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Q: Tonight at the Cactus Café, a rare visit from Ireland's Paul Brady. And I'm sure Paul's name rings a bell. And I know his songs ring a bell with you, because they have been recorded by some of our favorite artists, from Bonnie Raitt to Maura O'Connell to Santana to Dave Edmunds. And I could just go on and on: David Crosby, Tina Turner. There's a very long list of folks who have recorded Paul Brady songs. But Paul does Paul best. And as a matter of fact, there's a recent album I'd recommend called "The Best of Paul Brady: Nobody Knows." And that came out a couple of years ago, in 2001, along with Paul's latest album, "Oh, What a World" and the reissue of most of his catalogue. And we'll talk to Mr. Brady about all these things, but let's get you into the mood.
Tonight at the Cactus Café and live on 107.1 KGSR. Hey, welcome, Paul Brady.
A: Thank you.
Q: Paul, there's an expression in baseball when someone hits a home run the guy usually says, "He got all of that one." And you got all of that one. Thank you.
A: Oh, thank you.
Q: And that song was your American breakthrough for you as an artist. Would you say?
A: Probably, yes, it's the closest thing. Yes. But before that, I suppose I was better known here as a songwriter.
Q: Yeah. And also, the band Planxty that you were in many, many years ago had an American following. But that was more for traditional music fans, perhaps.
A: Yeah, but it's strange how many people of the younger generation now, like in their 20s and all, are actually going back to that kind of music and trying to figure out what it was all about. It was a very exciting period to be working in Ireland during the '70s. I suppose our generation kind of grabbed Irish music and threw it up in the air and took it down our own way and made -- a lot of records were made in that period which now, it seems to me, have become sort of classics. So it was a great period to be working in Ireland.
Q: So when you play a show at a place like the Cactus Café tonight and the show's over and perhaps you're standing around and talking to some of your fans, they're just as apt to talk to you about the old days and the new days. They could be coming at you from anywhere from the last three decades?
A: Yeah. Well, I mean, my music has covered a very broad, sort of palate, I suppose. You know, some people know nothing about my traditional period. Like, most of my younger fans in Europe and Ireland sort of came to me from my own records in the '80s and '90s. Songs I wrote myself. And were kind of surprised when they came to see me live that I did all this other stuff. And now there are other people from the '70s who know me for those songs then. And that's the kind of stuff they want to hear. So I try and give it all.
Q: That's the best kind of music career, I'm thinking, where you have a broad palate to draw from, as you said. And you get to just make the kind of music that you want to.
It was in 2001 that "The Best of Paul Brady" came out in the States called "Nobody Knows." That was also a great year for you because they re-issued your studio albums, your solo albums. I mean, they were well done, too.
A: Well, yeah. We got a chance to re-master all that stuff, which was a great experience. I mean, I never knew really what re-mastering was before that, until I did it myself. And it took me a couple of my albums to figure out how to do it. But when we got it all done, it was like the most important aspects of the songs and the sound were right up front, as opposed to being buried. And I really enjoyed having the opportunity to do that. And a lot of people then got the opportunity to hear me for the first time.
Q: We're talking with Paul Brady. He's at the Cactus Café tonight. And he just played for us a song called The World is What You Make It. I think I caught that on the TV once. Was that a theme song for a television show?
A: Yeah, there was a British television show which was shown over here, I believe, called "Faith In The Future", which was a kind of a sitcom type thing. One of those things that the British do very well. They picked this song, "The World is What You Make It", to be the kind of theme song. And it segued through the whole program between different sets and scenes. So that was a good opportunity.
Q: Do you still make your home in Ireland?
A: I do. I live in Dublin, city, yeah.
Q: How are things going over there?
A: Things are great, actually. It's a good place to live. It's a lot of music around. And Dublin has changed a lot in the last ten years. Some things aren't maybe for the best, but I'd say the majority are. You know, lots of good food and fun.
Q: Have you been to Austin many times before?
A: This is my first-ever trip to Austin.
Q: Really?
A: Never been to Austin.
Q: Wow.
A: I haven't really been to the States very much. (Pause). Lots of reasons, I suppose, but I just never managed to get here, I suppose. I was quite busy at home doing stuff there, too, you know.
Q: And writing, obviously, looking at all the songs that you've written that other people have done. Well, you know, we have a bit of music here from Austin, as well.
A: I believe so. I mean, this is a town that I've heard about many, many times. And it's supposed to be a hot town for music. So I'm looking forward to picking up on some of that.
Q: We're going to have some fun tonight. You've got a couple of guitars in here. Which one do you want to use for the next song? Because we'll do three. We'll do two more. So you can choose which one you --
A: All right. Well, look, I'll stick with this one, while I have it, for a song off the "Oh What a World" album. And this is a song called Sea of Love.
SONG: SEA OF LOVE
Q: Sea of Love. You collaborate songwriting wise on that album with a lot of people.
A: Yeah.
