Howdy Folks...
The
magic dust still keeps getting sprinkled on yours truly, and because of
this special powder, I am getting freaked with the opportunities of
interviewing Heroes and Iconic figures.
Many
years ago, I bought a Barracudas record on a recommendation from a
friend. I remember walking into Star Records in Oshawa and asking Mike
Shulga if he heard of a band called the Barracudas.
Luckily, he had a
play copy available and spun it in the store. I immediately loved it.
It's a great slice of power pop with all sorts of nods to surf and 60's
Garage music.
When I bought this record, I had no idea of bands
like the Seeds, The Standells or The Remains. I learned about these
bands by following 2 bands quite closely. The Chesterfield Kings from
Rochester NY and The Barracudas from London England were door openers
to a completely new vibe and style of music.
Later
on that same year, I went to Carleton University, and all the cool
record stores were talking about this guy by the name of Jeremy. I
finally figured who the mystery man was once I stepped into CKCU and
met Nadine Gelineau. As she was speaking with another radio host, John
Stamos.....not the actor, I overheard the 2 of them speaking about this
Jeremy guy again. Finally, I asked Nadine who he was referring to, and
she replied: "Jeremy Gluck". In my mind, I thought...."JEREMY GLUCK OF
THE BARRACUDAS!!!!! THAT'S HUGE!!!"
So,
after the mental freakout, I regained my psychotic composure and
realized that good ol' Canada was that much more cooler for producing a
dude like Mr. Gluck.
Couple
of years later in Ottawa, I worked part time in a record store. It was
an awful chain record store. I tried to convince the manager to let me
bring in my own music during my shifts. However, with tons of
confidence, he replied "Lou, no one cares about the shit that you
listen to". So, I was stuck having to hear Amazulu, INXS, all sorts of
very bad French dance (danse) music, and A-HA. Not a word of a
lie.....The music gave me a mental rash!!!!!
Luckily,
this record store brought in an Assitant Manager who actually liked
cool music. His name was Blair. I can not remember his last name, but
he could have been Michael Stipe's twin. He noticed a cool T-shirt
that I was wearing, and that began the conversation about musical
likes. You see, I ALWAYS wear cool T-shirts, and even though my
personality can not start a conversation, my Tees always do!!!
He
asked me something along the lines of what kind of music I was
enjoying. I remember name dropping Jeremy Gluck's BURNING SKULLS
RISE.
Blair lit up a smile and told me that he knew Jeremy very well.
Furthermore, his worshipping sessions about Mr. Gluck made him a Cult
Status ROCK GOD!
Just recently, I had the
opportunity to touch base with Jeremy Gluck. He was kind enough to
answer a bunch of questions that I always wanted to know. I think that
this is a great interview and I am that much better off in life because
of this Q & A opportunity..
Ladies and Gents...My interview with Mr. Jeremy Gluck.
Jeremy
Gluck is a name that is associated with a distinctive slice of music.
I would even go far enough to say that your fans are "Music snobs",
like myself, who take their music seriously. As an artist, were you
more intrigued with playing music for those who shared the same musical
likes as yourself? Or, did you pursue music hoping that you could
convince the mainstream minds to take those musical risks?
I
would have to say that it had been a combination of the two. Growing up
in Ottawa before punk rock rescued us, I gravitated to the music my
older brother and older friends fixated on; The Stooges, MC5, the
Dolls, Nuggets and so on. The seed of eclecticism was planted young.
Robin and I formed The Barracudas consciously set upon playing music
alien to those around us. We did have an almost evangelical love of
garage punk and power pop: Hey, you don't play King of the Surf for
skinheads without some degree of commitment! We did want to convert the
massses, but as we loved cult bands we also wanted that backward kudo
of carving a niche and being poor in it. But we were always interested
in a big record deal, big studios...those drugs of the aspirant rock n
roll star. And we got them, for a while.
When I was first turned on to the Barracudas, I honestly felt that you guys were possibly the best power pop band in the world.
Now I'm blushing. But...only "possibly"?
