Fans ask - Chris de Burgh answers!
Something that you always wanted to know?
Here is your chance to get a reply!
July 27, 2007 :
Vern Hines (45) from Auckland, New Zealand:
Hello again Chris. The Storyman is sensational, right up there with Into The Light, but different obviously. Spirit is my favourite, very different for you I think, but a genuine CdeB story. Raging Storm and Mirror of the Soul are a close 2nd, in fact Mirror of the Soul is one of your truly great stories--EPIC. My question is when you were down here the papers reported you as staying on an Island in the Hauraki Gulf. I'm wondering if it was Great Mercury Island. I'd be interested to know as I do a lot of diving around there and love the place. Thanks again Chris. Kind Regards Vern
Chris de Burgh:
Well, Vern, it would have been about this time last year that I went down to Auckland, New Zealand for the first time. We did it in one hit. I went Dublin – London, London – Dubai, Dubai – Melbourne, Melbourne – Auckland. And I got there in the afternoon. I went to my hotel, slept for an hour and then went out to dinner in a wonderful restaurant down by the docks. There were loads of restaurants in that area by the waterfront. And then the next morning I got up and some friends of mine arranged a helicopter trip and a picnic to an island privately owned which could easily have been the Great Mercury Island. I am sorry that I can’t remember. But it was an extraordinary event, because we got up into the air, and the pilot knew that I was interested in flying helicopters, so I took the controls for quite a long time. I flew about twenty minutes outside of Auckland and came to this private island. Landed on the beach, went for a swim, had a barbecue all afternoon, plenty of Rose wine and then the guitars came out. And I spent the whole afternoon and early evening singing until we went back again. My impressions of New Zealand were absolutely phenomenal. I think it’s a fantastic place to visit. I liked the slightly oldy worldy feel of it. Of course also modern communications are there as well. But I stayed in some beautiful places and I met fantastic people and of course the wines are terrific as well. So I envy your life style in New Zealand, particularly with the weather that I encountered when I was there. And I look forward to going back.
Editor's note:
Once again, this has been the last question and answer for a while. We hope to be back again soon with more! Please keep the questions coming and be patient while you wait for an answer! A big thanks to Chris de Burgh for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer some of your questions.
Vern Hines (45) from Auckland, New Zealand:
Hello again Chris. The Storyman is sensational, right up there with Into The Light, but different obviously. Spirit is my favourite, very different for you I think, but a genuine CdeB story. Raging Storm and Mirror of the Soul are a close 2nd, in fact Mirror of the Soul is one of your truly great stories--EPIC. My question is when you were down here the papers reported you as staying on an Island in the Hauraki Gulf. I'm wondering if it was Great Mercury Island. I'd be interested to know as I do a lot of diving around there and love the place. Thanks again Chris. Kind Regards Vern
Chris de Burgh:
Well, Vern, it would have been about this time last year that I went down to Auckland, New Zealand for the first time. We did it in one hit. I went Dublin – London, London – Dubai, Dubai – Melbourne, Melbourne – Auckland. And I got there in the afternoon. I went to my hotel, slept for an hour and then went out to dinner in a wonderful restaurant down by the docks. There were loads of restaurants in that area by the waterfront. And then the next morning I got up and some friends of mine arranged a helicopter trip and a picnic to an island privately owned which could easily have been the Great Mercury Island. I am sorry that I can’t remember. But it was an extraordinary event, because we got up into the air, and the pilot knew that I was interested in flying helicopters, so I took the controls for quite a long time. I flew about twenty minutes outside of Auckland and came to this private island. Landed on the beach, went for a swim, had a barbecue all afternoon, plenty of Rose wine and then the guitars came out. And I spent the whole afternoon and early evening singing until we went back again. My impressions of New Zealand were absolutely phenomenal. I think it’s a fantastic place to visit. I liked the slightly oldy worldy feel of it. Of course also modern communications are there as well. But I stayed in some beautiful places and I met fantastic people and of course the wines are terrific as well. So I envy your life style in New Zealand, particularly with the weather that I encountered when I was there. And I look forward to going back.
Editor's note:
Once again, this has been the last question and answer for a while. We hope to be back again soon with more! Please keep the questions coming and be patient while you wait for an answer! A big thanks to Chris de Burgh for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer some of your questions.
July 26, 2007 :
Sophia Trummer (41) from Stockstadt, Germany:
Hello Chris, I just listened to your "Road to Freedom" album. And I wonder, just imagine you have to choose: Freedom or Peace. What would be of more importance to you, your first choice. Well, somehow I think you are a rebel - what do you think? Love, Sophia
Chris de Burgh:
Another name I have come across many times on the internet. Freedom or peace? That is a very interesting question. I have just been to a series of lectures and exhibitions in Trinity College Dublin about Ireland’s involvement in the First World War. Why so many people volunteered to fight, something almost approaching a quarter of a million. And of them 35,000 or so were killed. Irish men, Irish women who went to fight 1914-18. The reasons they went to fight, and the reasons why people fight is in my opinion twofold. One is protection, protection of yourself, your family, your life style. Or the second way it is in aggressive way. We just read history and we can see there are plenty of countries that aggressively try to take over other ones and many other countries have tried to defend themselves. So it’s an aggression and defence situation. I think peace is preferable to freedom, but this gets into a very interesting concept of there are people in for example former communist countries who had a peaceful life, but it was one that was dominated by the state and there was plenty of terror involved, state run terror. But it was peaceful, and you didn’t have to do too much for yourself, because it was always taken care of. But there was no freedom. But when they get freedom, some people yearn for the peaceful days. So I think it’s a conversation that really one should have around a table with a lot of friends and a few bottles of wine. To discover whether if you had a choice of the one of the two, which one would be preferable. My preference would be a combination of the two of course: peaceful freedom.
Sophia Trummer (41) from Stockstadt, Germany:
Hello Chris, I just listened to your "Road to Freedom" album. And I wonder, just imagine you have to choose: Freedom or Peace. What would be of more importance to you, your first choice. Well, somehow I think you are a rebel - what do you think? Love, Sophia
Chris de Burgh:
Another name I have come across many times on the internet. Freedom or peace? That is a very interesting question. I have just been to a series of lectures and exhibitions in Trinity College Dublin about Ireland’s involvement in the First World War. Why so many people volunteered to fight, something almost approaching a quarter of a million. And of them 35,000 or so were killed. Irish men, Irish women who went to fight 1914-18. The reasons they went to fight, and the reasons why people fight is in my opinion twofold. One is protection, protection of yourself, your family, your life style. Or the second way it is in aggressive way. We just read history and we can see there are plenty of countries that aggressively try to take over other ones and many other countries have tried to defend themselves. So it’s an aggression and defence situation. I think peace is preferable to freedom, but this gets into a very interesting concept of there are people in for example former communist countries who had a peaceful life, but it was one that was dominated by the state and there was plenty of terror involved, state run terror. But it was peaceful, and you didn’t have to do too much for yourself, because it was always taken care of. But there was no freedom. But when they get freedom, some people yearn for the peaceful days. So I think it’s a conversation that really one should have around a table with a lot of friends and a few bottles of wine. To discover whether if you had a choice of the one of the two, which one would be preferable. My preference would be a combination of the two of course: peaceful freedom.
July 25, 2007 :
Sabrina Schmidt (31) from Lüneburg, Germany:
Hi Chris, How are you? I've a question about your song "Ballroom of romance". During my stay as Au-Pair in Ireland I've seen such a ballroom you've mentioned in the song. It was called "Dancing under the rainbow". I saw this kind of "barn" with a big coloured rainbow in the front during one of our journeys in the northwest of Ireland, in the middle of nowhere. And Fiona told me that in the 60-70ies these places were quite popular for young people on the countryside to go out on the Sunday afternoon to make appointments. Which experiences have you made with ballrooms? Have you been there? And can you remember any friendships? In the North of Germany we had something similar that we called "Danz op te deel" (this is low German and means dance on the floor). So it would be interesting to learn something about the young Chris de Burgh. By the way the song "Ballroom of romance" is one of my favourites, but I've never heard it live in concert. And it would be perfect for a new interpretation on the coming summer concert tour (I've tickets for Nörten-Hardenberg :)) Take care and see you in summer! Sabrina
Chris de Burgh:
Lüneburg is a place I remember so well. One of the biggest concerts of my career, Rock over Germany, was to 120,000 people with my band. It was fantastic. Your question is making me smile, because it is making me remember when I was a youngster. Because you are quite right, in Ireland in the rural Ireland of the 50s and 60s and possibly even later than that, the only way you could kind of get to meet people was either in a pub or in church. So there were these dances, and they were unintentionally hilarious. There had always been a mirror ball in the ceiling and the guys would sit all the way along one side and all the girls across the other. And some of these places would not allow any alcohol. You should have to drink orange juice and so on. Sometimes you could have a few bottle of Guinness or something, you’d sneak it in. And you’d go up to a girl across the other side of the room – “would you like to dance?”. Like in all these dances, you always wanted to make sure that you had somebody to kiss when the night was through and finished. It actually was great fun. I didn’t go to too many of these things, but in later years when I put together a small band, we used to play at these kind of dances and play at hunt balls, which were like ballroom dancing things where people would come in from hunting and go to a dance. I don’t remember any friendships, but I do remember one night coming back from one of these things on a bicycle without the light on. And I was arrested by a vigilant policeman and had a bit of a problem then. But it was all a laugh. Those were the days. As I said, this was about the only way to meet people of the opposite sex if you are living in a rural country. We used to do “A Ballroom Of Romance” with the old band quite a few times. I am surprised though subsequently we haven’t revived it. But I enjoy this song.
Sabrina Schmidt (31) from Lüneburg, Germany:
Hi Chris, How are you? I've a question about your song "Ballroom of romance". During my stay as Au-Pair in Ireland I've seen such a ballroom you've mentioned in the song. It was called "Dancing under the rainbow". I saw this kind of "barn" with a big coloured rainbow in the front during one of our journeys in the northwest of Ireland, in the middle of nowhere. And Fiona told me that in the 60-70ies these places were quite popular for young people on the countryside to go out on the Sunday afternoon to make appointments. Which experiences have you made with ballrooms? Have you been there? And can you remember any friendships? In the North of Germany we had something similar that we called "Danz op te deel" (this is low German and means dance on the floor). So it would be interesting to learn something about the young Chris de Burgh. By the way the song "Ballroom of romance" is one of my favourites, but I've never heard it live in concert. And it would be perfect for a new interpretation on the coming summer concert tour (I've tickets for Nörten-Hardenberg :)) Take care and see you in summer! Sabrina
Chris de Burgh:
Lüneburg is a place I remember so well. One of the biggest concerts of my career, Rock over Germany, was to 120,000 people with my band. It was fantastic. Your question is making me smile, because it is making me remember when I was a youngster. Because you are quite right, in Ireland in the rural Ireland of the 50s and 60s and possibly even later than that, the only way you could kind of get to meet people was either in a pub or in church. So there were these dances, and they were unintentionally hilarious. There had always been a mirror ball in the ceiling and the guys would sit all the way along one side and all the girls across the other. And some of these places would not allow any alcohol. You should have to drink orange juice and so on. Sometimes you could have a few bottle of Guinness or something, you’d sneak it in. And you’d go up to a girl across the other side of the room – “would you like to dance?”. Like in all these dances, you always wanted to make sure that you had somebody to kiss when the night was through and finished. It actually was great fun. I didn’t go to too many of these things, but in later years when I put together a small band, we used to play at these kind of dances and play at hunt balls, which were like ballroom dancing things where people would come in from hunting and go to a dance. I don’t remember any friendships, but I do remember one night coming back from one of these things on a bicycle without the light on. And I was arrested by a vigilant policeman and had a bit of a problem then. But it was all a laugh. Those were the days. As I said, this was about the only way to meet people of the opposite sex if you are living in a rural country. We used to do “A Ballroom Of Romance” with the old band quite a few times. I am surprised though subsequently we haven’t revived it. But I enjoy this song.
