{"id":3361,"date":"2013-03-31T21:40:00","date_gmt":"2013-03-31T12:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.museonmuse.jp\/?p=3361"},"modified":"2015-12-30T13:48:25","modified_gmt":"2015-12-30T04:48:25","slug":"vol-22-bobby-caldwell-april-2013-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.museonmuse.jp\/?p=3361","title":{"rendered":"Vol.22 Bobby Caldwell \/ April 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bobby Caldwell<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0\u00a0
\nBobby Caldwell has been well known worldwide as a singer and songwriter continuously delivering us compositions of high quality. Bobby has also contributed songs to numerous artists during his career. Tunes such as \u201cNext Time I Fall\u201d by Peter Cetera and Amy Grant, as well as \u201cHeart of Mine\u201d by Boz Scaggs are 2 very famous songs in Japan. Bobby took time to tell us about his musical background, his aspects on songwriting, and of course about his latest release \u201cHouse Of Cards\u201d.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Interview \/ Text\u00a0 Mamoru Moriyama<\/p>\n

Translation\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Louis Sesto (EAGLETAIL MUSIC)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Muse On Muse : How were the shows in Tokyo and Osaka last year, after the release of your latest album \u201cHouse Of Cards\u201d?<\/span>
\nBobby Caldwell : The band and I thoroughly enjoyed the shows in Japan.\u00a0 I was glad to see the audience singing along with the cuts we performed off the new album, \u201cHouse of Cards\u201d.<\/p>\n

MM : Although you are an artist well known around the world, there may be some readers of this website that are new to you. Please tell us a bit about yourself in the following questions\u2026 You were brought up by your parents that were in the show business, and you took an interest in music listening to Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett and the Beatles. How have these artists influenced you and your music?<\/span>
\nBC : My parents met performing in Summer Stock, and went on to have one of the first television shows, \u201cSuppertime\u201d on the old Dumont network. They loved theater, and the American Songbook.\u00a0 I suppose my early exposure to my parents\u2019 music has left a lasting impression on me.\u00a0 I still love the theater, and I listen to Sinatra almost every day.\u00a0 I\u2019ve released a number of albums in that genre, most recently, \u201cBobby Caldwell Live at The Blue Note Tokyo.\u201d\u00a0 I love to perform those old classics.\u00a0 I also love the Beatles.\u00a0 I\u2019ve spent a lot of time researching how they crafted their songs.\u00a0 They were so ahead of their time, and clearly their creations have been lasting.\u00a0 For me that\u2019s a measure of success\u2026.when generation after generation falls in love with a song.<\/p>\n

MM : At what age did you pick up your first instrument? What actually got you started?<\/span>
\nBC : My parents started me with piano lessons at about age 10, but my true love was the guitar.\u00a0 When I was 13, I earned enough money mowing lawns, and went out and bought myself a \u201cStella\u201d acoustic.\u00a0 I spent hours in my room with my guitar, my record player (remember those?) and my Beatles 45\u2019s (remember those??).\u00a0 I taught myself how to play guitar by playing along with those Beatles records.\u00a0 Eventually, I could play just about every single Beatles\u2019 tune.\u00a0 I still love to play their songs.\u00a0 We sit around the kitchen late at night, and I\u2019ll get out my acoustic and we\u2019ll sing Beatles\u2019 songs all night long.<\/p>\n

MM : Back then, did you form a band with your friends? If so, what kind of band did you play in?<\/span>
\nBC : Although I was born in New York City, I spent most of my childhood growing up in Miami, Florida.\u00a0 At around age 14 my friends and I started a band called, \u201cThe Night Walkers.\u201d\u00a0 We were a POP band.\u00a0 We took turns playing in our parents\u2019 garages, and eventually we started playing at school dances.\u00a0 I played guitar, and did vocals.\u00a0 We were pretty good for a group of school kids.<\/p>\n

MM : What was your first professional gig? Can you tell us a bit about your first gig?<\/span>
\nBC : When I was about 13, I sneaked into the back door of a club in Miami.\u00a0 I think the club was called, \u201cThe Scene.\u201d\u00a0 I jumped on-stage with \u201cThe Colwell Winfield Blues Band\u201d with my guitar, and jammed with them.\u00a0 They gave me $20 bucks.\u00a0 That was my first paying gig. I spent a number of years as a guitarist\/vocalist in top 40 bands.\u00a0 We played a bunch of clubs in Florida in the late 60\u2019s\/early 70s.\u00a0 Eventually, we jumped in a van and headed to Los Angeles and hit the club scene.\u00a0 During this time, I started writing my own songs, and started seeking out a record deal.<\/p>\n

