Man On (the) Line
Archive - July to August 2006
August 13, 2006 Steven Smith (34) from Congleton, UK: A while ago I was undergoing major knee surgery to my left knee - an old footballing injury from when I played professionally. While I was recoupering in my bed, I was listening to one of your songs I have in my collection - I have every single CD, album and single ever released. This song made me close my eyes and think of playing football again - which the doctors said would not be able to happen under any circumstances. The song in question was called The Head and The Heart. Amazingly, some 3 months later, I was listening to this song again while in the garden with my children and I managed to kick a ball and play a small game of footy with my kids. This was an amazing thing as I had never been able to do this since my injury. I firmly believe that this song made it possible for me to play again, at a lesser level than before, but it was down to you that this happened. Do you believe in amazing things like this and has anything ever happened to you that is similar? Also, I am going to your Amsterdam concert in December of this year, 2006. I was wondering if you could sing this song for me as it would be a special night coming all the way from Cheshire, England and hearing my favourite song. Thanks and take care. Chris de Burgh: I find your question very interesting indeed, about how pieces of music can uplift the spirit and give the healing process a chance to kick in and help the body recover. I know there are a lot of medical practitioners around who say that the mind and the brain can control a huge amount of the body and its functions, its healing processes. The releases of endorphins, of serotonins, of feel-good hormones that come into the body. If you are feeling depressed about things, you are more likely to have your immune system lowered. I think a positive attitude is incredibly important. And I think certainly sights and sounds and smells can help as well. I have heard this before about music and about how it can really assist people in becoming positive. A positive frame of mind will definitely help somebody heal quicker. I am delighted to hear that you, Steven, listened to "The Head And The Heart", and that gave you some kind of strong feeling about healing yourself and, you know, going into your own brain and encouraging the active parts of your body that are internally in all of us to fight against infection and help the recovery process and help to get over injuries. And it's lovely to hear that you are playing football with the children again. So, on a personal note, I would say that probably any time that I have hurt myself or hurt my back or whatever it happens to be, banging your finger. I think, if you have a positive frame of mind, and you send messages to all those little fighters in your body, the healing cells that can go and help, just send them to the place where you need the help, and I actually do believe it works. A simple way of discovering whether this is happening or not is if you have a small pain, say in your toe, concentrate on it and immediately it'll start throbbing, which means that your brain is connecting with that part of your body and is sending certain signals. And I think if you send healing signals, it will help you to recover quicker. Editor's note: And once again the Man On (the) Line section is taking a little break. We will return as soon as we receive new answers by Chris de Burgh.
August 12, 2006 John Edwards (59) from Pathos, Cyprus: It's a million to one chance you'll reply to this, but I'll give it a try... First - thanks for the music over the years. Your music has been a comfort to my wife and myself through troubled times, and a joy to listen to all the time. It would be fantastic if you would consider performing here in Cyprus. The warm evenings and fantastic atmosphere performing in one of our splendid ancient outdoor Roman amphitheatres would be a memory everyone, including I'm sure yourself would treasure..... Dream on John! You have mentioned that one day you may "get together" with a smaller more intimate audience in a hotel or something similar - please count my wife and myself in, we would travel anywhere in the world and spend any amount to be in the audience! Finally Chris, I play the guitar and sing in local hotels during the tourist season, and attempt to sing many of your beautiful songs. Now I know how you got started, playing in your parents hotel as a young man, but what fascinates me is that during the early days of your career you opened many shows for (then) big name groups. How did you get such 'wow' factor gigs ? Oh yes, my wife has just asked me to ask you how did you meet your wife? We know how you treasure your private life so understand if you don't answer that question. I'll check back every day for a year to see if this appears on your website - here's hoping! God bless you Chris - and thanks again for the music. Chris de Burgh: This is a lovely question! Well, John, in answer to your question, yes I have actually performed in Cyprus. It was quite a long time ago, and it was in a football stadium. And I think I probably did two concerts in Cyprus. One in what is called Nikosia, and another one down in the more tourist area in the South East of the country, I believe. And I stayed there for a while. That was in the early 90s. I enjoyed the country enormously. I thought it was wonderful and great fun to be there. And I know that several of my team have been back there for holidays. Unfortunately I haven't been back there more recently than they, but I enjoyed it and I look forward to returning. I am going to be in Greece, which I know is not Cyprus by the way, but I will be in that part of the world in Athens later this year. As far as starting my career, because I was associated with A&M Records, I had the chance to tour with bands like Gino Vannelli, Supertramp and other ones on the label. Because obviously it was in the interest of the record label to get one of their new artists seen and get some exposure for that artist. And obviously when you are starting you accept just about anything that's going. Like in the United States I played with a lot of bands, including a hard rock guy called Eddie Money who was charming and great fun to be with. Peter Frampton who had a huge hit with "Frampton Comes Alive". We were playing big venues then. And the Climax Blues Band, all sorts of people. America was another band I have performed in front of. But you gotta take what's coming. And when you are starting, you've got to do just anything you possibly can to get known. And I met my wife because she is the sister of a very dear friend of mine. And we met in college when we were hanging out with the same group of people.
August 11, 2006 Elke (34) from Duesseldorf, Germany: Hi Chris! I listen to your music and visit your tours for almost 20 years now. But there is one thing that really made me sad: Why didn't you ever mention Glen after his death? Neither on your albums nor during your show. You spent a long time together. Wasn't he worth it? (By the way, I am his cousin.) Chris de Burgh: I think as Glen's cousin you are possibly being a little critical of me not having mentioned Glen after his death during my show or on my albums. Well, I think you would have to have been at all my shows to know whether I said anything about Glen or not. And the fact is that I have talked about him a lot in the past. I have mentioned him in concerts and I have talked about him in interviews. And the song on my "The Road To Freedom" album "The Journey" was conceived and inspired initially by his death. It's been a very strange thing. He has appeared in my dreams a lot in the last few years. And he and I are very connected in some way or other. I suppose after a certain point you don't want to keep on referring to the past. But he is still a very strong presence in my life, and I was very fond of Glen. And I can still see him now, with a smile on his face, making wonderful jokes and stories. He was a constant friend and companion for many years. But please don't think that I ignored him in my shows or indeed in my career. This is completely untrue.
August 10, 2006 Gael Colin (36) from France, living in Croatia: I am a great fan since 20 years now when I first discovered Spaceman came travelling. Recently I have discovered Kati MELUA and her way of telling stories like you is very interesting. Her last song Spider Web sounds very familiar for a Chris de Burgh fan. Do you know her albums and music? Do you consider a collaboration with her maybe for a single? Thank you for your answer. Chris de Burgh: Yes, I know Katie Melua quite well. I have one of her records. I think she is extremely talented and unusual. I think that's what made her stand out. There have been an awful lot of female singers/songwriters recently. Norah Jones being one of them for example. What makes Katie Melua stand out is something about the way she writes and sings that makes her different, the way that Dido came through as somebody totally different. Yes, I am a fan and of course I would be interested in a collaboration. I think the interest would also have to come from her, but she seems to be doing pretty well on her own right now.
August 9, 2006 Gunter Kohl (33) from Trier, Germany: Hi again, Chris! Some minutes ago I listened to George Michael's "Round here" - a beautiful song about growing up in London. I began to think about songs about towns/cities like "New York, New York" and I noticed that you sometimes mention towns or cities in your songs. But you have not released a song about a town. Can you imagine singing about a town? Which one would it be? Thank you for your answer! Chris de Burgh: I suppose I have never had a strong association with any particular town or city in the past which is why I have never written about them. And also I have avoided writing songs about specific places, because I prefer people to be able to look at their own situation, their own town or city. I suppose one of the few places that I have referred to would be Paris in "A Rainy Night In Paris", and New York in "The Snows Of New York". I probably have mentioned London, I can't remember. Maybe other people who may have a better recollection of my songs than I do at this point, could remind me if I have mentioned any other cities or towns in the past. So that might be a good thing to ask somebody to come back to me on. I probably would write another song about a town or a city, if it had a big impact on me. I think everybody knows that there are places in the word where I really like to be. One of them would be Munich. I am very fond of Hamburg as well, and Cologne in Germany. Paris in France. And Cape Town in South Africa. And more recently my trip to New Zealand that I have referred to in an earlier question. It will happen one day, but I am not quite sure why and when. Which just reminds me – I have referred to St. Petersburg in my new album, but when it was called Leningrad. So that one is a song to look forward to in the future.