July 24, 2007 :
Tom Green (34) from Los Angeles, USA:
Dear Chris - I've been a fan of your music since the 80s when I heard your song "Don't Pay the Ferryman". Incredible! My question is: Were you not playing an Ovation 12 String back then? What has happened to that guitar and why have you switched since then to another 12 string? On the AOL SESSIONS concert I see you are playing a Takamine! Thanks for taking the time to answer so many of these questions from your fans - Tom in CA
Chris de Burgh:
Nice to hear from you, Tom. When you were just a youngster, I was living in Topanga Canyon in California, which is outside of the city of Los Angeles, up in the hills. It was great fun. “Don’t Pay The Ferryman” certainly had an impact in the States, because that was a top 40 hit. I remember Meat Loaf ringing a radio station in New York. I just sang it live at 9 o’clock in the morning, and this guy rang and said “Who is that guy? That was fantastic!” Subsequently I went on to make good friends with him in years and years later. Actually one of the early ones was a Guild 12 string that I actually bought in California. An absolutely gorgeous sound, when you can hear on the song “The Girl With April In My Eyes” from my album “Crusader”. Then I got an Ovation 12 string, which meant that I could go on stage. But the Ovation 12 string sound is a bit thin for live performance. So I got several guitars now, which are hard body, electric acoustics from the Guitar Factory in Florida. And these guitars are absolutely awesome. When I played in the Live Aid concert in Berlin last year, 150,000 people – one chord and bang, it filled up the whole place. It was great. I also have for acoustic work a variety of guitars, but the Takamine 12 string would be my favourite.
Tom Green (34) from Los Angeles, USA:
Dear Chris - I've been a fan of your music since the 80s when I heard your song "Don't Pay the Ferryman". Incredible! My question is: Were you not playing an Ovation 12 String back then? What has happened to that guitar and why have you switched since then to another 12 string? On the AOL SESSIONS concert I see you are playing a Takamine! Thanks for taking the time to answer so many of these questions from your fans - Tom in CA
Chris de Burgh:
Nice to hear from you, Tom. When you were just a youngster, I was living in Topanga Canyon in California, which is outside of the city of Los Angeles, up in the hills. It was great fun. “Don’t Pay The Ferryman” certainly had an impact in the States, because that was a top 40 hit. I remember Meat Loaf ringing a radio station in New York. I just sang it live at 9 o’clock in the morning, and this guy rang and said “Who is that guy? That was fantastic!” Subsequently I went on to make good friends with him in years and years later. Actually one of the early ones was a Guild 12 string that I actually bought in California. An absolutely gorgeous sound, when you can hear on the song “The Girl With April In My Eyes” from my album “Crusader”. Then I got an Ovation 12 string, which meant that I could go on stage. But the Ovation 12 string sound is a bit thin for live performance. So I got several guitars now, which are hard body, electric acoustics from the Guitar Factory in Florida. And these guitars are absolutely awesome. When I played in the Live Aid concert in Berlin last year, 150,000 people – one chord and bang, it filled up the whole place. It was great. I also have for acoustic work a variety of guitars, but the Takamine 12 string would be my favourite.
July 23, 2007 :
Wendy Cullotty (41) from Birmingham, England:
Hi Chris, I must just start by saying thank you for answering the "fans"/"friends" questions i think i not only say that from my point of view but from others too. I’ve just been reading some of the MOTL questions that are from WAY BACK:) :) and one thing that stands out is the way you are able to see things in a way that women do. The lyrics from A Woman’s Heart are superb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow you seem very tuned into a woman’s thoughts, wants and needs. Is this something that you have gathered over the years with experience or have you always had the ability to do this??:) I would love to know this....:):). Thanks again Chris keep up the good work. Best wishes Wendyxx
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Wendy ! You are somebody I have come across many times and read things from many times. Thanks for your words. I am not sure what it is about my understanding of the female mind, because it’s allegedly an area of enormous difficulty for men. But I have always felt very very comfortable in the company of women, and I have always had this capacity and ability to put myself in somebody else’s shoes, indeed whether that would be a man or a woman, to try to understand how they would feel. And this is something I often tell my kids. You know, how would you feel if such and such a thing happened. And I think it is really important to try and see somebody else’s point of view, not just in the more personal sense but in a broader sense. If you look around the world, if for example you disagree with somebody’s point of view, which is held strongly, you’ve got to understand that that view is held strongly for a reason. For religious reasons for example, economic reasons or cultural reasons. If somebody has a strong point of view, you’ve got to respect that and try and put yourself in that person’s shoes and that’s what I try to do with women. You know, if you listen to my song “Day After Day” it’s the man who finally sees the light. He has actually managed to understand how his girlfriend or wife is actually feeling. It’s really important to be able to put yourself into somebody else’s position. That, I think, is for me one of the reasons I can write songs like “A Woman’s Heart”. And I suppose the experience comes with desire to understand how women feel. Because there are only two species of humanity on the planet and that’s men and women. If you can’t understand one of them, it makes it a fairly boring thing only to be able to understand your own maleness or femaleness.
Wendy Cullotty (41) from Birmingham, England:
Hi Chris, I must just start by saying thank you for answering the "fans"/"friends" questions i think i not only say that from my point of view but from others too. I’ve just been reading some of the MOTL questions that are from WAY BACK:) :) and one thing that stands out is the way you are able to see things in a way that women do. The lyrics from A Woman’s Heart are superb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow you seem very tuned into a woman’s thoughts, wants and needs. Is this something that you have gathered over the years with experience or have you always had the ability to do this??:) I would love to know this....:):). Thanks again Chris keep up the good work. Best wishes Wendyxx
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Wendy ! You are somebody I have come across many times and read things from many times. Thanks for your words. I am not sure what it is about my understanding of the female mind, because it’s allegedly an area of enormous difficulty for men. But I have always felt very very comfortable in the company of women, and I have always had this capacity and ability to put myself in somebody else’s shoes, indeed whether that would be a man or a woman, to try to understand how they would feel. And this is something I often tell my kids. You know, how would you feel if such and such a thing happened. And I think it is really important to try and see somebody else’s point of view, not just in the more personal sense but in a broader sense. If you look around the world, if for example you disagree with somebody’s point of view, which is held strongly, you’ve got to understand that that view is held strongly for a reason. For religious reasons for example, economic reasons or cultural reasons. If somebody has a strong point of view, you’ve got to respect that and try and put yourself in that person’s shoes and that’s what I try to do with women. You know, if you listen to my song “Day After Day” it’s the man who finally sees the light. He has actually managed to understand how his girlfriend or wife is actually feeling. It’s really important to be able to put yourself into somebody else’s position. That, I think, is for me one of the reasons I can write songs like “A Woman’s Heart”. And I suppose the experience comes with desire to understand how women feel. Because there are only two species of humanity on the planet and that’s men and women. If you can’t understand one of them, it makes it a fairly boring thing only to be able to understand your own maleness or femaleness.
July 22, 2007 :
Claudia Schreiber (34) from Solingen, Germany:
Dear Chris, I'd like to ask 2 questions....one is about recording songs-when my band and I went to the studio, we were asked to sing every word 3 times, and they told us it's usual to do so to make the sound get better and that it is impossible to just "copy" a single recording to have 3, one coming from each side (right, left, middle). Now my question is: is this right? Because I found it quite difficult to sing 3 times exactly in the same way, breath at the same moment, etc.-and I never recognized even 2 different voices in any CD recording of you or any other artist....is it just the good mixing or do you have to repeat and repeat until it's equal? The second question is about this wonderful song "At the war memorial" about what happened on rememberance day,...I am glad to have a copy of the radio/TV transmissions and wonder if you will ever "officially" record it? Thanks for answering and for just being there! Yours, Claudia
Chris de Burgh:
This is from an old friend from the past. The way I tried to do it in the studio is to record about five or six complete full takes of each song and usually we either use the entire take or if one word doesn’t come out correctly or doesn’t sound as good, we lift another word from somewhere else. The technology today is a lot easier to do that, and as I am sure a lot of people now know it’s possible for somebody who can sing completely out of tune to sound terrific on a record. And then they go off and allegedly perform live and of course they are just miming. So you don’t actually have to have any talent at all sometimes to be a modern singer. But what I like to do is to do a full performance. It is difficult, but with experience, Claudia, you’ll get the ability to breathe in the same place each time. But I don’t understand why you have to record each word three times (right, left, middle), that sounds a very strange way of doing it to me. So it’s important though, particularly if you are coming back to a song some time later to maybe change something a little bit in a song, to try and get the same vocal sound. So it’s better to try and get one full performance as I did on the six tracks I recorded live in Abbey Road Studios for the Storyman. And all of the album Beautiful Dreams. Your second question about “At The War Memorial”, no I won’t be recording this. It was a one off and I don’t even have a recording of it. So I am not sure what has happened to that. It was an instant moment of response and revulsion about the murdering of innocent civilians who happened to be at a war memorial ceremony.
Claudia Schreiber (34) from Solingen, Germany:
Dear Chris, I'd like to ask 2 questions....one is about recording songs-when my band and I went to the studio, we were asked to sing every word 3 times, and they told us it's usual to do so to make the sound get better and that it is impossible to just "copy" a single recording to have 3, one coming from each side (right, left, middle). Now my question is: is this right? Because I found it quite difficult to sing 3 times exactly in the same way, breath at the same moment, etc.-and I never recognized even 2 different voices in any CD recording of you or any other artist....is it just the good mixing or do you have to repeat and repeat until it's equal? The second question is about this wonderful song "At the war memorial" about what happened on rememberance day,...I am glad to have a copy of the radio/TV transmissions and wonder if you will ever "officially" record it? Thanks for answering and for just being there! Yours, Claudia
Chris de Burgh:
This is from an old friend from the past. The way I tried to do it in the studio is to record about five or six complete full takes of each song and usually we either use the entire take or if one word doesn’t come out correctly or doesn’t sound as good, we lift another word from somewhere else. The technology today is a lot easier to do that, and as I am sure a lot of people now know it’s possible for somebody who can sing completely out of tune to sound terrific on a record. And then they go off and allegedly perform live and of course they are just miming. So you don’t actually have to have any talent at all sometimes to be a modern singer. But what I like to do is to do a full performance. It is difficult, but with experience, Claudia, you’ll get the ability to breathe in the same place each time. But I don’t understand why you have to record each word three times (right, left, middle), that sounds a very strange way of doing it to me. So it’s important though, particularly if you are coming back to a song some time later to maybe change something a little bit in a song, to try and get the same vocal sound. So it’s better to try and get one full performance as I did on the six tracks I recorded live in Abbey Road Studios for the Storyman. And all of the album Beautiful Dreams. Your second question about “At The War Memorial”, no I won’t be recording this. It was a one off and I don’t even have a recording of it. So I am not sure what has happened to that. It was an instant moment of response and revulsion about the murdering of innocent civilians who happened to be at a war memorial ceremony.
July 21, 2007 :
Shahram Azami (32) from Tehran, Iran:
Hi. I always wanted to find if you know that the light year is a measurement of distance (not time) and why did you use it in "a spaceman came travelling" in that way?
Chris de Burgh:
Yes, I was aware that the light years are a measurement of distance and not time. And when I used the words in “A Spaceman Came Travelling” ‘When two thousand years of your time has gone by’, I tried to define it in a more positive way. Right at the earlier part it was ‘light years of time since this mission did start’, well this is what we call poetic license. I was aware of the fact that it wasn’t a measurement of time, but I couldn’t come up with another word succinct enough to describe exactly what I was trying to get across.