I
remember thinking that The Barracudas music was a musical marriage of
bands like The Boys, The Beach Boys, The Clash's first 2 records, early
Kinks, The Standells, and The Ramones. Was there a musical prerequiste
that each musician had to have in order to be in the Barracudas?
The definitive Barracudas line-up comprised one singer who couldn't sing – that'd be me – one excellent drummer in Nick, and a bassist who was taught bass by the great guitarist –
Dave and Robin. The Boys! I love “Brickfield Nights”. Like any good
band we were more than the sum of our parts. Robin and I were united in
our love of certain musical genres and bands and a sense of humour
about same. Dave just looked right, and Nick was a very good drummer
with a bent for practicalities. Robin and I got into the surf angle
because we played so many styles nobody knew what we were about. The
surf thing got us in the papers right away. We were “cool”. And it's
always good to be cool!
Robin Wills overheard you speaking about The Seeds, and that apparently united the both of you. Is that true?
The
first time I was in London in early 1977 I did indeed go to The
Speakeasy to see long-lost Pye band Dead Fingers Talk and was
conversing with some marginal music journalist about The Seeds. Lurking
nearby was a shortish fellow who, when I ended my conversation,
approached me and asked if I had been discussing The Seeds. At that
time, on the eve of the Pebbles boom, this was not an everyday
occurrence in the clubs of London. Within minutes
we were yakking volubly. I soon went to Robin's parents place in
Motspur Park where he was still living and saw and heard his enormous
collection of prime vinyl. We became fast friends.
How did you meet Nick, and David?
When
I went to London to live in 1978 I met some characters who squatted in
Westbourne Grove, some of whom attended Hornsey Art College and were in
or associated with The Raincoats. Amongst their pals were Nick, who
came from affluent 'burbs folk. We lured him in. David Robin stumbled
upon at the White Rats gig at The Electric Ballroom and, admiring his
Byrdsian haircut, invited him to play bass with The Barracudas; as he
couldn't play, Robin proceeded to teach him.
When
I attended Carleton University, I went to a lot of the record stores in
Ottawa, and I would say that the 2 names that I heard often in record
stores were Les Emerson and Jeremy Gluck. At that point, I realized
that your name already achieved a Cult Status reputation. Musicians
who I have interviewed dislike that particular tag, while others feel
that it is the most credible honour. In your point of view, Is that a
positive reputation to have as an artist?
It can be but it is also a double-edged sword in that it can be a consolation prize position in terms of commercial success. I grew up loving cult bands of that time –
the Groovies, Stooges et. al. - so it was not something I felt was
negative. On the other hand, I think that had we not self-destructed
The Barracudas could have been much more than a cult band. Now it seems
that The Barracudas are more popular than ever. We had a track on a UK
compilation a few years ago that sold hundreds of thousands of copies,
so we seem to have become an enhanced cult band. Or something.
You
were born in Canada, but you moved to the UK to pursue your musical
career. Back then, was there something about Canada's music industry,
or Canada's music scene that deterred you from staying here?
Only
that I saw Toronto bands getting big...in Toronto, And I realised that
was the only place they would ever get big or be noticed to any great
extent. And so it proved. I wanted to see London, and I thought that if
I could make something happen in London it would be a real achievement.
I loved The Viletones, Teenage Head, and The Diodes et. al. But by
early 78 when I left it was already obvious there was not going to be a
serious uptake of such acts by the public. All credit to The Diodes for
their CBS deal, though.
I
often think, "What would Canada have been like if Jeremy Gluck stayed
in Canada?" You are obviously a charismatic artist who is confident
about your art and style. I am sure that when Punk Rock was breaking
in Canada, and even after the initial TORONTO 1977 scene, you could
have Captained a national scene. Do you ever wonder what it would have
been like had you stayed and pursued your music in Canada?
An
interesting question...who knows? After I'd visited London in 77 I was
only interested in going back there, I had fallen in love with the
place. So it never would have happened. I'd met Robin, too. The die was
cast.
Are there any musical moments from Ottawa that you have cherished? This could be either with you as a musician, or as a fan.
Many!
