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           2019 Peter Asher

           14th,

           August  Jonathan Bowen Sits Down To Chat To The Legendary Singer And Producer



           |  By Jonathan Bowen
           EXAMINER  Ithe legendary singer and pro-
              recently had the pleasure of sit-
              ting down and chatting with

            ducer Peter Asher before his
           IRISH  upcoming tour of Australia with
            AlbertLee.


              Peter thank you for mak-
            ing the time to talk with me
            and   welcome    back   to
            Australia.
              It’s my pleasure. It has been
            a while since I was last in
            Australia, I think the last time I
            was here I was running Sony
            Music and was working with
            Silverchair and Tina Arena.

              Does it surprise you that
            there is still a demand from
            people to hear the music that
            you sang with Gordan almost
            50 years ago?
              Yes, I am surprised, it is nice
            that people still remember the
            music that I did with Gordan.  write them it was good to be  to  my  apartment  was  able, however we had to record  his teacher at school that the
            One question I used to get  able to choose them.         “Something in the way she   his parts of the song in a differ-  two of you would be ironical-
            asked back in the day which                              moves.” It just blew me away. I  ent location which back then  ly linked together.
            was the same question The      You are famously known    was surprised no one else had  was difficult, not so difficult  It is a pleasant coincidence
            Beatles was asked constantly  as the A&R man with the    snapped him up already!     these days.                  that it happened that way, I
            was ‘how long do you see your  Beatles  record  company                                 Linda sang it beautifully but  don’t believe in fate and I don’t
            career lasting?’ Given a career  Apple records and who signed  Do you feel some sort of  funny enough she prefers the  compare myself to George,
            in music was only supposed to  James Taylor to the label,  pride or vindication about  version done by the mouse in  George was incredible.
            last 2 years or so, I am grateful  what was it that you saw in  that the fact you found James  the movie.
            that I have been able to make a  James at the time that gave  Taylor and take pride in just                         Given you were at the fore-
            career and a living from music.  you that feeling he may be  how successful he became?  I met with Mike Nesmith a  front of great music, do you
                                        something special?             Yes, I do unequivocally. I  couple of months ago and he  see anything today other than
              Yourself and Gordan expe-    Finding James Taylor had  mean Mickie Most heard him  said that song writing and   Ed Sherrin that can compete
            rienced success at a period of  nothing to do with Apple, it  and passed him up. Mickie had  producing is like tapping into  with the quality of song writ-
            time when music was at its  was a coincidence that I was  a great ear for talent, but he  something spiritual, you can’t  ing and production that
            creative best, looking back at  working there at the time.  may have been looking for  quite rush or push the     occurred during the 60s, 70s
            that period do you wish you    James was introduced to me  more of a pop singer.     process, it is something that  and 80s?
            had written more music your-  by a mutual friend we had at                           evolves and with patients      Absolutely yes! Someone
            self or collaborated with other  the time. James had an immedi-  Linda Ronstadt was anoth-  something  special  might  like Billie Eilish is a real talent. I
            song writers of the time such  ate impact on me. It wasn’t just  er artist you had huge success  come of it. Do you agree with  also like Alessia Cara she is a
            as Cat Stevens?             one thing that struck me about  with as a producer, my   his thoughts?                really good writer and very
              Well Cat Stevens didn’t col-  him. He was charming, shy and  favorite song you produced  Well that is one view, then  smart. I like Charles Dereeper
            laborate with other song writ-  mysterious.              for her was a hit she did with  there is the Carol King way  new album even though all the
            ers, I was his manager while he  You must remember he had  James Ingram called “some-  which is of course you can push  rap fans think it is crap, so it
            was in America during the 70s.  a serious drug dependency at  where out there.” What was  it. If someone needs a song by  makes me like it even more.
            but to answer your questions,  the time but musically he was  it like to work with her dur-  noon for the Shiralles well, you  Miguel is another amazing tal-
            yes, I wish we had written  brilliant. His guitar playing was  ing that period of time when  go up to your little room in the  ent; I think he is a real genius.
            more songs and I wish I had  extraordinary. The precision he  she was at the peak of her  Brill Building and you deliver it.  I talk to a lot of people who
            written all the hits but Gordan  played with was something I  success?                  Some song writers say songs  think that modern music isn’t
            and myself were not as good  had never seen before. It was  Yes, that song was written  come through them and they  as good as the music they grew
            songwriters as the writers who  clear to me he been influenced  by James Horner, Barry Mann  are just a vehicle for it. I don’t  up with. I think the they forget
            were allowing us to record their  by classical guitar and guitarist  and Cynthia Weil. It was a great  agree with that way of thinking.  that the music of the 60s was
            songs.                      like Julian Segovin.         song and Steven Spielberg   I believe that songwriters who  riddled with plenty of crap
              Given Gordan had recorded    James had a rich baritone he  asked Linda to do it.   believe that are not giving  songs we just choose not to
            songs   written  by   Paul  singing voice was more likened  It was very complicated  themselves enough credit.    remember them.
            McCartney, Del Shannon and  to a Sam Cooke or Ray Charles  process because I did a version
            Carol King one of the skills I  than a traditional folk singer.  with Peabo Bryson and Linda  You sit alongside George  Peter thanks for taking the
            had looking back over my       The songs he wrote were   originally because Quincy Jones  Martin as one of the greatest  time out to chat to me. Good
            career was the ability to choose  extraordinary. The first song he  said that James couldn’t do it.  producers of all time, is it fate  Luck to Albert and yourself for
            great songs. So, if I couldn’t  sang for me when he came over  James then became avail-  given that your mother was  the tour ahead. C
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