Shahram Azami (32) from Tehran, Iran:
Hi. I always wanted to find if you know that the light year is a measurement of distance (not time) and why did you use it in "a spaceman came travelling" in that way?
Chris de Burgh:
Yes, I was aware that the light years are a measurement of distance and not time. And when I used the words in “A Spaceman Came Travelling” ‘When two thousand years of your time has gone by’, I tried to define it in a more positive way. Right at the earlier part it was ‘light years of time since this mission did start’, well this is what we call poetic license. I was aware of the fact that it wasn’t a measurement of time, but I couldn’t come up with another word succinct enough to describe exactly what I was trying to get across.
July 20, 2007 :
Alwyne Jenkins (64) from Swansea, Wales:
Have you ever recorded" Without You" written by Ham& Evans both of the group "Badfinger", which I used to be the former manager of as "The Iveys". I read your tribute to Peter Ham at the Tribute night at Swansea library.
Chris de Burgh:
This song “Without You” is in my opinion one of the greatest love songs ever written and recorded. It was sung by Harry Nilsson and subsequent attempts came nowhere near being as good as the original. The two men who wrote this song, Ham & Evans, as you, Alwyne, would know, were in a band called Badfinger and they were one of the early signings to the Apple group, run by the Beatles. They had hits like “Day After Day”, “If You Want It, Here It Is, Come And Get It”, that was the theme from a movie called The Magic Christian, starring Peter Sellers. I was a huge fan of the band Badfinger and many people are probably unaware of the tragedy behind the writing of the song “Without You”, where both the writers committed suicide allegedly, because the song had made so much money but they were in desperate financial circumstances. I actually used to sing it a lot not only live during concerts, but also during sound checks, and one day I came across the young lady that the song was actually written about and for. She has become a firm friend and she gave me a handwritten copy of the original lyrics of “Without You”, of which I am very proud of. It’s a copy, it’s not the original, but it is a copy in the original handwriting. The song was recorded by an American producer called Richard Perry and his engineer in the studio that day was called Robin Geoffrey Cable who went on to produce my first two albums “Far Beyond These Castle Walls” and “Spanish Train And Other Stories”. When Nilsson sings it and he jumps the octave to sing really strongly ‘I can’t live, if living is without you’, you feel an immense shiver (I do), and you suddenly realize that this is totally believable. Mariah Carey and her version, I do not believe the way she sings. All I am hearing is vocal gymnastics. But when Harry Nilsson sings it, it’s just absolutely awesome. I suppose one day I should consider recording this song, because it is one of the greatest ever written.
Alwyne Jenkins (64) from Swansea, Wales:
Have you ever recorded" Without You" written by Ham& Evans both of the group "Badfinger", which I used to be the former manager of as "The Iveys". I read your tribute to Peter Ham at the Tribute night at Swansea library.
Chris de Burgh:
This song “Without You” is in my opinion one of the greatest love songs ever written and recorded. It was sung by Harry Nilsson and subsequent attempts came nowhere near being as good as the original. The two men who wrote this song, Ham & Evans, as you, Alwyne, would know, were in a band called Badfinger and they were one of the early signings to the Apple group, run by the Beatles. They had hits like “Day After Day”, “If You Want It, Here It Is, Come And Get It”, that was the theme from a movie called The Magic Christian, starring Peter Sellers. I was a huge fan of the band Badfinger and many people are probably unaware of the tragedy behind the writing of the song “Without You”, where both the writers committed suicide allegedly, because the song had made so much money but they were in desperate financial circumstances. I actually used to sing it a lot not only live during concerts, but also during sound checks, and one day I came across the young lady that the song was actually written about and for. She has become a firm friend and she gave me a handwritten copy of the original lyrics of “Without You”, of which I am very proud of. It’s a copy, it’s not the original, but it is a copy in the original handwriting. The song was recorded by an American producer called Richard Perry and his engineer in the studio that day was called Robin Geoffrey Cable who went on to produce my first two albums “Far Beyond These Castle Walls” and “Spanish Train And Other Stories”. When Nilsson sings it and he jumps the octave to sing really strongly ‘I can’t live, if living is without you’, you feel an immense shiver (I do), and you suddenly realize that this is totally believable. Mariah Carey and her version, I do not believe the way she sings. All I am hearing is vocal gymnastics. But when Harry Nilsson sings it, it’s just absolutely awesome. I suppose one day I should consider recording this song, because it is one of the greatest ever written.
July 19, 2007 :
Dawn Hooley (38) from Liverpool, UK, now living in Melbourne, Australia:
Hi Chris, I was just wondering what your thoughts are on Liverpool FC being bought by two American billionaires, George Gillett and Tom Hicks? Do you think the club will be better or worse off for being owned by foreigners? Personally, I don't mind as long as we win the Premiership soon! Please visit Down Under soon. Love Dawn xx
Chris de Burgh:
I’d like to say a very warm hello to Dawn and a hug from up here to down under. It’s great to hear from you. I hope you are enjoying your life down there. Liverpool FC being bought is a very good thing, I have to say. For the last few years Liverpool FC, as I know most people know by now, is my favourite club to support and I have been there many times, doing lots of things for the club. I know a lot of the players. And it was always coming third or fourth in the premier league and this just wasn’t good enough. And I think when the big money came in to Chelsea from Abramovic, the Russian billionaire, things changed dramatically for them. In a way it is very sad, because home-grown talent is being ignored in Britain for the simple reason that to be in the football premier league brings in so much money, anything from 30 to 50 million pounds a year from television rights and the general running of the clubs and administration, that no club is going to take a chance now on an unknown quantity or a newcomer. What they want to do is buy the best. And they go around the world to buy the best. And I think that is a real shame. But nevertheless, if you want to compete at the highest level, you have to have support like the support Liverpool FC has now from the two American billionaires Gillett and Hicks. I think the club will be better off and they seem to be committed to the club and they seem to have a good knowledge of the game and a desire to win. And that’s fine with me.
Dawn Hooley (38) from Liverpool, UK, now living in Melbourne, Australia:
Hi Chris, I was just wondering what your thoughts are on Liverpool FC being bought by two American billionaires, George Gillett and Tom Hicks? Do you think the club will be better or worse off for being owned by foreigners? Personally, I don't mind as long as we win the Premiership soon! Please visit Down Under soon. Love Dawn xx
Chris de Burgh:
I’d like to say a very warm hello to Dawn and a hug from up here to down under. It’s great to hear from you. I hope you are enjoying your life down there. Liverpool FC being bought is a very good thing, I have to say. For the last few years Liverpool FC, as I know most people know by now, is my favourite club to support and I have been there many times, doing lots of things for the club. I know a lot of the players. And it was always coming third or fourth in the premier league and this just wasn’t good enough. And I think when the big money came in to Chelsea from Abramovic, the Russian billionaire, things changed dramatically for them. In a way it is very sad, because home-grown talent is being ignored in Britain for the simple reason that to be in the football premier league brings in so much money, anything from 30 to 50 million pounds a year from television rights and the general running of the clubs and administration, that no club is going to take a chance now on an unknown quantity or a newcomer. What they want to do is buy the best. And they go around the world to buy the best. And I think that is a real shame. But nevertheless, if you want to compete at the highest level, you have to have support like the support Liverpool FC has now from the two American billionaires Gillett and Hicks. I think the club will be better off and they seem to be committed to the club and they seem to have a good knowledge of the game and a desire to win. And that’s fine with me.
July 18, 2007 :
Chris Raymond (55) from Twickenham, UK:
Hi Chris, I've been doing some decorating and though I hate the preparations (so tedious!) I find the wallpapering and painting quite enjoyable. It gives me a great excuse to put on my favourite music which I play pretty loudly whilst I work.. (I wonder which artist that might be?!) How about you? Is decorating something you love or hate? Would love to hear from you again! Chris R xx
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Chris! I have said in the past that I find some housework fairly tedious. I don’t mind doing the washing up, but I am not particularly keen on ironing clothes, but I have to do that from time to time, particularly if I am on tour. In my early years, when I couldn’t afford to hire a painter and decorator, I did a lot of painting and decorating. I even laid floors. I have done a cork floor in my first apartment, and that stood the test of time very well. And it took days and days, and I had very sore knees. So I have great respect for these kind of traits when you can put up tiles for example around bathrooms, or carpenters and men and women who use their hands to create things that are beautiful, and very very useful in the home. So the answer is, nowadays I tend to be a person who designs a decorating project rather than gets involved hands on.
Chris Raymond (55) from Twickenham, UK:
Hi Chris, I've been doing some decorating and though I hate the preparations (so tedious!) I find the wallpapering and painting quite enjoyable. It gives me a great excuse to put on my favourite music which I play pretty loudly whilst I work.. (I wonder which artist that might be?!) How about you? Is decorating something you love or hate? Would love to hear from you again! Chris R xx
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Chris! I have said in the past that I find some housework fairly tedious. I don’t mind doing the washing up, but I am not particularly keen on ironing clothes, but I have to do that from time to time, particularly if I am on tour. In my early years, when I couldn’t afford to hire a painter and decorator, I did a lot of painting and decorating. I even laid floors. I have done a cork floor in my first apartment, and that stood the test of time very well. And it took days and days, and I had very sore knees. So I have great respect for these kind of traits when you can put up tiles for example around bathrooms, or carpenters and men and women who use their hands to create things that are beautiful, and very very useful in the home. So the answer is, nowadays I tend to be a person who designs a decorating project rather than gets involved hands on.
July 17, 2007 :
Stephen Shearer (26) from Perth, Scotland:
Hi Chris. I wondered how much control you have over the artwork on your singles and albums? I have often wanted to design one myself. I think covers like The Getaway, Eastern Wind, Far Beyond These Castle Walls and At The End Of A Perfect Day add a lot to these particular albums. The artwork for me adds an extra dimension to the music if that makes any sense. Do you think this is important? Cheers, Stephen
Chris de Burgh:
Yes, I have always been extremely involved with all the artwork on my albums. I am involved not only with the concept and design and the colouring and the lettering, the shape of the letters, the title itself of course, the running order, the credits on the back and the spelling and the commas and explanation marks and whatever, and the grammar in all the lyrics. It’s a situation I have felt very strongly about for years. If my name is on it, it’s got to be as good as I can possibly make it. So this definitely applies to all the covers like “The Getaway”, when I had this idea of a man running out of the darkness of a bad storm through an invisible line to a beach where everything is good. This is the same concept really behind “Into The Light” as well, out of darkness into the light. Yes, I think it adds that extra something. And I do believe that, although we are in an era now of multiple download facilities of music, people will miss those extra human touches, because after all you are getting closer to an artist when you buy a piece of his music with his face on it and his information and his involvement.
Stephen Shearer (26) from Perth, Scotland:
Hi Chris. I wondered how much control you have over the artwork on your singles and albums? I have often wanted to design one myself. I think covers like The Getaway, Eastern Wind, Far Beyond These Castle Walls and At The End Of A Perfect Day add a lot to these particular albums. The artwork for me adds an extra dimension to the music if that makes any sense. Do you think this is important? Cheers, Stephen
Chris de Burgh:
Yes, I have always been extremely involved with all the artwork on my albums. I am involved not only with the concept and design and the colouring and the lettering, the shape of the letters, the title itself of course, the running order, the credits on the back and the spelling and the commas and explanation marks and whatever, and the grammar in all the lyrics. It’s a situation I have felt very strongly about for years. If my name is on it, it’s got to be as good as I can possibly make it. So this definitely applies to all the covers like “The Getaway”, when I had this idea of a man running out of the darkness of a bad storm through an invisible line to a beach where everything is good. This is the same concept really behind “Into The Light” as well, out of darkness into the light. Yes, I think it adds that extra something. And I do believe that, although we are in an era now of multiple download facilities of music, people will miss those extra human touches, because after all you are getting closer to an artist when you buy a piece of his music with his face on it and his information and his involvement.
