Classic Rock magazine, 2001. An interview by Michael Heatley

KEVIN COYNE

You are unclassifiable…

Thank god for that

Which newspaper do fans read?

Judging by my website I get followed from all over the world. I’m absolutely
astonished by the number of people who follow what I do. I’m not sure what
newspaper they read that’s for sure but it’s nice somebody takes an
interest.

Publicity hard to come by?

I write books now and I’m a serious artist with exhibitions all over the
place. I do lots of things which makes it quite…in terms of rock publicity
or whatever they’re a little bit mystified and put off sometimes. they think
he’s been around such a long time. Certainly I’ve just done a documentary
for Dutch TV and German TV I’ve done films in France but nothing here. I
live in Germany so I guess that has a lot to do with it. I’m not consciously
seeking publicity anyway but it’s nice to have a bit of recognition, I don’t
deny that.

Why move to Germany?
I split up with my wife and moved into another relationship, basically. She
lived in Germany so it’s gone on. I’ve since got married and if such a word
applies to me settled in Nuremburg. it’s been quite difficult in some way
because Nuremberg although it’s a large city is a province e really, But
with modern communications you can get around. I’ve been using German
musicians for many years but for the last couple of years have a band
consisting of two Americans and an Englishman. It’s been difficult in some
respects, especially here in England people don’t relate to Germany quite as
easily as they relate to America so in that respect it’s quite difficult.

America

I’ve been over there touring for the past couple of years. LA and New York,
I guess the cities that matter, the response has been very good, and the
last New York gig I did had a very good crowd too which was heartening.

Do they ‘get’ you (a la David Allen)

I tend to agree with the Americans vis a vis David Allen I don’t always get
it either, but with me it’s not so weird really. Sorties about life and
people generally are something they can relate to I feel and they do get it
generally, yes.

Back in 70s saw you with Hatfield and the North.

You must be getting old

Demolishing a chair

I used to that sort of thing in those days. I’ve long since stopped doing
that. Well occasionally I do but the musicians I work with are the props
these days. they take part in the general fun if it goes that way, yeah.

Missing link between 60s and punk?

Some people have said that I don't know. I think the punk thing they
certainly related to me. I’ve had a lot of people like John Lydon and others
who certainly were supportive of what I did and obviously had been in some
way influenced I feel. It’s not always mentioned but it’s true, I think.
Well I’ve heard this through the grapevine but not directly.

Early influences black musicians.

Well, they still are the major influences. It’s the emotional content of
what they do, how they convey how they feel and I can relate to that. it
sounds honest to me, and that’s the strongest connection, the honesty. Black
musicians aren’t necessarily honest but the ones I listen to, and I’m a big
blues fan, tell it like it is as it were and are very aware and that’s what
I try to do myself.

I was a therapist in a mental hospital for three and a half years. I did art
and educational subjects… they had a vast effect and still do. The other
side of life. the darker side of life didn’t necessarily fascinate me but I
feel it should talked about, sung about.

A bit like Alan Hull

Funnily enough had a guitar player Peter Kirtley who worked with Alan Hull
quite a lot and worked with me so that figures I guess.

I don't suppose Branson made many of his millions out of you?

No, he certainly made some money. he can’t say he didn’t I know he did
Marjory Razorblade and Millionaires And Teddybears sold very well, and
continue to do so - if available. No I won’t have it, I didn’t lose any
money for Virgin at all, I very much dispute that. He’s very casually
dismissive of you know business failure, you know and it’s not true. I cost
very little to record almost nothing and whatever. I’ve never understood the
logic behind it. I think it suits his image or something to say these sort
of things.

Made the break from Siren/Dandelion earlier you’d have had success sooner.

I don’t really know. These days I think it’s a blessing I never had the kind
of success like the Rolling Stones, because I think to some extent I’m
viewed as a living viable entity and not a has been by most people. and I
think that’s one of the bonus things about not having that vast fame that
people like the Stones had.

Andy Summers. Did you predict his fame?

I would have predicted. He was very into being a star, you know. We were all
part of the ladder to success. I like Andy very much, by the way, I stay in
touch with him vaguely. So I would say he deserved it. He was into that sort
of thing and he got it, you know,. He wasn’t an underground sort of type. he
was into success, big success.

In 1981 you had a breakdown. Do you thin k musical lifestyle encouraged.

I think so. It was a combination of many things, hard living and success,
failure, false values, illusions, getting caught up in the rock’n’roll
lifestyle I suppose as much as anything. Anyway fortunately it passed.

Did you start again with new values?

I never really stopped. I certainly made a record called Sanity Stomp for
Virgin when I think I was right in the middle of it. When you’re going nuts,
often you’re the last one to know.

Yet you haven’t’; dissuaded your sons from following you into the business?

Absolutely not! I’ve encouraged them in every respect and I’m very pleased
with what they’ve done.

You’ve got one, (Robert) playing on this new record.
yes, and more than that he’s co-writer of much of the material and he’s very
much involved.

How does the co-writer work.

It works very well, he likes my stuff, I think if that wasn’t the case it
just wouldn’t work.

So you supply the words and he supplies the music.

I supply the melodies too, top lines, all kinds of stuff, its a very good
partnership I think.

Its interesting cross-generation wise too.

Indeed, he’s into things with depth, he’s very much into it, it works well.

I actually reviewed the album a couple of days ago, before I got the call
from Sue. There’s a very contemporary feel to it.

