101 SOUTH
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 3rd December 2009.
101 South - a band formed by Harlan Cage/The Merseybeats/Liverpool Express/Fortune keyboard player and singer Roger Scott Craig - recently released their 3rd album No U-Turn on the AOR Heaven label.
We caught up with Roger to have a chat about the new release and more.
Hi Roger, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions. Hope you are well?
Roger: Yes Jon – all’s good thanks!! Thanks for giving me some time in Rock Realms!
What originally inspired you to put 101 South together?
Roger: Well, I had done several albums with Larry Greene using the names Fortune and Harlan Cage and decided to try working with some other singers basically.... I had used Gregory Lynn Hall on a TV commercial I’d scored a few years ago and found him to be a great vocalist and an easy guy to work with.... So, I asked him to sing a new song I had written called 'Run Like A Tiger' and he came to my studio in Malibu and 'nailed' the vocal straight away; amazing...! I then asked him to be the singer in 101 South and he accepted!
I decided to pay him and all the other musicians as well... That way, I could keep control of the musical direction and make it my 'solo' project writing all the songs myself! I did not make any major changes in my writing style but used Greg's wonderful vocal range to add some spice to the new songs..., it came out really well!
Was there a lot of auditioning people or did the line-up fall into place quickly?
Roger: Well, I had originally tried the wonderful singer Chris Thompson (of Manfred Mann) who has always been a favourite of mine, but there were some major issues with Chris' commitments which couldn’t be resolved, so I turned to Gregory instead. No need for auditions when you have singers of his quality working with you!! Plus, I was always a big fan of guitarist Mike Turner and Billy Liesegang, and knew who I wanted to use without needing any auditions, so it was pretty easy...!
101 South is an ongoing recording project...would you consider touring the music?
Roger: Well Jon, to be honest, as it’s been more than twenty years since I toured with Nina Hagen around the Globe, 101 South was really always a 'recording band' and we have never considered going out on tour (I ask myself who would come to see us if we did, sometimes??!!)
I’m guessing it’s named after Route 101? Is there any significance to the name?
Roger: Well, it really only came about quite simply actually, so I don’t want to put too much on it... I was talking to Gregory one day and he lived right next door to the 101 South Freeway in California. It was his suggestion that we use the name of the famous 101 (that’s the Ventura Highway to those in the know...), and I think its well known all around the world, right?
New album ‘No U-Turn’ is, I believe, the 3rd 101 South album...How do you feel the sound has developed since the debut?
Roger: Well, I don’t think I ever try to have any sort of direction with my songwriting, so it’s hard to say - rather I just sit down at the piano and start writing – but it seems to work! This works fine for me.... but maybe not for the fans who buy my CDs expecting the 'same old, same old', ha! ha!... And this new CD is softer with more ballads which may not be too popular with some people who enjoy the hard edge? But, that’s just the way it is!!
Were there any particular stories or concepts in mind during the writing of this album?
Roger: Nope. Just another series of songs, as before.... But this time, Gregory helped me write most of the songs and we had more fun working together than I’ve had on some of the previous stuff - he seemed to enjoy this experience anyway, so I guess it might sound different to some? Quite often I would have most of the song written and he’d add all sorts of cool lyrics and melodies to the original songs.... That’s really nice!
What is the writing /recording process actually like? Do you do all the writing beforehand, or is it more of a jamming session in the studio with everyone adding their bit?
Roger: I usually kick-start the writing process by banging out some chords on the piano then add melodies before working on a good hook line..... But, this is then followed by input from others and discussion about arrangements and directions, so it’s fun then to see the song head off into multiple directions with input from everybody!
The new song “Blue Skies” was changed by Chris Thompson actually.... He suggested some lyrical changes to the song I sent him - I think singers give you a better performance if they like and 'believe' the lyric they are singing – and it turned out really well... But, collaboration only goes so far, ha! ha! I had originally written almost all the songs on the first two 101 South CDs......, so, yes, we’re moving more towards collaboration, ha! ha!!
How long would you say the album took to make from start to finish?
Roger: It was actually a pretty slow process, spread over a period of about six months realistically. I was working on many other projects at the same time but that seemed to work well for both the musicians and for myself, so I guess it found its natural rhythm.
Was it work, pleasure, or a bit of both?
Roger: Always a bit of both, but I enjoy writing new songs and... working with musicians on this level is such a pleasure! Adding someone like Ian Bairnson, my favourite guitarist in the whole world, to the equation took things to a whole new level for me. Ian was with the Alan Parsons Project and he is simply unbelievable!
Do you have any favourite moments or tracks on the album?
Roger: I have several.... The song I sang on “From What You Know Now” is my favourite song on this new CD but “When You're In Love” comes in a close second!
Have you had much in the way of airplay yet?
Roger: No, nothing; nada, zilchoi! And you know why...? People need to understand that none of my songs will ever make it on to the radio here because radio is controlled totally by ‘PAYOLA’ and I cannot afford to pay radio stations to play this music.... That is how the major record companies control what people hear and buy nowadays! It’s a totally corrupt system and one I would like to change sometime in the future.....!
What are your thoughts on the reviews you’ve seen?
Roger: Well, to be honest Jon, I have never really looked at reviews and don't intend to start now! Most music journalists have no idea of what fans like and don’t like and they all seem to be totally out of sync with what the fans like and don’t like too. If I went by what journalists and reviewers have to say about my music I would have QUIT years ago!! They all seem to know better than the musicians but of course that’s because so many of them are failed musicians themselves!
We absolutely love final track ‘Blue Skies’. What’s the story behind the song, and is the (for me, Chicago-esque) sound something you’d be interested in exploring further?
