The Musical Journey of Mike Batt

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<v SPEAKER_00>My career in the entertainment industry has enabled me to work with a diverse range of talent.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Through my years of experience, I've recognized two essential aspects.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Industry professionals, whether famous stars or behind-the-scenes staff, have fascinating stories to tell.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Secondly, audiences are eager to listen to these stories, which offer a glimpse into their lives and the evolution of their life stories.

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<v SPEAKER_00>This podcast aims to share these narratives, providing information on how they evolved into their chosen career.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We will delve into their journey to stardom, discuss their struggles and successes, and hear from people who help them achieve their goals.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Get ready for intriguing behind-the-scenes stories and insights into the fascinating world of entertainment.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Hi, I'm Tony Mantor.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Welcome to Almost Live Nashville.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Joining us today is Mike Back.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Singer, songwriter, producer, composer, arranger.

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<v SPEAKER_00>He has done so many things in this music business.

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<v SPEAKER_00>He was the songwriter behind the Wombles Hits, Art Garf Uncle's hit song Bright Eyes, and the list is just too long to tell.

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<v SPEAKER_00>He's here to talk about his career and his latest endeavor that he recorded with Justin Haywood of the Moody Blues with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

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<v SPEAKER_00>He has a great story to tell, and we're happy to have him here.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Thanks for coming on.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I'm I'm delighted to be asked.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Well it's my pleasure to have you.

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<v SPEAKER_00>My understanding is you and Justin Haywood have got together to create a new project.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Indeed.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Um we did a project in the was it the eighties, late eighties.

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<v SPEAKER_01>It must have been about I think it was 89, where we went into the studio at Abbey Road and we did a uh an album called Classic Blue.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Was just the idea was no rhythm section, just a symphony orchestra and Justin's voice with me kind of backup vocals.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And we did uh cover versions.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Oh nice.

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<v SPEAKER_01>It went very well and became, you know, one of these well-known solo albums.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And uh all these years we've been friends, and so recently we just said, hey, what we that was fun, why don't we do some more?

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<v SPEAKER_01>So we went into the studio with the same orchestra, the London Philharmonic.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That sounds like a great project.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Of course, all different players, they've all probably moved on, and younger players have come through.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We went to their own uh hall, Henry Wood Hall, and we took a mobile unit.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I did three arrangements, three new ones, and uh I conducted.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Justin took the tracks back to where he lives in Europe, and I joined him, and then we put the vocals on and uh and I left.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He mixed it.

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<v SPEAKER_01>So that's the long version of uh of how we got a new project.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Long answer.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That's alright.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So I understand on the song that he sang the verses and then you sang on the chorus.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Is that correct?

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<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah, it we s we had intended it to be a Justin solo project, but um it just turned out that I sang the chorus because it's a big block of harmonies, effectively, that that kind of African chant.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Okay.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And so it you know, turned out that Justin said, Hey look, you know, you're singing on this as much as I am.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Why don't we just put it out as a as a duo almost?

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<v SPEAKER_00>Nice.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So you've been friends for a long time.

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<v SPEAKER_00>How did it feel to get back in the studio and do some more music and collaborate with him on the new project?

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<v SPEAKER_01>Well, it was great.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Um it was particularly great because we just trust each other.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We worked together.

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<v SPEAKER_01>In fact, the first time we actually worked together was when I did my project, which is called The Hunting of the Snark, based on a Lewis Carroll uh nonsense poem.

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<v SPEAKER_01>To promote it, I did uh an Albert Hall concert, and there was a character on the album, it was kind of a concept in the way that say War of the Worlds is a concept.

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<v SPEAKER_01>A character on it, uh sung by Art Garfunkel.

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<v SPEAKER_01>He couldn't make it for the concert, so Justin and I were friends, so I say, Hey Just, why don't you come and sing Artie's Park?

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<v SPEAKER_01>So that happened.

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<v SPEAKER_01>That was in 1987, yeah.

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<v SPEAKER_01>So that does place our thing a couple of years later.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And uh he sang it really well.