Growing up in Ottawa in the 70s was a bonanza for rock n roll. No
kidding! Local heroes like Murray McLauchlan and Pagliaro came thru a
lot, and I listen to them to this day. And then every tour: Alice
Cooper, Bowie, Roxy Music, KISS (Simmons' hair caught fire during the
fire-breathing act and a roadie had to put it out!) the list goes on
and on. Seeing Springsteen at the NAC in 73 was...words fail me, and
the next time in 75 at the Civic Centre he was cataclysmically awesome.
Once
you arrived in England, you must have felt somewhat overwhelmed with
the thick musical scene at that time. Tell me about your recollections
of that magical time?
The
first time I went, in Sping 77, it was as though Heaven had come to
Earth. I saw a gig every nite, and what gigs...Gen X, The
Saints...incredible. Everybody was in a band or forming a band or
hanging with or going to see a band. I could have seen the Pistols if
I'd gotten to Sweden a few days earlier. D'oh! The second time I went
to stay, in 78, was also amazing. I flew into Heathrow, Robin met me
and we went to his friend's flat where he played me Complete Control,
it had just been released. I said, They sound like The Beatles now!, and Robin thought that was very funny. :-)
While
you were in England, the 1977 Punk Scene had exploded, and a few years
later, this explosion would act as a foundation to other
musical expressions. Acts like XTC, Elvis Costello, The Police, The
Stranglers, and The Cure were born. However, the Barracudas went
backwards musically, in order to progress. What other bands existed in
England that were on the same page as the Barracudas?
None that I am aware of, and I'm not being precious. Can you think of any?
The
United States of America had the Chesterfield Kings as the teachers of
Nuggets, and Pebbles. England had the Barracudas. Would you say
that's pretty accurate?
Yes, I would. We were missionaries for the garage sound.
Who was Geoff Mann? I know that he was a Surf Music fan. Was he a musician as well?
Geoff
is a dear fellow, now employed in the higher echelons of some London
borough council. In 78-79 when The Barracudas were beginning, he was
one of our regulars at gigs. He had a little label, Cells Records, and
had released one single when he approached us. He wasn't a musician,
just a raving fan.
The
Barracudas played with acts like the Stray Cats, and even the Tourists
(pre Eurythmics). Are there any particular Barracudas shows that stand
out?
With
The Stray Cats we played Brighton, it was a hellish tour. On the nite
in question unbeknownst to us our publisher, agent and others were in
attendance. We had major Teddy Boy problems on that tour with fake Teds
harassing us. At one point I harangued them for not being American
whereas our bassist Dave was. A hail of cans was directed at me, one
which bounced off my forehead to great applause. It's tough at the top.
Nick
Turner went on to join LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH. Personally, I thought
that the LOTNC were a supergroup of sorts. It must have been great
being present during those early LOTNC shows. What did you think of
the Lords?
Stiv's
strategy was clever, and some of their songs rocked, but to be honest
the Lords bored me. All that fancy dressing and other nonsense did
nothing for me.
The Barracudas had a Flamin' Groovie play for a
duration of the band's existence. How did you meet Chris Wilson?
After
Drop Out there was a short-lived Paisley Underground scene in London we
got associated with, although most of the bands were awful. Anyhow, a
friend of ours had a psychedelic clothing stall in Kensington High St
Market we'd bought stage clothes from. He'd hung out with the Groovies
in San Francisco and one day told me he'd heard Chris had left the band
and was headed to London. I bided my time and then when he arrived a
meet was arranged at a club. We got on good and little by little he
joined The Barracudas.
I
read on the liner notes of TWO SIDES OF A COIN, that Chris' addition to
the band took away from the band's "Puritanical monomania". Were you
hesitant to take the band in a different direction?
Robin,
Jim and I all considered the Groovies godlike. I mean, for God's sake,
Chris co-wrote the Shake Some Action originals and songs like Between
The Lines that I worshipped. It was exciting and surreal to have him in
our band. He did soften the sound, which eventually became a sore point
although live we retained our edge. Writing with Chris was the
fulfilment of a dream I hadn't dared to dream. So we embraced working
with Chris. Other matters arose in time that made things more difficult
but what matters is that Chris will always be one of the true greats
and I was very lucky to play with him.