August 8, 2006 Amadeus (16) from Montreal, Canada: Here is a great debate where I live, about a line in Patricia the Stripper: "This girl was in her working clothes", and whether this line is said by, a) the judge, or b) the "narrator" of the song. This question is largely unsettled here, and the online lyrics are not all the same and in general are often inaccurate; even the lyrics on this site are unclear since there is an open-quote where the judge starts speaking, but no corresponding end-quote. So it seemed ultimately best to go straight to Chris himself to settle this, once and for all. Many thanks! Chris de Burgh: Of course Montreal is a city, as everybody knows, that I really adore. I have often spoken about it and the wonderful friends that I have made there down the years. Quick answer: as I said "This girl was in her working clothes", this is the judge dismissing the case. When he says "Case dismissed! This girl was in her working clothes." And he bangs his gavel down on the top of his desk and dismisses the case and says "Right. Throwing the case out of court. See you later, Patricia, in my rooms. She can't be arrested for being in her working clothes." Just a joke and a bit of fun at the time.
August 7, 2006 Chris and Stephen Wright (21 + 18) from Sandiacre, Nottinghamshire, UK: Hi Chris, If a film was to be made of your life thus far, who would you like to play the part of De Burgh? Forever fans, Chris + Ste. Chris de Burgh: This is a question I have never been asked before. I have no idea who would do a good job! It certainly wouldn't be Colin Farrell, but then again maybe there is some young lad full of hope and ambition and strength. And one thing that you had to have, and still have to have if you want to succeed in any business, is the ability to soak up disappointment, the ability to soak up pressure. And the chance to not only look to the future but learn from the past. So I have absolutely no idea who would play me in a film. But it would have to be somebody approximately 5 foot 6 inches with bushy eyebrows and all the rest of the features that I have in my face and body that would make it believable. If you have any ideas, write it into the website! I would love to hear from you.
August 6, 2006 Barbara (28) from Germany: Hi Chris, I love your music very much. I'm also a big fan of U2. I'm wondering if you sometimes meet with Bono or Edge, who do live in your neighbourhood in Kiliney, as far as I know? Do you eventually sometimes meet each other in a pub or in your garden for a barbecue? Also your children must almost be in the same age? Did they go at the same college? What do you think about the music of U2? Do you like it? It would be very kind of you to answer to my questions.. All the best from Germany, Barbara Chris de Burgh: My association and friendship with those guys goes back a long time. Because I started in my career well before they did. And it's a matter of knowledge that they in Germany wanted to break through and become the big stars that they are today. And they opened the show for me 6 times in various big football stadiums in Germany. And I actually have a poster with my name at the top and U2 underneath and REO Speedwagon and Foreigner and those kinds of bands underneath. I remember seeing the first show with U2 and being impressed not only with the music and the rough and ready way that they had of strolling on the stage and creating a very strong reaction with the crowd, but also from Bono's antics of climbing up to the top of the stage, you know, onto the roof. I have never seen a band so keen to be remembered. It was almost like they were screaming at everybody "Don't forget us! We are going to be big. We will be back!" And of course with the machinery of their management company behind them and a very powerful record company, they became the megastars they are today. And deservedly so! I used to live in a place called Dalkey, but I have moved from there. But I would run into people like Edge in the petrol station, or Bono walking along the Vico Road, close to where I used to live. We meet up in social occasions. I don't see too much of Adam Clayton or Larry Mullen, because they live in rather different areas of Dublin than I do. As far as my opinion of their music is concerned, I would say that I as always keep my opinions about most modern musicians to myself, unless I am a huge admirer. But I always thought that their album The Joshua Tree was, I think, probably their best work. But a lot of people would probably disagree with that.
August 5, 2006 Paraic Elliott (33) from Dublin, Ireland: Hi Chris I've been a fan for a long time now - I got a pressie of Best Moves way back when I was a kid in hospital and when I got out I started collecting your records. I love the new stuff but especially love the album Man On The Line. I know it's a while back but could you tell me a bit about working with Howard Jones? He plays piano on The Head And The Heart, a fantastic song. Thanks Chris, may get to see you in England. Chris de Burgh: Best Moves, when you were a kid in hospital? That's nice to hear. I hope it got you through your hospital stay. The Man On The Line record was the second one that I recorded with Rupert Hine, having done The Getaway just before that. And the Man On The Line album was recorded in 1984. Howard Jones was one of the artists that Rupert Hine was working with at the time and I was also a great admirer. And I asked Rupert if Howard would be available to play The Head And The Heart. So we did that together live. He played the piano of course and I sang a little way away, and obviously with good eye contact. And I thought he did a phantastic job. And I hope that you'll come and see me in concert some day which incidentally could be sooner than you think, and it won't be in England! It's going to be on September the 23rd in Killarney, if you can make it down there.
August 4, 2006 Babak Fotouhi (17) from Tehran, Iran: Hi Chris. A short question: what's your favourite season? Thanks, you are the best. Chris de Burgh: I take another opportunity to say hello to all my fans in Iran. I know I have many many thousands of fans. And trust me, when I say we are doing everything we can to ensure that I come and sing for you some day. It's not that easy as you can imagine. But I have a strong feeling in my heart that I will be there to sing one day. And hopefully one day soon. My favourite season? Well, it's hard to say. I can tell you my least favourite season, which is winter obviously. And I'd say a dark day in February is about my least favourite time to be around in a dark cold country. But I love spring. There is something incredibly exciting about spring. To see things happening all around you. And go away for a week and come back and suddenly see an eruption of growth. And then I suppose my second favourite season would be autumn. Because I think autumn appeals to the melancholy in my soul. And seeing the leaves turning, particularly in dramatic ways, like you see in North America, the maples of Canada, the drive between Montreal and Ottawa around the time when the leaves are turning colour, it's just spectacular. And I must admit I do love the sights and the smells of that particular season as well.
August 3, 2006 Alex (32) from Pskov, Russia: Dear Chris, you wrote the best love song I ever heard. Listening them, usually never get into deep, to the very heart if the love doesn't hurt you. But unfortunately, love brings more pain than happiness. What's your experience about the first love? Chris de Burgh: Alex, your question about love and the first love is as old as time itself. Scientists are beginning to discover why we fall in love. What happens when we fall in love, what happens in our bodies, what kind of enzymes come through, what kind of responses are triggered in the brain. It's not just the sexual response, there's another longing response. And I think all of us have had dreams, when you fall in love with somebody in a dream and you wake up and you feel that ache in your heart. Even if you scarcely know the person or it was just an imagination dream. These things happen to everybody. And I think the ache of love is something that is a 24 hour thing. I referred to this before in one of my answers. It goes back to that wonderful French song, which I'll quote in English "Joy of love is but a moment of love, but pain of love can last a whole life through." It's called Plaisir D'Amour, that's the French song. It's got it absolutely dead right. Love can be one of the most challenging and difficult things in our lives. And certainly writing songs about it is difficult as well, because to make these songs believable you have to do them from the heart. I would say to you though, Alex, that there will be a time when the pain of love becomes less and the joy of love becomes stronger.
August 2, 2006 Renae Dewji (45) from Hartford, CT, USA: Dear Chris, You seem to have a real way with relating your thoughts, opinions, and ideas in response to the questions of your fans on MOtL. Do you find it an easy task to answer the questions, or do the answers come easily to you? With your prolific songwriting I would think that the responses would come easily. Speaking of your lyrics, you really do have a talent! Thanks for all you have to offer to people. As ever, Renae Dewji. Chris de Burgh: A lovely comment and a lovely question as well! I often feel guilty that I don't spend enough time answering the questions that have come from Man On the Line through the website, because I am so busy and I have been up to my eyes and up to everywhere to be honest with my most recent project. Just the day today, running up things, as I said in an earlier answer. All my children have been involved in very important exams and I wanted to be home to support them and give them encouragement and advice and help whenever necessary. So it's been a fairly stressful time for all concerned. But it's been good to be home. But nevertheless, finding time to answer the MOtL has proved to be difficult in the past. And I am answering this question now only hours before I head off on a holiday, because I would love to get some answers onto the website as soon as possible through the kind help of Astrid. The responses are not difficult, but it makes you think. Each question is unlike virtually any other. It's like doing a series of interviews with different people. And in particular you have to remember the way we do this: I talk into a tape recorder which is then transcribed by Astrid and put on the website. So I am actually talking to myself in an empty room to a tape recorder, trying to collect my thoughts and make my responses as interesting and as informative as I possibly can.
August 1, 2006 Chris de Burgh: I have kept quiet until now about my feelings and concerns about the innocent people caught up in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, but I can stay silent no more. After the catastrophe of all those civilians killed on Sunday by Israeli bombs, including almost forty children, I send my deepest and most sincere sympathies to the people of Lebanon, who have been involved in this ferocious struggle. I have strong and affectionate feelings about that country, having been there many times, and have always found a warm, friendly, even passionate welcome. Recently, I dedicated a performance of my song "Lebanese Night" to those people, during a concert in Germany, and the irony of the words were not lost on me, or indeed those listening: 'And did you go to your bed with a sweet lullaby, and the sound of the guns in the night; and did you dance in the fields, did you run for your life from the hell that came down from the sky, on a Lebanese night, on a Lebanese night.' After all those years of rebuilding following the last war, it now seems there will be many more years of having to start all over again, and I hope that once more, someday soon, I will be able to bring my music to a part of the world that is deep in my heart.
