Post by rick on Dec 31, 2011 2:32:18 GMT -5
www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ragogna/shofpbs-chats-billy-joel_b_1176369.html
Songwriters Hall Of Fame Chairman, Jimmy Webb
Mike Ragogna: How does it feel to be making your debut as chairman of the Songwriters Hall Of Fame?
Jimmy Webb: It's great. I'm very honored.
MR: How long will your term as chairman last?
JW: It lasts as long as I last. (laughs) In the history of the Songwriters Hall Of Fame there have only been four chairmen--the first was Johnny Mercer, then Sammy Cahn, followed by Hal David, who has been doing it for 11 years now, and now he's handed over the job to me. In other circumstances, perhaps I would have thought twice about spending my golden years as the chairman in an organization, but this organization and Hal David are so important to me that after some soul searching, I realized that it was really something that was worth my time. The organization has an important mission, and it becomes more important every day, and that is the preservation of the American songbook and upholding the reputation and the honor that all of these men and women really deserve for this whole pastiche of American music which is truly a commodity. Our music has been adopted and imitated all over the world, but it's important for us to remember that this is ours and make that one of the things that we continually honor and remember.
MR: Are there songs in your body of work that still surprise you when you listen to them today?
JW: Well, some of them pop out to me in a very different way now. But there are certain songs that have stood by me really well...they've had a good shelf life. (laughs) Songs like "Wichita Lineman" are ones that I'm still very proud of today; "Didn't We" which was recorded by Frank Sinatra is another. In the whole catalog, there are a few things that I am still very, very proud of, and there are some that I think I could have worked on a little bit more.
MR: I have to say, "All I Know," is one of my favorite songs of yours.
JW: Well, that's a good one. I'm not knocking it. And that was a great album by Art Garfunkel.
MR: Angel Clare, yeah, which also had your song "Another Lullaby." And " The Moon's A Harsh Mistress," could be my favorite.
JW: That's also one of my favorites, particularly the one performed by Judy Collins. It doesn't get much better than that.
MR: Yeah, and Judy's version is my favorite recording of it as well. You have a new album out, right?
JW: Yeah. My most recent album is called Just Across The River, and it included songs with Billy Joel, Jackson Browne, and Linda Ronstadt, Michael McDonald, Glen Campbell, and some other really great artists. It's a very interesting album produced in Nashville. It even went about half way up the charts. The record company is now asking for Just Across The River Vol. 2 and so we're going in to start working on that. There's also the Cottonwood Farm album, which I did with my sons and my father sings "Red Sails In The Sunset," which is a very sentimental piece. Maybe it's a little too introverted for some people, but a lot of people love it. Then I went on the road for a while with my sons. They were my entire backing band and we went and played fifteen gigs in Europe a while back. We just did that as a family for the joy of communing together, and they're all very fine musicians. I'm very proud of them all, even though I think doing this is a very dicey career move on their part. (laughs)
MR: Well, do you have any advice for other artists starting out in this business?
JW: Go home! (laughs) Just kidding. You need to have a lot of material and you need to spread it around. You also need to make as many contacts as you can, because I would say 90% of my collaborations have come about through personal contacts and getting to know someone. And go easy in building those relationships. Don't push too hard. Take it slow and easy, build a friendship, a REAL friendship that proves you're reliable as a friend and slowly work your way into the community. And have the goods to back it up. (laughs) Have some really strong songs because when someone asks you to play one of your songs, that could be your moment.
