Interview

Cat Piss, Big Hits & Pamela Anderson
An Interview with Bryan Adams
By Jeb Wright, May 2006
Bryan Adams is a true hit maker – both for his own career and for dozens of other artists as diverse as Pat Benetar, Kiss, Joe Cocker and 38 Special. For years he toiled around in a basement that smelled of cat urine banging out songs with his writing partner Jim Vallance. Eventually, both artists began making records; Adams went on to have an amazing solo career and Vallance recorded with the band Prism. Adams turned out to be the most prolific and popular. His third US release, Cuts Like a Knife, put him on the road to success and he has never looked back. Now, after having a slew of Top 20 hits, # 1 singles, # 1 albums and trophy room filled with Grammy’s and other awards, Universal Music has released the most comprehensive collection of Adam’s career titled simply, Anthology.
Bryan has often been perceived as the ‘nice guy who lives next door’ type but the meaning to the song “Summer of ‘69", and the new duet with blond bombshell Pam Anderson, should go a long way in tarnishing his nice guy image. Before we know it, Bryan may change his attitude and became a manic, flying around backstage in a golf cart running over music journalists without feeling so much as a twinge of guilt.
Read on – it will all make sense by the end of the interview!
Jeb: Anthology is a great album that showcases your entire career and has all the goodies and extras that your most loyal fans want. You had done other ‘hits’ records so why did you agree to another one?Bryan: It wasn't my idea to put this out; it came from the US division of Universal records. I went along with it as it was supposed to be for the US only. It's out everywhere now, which is fine. The thing is, it's the best collection I've put out by a long shot. It has twice the music and for that reason, I'm happy about it.Jeb: The DVD that comes with the limited edition version of the CD confused the hell out of me. I thought you were 100% Canuck yet in concert there are signs everywhere that say “Welcome Home Bryan.” Explain how a man can actually be from two countries.Bryan: The DVD was shot in Portugal, where I lived for five years as a youngster. We chose Lisbon because we have such a great following in Portugal and the venue is perfect. Plus, Live in Lisbon sounds great.Jeb: I have heard that Jim Vallance and Bryan Adams wrote songs in a basement where a cat often pissed. Why didn’t someone just change the litter box?
Bryan: Litter boxes didn't matter to that cat. He was on a mission to piss on everything he could. Half of our writing sessions were spent chasing down what he had pissed on that day – then we'd write a song.
Jeb: You have written many songs for many artists. Was this the plan or was writing for others just a way to keep money coming in until you could make it yourself?
Bryan: It was just the way I got started. I didn't have a deal in the beginning, so we needed an outlet to keep ourselves inspired. Nine times out of ten, we were lucky to get the cover but believe me when i say that it was just us mucking about. We never believed we'd get the job done. It was mostly thanks to various producers that liked what we were doing at the time. Sometimes songs would get written for someone else and I'd tell Jim that I was keeping them for my album.
Jeb: “Cuts Like a Knife” is a great pop song that touched the nerve of the times. How satisfying was it to finally have your name on the ticket instead of someone you wrote songs for?
Bryan: Cuts Like A Knife was my third album in the US and it was a huge relief to see that all the touring we had done previous to its release had actually amounted to something. I didn't make any money from that album, believe it or not. It was a platinum album as well, but my deal was so bad...
Jeb: MTV embraced you early on. Whose idea was the swimming pool? Who was the girl? Basically, what was the shoot like?
Bryan: It was shot in LA and was the idea of an English director named Steve Barron. The girl was a model and she ended up being dated by a handsome record company exec. I'm not sure what happened to her. Her name was Rachel, I think.
Jeb: I understand you moved many times as a child due to your Father’s occupation. Was it tough growing up on the move or do you think it helped you with the lifestyle of being a musician?
Bryan: I loved moving around. I suppose it was good practice for the future, but moving between countries also taught me lots about culture and getting along without speaking the language. It gave me a broader sense of the world. I can remember telling my manager that I wanted to play in Europe on the Cuts Like A Knife album; he actually fought me on it. We laugh about it now.
Jeb: Did your family accept you as a musician?
Bryan: My mother was great about it but really she had no choice. I was like a rabbit on a carrot when it came to music. I was determined to get out of the shitty situation of being in school and not being interested in the work we were being taught. Well, there was my French teacher, who was amazing, and my Electronic Music class but they were the exception – by far.
Jeb: Tell me about your first band called Shock.
Bryan: There's nothing to tell, we were shocking – shockingly bad.
Jeb: “Let Me Take You Dancing” was disco. Is this the crowning jewel of embarrassment in your song writing career?
Bryan: No, it was a demo that the record company re-mixed and put out in 1978. I had nothing to do with it other than the demo. I remember panicking when I heard how much it had been sped up – it didn't sound like me. It was a good lesson to learn. I never let them, or anyone else, mess with my recordings again.
Jeb: The song “Heaven” was in the movie A Night in Heaven. The song was a hit out of the box but you held it back as a single. What made you so smart to know it should wait to be a single until your album was released? The song ended up being a # 1 hit, if I am not mistaken.
Bryan: You are right. I don't know why – things were different then. Maybe after the earlier experiences of messing with my tunes, they decided to leave me alone! There was a genuine ground swell of interest in the records we were making back then.
Jeb: You are credited with three Kiss songs from 1982. Gene Simmons is also on the credits. Did Gene do anything or was that part of the deal?
Bryan: Basically, he wanted his name on the credits, otherwise the songs wouldn't go on the record. I remember Jim and I looking at each other when Gene was on the phone saying he liked our songs but they needed another verse or something. The thing was that the songs were done. Such was life as a songwriter back then – actually it’s still like that but thankfully not for me.
