1)
Q: I know the new CD will be out early next year, hopefully, but are
you currently working on the one after that?
A: I am either
behind or ahead of myself when it comes to written material for potential
recordings. My next CD was recorded a while ago now, but we've only
found a home for it recently. So, as far as songs, I have enough written
for a couple more albums already. But when they will be recorded or
released is anybody's guess right now. The nice thing about playing
'live' is that I get to preview songs as soon as they are written,
if I choose to do so. I have been playing songs from 'One Of The Lucky
Ones', in concert, for months, like 'Guess Again', 'If All It Takes
Is Time', 'I Don't Wanna Know', and a couple others. 'Don't Seem Right'
is on my concert DVD and it's not on the next CD. 'Dance On Daddy's
Feet' is only available on my live DVD at the moment.
Sooner or later, I will get them all out there, in one form or another...I
hope!
2) Q: How`s your son Jessejames and
what is he doing these days? Do you get to see much of him?
A: Thanks
for asking. Jess is fine. Living in southern California. He has his
hand in a few things. Has a band with a few friends up in Montreal,
called 'The First Second' (Love that name!). Might be hearing from
them in the new year. Ya never know!
In the meantime, you can go to www.thefirstsecond.com
and check them out.
I never see or have seen 'enough' of my son. That's one of the perils
of trying to be a 'world citizen'. We are closer than I could have
ever hoped, given our 'tale'.
Being in the arts, himself, Jess has been a very understanding son.
He 'gets' me.
3) Q: Do you do all your own housework?
A:
Yes...and not often enough!
4) Q: How many black shirts do you
really have?
A: The 'black shirt'
thing was born out of sheer necessity. When I'm traveling and doing
5 shows in 6 nights, I don't worry about my stamina. I don't worry
about my voice. I worry about LAUNDRY! How am I gonna get my clothes
cleaned for the next series of gigs, on the run?
Black is easy to take care of and stays (somewhat) presentable during
long, hot shows.
I am trying to add a bit of color to my stage wardrobe tho. A bit.
Nothing too Dame Edna!
5) Q: How long have you had those
boots??
A: A long
time. They have become an 'instrument' on a few songs. Tap out a rhythm.
Keep my own time. There's probably a couple songs I couldn't play
in trainers. teehee...
6) Q: Your family
is Italian but were you brought up catholic or Jewish?
A: Everyone
in my family - both sides - was Italian. Raised Catholic, but not
from a strict
religious family. Not sure why you thought I might have been raised
in the Jewish faith, altho there are similarities, emotionally.
Example-
Italian mother: "If you leave I will fall on the floor and die!"
Jewish mother: "Go...leave me all alone. I'll be fine."
Same result, different approach!
7)
Q: Do you speak Italian?
A: No, sadly.
I can read a little, verrrry little...and, I always knew when I was
gonna get smacked 'round the head, so, well, maybe, yes, perhaps I
do!
8)
Q: What hobbies/interests do you have?
A: I don't
have any 'organized' hobbies, like stamp collecting, etc. I read alot.
Listen to music. I think a fair bit.
9)
Q: You always manage to make me laugh when I see you perform - so
who makes you laugh? Do you "get" the current British comedians?
A: I looove
to laugh. Do it every day, even if it's to laugh at myself. I do 'get'
the British humor. French and Saunders are always wonderful. Jimmy
Carr, Little Britain (David Walliams and Matt Lucas -'Yeah, I know!')
are current favorite. Rob Brydon's 'Marion and Geoff' is terrific
and the 'Human Remains' series that he did with Julia Davis ('Nighty
Night')
and, of course, 'The Office'.
I must admit, I take exception when I hear some Brits say that Americans
don't understand British humor or that the Yanks don't 'get irony'.
That American humor is too shallow. Two words: THE SIMPSONS ! The
funniest show on television...evvvvver!
10)
Q: Can you cook, if so, what is your specialty?
A: I like
to cook. Throw things together. Dabble. Be creative. Nothing too fancy.
