Longevity in the music industry is a tricky thing as of late. It seems that the attention span of a new generation just isn’t as long as it used to be. It’s a good thing that a voice like that of John Waite emerged in the 70s instead of in today’s manufactured industry. (Yes, the same guy who gave us “Missing You” in the 80s.) John has been making music for almost 40 years and has given us many memorable music memories ranging from The Babys to his solo career to Bad English. What’s that? Did I hear someone ask whatever happened to him? Well, let me catch you up to speed a bit.
John has kept busy touring and recording and his 2011 studio album Rough & Tumble featured a number one hit in its title track. The album also has been given new life due to the country act Love and Theft and their cover of the song “If You Ever Get Lonely” which is burning up the country charts. John just recently released a live album entitled “Live: All Access” and it truly showcases his amazing voice. It also captures a new found hunger in John in which it seems his creative fire has been stoked. I recently sat down with John to see how life was treating him these days.
Hey John, how are you today? Man, this is such a treat to be able to talk to you today.
I’m doing really, really well. I’m doing a bunch of interviews today and I’m thankful that people still want to talk to me; it’s a good time right now.
It’s especially a good time for your fans because you just released a new live album entitled Live: All Access and it’s a fantastic album. I guess one of the first questions would be why a live album right now instead of a new studio album?
About nine months ago, we got a new guitar player in the band called Keri Kelli, who played with Slash in Slash’s Snake Pit, and he came fresh to us from Alice Cooper. He’s the gun slinger type of guitar player: very fiery and very genuine; he really plays his soul. We started playing shows with him and we really threw him in the deep end. You know, most bands have two guitar players, but I was really going for that early 70s, English rock sound where it’s a three piece band and a singer. We gave him 15 songs and told him learn them for a gig in Detroit in three weeks and we’ll see you at the airport. We didn’t rehearse, we ran through a couple of songs to see where we were at and we ended up pulling off this headline show in front of 3000-4000 people. He really brought it, he was really outstanding. He never complained, he was a very positive guy and he brought a great deal to the table. After a couple months of playing with him, I thought that what we were doing was really, really good and much better than what was on my last live album, so I decided to make a run for it and record a new live album.
One of the very first things that I noticed, and I think that most people will notice as well, is the song selection. This isn’t a typical live album full of the hits. It’s a rather interesting choice of song selection. I am sure there had to be a method to the madness for picking those songs?
You’re right; there are not a lot of hit songs on this album. I picked the songs that I wanted the people to hear. “If You Ever Get Lonely” is on there and “Change” is on there, but “Missing You” isn’t on there and there’s only one Babys song on there (“Head First”). You know, really it’s the songs that rocked the hardest and the ballads that meant the most that ended up on there. It was more about the performance and about me and Keri and the dynamic between us.
From my perspective as a fan, it seems almost as if Keri may have recharged your creative juices a bit or woke up something in you because you really seem to be reenergized.
I talked to a friend of mine this morning before I started my interviews and they told me they had downloaded it and listened to it and loved it. I decided to put it on before doing these interviews and listen to it myself. I have to say that I am really proud of it and I think it’s the best album that I’ve ever done and it’s the oddest as well. There are no overdubs or studio trickery and we didn’t go back in and fix anything; it’s completely live. I don’t think I have ever sung this well either. I am so excited for this record and it really surprises me what is going on. The musical conversation is engrossing to me; it’s really, really good.
One of the things that stood out to me and that I really love about this album is the rawness that you can hear and feel.
You’re absolutely right and I will elaborate on that. You see, there are a lot of bands from my decade, they do play to tapes and it’s just the way it is right now. It’s like Walt Disney; it’s not really like going to a live rock show. Some of the lead vocals are from the album and most of the backing vocals are; I don’t know what you would really call it. If that’s music, then I think I must be in some alternate universe. I think it’s a knee jerk reaction to arena rock being turned into a business. That’s one of the main reasons that I am so proud of this record because it’s so real; I have real musicians playing real instruments.
The eight songs that did make it onto the album are they from one specific show or pulled from various ones?
There’s a church/studio in south Philly called Philly Sound that we did it at. It’s an old church that has been renovated into a studio. We announced it on the radio with our dj friend Jacky Bam Bam from WMMR 93.3 in Philly that we were doing two nights there and I bought three kegs of beer for each night to get the audience in the right mood. We were about three songs into it and things were out of tune because of how hot it was in there. We got all the way to the mastering aspect of it and it was just really out of tune, so I scrapped two-thirds of it and recorded some other shows. We had one show in Manchester, New Hampshire and the sound check was absolutely dreadful, but the show itself was one of the most amazing shows that I have ever played. It ended up being one of those records that you hope to make a musician sometime in your life time.
You know, it’s really great to hear the passion and excitement in your voice when you talk about this new album. It’s no secret that you’ve been in this business for almost 40 years, so to hear that in your voice is an awesome thing.