July 31, 2006 Ryan (16) from Canada: Dear Chris, How do you tune a guitar? Because when I play my Acoustic I always get the wrong note. Can you give me some advice? I really like your music. What is the song Lonely Sky about? I would really like to see you in concert. Do you like getting e-mails from fans? Chris de Burgh: Great. You are 16 years old, you want to play the guitar. It's important to know how to tune. Well, if you are playing a six string guitar, either gut string or 6 steel strings, you tune from the base note, i.e. the thickest string. You go E A D G B E. That is the tuning process. And if you are having a problem, go to a piano or any other musical instrument that you know where the notes are, or get a guitar tuner which you can get in a guitar shop, and that'll help you tune your instrument. Because it sounds to me like perhaps you are just beginning and you need a little assistance. The Lonely Sky song is about France obviously, because it refers to a French cafe and the cathedral of Notre Dame. I remember going there and seeing such a beautiful place, and the Lords and Ladies lying in stone, you know. It's one of my persistent themes of love is forever. It's somebody who is very fond of a girl who is leaving. Maybe they are lovers, maybe he is a guardian, maybe they are just good friends. And he is saying to her "Be careful out there in your lonely sky, and there are people who will try and take advantage of you. And just remember I am always there, flying beside you, wherever you are."
July 30, 2006 Gabi Kuehner (39) from Teningen, Germany: Dear Chris, many times there are offerings in ebay of gold records or platinum records. They all were offered as unique decoration articles. Lately there are regularly offerings of Chris de Burgh gold records or platinum records, for example of "The Getaway" or "Man on the Line". They all look authentic and really great. They were offered by official agents of Music Memorabilia. They got these items from Rock-Cafes or collectors etc. I remember you wrote in MOtL, that you have all your gold and platinum records at home, on a wall in a memorabilia room. So can you tell me, from where are these discs? I think only the artist/performer owns the originals? By the way: I have all your CDs, I have been your fan since 1984, I have visited every tour since 1984. We sang together in Basel (June 2004) "Save me" during your walk through the audience and I am very happy that you signed the Biography for me at meet & greet in Dortmund. I hope you also enjoyed - with Hubie - the concert and stay in Emmendingen in July 2004. Because I live there. Last year I received the signed photos, I sent to you. Thanks a lot for this. I look forward to seeing you on tour in November / December 2006 here in Germany (Frankfurt, Dortmund, Stuttgart). Thanks for making the world a little bit better. All the best for you and your family, take care. Best wishes from Gabi from Teningen - near Freiburg, Germany Chris de Burgh: Firstly, I'll deal with the second part of your lovely comments. Yes, it's great to have somebody like yourself as a fan, going way back and that you have enjoyed the music ever since. You also saw my son playing the guitar in July 2004. Just going back to your question about the offering of gold records. These gold records are industry awards to various people involved with the making of a record. They can go to recording studios, they can go to publishing companies, they can go to individuals, they can go to management companies. Of course they can go to the artist. They go to record companies. They are very nice to have, but they are not difficult to make. And if you have a multi million selling artist, they will obviously have quite a few of them. And I have a lot of them hanging now in my home. Having sold 45 million records, I have got quite a few gold and platinum discs. But I am a little puzzled about the ones you are referring to for sale on ebay, because it's not difficult for a company to make these things and they would not have been made at the time of an artist having a successful record. They could be made any time. I personally would be suspicious about buying any of these things, unless I knew the provenance, i.e. the proof of where they came from, whose name is actually on them as regards to "awarded to". You know, usually these records have a name that they have been awarded to, to such and such a person. So, unless they got a name, it sounds me like there is a company just manufacturing these things, so people buy them. I could be wrong though.
July 29, 2006 Hannelore Mueller (54) from Lohmar, Germany: Dear Chris! Thanks for answering my previous questions on MOtL. We know that you have got the Tribute-CD 2005 in the meantime (March 2006) and of course we would like to know if you have already listened. I hope there is another Tribute-project and I would like to take part again with a song from "The Road to Freedom" album. But there is no songbook/sheet-music. Can we hope for songbooks of TRTF (Special Edition because of the additional songs) and future albums? Please allow me one more question: Some time ago you talked about a song, dealing with a dried rose in a book. An elderly lady opens the book and sees this rose which she had put in the book years before and it brings back memories. Can we hope to hear this song on the Storyman-album? BTW sometimes I would very much like to discuss with you your answers on MOtL! Lore Chris de Burgh: Yes, I enjoyed the tribute CD very much. And I hope obviously that people will continue to participate in this great idea. We are also hoping at some stage to have a sheet music songbook to The Road To Freedom album. The story about the elderly lady opening the book and seeing the rose, well, that has re-emerged in a song that will be the title track to the film "Through These Eyes", once the film gets made. And we have high hopes that this will happen in the next year or so. It's just a question of raising the necessary finance. It is a multi million Euro film. Not massive multi million Euros, but certainly enough to spend quite a lot of time having to get the necessary finance together. So hopefully that will occur shortly, and you will be able to hear the song then.
July 28, 2006 Claire (20) from Arras, France: Hello Chris, are you a manual person? Like the man who "has worked the land with his hands" in "The road to freedom"? Thank you for your music. Chris de Burgh: Some years ago I wrote a song called "I Will", about somebody going away to an island, away from everything in the world and pressing his hands deep into mother earth, which is a very symbolic thing to do. Because we live from what we grow, and the earth itself supports our lives, which is why nowadays the way we are killing our world is ultimately going to have a devastating effect on life on earth. Not just for humans, but for all living things. And it's us that is causing the problem mainly. So I have an admission to make, going back to something I said earlier about my hands and how aware I am of my hands. It's that although I have many times become involved in manual work, in digging, gardening and farming in my early years. When I became more interested in being a musician, I was much more protective of my hands. Nowadays I don't' do a lot of gardening work or mucky work. But if necessary, from time to time, I do. It's something I prefer to leave to somebody else if possible, but I pitch in, if I need to.
July 27, 2006 Padraig Kennedy (21) from Scarborough, UK: Dear Chris. I have to admit that I am a late-comer to your music but having recently discovered your greatest hits I am quickly becoming a huge fan! I am a music student at Hull (Scarborough campus) and am constantly exploring artists and their niches within genres. My question to you is how do you find the songwriting process and is it a concrete process? I tire of my lecturers getting me to think about the theoretical structures of songs before I write them. When you write music and lyrics, do you have such a methodical way of writing or do you improvise until you find a sound you love? Or am I alone!? Thank you so much for your great music, you are a great inspiration. (PS I can often be found jumping around to 'High On Emotion' - what an uplifting song!) Chris de Burgh: This is a very interesting question about songwriting! I cannot read music, and I have never felt the urge to read music. But I do understand a huge amount about music, not only through listening constantly to the great musicians from the past, going back even to the 12th century, 15th century music, church music, music from the greats like Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Pachelbel. Moving on to great composers in the 30s and 40s until the modern day. And I still believe that there is a very good balance between knowing a lot about music, perhaps the technical side of music, but more importantly the spiritual, the feeling, the emotional side of music. It's all very well to be brilliant technically, but unless you have got some kind of ability to transfer emotion from your head into your fingers and other people's ears, then I think it's a complete waste of time. This is why computers will never be able to write songs. They write adequate songs. But those ones that really touch people, you know, bring the hair on the back of your arms and what we call in English goosebumps, to bring them to somebody, that is something that only comes from an emotional attachment to what you are doing. And an example of this would be my elder boy Hubie, who has just recently won the music prize in his school. He is not only technically very able, but he is also a wonderful piano and guitar player and singer. Now the thing about him is that he does everything by ear. Although he has the ability to read and write music as well, the composition and thematic work to do with music, but by feeling the music a lot more comes out. That's not to say whether such a person can go on to be a great composer. It's hard to tell at this stage. But nevertheless, I think it's worth remembering, Padraig, that your teachers are right in one respect, but if you want to get any emotion into your music, that has to come from you and it cannot be taught. And that's the way I write. I don't have any particular method, but I give you an example. There's a song that you might want to listen to on my new album, called "Spirit", when it comes out. That took me 5 minutes to write it, because there was such an intense emotion attached to this particular song, that it took me only a few minutes. And then of course a lot of polishing and a lot of work went into the recording process getting it absolutely right. But sometimes it's possible to write songs in very short times indeed, but other times it can take rather a lot longer.
July 26, 2006 Chris Raymond (54) from Twickenham, UK: Hi Chris, At time of writing there has been much interest in the 'revival' of ballroom dancing and I believe that even children of school age are being offered lessons. I'm just wondering if you learned to do this sort of dancing? If so, do you enjoy dancing and what is your favourite dance? I'm afraid that I have 'two left feet' when it comes to dancing LOL!! Hope to hear a reply. Many thanks. Chris R xx Chris de Burgh: The revival of ballroom dancing is very much put down to the celebrity ballroom dancing competitions that are currently on TV. And it looks so elegant, and it is a nice return to a gentler time, I think, when men and women were perhaps differently related. Men were, I think, more polite, more gentlemanly and ladies were indeed that, they were ladies. And watching them at the higher end of their abilities, watching really good dancers, it's just like poetry. And I certainly like to do it, but unfortunately I have never learned ballroom dancing, and I would have to have a partner who is at the same size as me or smaller. But all these other people are extremely tall on TV. So maybe it's something that my daughter in her generation can get into.
