- The Andy
Kershaw Session on BBC Radio 1
- (Friday 18th June '99)
This interview
was recorded on Monday 14th June (the day after the concert at
Ronnie Scott's), but was broadcast the following Friday morning
at a ridiculous 'off peak' time, - between Midnight and 2.am.
Right up till the very last minute, there was no advertising
for the interview and session (either in the media or on the
BBC's own Website), so I'm sure very few Loudo fans in the UK
heard it. I only happened to tune in, because I went backstage,
and heard Loudon say that he was going to do an interview for
the show.
 Loudon began by mentioning his concert
at Ronnie Scott's (the previous
Sunday) and said he was over doing a lot of promotional work
for his new CD titled 'Social Studies' (while Andy joked "aren't
they always?"). He said it was due out on July 12th. Andy
said "are you going to play us something from it",
but typically for Loudon, he began with something that wasn't
on the CD, "something from my secular songbag." He
played . . .
Song : 'Living Alone'
This is a new 'unrecorded' song
about his experiences from moving back to the USA recently, after
several years living in Britain. The reason he left was because
he broke up with his girlfriend of several years Tracy
MacLeod, a BBC TV presenter. Most of the songs on his recent
album 'Little Ship' are about the breakup. Anyway, he moved back
to the place where he grew up, and this is where the song is
set. He later realised it wasn't a good idea, and moved again,
this time closer to New York.
 These was some 'banter'
about the new CD being on "a new label *again*', and Loudon
laughs and say, "yeah, I thought I'd try Hannibal records
for a while. I've left the Virgin 'stable' and now I'm in the
Hannibal . . . eh . . . , is it a stable, do you think? . . .
" Andy cuts in and suggests "Nursery", Loudon
says, "yeah, Nursery, . . . or Garage" (This is typical
of the light-hearted banter they always have together).
Andy asked if this next song
he's playing will be on the new CD. Again, Loudon says "No
- it's one from my cool life", and played . . .
Song : 'White Winos'
This is an absolutely beautiful
new 'unrecorded' song by Loudon. it's about drinking white wine
with his (late) Mother, and is a very catchy song with many many
great lines throughout. Absolutely brilliant. It's a song which
is instantly liked by everyone who has been lucky enough to hear
it.
They chatted about the recently
issued BBC Sessions CD. Loudon said he had four or five 90 minute
cassettes of music (from which he selected the songs for the
CD), and said "there may well be a volume 2, barring premature
rock death", Andy joked that "THEN there certainly
will" - (like box sets, anthologies etc).
After a few of Andy's records,
Loudo was back with a song from the new album. He explained the
circumstances which lead him to write it, several years back
during the festivities for Bill Clinton's inauguration, and then
played . . .
Song : 'Inaugural Blues'
Next, he announced it was time
for the new single.
Andy : (laughing) "Why do you bother
with singles?"
Loudon : "Well, because I'm desperate.
There's still a glimmer of hope. I want it to be 'Skunk time'
all over again. Now I know that IWIWAL didn't do too well - we
even tried it out here . . . "
Andy : (thinking of previous LWIII singles)
"Cardboard Boxes? - had a good 'B' side though."
Loudon : "What was the 'B' side?"
Andy : "Errr . . . Colours!!!"
Loudon : (impressed at Andy's encyclopaedic
knowledge) "Oh, VERY GOOD"
Andy : ". . . . . and I've always had
this little fantasy that some Radio 2 producer will pick it up
and go "hmmm, 'Colours', that sounds rather nice . . .
Loudon : " . . and then it's about dog
shit. Well it'll be in the box set!!!!"
Andy : "Richard through the glass is
telling me that they did!!!"
(Andy sings) "Oh the shit
on the streets of our town . . . "
Back to seriousness, and Loudon
introduces . . .
Song : 'Y2K'
'Y2K' is the
American term for the 'Millennium Bug' widely predicted to occurr
at the Year 2000. It's packed with lyrics gleefully predicting
absolute chaos at the end of the year / century, although Loudon
agreed with Andy that he didn't think anything would happen at
all. He says "I just wanted to cash in on the paranoia of
the whole thing."
Andy asks did he ever do a song
about the Royal Family, Loudon says, "yes, I did 'Prince
Of Wales' but we decided not to use it", though he thought
it was rather a cool song with some very good lines (quotes some).
Another break, then Loudon mentioned
how successful his son Rufus is becoming, so "just to annoy
him", Loudon plays . . .
Song : 'Rufus Is A Tit Man'
Andy asks, since 'Rufus' is from
an old album (Unrequited), how many of Loudon's old records are
still available, Loudon seemd to think that most of them are,
but adding that he made "a couple of records for Arista
which have thankfully not been reissued (!)" He went on
to say that Rhino are interested in issuing the first two albums
(on CD for the first time), which he was very pleased about.
He then followed with yet another
brand new song, one about Valentine's Day.
Song : 'Bridge'
Another 'unrecorded' song, this
one gently chides the British approach to sending cards at Valentines
Day, (their tradition is to NOT sign the  card, and hope
the person who receives the card can guess who it's from). It's
a beautiful, bluesy, moody song, (the word 'bridge' is mentioned
in the last verse), and perfect to finish off a great radio session.
Finally, Loudon gave news of
his future British plans. He said he was coming back in July
for the Trowbridge (July 24th) and Cambridge festivals (July31st,
August 1st), and (you heard it here first ;-)) he'd be back for
a "proper British tour later in the year."
Here's Loudon's exact words :
"I'll be back, hopefully
with Martha Wainwright as my support act, and I will be here
for October and November"
Andy said thanks, and invited
Loudon to come back on the show in the autumn, and Loudon agreed
he would.
*** Andy Kershaw
is a BBC Radio 1 presenter who has been a longtime fan of Loudon
and his music. He recently wrote the sleevenotes to the BBC Sessions
CD, which featured a selection of Loudon's BBC radio recordings
from the years 1971 - 1993. It's now a sort of tradition that
whenever Loudon is over for a visit, that he guests on the 'Kershaw'
programme. |