During
the tenure of the Barracudas, the band penned iconic songs like I WISH
IT COULD BE 1965 AGAIN, I CAN'T PRETEND, and I WANT MY WOODY BACK.
These songs have obviously stood the test of time. Did you know this
back then when you were writing these songs?
Speaking
of the B.O. Cult I once interviewed E. Bloom and asked him about Don't
Fear The Reaper becoming a huge smash and he pointed out they had no
idea it would be until it was. On a more modest scale, we really didn't
know. Robin did call me and play Summer Fun over the phone, though, and
said it would be a hit and it was indeed a minor hit.
EMI
worked with the Barracudas. Did EMI really understand what the
Barracudas were all about musically? Was the band's working
relationship with them unbalanced?
The
guy who signed us, Roger Ames, saw the commercial potential. His
successor didn't. They liked the pop-novelty thing but once we started
getting more complicated big differences arose. In a way EMI was good
for us, but we should have signed to Sire maybe, who also wanted us. We
would have been at home there.
Is it true that The Barracudas recorded at Ringo Starr's studio?
Yeah.
Starling. We did Meantime there with Pete Gage (Vinegar Joe) producing.
Our drummer Terry knew Pete. Fine little studio, and I did once glimpse
Ringo through a dark window!
Did you guys do a lot of touring in America back then?
We
never toured America. The closest we came was a very short tour in
Canada to support Wait for Everything. We toured Europe a lot, over
several years.
In
the latter part of the Barracudas, Australian musician Jim Dickson
joined the band. Since Jim was connected again with Cult Status acts
from Australia, Did this allow the band to tour in OZ?
We never toured Australia.
Musicians
or artists always tend to validate their professional existence on
meaningful relationships. Would you say that Greg Shaw releasing your
music on VOXX provided that validity?
I
was aware of BOMP from Groovies and Poppees singles and so on, he was a
major inspiration. When he loved and released Drop Out Robin and I were
thrilled. We met Greg a few times, he saw us in Paris in 82 and we had
a great meeting beforehand. Wonderful man.
You
credit your brother for being integral to your musical upbringing. I
am presuming that the both of you had a great record collection. Did
you keep a lot of your vinyl? Did your brother play music?
My
brother had (and still has) a fantastic record collection. His record
collection was my education in good music. He also gave me seminal
albums from time to time – The Who, The Velvets – that became touchstones of my taste.
I
was surprised to see that you too are a Blue Oyster Cult fan! I am in
touch with Albert Bouchard all the time. I think that there are 2
chapters to BOC. The first chapter is the Albert Bouchard era, the 2nd
is the Post Albert Bouchard era. BOC was NEVER the same sans Albert.
Do you agree?
Yeah. Sure, they weren't the same band. Mind you, I saw them 4 years ago here with Alan Lanier and
they were incredible. A band that's toured for like 30 years or more do tend to be tight.
I do love some later stuff like “Take Me Away” and "Perfect Water"
but
clearly the first four albums are one of the great rolls of rock
history. I listen to “Od'd On Life Itself” and it still is visionary.
Some bands – Suicide is another – just sound more and more ahead of their time. It's a gift and prime time
BOC have it in spades. Eventually,
you started playing more acoustic guitar music, still with lots of
musical energy. Some would say that it was the Folk side of Jeremy
Gluck. Was Rock N Roll becoming too repetitive? Did you need a breath
of fresh air in order to keep you more creative and artistic?
The
musical and logistical simplicity of acoustic work appealed to me. I
also followed as much as led, for example with Nikki, whose solo work
was often acoustic. I liked the traditional aspect of it and the
connection with country and western music. It could also be easier to
sing to.
I
remember buying BURNING SKULLS RISE and thinking that Jeremy Gluck was
musically maturing. Songs like SORROW DRIVE, and EPISODE IN A TOWN
made me think of Jeremy Gluck as an older experienced brother. Was
there any particular music inspiration at that time that convinced you
to change gears? Was it Life itself?