July 25, 2006 Vern Hines (44) from Auckland, New Zealand: Well Chris, I thought I was good at marketing, but you did a sensational job at the Mission concert in NZ. I took 8 people down to Napier for the weekend and they all thought you blew the other artist off the stage. Considering they only knew Lady in Red and Don't pay the Ferryman, that's a big wrap. Me personally I was in Heaven. Knowing all the songs and having always thought I'd never see you perform live, it was just a very emotional feeling to be there. I'm writing this 4 days later and still smiling from ear to ear. I do have 2 questions Chris, 1 What were you thinking in how to play to 20,000 people who don't know your music, was it daunting? 2 Did you bring any musicians with you 'cause if you didn't that band was absolutely brilliant (especially Revolution). Well done Chris, thanks for coming and I really hope you enjoyed your stay in NZ. All the best, Vern Chris de Burgh: Well, I have to say, it's been one of the highlights in my year so far. Not only going to New Zealand for the first time, although I have been to Australia a few times. New Zealand was a real eye-opener for me. I thought it was wonderful. I thought that people were charming and incredibly welcoming and polite. The places that I went to, not only around the Auckland area, were absolutely fascinating. And across the other side of the North Island, in Napier, which is a beautiful town that was devastated in an earthquake in 1931, rebuilt in the Art Deco Style, was really pretty and interesting. And I went there to rehearse with the orchestra, and the band that were all from New Zealand. And weren't they excellent, Vern? The only player that I brought with me was the keyboard player, Peter Oxendale. Because he helped with the conducting of the orchestra, and putting the band and the orchestra together and doing a day's rehearsal with them prior to my turning up. The choice of songs for that particular venue was interesting to me, because I knew a number of things about it. Firstly that there would be more than 20,000 people there. Secondly it was likely to be a hot day and a hot night. And thirdly, by taking part in a concert that was in a winery and people bring picnics, a lot of people would have been extremely, how do we say, cheerful, having drunk a lot of wine during the day and during the evening. And so it proved to be. Everybody was in terrific spirits. And I have liked to think that, as in introduction to my music, it was a broad spectrum of songs to not only bring people a bit more understanding about where I come from, but also musically. My background is not just "The Lady In Red", but also, as you pointed out, "The Revolution". And I must go back into the setlist to try and remind myself what we did, but a lot of the songs were on the album "Beautiful Dreams", because there were orchestra scores with those songs and because there was an orchestra we wanted to use them. I also did, as you may recall, about 40 minutes solo, including a bit where I walked around the audience with the headphones on. And I thought it was just a real blast. I enjoyed myself very much and I thought that the response I got was excellent. Particularly in view of the fact that you were saying about very few people knowing too much about me and my music. And I long to go back to New Zealand.
July 24, 2006 Melinda Reyna-Lovelace (44) from Houston, Texas, USA: In Texas, we have a saying for newcomers that goes like this..."I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as soon as I could!" Well, that is rather how I feel relative to your music. Lady in Red and the Ferryman song are of course known in the U.S. The Spaceman song is what has "re-sparked" my interest in your music. What a fabulous song. Anyway, as I came to your site, I am in awe of the depth of your political views. The stories you tell and the lovely and thought provoking lyrics just captivate me. My question is simply this... now that I have "arrived" where do I go from here... where do I start? You have so many albums/CDs that I feel a bit overwhelmed. Which albums might you consider your most challenging spiritually or creatively? Thank you for your time. Blessings to you and your family and to your fans as well. Melinda Chris de Burgh: Houston, Texas, is a place I have been to in the past quite a bit to do concerts, but that would have been when I was doing American tours in the 80s. A wonderful place and I enjoyed myself there very much. It's great to read such a comment about having discovered my music so late, because it vindicates everything that I set out to do in as much as I never made records to be regarded as disposable after a short time, whether they followed a particular style or tried to be part of a particular kind of a movement. I wanted to do things that were personal to me and that would last, almost like writing songs or making albums that were like books that people could come to in later years. And that's exactly what has happened here to Melinda. And it's great to read such a thing. And it's great to read that she enjoys my thought-provoking lyrics. Many of them do have layers beyond layers, which you can have a bit of fun going deeper into what I am attempting to suggest. Where do you start? Well, I don't know, Melinda. Maybe, rather than starting at the beginning, it might be an interesting thing to start towards the end. I would suggest you have a listen to "The Road To Freedom", and then maybe jump back a few years and try "Into The Light" and have a look at those two and see how there has been quite a change, a transformation in between the years. And then maybe dip into earlier albums like "Spanish Train And Other Stories", because that will establish the pattern that I began with all those years ago and where I've wound up now. And of course "The Storyman" will bring us bang up-to-date, because that is not a reference to what I was doing in the past by any means, but it's just a way of coming back to the style of songwriting that I started with, which is writing stories, allegorical ideas and views that are not only personal to me, but also accessible to other people anywhere in the world. And I would also say those albums that I referred to just now would be the ones that I found probably the most challenging, spiritually certainly. All of them are creatively challenging, but some of them have, I suppose, a bit more stardust attached to them than others.
July 23, 2006 Deb (40) from Winnipeg, Canada: There's an artist (James Blunt) who recorded a song in his landlady's bathroom - have you ever used an unusual location to record for the acoustics? Chris de Burgh: Yes, there are all sorts of strange places you can record and strange noises that come onto your records. For example on the "Road To Freedom" album, I recorded half of it at my home. And I am sure, if you listen carefully, you can hear dogs barking or birds twittering in the trees, or doors closing, or maybe even people having a conversation outside the window, or even rain coming in on the roof. These are little things that make my music feel more organic and more personal and more real. I remember I did a lot of recording in the early years, "Far Beyond These Castle Walls" and "Spanish Train And Other Stories" in a major London recording studio called AIR, which is in Oxford Circus, this is the heart of London's West End. And they used to use the gentlemen's toilets as an echo chamber. What that meant was that we'd feed music through a speaker into that area, which was all made of ceramics and tiles and had an amazing echo to it. And then we'd have a microphone picking up again. These were the days before you could have other more modern techniques of putting reverb and echo onto songs. And quiten often we'd be recording away using this echo area, and somebody would walk in and use the bathroom and you could hear the flushing of the toilet, so you would have to start again. It wasn't much use, that particular section, but they liked to use it for what I have described. And when I was starting in my early years, I used to quite often go into my bathroom at Bargy Castle, one of the echoing rooms there, and sing loudly. It's nice to be surrounded by reverb and echo. And even to this day, I love it when I am in a big venue that has got a lot of echo to it. Because it is less effort for my voice. And most singers hate what we call a dry situation in a theater or a concert hall, where you can't really hear yourself. Apart from your monitors, it seems like you are singing to dead air. So there are unusual places to record, that's for sure!
July 22, 2006 Kelly Preston (37) from Riverview, NB, Canada: Hi Chris! I'm not sure if anyone has asked this question before or not, but was thinking about it the other day. You are so gracious and kind to your fans, and so personal with so many of them, but I was wondering if there was ever a time you were a little fearful? Or perhaps, a fan-meeting you found particularly amusing? You must have some really great stories! Congratulations on a successful Canadian tour. I can't wait to see you come back! Cheers! Kellyxo Chris de Burgh: Hi Kelly! I remember very well meeting you and enjoyed the experience very much. The only strange thing I have ever noticed about meeting with fans is how sometimes how nervous they can be! And I am always surprised by this, but I suppose I shouldn't be, but flattered as well that anybody should think I am that important that they should get nervous about meeting me. But I suppose also, if I would meet some of my heroes, I would be apprehensive and nervous. So I am always very careful and very quick to make sure people feel comfortable and at ease. And I especially like meeting people who perhaps had a handicap or maybe an accident, because just little things can mean a lot, little gestures, autographs for example on photographs. It is not difficult to be polite and it is not difficult to be kind. And there are too many people in positions of fame, celebrity status and power, who seem to think that they are immortal and above all that kind of thing, forgetting of course that the reason they have become popular is because people like them. And it costs absolutely nothing to be polite and compassionate and understanding. It's something that certainly I have been very keen to promote in my own lifestyle. And my daughter follows that. She is a very gracious Miss World, and very understanding of what it means for people who perhaps idolize her to come and meet her and shake her hand and have a photograph taken with her. There have been, I suppose, some occasions like if there is a big signing session in a music store, when a lot of people get very excited, that can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. I think it is difficult for some people to understand that I have a limited amount of time and energy, particularly on tour, to spend with fans and talking to them. I am a very approachable person, but there are certain points, particularly after concerts or when I am concentrating on the day of a concert that I can't spend too much time talking to people, because I am very focussed when I am doing my job. One regret has been before the Dortmund Westfalenhalle show a year and a half ago, that I didn't realize there were so many people. And there were high expectations and it turned into what I described later as a rush and crush. And I know some people were disappointed. That's the kind of thing that I wish I could have done again and had more time. But it was a big night for me, 7000 people for a solo performance, and I wasn't told that there were so many people. They wanted quite a lot of time with me. So I apologize for that again. But next time we'll get it right.
