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Bryan does an interview in the middle of the Canadian '03 tour: VANCOUVER - Although he just turned 44 and has lived in London for more than a decade, Bryan Adams remains Canada's eternal golden boy. He has sold millions of records and his name has been linked with actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Diana, Princess of Wales, yet we still have this picture of Adams as an eternal youth and whiz kid songwriter who comes back to Canada for a good cause. Last year, he teamed up with Sarah McLachlan, Jann Arden, Chantal Kreviazuk and The Barenaked Ladies for a phenomenally successful cancer benefit in Vancouver. On Nov. 6, he was in Kelowna with Colin James in a concert that raised funds for victims of the recent forest fires in the interior. It's part of a B.C. tour that continues tomorrow in Edmonton. Adams rarely talks to the press, and when he does, he demands that queries be forwarded to him via-e-mail. The following Q&A session is from a recent e-conversation: Q: Do you get a lot of requests for charity? A: Yes, you can't imagine how many, but this tour wasn't a request; it was something we put together ourselves. Q: Do you have criteria or a policy for what you will or won't do? A: I tend to lend my name to things that are environmental rather than political, which is odd really because environmental becomes political in about a second after everyone jumps in and has to deal with politics of the environment. ... Q: You've lived in London a long time but you're still considered a Vancouver boy. Do you still retain a close relationship with Vancouver? A: I come a couple of times a year to visit with family that are still dotted around the Lower Mainland and the Island, and also to record at my recording studio in Gastown. It's great that people remember me as a Vancouverite. I'm glad they haven't forgotten. Q: In London, you're a magnet for the press. How do you deal with it? A: I ignore it completely, I can't think that small. Q: Have you prepared a new album? Are songs written? Producer chosen? Studio booked? A: The album is nearly completed. I'm recording one more song for it, but it's taken a while mainly because of contractual problems with Universal Records. This album has been recorded all over the world, mostly in hotel rooms and backstage dressing rooms. I don't know of anyone that has done an album this way. Q: Have you been influenced or impressed by anything new? A: There are groups like Jet and Kings of Leon that I really like a lot, but I won't be making a record like them -- they're already doing it. There are many good artists now making music. I've heard good things from loads of artists -- Eminem, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, 50 Cent, Norah Jones, Coldplay, our very own Nickelback, to name a few -- so maybe it's a case of there is soooooo much to choose from nowadays, that it's too much to absorb. Q: So, are you sticking by what has worked for you or are you looking forward? A: I'm sticking to what I know. I've been producing this album by myself for over a year now. I started it a few years ago in Paris. Then I stopped to make the soundtrack to Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron last year. When I came back to the album I started, I didn't like it and decided to scrap it and start again with a lot of new tunes. This is the third time I've done this in all the years I've been making records; it was the right thing to do. Q: Is there more soundtrack work in the immediate future? A: I have been asked to write another soundtrack and also to write the music for a Broadway play, but I'm not so sure I will have time to do all of that. I already have songs for another album and I'm not even finished this one! Q: I see that Rod Stewart has done two albums of standards. I think it's desperation myself, but he's selling records again (whereas the last couple of albums of new tunes stiffed). Have you ever considered going this route? A: I'm not quite ready to put down the pencil just yet; I still have a few ideas up my sleeve. Anyway, Rod is way older than me ... so perhaps ask me that question when I'm his age. Q: Another observation: So many of the new bands have a singer who sounds stupid and the point of view is that of a loser. What happened? Rock 'n' roll used to be about rebellion and individuality. Do you agree with that? A: Tom, you have to get some better records. Listen to Eminem's White America and tell me he isn't totally individual and rebellious ... great stuff. Q: What are your musical values? Have they changed much during the past 20 years? Did you foresee a long career? And how are you dealing with getting older in the face of the media's preoccupation with youth? A: I don't really care what the media thinks of anything, and age is a state of mind. If you are around the right people you can carry on doing what you love forever, no matter what you are doing. Regarding values, I went to see the first White Stripes gig here in London and saw people loving the music and energy of two people playing -- it restored my faith in the fact that people still love sweaty rock 'n' roll and love to sing along, even if they don't know the words entirely. That gig was preceded by an amazing gig by Mercury Rev, then last summer I saw Kings of Leon and the vibe inside the hall was one of the best I'd ever seen at a rock gig in ages. In summary, I'd have to say (and I've said it before): 18 til I die." |
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