Part
of it was life and a desire to bring through a different kind of
lyrics. I'd done songs like Ballad of a Liar with The Barracudas, but I
wanted to be more plain. I was very influenced by old country on
Skulls, hence the cover of Marty Robbins that Thin White Rope also
covered later. Sorrow Drive and Episode in a Town (the latter the best
lyric I've written IMHO) were attempts at archetypes of country and
western with lines like “Now I know why they call Main Street a drag”
aiming for that brilliant twist in country lyrics that is right on the
cusp of comedy and tragedy. I wanted to capture the lostness and
sadness of so many lives that were not wasted but not used either, but
more like time that breathes.
BURNING
SKULLS RISE had great musical moments that were driven particularly by
emotional passion. Would you say that your solo material made it
easier for your to be more sentimental as an artist?
Although
there is often more sentiment, I wouldn't agree with the term
“sentimental”. On Burning Skulls Nikki and I were very influenced by
50s and 60s root country. I like the hard softness
you find in that music and songs like Sorrow Drive aspired to emulate
it. There is little directly personal writing in the lyrics, apart from
the title track. However I did put in a lot of ideas I had about things
beyond the immediate work, an example being The Proving Trail. “Why do
we end up so far from where we belong?” was a cop from some French
writer, and there are a lot of words and moments that try to reflect a
more melancholy and rounded view of life. The title track was later
covered by Rowland and Lydia Lunch and now appears on several Goth
compilations. Go figure!
21
years ago, you released I KNEW BUFFALO BILL. The crazy thing about
this record is the guests that perform on it. Jeffrey Lee Pierce,
Nikki Sudden, and Rowland Howard appear on BUFFALO BILL? How did all
of you meet?
It's
all down to Nikki, whose Swell Maps were of course a Rough Trade act.
Back in the day Robin and I would hang around the old Rough Trade shop
in Kensington High Street, and Nikki would come and go. We did some
shows together, hung out, became friends. Over the years we saw a lof
of each other and were always planning to record, wrote some songs, did
some demo's, the usual. Meanwhile Nikki had met and become buddies with
Rowland, whose band his brother Epic drummed with. I was on good terms
with Frenchie Gloder of Flicknife Records, who was a monster Barracudas
fan. Nikki was in the studio with Rowland and Epic working on an album
and he called and asked if I wanted to tack some time on to their
session and do our album together. Frenchie jumped at it –
a dream line-up! - and it began. Jeffrey was put in for another name;
Frenchie gave him some drug money and brought him over to do some slide
overdubs at the studio where we finished the album.
Care to share some moments during the making of I KNEW BUFFALO BILL? I would have LOVED to be a fly on the studio walls!
Ha.
Thing is, Lou, most flies in this situation witness only musicians
bitching at each other! There were some charmed moments, though. As I
was somewhat in awe of Rowland I let him do much as he pleased.
Likewise, Epic, who as Nikki's brother and himself a formidable
musician, needed no direction. It was a lovely week or whatever. My
favourite moment was when I was struggling with the vocal to Nikki's
“Gallery Wharf”. I was getting more and more frustrated and then the
engineer said, Look, let's do one more for rehearsal and have lunch and
try another take when we get back. I liked that and did a very good
vocal, and said, I wish we had taken that! There was laughter from the
booth: of course the canny engineer had taken it, bless him. Psychology 101.
Personally,
I thought that the songwriting on I KNEW BUFFALO BILL was very strong.
The making of BUFFALO BILL must have provided you a musical learning
opportunity. Did you ever film or document the making of the record?
I'm not sure how much I learned as such. But working with outstanding musicians I loved – Nikki – and admired – Rowland and Epic –
was a great privilege. Some of the songs, like Four Seasons of Trouble,
Nikki and I had written in 1983. Others, like Time Undone, were written
by me close to recording and the music composed in the studio just
before or when I arrived. Time Undone, which has some brilliant guitar
from Rowland, is a lyric that does show my desire to tell stories with
a metaphysical shading. “To myself I was nothing, as worthless as
straw” was a line Rowland and which I had to tell him I had paraphrased
from Meister Eckhart, one of the great mediaeval mystics and typical of
my reading of the time. Episode In A Town we just doubled in speed for
April North! (16 Wheels we...well, I asked Rowland to play Folsom
Prison Blues backwards.)