MM : You have released numerous great albums in the past. Which album would you consider as one of your most unforgettable albums in your career? Please also tell us why.<\/span>
\nBC : My first record deal was with TK Records in Miami and my first album release was, \u201cWhat You Won\u2019t Do for Love\u201d in 1979.\u00a0 To this day the title track is still getting airplay, and it\u2019s been covered by countless artists.\u00a0 The fact that this album has proven to be unforgettable to the listeners is what counts, and I\u2019m grateful for it.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0\u00a0
\nMM : Many of your songs are covered by other artists. Peter Cetera and Amy Grant\u2019s version of \u201cNext Time I Fall\u201d, as well as Boz Scaggs\u2019 version of \u201cHeart Of Mine\u201d are very famous in Japan too. How did you end up contributing songs to them? Please tell us if you have any episodes from back then.<\/span>
\nBC : For a time I didn\u2019t have a record deal of my own, so I set out to write for other artists like Boz, Chicago, Al Jarreau and others.\u00a0 \u201cNext Time I Fall\u201d was picked up by Peter Cetera, when he was leaving the group, Chicago to pursue his solo career.\u00a0 It turned out to be a hit for Peter and Amy, and of course that was very gratifying for me.<\/p>\n

MM : It obviously takes not only talent, but also viewing music with a keen eye in order to become a top-notch singer and songwriter as yourself. What kind of viewpoint did you take when listening to music and learning from the music you were listening to in order to develop your skills as a singer?<\/span>
\nBC : For me the most important aspect of singing is the ability to emote the meaning of the song.\u00a0 Sinatra was the master!\u00a0 It\u2019s about feeling the lyrics, and delivering the lyrics with sincerity.\u00a0 That\u2019s what makes the listener love a song.<\/p>\n

MM : And now, a few questions about your latest album \u201cHouse Of Cards\u201d\u2026 \u201cHouse Of Cards\u201d presents a very pleasant melody within a variety songs, creating a very impressive and fantastic album. What was the concept behind the album?<\/span>
\nBC : I wanted to create an album that represented my influences, and the variety of styles that impact me.\u00a0 \u201cHouse of Cards\u201d is a rather eclectic mix of sounds and styles from Smooth Jazz to Latin to Country.<\/p>\n

MM : How long did it take you for the production of this album?<\/span>
\nBC : I always have a melody, or a lyric in my mind, and I write on a steady basis.\u00a0 With \u201cHouse of Cards\u201d I went into the studio in December and we completed the project in July.<\/p>\n

MM : Dave Koz, David Horgan, and Andrew Neu take part in the album. Can you tell us how and why you decided to have them on this album? How was it working with them?<\/span>
\nBC : I\u2019ve known Dave Koz for many years.\u00a0 It was an honor to have him in my band back in the 1980s.\u00a0 Dave is a great guy and truly a master of his art.\u00a0 It\u2019s always a pleasure to work with Dave.\u00a0 With respect to the country tunes on \u201cHouse of Cards\u201d I wanted a pedal steel player, and my sound engineer, Richard McIntosh happened to have a buddy in Montana, who plays pedal steel.\u00a0 That\u2019s how I came to know David Horgan.\u00a0 He did a great job.\u00a0 Andrew Neu is the sax man in my band now.\u00a0 He\u2019s an awesome player.\u00a0 We\u2019ve done work on each other\u2019s albums, and I expect we\u2019ll keep doing just that in the future.<\/p>\n

MM : You play many different instruments yourself. What do you consider as the dividing point between whether you play the part, or you ask some other musician to play that part?<\/span>
\nBC : I will play almost any instrument with the exception of a brass instrument.\u00a0 It\u2019s safe to say you\u2019ll never see me pick up a saxophone!<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0\u00a0
\nMM : You also show some great performances on the album as a guitar player. What kind of music\/musicians influenced you as a guitar player?<\/span>
\nBC : My all-time favorite guitar player was Jimi Hendrix.\u00a0 I cut my teeth on his playing, when I was growing up.\u00a0 For me, Hendrix will always be number one.<\/p>\n

MM : What guitars, amps, effectors, foot pedals did you use for this recording?<\/span>
\nBC : No guitar amps were used.\u00a0 I use a Boss GT10 for amp modeling and effects, and I run that through an Avalon compressor limiter.\u00a0 Between those two devices I\u2019m able to model any amplifier you can dream up. My guitar is a custom Stratocaster, built by Performance Guitars in North Hollywood.<\/p>\n

MM : Please give us a brief explanation about each song on the album. How the song came to be, what you feel about each song, and\/or any episodes while you recorded that particular song, etc.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
\nBC :<\/p>\n

\u201cGAME ON\u201d
\n\u201cGame on\u201d is an American catch phrase that means \u201clet the competition begin.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s a term used most commonly in sports, but also in the workplace.\u00a0 This song is about a Wall St. over-achiever.<\/p>\n

\u201cBLUE\u201d
\nI took the idea of colors and associated them with human emotions.\u00a0 It\u2019s a simple story of a guy, who doesn\u2019t want to be reminded of his former lover.<\/p>\n

\u201cDANCE WITH ME\u201d
\nI\u2019ve always wanted to write a tango, and the TV series, \u201cDancing with The Stars\u201d was the inspiration for this piece.<\/p>\n

\u201cIT’S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW\u201d
\nThis song was kind of unusual for me, because I wrote the lyrics first, and I wrote them all in one evening.\u00a0 Sometimes songwriting can be laborious, but in this case, it was immediate.\u00a0 Then I collaborated with my good friend, Mark McMillen and we did the music for the song.<\/p>\n