July 21, 2006 Ingrid Giese (46) from Radstadt, Austria: Dear Chris - I will thank you for all the wonderful music you gave us all over the years. Would you be so kind to tell me your birthday-time and the name of your birthday place in Argentina? I only know that you were born on the 15th of October 1948. Many thanks and God will bless you. Chris de Burgh: I was born on the 15th of October 1948 in a town in Argentina called Venado Tuerto. I believe it was around 5 o'clock in the morning. So perhaps you are going to be looking at my star sign and the alignment of the stars when I was born. It was certainly a lucky day when I was born, otherwise I wouldn't have had the chance to experience this amazing planet, planet Earth.
July 20, 2006 Alison Bellerby (43) from Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK: Hi Chris I would like to thank you for all your beautiful songs and fantastic concerts, I have been coming to see you since the Getaway tour in 1982, (and haven't missed one yet). I now always try to get front row seats. Your music is an inspiration and helps me to get through life. I am a designer and have recently become self employed. In the summer I found it really hard to settle down to work when the weather was good, and just wanted to be outside. Do you have this problem when you're writing songs or do you find that you can isolate yourself from the outside world? See you at NEC, Love Alison.xx Chris de Burgh: This is a great question about how hard it is to work when there is good weather outside. A very good example of this is here in Ireland, and I am speaking to you towards the end of June. We have a major exam for youngsters aged 17/18 over here, called the leaving certificate, which in England would be the equivalent A levels. But it's more complicated in as much as pupils have to do sometimes as many as 8 or 9 different subjects. You can always bet that during the leaving certificate, where something like between 50,000 or 60,000 youngsters are fighting away in the exam halls with their exams, the weather is going to be stunning outside. And so it was this year. Because my elder boy Hubie has sat his leaving certificate. And his younger brother Michael is doing his junior certificate. And Rosanna was doing her University finals, all exactly the same time. And the weather was gorgeous, and I was trying to work on my new album, and I kept on getting distracted by the beautiful weather outside. And I feel uneasy if I am doing something indoors, if I can't wander about outside into the garden. We have a big beautiful garden with gorgeous views and beautiful trees and stuff and it's just nice to be out there. So, Alison, it's difficult to be creative when the weather is good. You and I sound like we share something very much in common, that is this sort of unease about when the weather is good. And in fact sometimes I welcome a rainy day, because then I can get on with the important indoor things that I have been trying to do the last few weeks and haven't gotten round to doing.
July 19, 2006 Barbara Shechuck (51) from King of Prussia, PA, USA: Hi Chris! The first song I ever heard you sing was The Lady in Red. I loved it so much I went out and bought Into the Light and loved that too. Next was Flying Colours and I loved that too. I started digging and found that you had released quite a few albums! I believe I now own most of them, or nearly so. Then I was looking for a tour. That's when I learned that you don't tour the United States. That puzzles me because Chris de Burgh should be right up there with Billy Joel or Phil Collins or any number of artists who are very successful in the states. I have seen concert videos, but I always thought that there was something missing. It took a long time for me to be able to travel for a vacation and a concert, but last November a friend and I went to Toronto and saw you at the Roy Thompson Hall. WOW! You have an incredibly beautiful and powerful voice to compliment those wonderfully written songs. I'm so glad I got to see you in concert. The medley made it possible for you to fit in more songs, and singing while walking through the crowd was brilliant! (Brittney Spears eat your heart out!) You did a number of my favorites and I have soooo many. And I was right about there being something missing from those videos. I came away from that concert with a complete picture of your performance and interaction with the crowd. I can only figure that the limitations of film and the editing that must done just don't quite capture the whole 'Chris' for some reason. Okay, I'm supposed to ask questions so here goes: How do you decide what your 'play' list will be when you tour? You have so many wonderful songs it's hard to imagine how you choose. Also, do you actually rehearse more songs than you will actually play at one concert so you can change out some titles during the tour? If yes, how do you decide what to change and in what city or what venue? Thanks Chris. Your music adds richness to my life. I really enjoy listening to your albums/CDs. I pray that all is well with you, your family and your friends. Chris de Burgh: Thanks very much for your question. It's an interesting one in as much as it's often discovered that live albums reflect the excitement of a concert much greater and much better than the albums that people go on tour with, the studio albums. And this is a perennial problem and there are two simple answers to it. Firstly when you have a live interaction with the crowd, it's way more exciting for everybody concerned. And secondly most, if not all the songs of a new album, have never been performed live. And they always change, they always usually grow bigger and better. So by the time you have performed them 50 times, they sound quite a lot different to what's on the recorded version. I know that there have been times in the past where we have captured the full excitement of a big crowd on film, and I would refer to the Dublin concerts as a good example of that. But when you are on stage solo, it is pretty hard to create even on film the excitement that can be generated. Although I would suggest, Barbara, that you have a listen to the Live in Dortmund CD, which is an amazing way of listening to what an enormous crowd can bring to a solo performer. I am sorry that I have never been a huge star in America. But there is another simple answer to that, it's that for America you have to spend a lot of time there. Occasionally you can have a hit like "Lady In Red" was a No. 1 there. But you have to back it up with a lot of touring, a lot of television and a lot of radio. And I did a lot of that back in the late 70s, early 80s and mid 80s. But it's a place that you have to dedicate a lot of your life to. And in 2 or 3 years I would say I am happy having my fans in the United States, happy getting decent enough airplay, and maybe something will happen in the future that will draw me back there on a more regular basis like for example I do in Canada. The playlist about touring, I have referred to before. It's a long and arduous process of deciding what songs to do, what songs to leave out. And there are times when you look at different countries and you say that such and such a song was a big hit here and we'll do it. And it may be less familiar in other countries, so you do that. And usually when I am rehearsing with the band, we do extra songs as well. Just in case during the first say ten live performances certain things don't work as well as you expect. And running orders are also critical as well, to get that right, to get the balance of a show absolutely spot on. Thank you for your good wishes to myself and my family. We are all in very fine form, thank you.
July 18, 2006 Caroline Montminy (37) from Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec, Canada: Bonjour Chris! First of all, my husband and I take this opportunity to tell you that we admire you. We think you should be very proud of what you achieved, not only in the music business but in your life. We admire your personality and your balance in life. You promote great values and you are an inspiration to young couples like us who work very hard to pass on these same values to our children. We are sure that each day you make a difference in somebody's life (well in ours for sure!). Now the question. On the night of your concert in Quebec City (November 15, 2005), I bought the DVD "The Road To Freedom". It's a great DVD. We watch it very often and it always brings back the emotion that I felt that night. I really enjoyed this concert. I wonder how you choose the location to record a live performance for a DVD (or a CD)? And about "The Road To Freedom" tour, you said in the interview section of the DVD that you listened to almost all the songs you wrote over the past 30 years to plan this tour. Is it more difficult and do you have to put in more work these days to prepare for a concert than it was 20 or 25 years ago? Thanks for your kindness and your generosity. You're one of a kind. Caroline, Martin, Philippe (8 years old), Laura (5) et Emmanuelle (2) vous saluent et vous envoient beaucoup d'amour! Chris de Burgh: Again I'd like to say that I am amazed and overwhelmed by not just the questions, but the compliments and the comments around the questions. And this is a particularly nice message really to me from Caroline and her family. It's just wonderful to think that my music has helped me connect with so many people all around the world and helped them in their own lifestyles and helped them perhaps bring values to their children's lives. I have never regarded myself as anything more than a singer and a songwriter, but sometimes it is wonderful to hear that the ideas that I have had are actually reaching a wider audience and have an impact. The locations to record a live performance depend upon a number of different things. For example there has to be plenty of room in the auditorium for the static cameras to be mounted. There has to be plenty of open lines of sight, so cameras can get a good shot of the stage. It has to be welded in the auditorium, so the audience shots can come up. Obviously we have to have the cooperation of the venue. When it actually happens during a tour, usually the best time to do a video of a performance is once the music has settled down and everybody is feeling confident. And a very important part of this is a choice of venue where you know the audience is going to be very enthusiastic. Because quite often when lights are shining on an audience, they become so conscious and they don't really participate as much as you'd like them to. But there are other factors brought into the equation of course, including financial considerations. When we did "The Road To Freedom" DVD, I remember there was a problem, because we were driving to Bielefeld to do this concert and there was a big traffic accident on the Autobahn. And for an 8 o'clock show, I didn't get there until ten past seven, which left very little time for preparation, backstage filming. And the director needed more time to do the shots, so there was a bit of a problem there. But I think in the end we did actually put together a very nice DVD that reflected that particular concert and that evening. The preparations for a concert these days, as Caroline has pointed out, can be very lengthy. And already I have started putting together lists for "The Storyman" tour, because obviously my band would have to learn not only the new songs, but also a lot of the old ones. And in fact on "The Storyman" tour, I am hoping to do a few songs that are from my back catalogue, but have rarely been performed in the last few years. It's great to hear that your children are also into my music, and hopefully they'll love the stories in "The Storyman" project, that should be out in the early autumn.
