Arksided - // Andy-Hughes, no disrespect as you seem to have met the world in popular music (No better term) have you ever met Paul Simon and his thoughts on Graceland?
Thank you - I wish I actually had met the world, there are dozens on my list!
I haven't met Paul Simon, but in my experience, the bigger the star, and the bigger the controversy they may have experienced, the less likely they are to talk about it, especially to a journalist.
I interviewed Don Maclean and asked him what I thought about Madonna's cover of American Pie - given that it is reckoned to be, if not the very worst cover ever, then certainly well in the ball park!
He responded by saying that he was pleased that she kept his song in the public consciousness.
That is probably his tried and trusted response, because it says absolutely nothing, apart from a possible reference to the shedloads he will have coined from writer's royalties.
I interviewed Tommy Lee, drummer from Motley Crue for Drummer Magazine, and before I was introduced to him, his PR told me that under no circumstances was I mention Pamela Anderson, his ex-wife and co-star in a very public and famous sex tape. I was advised that if I did so, he would walk out, and the interview would be terminated.
I pointed out that I was a writer for a drum magazine, and Tommy is a drummer, so drums is likely to be the entire range of our conversation - his ex-wife is not going to crop up from my side, I can;t legislate for what he may say.
The PR was typically humourless, as they usually are - these people take themselves way too seriously - but I was allowed into the inner sanctum.
"Hi Tommy, I'm Andy Hughes from Drummer Magazine, and we're going to talk about drums … " was my opening statement. Tommy smiled like a child on Christmas morning - here was someone who didn't want to dig for scandal, just talk about what he loved, and we have a wonderful chat.
But back to Mr Simon - assuming I was not warned off in advance, I am sure he would have a vanilla answer ready for any questions about Graceland.