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<v SPEAKER_01>It's actually available for anyone who wants to look at it.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Uh they only have to look at YouTube and Google The Hunting of the Snark and the Mine, as in Mike Bat, and uh that it'll pop up, they can see the whole show, and Justin singing the part of the characters called The Butcher.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Anyway, so I think he enjoyed working with the orchestra, standing in front of the orchestra and working, and that's why he did the first um album.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That seems to be just a little bit different take than what he's used to doing with the Moody Blues.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Well, it it was and it in one way.

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<v SPEAKER_01>It it was in one way, and it wasn't in the other, because obviously Justin's completely used to working with orchestras.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Right.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Uh the Days of Future Past was interestingly, the tracks uh Justin's always I've I've seen him point this out in interviews that he's done.

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<v SPEAKER_01>The tracks that the band played on Days of Future Past and the Moody Blues, they're not actually with an orchestra.

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<v SPEAKER_01>They're the orchestra on them is provided by a Melotron.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Right.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Peter Knight, the arranger, arranged kind of interstitial pieces that carried them on and joined the tracks together.

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<v SPEAKER_01>So it was quite an unusual concept.

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<v SPEAKER_01>But they were recorded separately, but I think the same studio, but different times.

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<v SPEAKER_01>You're right.

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<v SPEAKER_01>It's a slightly different thing from being the Moody Blues, because the Moody Blues is basically a rhythm-based band.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yes.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Sometimes with orchestral supplement.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yes.

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<v SPEAKER_00>And the great thing is when you put all these people together in the studio, you've got it all charted out and they're working on it.

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<v SPEAKER_00>They put in their emotions and how they perform with their instrument.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You come out sometimes with a sound that is just better than what you'd hoped for.

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<v SPEAKER_01>That's right, it does.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And uh this this this track, uh Like in a Northern Town, that we just recorded, well, we recorded it about a year ago, actually.

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<v SPEAKER_01>It had been a hit in England 30 years ago, something like that, 35 years ago, can't remember exactly.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And I had remembered, I loved it.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Another odd thing that happened with me being quite active as an artist, particularly back then, I had a lot of phone calls from people saying, Oh Mike, I love your new hit.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Like in a northern town.

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<v SPEAKER_01>It wasn't me at all.

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<v SPEAKER_01>It was actually a band called Dream Academy.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And that band had one massive hit, which actually was big in the States, either number two or number one on the Hot 100.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, I remember that song.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And they they did a few more records.

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<v SPEAKER_01>They didn't have a very long life as a band, so they either split up, went their own separate ways.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And uh it's pretty because they were they were great, and that song was great, written by somebody called Nick Led Klaus and Gilbert, I can't remember the second name, I'm afraid, so I hope he's not listening.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That's not a problem.

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<v SPEAKER_01>But uh yeah, that's where it came from.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So what was it like when you went in the studio?

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<v SPEAKER_00>There have been many times when you go in the studio, you've got all the musicians there, and then everything just goes really well, but something happens that just takes it to that next level.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Did anything like that happen to you on this song?

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<v SPEAKER_01>Well, actually, I'm gonna say no, because the way this was done is the way I do quite a lot of things, but uh I do un I understand that process and that feeling that you described.

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<v SPEAKER_01>That process that you just described, and it's um it's exciting when that happens, when the record builds into something you didn't expect.

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<v SPEAKER_01>But when you go into the studio with an orchestra, you're not gonna add a guitar solo, you're not gonna add any rhythm stuff to it afterwards, you haven't pre-rit pre-recorded any rhythm to a click beforehand, just an orchestral performance.

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<v SPEAKER_01>You have to have a pretty good idea of what it's gonna sound like.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I mean, that's my job as the conductor and arranger of it, to do that.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And also, you only have three hours to record three songs.

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<v SPEAKER_01>So you just go, let's do the first one.

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<v SPEAKER_01>We spent the longest amount of time on the first song, which was not this song actually, wasn't uh the one we released.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Uh in fact, we've entered into a pact not to tell anybody what the other songs are.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Okay.

