SoundPress.net Feature Article: Nils Lofgren on Kweevak Radio! (Artist Interview)

NILS LOFGREN ON KWEEVAK RADIO:
Guitar Legend Pays Tribute to Neil Young; Opens Online Guitar School!
A SoundPress.net Feature Article by Rich and Laura Lynch

On August 27, 2008, legendary guitarist and E Street Band member Nils Lofgren joined Rockin' Rich Lynch for his second stint on the Kweevak Music Magazine Radio Show. In the informative 30-minute interview that followed Nils talked about performing with Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Ringo Starr; his new CD of Neil Young songs called The Loner: Nils Sings Neil; his online guitar school; and, reaching out to the Rolling Stones. Here's the transcript of that conversation.

(Photo by Mark Hendrickson)

Rich: Hey everybody! It seems good things seem to happen every four years: you've got the presidential election heating up, the summer Olympics just thrilled the world, and now for the second time since 2004 the return of the great, great Nils Lofgren to the Kweevak music magazine. Hi Nils, thanks for joining us again.

Nils: Hey Rich! It's great to be back, always thrilled to be on any kind of radio and letting people know about some new music. I appreciate it.

Rich: No problem. The show has grown mightily since you've last been on, we are on all over the world and I don't even think the satellite stations can claim that, so you'll be heard.

Nils: I love that. Thanks to the internet I've just, for 14 yrs now been off the grid without a record company, just making music and sharing it through my website nilslofgren.com. So, happy to spread the word globally whenever possible.

Rich: Nils, where were you, we needed you in Beijing for some ping-pong gold!

Nils: Yeah, I know! I just uh, you know, lately I've been a little road weary from 100 shows with E Street so they decided I'd better not divide my skills and just stick with the music.

Rich: Well that makes sense, I hear ya. I definitely did enjoy some of that ping-pong this time on the Olympics. We're gonna get into it right here. This interview's gonna combine some of my questions and some inquiry from the fans. I'm gonna combine them all together, Nils, for continuity's sake.

Nils: Sounds great.

Rich: Right off the bat, some people were concerned about your most recent Nils Note on nilslofgren.com - the way you'd mentioned "wrapping up" 40 years of touring. Now some people took that to imply that maybe you'll retire. You know what, after 40 years who could blame you?

Nils: Oh my God, I'm just getting started. I just - actually, it's a landmark that I'm proud that I made, 'cause I really wasn't thinking about it, I just realized 40's kind of a round number. And to be wrapping up 40 years on the road with touring on the road with, you know, to me probably I think one of the great bands in rock & roll history is, you know, a real gift and honor. I'm grateful. I just, I know there's a lot of great musicians that don't get an opportunity to play in bands like I have and I'm very grateful and hey, I just feel like the more I learn the less I know, so I feel like I'm - well I'm not JUST getting started but I've got a long road ahead of me and in no way shape or form would I consider retiring. First of all I can't afford to retire because you know I just, uh, I've been working, I've been doing my own music for 40 years, I'll get back to it when the E Street tour wraps up. But if I ever win the lottery and have that freedom, I just couldn't imagine not making music and moving forward 'cause I think emotionally and spiritually I would shrivel up and die. So I'll always, you know, health permitting I'll always be making music.

Rich: OK, well that's fantastic news and you know I figured as much. But you know sometimes the way things are worded you never know what's being written between the lines. So that's good news, Nils.

Nils: Funny, I don't pay attention to all the blogs and stuff, but I was just grateful I made 40 years on the road and God willing I feel healthy enough to have quite a run ahead of me, if health permits I don't see why not. So, sorry anyone took that the wrong way.

Rich: Well the real reason Nils is on the show today is to talk about the new CD The Loner: Nils Sings Neil. Nils, it was four years ago on the show that I asked you if you ever considered possibly putting together a compilation of the music of Neil Young and at the time you weren't too sure that was gonna happen but a lot has changed in 4 years. What can you tell us about the record?

