Which guitarist you have enjoyed writing songs with best?
Adrian and Jimmy. The rest were too much hard work for me, Adrian's more of a complete writer and Pagey of course is too. So that's pleasure as opposed to really hard work. It's a lonely old job being a writer you know!
What is Adrian Vandenberg doing now?
He had surgery for his neck. If you remember what happened with my back in '88, when I crushed a vertebrae, apparently he's had the same thing for some time in his neck and of course as close as we are, the fact that he's never been comfortable to share that with me is really weird. But he had successful surgery for it this year in Florida and the last time I spoke to him he said it was healing great. I said to him, "I'd love to do some more writing with you", because he's my little Dutch brother and I love him dearly. And he lasted longer than two of my marriages! I can't be that much of a bastard! Mikey's been with me for 13 years.
Is he working on anything at the moment?
I don't know. I think he did a Dutch movie score last year but I don't really know. We usually chat about families and how we're doing, that kind of thing.
Would you ever consider doing a short Starkers in Tokyo tour with Adrian, possibly just a few small venues?
I'd love to yes, very small. But I would like to flesh it out rather than just Adrian and me, that's a bit Simon and Garfunkel. I didn't want to do it in the first place and then I loved it. In fact there's a song called Love Is Blind, the first single on Into The Light which is directly related to the influence Starkers. I loved hearing the nakedness and the lack of cosmetic. And I do wish the video was available over here, because it makes much more sense than just the CD. I didn't actually want it to be a CD as such, I was hoping it was just going to be a video. But you know those Japanese, give em inch they take a mile! I actually have a full band version of Love Is Blind in the can and it's pretty good, everybody loved it but I kept going "I'm not getting the best out of the song here" and then one morning I woke up and thought that's it, strip it down, acoustics and a string quartet! I really enjoyed the honesty of it, no bullshit, no barriers and the fact that a lot of the songs seemed to work acoustically. That's the way I write them anyway, on acoustic guitar.
What about the idea
of playing to a small, select audience of fans as a special one-off show?
I don't know, it's time, it's the most precious commodity in life. You just don't know how to fit it in. Right now I have to see if I can make this solo album successful by promoting it before I make a commitment to some very expensive musicians and to promoters in order to tour. Primarily I'm a live performer, and certainly these songs deserve to be taken live.
You once said that the main reason for the demise of the original Whitesnake line-up was that they were happy cruising on gold whereas you were hungry for platinum. How hungry are you now?
Still. It's just an indication of success. Going platinum is touching a million people and that's what it means to me, it's not "I've sold a million units". So that is an indication of how many people you're connecting with, it's not in terms of gluttony or greed, far from it.
How would you sum up the main differences between Restless Heart and Into The Light, in terms of your inspiration, what was going on in your life and the way the songs were written? How much difference did it make to the creative process that RH was a Whitesnake album and Into The Light is a solo album?
Well it was a disappointment with Restless Heart because EMI basically contractually forced me into making it a Whitesnake record but I'm very happy to say that those people aren't there any more. The new people I'm working with have been totally supportive in letting me do this, otherwise they could have contractually insisted this album to be a Whitesnake record. I thank them for their support and I'll buy them lunch tomorrow! I've got this one much better, I've produced it myself, I've learned from the mistakes of Restless Heart. No turning back now, they've unleashed the beast! I've got my sonic team in place for the first time in almost 30 years which is Michael McIntyre, Bjorn Thorsrud and John Volaitis, who goes by the name John X. He just brought an incredible extension to my work in terms of contemporising it and we as people connected immediately. The Beatles had George Martin to help them realize their sonic ambitions and Leppard and ACDC had Mutt Lange. They're very different records without Mutt Lange, he's a remarkable architect of sound and an incredible musician, but I've never been able to find those kind of producers as much as I've tried, until now.
What about the songwriting process?
It's more positive and more natural than I've ever felt before, possibly because I wasn't writing for a fixed identity. The inspiration is my wife, who's all over the cover by the way, much to her reluctance. She's my earthly angel and my greatest inspiration and it's highly appropriate that she's there. It helps that she's gorgeous.
And the most-asked question of all. What are the realistic chances of you going on tour with this album and in which countries? (Beg if necessary).