A
few years later, both Robin and yourself
would reform The Barracudas. The new recruits were Steve Robinson and
Jay Posner. The producer of the WAIT FOR EVERYTHING record was the one
and only ANDY SHERNOFF. What made you decide to have Andy as the
project producer?
I
am sure you share my love of The Dictators. Go Girl Crazy was a
touchstone when I was still in Ottawa. I got in touch with Andy through
my old friend Lindsay Hutton. I just wanted a sympathetic producer. I
remember when Andy returned my call I was amazed that he knew all our
stuff and even wanted us to re-record a song from Endeavour To
Persevere with him. He did a fine job, though the album is for me
hardly a success, most of the songs are weak and despite a fantastic
drummer in Jay (RIP) the line-up never gelled.
WAIT
FOR EVERYTHING was another reflection of the Barracudas in comparison
to DROP OUT. The Pop sensibility never went away, and I do not think
any of us expected it to vanish. However, the songs seemed fuller in
the way that the band played more into them. Metaphorically speaking,
it would be like the band taking out the other 56 crayons from the box
and using them to colour the page, instead of only using 8 colours. Is
this what Andy brought to the record?
Andy
did have a clear idea about and the ability to get a very crisp pop
sound. I've always loved that trebly, crystal power pop thing. Snare
sounds that can slice bread and so forth. I don't like the album much,
although Can't Get Away From You I find perfect: a classic Robin Wills
composition, incredibly economical and tuneful and I sing it well.
Steve's I'm The One is superb, I listen to it all the time, even now.
But we didn't have our feet in the stirrups and let the things get
away. We fixed that on the 2005 album, because we had a new, killer
rhythm section and Robin produced himself with a perfect grasp of how
we should sound. That album I am very proud of. Wait I see as a missed
opportunity.
Additonal
vocals on WAIT FOR EVERYTHING are courtesy of the SURFIN' LUNGS. When
and how did you meet the Surfin' Lungs? I have the LET THEM EAT SURF
record, and I like it a lot. Did Robin play in the Surfin Lungs after
the Barracudas?
Robin
worked with and produced the Lungs, I believe, but I really don't know
that much about that collaboration. We knew them from an early stage of
the band. I envied them their harmonies.
Songs
like LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO FALL, and GONE FREE were examples of how
well both Nikki and yourself worked together. Prior to Nikki passing
away, the both of you collaborated on the soon to be released record
called VICTIM OF DREAMS. When was this recorded?
The
new album is really an old and new album. I wanted to compile the best
of my older material and throw in new. There will be a companion iTunes
album eventually that covers what the album doesn't include. My
original idea was a kinda Bill –
The Sequel. While Nikki was still alive I contacted him and he recorded
two songs for me, which I overdubbed at home. I did some new thematic
songs with my local pals Superczar – Train Station and The White River – and some 'net collaborations, notably with Circo Fantasma and Indianpalms, Italian bands whose
quasi-tribute “I Knew Jeffrey Lee” Nikki had told me about and includes covers of 3 songs from the Bill album. I
did want to write with Rowland again but it just didn't happen,
although we did speak just before and after Nikki died. Other songs
have diverse origins, from sessions in 1985 in Paris, to work with
electronic duo Zone to whose albums I have contributed over the
years.I've done a lot of electronic stuff, including lately with
Michael Dent formerly of TO legacy punks The Dents, putting his words
to sounds collages.
The VICTIM OF DREAMS is an interesting title. Is that a true reflection of yourself?
The
title derives from a poem I wrote in 2006. I would say that it is a
reflection of one or more of my selves but maybe not all. A friend took
issue with seeming to term myself a “victim” but I'm not partial to
psychobabble definitions. I know what I intend by the title. As they
say in Zen, “Explanations never convince”, so I will desist from
explanation.
Many
of us also know you as RALPH TRAITOR, the music journalist. You wrote
for SOUNDS, BUCKETFULL OF BRAINS, MOJO and even LINDSEY HUTTON'S NEXT
BIG THING. Your writing was an incredible documentation of a very
diverse musical period. Were there any highlights from your
Journalistic adventures that stand out?
