ShareRussell Watson, an English tenor, chats with Kevin Cooper about his Q & A sessions, working again with Aled Jones, keeping Shaun Ryder under control and his 2024 Magnificent Buildings Tour.
Russell Watson is an English tenor who began singing as a child.
He came to attention in 1999 when he sang the National Anthem at The Rugby League Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, Barcelona at the last match of the Premiership Season between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford and a full set of songs at the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final in Barcelona between Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
His debut album The Voice was released in May 2001 which was very successful and put him in the front of the public’s attention. He has since released thirteen subsequent albums.
The release of his fifth album in 2007 was postponed because he was diagnosed with a benign pituitary tumour. Later the same year it was discovered that there had been a re-growth of the tumour and bleeding on his brain. After emergency surgery he underwent an extensive rehabilitation programme.
In 2008 he released his autobiography Finding My Voice. He has also released his follow up book, Encore: My Journey Back To Centre Stage, earlier this year.
Whilst in the middle of his Magnificent Buildings Tour Russell Watson took some time out to have a chat with Kevin Cooper and this is what he had to say.
Russell, good afternoon, how are you today?
I’m very well thank you for asking Kevin but more to the point, just how are you today?
I’m okay thank you and before we move on let me firstly thank you for taking the time to speak to me today.
Not a problem. I know that you have been trying to put this together for a good few years now so let’s make the most of our time together, I have to thank you for your persistence and let’s crack on (laughter).
We have to talk about your current Magnificent Buildings Tour. How is it all going?
At this moment in time, I have to say that all is going well, touch wood. As you know, we started the tour last year and it was so successful that I was supposed to go back into theatres this year, but the tour was so successful, and we all got along so well, especially the team that I was working with, that we decided to continue with the tour and run it on into this year. And I have to say that it has been equally successful this year. So yes, we are absolutely loving it. If anyone wants to buy tickets for the show at Southwell Minster on Saturday 30th November, they will need to be quick as well, and I’m not just saying that. There are not a great deal of tickets left, and I have to say that it is going to be a great night.
We have mentioned the fact that you will be performing at Southwell Minster; have you ever visited the Minster before?
No, never, so this will be a first for me.
I have to tell you that whilst the Minster is an imposing feature in the centre of the town it is bloody cold in there.
(Laughter) that’s alright lad, I’m from Salford (laughter).
What can we expect?
There are certain things that I suppose that I could say which would fit the criteria straight away so; you can expect the big arias, but also some of the big musical theatre numbers. Bring Him Home is one that gets the required response. There will be some of the big numbers from Phantom Of The Opera, and then the big classical arias as well, the ones that everybody expects will be in there too, with a few little surprises as well. We like to keep things quite light-hearted. There will be a lot of singing, together with a lot of merriment. We have occasionally done a little question and answer section in the show, which lasts around five minutes, in which we throw the opportunity out to the audience to ask me any questions that they might want to ask me.
I have been told that things don’t always go according to plan.
(Laughter) just who the hell have you been talking to (laughter). Yes that’s quite right, we stopped doing it for a while because we introduced it into the Up Close And Personal tour that we were doing at the time, and I was thinking let’s do a little Q&A section and I was expecting something along the lines of, “Russell what was it like when you first sang at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II” or “Russell how was it when you did the opening ceremony of The Commonwealth Games with Her Majesty The Queen in attendance with a world-wide audience of one billion people watching live on television” but no, no, the very first question was “Russell what shoe size are you” (laughter). You simply can’t write that can you (laughter).
I recently went to a Q&A with Nick Cave and there was a lady in the audience who had obviously done all of her homework, or at least she thought she had. She waxed lyrically for a good fifteen minutes about the surname Cave after which Nick Cave looked at her and said, “thank you for that but I have to tell you that Cave is not even my fucking name” (laughter).
(Hysterical laughter) it’s not my fucking name, brilliant (laughter).
Who will be performing with you on the tour?
Well, the team in itself there is probably twelve of us in total. With regard to musicians, it is me and my pianist Mike Moran, who is a renowned pianist. I mean Mike has played with all the greats, but he is most probably better known for playing keys for Freddie Mercury, during his solo career. Mike wrote the hit song Barcelona, and also being the runner-up in the Eurovision Song Contest with Rock Bottom with Lynsey de Paul. So, it will be me and Mike on stage; it is an intimate show. These places don’t lend themselves to big stages and all of the appropriation of wings, lighting and all the rest of it, so we decided that just me and Mike, and it is going really well.
Whose idea was the tour?
It was actually a combination of mine and my wife. We were out for a day out in Chester, and we happened upon Chester Cathedral. We went in and we got chatting to the chap at the front who was organising the collections, who recognised me and jokingly said, “are you going to give us a song then” to which I replied “no, but that’s not a bad idea” (laughter). I said, “do you have performances here” and he said, “yes, we do, we do book artists” (laughter). And that was it, we booked a show there and it worked out to be relatively pain free to do it, and Louise suggested that we try organising a few shows and it kind of grew and grew and grew. As I said earlier, we did it last year and it was so successful that we have run it through into this year.