July 16, 2007 :
Angela Kausler (35) from Bayreuth, Germany:
Hello Chris, at first thank you for the wonderful Storyman concerts, I have seen in Bayreuth and Stuttgart!!! Last month I found this page and it is great. I have a lot of questions... The first and shortest one is: Is there available a story to "Day after Day"? I like the stories very very much and it will be great to get it. Thank you very much, and greetings also from my daughter Jennifer (9)!
Chris de Burgh:
I’d like to say hello to Angela and Jennifer. Hi Jennifer! You are 9 years old and I am glad you like my stories and the concerts in Bayreuth and Stuttgart. I look forward to bringing some more of these concerts and stories all over Germany during July and early August. “Day After Day” was written without a story, because it was always going to be an extra track outside of the Storyman project. Not that I didn’t like it, but it wasn’t quite as much in the story mould as the rest of the tracks. Actually maybe the answer would be for you to come up with your own story for “Day After Day” about the couple who have fallen apart, because the husband or boyfriend has acknowledged, that he has ignored his wife or girlfriend for too long. And maybe you could just imagine the run-up to that song being written and what happened afterwards.
Angela Kausler (35) from Bayreuth, Germany:
Hello Chris, at first thank you for the wonderful Storyman concerts, I have seen in Bayreuth and Stuttgart!!! Last month I found this page and it is great. I have a lot of questions... The first and shortest one is: Is there available a story to "Day after Day"? I like the stories very very much and it will be great to get it. Thank you very much, and greetings also from my daughter Jennifer (9)!
Chris de Burgh:
I’d like to say hello to Angela and Jennifer. Hi Jennifer! You are 9 years old and I am glad you like my stories and the concerts in Bayreuth and Stuttgart. I look forward to bringing some more of these concerts and stories all over Germany during July and early August. “Day After Day” was written without a story, because it was always going to be an extra track outside of the Storyman project. Not that I didn’t like it, but it wasn’t quite as much in the story mould as the rest of the tracks. Actually maybe the answer would be for you to come up with your own story for “Day After Day” about the couple who have fallen apart, because the husband or boyfriend has acknowledged, that he has ignored his wife or girlfriend for too long. And maybe you could just imagine the run-up to that song being written and what happened afterwards.
July 15, 2007 :
Smailoula (25) from Algeria:
I love you Chris - The new album is very beautiful. The question: What about the wonderful song with the star Star academy Hani Hussein and how was the cooperation with Hani? Are you following the loss of Hani's father & what do you advise Hani in his new artistic career?
Chris de Burgh:
Thank you about my new album and the song that I did with Hani Hussein “My Father’s Eyes”, which is still a big favourite of mine. The song did very well at radio. I would like to think that Hani Hussein got a new audience to his music as well as mine, because already he has been successful. My advice to him is to accept the bad times, you know the quiet times, and concentrate on building a long term career. Because he is a good looking boy and I am sure that he has going to have a very good career in films as well as in music. I was sorry to hear about his father, yes. Just my advice finally to Hani would be that he is articulate, he is intelligent, he is good looking, there’s nothing really to stop him writing his own script on success.
Smailoula (25) from Algeria:
I love you Chris - The new album is very beautiful. The question: What about the wonderful song with the star Star academy Hani Hussein and how was the cooperation with Hani? Are you following the loss of Hani's father & what do you advise Hani in his new artistic career?
Chris de Burgh:
Thank you about my new album and the song that I did with Hani Hussein “My Father’s Eyes”, which is still a big favourite of mine. The song did very well at radio. I would like to think that Hani Hussein got a new audience to his music as well as mine, because already he has been successful. My advice to him is to accept the bad times, you know the quiet times, and concentrate on building a long term career. Because he is a good looking boy and I am sure that he has going to have a very good career in films as well as in music. I was sorry to hear about his father, yes. Just my advice finally to Hani would be that he is articulate, he is intelligent, he is good looking, there’s nothing really to stop him writing his own script on success.
July 14, 2007 :
Barb Parknavy (41) from Columbus, Ohio, USA:
Wow! I haven't been to this site for a long time--love the updates and hope my friends from days gone by (especially those from Toronto and the young folks from Iran I used to chat with and send your music to) are all doing well! It seems to me that people in our age group were at the beginning stages of modern technology and have seen so much and managed somehow to keep up with it... (or as I like to tell my 16 year old niece, you can tell a lot about the extent of someone's experiences by counting how many ways they know how to make popcorn!!) What do you think has been the greatest impact of technology on society in general? And, btw, how many ways do you know?
Chris de Burgh:
I think one thing that does concern me is the speed at which things are happening. It is almost like it started with a snowball effect. Very slowly at first and now it is absolutely rushing down the hill, where things that were invented or came into the public arena a year or two ago, suddenly become almost immediately obsolete, and I am hearing amongst other things that CDs are tipped now to be the next useless item, because people will be downloading. Well, that’s assuming that everybody has got internet facilities and access to broadband, but a lot of people don’t. So I would like to think that CDs and even the revival of using vinyl records is a good thing. I think the downside of it is that along with television, constant 24 hours news, it’s that I have noticed how people’s attention span becomes shorter and shorter. The gratification moment becomes shorter. Younger people need to be gratified on a more regular basis. It’s almost like a drug. You need a constant hit. New technology does that for you. Constant excitement, constant updates. You know, now we are getting mobile phones doing all sorts of incredible things for you. It’s almost like the technology exists. It’s not just been invented. I would say the Nokia phones for example have got technology stretching another 10 years in front of us that they are releasing bit by bit to make sure that the commercial aspect of the project is covered. So people will buy a phone and then almost immediately will have to go and buy another one, because it’s updated. The key to this is stand back and say “What do I actually need? Do I need a phone to be all dancing or singing? Do I need a phone to do everything for me? Or do I need a phone just to keep in touch?” So that’s my feeling about technology. I think the greatest impact of technology and society in general has been to erode the national and international boundaries between people and make us feel that we are indeed part of one world. And there cannot be too many totalitarian or communist regimes who can resist the full-on power of satellite information and technology, beaming down the internet, beaming down television and radio signals. This is of course a tool that has been used for the wrong reasons as well as the right reasons. But I think the young people all over the world are very very aware of how other people live and how much they want to be part of that.
Barb Parknavy (41) from Columbus, Ohio, USA:
Wow! I haven't been to this site for a long time--love the updates and hope my friends from days gone by (especially those from Toronto and the young folks from Iran I used to chat with and send your music to) are all doing well! It seems to me that people in our age group were at the beginning stages of modern technology and have seen so much and managed somehow to keep up with it... (or as I like to tell my 16 year old niece, you can tell a lot about the extent of someone's experiences by counting how many ways they know how to make popcorn!!) What do you think has been the greatest impact of technology on society in general? And, btw, how many ways do you know?
Chris de Burgh:
I think one thing that does concern me is the speed at which things are happening. It is almost like it started with a snowball effect. Very slowly at first and now it is absolutely rushing down the hill, where things that were invented or came into the public arena a year or two ago, suddenly become almost immediately obsolete, and I am hearing amongst other things that CDs are tipped now to be the next useless item, because people will be downloading. Well, that’s assuming that everybody has got internet facilities and access to broadband, but a lot of people don’t. So I would like to think that CDs and even the revival of using vinyl records is a good thing. I think the downside of it is that along with television, constant 24 hours news, it’s that I have noticed how people’s attention span becomes shorter and shorter. The gratification moment becomes shorter. Younger people need to be gratified on a more regular basis. It’s almost like a drug. You need a constant hit. New technology does that for you. Constant excitement, constant updates. You know, now we are getting mobile phones doing all sorts of incredible things for you. It’s almost like the technology exists. It’s not just been invented. I would say the Nokia phones for example have got technology stretching another 10 years in front of us that they are releasing bit by bit to make sure that the commercial aspect of the project is covered. So people will buy a phone and then almost immediately will have to go and buy another one, because it’s updated. The key to this is stand back and say “What do I actually need? Do I need a phone to be all dancing or singing? Do I need a phone to do everything for me? Or do I need a phone just to keep in touch?” So that’s my feeling about technology. I think the greatest impact of technology and society in general has been to erode the national and international boundaries between people and make us feel that we are indeed part of one world. And there cannot be too many totalitarian or communist regimes who can resist the full-on power of satellite information and technology, beaming down the internet, beaming down television and radio signals. This is of course a tool that has been used for the wrong reasons as well as the right reasons. But I think the young people all over the world are very very aware of how other people live and how much they want to be part of that.
July 13, 2007 :
Tom Huiskamp (21) from Utrecht, The Netherlands:
Hey Chris. Loved the concert at 4 December! I've been to a lot of concerts now, including Dido, Katie Melua, UB40, Bryan Adams, Queen, Golden Earring and the King Singers, and not one of them came close to the exhilaration I felt during your concert. The emotions you put in the songs were overwhelming! As for my question, how did you come up with the idea of the floating globe at the end? Is it man controlled or did it fly a pre-programmed course? As a science student I was particularly fascinated with it! Please continue making your wonderful music, and good luck with everything!
Chris de Burgh:
I am glad you liked the concert in December. You have made me feel very proud that you enjoy my music and my live concerts more than the other people that you mentioned. Well I think there are two reasons to this. One is the fact that I have always had enormous respect for my audience and I have never wanted to have a gulf between audience and performer. There must always be a bridge. And secondly is the audience themselves. You know, if I put a lot of energy into a show, I really love to see the response from the audience returning my energy. It is like a mutual thing. We are all having a good time. And I like to exude a very positive energy force from me when I perform to encourage other people to feel the same thing. The floating globe at the end was Kenny Thomson’s idea, my manager, who saw this in a trade fair and thought it was absolutely perfect for our concert. It is a very clever device. And one of our road crew spent a lot of time learning how to fly it. And he got very good by the end. I loved the way it floated around and hovered above my head and then disappeared into the roof. It is a very exciting thing and it added a tremendous amount to the general feel of the concerts.
Tom Huiskamp (21) from Utrecht, The Netherlands:
Hey Chris. Loved the concert at 4 December! I've been to a lot of concerts now, including Dido, Katie Melua, UB40, Bryan Adams, Queen, Golden Earring and the King Singers, and not one of them came close to the exhilaration I felt during your concert. The emotions you put in the songs were overwhelming! As for my question, how did you come up with the idea of the floating globe at the end? Is it man controlled or did it fly a pre-programmed course? As a science student I was particularly fascinated with it! Please continue making your wonderful music, and good luck with everything!
Chris de Burgh:
I am glad you liked the concert in December. You have made me feel very proud that you enjoy my music and my live concerts more than the other people that you mentioned. Well I think there are two reasons to this. One is the fact that I have always had enormous respect for my audience and I have never wanted to have a gulf between audience and performer. There must always be a bridge. And secondly is the audience themselves. You know, if I put a lot of energy into a show, I really love to see the response from the audience returning my energy. It is like a mutual thing. We are all having a good time. And I like to exude a very positive energy force from me when I perform to encourage other people to feel the same thing. The floating globe at the end was Kenny Thomson’s idea, my manager, who saw this in a trade fair and thought it was absolutely perfect for our concert. It is a very clever device. And one of our road crew spent a lot of time learning how to fly it. And he got very good by the end. I loved the way it floated around and hovered above my head and then disappeared into the roof. It is a very exciting thing and it added a tremendous amount to the general feel of the concerts.
