at all? |
Probably summer
next year . I know the management are looking at some offers that have come
in from some European festivals. |
6.Do you enjoy your TV work? I enjoy
your appearances on 'Never Mind...' - is Mark Lamarr as big a prat as he
seems on TV? |
I love it. I
love variety in both life and work. I'm still managing to fit in a few Countdowns
a year and even some after dinner speaking!!!! I like Mark a lot. He's very
quick and very knowledgable. Certainly not in the prat category at
all!!!! |
| 7.Who would you like to work with
in the future (or would have liked to in regards to dead rock
stars)? |
There are a
lot ....but here goes with just four from the long list "Alive" list: Pete
Townsend. Paul Mccartney. "Dead" list: George Harrison, Jimi
Hendrix. |
| 8.What do you think about the state
of rock music at the moment? It seems classic rock/ 'hair' band music is
big news again but only as a touring veichle (eg all the classic rock bands
touring the US - Styx, REO, Scorpions, Poison - but no new albums in many
band's cases)? |
There is nothing
wrong with the state of rock music at the moment. The problems lie within
the way the industry is now run. I could go on for hours about this and the
joke is that it is easy to put right. Well , yes are doing a new album next
year . But you are right.Touring is the thing. We're selling out everywhere.
The Who for example did four nights at Madison Square Garden. Record companies
don't know what to do with us anymore.
The executives are mostly in nappies
and the experience within the music industry has been put out to grass. Hence
vastly reduced CD sales everywhere, which the industry hates to admit . Easy
to solve though as I mentioned earlier....how ? Well as I understand it's
the potential subject of a major television network investigation at the
moment I'm saying nothing, but all should be revealed within a year or
so. |
| 9.What was the last thing you
read? |
A Richard Rankin
book . In fact his were the last three books I read !!!! Chris Squire turned
me on to him during the tour and that started me off. I read three of them
during the tour . Hilarious and a great read. |
| 10. Message for your
fans... |
Without you
all there is no home for the music I love to make, so God bless you
all. |