One alone must take top spot and that was meeting Brian Wilson. Say no more.
You have also written a few books where you are spoofing the American Culture. I am presuming Burroughs was an influence?
My
older brother influenced me a great deal in books, too, and I read
Burroughs' work as a teen and over the years used the cut up technique
extensively in my own writing. Burroughs was a revolutionary of the
word and his final novel, The Western Lands, I absolutely venerate.
I
have not had the chance to actually get hard copies of GOD IS LOVE -
GET IT IN WRITING, or NECROTRIVIA vs SKULL. I have read reviews and
both of these titles are critically acclaimed. Did you find it
different being a literary artist as opposed to a musician? Is one
more rewarding than the other?
I've always written and done music in parallel. Love both.
Which pays better?..hahahha
I do
what I do for love, Lou, you know that!
Just
from what I have read on the reviews of your books, we are introduced
to another side of Jeremy Gluck. For an example, Sci-Fi seems to be
predominant in both books. Have you ever thought about writing music
with Sci-Fi stories?
Not
since my teens. I loved 50s and 60s sci-fi, with its naivete and story
telling. I don't read sci-fi. I don't write it, either, my books are
more straight satire with flourishes around spirituality and
technology. I did write a third novel, The Love Gun, but it was
unpublished; it did have more sci-fi in it but was mostly a dark and
cynical meditation on the so-called New Age.
You
are involved with Spiritech. I understand that it is an Electronic
Religion. Its about the Spiritual Revolution in cyberspace. How would
this compare to more common religions and spiritual practices?
My
Spiritech project has now been retired. It was active from about
1996-2004, but its height of activity was maybe five years. The e-book
I published based on the Spiritech material is still online at
http://www.ebookmall.com/ebook/65163-ebook.htm.
How has SPIRITECH changed Jeremy Gluck?
Spiritech
played a major role in my life for some years. As I originated it for
the most part in the form it took and the content it comprised I don't
feel it changed me: it was an expression of me. I had an adventure with
Spiritech but this isn't really the place to go into it, and in any
case it is behind me now.
Did you get a chance to see Arthur Lee and Love in 2003?
Yes, but passed. No judgement of Lee, I just didn't go.
Who are you currently listening to nowadays? Any new acts or artists that impress Jeremy Gluck?
Huh.
I tend to know nothing of what I term “young people's music”, which
would be anything after about 1995 ;) The last band I went for in a big
way was early Placebo. I listen to what I always did, with later loves
like Van Morrison and The Smiths also high on the list. I listen to The
Who compulsively, they have been my musical heroes since before my
teens. I get into stuff like Denim, then forget it. As I write this I
am listening to Mink Deville, The Comsat Angels, and Bebop Deluxe. I
heard The Arctic Monkeys once, for thirty seconds and put on Baba
O'Riley. Who needs the aggravation?
If you had the chance to produce a band, who would you choose?
Britney Spears. If ever there was a candidate to cover “Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White” it must be
Brit!
Has there ever been a record by an artist or band that you wished you either played on or produced?
Where do I begin?
MC5 - Did you know that Bob Seger sang back up on High Time?
No. Did you know that The Kingsmen's Don Galucci produced Funhouse?
What did you think of The Stooges' WEIRDNESS record?
Let
me preface my few remarks by assuring readers that I adored The Stooges
and Iggy for years and still venerate their seminal recordings. I did
listen to some of the new album and was left cold. The lyrics are
lousy, and although the Ashetons still can make you feel a truck has
been dropped on your head from an upper floor, it all seemed like a
“Look Ma, new band!” exercise. Today we are stuck with digital sound,
which is clean and clear but means bands sound like people playing at
the same time, not together. I love The Stooges, but it did nothing for
me. Look, Moses comes down from the mountain only once in the Bible.
That would be Funhouse, by analogy. What did they propose to bring down
this time?
When did you last visit Canada?
Not for some years, too long.
When did you first meet Ralph Alfonso?
In Toronto in 1977.
Do you have any great Teenage Head memories?
That's a rather personal question, Lou, and if you're not going to be
nice I am afraid I am going to have to end this interview!
