Forget what you've read about an aloof and icy East European, Lene Lovich is a very open, friendly and honest American. We talked to her before and after her recent gig at the university (hence two interviews), and she answered every question politely. In a world of poseurs and hustlers, it makes a refreshing change to meet someone who doesn't scream or throw superstar tantrums, and is quietly sure of themselves and their music. The night we interviewed her, she also did interviews with the P&J, People's Journal and the student newspaper Gaudie. An exhausting schedule for an evening in which she also had the small matter of the first gig of the tour to deal with. Thanks are due to Lenny Love and Stiff Records for setting things up. Read on, Macduff...
Oh yeah, and Les Chappell has one of the most cultured accents I've ever heard. Appearances can be deceptive! (He was great as well).
-What's the writing split between yourself and Les Chappell - who writes the words and who writes the music?
Les Chappell: I do it all actually!
Lene Lovich: Aha! Delete that! (laughs). Generally speaking I write the words and the music is split.
-How do you write?
LL: Mostly the initial idea is momentary inspiration and we just build on it. We have an idea for a tune and I have an idea for some words... Quite often I get an idea from other music - I find myself singing completely different words! Then I realise that I'm doing that, and just keep on!
-Some people have said there's an Eastern European flavour to the music.
LL: It's not conscious, although my ancestry is Eastern European - though I'm not; it's just where my name comes from. But when I was little I did hear a lot of that sort of music, so it's possible that something went in then, and it's just coming out now!
-What's been your best gig?
LL: I really couldn't say.... I enjoyed the New York gigs....and when we were up here before we played at a club called Ruffles which was one of the smallest venues on the Stiff tour. The Aberdeen gig stood out for me because we were so close to the audience which is what I like - to see what they're thinking - you can tell a lot from a pair of eyes!
-Who produced the last album - there wasn't a credit...
LL: Hmmm...it was a Stateless production; make of that what you will!
-How did you get signed to Stiff?
LL: Well, Charlie Gillett introduced me to Stiff through his programme on Radio London, which he's just recently stopped doing. He used to have a spot where you could ring up if you wanted to join a band, or if your band wanted a particular instrument; and when I came back from Europe I couldn't see much happening, so I rang his show and said I was a sax player looking for a band, and he put my telephone number over the air and nobody answered (laughs); and I wrote him a letter with a bit more information and he rang me up because he was putting together a band for a Scottish songwriter Bobby Henry, and he thought I could play a bit of sax and do some back-up vocals. Les was in that band as well as Bobby Irwin, the drummer on the Stiff tour. It was a very big band - Charlie got everyone down who was interested and slowly it narrowed down - and people either fitted in or they didn't. Then we rehearsed in not very ideal surroundings and it sounded pretty good, but when we got to the studio we realised that we had about three bands in one all trying to play the same music. So we decided to split it three ways - and Les, myself and Bobby Irwin left.
-You've got a tremendous vocal range - was that taught?
LL: No, I guess it's natural. I've never had any singing lessons - probably if I had I wouldn't do all this!
-How long did you stay in America?
LL: About 13 years.
-Was that your period of education?
LL: Well, I came over here and went to art school in London to study sculpture.
-Do you have any burning ambitions - things you want to do before you're much older?
LL: Well, there's everything I haven't already done!
-Would you like to go back to America eventually?
LL: I'm perfectly happy here creatively, because I think Britain and Europe are much more exciting places to be - America's very conservative...
-Have you had any really horrible gigs?
LL: Not really; I haven't been playing that long.
-Lenny Love: Did you tell him about the Glasgow thing?
LL: Oh I didn't want to mention that - we've been banned from playing Glasgow University.
-Really? The entire Stiff tour?
LL: No, just me...
-What happened?
LL: Well, they apparently have a committee of about 20 people who decide who's suitable in the union, and the committee met and somebody said a few things about me that everybody was shocked about. Totally unfounded - mainly due to the lyrics of my songs - there's nothing there to offend anybody, unless they've got a wild imagination, in which case I'd like to meet them. We're going to do some interviews with Radio Clyde and I'd really like to meet the person who's got an objection and get to the bottom of it; but I doubt if they'll show their face. They're very reluctant to give that information - as to who said it and as to even what song they were talking about.
-I'm intrigued that Stiff originally promoted you someone no-one knew anything about. Did this come from Stiff or was it your doing?
LL: It was me really, because people are ready to condemn new artists because they don't have any past experiences that can thrill - you know: just 'cause I've never played with Eric Clapton - and I wanted people to accept my music for what it was and not because of my past history. Fair enough if people are interested in you as a person - I'm not trying to be a snob or anything like that - I just wanted people to accept me for what I was. I mean certain people have taken the whole thing very seriously and got very upset that I wouldn't talk about my past... but it's tough.
-Why do you have a new band from the one on the album?
LL: I have a new band because I had just borrowed the other band, because they had formed their own band and their guitarist had taken time off to write some songs. They have their own record contract. They've just signed with Epic.
-What sort of stuff were you playing with the Diversions?