July 12, 2007 :
Stephen (33) from Toulouse, France:
Do you intend to publish a sheet music on the album "The Storyman"?
Chris de Burgh:
Usually this is something we leave up to the publisher. But I would very much like to see sheet music for “The Storyman”. Also given the fact that six of the tracks were recorded with a full orchestra. And a lot of the sheet music is actually available from those orchestra sessions. So I hope in time that these will be published.
Stephen (33) from Toulouse, France:
Do you intend to publish a sheet music on the album "The Storyman"?
Chris de Burgh:
Usually this is something we leave up to the publisher. But I would very much like to see sheet music for “The Storyman”. Also given the fact that six of the tracks were recorded with a full orchestra. And a lot of the sheet music is actually available from those orchestra sessions. So I hope in time that these will be published.
July 11, 2007 :
Jacqueline Ebner (48) from Erskine, Scotland:
Dear Chris, In the technological world of sms, email etc., I feel that the written word is a dying art. English teachers must despair when they see the shortened form of writing used by young people today. Don't misunderstand me, I use sms and email frequently, however, I enjoy writing letters and do so as often as I can. I also like to write in Calligraphy for special occasions. To receive a hand written letter still gives me great pleasure. As a man who makes a living from the English Language, I wondered if you had any thoughts on this. Love, as always, Jacqueline xxx
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Jacqueline! Nice to hear from you again. Look forward to seeing you in the summer. I have said this before about one of the difficulties we will be facing. I believe that the British library now has been approached or has instigated a programme of keeping people’s e-mails and SMS as part of living history for the future. Because in the electronic digital age photographs, letters, everything like that, that you will usually erase eventually will not be left to future generations as part of their culture and as part of their family background. So I entirely agree with you. I like receiving handwritten letters and I like writing handwritten letters too. And I do that still quite a bit. But I also regret the fact that it is a dying art. And I think we will be sorry about this in the future.
Jacqueline Ebner (48) from Erskine, Scotland:
Dear Chris, In the technological world of sms, email etc., I feel that the written word is a dying art. English teachers must despair when they see the shortened form of writing used by young people today. Don't misunderstand me, I use sms and email frequently, however, I enjoy writing letters and do so as often as I can. I also like to write in Calligraphy for special occasions. To receive a hand written letter still gives me great pleasure. As a man who makes a living from the English Language, I wondered if you had any thoughts on this. Love, as always, Jacqueline xxx
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Jacqueline! Nice to hear from you again. Look forward to seeing you in the summer. I have said this before about one of the difficulties we will be facing. I believe that the British library now has been approached or has instigated a programme of keeping people’s e-mails and SMS as part of living history for the future. Because in the electronic digital age photographs, letters, everything like that, that you will usually erase eventually will not be left to future generations as part of their culture and as part of their family background. So I entirely agree with you. I like receiving handwritten letters and I like writing handwritten letters too. And I do that still quite a bit. But I also regret the fact that it is a dying art. And I think we will be sorry about this in the future.
July 10, 2007 :
Riccardo Carelli (17) from St. Petersburg, Florida, USA:
Dear Chris, I love all of your songs especially Spanish train and the Devil's Eye. In the Spanish Train God is just doing his best to win against the devil in a poker game, in the devils eye is the aftermath of the game and the devil turns the earth into a moon, but he notices that God has discovered that he cheated and his coming to fight. I was wondering if there is a song for this third encounter? And thank you for so many wonderful songs.
Chris de Burgh:
I am glad you like “Spanish Train” and “The Devil’s Eye”. As you know, the background to these two songs started initially with my interest derived from a book called Paradise Lost by an English writer called John Milton in the 17th or 16th century. And of course, if there is a cosmic battle going on between God and the devil, it looks like the devil is doing a pretty good job of it at the moment. Looks like he is on the winning side, but anyway the whole thing is that it’s just a fantasy in my head. And in “The Devil’s Eye” imagine that there is a camera in every television watching us. Because the whole idea of the most powerful propaganda tool in history, which is television, not attracting the attention of not just evil men, but also of governments who wish to brainwash their citizens, must have certainly occurred to many many powerful leaders. And you just don’t know what use they are making of television, for example using mass hypnosis to get ideas into everybody’s heads. So the third encounter probably should start bubbling away in my head fairly shortly. We’ll see what happens next.
Riccardo Carelli (17) from St. Petersburg, Florida, USA:
Dear Chris, I love all of your songs especially Spanish train and the Devil's Eye. In the Spanish Train God is just doing his best to win against the devil in a poker game, in the devils eye is the aftermath of the game and the devil turns the earth into a moon, but he notices that God has discovered that he cheated and his coming to fight. I was wondering if there is a song for this third encounter? And thank you for so many wonderful songs.
Chris de Burgh:
I am glad you like “Spanish Train” and “The Devil’s Eye”. As you know, the background to these two songs started initially with my interest derived from a book called Paradise Lost by an English writer called John Milton in the 17th or 16th century. And of course, if there is a cosmic battle going on between God and the devil, it looks like the devil is doing a pretty good job of it at the moment. Looks like he is on the winning side, but anyway the whole thing is that it’s just a fantasy in my head. And in “The Devil’s Eye” imagine that there is a camera in every television watching us. Because the whole idea of the most powerful propaganda tool in history, which is television, not attracting the attention of not just evil men, but also of governments who wish to brainwash their citizens, must have certainly occurred to many many powerful leaders. And you just don’t know what use they are making of television, for example using mass hypnosis to get ideas into everybody’s heads. So the third encounter probably should start bubbling away in my head fairly shortly. We’ll see what happens next.
July 9, 2007 :
Gabi Kühner (40) from Teningen near Freiburg, Germany:
Dear Chris, several times I heard that you get on a train during a tour and journey across Germany. I remember that this happened in 2003 after your concert at the Zelt-Musik-Festival in Freiburg. And now I heard that you also get on a train after the Storyman-concert in Dortmund 2006. I wonder what the reason behind you get on a train? Where is your private jet? Why do you often travel separate from the band? And finally, do you have a railway compartment on your own? Thank you for all the concerts for the last 25 years. I never have missed a tour of C.d.B. since 1984. The Storyman-Tour was absolutely great. It was a pleasure to visit the concerts in Frankfurt, Dortmund and Stuttgart. Thank you so much for all, especially the chance to attend the sound check in Dortmund. Brilliant. In everyday life your songs and your concerts are like an "energy drink". Keep it up. Hope to see you again in 2007, maybe around Freiburg/Germany.......that would be great. Bye Gabi / Teningen / Germany
Chris de Burgh:
Freiburg of course is one of the most beautiful towns in Germany. I strongly recommend anybody who has never been there to go and make a visit. I love trains is the simple answer. I’d much prefer to be on a train for 3 or 4 hours than in a car. Although having a private jet is an option, but it’s also an extremely expensive option. And it’s unnecessary. Because it means sometimes getting a plane in from the United Kingdom or from Ireland, just to take you for a short trip somewhere. So the best option for me is trains. I find them great. No, I don’t have a separate compartment. And I think Deutsche Bahn are excellent as well. Usually I travel with a couple of colleagues and because of all the band instruments, the various baggage requirements, the band tend to go on their own in a coach. Meanwhile, because of my preference for the rail network rather than the road network, I go by train. And I will be doing that a lot this summer. So if you are on a train somewhere going up and down Germany, and you see somebody looking like Chris de Burgh, it probably is.
Gabi Kühner (40) from Teningen near Freiburg, Germany:
Dear Chris, several times I heard that you get on a train during a tour and journey across Germany. I remember that this happened in 2003 after your concert at the Zelt-Musik-Festival in Freiburg. And now I heard that you also get on a train after the Storyman-concert in Dortmund 2006. I wonder what the reason behind you get on a train? Where is your private jet? Why do you often travel separate from the band? And finally, do you have a railway compartment on your own? Thank you for all the concerts for the last 25 years. I never have missed a tour of C.d.B. since 1984. The Storyman-Tour was absolutely great. It was a pleasure to visit the concerts in Frankfurt, Dortmund and Stuttgart. Thank you so much for all, especially the chance to attend the sound check in Dortmund. Brilliant. In everyday life your songs and your concerts are like an "energy drink". Keep it up. Hope to see you again in 2007, maybe around Freiburg/Germany.......that would be great. Bye Gabi / Teningen / Germany
Chris de Burgh:
Freiburg of course is one of the most beautiful towns in Germany. I strongly recommend anybody who has never been there to go and make a visit. I love trains is the simple answer. I’d much prefer to be on a train for 3 or 4 hours than in a car. Although having a private jet is an option, but it’s also an extremely expensive option. And it’s unnecessary. Because it means sometimes getting a plane in from the United Kingdom or from Ireland, just to take you for a short trip somewhere. So the best option for me is trains. I find them great. No, I don’t have a separate compartment. And I think Deutsche Bahn are excellent as well. Usually I travel with a couple of colleagues and because of all the band instruments, the various baggage requirements, the band tend to go on their own in a coach. Meanwhile, because of my preference for the rail network rather than the road network, I go by train. And I will be doing that a lot this summer. So if you are on a train somewhere going up and down Germany, and you see somebody looking like Chris de Burgh, it probably is.
July 8, 2007 :
Judith and Annie Sens (29 and 54) from Volendam, The Netherlands:
Dear Chris, Last week we watched Ready Steady Cook. It was great to see you and Ronan Keating together in one programme. You and Ronan are our 2 favourite singers. We'd like to know if you know Ronan's music and what you think of it. Love, Judith and Annie from Volendam
Chris de Burgh:
What can I say about Volendam? I am thrilled about the support I have always received from the wonderful people in Volendam. And as you know, I went up and I sang in your church to raise funds for the victims of the terrible fire that killed and maimed and disfigured so many young people on the millennium New Year’s Eve. Yes, Ready Steady Cook was great fun. I learned something extraordinary in that. I always thought I was a good cook when it came to meat for example, but watching a professional chef at work in 20 minutes creating a three course meal of high standard was awesome. He gave me this trick about cooking meat, where if you like fillet steak for example, you put the meat in a very hot pan and sear both sides. Well, I knew about that bit, but I didn’t know about the next bit, which is: You take it out of the pan and put it on a tray, so that the juices can drip down, away from the meat, and you put that tray in a low oven for 5 minutes. And then either you can serve it straight away if people like meat rare or you cook it another little bit and then it just tastes delicious! Ronan Keating lives in Ireland. I know, he is a king golfer like myself. I come across him from time to time. He is a very nice lad. I wouldn’t put myself at the top of his fan club. I think professional musicians don’t necessarily do that very often to each other. But I respect him for what he has done and I wish him the best in the future. The fact that I am a professional song writer and it is something that he is becoming more and more involved in down the years, is a really good thing. And I hope that his song writing skills are honed down the years, because you can only improve, and I apply that to myself as well.
Judith and Annie Sens (29 and 54) from Volendam, The Netherlands:
Dear Chris, Last week we watched Ready Steady Cook. It was great to see you and Ronan Keating together in one programme. You and Ronan are our 2 favourite singers. We'd like to know if you know Ronan's music and what you think of it. Love, Judith and Annie from Volendam
Chris de Burgh:
What can I say about Volendam? I am thrilled about the support I have always received from the wonderful people in Volendam. And as you know, I went up and I sang in your church to raise funds for the victims of the terrible fire that killed and maimed and disfigured so many young people on the millennium New Year’s Eve. Yes, Ready Steady Cook was great fun. I learned something extraordinary in that. I always thought I was a good cook when it came to meat for example, but watching a professional chef at work in 20 minutes creating a three course meal of high standard was awesome. He gave me this trick about cooking meat, where if you like fillet steak for example, you put the meat in a very hot pan and sear both sides. Well, I knew about that bit, but I didn’t know about the next bit, which is: You take it out of the pan and put it on a tray, so that the juices can drip down, away from the meat, and you put that tray in a low oven for 5 minutes. And then either you can serve it straight away if people like meat rare or you cook it another little bit and then it just tastes delicious! Ronan Keating lives in Ireland. I know, he is a king golfer like myself. I come across him from time to time. He is a very nice lad. I wouldn’t put myself at the top of his fan club. I think professional musicians don’t necessarily do that very often to each other. But I respect him for what he has done and I wish him the best in the future. The fact that I am a professional song writer and it is something that he is becoming more and more involved in down the years, is a really good thing. And I hope that his song writing skills are honed down the years, because you can only improve, and I apply that to myself as well.