Do you have any pre-show rituals?
I’m a stickler for, how can I put it, not tradition but keeping things the same. I can see everybody else looking at me whilst I am still walking around six or seven minutes before the show starts and I am still in my jeans and a t-shirt or a pair of shorts and a tracksuit top and everybody else is in their suits, their dresses or whatever. As soon as it is five minutes before the show is about to start, which is when the suit goes on and that is when the adrenalin starts to kick in. If I put it on too early, I just feel like I burn myself out. I then start to put on what I call my battle gear. So yes, that is one of my rituals.
Also, I know that it sounds weird again, but I dress from the left; left leg from left trouser, left arm of shirt, left arm of jacket, and then the left foot in left shoe, and the tie always goes on last. That’s how I do it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not thinking, ‘oh if I don’t do this, I am going to have a terrible show’ it is just tradition really. It’s just the way that I do things.
What do you do to look after the voice?
Everything (laughter). It really is non-stop. Sometimes I just think, ‘this is a bloody nuisance’. I have to keep it warm so whenever we have a day that is nice and cool, and I want to go outside and breath in the fresh air I have to wrap a scarf around my mouth in order to keep the bloody thing warm. Cold drinks are a no-no. I try to avoid drinking any milky drinks and dairy products; I generally avoid them. I try to stay away from anybody who has any signs whatsoever of any kind of a cold or infection. It really is non-stop. Too much talking isn’t good for the voice either, too much air conditioning isn’t good for the voice, you need to drink lots of water whilst staying away from alcohol; it really is never ending. For God’s sake, why can’t this thing just work (laughter).
I hear that you have got someone special with you on the tour?
I have, that’s right; I have a fabulous guest artist by the name of Nancy May who is a soprano with a truly wonderful voice. We actually do a duet together during the show and I have to say that she really is a superb singer.
I am going to refer to him as your gun for hire, Aled (Jones) recently did a tour of churches, which went really well. Is there any chance that we will be seeing the two of you working together again?
Aled and I were talking only three days ago about it actually and the answer is yes, there is a chance that we could be working together again. At this moment in time let’s just say that we are chatting. We talk all the time; Aled is one of my very, very few industry confidence friends for want of a better word. So yes, there is a chance that we could, but I’m not sure as to exactly when it may happen. It won’t be next year, that’s for sure, so watch this space, we are still talking.
I actually photographed and reviewed the two of you here in Nottingham at the Royal Concert Hall on the Back In Harmony Tour in 2019. And I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Back In Harmony, goodness me, well thank you. We have such good rapport together, Aled and I. We get along very well, and we have been mates for a long time. None of it is forced, we weren’t thrown together as a, ‘let’s see how this works.’ We have been mates for years and I think that you can see that when we are together on stage. We have a laugh together, we don’t take ourselves too seriously, and we enjoy singing together which is the most important thing.
I posed the question of whether or not the two of you were gunning for Mr (Michael) Ball and Mr (Alfie) Boe’s title because they appear to be the new Robson and Jerome (laughter).
No (hysterical laughter) and look what happened to them (laughter). Speaking of which, that fishing programme that Robson does I really do love that. I think it’s called Extreme Fishing. Having said that, it’s not my favourite. My favourite one, and we are going totally off piste here, but I love that (Bob) Mortimer and (Paul) Whitehouse: Gone Fishing; it is my favourite programme on TV. I love the sentiment behind it, I love the chit-chat that the two of them have, and I just love the beautiful British scenery together with the lovely music. It really is melancholic; I really do like that programme.
You have briefly mentioned the latest album, what can you tell me about it?
What can I say about the new album? Well it is very different from anything that I have ever done before. It was written by a lady called Helen Jane Long, who worked on the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. She has done lots and lots of different stuff over the years. She wrote the theme tune for the Mercedes Benz F1 team; she has had TV adverts galore, she has worked with Disney, so yes, she is a very strong writer, and we have collaborated in order to put this album together and that is all that there is at the moment. All that I am going to say is that it is different from anything that I have done before. It is really sounding fabulous.
When are you hoping to release the album?
Well potentially mid-November but as you know these things take time, so we have no solid date as yet. Having said that, I am hoping to release the album mid-November.
Do you have a title as yet?
The title of the album at the moment is Shine.
Do the acoustics in these magnificent buildings in which you are performing cause you any problems?
Not me, not for my big, noisy voice, but it can be a nightmare for the sound engineers but that’s their problem isn’t it (laughter).
I did keep my eye on the tour dates as I was hoping that you would be performing at Derby Cathedral once again after last year’s sell-out performance.
As you rightly say, we did play Derby Cathedral last year and I have to say, that was a fantastic gig by the way. We had Derwent Brass with us as well, a truly wonderful brass band and it really was a super, super night. We would have loved to have gone back there straight away, but you really do need time in-between each show. It’s not advisable to do a gig and then immediately return the following year. People see the show advertised in the local paper and say, “we saw him last year, he was good but we saw him last year so we will wait until the next time that he is on”. We are aware of that, and for me, it is all about building a longevity in a career, and it is all about making the right decisions with regards to everything, touring, the repertoire, everything.
Which album would you say changed your life forever?
That would have to be the very first one, The Voice without question. It was number one for fifty-two weeks. It was the first transatlantic number one in history from a UK artist; it was just everything about it. It was groundbreaking in that it was the first proper album release where there was diversity of the numbers on the album; you had Nessun Dorma and then further down the line on the record you had Ultravox’s Vienna together with a duet with Shaun Ryder, the two of us singing Barcelona (laughter). Then you had Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water; it was a real mix that somehow worked. When you look at it on paper, you would go no, but it was yes and it did work and it worked to great effect as well. So that record, the first one still remains my baby to this day.
How did you managed to keep Shaun under control?
The simple answer is that I didn’t (laughter). Shaun did exactly what Shaun wanted to do but I have to say that we got on just fine. I remember that it was back in the day when Jim Davidson had the big TV special on ITV and it was Saturday night TV. It was back in 2000 and Shaun and I were booked to do it and I was to sing the first verse, the first chorus and then Shaun was meant to walk on from the back of the studio floor, except I started singing the first verse, Shaun came on way before he should have done, walked up behind me and promptly grabbed my left arse cheek (laughter). Having said all of that we got on so well.
That first single off the album which was Barcelona, was one of the catalysts for a lot of the success that I had because it introduced me to an audience that otherwise I would have never likely have seen. I was eternally grateful for the opportunities that Shaun bought along with him together with the friendship that we forged as well. Shaun really was great to work with.
If I had to put you on the spot, what would you say has been the highlight of your career so far?
That, for me, is very difficult to say; in fact I would say that it is impossible. Singing for the Pope at The Vatican, the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games, the opening ceremony of the World Games, the performance at The Imperial Palace for the Emperor of Japan, singing at the Jubilee performances for Her Majesty the Queen on her Jubilee year in 2012; there really are so many that it is impossible. They are the immediate standouts. Singing at the Neu Camp stadium at the 1999 Champions League final, with Montserrat Caballe really was unbelievable. I still look back now and think, ‘wow’ (laughter).
Do you ever have to pinch yourself?
I used to at the onset of my career when I had just come out of the clubs. My career in many respects felt, at times, like the cart went before the horse whereas now it feels like the horse is most definitely in front of the cart proverbially speaking. It is something that at the time I felt like it was all very alien to me, and I felt in some respects, certainly at the start of my career a hint of imposter syndrome was going on. Now, I have kind of found my own niche in the market. I have found my footing with what I do; I am very confident with what I do. I think that 25 years in as a recording artist, I have earned the success that I have got.
What was the first record that you bought?
Don’t laugh but it was Christmas In Smurfland by Father Abraham and The Smurfs (laughter). However, the second one was Too Nice To Talk To by The Beat. I can’t lie, I have always wanted to say that was my very first record but unfortunately it wasn’t (laughter).
Who did you first see performing live?
That would most probably have been Madness in Manchester at the Apollo.
What was the last song or piece of music that made you cry?
So, what would that have been? The problem is that I cry very easily at music, but I think that it was a classical piece. I think that it is from a new movie called If and it was the theme tune to that movie. I don’t know why it made me cry; it actually made me feel rather melancholic. I wouldn’t say that I was in floods of tears, but it did bring a tear to the corner of my eye. I tend to find that with music, especially the more melancholic sounding classical stuff, with strings and the piano, which touches a nerve or something in me that brings a tear to the corner of my eye.
What is the one book that you think that everyone should read?
My autobiography (laughter). No, not really, I’m joking. There are a few books that everyone should read but there was one book, it’s one of those books and it’s strange but you can take from it what you want. I would like to say the Bible but not everybody is of the same mindset so, there is a book called The Little Prince, which is an old thing which resonates with me. I won’t tell you what it’s about, that’s for you to read it and find out. It’s one of those books that I think has many hidden meanings. It is a story that you can relate to life in general. There is a little animated movie which if you are reflective and sensitive to these types of things, then I think that The Little Prince is that type of book. There is a short, animated movie called The Red Turtle; the music is beautiful, but the animation is also lovely too. It’s kind of weird but in a nice way.
Are you still in touring mode or have you managed to wind down a little?
(Laughter) I am always in what I would call music mode, and entertainment mode. For me, it never really stops. I have been in the process of making an album, I have just released my memoirs, Encore: My Journey Back To Centre Stage, which is available from all good book shops by the way (laughter). I have been planning next year’s celebrations for my 25th anniversary, twenty five years of me being a recording artist and twenty five years in the music business. I released my first album The Voice back in 2000 and I have never looked back since then.
On that note Russell let me once again thank you for your time, it’s been absolutely delightful. Good luck with the tour.
It’s been an absolute pleasure Kevin and thank you so much, it’s been great talking to you. And don’t leave it so long the next time.
For tour details go to www.russellwatson.com