Nils: Well it wasn't my idea, Rich, I woulda never thought of it honestly. I feel like Neil's done quite a fine job presenting all his songs. But my manager Anson proffered the idea, he pointed out the most popular items by far on the website in the last ten years have been my acoustic live CD and the acoustic live DVD with friends which you can get at nilslofgren.com, and he suggested I sing my favorite Neil Young songs. And I just didn't know if I liked the idea, because I know Neil, big fan of Neil's - he's done quite well without that. And there's an occasional cover here and there; Annie Lennox did a great version of "Don't Let It Bring You Down" (which I happened to play on the original, the piano part on After the Gold Rush). Anyway I spent two weeks singing about 30 Neil Young songs. I didn't record, I didn't go to my studio, I just sang to my dogs and cats. And after two weeks some of them stopped sounding like decent karaoke and started sounding like there was something special going on. When there was about a dozen of those I decided, if everything was live, no production, no overdubbing, in the spirit of the recordings I've done specifically with Tonight's the Night and After the Gold Rush, then maybe it'd have a good feel to it. Then sure enough after about a week and a half I had 15 things that felt right and decided my manager's idea was great and it was time to share it.

Rich: Well, we want to talk a little bit more about that. But now that this has been done, do you think there would be a possibility of a bookend companion CD of any of the other artists you might have played with?

Nils: Not really, again this was not my idea. The last thing on my mind, 'cause I'm still writing, I still have ideas for inevitably when I get off the E Street tour I'll get back to writing my own songs, and I have a notebook of ideas to explore. Fortunately I always get ideas! I don't like all of 'em (laughs) but if I plow through them I wind up coming up with a batch that I like to share. So no, I don't see myself becoming a cover artist. This is just a labor of love and a great idea that Anson had.

Rich: And I actually had just seen the review in Classic Rock magazine out of England and they also kind of were implying that at least the door is opened for maybe other projects like this, you know, but I understand that you want to push and promote your original music first because you are an original artist in your own right for, you know, all along additionally at the time of your career, so, very cool. I wanna talk about the album a little bit more. You know, I think Neil Young, when all is said and done you know, he just might be at the top of the list of singer-songwriters of all time. Just mainly because he's so prolific - you can always count on him for an album a year and always very varied, and just the variety of work that he's done.

Nils: I think when you get to that level of writing expertise, you've got very few masters like that that have a body of work to that extent. I mean, to me anyway - I've been in this 40 years professionally and fell in love with rock & roll as a classical accordionist when I was a young teenager through the Beatles. And I think the Beatles to me still have the greatest body of recorded music in history. But I think, you know, you got the Beatles, the Stones, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young - to me it's a very short list of people in that level of writing. There's many other great writers that have a good body of work but nothing that, to me, spans decades and decades like the people I just mentioned. Maybe the Beach Boys. But the thing about Neil and Bruce, for instance, they're still writing, they're still being current and prolific to this day which to me separates them and makes them exceptional.

Rich: Right, I think the thing that separates Neil is that there's like 40 years of work we've never even heard yet to come out.

Nils: Yeah, I'm hoping - actually it's funny because one of the songs I look forward to is a song called "Wonderin'" and we actually tracked it originally on the After the Gold Rush sessions and it never made the record and I've got my fingers crossed it might be the original recording we did on After the Gold Rush when I was 18 years old, might appear on this next compilation Neil puts out - but you know, like any creative person that's always evolving and changing so I just have to hold my breath and see what's actually on the thing when it arrives, I hope, this Christmas.

Rich: Yeah, now you kind of answered my next question. Do you think that there would be additional - and I wanted to say "Wonderin'," I heard some versions of that from Neil bootlegs from around '74 when they were out live doing it, a great sounding track and I love it on Everybody's Rockin' as well. Do you -

Nils: yeah we recorded it originally in March, I believe, of '70. I was 18 and thought it was a great track, hopin' it woulda been on the After the Gold Rush record. But that being said, hey, there's also a whole almost entire album of kinda island-type music we recorded in '82 or '3 before the Trans album came out. About 4 or 5 of those tracks wound up on Trans. That's not even gonna be on this first compilation because those are the later years. You know, I hope I'm around by the time he gets to that just to enjoy some of that great stuff I got to play and record and never have heard since.

