Q&A: Rick Springfield talks lullabies and live music, plans Oklahoma show
From Wednesday’s Life section of The Oklahoman.
Energetic Rick Springfield show may find time for lullabies
“Jessie’s Girl” made Rick Springfield a pop megastar. But a couple of boys, Liam and Josh, inspired his latest album.
“My Precious Little One: Lullabies for a New Generation,” which was released last week, features 10 songs the singer/songwriter/actor penned for his sons when they were tots. Liam is now 23; Josh, 20.But fans of the Aussie-born hitmaker, who shot to the top of the pop charts in the 1980s with “I’ve Done Everything for You,” “Don’t Talk to Strangers” and the jealousy anthem “Jessie’s Girl,” shouldn’t expect sleepy melodies at his live show Saturday at Ardmore’s Heritage Hall.
After all, Springfield’s previous album, “Venus in Overdrive,” offered throbbing guitars, catchy pop-rock hooks and a lead single, “What’s Victoria’s Secret?,” that knowingly and playfully echoes the driving sounds of “Jessie’s Girl.”
Springfield, 59, talked about lullabies and live shows in a recent phone interview while driving from the beach to his Malibu, Calif., home.
Q: Tell me the story about how the lullabies went from personal songs written and recorded for your sons to a 2009 album release.
A: I wrote them when they were first born. I just had a lot going on inside me with the birth of them and wanted to do something. And, you know, I usually write when that kind of thing happens. So, I just wanted to write some lullabies that maybe we could play for them and that was pretty much it. I wasn’t ever planning on putting it out, but I found them in a drawer last year and really liked hearing them again. (It) brought back a lot of great memories and I like the songs.
Q: Were your sons restless sleepers? Did they need to hear your personal recordings of these lullabies to fall asleep?
A: They needed a lot of attention to go to sleep, especially our older one, Liam. And I remember playing lullabies then, and they were kind of like repetitive and childlike and you didn’t kind of want to hear them 20 times a night. (Laughs) So, that was one of the reasons that I wrote these more or less as real, regular songs but with kind of classic imagery. … I wrote them so maybe we wouldn’t get sick of them quite as easy as we did some of the Barney songs.
Q: Did re-recording these songs bring out your sentimental side?
A: It was really emotional singing some of them, especially the ones that got real personal like ‘My Precious Little One’ that was specifically about (them). I just remember the whole time and where we lived and what I was feeling and what they looked like. It was pretty heavy, actually, but in a fun way.
Q: What can people expect from your live show? You’ve been touring for a long time. What keeps it fresh and satisfying for you?
A: I love playing live. … I’m pretty quiet and shy. I’m a bit of a loner when I’m just on my own, so playing live is my connection with humanity. And it’s like the extrovert and the party guy comes out of me at that point. … We play a lot of the old songs, but we also play new stuff. … That’s my drive to really get out there and actually perform is to play new songs. … We’re getting ready to record a new album … toward the end of the year, too.
Q: So, people shouldn’t expect lullabies in the show?
A: (Laughs) It’s a pretty high-energy show, and I don’t know where the lullabies would quite fit in, which is not to say that I won’t pick up a guitar and launch into one, though. … It depends how I feel.
In concert
Rick Springfield with special guest Aranda.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday. Doors open at 6.
Where: Heritage Hall, 220 W. Broadway, Ardmore.
Information and tickets: (580) 226-3764 or www.ticketstorm.com.
-BAM
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment