"WHEN I AM PLAYING WELL, I FORGET ABOUT EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE, IN MY MIND IT IS JUST ME AND THE GUITAR" He is one of the best musicians and rock guitarists at present. He started playing guitar at the age of twelve, that moment he realized he had found his future. Some years later he played on the song “Papa was a Rolling Stone”, by The Temptations, which won five grammy awards. He has played in different bands and has worked for music stars like Tina Turner, Richard Marx, Joe Cocker, Eros Ramazzotti, and actually is in his 12th year working with Rod Stewart. Warren shower them with praise.
Now he has recorded with his own band, The Paul Warren Project, a new album called “Round Trip”. The guitarist has written all the songs, does the vocals and plays most guitar and bass.
Next day 17th of june, presents with his band (John Galvin, Austin Floyd, Jason Bone and Brian Gatien) this new release in Callahans Music Hall, in Michigan. Warren talks about that, and much more, kindly, in this interview.
HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO EMBARK ON THIS "ROUND TRIP" (THE TITLE OF HIS NEW ALBUM)?
I returned to my home town, Plymouth, Michigan, after living in LA for 33 years. I didn’t know hardly anyone here, so I went out to Jam nights at clubs to meet musicians. To my surprise - in a short period of time, I hooked up with some of the best musicians I have ever played with. It was like a fresh start and I
couldn’t wait to play original songs with this group. Rehearsals went so well that I decided it was time to record a new album with this band.HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR NEW ALBUM?
I have very diverse taste in music, so there are different styles. Some pop, some pretty hard rock and some blues. I was concerned at first that the songs may not go together - but everyone I have played it for agrees that the songs ties together. The band has found it’s own sound. I wrote all the songs, did the vocals and played most guitar and bass. I even played drums on two tracks.
YOUR FIRST RELEASE "SHE CANT'GO HOME" YOU REMAIN FAITHFUL TO ROCK
Yes, I think this song best represents The Paul Warren Project. It features all of the elements that I feel are my strong points. It’s rock but melodic, it’s Rock n Roll, but not too hard, and I think it showcases my voice and guitar playing.
THE ALBUM HAS 12 SONGS, ANY SPECIAL OR DIFFERENT FROM THE REST?
The one that stands out the most is called “Goodbye Loralie”. It was originally going to be just acoustic guitars and vocal - but I ended up playing drums, bass, electric guitar and percussion. I even added an accordion. Some people have said it sounds country, but I think the term ‘Americana’ would be more appropriate. Maybe it’s a little like Creedance Clearwater Revival. Lyrically - it is a little like Bob Dylan in the fact that there are several verses. It’s different than the rest in the fact that it tells a story as well.
DID IT TAKE YOU A LONG TIME TO PREPARE AND RECORD THE ALBUM?
Yes, I hadn’t written any songs in several years, and I did not have an idea of what style I wanted the album to be when I started. I wrote more songs than I needed - and then during rehearsals with the band - I narrowed it down to the best ones. I would say total preparation for recording took four months.
COULD YOU SAY THERE IS AN EVOLUTION IN YOUR MUSIC, FROM YOUR SUCCES IN 1980 "ONE OF THE KIDS"?
Absolutely. My style has changed over the years. I used to decide what sort of song I wanted to write - and then write it. Now I stay truer to myself by writing what comes out naturally. And like going back to my home town, I have also gone back to my musical roots in several cases. Everyone who has heard it has said that it is the best work I have ever done. I think that I have improved as a writer, singer and guitar player. The music sounds more seasoned now.
NEXT DAY 17TH OF JUNE YOU'LL PRESENT THE RELEASE OF YOUR CD IN CALLAHANS MUSIC HALL, WHERE YOU HAVE PLAYED LOTS OF TIMES. ARE YOUR NERVOUS, EXCITED, BEFORE THE EVENT?
The release of “Round Trip” is still a few weeks away, and I am busy touring with Rod Stewart, so I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it. I get back from Europe four days before the show and have a few rehearsals. I’m sure that week I will be very excited. I’m really looking forward to playing these songs in front of an audience.