Roger: Well, I thank you for that Jon! I don’t know... I actually wrote this song quite a long time ago but never finished it. And when I was working on the final lyrics I started to imagine Chris Thompson singing it for some reason, you know, so it was something special? But, then later, I’d decided to make it into a duet with Gregory adding his voice to the second verse and the chorus', so it finished up quite different! It was fun to hear how Chris' voice added so much to the song though, so my gut feeling was right! He was the one for the job and I hope to work with him again soon...!
How did you get Chris onboard?
Roger: Well, basically, Chris had been my original choice as the singer for 101 South...., so it was natural for him to be there alongside Gregory... I’d already had contact with him and had asked him to sing “Blue Skies” long before we came to finishing the record... And, thankfully, he really liked the song..... But he wasn’t too happy about the really high notes I’d asked him to sing on the last chorus initially... He really nailed those though and WOW what a singer he is!!
Is there anyone else you’d really love to work with on further albums?
Roger: You know, there is..! I have been talking to a few people I would really like to work with recently and one of those is Steve Perry who lives near me in CA! He used to be in a band called 'San Andreas’ Fault' before he joined Journey and I know all the guys in his original band. I’m hoping to get him into the studio sometime in the future and we shall see what happens then! Then, there’s all the musicians in the Alan Parsons Project and I am now working with many of them as we speak....., so watch this space!
What equipment do you use in the studio? Do you have one keyboard you favour above all others?
Roger: I only have one keyboard now (a KORG M50) and use Logic Audio with all internal sounds loaded up on the EXS24 synth. I love the simplicity of this system compared to the old days ...., so many machines and mixers back then! I still have some of my old keyboards like the Roland D70 which is the master keyboard I used on the two original 101 South CDs, as well as on all the Harlan Cage releases.., but it’s getting old now... It still works mind..!
Who were your musical heroes/inspirations when you were growing up?
Roger: Oh, I love the Beatles and the Beach Boys and it’s really cool that I know so many people who worked for both of these bands in the old days now... (I was in a band called Liverpool Express and the Beatles were connected to my first band, the Merseybeats who came from Liverpool as well... And then I had connections to the Beach Boys when I moved to Malibu in the early 80s.... Wonderful times!)
Was there one moment when you realised you wanted to be a musician?
Roger: No, not really, you know? You may not believe that now, but it was just something which I grew into; and when I lost my job working for the Tax authorities in England, and the Liverpool based band The Merseybeats just happened to be looking for a keyboard player, I was soon enjoying being on stage and traveling around the world. I’m honest, I had no real intentions of being a musician but it just sort of fell into place.... It was the early 70s and it was a really honest time!
What do you think of the record industry at large nowadays?
Roger: Well, I think it’s pretty dire actually! Close to 90% of music is now being stolen online by people using “Illegal File Sharing” sites to avoid paying artists and this is not cool folks! How are we supposed to make new music when nobody wants to pay for it? So many people BURN copies for all their friends and family that we need to ask the true fans of this music to help us by not stealing our music, not burning it for all your friends, but asking them to actually go out and buy it, hence paying us SOMETHING?
For the record, this new 101 South CD is already up on all sorts of illegal file sharing sites for so called 'free download' and all the folks out there seem to think that all music should now be free...., but free music is not a good working business model for us guys in the bands who have bills to pay and kids to put through college! How would you like it if your boss got you to work a full month then refused to pay you? 95% of albums released make NO MONEY but the media has everybody convinced that all musicians are millionaires living on the beach somewhere - when in fact the opposite is true!
Most musicians are now starving to death and living under freeways while all the kids listen to their music on iPods - the music stolen and not paid using illegal sites like Limewire!! Wake up folks!!
What question do you hate being asked? Have I avoided it?
Roger: "How good is my sex life!!!" Please avoid asking me that one! You did? Thanks!
Any question you love being asked that I’ve missed? If so, what’s the answer?
Roger: No, you did a wonderful job and nothing comes to mind! Cheers!
What are you up to once you’ve finished answering these questions?
Roger: Actually, I’m meeting up with Jack Oliver, the former CEO of the Beatles in Los Angeles and we are meeting up with the AFM/Musicians Union to discuss this continued theft of music online I spoke about earlier. It looks like the AFM will soon endorse my new http://www.supportmusicians.org/ campaign and bring some 80,000 new members to my table! We need to raise awareness about the consequences of people stealing music online and how it is destroying the very core of the music business.
FREE MUSIC is really STOLEN MUSIC and if people want good new music to be made in the future they will need to support musicians, not steal our hard work!
This new 101 South CD “No U Turn” cost me almost $20,000 to make; what with all the costs for musicians and engineering, along with mastering and graphic design for the CD cover, not to mention the electric bills and insurance and equipment rental and repairs..... Then people want to avoid paying for the music..., so how do I get reimbursed for all these costs??? I don’t think it’s very fair for people to get enjoyment from music but not pay one dime for it!
How do musicians feel about this?? ANSWER; VERY ANGRY INDEED!!
WE ARE NOT ALL WEALTHY AND LIVING LIKE EDDIE VAN HALEN ON THE BEACH IN MALIBU!!
1% OF PEOPLE LIVE THIS WAY, BUT 99% DON'T AND FREE MUSIC IS KILLING OUR BUSINESS!
WE NEED PEOPLE LIKE YOU TO HELP US EDUCATE THE TRUE FANS OF MUSIC THAT WE NEED YOUR/THEIR HELP!
Anything else you would like to mention?
Roger: Yep – our http://www.101south.com/ web page, my contact: roger@101south.com..... And The AFM suggests we have online forums to discuss this critical issue of FREE MUSIC - Is it fair or not fair?? You tell me??!!
Thanks for your time Roger. A good many points there!!
Thanks again to Roger. You can check out the Rock Realms review of latest album No U-Turn here.
http://www.myspace.com/101southband