Q: On that song, was that a collaboration or was --
A: No, that's one of my own. Can't you tell?
Q: You know, they're all good to me, man. You're just an inspired --
A: That one comes from the dark spot.
Q: Have you had some darkness over the last few years?
A: Oh, no. I think everybody has a fair share of darkness. I think probably most artists have. And that's what tends to make you -- prod you into writing in the first place, I think. When you're feeling really happy and great you don't really feel like writing.
Q: I mean, I've heard that. And then people would say that about someone like Paul McCartney. Oh, he was so happy then. And his songwriting wasn't so good. But I just hate to think that people have to suffer to make good songs or make great art.
A: Well, so would I, but it seems to be the case. (Laughter).
Q: Okay. Well, keep on suffering, Paul, because you're doing a good job! You wrote on that album with -- I remember seeing Carole King's name in there.
A lot of collaborations. And I have a list here of some of the people that you've written songs with. And they're a very varied and eclectic list from Belinda Carlise of the Go-Gos to Rosanne Cash. Of course, you've written with Bonnie Raitt. And I mentioned Carole King. Collaboration seems to be something that you enjoy.
A: Well, for about 15 years, I wrote entirely on my own. The first five, six albums I did were just my own stuff. Then in the mid '90s I was offered an opportunity to visit a place in France which is owned by Miles Copeland called The Chateau. And it's a kind of a place where he invited a lot of songwriters to come. And the idea was that you would work together with two songwriters, three people would write together during the day. And whatever song you would write that day, you would demo and finish and have it finished by dinnertime. Like a going to the head kind of writing. And I'd never done any of that before. And I kind of was a little bit sort of nervous of it because I was -- I didn't know if I could do it. And I didn't know if what I would end up coming out with would be anything I would really feel great about. But when I started it, I discovered I had a talent for it and I discovered it was real -- it was exciting. And not only that, but the songs that, you know, I tended to write, a lot of them were songs that I felt, hey, I'd like to record that, too. And, in other words, I was able to express a lot of what I wanted to express through the collaboration process. And that was a great discovery.
Q: Yeah, because my fear would be -- we talked about writing from the dark place and being driven to write that, in that sort of situation it would be -- it would swing too much towards the craft side and not enough from the gut.
A: Well, it never happened like that. You know, Maybe not all the songs I wrote would be suited for me, necessarily. Like some of them you might write with a woman in mind or something. Most of the songs I wrote I was able to put a lot of myself into and I felt really good about it.
Q: And, you know, Paul -- Mr. Brady, you have had some success writing for women. There's this one lady, Bonnie Raitt, who had an album that sold about five million copies in America called "Luck of the Draw." The title track was yours.
A: Right.
Q: And Not the Only One was your song. Not to mention Tina Turner and Cher and Maura O'Connell. And then not to mention Mark Knopfler and Carlos Santana. And these are amazing songs. You must have been so gratified and you must be gratified when people do your songs and then they reach such a broad audience.
A: Yeah, it's wonderful to hear another version of your song. And sometimes it's quite surprising because you find that they show you a part of your song you never saw before. And that's the exciting part of it. But I always kind of feel that the versions of my songs that I do are, you know, they're the ones that I feel best about, I suppose.
Q: Yeah, and the financial remuneration from other people's versions allows you to pretty much call your own shots when it comes to doing your songs. I mean, you've been damn successful, Paul. Congratulations.
A: Thank you.
Q: It's amazing.
A: Thank you. (Laughs).
Q: Great songs I guess great songs will find an ear somehow.
A: Well, I've been lucky. You know, I mean, a lot of people aren't as lucky.
Q: Well, luck plays a part, but then there's been the great songs. Paul Brady is our guest today. And this is his first time in Austin. He's here from Ireland. And for a good introduction into Paul's work, I recommend "Nobody Knows, The Best of Paul Brady." And then you can dig a little bit deeper.
I'm sorry that the weather is not cooperating for you to see more of Austin today, but -
A: Yes, a bit like Ireland at the moment. Drizzle. And mist.
Q: Maybe you'll just come back another time when it's a little bit warmer. Gosh, I'd love to hear another song. And I also just want to thank you for stopping by. You're truly inspired. It's inspiring me. And you've got the capo on. That means something.
A: Yeah. Well, I'll sing a song which goes back to the kind of music I did in the '70s. This is a traditional song, again, which is on "The Best of." A song called The Lakes of Pontchartrain.
SONG: THE LAKES OF PONTCHARTRAIN
Q: Thank you very much, Paul.
A: Thank you.
Q: Paul Brady this afternoon. The Lakes of Pontchartrain, which Paul re-recorded for "Nobody Knows, The Best of Paul Brady." And that's his most recent release, along with the latest new album of new studio material. "Nobody Knows" is a greatest hits. And that album is called "Oh, What a World." And Paul, come back.
A: Thank you very much. It's a pleasure being here.
Q: Nice to have you, sir.
(End of interview.)
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Listen to the live performance of "The World Is What You Make It"