Basic stuff.
Lots of chicken, fish and vegetables. I live alone, however, and there
are only so many dishes one can prepare 'for one', but, on the other
hand, I can experiment and not be fearful of poisoning anyone but
myself.
11)
Q: What is your favourite food?
A: Steamed
sea bass, roast chicken, sushi, green vegetables, like spinach or
peas. When I was a kid, I could eat a whole tin of spinach for lunch
- cold! Freaky, I know. Most kids would rather die!
Of course, these days I prefer 'fresh'. Mind you, in the 50s, canned
food was still very modern and convenient. Nutrition be damned!
12) Q: I am
so totally impressed with all the work you did on the Out of the Dark
CD. A regular little worker bee I must say. My question is this: How
many hours did it take for you to do the vocals on the tribute to
Shel on the Sylvia's Mother track?
A: That version
of 'Sylvia' was recorded simply because we had the time and the studio
and I'd always wanted to try something with just voices.
Started with the lowest voice, early in the morning, when I can get
waaaaydown there. Stacked vocal on top of vocal til we thought it
sounded cool. Not sure exactly how long it took. Maybe a few hours
a day, for a couple days. And we walked away from it. A week or so
later, I came into the studio, not particularly in a good mood, and
took a crack at the lead vocal. One take. Boom! Done.
We didn't have a release date or even a record deal at that point.
Never expected anyone else to hear it.
Glad it's out there now, but. I will say, I wasn't thrilled with it
being chosen to be the lead off single for 'Out Of The Dark'. Thought
it was a little pointless to go back, so many years later, to the
first thing I did with Hook. Maybe that's just me.
13) Q: Can you
ask Dennis what was the name of the last song he did at The Royal
Concert Hall, Glasgow earlier this year. He said it was a recently
new one but its not on the album "Out of the Dark". It would
be great to get the name of the song and which album its on.
A: The song
you're asking about is 'If All It Takes Is Time' and will be on my
forthcoming CD 'One Of The Lucky Ones'. See? Always ahead of myself.
14) Q: Will
Dennis be touring the US anytime soon?
A: I would
love to do some shows in the USA, for obvious reasons. There are no
real touring opportunities apart from 'oldies' ventures and package
tours. Give 'em who you 'used to be'.
That seems more like taxidermy than concert promotion, methinks. We
never stop looking tho.
Maybe 2005?
15) Q: Just
how rich is Dennis?
A: Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!
Oh? You really wanted an answer? Well, let's see...one, two, three
... mmmrrrppphhhh ... hahahahahaha!!!
16)
Q: A lot of Dennis' songs have a personal touch to them, do they have
special meanings to him?
A: I have
always gravitated towards material that is personal and revealing.
That's why I love Shel Silverstein's stuff so much. Performing Shel's
songs at such an early stage in my career, also made me a better songwriter
than I might have become, otherwise. Shel certainly set a standard.
Sometimes you write 'what is', sometimes it's 'what was'. Other times
you draw on 'what you wish was' or 'what never was'. Sometimes you
just make up a story. I find myself going to that last one less and
less.
17) Q: In the
song 'The Ballad of Lucy Jordan', does she jump or is she just taken
away to care? My wife and I have discussed this at length. (We saw
you live in Melbourne Australia last time you were there and still
rate it as one of the best we have seen.)
A: I get
asked this quite often, especially seeing as how I'm not the guy who
wrote the song.
Shel never told me what he thought happens at the end of the story.
We never discussed it. I just sang it the way I felt it and Shel must
have felt it that way too. What way was that?
Well, what do you think happens? Then, that's what happens, I guess.
(Thanks for the kind words about the Melbourne show. Been trying to
get back downunder ever since. Fingers crossed!)
18)
Q: Do you smoke?
A: Not any
more. Quit almost 30 years ago. I never really enjoyed smoking, especially
straight out of bed in the morning. Couldn't light one til later in
the day. I figured I should give it up, for singing's sake. Like a
pianist, slamming his fingers in the door every morning. Tried to
quit a few times and just couldn't pull it off. The last time, it
worked! Good luck out there, if yer trying to quit!