Rich: Well that's cool, you've answered some of my questions already, so needless to say you're excited about the Archives that will be comin' out.

Nils: Of course. I just wish we could get it all at once.

Rich: Now the other album that you worked on notably was the Trans record and that was perceived from the '80s when you know Neil was thought of, or written to have lost his way a little bit - but I liked much of the stuff that came out during that era.

Nils: Well, that's just kind of a classic example of being a groundbreaking artist and being misunderstood especially by the record companies who, I believe at the time - I was so wrapped up in the tour and preparing for it that I knew there was some kind of battle going on about the release of Trans regarding it being considered "not Neil Young-like" but you know how incredible that after kind of inventing, creating all these machines that actually allow handicapped kids to control train sets and have a voice and a power and a say in an otherwise really compromised, challenged world, and to give these incredible machines and breakthroughs and technologies souls and voices and spirits and names and personalities, to me that was, I mean you couldn't have been more creative, and of course record companies are just interested in making - you know they wanna sound like your last hit so they can make money. They don't care about art. And I admired Neil for sticking to his guns and getting most of that stuff out and actually re-recorded one of my favorites, "Transformer Man," when we did the MTV Unplugged in the mid-'90s. So anyway, hats off to Neil, it was a rough chapter but fortunately he got that stuff out to share.

Rich: Yeah, I definitely love that record and you were actually on that tour with him too as well.

Nils: Yeah, we did six weeks in Europe, mostly stadiums, it was a great, great tour, crazy stuff, and had a ball, and another - well, all the outings with Neil have been memorable.

Rich: Hey Nils, let's continue to talk about - we are talking today to the great, great Nils Lofgren, most notably known for his work with Neil Young and his work in the E Street Band with Bruce Springsteen, solo artist in his own right, founder of the band Grin, so much going on and thank you, Nils, for being back on the show 'cause I always enjoy talking to you.

Nils: Well thanks Rich, I'm thrilled to be on your show and let people know what I'm up to. I appreciate the time.

Rich: Nilslofgren.com, The Loner: Nils Sings Neil is the new record - 15 tracks, authentic covers of Neil Young songs. I say that you "Nils-ified" them a little bit - there's some Nils Lofgren vocal nuance that maybe differentiates them from the originals. You're using a guitar that Neil Young gave you, you're playing also on piano that's very special to you, so it's a very cool record all in all. I liked it a lot. I'd like to ask you to tell me, you already mentioned one, maybe two other tracks that you really like on the album for any reason, for your performance or what it means to you.

Nils: Well you know it's strange: I sang about 30 songs and then started, I just sang for two weeks again to my dogs and cats, I didn't record, I just wanted to see which songs started feeling special. I played the song "Harvest Moon" on the Bridge benefit and also on the MTV Unplugged. It's one of my favorite songs that Neil wrote and for some reason I had it in my head I couldn't do it justice. And I really have to hand it to my wife Amy who kinda convinced me I needed to give it a try. We've taken trips before to just go see Neil for a weekend and we're both big fans and sure enough it turned out to be I think one of my best vocals. The whole record's live, there's no overdubbing, there's no production, it's all live at home and you know all of these are live performances. But "Harvest Moon" turned out to be one of my favorite vocals. Another one of my favorites: "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" which I played and sang on originally on After the Gold Rush. I had a version I liked and again I have to hand it to my wife Amy who encouraged me to kinda top it and do something she felt might be more authentic. She's not a musician, so she's just not burdened by all the minutiae of being a professional musician, and I gave it another poke on the piano and came up with a better version. It was a real labor of love between Anson and my wife Amy, I got some good feedback; again these are all live performances so once in a while I go back and just take another shot at something but those are two that come to mind.

Rich: Very good. I like "The Loner," "Mr. Soul," and the bottleneck intro in "World on a String." Nice work, Nils.

Nils: Yeah, thanks. "World on a String," did that originally live in the rehearsal hall to tape on Tonight's the Night. I sang it on piano, I sang it on guitar, and it just was too pretty. Didn't have the grit that the original recording I was on had. I thought I'd give a low-tuned open bottleneck Dobro a shot, and sure enough it got some of the nastiness it needed and came up with a take that felt right.