ARE YOU COMING TO EUROPE TO PRESENT THE ALBUM?
Yes, I definitely will. I toured Italy last December for almost three weeks, and now I am trying to put a short tour together for July of this year. It may have to postpone it though because of my schedule with Rod’s tour. One way or another I plan to tour Europe again before the year is out.
WILL YOU COME TO SPAIN?
I would love to play Spain. At this point I don’t know anyone that could do the bookings for me there. I am hoping to find an agent that can put me in other countries in Europe. My agent so far mostly does Italy, Germany and Croatia.
YOUR EXCELLENT AT GUITAR PLAYING, DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU PLAYED A GUITAR?
My parents bought me my first guitar when I was twelve. It was a small, cheap acoustic. I wanted a drum set but fortunately my Mother didn’t want all the noise. Boy did I fool her. Within two years I was playing electric guitar through a very large, very loud amplifier. Although I wanted to play drums, the minute I got my hands on a guitar - I couldn’t put it down, and realized I had found my future.
AND THE LAST TIME YOU PLAYED ONE?
The last time I had a guitar in my hands was about four hours ago while watching TV. I try to keep one near me at all times. After over 40 years of playing, I still never get tired of it.
YOU WORKED FOR MUSIC STARS LIKE TINA TURNER, RICHARD MARX, JOE COCKER, EROS RAMAZZOTTI, AND NOW YOU'RE IN YOUR 11TH? YEAR WORKING FOR ROD STEWART. COULD YOU TELL ME TWO OR THREE IMPORTANT THINGS YOU HAVE LEARNT?
I am actually in my 12th year of working with Rod. I joined Rod in January 1999. I have learnt so much from each of the artists I have worked with that it would be hard to single out one thing. Over all though - they all add up to Professionalism. I have found that the greats always give 100% no matter how many people are in the audience, or how tired they are, or what is going on in their personal lives. When it is show time - you should exist only for the show.
HOW IS IT WORKING FOR ROD STEWART?
I was a big Rod Stewart fan from the time I heard him sing with the Jeff Beck group in 1968. I saw the Jeff Beck Group live when I was 14 and around a ye
ar later I opened four shows for the Faces with my band at the time. With Rod as with Joe and Tina, I was a fan first, and I remained a fan even while working with them. No one becomes that successful without a lot of hard work and sacrifice, so I have a lot of respect for Rod. He is a great singer as well as a great entertainer - and has a fantastic sense of humor. I once said to Rod that it was not a pleasure to work with you - it is a privilege. I never forget how lucky I am, and have been, to work with my heroes.YOUR SOLO ON "SAILING" IS THRILLING...
Thanks a lot. Are you referring to the solo on Sailing on Youtube? (I refer to all of them, in general) My solos are different every night - and that particular one, which was filmed at the Glastonbury festival in front of around 100.000 people as well as being broadcast live in TV, is a solo I am proud of.
YOU LOOK REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT PLAYING GUITAR!
Yes I am. Music isn’t just something I do, its part of who I am. When I am playing well, I forget about everything and everyone, in my mind it is just me and the guitar. I don’t play my best, unless I forget about everything, including
the audience, and just let go.WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR WORK?
The best thing about my work is I get to do something I love and I get to do it for large audiences all around the world, I’ve seen most cities and countries, I’ve met a lot of great people - and I get paid for it. I consider myself very lucky.
DO YOU PRACTICE EVERY SONG OFTEN?
No. We usually don’t take long enough breaks to where I might forget the songs. Having played these songs for 12 years, I will know them till the day I die. We rehearse when Rod puts out a new album, and we are learning new songs from that, or sometimes Rod changes the arrangements. I usually don’t practice that alone - I do that at rehearsal with the whole band.
AT THE END OF THE 70'S YOU WERE A REGULAR PLAYING AT PLACES LIKE THE SUNSET TRIP, THE ROXY, WHISKEY A GO GO, THE CENTRAL, OR STARWOOD. HOW DO YOU REMEMBER THAT?