Jeb: I saw you open for Journey on the Cuts Like a Knife tour. Journey was suffering from the Perry vs The Rest of the Band Syndrome. Any good dirt on them?
Bryan: No dirt on them. They were all cool and I remember visiting Steve, once in awhile, in his private trailer. He was a nice guy and a really great singer. I loved that tour. I truly owe that band and their management for helping to break us in the US. I'm very grateful to them.
Jeb: Seriously, you blew them off the stage and it became clear to me at that moment that you were more than a pop star – you were the ‘real thing.’ How did the early success pave the way for later success?
Bryan: I don't know about that, they had loads of hits and we were nothing. I can remember getting a response for a couple of songs and thinking, “That's better than the last tour we did.” It was the beginning of the right time for us.
Jeb: Reckless was the first masterpiece. Going into the studio were the songs already written?
Bryan: Some songs were tried out on the road when I toured with The Police. Jim played drums on that tour and we had a great time. Other than that, every song was prepared before we went into the studio. In those days, I used to do a whole album in about six weeks and spend a year with Jim writing it. “Summer of '69" was recorded three times in its entirety; it was a tough one to crack.
Jeb: How did the Tina Turner duet come to be?
Bryan: I'm quite simply a fan of Tina, so it was just an idea to see if she'd sing a duet. It's like the saying 'be careful for what you wish for.’ She was just about to make her comeback with Private Dancer. Her producer had recorded some of my songs for other artists and was my first connection to her -- then came management. One day she just happened to be playing in Vancouver, where we were recording. It was the last week of studio time and Tina was the opening act for Lionel Ritchie. I went back to meet her and she came running out saying "Where is he? I wanna meet Bryan." We recorded the next day.
Jeb: You got a lot of shit about being too young to be the correct age for the song “Summer of ’69.” Were you surprised the general public didn’t get the sexual innuendo?
Bryan: I love when people ask me how old I was. I always have to explain what the song is about. It happened recently in a radio station in the US. I explained to the woman DJ what the song was about and she went white. I heard the programmer for the station behind her say in a whisper "I guess we won't be playing that song again!"
Jeb: You got to open the US side of the Live Aid concert. What was the vibe and was it a dream to be around all of those artists?
Bryan: Here's what I remember: I was introduced to the world by Jack Nicholson and then I was on a plane 30 minutes later to another show in Ohio – that's the long and short of it.
Jeb: Even after you were famous, you penned some songs that sold in great numbers. “Teacher, Teacher” and “Back to Paradise” were huge hits for 38 Special and “When the Night Comes” is a classic Joe Cocker track. How was it different writing for other artists once you made it?
Bryan: I was just trying to pay my rent. Whenever one of my mates who was involved in making a record would call, Jim and I would knuckle down and get the job done. We did it over and over again; it was incredible. Had we not had so much pressure on us after Reckless, I'm sure we could have continued -- if we'd read the manual on what to do when you make it. Sadly, there's no such manual.
Jeb: By the end of the 80’s, most of your contemporaries were drying up and fading away. You actually had your biggest hit in the 90’s when Grunge was ruining the careers of rock musicians. Was this dumb luck or a genius plan?
Bryan: I hadn't allowed my songs to promote a film until the 90's. I think holding off helped in the 90's. So, I suppose it was calculated on my part but I had a feeling that films were the wrong sort of exposure for me in the beginning – even though I loved doing them and still do.
Jeb: Why did you and Jim split up towards the end of the 80’s?
Bryan: It was difficult to handle how huge things had become and after so much work together it was time to try different things.
Jeb: As successful as you were with Jim, was it a trade up to work with Mutt Lange?
Bryan: We had a lot of covers – I'm not sure how many were actual hits. Nevertheless, working with Mutt came at the right time. We were both looking for something different and it worked instantly. I think we wrote three songs in a week – it was very exciting.
Jeb: How did you meet Mutt and were you nervous to work with him?
Bryan: I went out of my way to meet him in London in 1987 and had asked him to produce Into the Fire but he was busy. We stayed friends and the time came two years later, in 1989, when we wrote our first songs together.
Jeb: The year is 1987 and you are chosen to headline The Prince’s Trust Fund Charity Concert. You played, not one, not two but three Beatles songs with Ringo, George and Paul. Describe what was going on in your mind? I think even Eric Clapton was on stage.
Bryan: Yes, they were all there. I only remember one song, "I Saw Her Standing There." The mic was open and I went and sang harmony. I didn't sleep for three days afterwards.
Jeb: Was there a band meal or an after party?
Bryan: Everyone went home afterwards as far as I remember.
Jeb: I met you in Oklahoma City right after you had just come off stage. You came around the corner of the tunnel in a golf cart and almost ran me over. You could have ignored me but you stopped and make sure I was okay. How are we supposed to get the dirt on you if you are a nice guy? Why no ego if you have fame, admiration, respect and a boat load of money?
Bryan: You're right, I should have run you down.
Jeb: What color clothes will you and the band be wearing this summer? The last couple of times out it was all black and then all white. I suggest we go with stripes or perhaps corduroy.
Bryan: I predict it's all about prison wear this season. I'm seeing a faded blue denim sort of Alcatraz cut – with a boot cut pant leg.
Jeb: Last one: On Anthology, you feature a duet with Pam Anderson. Now, Tommy Lee, Bret Michaels and Kid Rock all seem to have sex videos with this goddess of a woman. Instead of that, you just made her sing. What’s up with that?
Bryan: What the hell? She's fantastic to have done it. It's amazing what you can achieve with half a bottle of champagne and a good attitude. Prior to this version, the song had never been released in America. So, I thought it would be good to try something different.