Rich: All right, Nils, a couple questions from the fans. Betenoir wants to know how was it like to be discovered by Neil Young at the age of 19, or how did that come about?

Nils: Well actually, I met him when I was 17. I hit the road with Grin in '68 at 17 and we were headed to LA, and snuck back on Neil and Crazy Horse at a show at the Cellar Door in DC. He was kind enough to give me a guitar - I mean LEND me a guitar to sing - I sang some Grin songs that were already written, and he liked them. So I watched four shows over two days in a nightclub. And he kept calling, and said look him up in LA, which I did, and thankfully his producer David Briggs moved me into his home and took my band under his wing. As we were making our rocky way with its ups and downs through the LA music scene, a year later when I was 18 years old he asked me to do the After the Gold Rush project. Played a lot of piano, guitar and sang; didn't own a guitar so he lent me a D-18 that he had been writing on, an old funky Martin, and when the sessions were over he gave it to me as a gift. Certainly my most cherished guitar, and the only and obvious choice to record Neil Young songs with.

Rich: Hey, Becmurr wants to know what Neil Young thought of you recording his tunes and if you've heard from him since its release.

Nils: I have not. I spoke with Neil as soon as the music was recorded and I knew it was gonna be a CD, as I was making plans to mix it and master it with Billy Wolf, a great engineer in Virginia. I talked to Neil at length about it, just wanted to get his blessing; he gave me some good pointers on the liner notes. I've since sent him an advance copy and the final copy; heard from his wife Pegi who liked it, and his manager Elliot. Have not heard from Neil yet; I'm not sure if he's heard it, 'cause I know he was right in the middle of preparing for a world tour in Europe. I hope if and when he does hear it, he'll recognize it as honest and sincere attempt to recreate his gorgeous songs. So I don't really know if and when he's heard it.

Rich: OK. Everybody, we are talking to Nils Lofgren discussing The Loner: Nils Sings Neil, Nils' new record, just one in a long line of discography that you've put out over the years. I'm a fan - I've got a lot of stuff. Hey, I wanted to ask you. American Beat Records had re-released Wonderland last year. Have you been happy with the results?

Nils: I was thrilled, yeah. It - they've been one of the few companies, you know, all along we've been trying to get the old music re-released, and the companies have said no and have not given us a good reason. So I was impressed that American Beat got Wonderland out. That's one of my favorite records. That was another record where all the vocals are live in the studio, bass drums and my main guitar tracked live as a power trio. So it's got a special vibe and feel, and that was another thematic, sing live record. So that was really cool, and I hope they have some more success with it. I know they're trying, but for some reason the companies are resistant to re-releasing my stuff. But hey, you know, I just carry on. I actually just, on my website nilslofgren.com, I got a new project going. I started a beginners' guitar school for all the people that think because they have no talent or rhythm they're not allowed to play guitar for fun. So they're hour lessons, you can download every few weeks; I try to give people stuff they can do that's fun immediately with one finger while you're navigating the more difficult gymnastics for the hands, which inevitably is learning guitar.

Rich: Right. Well, I was just about to move into the guitar lessons discussion, because I did see you on "The View" teaching Whoopi Goldberg a little bit. Was she a good student?

Nils: She was! I mean, to have four minutes isn't a lot of time, and she did pretty good. I hit her with some rhythm, I hit her with the first blues position lead, and she handled it really well. That's the thing, I mean inevitably you've got to practice and get frustrated, your hands will cramp, so I try to show people things to do with one finger and jam along with me each lesson just to keep 'em engaged and remind 'em it needs to be therapeutic and fun. 'Cause you know, everyone's pressed for time, and got, you know, kids, sick parents, crazy bosses, nutty jobs, I mean it's just a crazy planet. So I'm trying to break it down and let people have fun as they navigate the hard work of learning an instrument. Because if you can enjoy it, that'll keep you engaged and it's a beautiful, therapeutic hobby.

Rich: And people can go back over and over to your one-hour downloadable videos, I mean, once they get it they own it. Is there any interaction with you as a teacher?