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<v SPEAKER_01>One of the other ones was the favourite, and we spent, I don't know, two hours on it, and then we got this one down in two takes.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And the other one, the third song, was more of a personal one for Justin that again literally just took a couple of takes, and then we were out of there.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Of course, the vocals, yeah, they make a difference.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Big, big difference.

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<v SPEAKER_01>In this case, obviously, Justin singing on it just transformed it from being an orchestral backing track into a phenomenal vocal performance.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, you're a hundred percent correct there.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The first one is always the longest.

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<v SPEAKER_00>The musicians have to get settled in, get into the groove, then once they are, usually it's just smooth going from there.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah, and everyone relaxes after that first once in the can as well.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yes, yes, exactly.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I've had opportunities to work with musicians from the Nashville Symphony, and same there.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So it happens with the best of them.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Brilliant.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Uh w was that the like solo stuff?

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, it was a song that I recorded that had a full band.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Then I wanted the texture of a symphony behind it.

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<v SPEAKER_00>So I used different pieces from the Nashville Symphony to fill it all in.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That's why I asked you if it went to another level because with using these people, the way they put their feelings and emotions behind the strings of what they played, it took that song to a completely different level than we thought it would go.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah.

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<v SPEAKER_01>That happens if you've laid down a rhythm track and then you hear the orchestra come in on top.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, and that's exactly what we did with that song.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Obviously, with me, it's a bridge I crossed.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I've already arranged the music.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Sometimes I've arranged the rhythm and the strings at us and woodwids so that you could record it, and sometimes we do, all at the same time, which is thrilling when you do that.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, you're so right.

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<v SPEAKER_00>There's no better feeling than that.

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<v SPEAKER_01>You've got to have somewhere like Air Studios uh in London, Air Studio No.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Where they have separation booths for the drums and guitars.

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<v SPEAKER_01>So you don't get drums all over your string microphones, that sort of thing.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, you definitely don't want that instrument bleed on separate tracks.

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<v SPEAKER_01>No, what you do want, funnily enough, is bleed from the brass and woodwinds onto your strings.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yes, that adds a great texture to it for sure.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Exactly, to give you a nice fat sound.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Absolutely.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Now, you've done a lot of great things.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You've evolved over the years.

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<v SPEAKER_00>You started out with a band and it was part of a TV show.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Can you expand on that some?

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<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah, well, I had my first hit when I was 23, which I thought was too old because I came into the business when I was like 17, 18, desperate to learn, teach myself to orchestrate and produce, and I was writing songs.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I got signed as an artist.

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<v SPEAKER_01>But I spent five years having a few near misses, but not actually having a proper hit.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And it was only when I was 22, 23 that the wombles came along.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And uh it was just a job I was doing, you know, would I please write a th a TV theme?

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<v SPEAKER_01>And I just said, Why don't I write you a song?

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<v SPEAKER_01>And then they said, Great, and how much would you like?

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<v SPEAKER_01>You know, we'll offer you 200 pounds, and I could have really done with that 200 pounds, because I had tears in my jeans before it was fashionable.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, I know that feeling, sure.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And uh and but I turned down the 200.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I said, look, I'd much rather have the the rights, the character rights, to to make a band or or just record.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I didn't think I was even gonna make a band.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Because I was so much in need of it financially, I worked very hard to make it a hit.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And that's why my first hit was wearing a very strange furry costume made by my mother.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And um I've been known as Mr.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Womble ever since, even though that that was only two years of my life, really.

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<v SPEAKER_01>But uh it kind of got me on the road to being accepted as someone who can make a hit.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, that's the big thing.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Once you get that first hit record and people see that you can write and do things like that, the perception grows, you evolve, and then things can just take off from that point moving forward.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Indeed.

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<v SPEAKER_01>And uh my my biggest problem was then to to get people to take me seriously.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I mean, uh oddly, to start with, I mean I was signed to CBS Records with the wombles.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I couldn't get them to take the wombles seriously, which is in in itself almost an oxymoron.

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<v SPEAKER_01>How can you take a womble seriously?

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<v SPEAKER_01>The whole point is that you don't, uh and a lot of people don't realize that you can be quite a serious musician but still have a sense of humor.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yes, exactly.