Well I think the Fall has certainly listened to my records at some point, at
least that’s what I felt. I mean I don’t mind that I like the Fall very
much.

Talking a little about the Album, you are hardly past it, you’re coming up
to 56.

Yes, 57, no 56, yes 57 next January.

So you’re hardly past it because you’re not writing at a has-been, but damn
you I’m not.

Well absolutely, but I don’t like to relate to that kind of thing at all
because as an artist, which is not a word that I like very much, but I am an
artist, they don’t grow old really, they die on stage or in front of the
drawing board or something, you don’t quit.

You must have done about 40 albums.

Something like that, a hell of a lot.

Well in terms of painting, the books, do you get different things out of
each.

I do very much so, I love writing, my last three books have all come out in
German, so they’ve not appeared here, I love it all, and its all part of me
and I it all helps to keep me sane I think.

A picture for each CD.

I did indeed, an interesting idea, but very hard work I might add, I plodded
away for weeks on this, I think they’ve sold out now.

Was that your idea.

No it wasn’t my idea, it was the idea of the Record Company, a German Record
Company at the time, it involved a lot of hard work, but it was very
gratifying in the end.

You toured in April, when was the last time you toured this country.

I was here the end of ‘99, I did the Queen Elizabeth Hall with David Thomas,
which was quite nice, a lot of sold out and stuff, and about 3 or 4 other
gigs, I don’t know how many other gigs this time round, its been over a year
since I was last here.

Have you ever done videos at all.

No, I’m sure there are plenty of videos that exist of people at gigs, but
nothing official, no.

I have a few questions that I’ve to ask for this feature.

The first and last records that you’ve bought.

The first and last records, my God I buy thousands of albums, I’m a real
record freak, the last album was a series of blues records, I bought 40
albums in one go, very cheaply on a label I think its called DA, which are a
blues classic, but the last interesting records is called ‘Kings Of The
Blues Guitar’ by Torry McLennan, which was the last official record, but I
bought a whole bunch of things, but that stands out.

What about the first ever.

The first record was Rocking Through The Rye, Hot Dog Buddy Buddy, by Bill
Haley and The Comets.

What or Who encouraged you to become a musician.

Well I come from a musical family, my late brother was a jazz musician, my
sister sings and was trained in opera, my grandfather was a musician in the
army, and my father played the drums. So there was a lot of music around in
the house, and everybody else was doing it, so I did it as well.

What was your brothers name.

Arthur Coyne, Arthur Coyne Jazz Band, they were very popular in the Midlands
in the 60’s.

Is there any album that you’ve done that you would now disown.

No, absolutely not, I’m not saying I love them all, but they’ve all got
something I feel.

What were the first or last groups that you saw.

The first thing I ever saw was Cliff Richard and The Drifters, at the Derby
Hippodrome, Cliff Richard and Willy Harris as well, that was in the days of
Move It, Cliff was the sort of Elvis Presley of the time at that time, so
that was the first. The last gig I saw, I can’t even remember it to be
perfectly honest, oh probably it was Peter Hammill in Nuremburg, a friend of
mine and a guy I like and admire very much.

If you could play with any musician dead or alive who would you choose.

I think it would have to be Charlie Parker, just to sing along with that
remarkable saxophone playing, improvise as it were, or Thelonious Mons, I
love Thelonious Monk too.

Is there a single incident in your career that you would tell your
grandchildren about.

Maybe playing Paris Olympia or something, so big venue that I might have
done in the past when they think all I do is play the Coach & Horses at
somewhere or other, yes I would say playing Paris Olympia.

When about would that have been.

The 70’s sometime, end of the 70’s.

If you were castaway on a desert Island which five albums would leap into
your hands.

Five albums, oh my goodness, very difficult, one would be Bill Blacks Combo
Don’t Be crawl, a single by them, the other would be Parker’s Mood by
Charlie Parker which is one of the millions of tracks he did, and something
by Captain Beefhard I think, Oh To Alex off Bat Chain Puller, there’s a
thing about wind by the Fall a lot or wind or such a lot of wind, I can’t
remember the title of it now, off the top of my head certainly something by
the Fall anyway, and the fifth one I think Foxy Brown actually, the Rap
singer, anything by her, Hot Spot I think is the one I like, I hope it
doesn’t sound too pretentious to mention all this, I just like all types of
stuff really.

The final question, what music would you have played at your funeral.

Probably ‘Lamp Trimmed And Burning’ by Fred McDowell, well its a sort of
optimistic spiritual type of thing.

You’ve stayed optimistic through all the years

Oh very much so yes, no time for misery really not too long, living in
Germany I’m very aquatinted with angst, but I think I can override most of
that, I’m basically an optimistic person.

I’m certainly looking forward to seeing you again, as you rightly say its
been many years.

Oh my goodness, I know we went to Spain with that during the Franco period
with that tour much to the mystified Spaniards of the time.

I’m trying to think, I’m sure there was another group as well.

Yes, probably Lol Coxhill

It could well have been, I was trying to find reference books with you in,
you are very good at sliding between the cracks.

Yes.

But I’ve got one on Virgin Records, a picture in here, and the one thing is
a picture of you with you lent over your acoustic guitar with curls and
everything, there’s a quote there ‘Gulbenkian Theatre 1974, no one sleeps at
this show’.

I think I know that book, somebody sent it to me once, ridiculous really,
but its true no one does sleep when I’m at it.

The combination of image and that slogan.

Well I hope the same applies now.

Perhaps I’ll find out.

I hope you will my friend.