Bill Champlin
Pic from Wikipedia
Dear Mr. Champlin, we are very happy and honored to have this opportunity to interview a great artist that is part of music History of AOR and Pop world like you. We’d like to begin our interview asking you:
How did your career start and how did you develop you first important collaborations ?
I started as a professional at age 14 and haven’t stopped since, although lately I’ve slowed down the traveling. I started writing at 15 and started co-writing a little in Northern California but mostly when I moved to LA in 1977.
What music represent for you?
Music is just a way of life. It’s something you do everyday, in some ways. It could be writing, playing, recording or just putting new strings on the guitar.
Are there any songs in particular that you are really in love with performed by other artists?
Almost too many to list. Just about anything by Stevie Wonder and a few more. I love “The Living Years” by Mike and the Mechanics, great song great singer, Paul Carrack.
What’s your favorite song from your solo’s career and Chicago’s career?
I like “Light Up The Candles” from my “Through It All” album and a few Chicago things.
You are a great singer, great musician but you are also a great arranger, so what kind of difficulties do you encounter arranging one song?
Just coming up with the arrangement that gets the best out of the song. There’s a fine line between songwriting and arranging; they cross paths a lot.
During the past years the way to produce change a lot in recording and making music since 80’s, so which step during a production/recording process results easier thank the technology?
I think that Pro-Tools and Logic etc have changed music a lot because of what you’re able to do to the music. Sometimes it’s too easy to make stuff “Perfect” which isn’t always the best thing to do. It is better in many ways and not so good in other ways.
Are there any correlations between music and your private life?
When your whole life has been about music it’s hard to differentiate between the two. It’s like a painter whose life is about the painting he’s doing right now. You do the normal stuff, like bills and rent, and get it out of the way so you have time for music.
Recently we had one interview with the Italian producer, arranger, singer Manuel De Peppe and we know you started a good collaboration together… so, tell us how was working with Manuel and what kind of music work did you get done together?
Manuel is a great writer and I always have fun working on his stuff. A good friend, too.
Bill Champlin, Tamara Champlin and Manuel De Peppe
Do you have any good memory about Italy?
I’ve spent so little time in Italy that I really want to go back and spend more time. I love what little time I had there.
What are your thoughts about all those new artists that are coming out today?
Some are very good and some aren’t. There’s a lot of focus on performance and less on writing and producing. There aren’t any Prince kind of artists right now.
What do you think about TV talent shows?
I think that occasionally you hear someone really good but usually it’s about humiliating the losers and I think that’s what the shows are really about.
Are working on any new solo music project right now?
I’ve been working on a project with Joseph Williams and Peter Friestedt, a live DVD and a CD that will be done in a few months. I’m also writing with and helping my wife, Tamara, for a project with an Italian producer who is a great co-writer with us. We’re half way into the vocals and should have something out maybe in the fall. Hard to tell what to do with recorded music these days since the CD is an endangered species.
Thanks you very much for your time and a big BREAK A LEG for your career and please don’t stop giving emotion with you voice and your music…
Gioia Lomasti and Marcello Lombardo
