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John Peel OBE, 1939 - 2004
Early Blues Interview |
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Paul Lamb played in August 2009 and I caught up with him after the set.
Paul: Listening to the radio 2 way family favourites, Jean Metcalf etc. Alan: Did you always want to become a musician? Paul: It was around about the age of 14 years, when I felt the pull of the music but wasn’t sure how or what I could do about it. Alan: How did you get started in music? Paul: I heard the album “The World of John Mayall”. Alan: What kind of material were you playing in the early days? Paul: In the folk clubs of the North East playing Sonny Boy, Blind Boy Fuller & Sonny Terry. Alan: What first attracted you to the blues? Paul: The feel & the spirit. Alan: You represented Great Britain in the world harmonica championships which led to a time with Sonny Terry, how did this come about and what was Sonny like?
Alan: Tell me about Sonny's influence in your music writing and playing the harp - carving out your own style based on what he taught you. Paul: Sonny is everything to me, even back then, I knew he was the master. He had a “band sound” all of his own & my style of playing reflects this style. Feeling what you play & playing what you feel…I have listened to all the greats not just the harp players but all instruments to hone my craft. Alan: You've also performed with such greats as Brownie McGhee, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, tell me a little about these times and how they inspired you. Paul: Well all of those guys are great performers & spirit players. Brownie & Buddy have now passed away but I still talk & sometimes play with Buddy. My first memory of Buddy was opening up for him at Dingwalls in 1984. The whole year was a blast but that gig remains firmly in my mind. Thinking back to those days keeps me on what I call the Journey. They all inspired me & pushed me further on the road of discovery. Alan: How did The Blues Burglars get together and how did the King Snakes evolve? Paul: We were guys hanging around Newcastle with a respect for this music. Getting together we started of with covers & started playing the bars. Pretty soon there was an excitement about the band & we signed to Red Lightnin Records. This is when all the travelling started with large venues supporting American acts & also building a firm fan base of our own & writing our own stuff. The majority of the band hated being on the road & so Johnny Whitehill & myself took off down the smoke. The band became known as The Paul Lamb Blues band & evolved into Paul Lamb & the King Snakes.
Paul: No I did not. It happened quite slowly, after using many different guitarists, Ryan played a few solos. I then realised that the best fit for the band was in fact Ryan. He gelled perfectly & has shown his true worth ever since. Alan: Are there any particular songs that you play that have special meaning to you? Paul: All of them have special meanings. I write about true life, love, money, women , drinking….all parts of our being. If I have to pick one then it would be Sonny Terry called “ Better Day” on Folkways. The song means that whatever hard times you may have, there is always a better day to come. Alan: After many years in the pubs and clubs of the North East, you moved to London, how do you compare the London blues scene with the North East? Paul: Things have changed so much since the 80’s with clubs & bars closing down or moved away from Blues . I don’t think there was much difference early on. The bars were mainly where people went to have a good time, not always to see music. As the bands reputation grew, so the audience started to listen & respect the music. There was the Broken Doll in Newcastle & The Station Tavern in London which started to be “The Blues places” & many a band have started & worked their way to the top from these venues. I guess the only real difference was that the A & R guys seemed to stay down South, so there was more of a chance of a record deal?
Paul: Totally……… Big Time. Alan: How healthy do you think the blues scene is in the UK/Europe compared with the US and the Far East? Paul: Europe is still very strong for us & the emerging European countries such as Poland are really staring to build, big time. I am off there for the whole of November. U.S.A. is still one to crack, budgets are tight & they have plenty of home grown blues acts to pick from. Hong Kong & China are great with ex pats & the locals going crazy for the blues. It’s still a big world out there. Alan: You have done BBC TV soundtracks and have had your music in motion pictures; do you aspire to be a film star? How about appearing as Sonny in a movie on Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee! Paul: Not sure about a film star but portraying Sonny Terry would be fantastic but I might need a little make up? Alan: You've (rightly) had many awards over the years - is there one that's special to you? Paul: They are all special but the one inducting me into the Blues Hall of Fame is a good one, also my award for swimming aged 13 J Alan: Tell me about the making of your 'Playing with the Blues' album with Johnny Dickinson? Paul: When Johnny & I had a small tour, at one of the gigs the sound guy presented us with a tape of the show. He had taped it directly from his sound desk. We took it home, picked the best tracks & the record was born….simple as that.
Paul: It’s the truth & it’s the honest truth. Alan: How do you see the future of blues music? Paul: You see fads, ebb & flow just like life. The Blues follows these lines, ever changing but always there. Alan: What are your future plans / gigs / tours / albums? Paul: I am due to record a studio album in December, along with working hard touring the world. Alan: Thank you so much Paul, I really do appreciate your time. Paul: It’s a pleasure.
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Blues Interviews List |
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Paul:
Steve Rye introduced me to Sonny in 1974. It was a great learning period
for me with the maestro. Sonny was very kind & spent a lot of time
educating me about the Blues.
Alan:
Ryan of course grew up with the blues, but did you think he would
eventually be in the band? 
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