July 7, 2007 :
Daniela Braun (35) from Aachen, Germany:
Dear Chris, I went to the fantastic show in Dortmund yesterday (25th Nov, 2006). I noticed that you were suffering from some kind of cold and that your voice sounded a bit hoarse. And still you put on a fantastic show full of energy, you sang almost non-stop for nearly three hours, it was just amazing! How do you do it? I'm a teacher, and when I have a cold and have to teach 5 or 6 periods a day, my voice is gone. Is there a trick to avoid that? Is there any "wonder" medicine to forget about the sore throat and the cold for a few hours? And under what circumstances would you cancel a show due to illness? Has this ever happened (I hope not!)? I hope you'll get well soon. Thank you for many wonderful hours of music! Kind regards, Dani
Chris de Burgh:
Yes, the Dortmund show was fantastic. I really enjoyed that. The problem I had during that November/December tour was actually not a sore throat. I had a cough and it was a tickly cough that I could not shake, although I have been trying for several weeks to get rid of it. But every time I put myself in a situation where it was smoky or indeed sometimes the Wunderkerzen sent a very acrid smoke up to the stage. And that irritates the lining of the lungs. So if you try to sing when you’ve got a cough, it’s very very difficult. Because you have to concentrate like mad, so you don’t actually cough while you’re singing. Nevertheless I was determined to enjoy the concerts and I did. As somebody who has never actually learned professionally how to sing – I have never been to a singing teacher – but I did find a way of making sure that I could breathe from the correct part of my stomach and out through my nose and into my nose down the years. Which means now I can do a three hour show for maybe 5 or 6 times a week, which is certainly unheard of in the opera world. If you have a cold, it makes things very difficult. And I am sure, Dani, that as a professional teacher, you try to think all of the different things of making your voice work. Talking is, in my opinion, much harder on the voice than singing, because most people talk in the wrong way, when their lungs are exhaling. But I think the secret with singing is to keep your lungs inflated as much as you can all the time. And bear in mind, to breathe in you have to breathe out. So that’s where I start, I breathe out first and breathe in and fill the lungs to capacity. No, I don’t have any wonder medicines, but I do love honey. Honey sooths a sore throat. And I drink lots and lots of water every day. That’s part of my secret. Keep the larynx and the throat nice and moist. I don’t think I have ever had to cancel a show due to illness, although I hurt my back a few years ago and we had to postpone the show. We actually had two shows and we put all the people into the second night. I believe that’s what happened. But it’s a very very rare thing for me to cancel a show.
Daniela Braun (35) from Aachen, Germany:
Dear Chris, I went to the fantastic show in Dortmund yesterday (25th Nov, 2006). I noticed that you were suffering from some kind of cold and that your voice sounded a bit hoarse. And still you put on a fantastic show full of energy, you sang almost non-stop for nearly three hours, it was just amazing! How do you do it? I'm a teacher, and when I have a cold and have to teach 5 or 6 periods a day, my voice is gone. Is there a trick to avoid that? Is there any "wonder" medicine to forget about the sore throat and the cold for a few hours? And under what circumstances would you cancel a show due to illness? Has this ever happened (I hope not!)? I hope you'll get well soon. Thank you for many wonderful hours of music! Kind regards, Dani
Chris de Burgh:
Yes, the Dortmund show was fantastic. I really enjoyed that. The problem I had during that November/December tour was actually not a sore throat. I had a cough and it was a tickly cough that I could not shake, although I have been trying for several weeks to get rid of it. But every time I put myself in a situation where it was smoky or indeed sometimes the Wunderkerzen sent a very acrid smoke up to the stage. And that irritates the lining of the lungs. So if you try to sing when you’ve got a cough, it’s very very difficult. Because you have to concentrate like mad, so you don’t actually cough while you’re singing. Nevertheless I was determined to enjoy the concerts and I did. As somebody who has never actually learned professionally how to sing – I have never been to a singing teacher – but I did find a way of making sure that I could breathe from the correct part of my stomach and out through my nose and into my nose down the years. Which means now I can do a three hour show for maybe 5 or 6 times a week, which is certainly unheard of in the opera world. If you have a cold, it makes things very difficult. And I am sure, Dani, that as a professional teacher, you try to think all of the different things of making your voice work. Talking is, in my opinion, much harder on the voice than singing, because most people talk in the wrong way, when their lungs are exhaling. But I think the secret with singing is to keep your lungs inflated as much as you can all the time. And bear in mind, to breathe in you have to breathe out. So that’s where I start, I breathe out first and breathe in and fill the lungs to capacity. No, I don’t have any wonder medicines, but I do love honey. Honey sooths a sore throat. And I drink lots and lots of water every day. That’s part of my secret. Keep the larynx and the throat nice and moist. I don’t think I have ever had to cancel a show due to illness, although I hurt my back a few years ago and we had to postpone the show. We actually had two shows and we put all the people into the second night. I believe that’s what happened. But it’s a very very rare thing for me to cancel a show.
July 6, 2007 :
Chris (36) from Taunton, UK:
I have always wanted to know whether the end of "making the perfect man" was inspired by Jeff Wayne's "the eve of the war" from War of the worlds. If so, any reason?
Chris de Burgh:“
Making The Perfect Man” was not inspired by Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds. But if it was, it was a pure accident, I can assure you. But I have to say I have always enjoyed War Of The Worlds by Jeff Wayne. It’s an excellent CD, and I feel that it’s done very well down the years. Even recently I was listening to it and I know that it was out on tour as well. I didn’t get a chance to see the show, but I believe it was very good. It’s a very good record. About “Making The Perfect Man”, I think if there was any similarity it was purely coincidental.
Chris (36) from Taunton, UK:
I have always wanted to know whether the end of "making the perfect man" was inspired by Jeff Wayne's "the eve of the war" from War of the worlds. If so, any reason?
Chris de Burgh:“
Making The Perfect Man” was not inspired by Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds. But if it was, it was a pure accident, I can assure you. But I have to say I have always enjoyed War Of The Worlds by Jeff Wayne. It’s an excellent CD, and I feel that it’s done very well down the years. Even recently I was listening to it and I know that it was out on tour as well. I didn’t get a chance to see the show, but I believe it was very good. It’s a very good record. About “Making The Perfect Man”, I think if there was any similarity it was purely coincidental.
July 5, 2007 :
Susan Clark (41) from Toronto, Canada:
Dear Chris, My husband and I are long-time fans and have enjoyed your music for many years. I heard on the news yesterday that you had the winning bid on a letter which went up for auction, written by a young soldier in WWI to his mother. I'm sure it must be very meaningful to own such a special piece of history. Could you tell me if this letter was an inspiration for writing 'This Song for You'? The news story also mentioned that your grandfather was the first casualty of WWI. Is this correct? If so, what was his story? Thank you for your time Chris, and thank you for creating such memorable music and lyrics. We look forward to seeing you in concert the next time you come to Toronto. Susan
Chris de Burgh:
Toronto is of course a city I know well, and I really enjoyed being there. The WWI letter that went up for auction, which described the events of the 24th and 25th of December 1914, just after the First World War started, have become legendary. The football match was the way that German and British soldiers met, and Irish soldiers indeed met in no man’s land, exchanging cigarettes, addresses, autographs, memorabilia. This letter is just absolutely extraordinary. It’s a first hand description of one of the true events of that catastrophe, which showed the humanity of people who understood that they were under it all human beings and they didn’t have to kill each other on a particular day in a particular way. And hostility stopped for two days and then resumed afterwards. The song called “This Song For You” was written many many years ago on the “Spanish Train And Other Trains” album, and it was just really from my imagination, because I don’t think many people realize that soldiers writing letters in that war were just like writing text messaging today. On any given day there were something like two million letters being moved around either from or to the soldiers at the front. To home, or from home back to them. There was a very very efficient postal service, unlike today’s postal service. No, my grandfather General Sir Eric de Burgh survived being in the trenches for three or four years during 1914-18. However, his brother Thomas de Burgh was one of the very first officers to be killed in 1914.
Susan Clark (41) from Toronto, Canada:
Dear Chris, My husband and I are long-time fans and have enjoyed your music for many years. I heard on the news yesterday that you had the winning bid on a letter which went up for auction, written by a young soldier in WWI to his mother. I'm sure it must be very meaningful to own such a special piece of history. Could you tell me if this letter was an inspiration for writing 'This Song for You'? The news story also mentioned that your grandfather was the first casualty of WWI. Is this correct? If so, what was his story? Thank you for your time Chris, and thank you for creating such memorable music and lyrics. We look forward to seeing you in concert the next time you come to Toronto. Susan
Chris de Burgh:
Toronto is of course a city I know well, and I really enjoyed being there. The WWI letter that went up for auction, which described the events of the 24th and 25th of December 1914, just after the First World War started, have become legendary. The football match was the way that German and British soldiers met, and Irish soldiers indeed met in no man’s land, exchanging cigarettes, addresses, autographs, memorabilia. This letter is just absolutely extraordinary. It’s a first hand description of one of the true events of that catastrophe, which showed the humanity of people who understood that they were under it all human beings and they didn’t have to kill each other on a particular day in a particular way. And hostility stopped for two days and then resumed afterwards. The song called “This Song For You” was written many many years ago on the “Spanish Train And Other Trains” album, and it was just really from my imagination, because I don’t think many people realize that soldiers writing letters in that war were just like writing text messaging today. On any given day there were something like two million letters being moved around either from or to the soldiers at the front. To home, or from home back to them. There was a very very efficient postal service, unlike today’s postal service. No, my grandfather General Sir Eric de Burgh survived being in the trenches for three or four years during 1914-18. However, his brother Thomas de Burgh was one of the very first officers to be killed in 1914.
July 4, 2007 :
Caroline Perkin (47) from Bradford, UK:
I have enjoyed listening to your music for well over twenty years and it’s taken me through many highs and lows in my life. The other Saturday night my son rang me from a 'Biker Bar' (why he was in a 'Biker Bar' I dont know, he's not a 'Biker' ) in Lancaster which was full of leather clan bikers. He was very amused because someone had put 'High On Emotion' by CdeB on the Juke box, not what he expected to hear! So how do you see the typical Chris de Burgh fan?
Chris de Burgh:
This is a funny story about your son ringing you from a Biker Bar full of leather clan bikers. The fact that “High On Emotion” was on the jukebox is of interest to me as well. But those people who can recall the original record, it is a very strong record and very exciting, very powerful. Typical fans? Really it is completely across the spectrum. I remember one night I was doing a concert in London, and right in the front row were these two punks with really weird hairdos and they had the leather gear and they had the pins through their lips and noses and all sorts of face jewellery. And they were really into it! They were the first ones to applaud and stand up. So it does take all sorts to enjoy music. Just because a certain artist attracts a certain kind of an audience that doesn’t mean that he isn’t appealing to fans all across the board. But I am glad to hear that your son enjoyed “High On Emotion”.