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<v SPEAKER_01>You know, and I'm sure Mozart, I'm not putting myself on his level, but I'm sure Mozart used to if he'd had a gorilla outfit, I'm sure he would have worn it quite a lot.

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<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, absolutely.

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<v SPEAKER_00>I mean, look at the 60s.

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<v SPEAKER_00>We had the monkeys and bands like that.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah.

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<v SPEAKER_00>They were serious musicians, yet they were put together for a TV show band.

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<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah.

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<v SPEAKER_01>But I mean, then I wanted to be something other than uh a bubblegum kind of artist, you know, and I actually did get the chance to do that in other countries where the wombles weren't famous.

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<v SPEAKER_01>So for example, uh sadly not I didn't break through in the States, but Germany, Austria, Switzerland, you know, Holland, most of the uh European countries, I should say, uh Australia, South Africa, a lot of places I was able, as a non-womble, I think people looking back on it might call it prog rock, but it I never called it that.

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<v SPEAKER_01>I prog rock was happening at the time, but I was kind of more I just happened to use an orchestra because it I was in love with writing for the orchestra, and it just happened to be that way.

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<v SPEAKER_00>That makes sense.

00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:22.639
<v SPEAKER_00>So by doing that, did that allow you to use the orchestra in your music moving forward?

00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:28.960
<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah, well, I mean I I I used a lot of orchestral um I put a lot of orchestra on the Wombles records.

00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:32.320
<v SPEAKER_01>There were four albums, so about fifty songs.

00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:40.080
<v SPEAKER_01>I had uh Fred Astaire one, we had Minuetto Allegretto, which was a piece of Mozart that I converted into a song.

00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:42.639
<v SPEAKER_01>So I used the orchestra which was my passion.

00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:51.360
<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah, when I became a f a free agent, as it were, and I was no longer wearing my furry outfit, I could be my back the singer songwriter.

00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:56.080
<v SPEAKER_01>And um I made an album called Schizophonia, which did really well.

00:14:56.159 --> 00:15:01.440
<v SPEAKER_01>I mean, sold hundreds of thousands of albums all around, you know, those territories I just mentioned.

00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:05.279
<v SPEAKER_01>Second album called Tarot Suite, about the tarot cards.

00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:09.519
<v SPEAKER_01>I'm not uh into the um occult, but I was extremely interested by it.

00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:14.879
<v SPEAKER_01>You can be interested by it without being uh, you know, buying particularly into it.

00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:18.559
<v SPEAKER_01>I did learn to sort of read the tarot cards, but just for fun, really.

00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:22.879
<v SPEAKER_01>I I never claimed to have any particular psychic powers, yeah.

00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:24.480
<v SPEAKER_00>I think that's great.

00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:29.519
<v SPEAKER_00>It's just another way of evolving and immersing yourself into something that's a little different.

00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:39.279
<v SPEAKER_00>And from that, you never know how it's going to change your attitude, how you may look at things, and it can definitely affect the music that you make because of it.

00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:40.240
<v SPEAKER_01>Exactly.

00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:55.759
<v SPEAKER_01>I find I don't know, I mean I was sucked into classical music about the same time in 1962 by Schubert's Symphony, Schubert's Ninth Symphony, which came you know in a leaflet on a leaflet through the door, one of those cheap record clubs.

00:15:55.919 --> 00:15:59.200
<v SPEAKER_01>The age of twelve I couldn't really even afford to join that, but I did.

00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:02.320
<v SPEAKER_01>So I was hit, I was just hit out of the park by that.

00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:06.320
<v SPEAKER_01>And just that that was happening, the Beatles started putting out singles.

00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:09.440
<v SPEAKER_01>Like, hang on a minute, no, this is what I want to do.

00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:21.919
<v SPEAKER_01>So I constantly had this symphonic stuff side and the rock and roll side, and I just always use might even sound a bit pretentious, but it's like an artist's colour palette.

00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:24.320
<v SPEAKER_01>There is all those colours as you just described it.

00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:29.039
<v SPEAKER_01>You could you could you you have all those different ways you can do something, and I just like to use all of them.