In a world of American Idol and auto tune and bands playing along to tapes, someone has to call bullshit and tell them that it really doesn’t go like that. If it ends up being the very last thing that I do, then it’s come full circle to what I wanted to do when I was a little kid.
There have been so many changes in the industry that you have seen first-hand over the years. How do you measure a new album as being successful these days? It seems like the measurement of gold (500,000) or platinum (one million) just doesn’t exist anymore.
It’s not about the money anymore because if somebody buys a copy off of iTunes, then they can put it in a file and send it off to whoever they want to and I don’t get paid for it. If they play it on the radio, then I make like a quarter off of each song. It’s not about how many copies that I sell, it’s about the connection that I make with the audience. There are people who get it right and then there is product. Again, it’s a knee jerk reaction to the music business; I can’t think of two words that are so much polar opposites of each other. How can you tell a musician what to play unless you are just looking for product? Music can pull this crazy world together and let people know that they are not alone. When it’s done right, the payback is invaluable. I can’t even begin to explain what it’s done for me.
A big amen to you on that one John! Music has definitely been there for me in the good times and the bad when nothing else seemed to be. Those two words, music business, are definitely an oxymoron.
Yeah, you’re absolutely right. Somebody once told me that the guy at the record company is called an A&R guy, that means artist and repertoire, and he’s the guy who comes around and tells you to do something different. Some great comedic spirit somewhere said that it stand for “always (w)rong.” John Hammond the quintessential A&R man who discovered Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Aretha Franklin was a brilliant fan and he knew talent; most A&R guys these days are just clueless.
From a fan’s perspective, I see so many changes and I can only imagine what you see on your end.
The industry has never been this bad, but no matter how bad it gets, there’s always some kid somewhere with an acoustic guitar in his bedroom who learns to play a chord or two and sing a melody. You have guys like Jack White who come along and he gets it. I went to the Ryman Auditorium with Alison Krauss to see Bob Dylan perform and Jack White came out with him for the encore and he was absolutely about as good as it gets. You know, I really didn’t get the White Stripes, but then I see him live and I think Jesus Christ, this guy is great. Thank goodness we have people like him on the planet and Keith Richards, Dylan, Pete Townsend and Alison Krauss who are the real McCoy. It doesn’t matter what the music business does, these people make great art regardless.
John, how can people get their hands of your new album? It seems that walking into a store and buying a CD is becoming a thing of the past.
Well, I have my own label right now and I’ve released it exclusively on iTunes; it’s the first time that I’ve put something out just on there. I lease my other records to bigger labels for four years and then the masters come back to me. This time, I didn’t want to be bothered with anyone in the music business. I knew what I was doing, I loved the band, I loved the songs, I mixed it and I produced it; there was really no need. If I did a deal with the record company and they take 90%, where will they end up putting these CDs? Barnes and Noble is the only record shop that I can think of within ten miles of where I live that actually sells CDs. I know Wal-Mart sells them as well, but they only sell the top 50. I’m taking a shot by trying it just on iTunes, but if you want a physical CD, you can also go to my website, www.johnwaitethesinger.com, you can get a signed copy of it. It’s actually selling too, so there are people out there who are still interested in me.
I really hope the public, as fickle as they seem to be at times, give this album a chance John because even those it’s not slammed full of the hits, it really does capture the magic that’s happening between you and Keri.
I think so and thank you so much for actually noticing that. See, you’re one of the ones who get it and I appreciate that.
Watch “If You Ever Get Lonely”
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Can you name three albums that changed your life or influenced you?
Highway by Free is a beautiful record and the blueprint for what I have done with my music. It’s a beautiful, intelligent and magnificent record. There’s also a record by a band called the Fairport Convention, with Sandy Denny singing and Richard Thompson playing guitar, called “Liege & Lief.” It was English folk music set to rock and I thought it was beautiful as well. Three albums, wow man, it’s like asking what your favorite Beatles song is (laughs).
One last question for you John: If you could go back and give the younger version of yourself any advice, would you and what would it be?
No, you can’t teach wisdom to anybody. You have to put your hand in the fire and get burned to become a man, that’s the bottom line. If I went back and told the 18 year old version of me that something was coming down the pike, I wouldn’t listen. You have to try your best to understand women as well because they are so different than men (laughs). If you really love what you do and you can make you way through life doing it, then that is truly a blessing. If you are straight with people, then I think they will love you and that’s about as good as life can get.
Now that’s a great way to wrap up an interview. John, I wish you all the best with this new album and whatever lies ahead. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today. As crazy as this industry is, it’s great to see you so alive and full of passion when it comes to making your art.
God bless you man, I truly appreciate you saying that and all of your kind words today. Thanks to your magazine for wanting to talk to me and I hope that people out there will check out my new record and let me know what they think.
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