Caroline Perkin (47) from Bradford, UK:
I have enjoyed listening to your music for well over twenty years and it’s taken me through many highs and lows in my life. The other Saturday night my son rang me from a 'Biker Bar' (why he was in a 'Biker Bar' I dont know, he's not a 'Biker' ) in Lancaster which was full of leather clan bikers. He was very amused because someone had put 'High On Emotion' by CdeB on the Juke box, not what he expected to hear! So how do you see the typical Chris de Burgh fan?
Chris de Burgh:
This is a funny story about your son ringing you from a Biker Bar full of leather clan bikers. The fact that “High On Emotion” was on the jukebox is of interest to me as well. But those people who can recall the original record, it is a very strong record and very exciting, very powerful. Typical fans? Really it is completely across the spectrum. I remember one night I was doing a concert in London, and right in the front row were these two punks with really weird hairdos and they had the leather gear and they had the pins through their lips and noses and all sorts of face jewellery. And they were really into it! They were the first ones to applaud and stand up. So it does take all sorts to enjoy music. Just because a certain artist attracts a certain kind of an audience that doesn’t mean that he isn’t appealing to fans all across the board. But I am glad to hear that your son enjoyed “High On Emotion”.
July 3, 2007 :
Ryan Sparks (38) from Montréal, Canada:
Hello Chris, First of all I just wanted to thank you for all your fantastic music over the years and also for the interview for Classic Rock Revisited which you gave me a few weeks back. As you had another interview after mine, I didn't get a chance to ask you my final question which I'm hoping you'll permit me to do here in this great forum of yours. My question is this. Back in the 70's when you were opening up for Supertramp, I heard that a certain member or members of the band used to come out in a trench coat and flash you while you were performing "Patricia The Stripper", is this true and was this a regular occurrence? Thanks a lot. Ryan.
Chris de Burgh:
Well, I did a lot of performances with Supertramp down the years before I started in the early 80s or late 70s performing my own concerts as the headline artist. And things that go on on tour are the stuff of legend. I am sure many books have been written about various Rock’n Roll bands on tour and the ridiculous things that go on and the fun things. Well, I can tell you that I have been through all of them, and most of them I have read about other people doing them and it’s just about all true. Although I have to make one point, it’s that in a lot of the craziness that goes on on tour - when drugs were involved, I was never interested ever in drugs of any sort. But I’d certainly enjoy a few beers from time to time. During the shows particularly if it’s the last night, all sorts of crazy things would go on. Like the drummer would start in complete blackout a song, and somebody would have put a whole lot of talcum powder on the drum kit. So when he hits it the first time, there’s an absolute cloud of talcum powder that would fill the air, and the drummer would just disappear behind this shower of stuff. I mean, this is just one of many things that go on. And yes, a big burly truck driver who looked very fetching in ladies’ underwear would occasionally wander across the stage and flash me or other members of the band during “Patricia The Stripper”. His name was John Rivet and he gave us a lot of laughs down the years.
Ryan Sparks (38) from Montréal, Canada:
Hello Chris, First of all I just wanted to thank you for all your fantastic music over the years and also for the interview for Classic Rock Revisited which you gave me a few weeks back. As you had another interview after mine, I didn't get a chance to ask you my final question which I'm hoping you'll permit me to do here in this great forum of yours. My question is this. Back in the 70's when you were opening up for Supertramp, I heard that a certain member or members of the band used to come out in a trench coat and flash you while you were performing "Patricia The Stripper", is this true and was this a regular occurrence? Thanks a lot. Ryan.
Chris de Burgh:
Well, I did a lot of performances with Supertramp down the years before I started in the early 80s or late 70s performing my own concerts as the headline artist. And things that go on on tour are the stuff of legend. I am sure many books have been written about various Rock’n Roll bands on tour and the ridiculous things that go on and the fun things. Well, I can tell you that I have been through all of them, and most of them I have read about other people doing them and it’s just about all true. Although I have to make one point, it’s that in a lot of the craziness that goes on on tour - when drugs were involved, I was never interested ever in drugs of any sort. But I’d certainly enjoy a few beers from time to time. During the shows particularly if it’s the last night, all sorts of crazy things would go on. Like the drummer would start in complete blackout a song, and somebody would have put a whole lot of talcum powder on the drum kit. So when he hits it the first time, there’s an absolute cloud of talcum powder that would fill the air, and the drummer would just disappear behind this shower of stuff. I mean, this is just one of many things that go on. And yes, a big burly truck driver who looked very fetching in ladies’ underwear would occasionally wander across the stage and flash me or other members of the band during “Patricia The Stripper”. His name was John Rivet and he gave us a lot of laughs down the years.
July 2, 2007 :
Mike McGibney (22) from Chelmsford, Essex, UK:
Hi Chris - been a fan of your work for over ten years know, thanks to my Mum's cassettes in the car! As a musician and songwriter, I would be interested to hear about your personal song writing process - how ideas develop, what medium you initially note your ideas on, what instrument you generally use ...right to what order you record things in the studio, etc. Thanks for your time, and keep up the good work. Mike. PS If you ever need young blood in the bass chair, let me know - especially for some of that fretless work!
Chris de Burgh:
My personal song writing process can be approached in a variety of ways. The first one is the disciplined way, where I will go to my studio, my piano, my guitar with a project in mind and start sifting through the deep recesses of my subconscious for ideas that may have been planted in there over the last few months or indeed years. Alternatively I can get a sudden idea or a phrase. Or thirdly there could be a way of having something that interests me or upsets me or excites me that I want to write a song about. A current idea, for example, I am calling “chain of command”. Because I always find it extraordinary how people will accept commands, particularly in the military to do things that otherwise they would not do ever, particularly if their own personal safety is at high risk. And indeed in like for example the First World War it was almost guaranteed that anybody going over the top of the trenches to run towards the enemy would be shot down in a hail of machine gunfire. Why did they do that? These are little things that occupy my head. I use tape recorders as a notebook. I have a 16 track recorder in my studio, which I build up ideas on. Thanks for your offer of the bass guitar. You never know, we might need one one day. But I hope not in the near future.
Mike McGibney (22) from Chelmsford, Essex, UK:
Hi Chris - been a fan of your work for over ten years know, thanks to my Mum's cassettes in the car! As a musician and songwriter, I would be interested to hear about your personal song writing process - how ideas develop, what medium you initially note your ideas on, what instrument you generally use ...right to what order you record things in the studio, etc. Thanks for your time, and keep up the good work. Mike. PS If you ever need young blood in the bass chair, let me know - especially for some of that fretless work!
Chris de Burgh:
My personal song writing process can be approached in a variety of ways. The first one is the disciplined way, where I will go to my studio, my piano, my guitar with a project in mind and start sifting through the deep recesses of my subconscious for ideas that may have been planted in there over the last few months or indeed years. Alternatively I can get a sudden idea or a phrase. Or thirdly there could be a way of having something that interests me or upsets me or excites me that I want to write a song about. A current idea, for example, I am calling “chain of command”. Because I always find it extraordinary how people will accept commands, particularly in the military to do things that otherwise they would not do ever, particularly if their own personal safety is at high risk. And indeed in like for example the First World War it was almost guaranteed that anybody going over the top of the trenches to run towards the enemy would be shot down in a hail of machine gunfire. Why did they do that? These are little things that occupy my head. I use tape recorders as a notebook. I have a 16 track recorder in my studio, which I build up ideas on. Thanks for your offer of the bass guitar. You never know, we might need one one day. But I hope not in the near future.
July 1, 2007 :
Jacqueline (46) from Wirral, Merseyside, UK:
Chris, I watched you perform at Liverpool Football Club very recently and you sang tracks from your new CD....The Storyman. One particular track....."Spirit" moved me very much as it took me back to three years ago when my husband passed away unexpectedly. Do you believe in an afterlife?
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Jacqueline! I am very sorry to hear about your husband passing away three years ago. And I remember clearly performing at Liverpool Football Club in the trophy room for the radio broadcast. It was a wonderful moment for me and I am glad you enjoyed the evening. When I perform “Spirit”, I always perform it with my heart and my soul. I believe that there are two options, when we reach the end of our days. One is total oblivion, or the other could be a fantastic journey. I am not sure if I believe in an afterlife. I would like to think that such a thing exists, but there has been a huge amount of circumstantial evidence, but no proof so far. But one thing is for sure: Sooner or later we will all find out the answer to this question.
Jacqueline (46) from Wirral, Merseyside, UK:
Chris, I watched you perform at Liverpool Football Club very recently and you sang tracks from your new CD....The Storyman. One particular track....."Spirit" moved me very much as it took me back to three years ago when my husband passed away unexpectedly. Do you believe in an afterlife?
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Jacqueline! I am very sorry to hear about your husband passing away three years ago. And I remember clearly performing at Liverpool Football Club in the trophy room for the radio broadcast. It was a wonderful moment for me and I am glad you enjoyed the evening. When I perform “Spirit”, I always perform it with my heart and my soul. I believe that there are two options, when we reach the end of our days. One is total oblivion, or the other could be a fantastic journey. I am not sure if I believe in an afterlife. I would like to think that such a thing exists, but there has been a huge amount of circumstantial evidence, but no proof so far. But one thing is for sure: Sooner or later we will all find out the answer to this question.
June 30, 2007 :
Christina Martin (26) from Orpington, England:
Chris, if you were an ice cream flavour what would you be and why?
Chris de Burgh:
I have been asked some funny questions, and some strange questions, and some weird questions down the years, but this has to be the number one odd question. Which is great, it is a funny question. I had to think about this ice cream flavour. So I think I will probably be strawberry ice cream with a piece of mint ice cream on top. Now the reason I am choosing these two colours is because they are contradictory colours, but they are complimentary as well. And the strawberry maybe is representing my heart, my emotional side and the green might be the slightly wacky and weird side, sense of humour, looking for enjoyment out of life, fresh and crisp. And I think between the two of them, they should make an interesting flavour. I hope that answers your question.
Christina Martin (26) from Orpington, England:
Chris, if you were an ice cream flavour what would you be and why?
Chris de Burgh:
I have been asked some funny questions, and some strange questions, and some weird questions down the years, but this has to be the number one odd question. Which is great, it is a funny question. I had to think about this ice cream flavour. So I think I will probably be strawberry ice cream with a piece of mint ice cream on top. Now the reason I am choosing these two colours is because they are contradictory colours, but they are complimentary as well. And the strawberry maybe is representing my heart, my emotional side and the green might be the slightly wacky and weird side, sense of humour, looking for enjoyment out of life, fresh and crisp. And I think between the two of them, they should make an interesting flavour. I hope that answers your question.
June 29, 2007 :
Malcolm Wilkes (53) from Torpoint, England:
Your career spans 4 decades. If you could wind the clock (or not as the case maybe) which era would you say was (is) your favourite?
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Malcolm! I hope you and your family are well. It’s good to see a question from you. Thanks for all your support down many many years. I think I could break the question down into the four decades. The first one was exciting and it was scary and it was depressing and it was emotional and it was extremely hard work and there were times when I felt like giving up because I thought I was getting nowhere. The second decade during the 80s was highly successful and everything that I had worked and struggled for for the previous ten years, finally came to some kind of fruition. The 90s were in my mind a different way of doing music. Particularly with the Beautiful Dreams album, the fact that my keyboard player Glenn Morrow died, which was a terrible blow to me and the band. And it meant that I wanted to start exploring different areas. As I grew older I tried different things. I do love classical music and orchestras and I loved doing the big orchestral shows in the stately homes and palaces around England. The 2000 era has been really, I suppose, dominated by a recognition that you cannot sustain a career at the same momentum as before. And I really enjoyed doing the solo tours, and I am looking forward to do another one in Germany this summer. Because I like those shows very much, I like the contact with people. It reminds me of where I came from, it reminds me also that when I write a song I try to make it as good as possible for one person to sing with one instrument. They don’t necessarily need the full band and full orchestra, although I loved my band shows of November/December 2006. As the years go on, I feel that I am very fortunate indeed to still be enjoying a successful international career which takes me still all over the world.