00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:34.080
<v SPEAKER_01>So if I fancy putting an ovo on the intro of a song, I will.

00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:35.600
<v SPEAKER_01>And and if I don't, I won't.

00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:37.120
<v SPEAKER_01>It's a bit like that.

00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:39.360
<v SPEAKER_01>But uh, you can turn a lot of people off.

00:16:39.440 --> 00:17:04.640
<v SPEAKER_01>Um let's say I want to do a serious classical piece, which I've done a few uh suites when I've done films uh like a a symphonic suite to Watch Ship Down, for example, after the song I wrote for Watch Down, which was Bright Eyes, and that was number one for Art Garf Uncle, which is probably why he agreed to be on my other album, the later one, which was uh The Hunting of the Snark.

00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:11.680
<v SPEAKER_01>But um, you know, we became friends and we trusted each other, which is I think that's a lot of that's a lot of that's it.

00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:15.920
<v SPEAKER_01>That's probably all well, it's most of what you need as an artist and producer.

00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:17.920
<v SPEAKER_01>And I've kind of lost my place now.

00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:23.359
<v SPEAKER_01>I can't remember what question I was uh answering, and it would be really good if you had forgotten as well.

00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:25.680
<v SPEAKER_00>That's okay.

00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:30.160
<v SPEAKER_00>It's just conversation that we're having, so you covered a lot of good things there.

00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:33.359
<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah, yeah, it's out there in the ether somewhere.

00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:36.640
<v SPEAKER_01>But uh, hopefully all your listeners will have forgotten the question as well.

00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:42.400
<v SPEAKER_00>Well, the beauty of it is that you gave a good little story there, and I think they're gonna love it.

00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:44.640
<v SPEAKER_00>So, what are the plans for the future?

00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:46.319
<v SPEAKER_00>Any more does coming?

00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:47.440
<v SPEAKER_00>What do you see coming?

00:17:47.759 --> 00:17:52.240
<v SPEAKER_01>Well, it's an unspoken thought about doing more with Justin.

00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:58.880
<v SPEAKER_01>Of course we'd love to, but we probably wouldn't in this case need a record company to come along and say, look, we'll finance it.

00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:05.599
<v SPEAKER_01>Because um, you know, three songs is is sort of doable, but doing a whole album, it's a big undertaking.

00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:13.839
<v SPEAKER_01>And record companies really aren't chancing their arms these days because they're making plenty of money by sitting back and letting the streaming money come flowing in.

00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:24.480
<v SPEAKER_01>And uh that people like me who make records that often do require orchestras, and yeah, I can do a lot at home with samples, and uh I'm in my little room now.

00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:30.160
<v SPEAKER_01>If I just swing the screen, you can see my that's where I do my sort of basically working stuff out.

00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:31.839
<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, that's great equipment.

00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:35.119
<v SPEAKER_00>So are you using it for anything new?

00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:37.759
<v SPEAKER_00>I'm right in the middle of a symphonic project at the moment.

00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:43.839
<v SPEAKER_01>In fact, I've even got a thing called um on YouTube, which I call Diary of a Symphony.

00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:46.079
<v SPEAKER_01>And I've done three episodes so far.

00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:52.400
<v SPEAKER_01>So anyone can dial up Mike Bat, Diary of a Symphony, episodes one, two, and three.

00:18:52.559 --> 00:18:54.319
<v SPEAKER_01>And I'm just preparing it really.

00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:57.039
<v SPEAKER_01>I'm just about 30 bars into the first movement.

00:18:57.200 --> 00:19:06.480
<v SPEAKER_01>And I say in one of the uh one of the episodes I spent most of my life trying not to be pretentious, but now decided to throw in the towel and if you can't beat them, join them.

00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:08.880
<v SPEAKER_01>I might as well have a moment of pretentiousness.

00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:26.799
<v SPEAKER_01>It was all about whether you call it a symphony or not, because you know if I just called it some name like Reflections on a frozen piece of glass or something, no one would have said anything, but I'm actually going to call it Symphony number nine because I'm deciding not to write the first eight, because everyone's ninth symphony is always the best.