19)
Q: Are you tea-total?
A: Tea-total
makes it sound as though I have a moral issue with imbibing, but,
no, I'm not a drinker, as such. Never acquired a taste for beer or
ale. Yuck! Used to enjoy the taste of red wine, but I've gone off
it in the last few years.
I will, on the rare occasion, order a tequila Bloody Mary. Made just
like a regular one - tomato juice, tabasco, Worcestershire sauce,
salt/pepper, lime...only tequila, instead of vodka.
They taste delicious, but I can only drink a couple. How much tomato
juice can one take, after all?
Sake is always nice with sushi too.
20)
Q: Are there any good biographical accounts on Dr. Hook?
A: There
no biographies of Dr Hook, to my knowledge. Would I consider writing
one, I hear you
asking? Naaaah.
Firstly, it would only be my account of what happened to 7 or 8 people
(tho I must say, I 'remember' more than most). Secondly, it would
take an invasion of people's private lives to come even close to accurate.
Not worth the ill will it might cause for the interest it might gain.
21)
Q: What is your favorite Dr. Hook album/song?
A: My favorite
Hook album is, and I've said it before, onstage and off, BANKRUPT.
As far as individual songs/recordings, my feelings vary. I may like
a song but dislike the way it was presented on record back then (no
examples). Fortunately, the ones I'm proud of outweigh the cringeworthy
stuff.
22)
Q: What age was Dennis when he first started playing guitar and does
he play any other instruments?
A: My Mom
bought me an acoustic guitar when I was about 10 years old. A big
old, blonde, fat-bodied Stella (Yes, I'm still talking about a GUITAR!),
but I didn't take much interest in it at first. Mostly because it
was soooo big and I didn't have a clue what to do with it.
I, eventually, would sit with it, literally ON me, and twang away
at the low string and make up words - "Oh, he walked into town
with a pistol on his belt' kinda stuff.
Guess Marty Robbins was popular then (Look him up, kids!).
Several years later, a boyfriend of the older sister of a girl I was
seeing (got that?), Billy something-or-other (I'm sure it will come
back to me) showed me 4 chords. C, A minor, F and G. The gateway to
about a zillion rock and roll songs!
I abandoned the guitar and became a drummer for a few years, after
I convinced my Mother to buy me a set. Boy, oh boy, how my grandparents
looooved that! I would sit in the basement and pound away to my records
- The Stones, Them, Herman's Hermits, The Yardbirds, The Hollies.
I went back to the guitar at the request of my best friend, McCloskey,
who was and still is very good a bass player, among a few other interestingly
diverse things. He needed a frontman for his band and convinced me
to step in. Must have been those 4 magic chords!
He, then, also convinced his girlfriend (who had a REAL JOB) to buy
me a cheap Framus acoustic with a pickup on it and the rest is 'hysterical'
as they say.
As far as other instruments, I played alot of the keyboards on my
first and forthcoming CDs. Not really a keyboard player, but, if I
knew what I wanted to hear, I would (not always so) simply sit and
work it out and we would commit it to tape. When I hear it now I forget
it's me.
Strange!
Don't see myself pulling an 'Elton', sitting at the piano in concert,
any time soon though.
I also have been known to force some air and saliva thru a harmonica,
on occasion.
23)
Q: Please can you ask Dennis what books he is reading or has read
lately? His recommendations in the past have been brilliant!!
A: I read lots of
different types of things. Really like non-fiction. Just finished
a book called 'Live From New York - It's Saturday Night!' by Tom Shales
and James Andrew Miller. It's a history of the legendary, groundbreaking
American comedy tv show 'Saturday Night Live', as told by cast and
crew. A great book. I was sorry to see it end at 600+ pages.
Also, I would recommend 'The Librarian' by Larry Beinhart. He wrote
the book that became the film 'Wag The Dog'.