Nils: Well you know what, people are sending me emails and I try to respond to each one of them with just little pointers and tips or oddball questions, so I've been pretty successful at staying in touch with fans that have other questions. I think there's six lessons now, and once this tour's over I'll get to the next batch and just try to keep 'em coming.

Rich: Now you currently have a beginner and an intermediate section on there. Do you figure you'll be getting into advanced levels as time goes on?

Nils: Well, everyone, most people that get the intermediate lessons, there's only four of them, they've felt that they were really advanced lessons. They kind of disagree with the title. But. (clears throat) That's a small point. They are for people that play. But you know what, I break things down so slowly that anybody who plays a bit might benefit from the intermediate lessons. The next big intermediate lesson, probably take two or three of them when I get off the road, will be the "Because the Night" solo I've been breaking out pretty regularly with the E Street Band that's getting some attention. It's a song I've played and a solo I've crafted, you know at least the touchstones of it, pretty much improv and played at my own shows actually for a number of years. So it's great to be in front of the E Street Band with Bruce singing and get to break out that solo pretty regularly on our tours. And that'll be the next intermediate lesson.

Rich: That's cool. We want to get to some Magic tour highlights in the next section. We've got a few more questions about your guitar lessons that are available online at nilslofgren.com. SonsOfBeaches wants to know: have you ever in the past given or received guitar lessons?

Nils: You know, when I was a teenager I briefly gave a few lessons at home, way back in the sixties. When I moved from classical accordion over to guitar my brother Tommy started showing me chords in the house, he was my first teacher, did a great job. And then briefly for about three months I took lessons from Scotty Ball who wound up playing bass in my first solo bands, he was a hotshot guitarist locally, and a great teacher named Bill Singer who gave me a few months of lessons and really really - I learned a lot from Bill just between studying the Hendrix and Clapton leads, and learning "Chet Atkins picks the Beatles." "Can't Buy Me Love" was a huge enormous hard work, a month of hard work learning how to fingerpick, with interdependent rhythms in your fingers, which to this day is a huge part of my style. Roy Buchanan, one of my local heroes, that's where I heard harmonics sound like bells. And even though Roy played with a flat pick and showed me how to do it I couldn't do it his way. I was able because - more inspiration than anything - just because I got to see him play a lot and actually play with him a bit, I figured out how to make those bell-like sounds with a thumb pick. So I kinda came up with a bouncing harmonic style, which is actually my second intermediate lesson on the nilslofgren.com site. But it's all good stuff, I feel like 40 years on the road I've got a lot to share. Between ten years of classical accordion, and all these years on the road and some great guitar teachers briefly when I started, I feel like I have a lot of knowledge to share and I'm gonna try to do that through the guitar school.

Rich: Very cool. That kinda sums up a bunch of the other questions I had. You've got the good qualities, sounds like you've got a ton of experience, you've got a lot you want to share, you're breaking it down slowly, it sounds like you're patient and you're accessible if people have questions, which is really cool. I mean who else can say that?

Nils: Well, it's something I've found that - I did the first rock & roll fantasy camp, actually Clarence was with me in the early nineties. I found out there that if I'm sitting around with a room of like a dozen students that are anxious to learn, it doesn't matter what their level is, I've got something to show 'em. And I learn too. It's just kinda great to revisit how you're doing things, and gives you fresh perspectives, because hey, I'm learning something too.

Rich: Hey, I picked up a VHS of yours a while back where you taught some electric and acoustic rock guitar. But I imagine that the Internet age, things are a little more dynamic.

Nils: Well listen, I've got a great camera, I don't know much about technology but I record the lessons, make sure it sounds and looks okay, and then Dick and Linda Bangham who run my nilslofgren.com website are kind enough to put it together and get it out and available. You know, I'm just barely answering emails now. But it's a great tool, it's allowed me to kind of forge a path without record companies and kinda be independent and not be burdened by the music industry and all the craziness of that, and get to just do things I'm proud of and share it.

Rich: All right, Nils. Thanks for talking about that. I'd like to ask you just a couple more questions if I could.

Nils: Yeah! I got about five more minutes, they're all yours.