00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:31.200
<v SPEAKER_01>So why waste time with the first eight is my jig on that.

00:19:31.440 --> 00:19:32.400
<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah, I love it.

00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:33.759
<v SPEAKER_00>Great thought process.

00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:34.240
<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah.

00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:38.079
<v SPEAKER_01>You know, maybe I'll do number eight after I do number nine.

00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:39.200
<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah, why not?

00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:42.960
<v SPEAKER_01>Which might guarantee me a long life, because it means I've got to get to number one.

00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:44.240
<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, I like that.

00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:45.599
<v SPEAKER_00>Job security.

00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:52.480
<v SPEAKER_00>So it sounds like you have a lot of good things planned, a lot of good things to do, and things seem to be going very well.

00:19:52.799 --> 00:19:55.039
<v SPEAKER_01>Well, they're certainly busy, that's for sure.

00:19:55.359 --> 00:20:06.400
<v SPEAKER_01>And to complete your the question, which I think I now remember, which was were we gonna do more with with Justin and me, the answer is that I would think it would be very strange probably if we didn't.

00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:08.799
<v SPEAKER_01>But not my how well this one does.

00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:15.359
<v SPEAKER_01>I mean it's been brilliantly received, but it's not what people are getting into the charts at the moment.

00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:18.160
<v SPEAKER_01>You know, it's it's it's a very unique record.

00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:24.960
<v SPEAKER_01>So let's hope there are lots of imaginative people out there who think, well, we don't care about that, we're just gonna go and get it, you know.

00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:26.400
<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, I get that.

00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:35.599
<v SPEAKER_00>However, the difference between today and in the past with the labels is you don't need them as much because you get so many different platforms you can sell it off from.

00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:40.799
<v SPEAKER_00>And even though the deep pockets aren't there to promote it, it's a completely different world socially.

00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:49.519
<v SPEAKER_00>So with the Spotify and Apple and all those platforms, people don't need to hear that song six times a day at radio to like it.

00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:51.440
<v SPEAKER_00>They can find it, like it, download it.

00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:53.519
<v SPEAKER_01>That's right, it's exactly right.

00:20:53.759 --> 00:21:00.960
<v SPEAKER_01>I think there are things about the modern world where so much choice is happening that people can get through.

00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:09.920
<v SPEAKER_01>And yet the main enemy is all the white noise or the background radiation of the thousands and millions of other people and tracks are being put up.

00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:18.319
<v SPEAKER_01>And now let's let's not even get all the I'll touch on, but let's not get into a deep one about AI, because that's just going to blow us out of the water if we're not careful.

00:21:18.640 --> 00:21:19.359
<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, I agree.

00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:24.240
<v SPEAKER_00>Although I don't believe people are going to fall in love with AI performances.

00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:28.559
<v SPEAKER_00>But to touch on it lightly, I had a friend of mine that's a publisher here in Nashville.

00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:34.640
<v SPEAKER_00>A song was pitched to him, he listened to it, then he told the songwriter, I kind of like the song.

00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:38.319
<v SPEAKER_00>I do like the singer better, and the singer was AI.

00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:38.960
<v SPEAKER_01>Really?

00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:39.279
<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah.

00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:43.200
<v SPEAKER_01>He should have just given him a name and said, uh, Fred Mintz or something.

00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:44.400
<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, that's true.

00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:47.119
<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah, I think we're all a bit nervous about it.

00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:56.640
<v SPEAKER_01>I'd like to think I did it early on well early on, about a year ago, I asked AI to write, didn't tell them who I was, because they don't know when you dial up, do they?

00:21:56.880 --> 00:22:07.759
<v SPEAKER_01>And I said, Can you write a song lyric in the style of Mike Bat about and then I gave him a couple of subjects and they came back with utter piffle as we were saying English.

00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:12.000
<v SPEAKER_01>It kind of rhymed and it was kind of a bit like me, but it it wasn't me.

00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:14.960
<v SPEAKER_01>And so I'm hoping that that's as about as near as they'll ever get.

00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:16.240
<v SPEAKER_00>Yeah, me too.

