Genesis of a rock star

Press, 23 November 1988, Page 26

Genesis of a rock star

By

JESSE NASH

J What makes a rock star different from you and me? What is it about them that lets them carry a crowd in the palm of their hands, to excite, to arouse, to infuriate our elders? Is it the music, the money, the clothes, the hair, the women, the cars? Is it the big stages and huge audiences, the videos, the carboard cutouts in record stores? That can’t be it, because in order to get those things the performer must have star quality to begin with. They must be able to play Madison Square Garden every night, even if they’re really rehashing Beatles songs in the back room by the pool table. They have to have something about them that moves people, moves them against their will, commands them to pay attention. And they have to want that stardom, and want it bad.

Those qualities, more than anything else, are what make a rock star — that boundless energy, that unbreakable will to succeed, that laser-sharp focus on goals. Oh yeah ... and tight pants. Being born Roderick David Stewart in a work-ing-class neighbourhood of northern London was experience enough to set Rod on the high road to rock and roll success. From odd jobs as a gravedigger to performing as a street singer in Spain and France, Rod Stewart maintained that determination, that star quality, to fulfill the aforementioned prerequisites that are the essential elements needed to be a rock star. What follows is an interview with a rock legend, who at 43 remains forever young. QUESTION: What was it like growing up in the Stewart household? What was a typical day like for Rod Stewart?

ANSWER: Very, very pleasant as much as I can remember. I came from a very big family. Two sisters and two brothers. We listened to Al Jolson around the house. In particular, my mom and dad loved listening to Al Jolson records. It was Al Jolson and more Al Jolson. (Laughs.) Q: Do you think your exposure to Al Jolson helped shape your tastes and direction musically? A: No, not really. He didn’t influence or shape my writing style or anything like that. He did influence me a while back as far as showmanship is concerned. Al Jolson was a great showman. No doubt about that.

Q: You had many odd jobs as a means to support yourself. But one such odd job that you took on was that of gravedigger. Why did you choose a dreary job like that? A: Yeah, I worked in a cemetery ... (pensive) I was going through a rough period in my life where I was very scared of dying. Q: You had a fear of death?

A: Yes. I thought the closer I could get to it, the more successful I would be in overcoming this fear. So when the job became available, I took it. It also was the only job I could get because I had hair down me back.

Q: A while ago I overheard Casey Kasem ask a trivia question on his “American Top 40” television show: “What famous London rocker made his American debut at the Fillmore East, but had a bad case of stage fright, lost his voice during the opening number, regained it on the second

song, and proceeded to sing the entire concert behind a stock of amplifiers?” Did this really happen. A: Yeah, it’s true. Well, it was our first date in America with the Jeff Beck Group, and I was just in awe of being in New York, and I was wandering around the street looking for these marvellous folk singers that I had heard so much about. I was totally in awe of being in New York. Anyway, the first number came up, which I think was “I Ain’t Superstitious,” and nothing came out of my throat at all, and so the band covered for me and played on. In those days, Woody and I used to carry a small flask of brandy in a little pouch that we’d stash behind our amps. So, what I did was I ran back behind the amp for a quick shot of brandy and started singing from behind the amp until my voice came back, which it finally did. It really was an extreme case of stage fright.

Q: Rod Stewart afraid to perform to the masses? A: Yeah, I’m only human. That was a pretty big crowd to play in front of. Previous to that, when the Jeff Beck Group had been playing in England, we were used to performing in front of not more than 800 people tops. But, anyway, at the Fillmore it was more like 3000 people, so it was quite a shock.

Q: What was the true story behind your involvement with Long John Baldry’s Hoochie Koochie Men? Did he affect the direction you would later take in your music career? A: Oh yeah. Most definitely. John and his band were unbelievable. They left a big impression on me. John discovered me singing at a railway station.

Now this is a true story. I had been over to see the Rolling Stones, and they had just played to a show of about only 30 people in the crowd. This was in the early 60s. I was playing out in Monaco with a group of friends, and we were extremely drunk on one platform, and John was catching a train on the other platform. He heard me singing and wailing doing the blues. He rushed over to me and said, “Would you like to join the band?” So I guess I passed the audition (laughs). I think he had heard rumours that I was pretty good. So that’s really how I got started. That was a tremendous band to be in. It was one of the earliest bands in Britain, along with the Rolling Stones and Yardbirds. I mean, these guys were doing Chicago blues long before anybody. Q: Would you credit the blues as being the musical form that influenced your singing style as well as your over-all approach to your music career? A: Yes, but even more so, black music in general. I loved black music. My first love was American folk music, but then I moved on to American blues music. Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, and all those guys. Then I fell madly in love with the likes of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. Q: You were once part of a band with Peter Green and Mick Fleetwood called Shotgun, which later went on to become Fleetwood Mac. Was there ever the possibility that you might have ended up as a member of Fleetwood Mac? A: No, I don’t think so. I think it was a band that J

was just thrown together because most of us were unemployed. We were all waiting to go on our own separate ways. Anyway, I think Mick Fleetwood owes me a few credits because I did teach him to play drums. I turned him on to a lot of drummers that he had never heard of before. I always used to make him listen to Muddy Waters’ drummer. "Now, what’s his name? ... Francis Clay! Where he puts his snare beat is amazing. Right behind the rest of the band.

Q: When did you first meet Jeff Beck? Describe that first encounter. A: I can’t remember the first time I actually met him, but when he asked us all to join the band it was apparently by accident. We were all together in this club in London. Ronnie Wood’s band had just broken up. I got sacked by the group I was working with, and Jeff had left (or been given the sack by — it was never made clear) the Yardbirds. So the three of us were in one club at the same time, and we just formed a band. We were doing nothing so we figured that we should have a go at it. Q: How did you end up being the frontman for the Jeff Beck Group? A: Jeff never really asked me to be the frontman. I think he just thought that we’d sing everything together. It just evolved that way. It was strange because when we did our first tour of America, people from Epic Records used to come up to me and say “Great show, Jeff! Great guitar player that you’ve got in the band!” They thought that I was Jeff Beck.

Q: What was your motivation in forming The Faces with fellow Beckbandmate Ron Wood?

A: Well, once again, it’s funny, because we were all unemployed. Jeff had fired Woody. Woody and I were extremely close at that time, and so I said to Jeff, “If Woody goes, then I have to go, too. I wouldn’t be happy.” So Woody had already joined The Faces because Steve Marriott had alrady left, and he was the singer. So they didn’t have anybody to sing, and we just all fell in together. It’s strange how it happens like that. Q: Who is Maggie May? A: She was a girl that I went with. It’s a sentimental story that is best told by the lyrics of the song. There’s not more that I can say other than the song is, sort of, my trademark. It’s funny because it was originally the B-side, and “Reason to Believe” was the A-side. But a D.J. in Cleveland decided to turn it over and ,play “Maggie May." Who knows if that hadn’t happened I might not be talking with you today. Q: In 1985 you and Jeff Beck had a bit of a reunion. Was that something that was planned by the both of you or was it totally unexpected? A: It was planned, and it was supposed to last for an entire tour but instead it only lasted for seven concerts. I mean, I did the album with Jeff, “People Get Ready,” which I think was an extremely good record. So after the record was done we talked, and I said, “Why don’t we work together?” and Jeff said, "Fine.” So I told him he could open the show, close the show, play on every track. Any way he wanted it. So he said, “Fine.” But after those seven concerts he just disappeared.

Copyright Los Angeles Times Syndicate