July 17, 2006 Jacques Poirier (41) from Montreal, Canada: Since my wife left me for another man, I have been listening to your songs in another way, they don't sound the same... Did you have a lot of heartbreak or love in your life, and did they inspire your songs? (I didn't see your show, because I didn't have the money this year... I never missed one since 1980, and I will not miss anymore... I hope) Chris de Burgh: Jacques, this is a sad question. I am sorry that you have difficulties in your life. It's funny the way that people listen to music. It often depends on the frame of mind, if you are happy or sad, things do sound different. I have a very strong imagination, Jacques, so although I am sure I have had my share of heartbreak and lost loves in the early years, I now refer to either my imagination or the people around me. Because as I get older and I see that even people who have grown up with me are unhappy in their relationships, they fall apart, I can imagine what must go on behind closed doors. I never want to make a judgement about other people's personal relationships, and I absolutely abhor and I am disgusted by the intrusion by newspapers into people's private lives. Because nobody knows what goes on inside private homes. And really you should never ever make a judgement about other people's private lives. That's my stanza and I will never change that. But just coming back to your question, yeah I do recall the ache of a broken heart and it can go on every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year. It's like an illness. But thankfully that doesn't happen, at the moment anyway. And I hope it won't.
July 16, 2006 Monica Ganguly (31) from Wuppertal, Germany: Hi Chris, In the second verse of your song "Heart Of Darkness" you're holding the same note very long at the end of the line "And I started the journey of my life". Sometimes I'm also able to hold it with you. I've also seen this part of your talent in Cologne in 2002; you showed it during the song "Ship To Shore". Did you hold this one note that long completely on your own or did you have technical help to make it sound longer? All the best, Monica Chris de Burgh: I know your name very well from the Yahoo website as well as the guestbook. And I am glad you enjoy my music so much, Monica. Yes, I can hold a note for a long time, and yeah, that was me at the end of "Heart Of Darkness". "The journey of my life", I think is the line. Similarly in "Ship To Shore", not a problem there. And on my new album a song called "The Shadow Of The Mountain", I hold a note quite a long time. There are of course ways of technically doing this in the recording studio, as well as other tricks of the trade, which we rarely use. But I like to be able to reproduce on stage what I do on record, so I like to be able to sing as accurately as possible without using extra ways of enhancing the voice.
July 15, 2006 Dustin Bjorkquist (32) from Edmonton, Canada: Congratulations on a successful and exciting year. With your daughter winning, and your Ferryman label producing both DVD's and albums you are an inspiration for everyone. But my question to you is... I read somewhere that Patricia the Stripper and Rosanna were not considered by your label at the time to be worthy. And as you know they are both loved by your fans, ... With your own label, would you consider to produce songs you wrote throughout your career, but were unable to record them? Best wishes to you and yours! Chris de Burgh: Thank you for your kind remarks not only about my daughter Rosanna winning the Miss World competition, but also about the Ferryman label coming on stream which was a very exciting time for us, and the DVDs and the albums that are being produced on that album. And of course for me "The Storyman" is the 2nd one to come out for me on the Ferryman label. "Patricia The Stripper" was possibly, I don't actually recollect, considered a bit too strange and weird to have got on the "Spanish Train And Other Stories" album. But it was a very important part of my sense of view and my writing make-up, and at the time I kind of insisted that it should go on the record. And we re-recorded it in 2000, and then again with this Dustin The Turkey puppet character, which was a big hit here in Ireland. It's a fun record, and it's actually extremely popular, although I don't hold it particularly highly as a brilliantly written song. But there are some funny lines in it and people enjoy it. So if you enjoy it, then it's entertainment! But the song "For Rosanna" was always going to be on my "Into The Light" album. There were very few occasions during my recording career that I had to listen to either an A&R man or anybody else telling me what should or shouldn't go on my albums. I was always very much in control of the quality of the songs that went on. Although I would listen to a producer, and I would probably have a feeling in my heart, if a song wasn't good enough to put on a record. But there are all sorts of chances to re-record things that perhaps weren't done as well as I thought they could have been done. Or maybe in a different way, some time in the future!
July 14, 2006 Sara Hansen (20) from Kerteminde, Denmark: Hi Chris! I just finished Dan Brown 'The Da Vinci Code' and I love it! In a way it reminded me of some of your songs, which I grew up with. And I just started wondering if you have read it? If you have what do you think of it? Thanks and love Sara Chris de Burgh: Yes, I have read "The Da Vinci Code". I was fascinated by it and I loved the idea of what happened in the Louvre where a man dying leaves a puzzle for Dan Brown's character, played by Tom Hanks in the film, waiting for him to unravel and discover the code. These kinds of books and indeed films interest me a lot. There's another good film called Enigma, written by Robert Harris, who is one of my very favourite authors. And he also wrote Fatherland, Pompeii and Archangel. And I thoroughly recommend them to anybody who wants to read an extremely gifted writer. I must admit, towards the end of "The Da Vinci Code" I thought it got a bit soft, and it wasn't quite as gripping as it was in the earlier part. I haven't seen the film yet. But just by curiosity you might like to know, Sara, that I have written a song on my new album called "The Mirror Of The Soul", which takes us into a monastery in the 15th century in the Dordogne area of France. And it's got a similar kind of filmic themes that maybe existed in movies like "The Da Vinci Code".
July 13, 2006 Hannelore Mueller (54) from Lohmar, Germany: Hi Chris! When you hear the word "Tortoise" (landliving turtle), what springs to your mind? As you might guess, I have a special relationship to tortoises. Thanks for answering even such a non-CdeB-question. Chris de Burgh: I have been asked an awful lot of questions in my life, and this is really one of the most extraordinary and different. But I do have a personal belief that all living creatures have a sacred place in the whole panoply of life on Earth. And it's incredible to see how every living organism will struggle extremely hard to stay alive in whatever way it needs to. Clearly there is something in our understanding of being alive, that it's much more preferable than not being alive. So this is one thing that I would refer to, when I am thinking about tortoises. Because they are very long lived, and indeed I think they are almost prehistoric in their genetic make-up. Extremely interesting animals, and they live a long time. Some of them can be living up to, I think, 150 years old. They are wonderful animals to have, particularly for children to have as pets.
July 12, 2006 Evgeny (24) from Arad, Israel: Hello Mr. de Burgh, how are you? First off I'd like to thank you for the songs you write and perform; I find them to be a true inspiration. "Where We Will Be Going" song in particular is one of my favorites. There are a few lines in it however I do not really get, these are "And the savage beast will surely die/ In Bethlehem far below" and "But the Bowman turned and carried on/ HAL prepared for childhood's end/ And it came out of dark and wintry skies/ On a terrible December night/ In New York City". Could you please explain what were you describing in these lines? Thank you and God bless! Chris de Burgh: There are times when I have to admit that I deliberately put lines into my songs that people will struggle to understand. Except perhaps a lucky few who go a little deeper into the origins of some of the phrases that I came up with. However in "Where We Will Be Going", which is also one of my personal favourites, I may as well tell you the background of some of the lines. There is an Irish poet called William Butler Yeats, who is one of the most prolific and admired poets. He is dead now, but he left a wonderful body of work. And one of my favourite poems is called "The Second Coming", and I urge anybody reading this to look up, maybe on the internet, W.B.Yeats The Second Coming. Because it is one of the most powerful and evocative poems I've ever read. It massively refers to the situation in Ireland during the early part of the twentieth century and during the troubles. It also refers to the gyre, which Yeats believed was a repetition of events on a 2000 year cycle. So therefore the second coming would be the second coming of Christ. And towards the end of the poem, it mentions a rough beast that slouches towards Bethlehem to be born. And I am referring to that part of the poem, but also the fact that I am trying to suggest that I am in my song "Where We Will Be Going" I feel that we are blessed and that we are going to a heaven. So I am looking down from above on the Bethlehem below. The Bowman refers to the movie, one of my favourite films, "2001 – A Space Odyssey", where Bowman is the surviving astronaut who goes on at the very end of that film. And if you haven't seen it, it's just a fantastic film. Very stimulating to your imagination, where Bowman goes on into this rebirth that happens at the end of that film. HAL is the computer which those of us, who know the film, HAL was called HAL because it is one letter before IBM, which was the biggest computer company in the world at that time of "2001 – A Space Odyssey". So HAL was dreamed up by the writer of this book and film as the name of the computer. And childhood's end is a wonderful science fiction book by Isaac Asimov. The dark and wintry skies on a terrible December night in New York City refers to the murder of John Lennon. These are things that had an impact on me during my life. Things that I've read, things that I felt, things that I have enjoyed watching or reading.