'The Librarian' is about the stealing of a Presidential election.
Loosely based on, well, current events, let's say. It's a thriller,
but very funny.
And, I cannot recommend Bob Dylan's new autobiography, 'Chronicles
- Volume 1', enough. Absolutely wonderful!
24)
Q: We know that you have sung on other artists' records. Can you tell
us which ones? A favourite of ours is John Hiatt and have noticed
your name on a CD of his - any info on the background to that association?
A: I enjoy
singing harmony. Being in Nashville for so long afforded me the opportunity
to record background vocals and harmonies for George Jones, Bobby
Bare, Randy Travis, Bob Gibson, Travis Tritt, Brenda Lee, Kenny Rogers,
to name a few.
John Hiatt is and has long been a favorite songwriter of mine and
I had the pleasure and privilege of singing on two of his albums,
'Slow Turning' and 'Perfectly Good Guitar'.
Originally met JH at an Elvis Costello soundcheck in Nashville. We
were both there to rehearse a number with EC for the show. JH did
'He'll Have To Go', the classic Jim Reeves song and I did 'Lovable',
a song from Elvis' 'King of America' album.
One day, a few months later, I got a call asking if I could come into
the studio and sing on a few of JH's tracks for 'Slow Turning'. I
was very happy to be asked and I'm proud to be on those albums.
25)
Q: Is there any chance of a reunion with Ray and the guys for a sort
of "farewell tour" in the United States?
A: 'Dr Hook's
One and Only Farewell Tour' happened in the UK and Australia in 1985.
The US didn't really show enough interest, so I figured that was it.
Hard to 'go away' when they barely know you're there in the first
place.
It would seem a little pointless to do a 'farewell' tour 20 years
after the fact, wouldn't it?
You know, with all the questions I've gotten about this kind of thing
over the years, the only people I haven't heard it from are the other
members of the band. Tells you something, no?
26)
Q: I have heard a rumour that you may be playing with a band on the
next tour. Is this a possibility?
A: I will
be doing the early 2005 shows alone, just me and my guitar(s). As
much as I totally enjoy touring solo, I will be putting a band together
for some summer festivals, and, hopefully, will bring them into some
more theatre venues in the Fall.
I have become a bit of a recluse, artistically, so it will do me some
good to interact with other musicians for a while...
27)
Q: I hope this is not a silly or indeed intrusive question but I would
be interested to know what was the inspiration which led to "Tough
Guy" being written? Was it something seen on television or about
someone known personally?
A: I got
the initial idea for 'Tough Guy' from watching a friend of mine go
through a particularly rough period in her life.
I worked on the song for a few years. It doesn't really offer any
solutions to the problem. I simply wanted to register my disgust for
that sort of behavior from a male point of view. I put it away for
a while after the OJ Simpson trial because it became so 'current affair',
but decided I wanted it on the 'Out Of The Dark' CD. I'm really happy
with the way it came out.
28)
Q: Always wished I could have seen Dennis perform Shel Silverstein's
'The Devil and Billy Markham'? Any chance of that happening in the
future?
A: Doing
Shel's play was definitely one of the creative highlights of my life.
It took a lot of work and concentration, but was so rewarding and
interesting and juicy and fun!
I have been talking to some people and there is a good chance that
we will do another production of the play in the coming year (or so).
Nothing is definite, but some interested has been expressed in opening
it in the UK and taking it elsewhere.
I would love it! I'm proud of any association I have with Shel's work.
There may be some other 'Shel-related' things coming up as well...but
for now, ssshhhhh.
29)
Q: How do you feel about Bush getting in again?
A: Like I
would feel if you slammed my fingers in a car door! Ouch!
30)
Q: What would you like Santa to bring you this year?
A: I got
just about everything I wanted in 2004. And it already looks like
2005 is shaping up to be another good year...so, I'm cool!
Hope you all get whatever your hearts desire!
Happy Holidays!!! xox~
20.12.04
© Dennis Locorriere
2004
