Interview with Paul Collins from The Beat and The Nerves
Paul Collins’ Beat : The Godfather Of Powerpop!
By Jens LOWCUT
For 30 years Paul Collins has been making powerpop magic with songs like ”Hanging On The Telephone” (The Nerves) and ”Rock’n’Roll Girl” (The Beat). Many new bands claim to play powerpop but Paul’s the real deal, which I witnessed at this year’s Rotterdam Rumble where I met the friendly Mr. Collins. Paul Collins Beat has a new record out called ”Flying High”, The Beat’s first in 12 years. Take it away, Paul!
LC: Tell me a bit of where and how you grew up?
Paul Collins: I was born in New York, when I was very young my family moved abroad. I spent 4 years traveling, a year and a half in Vietnam and than 3 years in Greece. It was very interesting and it opened me up to how different life is in different places. As a result I love to travel, which is one of the things I love about being a musician.
LC: What was the first kind of music that caught your attention as a kid?
PC: My earliest influences of music where listening to American radio in Vietnam, I remember hearing ”Big Girls Don’t Cry” and ”Lighting Strikes”. I also listened to Hank Williams and Ray Charles as they were favorites of my fathers. After that it was The Beatles (my all time favorite group) and The Stones and the rest of the great music of the 60’s.
LC: What bands were you in prior to The Nerves?
PC: I had one band that I was in before I moved to California, we were called Homegrown, we did a few shows and that was it. I also worked with a girl singer, Tiffany in NY, she had a kind of revue and we played the gay clubs in the city.
LC: The Nerves?
PC: The Nerves was really my first profesional group, it was a great experience and I learned so much about songwriting and music working with Jack and Peter, plus we had a hell of a lot of fun!
LC: Did you buy a house in Malibu from the royalties of Blondie covering ”Hanging On The Telephone”, haha? Were you friends of them?
PC: I didn’t but Jack made a lot of money off that song! I knew them but very casually, we were not friends, just aquaintences.
LC: The Beat?
PC: I was very lucky to have been in 2 really good bands! The Beat was great because we actully made it on to a major lable, toured the US and Europe and had our records released worldwide. The Beat created a base forme that I am still benefiting from, I am very proud of that band!
LC: Did you see The Beat as a part of any scene; new wave, punk, 60s bands?
PC: There is no denying that The Beat was part of the New Wave/Power Pop scene, our first tours coincided with the emergence of New Wave and it was great! We were definately in the right place at the right time.
LC: Tell me about your solo albums?
PC: The Paul Collins record that was recorded in San Francisco was for me the first solo album, I had got the idea that since I no longer had a band it would be good to make a record with all the really good muscians living in the Bay Area. It was a lot of fun and I am happy that I got a chance to work with so many grat muscians on one record, if I had to, I would say that is my one and only solo album. ”Live In Spain” is really like an accoustic souvenir for my fans.
LC: You’re based in Spain, as are your current ’backing band’?
PC: Yes, I am very happily living in Madrid, although I have plans to move back to NY sometime in the next year or so. I have a great bunch of fellows that I am working with, we all really enjoy the music we are playing and for the band it’s great, they know my music almost as well as I do, so when we play all the old songs we do it as it should be done and you can hear it!
LC: How do you like Europe compared to America?
PC: I have always loved Europe since I travelled as a kid, for me America is really NY as that is where I like to be. My country is going through a lot of changes, our politics do not really represent what a lot of reasonably intelegent people feel. Also capitalism has turned a lot of the country into one big mall, but if you get out into the real country you will find a lot of great people who want to do things.
LC: Rotterdam Rumble was a blast, you seemed to enjoy yourself?
PC: Yes, I had a great time at the Rumble, we met a lot of cool people and I thought our show was really well recieved.
LC: You play several euro festivals, how is that compared to club jobs?
PC: I love the festivals, people come from all over Europe, there was even a guy from the US at Rumble, Brian from the Fevers. It also great because at the festivals there are lots of groups and people so you dont have to worry about how many people show up ect. You also get the feeling that there is a definately a scene coming back around this music and it’s great how the lines between Punk and New Wave have blured so that you have all kinds of people really enjoying the music, you can really see it after the shows when the dj’s come on and you can see everyone dancing and having a lot of fun!
LC: Any chance of coming to Denmark? You told me you once visited Copenhagen and Tivoli at 8?
PC: Yes, another great thing about the festivals is all the contacts you make, we met a promoter at the Rumble who is putting together shows for us in Denmark!
LC: What new bands do you like?
PC: Unknown bands that I hear on myspace, for example The Elephants from Paris, I love there sound and would like to maybe produce them.
LC: Future plans, recordings, tours?
PC: We are in a state of constant touring, in Spain and out, we are going to Paris soon, than south by south west in Austin Texas, march, Japan in September and in between the rest of Europe, than I will need to make a new record, I am working on the songs now.
LC: Anything to add?
PC: Just that I am so happy with success of ”Flying High” and all the doors it has opened for us and all the work we are doing, I love to play music and it’s been great how the fans have responded after having been off the scene for so long...I will not let that happen again!
Blog Category: PunkRock.org
Playing (Music): The Nerves Hanging On The Telephone
Current mood: The Nerves Hanging On The Telephone
Added on: 29/04/2007 23:13:00
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