![]() ![]() ![]() That’s the Love And Money record I’m most proud of and it’s most representative of who I am. I do believe that if we had had the success, Dogs In the Traffic may not have happened. If that’s shallow, then so be it. I grew up watching Slade and Bowie and prancing around in front of my bedroom mirror imitating them – it was my dream to be part of that, just like any kid. There wasn’t pressure from Phonogram as such they were trying their best with us. We so nearly made it with Strange Kind Of Love. I always wanted to do ‘Top of the Pops’. You try and be stoic and say, ‘That’s not what it was about’, but we were gutted. The four sublime singles from the album just missed out on the UK Top 40 – was that a disappointment? Was there pressure from Phonogram to get that first UK or US hit? He was a beautiful guy, great fun to be with and genuinely humble about his achievements and ability. I felt like I had f***ing boxing gloves on sometimes when we were jamming but he never ever made me feel like that. Jeff was a brilliant, phenomenal musician. He just started playing this incredible, jaw-dropping stuff. I just went in with my guitar and told him what I was hearing. For example, on ‘Razorsedge’, I wanted a go-go beat. On other tracks, I had a more concrete idea of what I wanted. Sometimes we just jammed the thing till we got the right vibe. Jeff didn’t make any contribution to the arrangements – that was all planned months before we even met. How much of a contribution did the great Jeff Porcaro make to SKOL‘s arrangements and why is his surname misspelt in the credits? Was there enough budget to get him for rehearsals? His playing seems so integral to the material. I wrote about myself this tended to get uncomfortably forensic at times for those close to me. I just happened to think – and still do – that besides knowing you are going to die, being in love is the utmost existential experience there is. I was young, heartbroken and hungry the right ingredients to make great music! I also had the distinct feeling that great songs contain a truth, perhaps not the literal truth but a truth. Yes, there was someone in particular, but obviously there’s poetic license. Was there a particular relationship that precipitated this or had these songs built up over time? Lyrically, SKOL focuses mainly on the anguish, pain but also joy of romantic infatuation. There was a symbiosis, a shared desire to make great records, and we liked each other. He just seemed perfect. We set up a meeting – I flew to New York – and we just hit it off right away. He had a track record that spoke for itself. Meaning that the song would dictate how it was meant to be, what was appropriate and what was not. The desire was to create something timeless and the man to facilitate that was Gary Katz. For Strange Kind Of Love, I had written the album and we had lived with the songs for a while. I was also anxious to prove that I was more than just a haircut. JG: I always felt the first album was disparate and didn’t marry the different influences well. MP: Could you just give us a quick bit of background to Strange Kind Of Love – what were the expectations for album number two and how did you come to work with Gary Katz? I caught up with singer/songwriter/guitarist James Grant to talk Strange Kind Of Love, Jeff Porcaro, Tom Waits, touring with Tina Turner, ‘Top of the Pops’ and ’80s marketing meltdowns. Critics of the time were generally confused but I was sold from the first bar of ‘Hallejulah Man’.įunkier than the likes of Curiosity Killed The Cat or Hipsway but lyrically just as piquant as The Smiths or The The, Love And Money joined Prefab Sprout, Prince, The Blue Nile, Danny Wilson, David Sylvian, De La Soul, Scritti Politti and Cocteau Twins in my list of late-’80s pop saviours. Musicians had a field day with Grant’s intricate guitar work and the rock-solid grooves courtesy of drum legend Jeff Porcaro and underrated bassist Bobby Paterson. James Grant’s literate, dramatic songs of romantic anguish and corporate avarice were built to last. Released in December 1988 and produced by legendary Steely Dan helmer Gary Katz, the record was a triumph. In the miasma of soap-opera tie-ins, boy-band debuts, one-hit wonders and Stock, Aitken and Waterman productions that constituted late-’80s pop, Love and Money’s second album Strange Kind Of Love was a breath of fresh air. ![]()
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