July 11, 2006 Lucie (37) from Quebec City, Canada: Hi Chris. I got the chance to hold your hand during your last show in Quebec City last November 2005. Your hands are so soft!!!! What is your secret??? I have tried to have soft hands for years with no results!!!! Chris de Burgh: This is a sweet question! I unfortunately don't recall the moment you and I held hands. But my hands being soft? Well, I don't know what the secret is! I do plenty of washing up when I am at home. And I, like everybody else, wash my hands. But for years I have used a Nivea cream. Because I hate the feeling after you've washed your face or shaved of having dry skin. So I always use some kind of face cream and hand cream. I have never particularly noticed that my hands were soft, but they are certainly not sort of hardened and rugged like builders hands. Because I am extremely aware that I make my living from my hands, and I am kind of careful what I do with them. Like for example, if I'm ever walking down the road towards a dog that I have never met before, I keep my hands in my pockets, because you never know they might just take a lunge at you and bite you. That's said, I adore dogs as well, but I am very careful with my hands, because I use them to play the guitar and the piano.
July 10, 2006 Muhammad Awais (23) from Islamabad, Pakistan: Hi, Chris!!! Let me thank to you for The Road To Freedom... Indeed it's an increase in the pristine collections of your songs. I am living in Pakistan where it is very hard to get your CD's especially the old ones. But I am lucky enough to have found a friend all the way from Poland. Her name is Agata & she sends me all your albums. Believe me we became friend just because of you. She knows everything about you and your family. The original thing for which this message in intended to you is about another song on the Earthquake happened in Pakistan last October & also about Katrina, Tsunami & Rita which caused thousands of deaths. I am looking forward to hear your pristine voice & also waiting for your comments about my message. Many hiiis to every fan of you. Long Live... Chris... I love you... That's true!!!! Muhammad Awais Chris de Burgh: It's great to hear that you have friends in other parts of the world who can send records to you. I know that there are some countries where it's actually quite difficult to get a hold of my records, but nowadays with the internet and also with worldwide fan base, people can keep in touch and send each other music around the world. The earthquakes and Tsunami Katrina and Rita? These natural disasters that are happening at the moment, there is a lot of extreme concern about global warming, and are perhaps the reason why these catastrophes are happening. But I think if you back into history, you'll find that hurricanes, tsunamis, disasters, earthquakes did happen anyway in the past. I think because modern media now picks up on them so fast, we all feel that these things really didn't happen much in the past history, but more recently than that. My belief is that the earth is under severe stress and severe pressure from what we are doing to it at the moment. And unless governments and particularly leaders of governments in the major countries take a strong stand and say "Enough is enough. We do not want to leave a dying planet to our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren." I think we have certainly got a massive problem facing us in the future and very soon too.
July 9, 2006 Peter Aguiar (41) from Toronto, Canada: Chris, first I wanted to thank you for your fantastic Toronto concert in November. You were wonderful. During the concert you spoke of "Songbird" and your admiration for Eva Cassidy. I was not familiar with her music, or tragic history. I have since purchased both Songbird and Eva by Heart, and have thoroughly enjoyed both albums! Thank you for introducing me to this fantastic vocalist. Care to share any more of your personal favourites? Chris de Burgh: It's very rare that I hear somebody as talented as that, who makes my jaw fall open and I was astounded even more so when I understood that the songs that I was listening to from Eva Cassidy, which were "Fields Of Gold" and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" were actually recorded live. Just her with a guitar, and I think there was another guitar player, playing quite in the background. A huge talent and a massive loss, I think, to those who love singing of an ability and quality as this. As far as my personal favourites, well there is nothing special at the moment that has struck me. I am in a bit of a bubble at the moment, having worked so hard recently on my own album. I don't really get involved with too many other CDs. But I would point anybody interested at Ethnic music, World music, music from Africa for example that I have listened a lot to. And there is a music company called Putumayo World Music. If you go to http://www.putumayo.com/ you'll come across a very wide and interesting selection of World Music. And I have got a lot of these records, and I love them. It's a complete change from the usual stuff that is on the radio. And it's one of the reasons why I decided to make quite a few of the songs in the Storyman project have a very strong ethnic background, as people will hear when they hear the instruments. Arabic music, African music, Russian music, etc.
July 8, 2006 Pauline Ellerington (48) from Hull, East Yorkshire, UK: Hi Chris and a very happy New Year to you and yours. I've noticed that a good number of pop stars etc. have calendars on the market, have you ever thought of doing something like this? I'd love to be able to see you looking out at me 365 days of the year!! We watched the Songs of Praise and enjoyed every minute of it, hearing you sing and listening to you talk, you have such a beautiful voice and look very sexy in your specs! It was lovely to see Diane and Rosanna too, you make a very beautiful family together. Keep warming our hearts forever, love always, Pauline.X Chris de Burgh: Thank you very much for your remarkable comments about looking very sexy in my specs! Unfortunately I have to wear them nowadays in order to read, and I certainly stood out amongst the choir of Marlborough College during the Songs of Praise special as about the only one of a certain age as well as one having to wear glasses. I thought the Songs of Praise thing was absolutely fantastic. I was hugely impressed by the BBC and the way they put together that programme. It was a lot of work for everybody involved, but I thought it came out extremely well. I hope that the people who saw it enjoyed it as much as I did. As far as having a calendar on the market, no this is not something we have thought about, but it is actually a pretty good idea. But I presume you are not talking about a calendar like a topless kind or a Pirelli calendar. You are talking about just pictures of me in various positions on a monthly basis or locations on a monthly basis. And I am certainly looking forward to warming your heart again with my next project.
July 7, 2006 Doris Neerfries (37) from Dinslaken, Germany: Dear Chris! I'm already looking forward to visit your "Storyman"-tour in November/December 2006, and even will see you for the first time at a concert abroad in Birmingham. I really was amazed, that the tickets were already sold about 13 months before the tour. I also wondered if all the songs for your new album were already composed at that time. My question is: How is the process, when you plan a tour? When do you choose the songs, which you will play? And how long do you have to practice with the band, before the first concert can begin? Are the preparations for a tour with band rather different than for a solo-tour like in 2004/5? By the way, I didn't miss a band at all at your "The Road To Freedom"-tour, but it'll also be a nice change to see you with the G-boys again. Best wishes, Doris Chris de Burgh: Thank you, Doris, for sending me the photographs of you in your home, where the walls of certain areas are covered with pictures of myself. I hope this isn't driving your family crazy. And it probably is! Just a few questions to answer about tickets on tour. It's that some artists, and I am one of them, have a very strong, loyal fan base, but not the kind of people that rush to buy tickets the moment they go on sale. You know, selling out a 50,000 seat arena in the first ten minutes, that just doesn't happen to me anymore. And also, I had decided, quite a long time ago what the project was likely to be. Even got the title "The Storyman", and a very good concept of what we were trying to achieve. So that's why the tickets went on sale so long ago. The process of planning a tour is extremely complex. Even a relatively short tour like the one we are going to do, which if you can think about trying to move 30 or 40 people around overland or flights, and that kind of thing. The travel, the hotels, the kind of equipment that is required, particularly on a band tour. It's an awful lot of work, and we start this process at least a year and a half before a concert tour begins. And there are a lot of people involved in that process. Choosing the songs is always a headache, because now I have got even more to choose from. And I am very much hoping to play most of the songs from the "Storyman" album, plus a lot of songs from the past, maybe unusual ones that we don't usually play that have a relevance to this particular Storyman project. So practicing with the band will be quite a lengthy process. We go into rehearsals for weeks at a time, and then we go to light and sound and technical rehearsals. So it's a lot more complicated than a solo tour. But it is my choice to do it this way this time. That doesn't mean I won't go back to being a solo performer, because I love it and maybe next summer I will be back out solo again. But this particular tour I am looking forward to, because playing with the band adds a lot more bite and punch to songs that require it.
