The songwriting legend on drinking with Richard Harris and flying a glider over Death Valley without his glasses on: “If you had to land, you’d be up Shit Creek…”
“Sinatra was delighted to find a guy my age who knew how to write – or at least fake – a traditional sounding song”
I’M GOOD, BuT I seem to be sneezing,” says Jimmy Webb on the phone from his New York home. “Must be allergies. I hope I can get through this interview without… you know, ‘Achooo’.”
Webb’s first commercial recording was “My Christmas Tree” by the Supremes in 1965. Since then, he has become one of music’s most successful songwriters, penning hits including “up, up And Away”, “By The Time I Get To Phoenix”, “Wichita Lineman” and “MacArthur Park”. His songs have been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and many others, but undoubtedly his most successful and longest-running collaborative relationship is with Glen Campbell, which includes over 80 songs.
“When I began as a commercial songwriter, I could write anything you wanted about anything,” he says. “I could usually do a pretty good imitation of any writer. I could write a Hal David, Burt Bacharach song in a second. I could do a Beatles song if I wanted, country songs, musical comedy, musical theatre, film scores. I was Jack Of All trades. I was always very proud of my versatility. That was pretty much what I asked for when I consulted my runes. You know, ‘God, please make me able to make a living in this business.’”
In September, Webb will visit the uK to honour Campbell for a series of shows. Meanwhile, Webb tackles the Uncut inbox, on subjects ranging from drinking with Richard Harris, glider trips over Death Valley and the strange dream that inspired one of his best-known songs…
Star question
When did you last see PF Sloan?
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2016 من Uncut UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2016 من Uncut UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Kim Gordon: La Ghosts & Flowers
As KIM GORDON prepares to release No Home Record – her brilliant debut solo album – she takes stock of her consistently adventurous career so far. To discuss: her early days in New York’s Downtown, cooking with Neil Young and the perils of gentrification. “Life is unexpected,” she tells Tom Pinnock
Tinariwen: Even Nomads Get The Blues
A lot has changed for TINARIWEN since they became superstars of desert rock’n’roll. But their Saharan homeland remains as troubled as ever. We track the band down in Morocco, where Michael Bonner hears tales of exile, insurgency and belonging. “As long as people are oppressed, there will be room for protest music,” they explain
Angel Olsen: Her Bright Materials
Welcome to Asheville, North Carolina, where ANGEL OLSEN is poised to release her new album, All Mirrors. Erin Osmon joins the singer-songwriter at home to discuss heartbreak, fantasy property deals and her latest bold pop experiment. “Sometimes your dreams are not what they seem,” she says
“I Was Insatiable!”
From a back garden in Epsom to the stage of the O2 – via Bombay, New York, Marrakesh and Beijing – join us as JIMMY PAGE guides us through 60 years’ worth of his marvellous adventures. CliffRichard! Exorcisms! “A cauldron of inspiration”! There are road trips with The Yardbirds, magical recording sessions at Headley Grange, his ongoing relationship with Robert Plant and the vast musical legacy of Led Zeppelin to consider. “I was dealt a very good hand,” Page tells Michael Odell. “And I like to think I played it well.”
'I Was Pretty Bad At Being A Pop Star'
Riding high on the back of Bon Iver’s endorsement and his finest album in years, the piano master discusses the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, cryogenics and appearing in “some of the worst videos ever made”
The Go-Betweens - G Stands For Go-Betweens: Volume 2 – 1985–1989 Domino
Australian indie ambassadors’ golden age showcased in opulent style.
It's Too Late To Stop Now
Has VAN MORRISON mellowed at last? After yet another remarkable period in his ongoing creative renaissance, the Celtic soul warrior is on good form as he talks R&B, transcendence and mythical bootlegs with Graeme Thomson. “I didn’t know what the hell I was doing for quite a while,” he reveals
Robert Plant - Digging Deep
ESPARANZA 7/10 Percy on 45! A boxset of 7”s traces Plant’s post-Zep progress. By Michael Bonner
Leonard Cohen - Thanks For The Dance
The poet’s intimate musical postscript.
'I'll Tell You The Full Story…'
During the past 12 months, a series of lavish boxsets have tracked DAVID BOWIE’s early development throughout 1968 and 1969. As this comprehensive archeological survey concludes with Conversation Piece, long-serving producer TONY VISCONTI relives the highs and lows of Bowie’s breakthrough. There are ham sandwiches, Marc Bolan impressions, the peerless “Space Oddity”, and tearful studio interludes… but, most importantly, we learn how the music made during this brief but pivotal period critically influenced one superstar in the making: David Bowie himself…