Those were fantastic days. There were a lot of great bands in LA at the time, and people went out to hear live music every night of the week. There was an LA sound. A lot of excitement amongst the bands and the audiences. Most of the bands that I did shows with from that time ended up making records. Unfortunately only a few of them went on to be successful. Most of those bands are no longer together, and the ones that were successful only had one or two hits, then disappeared. The music business was changing fast at that time, as it is now. But, I will remember those days as some of the best in my life.
WHAT DO YOU PREFER, TO PLAY IN SMALL CLUBS, OR IN A BIG SHOW?
I like both for different reasons. In a club I tend to play more relaxed and the musical format allows me to play more freely, also the audiences are close so I feel more a part of them. On the other hand, playing in front of a large audience can be quite an adrenalin rush. The concert experience for the audience and the musicians feels very tribal. There is a lot of energy when you get that many people together, focusing on the one thing… Music!
WHAT DOES THE GUITAR BRING TO A SONG?
It depends on the song and who the guitar player is. Some music the guitar is not as important as other music. I personally prefer music where the guitar is prominent. Blues I find is the best type of music for playing guitar. Most great guitar players come from the Blues.
DO NEW TECHNOLOGIES HELP TO IMPROVE THE SOUND OF MUSIC?
It doesn’t improve the sound of music, music sounded better before it was digital, when everything was analogue and people still used tape. New technology does however help in the creation of music. It makes it easier to try different things, and change things as you go along. You are not only capable of doing a lot more things, but it also helps the process go a lot faster. In making my album, I used the best of both worlds by recording to tape for the sound, and then editing and mixing on pro-tools for the convenience and speed.
PLEASE, TELL ME THREE DIFFERENT MOMENTS:
- ONE OF THE HAPPIEST MOMENTS IN YOUR CAREER?
The first time I heard myself on the radio was really exciting. I felt like I was finally a successful musician. I was seventeen at the time, and I played on Papa Was a Rolling Stone by the Temptations. It was also really exciting when that song won five Grammy awards these years.
- ONE ANECDOTE, ON YOUR GIGS, ON STAGE?
At a Richard Marx concert two girls who were sitting on their boyfriends shoulders grabbed me by the legs and pulled me off stage. I fell about ten feet. While I was falling I grabbed a speaker which was very heavy, to hold on to - and instead of keeping me from falling, it fell too and landed on my head, I was knocked unconscious, covered in blood and later that night got two layers of stitches in my forehead. I was only unconscious for a few minutes, and I insisted on doing the encore before being rushed to the hospital. I now have a big scar above my right eye - and I wear it like a badge of honor. I gave blood for my music.
- DO YOU REMEMBER AN EMBARRASING MOMENT?
When you do concerts and you have a dark stage someone usually puts white tape around the edge of the stage - so you know where the stage ends. Once playing for Richard in Niagra falls, they didn’t put the tape down and as I walked to the front of the stage to play a solo - I walked right off the stage and fell onto a piano in the orchestra pit. I then got up and limped around to the side of the stage and came back up… I limped my way through the rest of the show. The band and crew said it looked like magic. I just disappeared. There are worse than that - but nothing I want to share with you or your readers. Maybe in the future you might want to ask me about playing the Whiskey with Ray Manzarek of the Doors. But that is for another time. (He's got me intrigued...)
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SONG TO PLAY?
I love "Sailing". I enjoy "Hot legs" and of course "Maggie may" is a lot of fun to play. From my album i really like playing "Made to be loved" and "High price to pay" the most.
HOW CAN PEOPLE PURCHASE YOUR CD "ROUND TRIP"?
My album is now available for international digital download and for album sales via websites such as CD Baby and I-tunes as well as a few others.
(His website is ThePaulWarrenProject.com (see link above) and he is on facebook at Facebook.com/PaulWarrenProject).
Interview: Marta Riego
Photos: Paul Warren