July 6, 2006 Vivian (46) from Montreal, Canada: For the umpteenth time, I had the great pleasure of seeing you perform in Montreal recently at the Theatre St. Denis. I have been a big fan for the last 30 (!) years (God, neither of us can be that old!) and have enjoyed each and every concert I attended in Montreal and Toronto over the last 30 years as well as every recording I own. I must however take exception with your "foray" into provincial linguistic politics. You may not remember but while on stage you made a note of your approval of the efforts that are underway (for decades I might add) to protect the French language here in Quebec. I doubt you would make such a comment simply for crowd appeal and hope your comment was sincere. If I am right and you do agree with these efforts; I have to ask just how much you know about the situation??? Do you have any clue what impact these policies have on Anglophones and Allophones (non French or English mother tongue) such as myself?? Let me tell you the situation is far from ideal... How would you feel if Celine Dion (aaarghhh) or any other Canadian performer for that matter would have come to Ireland at the height of the IRA crisis and voiced her approval or disapproval of the situation?? I know that in many ways we are all citizens of the world but as they say ...all politics are local. Chris de Burgh: Thank you for your most interesting comment, which of course I am very happy to respond to. Although of course again it would be simple to ignore this kind of a question. Nevertheless I am keen to stress that I have been coming to Canada and indeed the province of Quebec since the early 70s. And I know a lot about the background, the political difficulties that this part of Canada has been going through. I have seen perspectives not only from the French-Canadian side, but also the other side of Canada, whose disagreements were much greater and more sharp-focussed all those years ago than perhaps they are now. I have always been reluctant to make a political comment about situations I know very little about. Mainly because I think too many pop stars open their mouths without knowing what on earth they are talking about, in situations like this. However I do believe that I know more than most, which puts me in a position to actually be able to say, on stage, as I have said in the past incidentally words in French. I am a Francophile and I adore the language and I adore a lot to do with the French and French culture. And I have received nothing but warmth and understanding every time I have been in the province of Quebec. I do agree with you that there are times when it's not a good idea just for pleasing the crowd to open your mouth and come forth with crowd-pleasing comments. But it certainly wasn't meant from my point of view, it was meant more solidarity with the situation that I hope can be comfortably negotiated between all parties concerned. Don't forget also, Vivian, that I live in Ireland and I'm extremely familiar with how local politics do have a global impact. And I think the problems that you have had and continue to have in Canada, do have a wider impact than just local politics, may I suggest.
July 5, 2006 Chris Raymond (54) from Whitton, Twickenham, UK: Hi Chris, I've just been watching the DVDs from the 'Ultimate Collection' of your music - I loved them! I know that there is a delay of a few months before questions are answered but am hoping that this will reach you... It was wonderful seeing Ian Kojima playing the saxophone on a couple of the tracks and I wondered if you will be bringing the 'sax' back for the Storyman Tour? That would be great! Thanks. Bye, Chris R xx Chris de Burgh: Hi Chris! How are you doing? I am glad you liked the DVDs. I have been in touch with several of the guys from the Canadian band, and they are all in good shape. Ian Kojima was and still is a very talented musician. He could play keyboards, guitar and saxophone. I loved the sound of a saxophone. But sadly I did not incorporate saxophone into the Storyman album, so we won't have a saxophone player. But I can assure you there are sounds on this record that you will have never heard before, certainly on one of my records. Because every song is designed to be viewed like a film. There is an accompanying story, and I want, when you listen to it, people to immerse themselves in the pictures that I am creating, using sounds from all over the world, from Africa, from Russia, from France, you name it, it's in there. So this is quite an interesting mixture of musical sounds and genres and I hope you enjoy it. Sadly though, no saxophone. Editor's note: Congratulations, Rosanna! After Chris de Burgh's daughter completed her year as Miss World, she returned to her studies at University College, Dublin, and finished her Final exams in May. We have just heard that she got a First Class Honours Degree in Sociology, and a Second Class Honours Degree, First Grade, [a 2.1] in History of Art, altogether a BA (hons). In addition, she was offered a four year PhD Scholarship in Sociology in UCD! Well done, Rosanna!
July 4, 2006 Heather Helton (35) from New York City, USA: Dear Chris, One way I've always enjoyed listening to your music has been, especially at the house I grew up in, to sit in a dark corner with the headphones on, eyes closed where I feel I am actually inside the song. So, I've listened to every bit of sound even and especially as a song fades. I've always tried to find hidden meanings. So tell me if I've drawn the right conclusion about Transmission Ends. I remember at the time the album came out there was such a threat of nuclear war. At the time I was maybe 15 and always having been a cheery child there appeared a cloud of gloom that tempered my natural joy. When I would listen in my corner to Transmission ends I felt such sadness and despair, but what let me see a light pierce the darkness was that when the song was ending the heartbeat of the Earth, of life, flat lined, but I kept listening as the music faded and I could just hear the heart start beating again. It was like you were saying, "It's going to be okay." I felt comforted and you gave me some hope when I felt the world was going to end in what could have been a day. I'm getting emotional as I write this and remember even though it was 20 years ago. Was what I've described what you were trying to convey with the heartbeat restarting? I would be honored if you would answer this. You'll always be part of my heart, Heather Chris de Burgh: Heather, your question is beautifully written and exactly describes what I had in my mind in "Transmission Ends". It was written as what we call a stream of consciousness, where different things precipitate either other ideas, precipitate different moods, atmospheres. One idea leads to the next, although they are not necessarily joined together. And in "Transmission Ends", at the very end, I am suggesting that all these radio and television signals that bounce out of planet Earth perhaps are being picked up light years away. And I imagined a spacecraft in the future from planet Earth being out there in the cosmos millions and millions of light years away. And they receive a transmission from Earth, saying "This is the radio station on planet Earth. We're closing down." And they receive this transmission shortly after a huge explosion fills the night sky, and they see the earth exploding. I know it's not a very pleasant thought, but as Heather has pointed out it was the threat of nuclear war, and there are no winners in nuclear war. I remember when I recorded the song and listened to it, just like Heather did, in a darkened room with my headphones on and I saw very powerfully the pictures that I was trying to create. I had tears in my eyes, and I still do when I listen to it actually, thinking how precious our earth is and how easy it would be to destroy it. And indeed the ecology of the earth at the moment is under serious threat from what human beings are doing to it. And she's quite right again by saying that the heartbeat of the earth turned off. And if you listen right to the end of "Transmission Ends", it picks up again. There is hope. P.S.: I am REALLY hoping Germany not only makes it all the way to the World Cup Finals, but goes on to win... it would be so fantastic for the country that I am so fond of , and happy to be in, for so many years!
July 3, 2006 Stephen Johnston (42) from Ottawa, now living in the Netherlands: I was first introduced to your music in Ottawa in the late 70's, and I've had a chance to see you perform in Ottawa, Montreal and the Netherlands, where I live now. Your music has always held a special place in my heart, and you provided the soundtrack for some very special memories with my first high school girlfriend. So thank you! You've mentioned a few times that you are somewhat "drawn" to the First World War and the tragedy of that time. I know that a lot of people, myself included, feel a particular pull towards a certain time and place that is stronger than what would normally be called "interest" - a powerful and emotional feeling that goes beyond any reasonable explanation or personal family history. For instance, I am strongly drawn to India, particularly during the time of the Raj. I am also aware that some people meet others who feel the same pull, and I wonder if you have any further thoughts on this topic, and if you do, whether you feel this explains the emphasis on the folly of War in many of your songs. Looking forward to the Storyman concert in Amsterdam on the 4th of December! Chris de Burgh: Yes, for many years I've felt a very strong pull towards the First World War. And to be perfectly honest, I have no explanation. But I do think that it could be a number of different things. Firstly environment and background. My father was a Colonel in the Second World War, but my grandfather was in the First World War and he fought in the trenches in Flanders. He's been a long time in the trenches in fact. Although he didn't talk much about it, it's possible that as a youngster I might have picked up from him some of his thoughts and memories. In his study, when he lived with us down in the castle in Wexford, he had prints and pictures of his time in India, when he was chief of the general staff, just prior to the Second World War, with 600,000 men under his command. And there are other pictures of the First World War, Ypres for example, the Battle of the Somme. I may have picked up some feelings and some atmosphere from those pictures. My second explanation could be that as science is discovering more information passed down through DNA, it could be that future generations have picked up trauma, disaster, catastrophe, anything really extraordinary that happens in somebody's DNA that is then passed down into future generations. This is a possibility that is well worth considering. And a third one is, if you do believe in past lives, it could be that reincarnation has emerged in people's beliefs and feelings that maybe once upon a time they were in another place and another time. It's something that has emerged quite a lot in my writing. For example in the song "Bal Masque", and several others. I still have a very very powerful pull towards the First World War, the poetry, the English poets like Siegfried Sassoon, Rupert Brooke, Robert Graves. A few years ago I bought a BBC television documentary with original film footage of the First World War. There were, I think, 7 DVDs. And to try and explain the sheer horror for both sides involved, all sides involved in this war, is almost beyond my abilities. The sheer catastrophe of what happened during that war, which was claimed to be the war to end all wars, but of course it never happened and it never will happen that way. But the First World War was just outstandingly grotesque, and I have a very emotional attachment to this war for some reason that I said right at the start I cannot explain.
June 28, 2006 Editor's note: Good news for all Chris de Burgh fans! The MOtL section will go back online next week. Expect new questions and answers right here on a daily basis starting next Monday! Hope everyone is having a good summer. Astrid :) |