LL: The Diversions were not my band. I was just one member of the band. We were signed to Polydor for a year and put out one single; but Polydor didn't promote it.. We also did an LP but they didn't release that. Then when the band were in financial trouble both me and the main singer did one-off records that we thought Polydor would like. They fell for that one and the band got more cash put into it what was what we needed.
-Was it you who chose Fingerprintz?
LL: Yes I chose them. Jimmie O'Neill, one of the guitarists, wrote "Say When" which I did tonight, and another great song on the album - "Telepathy".
-It seems strange that he wrote those songs while the band don't sound remotely like you.
LL: Well a good song is a good song and should be able to be done several different ways.
-How did you come to arrive in Britain?
LL: My mother ran away from my father and we came over to Britain.
-Why did you learn to play the sax, of all instruments?
LL: Well, I tried to play the guitar and I did learn a few chords - but I was never really happy about it. I never really enjoyed playing it and I just didn't have much affinity with it. I tried playing the violin and got a little more joy out of that, and then tried the sax and decided that was the one. I think most people have an instrument they could play if only they could find the right one. Instruments are so different.
-Are there any plans for new material to be released?
LL: We will be doing another album this year, but it's too early to say because the band has to do a lot more work yet and we have to write more songs. After the Stiff tour we went to America and after Christmas we spent time looking for the members of the band. We want to take more time for this one.
-Do you think that "Stateless" was rushed, then?
LL: I do think it was rushed. But I'm glad it was because it was the best we could do at the time. The timing was right to do the tour and the songs are good. I'm not saying that they couldn't be improved though. I think we have improved on the live show. Whereas on the album it's all there, but we didn't know where the emphasis should be.
-Is that why "Lucky Number" was remixed for the single?
LL: Yes, that's right. We've remixed some of the tracks on the album, because the Stiff album will be released in America soon, and it will be a chance to improve the album.
-What are your musical influences?
LL: I heard a lot of Tamla Motown stuff when I was growing up in Detroit, and then at home I heard a lot of Slavic music.
-Do you think you have been influenced by Sparks, or is it that you have both been separately by the same things?
LL: I don't know about Sparks. I don't know about their background. But I think on further examination there's not such a close connection between Sparks and myself. I think it's only a superficial resemblance.
LL: The stage image is me, but it's the me that's not always at the surface.
LL: I mostly taught myself. I bought one of those Tune-A-Day books, but I didn't have much discipline, so I suppose I learnt mainly by listening to records.
The Lene Lovich band is
LENE LOVICH: vocals/ sax
LES CHAPPELL: guitar
LENNY MEADE: bass
BEN OVERHEAD: drums
PHIL RAMOCOM: kybds
And as for the concert...well, if you missed it, my condolences. (It's criminal that a lot of the true fans can't get in to college gigs). She ran through the album pretty fully, but the nagging flaw in the record, the thinness of the sound and the rather restrained playing, was replaced by a powerhouse of sound. She needn't worry about her new band - Lene has assembled a collection of musicians with almost perfect empathy with Lene's folk dance meets electricity at Sparks station brand of rockaboogaloo. "Say When" has changed so much - it's tighter, it's more powerful, it's a lot of other things - and the audience screamed back "WHEN" right on cue. The audience were eating out of Lene's hand from beginning to end, (even pogoing frchrissakes!!!), even responding to the new numbers like "Jealousy Kills" as if they'd heard them every day for the last month. "Jealousy Kills" features the by now familiar staccatto drums and bass, and sounded a top ten single to these usually jaded ears. As at Ruffles her version of N. Lowe's "Tonight" knocked spots off the album version with Lene's improved sax solo, and Les Chappell doing the girlie vocals. "Home", one of the all time classic alienation songs - "Home is where the heart is/ Let's go to your place" - was introduced as a song "for all those people who are just visiting". On stage, it has to be admitted Lene is remote on stage - from both the audience and the band, projecting her image of splendid isolation, and maybe this is why she's garnered the "ice maiden of the cold war" nonsense press. It's interesting, and it seems to work (I saw at least one Lovich lookalike), but I can't help feeling that people get the wrong impression of her. Maybe that's what she wants. "Lucky Number" is the last number - even better than the remixed single - and the crowd go crazy. A great song. Only one encore, but the audience demand more.... eventually Lene reappears to wish us all good-night, and tell us that they didn't have any more songs to play... a nice touch. A nice woman too. See her.
Colin Murray & John Milton
AND NOW, ONCE AGAIN, GRANITE CITY (THE NORTH EAST'S ANSWER TO RITZ) with a little help from the truly wonderful stiff record conglomerate PRESENT......
THE LENE LOVICH COMPETITION!
Yes, sports fans, you can win AN AUTOGRAPHED PICTURE DISC LP by Lene!!!!
All you have to do is answer this simple question:-
How long are Lene Lovich's plaits?
We've measured them so we know, and we ain't telling no-one. Until next issue of course. Ok, we know they grow, smartass, but we want their length on the 9th of Feb. Remember? Yeah, we know there's two of them as well, but measured her right hand one (if you see what we mean). OK gang, get guessing!!!!
Oh, and there's a prize for the runner up - an AUTOGRAPHED 12" 'LUCKY NUMBER' SINGLE!!!! And remember, the closing date is 20th March.
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