\u201cHEARTS ON FIRE\u201d
\nThis song for me started as snapshots, or scenes of a girl alone in her room, a guy leaving a bar, and then they accidently come together. It has that small town vibe. The song is very visual in my mind.\u00a0 It would make a great music video.<\/p>\n

\u201cONE OF THOSE NIGHTS\u201d
\nThis song is about a smooth poker player.\u00a0 He\u2019s the guy everyone is trying to beat.\u00a0 I happen to really love the lines, \u201cClose the door.\u00a0 Dim the lights, and then pour another scotch on ice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDEAR BLUES\u201d
\nThis song started out as a letter to myself.\u00a0 I labored a long time on this particular song, and I had a good time playing guitar on it.<\/p>\n

\u201cDINAH\u201d
\nIt\u2019s a little know fact that I spent some of my youth in Tennessee and the Carolinas.\u00a0 So I\u2019m well acquainted with the country lifestyle.\u00a0 Every man should have a \u201cDinah\u201d in his life.<\/p>\n

\u201cWHAT ABOUT ME\u201d
\nI had the pleasure of co-writing this song with my buddy, Mark McMillen.\u00a0 This was our first single release in the USA, and it\u2019s done well on the charts.<\/p>\n

\u201cMAZATLAN\u201d
\nThis song was very visual for me.\u00a0 It\u2019s about an average guy, who relishes the thought of being at the beach, and getting away from it all.\u00a0 I still love, and always will love, being at the beach.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

MM : Modern technology has allowed musicians many new and convenient options for recording and music production. Has any of this modern technology changed the way you make music? How do you feel regarding the current situation with modern technology recording?<\/span>
\nBC : Clearly, the music business has been transformed.\u00a0 So many aspects of life in general have been transformed by technology.\u00a0 I believe the right choice is to embrace the technology, because it isn\u2019t going to reverse, it will only continue to move forward.\u00a0 However, I am still a purist in many ways.\u00a0 I will usually write my songs on guitar, and carry the main body of the song into the studio.\u00a0 At that point I will make use of the tools available, along with the live instruments that I add to the track.<\/p>\n

MM : Are there any young and upcoming singers and\/or songwriters that catch your attention? If there are any, please also tell us why.<\/span>
\nBC : As a singer\/songwriter, Adele is very impressive.\u00a0 I also find Justin Timberlake a never-ending talent.\u00a0 His performance on this year\u2019s Grammy Awards was outstanding.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been working with a young producer\/songwriter, Jack Splash.\u00a0 He\u2019s won a few Grammys and works with CeeLo Green, Melanie Fiona and a number of young R&B\/POP artists.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been writing and recording together down in Miami.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a blast, and I am totally digging the songs we\u2019ve put together.<\/p>\n

MM : What do you have coming up next? Tell us about your upcoming schedule.
\n<\/span>BC : Here in The States I\u2019m about to release my second single, \u201cGame On\u201d from \u201cHouse of Cards.\u201d\u00a0 We were very pleased with the reception of the first single, \u201cWhat About Me\u201d and we\u2019re continuing to tour and perform.\u00a0 We just got back from Las Vegas, where we performed at The Chrome Showroom at Sante Fe Station Casino.\u00a0 We had a great time.\u00a0 We have family in Vegas, so it\u2019s always great to get out there.\u00a0 We\u2019re hoping to go back before the year is through.\u00a0 I\u2019m also working on a project for Mariko Takahashi, which is truly an honor for me.\u00a0 And, I\u2019ll be heading back to Miami to finish up the project with Jack Splash.\u00a0 Of course, the band and I will be heading back to Japan later this year, and we\u2019re all looking forward to it.<\/p>\n

MM : Please give the Japanese fans a message.<\/span>
\nBC : I am eternally grateful to my fans and friends in Japan.\u00a0 I cherish each and every one of you.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>
\nBobby Caldwell Official Site : <\/span>http:\/\/www.bobbycaldwell.com\/<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0
\n
\n<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

House of Cards \/ Bobby Caldwell<\/strong><\/p>\n

1.Game On
\n2.Blue
\n3.Dance With Me
\n4.It’s all Coming Back to Me Now
\n5.Heart’s on Fire
\n6.One of Those Nights
\n7.Dear Blues
\n8.Dinah (Diamond in the Rough)
\n9.What About Me
\n10.Mazatlan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bobby Caldwell \u00a0\u00a0 Bobby Caldwell has been well known worldwide as a singer and songwriter continuously delivering us compositions of high quality. Bob […]<\/p>\n

\u7d9a\u304d\u3092\u8aad\u3080<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-features-english"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.museonmuse.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.museonmuse.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.museonmuse.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.museonmuse.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.museonmuse.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3361"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.museonmuse.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3363,"href":"https:\/\/www.museonmuse.jp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3361\/revisions\/3363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.museonmuse.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.museonmuse.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.museonmuse.jp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}