Malcolm Wilkes (53) from Torpoint, England:
Your career spans 4 decades. If you could wind the clock (or not as the case maybe) which era would you say was (is) your favourite?
Chris de Burgh:
Hi Malcolm! I hope you and your family are well. It’s good to see a question from you. Thanks for all your support down many many years. I think I could break the question down into the four decades. The first one was exciting and it was scary and it was depressing and it was emotional and it was extremely hard work and there were times when I felt like giving up because I thought I was getting nowhere. The second decade during the 80s was highly successful and everything that I had worked and struggled for for the previous ten years, finally came to some kind of fruition. The 90s were in my mind a different way of doing music. Particularly with the Beautiful Dreams album, the fact that my keyboard player Glenn Morrow died, which was a terrible blow to me and the band. And it meant that I wanted to start exploring different areas. As I grew older I tried different things. I do love classical music and orchestras and I loved doing the big orchestral shows in the stately homes and palaces around England. The 2000 era has been really, I suppose, dominated by a recognition that you cannot sustain a career at the same momentum as before. And I really enjoyed doing the solo tours, and I am looking forward to do another one in Germany this summer. Because I like those shows very much, I like the contact with people. It reminds me of where I came from, it reminds me also that when I write a song I try to make it as good as possible for one person to sing with one instrument. They don’t necessarily need the full band and full orchestra, although I loved my band shows of November/December 2006. As the years go on, I feel that I am very fortunate indeed to still be enjoying a successful international career which takes me still all over the world.
June 28, 2007 :
Wendy Cullotty (40) from Birmingham, England:
Hi Chris, I hope you and your family are well. I would love to ask you a question about the album Quiet Revolution. I love this album, the songs seem really meaningful and deep. There are a couple that stand out to me: "The Same Sun" and "The Last moments of the Dawn". What was the meaning of "The Last Moments Of the Dawn"? Is it the obvious reason.....or is it written from the prospective of a man's first time with a beautiful woman and all the feelings that are going through his mind? Dare I ask if the song is written from something that you have experienced? I just love this album and there isn't really any info on the songs (or if there is I haven't come across it) I would really like to hear your thoughts Chris. Thank you in anticipation of you answering my question. Take care best wishes Wendy
Chris de Burgh:
This is somebody I know well too. Thanks for your question, Wendy. Yes, my family are fine and very well. “The Same Sun” is in my opinion one of the best things that I have written. I love the idea of it, I love the emotion of it and the Celtic feel of it, as I often have said when introducing it on stage. It feels like a Celtic prayer. And I like the idea that somebody on the far side of the world looking up at the moon can share that moment with somebody at a completely different place on the planet, looking at the same moon, and they feel connected. In that way, the same thing with the sun. “The Last Moments Of The Dawn”, yes, it’s a romantic song about two people who have been highly attracted to one another. They spend a very romantic evening and then a long night together and as the dawn breaks, perhaps they become lovers for the first time. It’s a romantic song and I am very pleased with the visual imagery that has been created in this tune, not just by the words but also by the music. As far as have I experienced this, well that would be telling, wouldn’t it? But many many years ago, probably.
Wendy Cullotty (40) from Birmingham, England:
Hi Chris, I hope you and your family are well. I would love to ask you a question about the album Quiet Revolution. I love this album, the songs seem really meaningful and deep. There are a couple that stand out to me: "The Same Sun" and "The Last moments of the Dawn". What was the meaning of "The Last Moments Of the Dawn"? Is it the obvious reason.....or is it written from the prospective of a man's first time with a beautiful woman and all the feelings that are going through his mind? Dare I ask if the song is written from something that you have experienced? I just love this album and there isn't really any info on the songs (or if there is I haven't come across it) I would really like to hear your thoughts Chris. Thank you in anticipation of you answering my question. Take care best wishes Wendy
Chris de Burgh:
This is somebody I know well too. Thanks for your question, Wendy. Yes, my family are fine and very well. “The Same Sun” is in my opinion one of the best things that I have written. I love the idea of it, I love the emotion of it and the Celtic feel of it, as I often have said when introducing it on stage. It feels like a Celtic prayer. And I like the idea that somebody on the far side of the world looking up at the moon can share that moment with somebody at a completely different place on the planet, looking at the same moon, and they feel connected. In that way, the same thing with the sun. “The Last Moments Of The Dawn”, yes, it’s a romantic song about two people who have been highly attracted to one another. They spend a very romantic evening and then a long night together and as the dawn breaks, perhaps they become lovers for the first time. It’s a romantic song and I am very pleased with the visual imagery that has been created in this tune, not just by the words but also by the music. As far as have I experienced this, well that would be telling, wouldn’t it? But many many years ago, probably.
June 27, 2007 :
Isabella (37) from Germany:
Hi Chris, I have two favourite singers of which I have almost all albums. The first one is you and than Simply Red. How do you like the music and the band?
Chris de Burgh:
How nice of you to say that I am one of your two favourite singers. Mick Hucknall from Simply Red is an extremely talented writer and performer and singer. Although I don’t own any of his albums, every time I hear him singing, I recognize his distinctive voice and realize that he has substantial talent. And I am glad he has got the recognition that he and his band deserves.
Isabella (37) from Germany:
Hi Chris, I have two favourite singers of which I have almost all albums. The first one is you and than Simply Red. How do you like the music and the band?
Chris de Burgh:
How nice of you to say that I am one of your two favourite singers. Mick Hucknall from Simply Red is an extremely talented writer and performer and singer. Although I don’t own any of his albums, every time I hear him singing, I recognize his distinctive voice and realize that he has substantial talent. And I am glad he has got the recognition that he and his band deserves.
June 26, 2007 :
Jamie (33) from Inverness, Scotland:
Hi Chris, In the 1990s Bob Dylan did some "double bill" tours with people like Paul Simon, Van Morrison and Joni Mitchell where each played for about 70 minutes and then joined together for the finale. Is this something you have ever considered/would consider and who would you like to go on the road with? Also, I know you have recorded a handful of cover versions over the years but, as far as I know, you haven't recorded a Dylan song. If you did, which one would you choose? Many thanks for all the wonderful songs and looking forward to seeing you in Birmingham!
Chris de Burgh:
The four people you have mentioned – Paul Simon, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan – they are all absolute superstars and wonderful songwriters, and I would have been thrilled to have been invited to join any of these people on a tour. Bob Dylan, for example, is a man I met and spent an evening with a few years ago, and I felt I was walking on air. He is such a huge hero of mine and such an extraordinary writer and performer, who is taking his own music his own way without paying virtually any attention at all to the modern requirements, the commercialism and the way to make records for example. He is unique and it would be a deep honour to be invited to tour with somebody like Bob Dylan. But it’s not something that I have ever considered, but it may come up in the future. Maybe when I can no longer do a three hour show, it might be better to do a double bill, make it simpler. I did a double bill last year in New Zealand with Olivia Newton-John. She did the first half of the show, I did the second half, which was fun. But I always feel that I prefer to do the whole thing myself if possible. Who knows, that may change. I hope you enjoyed the show in Birmingham. And although I can sing many many Dylan songs, I have never recorded one. And again, that may change too.
Jamie (33) from Inverness, Scotland:
Hi Chris, In the 1990s Bob Dylan did some "double bill" tours with people like Paul Simon, Van Morrison and Joni Mitchell where each played for about 70 minutes and then joined together for the finale. Is this something you have ever considered/would consider and who would you like to go on the road with? Also, I know you have recorded a handful of cover versions over the years but, as far as I know, you haven't recorded a Dylan song. If you did, which one would you choose? Many thanks for all the wonderful songs and looking forward to seeing you in Birmingham!
Chris de Burgh:
The four people you have mentioned – Paul Simon, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan – they are all absolute superstars and wonderful songwriters, and I would have been thrilled to have been invited to join any of these people on a tour. Bob Dylan, for example, is a man I met and spent an evening with a few years ago, and I felt I was walking on air. He is such a huge hero of mine and such an extraordinary writer and performer, who is taking his own music his own way without paying virtually any attention at all to the modern requirements, the commercialism and the way to make records for example. He is unique and it would be a deep honour to be invited to tour with somebody like Bob Dylan. But it’s not something that I have ever considered, but it may come up in the future. Maybe when I can no longer do a three hour show, it might be better to do a double bill, make it simpler. I did a double bill last year in New Zealand with Olivia Newton-John. She did the first half of the show, I did the second half, which was fun. But I always feel that I prefer to do the whole thing myself if possible. Who knows, that may change. I hope you enjoyed the show in Birmingham. And although I can sing many many Dylan songs, I have never recorded one. And again, that may change too.
June 25, 2007 :
Sophia (41) from Stockstadt, Germany:
Hello Chris: Eight years ago I had a strange dream of someone whom I loved dearly, he was inside a room with glass walls, and looked at me with a very intense glance. I couldn’t make any sense out of it, and dismissed it as 'odd dream'. One week later I got a phone call, and he had died - unexpected. Now this phenomenon is well-known. Probably we all had such an experience before. A friend of mine said to me 'This was not kind of a 'sending', it was just your subconscious which told you that'. This is also very likely to me, it might have something to do with intuition, perhaps. What do you think about that? Cheers, Sophia
Chris de Burgh:
I am not surprised that you had this extraordinary vision, because there are many people who believe in precognition, in prescience of events in the future. The cold hard world of science will tell us that these things don’t exist, but if I were to have told a scientist a hundred years ago that people can talk to each other on the other side of the planet walking around or in mobile vehicles, I would have been laughed at and told that I was completely crazy. We are touching the surface of the spiritual world, the world of extra sensory perception, otherwise known as ESP. And maybe a hundred years in the future people will take it all for granted what you have just described. It’s not just the subconscious. I think there is something out there that is precognition and strongly associated with intuition. There are some people I am sure who can pick these signals up much better than others, and you are probably one of them.
Sophia (41) from Stockstadt, Germany:
Hello Chris: Eight years ago I had a strange dream of someone whom I loved dearly, he was inside a room with glass walls, and looked at me with a very intense glance. I couldn’t make any sense out of it, and dismissed it as 'odd dream'. One week later I got a phone call, and he had died - unexpected. Now this phenomenon is well-known. Probably we all had such an experience before. A friend of mine said to me 'This was not kind of a 'sending', it was just your subconscious which told you that'. This is also very likely to me, it might have something to do with intuition, perhaps. What do you think about that? Cheers, Sophia
Chris de Burgh:
I am not surprised that you had this extraordinary vision, because there are many people who believe in precognition, in prescience of events in the future. The cold hard world of science will tell us that these things don’t exist, but if I were to have told a scientist a hundred years ago that people can talk to each other on the other side of the planet walking around or in mobile vehicles, I would have been laughed at and told that I was completely crazy. We are touching the surface of the spiritual world, the world of extra sensory perception, otherwise known as ESP. And maybe a hundred years in the future people will take it all for granted what you have just described. It’s not just the subconscious. I think there is something out there that is precognition and strongly associated with intuition. There are some people I am sure who can pick these signals up much better than others, and you are probably one of them.
June 24, 2007
Editor's note:
Just a short note to let you all know that our popular Man On (the) Line section will go back online tomorrow with more questions by fans and answers by Chris de Burgh. Hope you will enjoy it!
Editor's note:
Just a short note to let you all know that our popular Man On (the) Line section will go back online tomorrow with more questions by fans and answers by Chris de Burgh. Hope you will enjoy it!