A Conversation with Robyn Hitchcock (continued)

PM: So my very good friend Joey Spampinato [the notorious bassist for NRBQ] played on some tunes on the album.

RH: Oh, you know Joey.

PM: Yeah, he's a good friend of mine. As I say, I'm a Nashville guy, and just marooned in Shanghai at the moment. How did you happen to use him? Ain't he something?

RH: He's nice. He came down with his wife.

PM: Oh, you met Kami, too? [Kami Lyle is a great musician and songwriter, we’re waiting patiently for her next release, and will put her on the cover at that time.]

RH: Kami, yes. She played some trumpet on something, but we didn't get to use it, ultimately. Too bad. It just wasn't appropriate for the direction we’d taken. Gil and Dave decided, when we got to the point where it had become a record, that we would cut a few more sides, and drums appeared. When Dave said that maybe we should get a proper bass player, I was sort of surprised. I thought, well can't one of you play bass?

PM: Sure. Gillian played bass in The Esquires [an alter ego band of theirs that used to pop up around Nashville].

RH: Well, Gil plays bass on a lot of Spooked, and Dave played it on "Creeped Out," I think. But they wanted someone better. And so Joey appeared, and he’s on a couple of cuts.

PM: Right. So were you not aware of NRBQ? Were they not part of your--

RH: I'm aware of them, because actually the guy who does my website, David Greenberger, also does NRBQ--he does their record covers and merchandise and stuff. But I hadn't really tapped into the NRBQ thing. [You absolutely must check out David Greenberger’s The Duplex Planet, it’s mindblowing.]

PM: You can't get it all. Like I say, I was blind to Robyn Hitchcock's music, till now.

RH: But I thought they were lovely--

Chinese Operator: Sorry, you have two minutes left.

PM: Oh, my God, my card is telling me I only have two minutes left. This is a brand new card. What are you telling me? I just bought this. Okay. So I'm going to have to wrap this up. I can't believe it. Please tell me quick what you're reading lately and whether or not you're a spiritual person. I'd like to know those two things before they cut us off.

RH: I'd like to think I'm a spiritual person, but I'm earthbound. My appetites keep me here. And I'll probably reincarnate as something like a bull or--

PM: [laughs]

RH: --or a minotaur or something like that. My appetite is far from spiritual. But I would die if there were no spirit. And in terms of what I've been reading, I've been enjoying Madame Bovary, by Flaubert. But I know that things are going to get bad for her, so I can't quite face finding out what happens to her. And I think I'm reading--

PM: They're going to cut us off in a minute, so allow me to say goodbye. And thank you, you're a lovely guy.

RH: Thank you very much, Frank. Nice to meet you. If you happen to be popping down for this Tokyo gig in January, I'll be there with Clive Gregson and--

PM: Oh, he's a buddy of mine, too.

RH: You know Gregson?

PM: Sure.

RH: Wow, well he and I and Ian Gong, who used to be in a band with Nick Lowe--

PM: Right.

RH: We’ll doing a little trio tour of Japan, first week of January. [Just in: that tour has been postponed until May.]

PM: Well, I'll meet you around the bend, somewhere, Robyn.

RH: Well, thank you very much for even calling me from such a faraway place.

PM: [laughs] It's been a real pleasure.

RH: All right, Frank, take care.

PM: See you Robyn. Bye.

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	robynhitchcock.com
	yeproc.com
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	duplexplanet.com
	photographers:
	john brassil (w/ gil & dave)
	bill schmoker (cactus wren)