DAVID PARKER

Rip It Up, Issue 184, 1 November 1992, Page 14

DAVID PARKER

After several years as frontman / songwriter for Rhythm Cage, David Parker emerged in a different phase as "The Parker Project", hitting No.l on the charts with 'Tears On My Pillow' and now his album Release he's now just David Parker.

Parker prefers not to speak of going "solo" as his post-Rhythm Cage work has involved as much teamwork as when he was in the band. 'Tears' was a collaboration with the Rhythm & Business team, George Hubbard, Daniel Barnes and Jon Cooper and on Release he shares writing credits others. Were you collaborating in Rhythm Cage? "Yeah, in arrangements. When you've got a band you've got lots of dreams and aspirations and ambitions and if things don't go the way you want things selfdestruct. After that experience I've lost a bit of motivation to be in a band. It had gone as far as it could and had become an unpleasant experience. It wasn't fun anymore."

Parker has written 'Child In You' and 'Save Me' with J.D. (Moahunters) and 'Second Nature' and 'Up' with young keyboards player Karl Benton. Other guests include Stuart Pearce on keyboards and guitarists Mark Bell and Joel Haines. "There were so many musicians involved. I want to continue collaborating but based more around my own writing and playing."

David Parker's first two singles after Rhythm Cage were with the Pagan label but he has since moved to the new label Edge, owned by Tim Foreman of Airforce Studios and Gilbert Egdell (ex Sony). The album was recorded and mixed over three weeks at Airforce Studios."

Did you foresee leaving Pagan?

"I discussed that with Trevor and he said that he couldn't really afford to record an album with me, so he's been really good and supportive about it. It's the sort of music that you need a

"ITS NOT LIKE I'M TRYING TO MAKE SOME HUGE STATEMENT."

certain budget to do. You basically had to finance your own recording with Trevor and I couldn't see myself being able to do that."

Once again Parker is now working with a band live, the core of which is guitarist Lance Sua, Ben Gilgen on keyboards, bassist Max Stowers and drummer Richie Campbell. Your favourite vocal performance on the record?

"I like 'The Telephone's Ringing' and 'Tears On My Pillow'. It was the original 'Tears' vocal, even though we've remixed the stuff underneath, it had a magic about it. It was me stretching into unknown territory. When I first did the warm up run-through Jon Cooper came up and said this is gonna sound fantastic and it was that kind of excitement in the studio."

Have you focused more on singing since then? "Yes, I have. I've thought a lot more about singing and about how people sing and what makes someone a good singer which is definitely not just how technically good they are. I did take a singing lesson or two but it's not something I've stuck with. I've tried to learn how to sing so I don't damage my voice. I want to have it in 30,40 years time but it's not important to me that I sing technically brilliantly." Are there singers you now ap-

preciate more? "I like Frank, I've always been a big admirer of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Tracy Chapman, a lot of women singers."... Are you influenced by other NZ singers or writers? "Perhaps more so now, more the attitude than actually being influenced by them stylistically. Like the Mutton Birds and Greg Johnson — the attitude that you can make good music without big budgets, believe in yourself, develop your own style. .:'. -

Are any particular tracks influenced by the South Pacific sound, Herbs etc? "Not a conscious influence. There's obvious examples like the reggae tracks, Tn Summer I Fall', 'Tears On My Pillow'. It's not a conscious thing." Do you see the Kiwi soul/funk as multi-cultural? "Yeah, definitely. You listen to Radio Aotearoa and you'll hear a lot of old 70s and 60s black soul stuff and that's a big Polynesian influence, black music from overseas, especially American music. Then there's Bob Marley, a big influence, but we've got our European influences as well.

"I think that what we've tried to do without trying to sound pretentious, is try to be a bit of a melting pot. I suppose there is a conscious effort to reflect something cultural in our record but it's not, like I'm trying to make some huge statement."

MURRAY CAMMICK