00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:16.799
<v SPEAKER_00>You know?

00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:24.400
<v SPEAKER_00>The way I look at it is when you take the creativity out of it, you've lost the heart and the soul of the music.

00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:25.039
<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah.

00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:36.640
<v SPEAKER_01>And I think that there's gonna have to be some sort of label that we can put on our work that says I did this on my own, you know, didn't have um this is not aided piece of uh music, you know.

00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:42.160
<v SPEAKER_01>Well while I'm on by the way, I don't know I hope you won't mind if I mention I've got a book um out.

00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:50.319
<v SPEAKER_01>Uh I know that you usually um when one goes on a chat a TV chat show or a radio interview like this, one has something to promote.

00:22:50.400 --> 00:23:02.720
<v SPEAKER_01>And of course we're here to talk about the Justin record and Justin and my record um life in a northern town but I've just released my memoir for people who know me as I'm not that known particularly in the States for example.

00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:04.640
<v SPEAKER_00>Oh a book that's great to hear.

00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:07.680
<v SPEAKER_00>You'd be surprised who knows you you're known worldwide.

00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:11.039
<v SPEAKER_00>Plus I have a lot of listeners in the UK that will hear this too.

00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:25.279
<v SPEAKER_01>It's a kind of it's a whole life story and it's about how I took a I took my family around the world in a yacht we went through the Panama Canal up to Los Angeles then over to Sydney so circumnavigated the globe.

00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:33.759
<v SPEAKER_01>And anyway the the book it's all about my music uh adventures and so on people I've worked with and Paul McCartney coming to dinner and all that kind of stuff.

00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:45.039
<v SPEAKER_01>Anyway it's it's called the closest thing to crazy nice title I don't know whether it was this it's the title of a song I wrote for a lady called Katie Mellua who had a lot of hits over here with on my label.

00:23:45.359 --> 00:23:45.599
<v SPEAKER_00>Okay.

00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:48.000
<v SPEAKER_00>Can you tell us where we can find it?

00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:52.880
<v SPEAKER_01>And uh so the closest thing to crazy is um I don't know whether you'd get it on Amazon over there.

00:23:53.039 --> 00:23:57.119
<v SPEAKER_01>Probably it'd have to be amazon.co.uk if anybody was curious.

00:23:57.519 --> 00:24:04.079
<v SPEAKER_00>I'm sure a lot of them will be also do you have a website where people can find you and get more information.

00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:22.319
<v SPEAKER_01>Yeah that's nice of you to ask well my website is micbat.com and the bat is with two T's so M-I-K-E-B-A-D-T.com and it's quite comprehensive it's got a projects section that uh you click on and it gives you loads of stuff about the things I've done.

00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:25.920
<v SPEAKER_00>That's great to know I'm sure a lot of people will check it out.

00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:30.880
<v SPEAKER_00>Now about your book will they be able to buy the book from your website as well?

00:24:31.599 --> 00:24:47.359
<v SPEAKER_01>Well actually we are offering signed copies from the from from the website yes um hard hard copy and it's actually about to come out in paperback so if they can't well I they can't they peop anyone can get it from micbat.com.

00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:59.359
<v SPEAKER_01>I'm sure um I know that amazon.co.uk have got it but whether they would have it in the States or I mean I've got quite a big following in say Germany Austria Switzerland and I I don't even know whether it's on that Amazon.

00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:07.200
<v SPEAKER_01>You know I know I never know quite know how the Amazon are linked around the world but uh hopefully uh anybody who's that interested might be able to find it.

00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:12.000
<v SPEAKER_01>But as you say, yeah ultimately if they just go on my website uh we we'll send them a copy.

00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:13.440
<v SPEAKER_00>That's great to hear.

00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:21.680
<v SPEAKER_00>So this has been great great conversation great information I really enjoyed this conversation and thanks for joining us today.

00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:24.559
<v SPEAKER_01>You too Tony it's been really really really great.

00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:49.519
<v SPEAKER_00>Yes I've enjoyed it thanks again thanks for joining us today we hope you enjoyed the show this has been a Tony Mantor production for more information contact media at plateau music.com