That's where my heart is, when I'm on stage, to the point where the person I trust most in all the world, my wife, said that she felt that is where I am truly myself. There's no tour planned at the moment. I haven't toured America or given an interview for 10 years. Sold 8 million records without doing it, maybe I should just stay home! Michael and I are planning a two-month promotional tour, because it's a bloody big place over there, in order to reintroduce myself without the blonde hair and the Spandex. And see what happens. So I want to talk about this as much as I can, the market's never been more saturated. My job is to try and make as many people as possible aware of the record. I still haven't had time to decide whether I want to do the traditional band that people are familiar with me which is the two guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, or take a different approach. Still rock. I love women's voices, I'd love to sing with two women but it's all economics really in order to finance that kind of tour.
Given the lack of promotion for Restless Heart, what plans do EMI have for the new album?
Oh I've no idea. I'll be all over them like a cheap suit if they do the same job. You see the problem was the people who basically forced it into being a Whitesnake record, so I felt I compromised the music. There's a lot of songs on there I really liked but they didn't come out anywhere near as well as I would've wanted because I tried to 'Snake it up and that was it, trying to accommodate, it's a compromise and it doesn't work, stick to your guns. But the week when they actually did decide to release the record, everybody who'd worked on the record with me was fired, so EMI went through a period of adjustment. I'm sincerely hoping they'll get behind this one. The response I've had is the most positive I've had for anything I've ever done.
Looking ahead to the future, is Into The Light going to be your swansong or can we look forward to more albums?
I don't know what's going to happen. I sincerely hope this is the beginning of a new chapter. A chapter with no masks and no disguises, no illusions. I'll just put myself out there and see what happens. It's the most naked, the most honest record I've ever done.
Are there any plans to release the videos for
Restless Heart and the new album?
Love Is Blind, that's the new video. I'll probably put Don't Fade Away on the website.
You were offered the lead role in Still Crazy. What did you think of the finished film?
I only saw part of it, the wife wasn't enjoying it so we stopped watching it. I'll watch it sooner or later. All you need to know is if you think the music business is bad, try Hollywood. It's like going into a relationship with somebody you know is going to be repeatedly unfaithful. It's a very silly place. I've never had any aspirations to act. There's enough drama in my life without pretending. And as I said to you, I'm trying to find out who I am, I don't want to be pretending to be anybody else anymore!
You come across as a very private man when you're out of the spotlight, even in the days when you were never out of the music press there were never reports of you out on the town living it up. Are you a homebody at heart?
When I am with my family, yes, very much so.
How domesticated are you?
Very much so. I totally love and respect my wife. My commitment is total.
You've lived in America for many years now, do you plan to remain there indefinitely and do you feel as though you belong or still like a foreigner to a certain extent?
No, I'm totally British. I have my Branston pickle! My wife is American, my son's American and my daughter loves to visit America. It's very much my home. But, I do have the flag in the garden!
Do you ever manage to get back home to the North East of England and do you get recognized there or are you a stranger to most people?
Apart from some radio I did in Stockton, I think, in '97 I haven't been up since I was lost my mother in '92. My driver took me all around the places I'd lived and gone to school and I'd already been around showing my wife and daughter where I was raised. It just felt like it was cutting the umbilical cord, it was strange. I actually had planned a visit on this trip, but now I'm going home instead. Maybe when I come back. You know when I first got the job with Deep Purple I was so desperate to maintain my roots, primarily because everybody was saying, "Oh, you're going to change now", and I went to ridiculous lengths in order to try and prove to them I hadn't, I wasn't going to. And it actually degenerated into if I offered to buy somebody a drink I was a flash bastard, if I didn't I was a tight bastard. So I felt it wasn't worth it. I'd go home and I'd see my Mam and friends called Tony Zivanaris and Eugene McCoy. They are very very dear friends. Brothers.
How big is your house in Lake Tahoe and is it true that you have your own studio there?
It's a stately cabin, it's very nice. But, other than composing I try to keep my work away from my house.
Do you have any other homes?
No, I had two divorces!
How would you react if either of your children wanted to get into the music business?
Whatever they want to do as long as they're safe and happy.
Your love of Jaguars is well known, what cars do you own at the moment?
Two Range Rovers and a Bentley Turbo. Oh and the white Jag.
Do you ever visit the unofficial Whitesnake web sites?
Yes, very much so. We're going to work and cooperate with them. I have no intentions of asking them to close the doors. If it's giving them fun, making them happy, I'm happy for them to keep my name alive and help me be private. Although now that's going to change. Usually you get interviews from me every three years, now I'm going to be much more available. For example when people ask "Is there any truth in the rumour you're joining Van
Halen", I can give an immediate response "no", instead of having to wait for a year or whatever to clear it up. That's the beauty of it, I'm going to be much closer, more connected to the people who support me and my music. We'll get to know each other better. I can't wait...
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