Rich: OK. In 2006 I got to speak to Billy Squier fresh off his tour with Ringo Starr and he sounded like he had a great time as the role of guitar player in the band, something you did twice. Can you tell us a memory from your experience of playing with Ringo?

Nils: Well, thanks to Bruce again, on the Born in the USA tour after the show at Wembley Stadium we went to Ringo's birthday party late at night. There was a big jam session, got to play with him, and got to talk to him in the wee hours and he gave me his number, said stay in touch. The Beatles are my heroes, that's how I discovered rock & roll; I still think they have the greatest body of recorded music in history. So I started calling him every few weeks to say hello. I was in England every year touring, and Ringo would come to the shows, and you know, in '89 he called and said he wanted me to be part of his first All-Starr Band and again in '92. Joe Walsh and I - another incredible guitar player that I love - got to be repeat members in those two bands. That was a dream come true to help one of the Beatles just get out and have some fun, which he'd never done, he'd never gone on a tour other than the Beatles. So to be part of his first two outings was a big honor and it was just a ball, incredible cast of characters. The style was round robin, so we all got to sing two or three of our own songs each night. It was just a very unusual, powerful band.

Rich: Your work with Bruce Springsteen is approaching the quarter-century mark. Out of all the tours you've done with Bruce, Nils, do you have a favorite, and why?

Nils: Oh, of course. I mean, always when you're with a band that's growing and evolving your favorite is the last one, which is this one we're about to wrap up. I think the band's never been in better shape. Bruce is now doing for the first time I've seen him in 25 years - in fact I used to buy tickets in the '70s, and I knew there was some improv in the show, but nothing like this! I mean the whole set's an improv. He's dragging 30 signs out of the audience and rifling through them like a college kid looking for a clean shirt, trying to pick the next song. You know, he's got a - he's not burdened by decades or projects, he just, you know, will do anything and everything. We're doing cover songs, we're having band meetings in the middle of the stage to work out arrangements! It's just very unusual, something nobody's ever done in rock & roll and I'm proud to be a part of it. So absolutely, I think we're the best we've ever been and this certainly is my favorite tour although I've enjoyed 'em all.

Rich: Well, people think these shows got a lot looser since the passing of Danny. Now did that, um - you know, how did you guys cope with that and did that change the chemistry in the E Street Band at all?

Nils: Well, listen, it's a brutal loss, it's a new experience. I mean, I lost a bass player I'd been with for ten years - Wade Matthews - a few years ago in my solo bands, and losing Danny was brutal. Honestly, having shows to navigate the grief has been a huge help. Charlie's done an amazing job, I just couldn't ask for a better guy to step in there. Nevertheless it's a big loss, and we're feeling it. I couldn't ask for a greater way to navigate the grief than to have these great shows with the great audiences that have been showing up.

Rich: And it seemed like you had a great time on the tour. You got to really jam out a lot on "Prove It All Night," "Tunnel of Love" was back in a lot of shows, "Because the Night" as you've already mentioned, you were spinning around, the flips were back, it just seemed like you were having a ball, Nils.

Nils: Yeah, well, actually the flips were a forward dive roll, but um, that's a little minor gymnastic title. You know, people always tend to see the big solo things as, you know, honestly I'm - you know putting the heaviest strings you can buy on a Jazzmaster and with a thumb pick that's like a board pounding 'em and playing the rhythm to "Born to Run" to me is just as exciting as playing the "Because the Night" solo. And I'm doing stuff like that the whole night, so even though I might not be up front playing the solo I'm down in it. I love the music, I love the challenge, I love every little part I'm playing whether it's a shaker or tambourine, pedal steel, Dobro, whatever. I'm in it. And I love Bruce and the music, real proud of the band, and you know, just grateful - this latest chapter I think is our best.

Rich: Some fans are concerned with the proposed departure of Max, you know, next year to join Conan on the "Tonight Show" in June, that the band is gonna be changing in some way. And they also think there might be another gathering in 2009 to send that off. Any clue if that might happen?

Nils: Oh man, I don't have a clue. I, I mean right now I'm just focused on doing a good show this Saturday night -

Rich: I know it's hard to ask you that, just coming off 100 shows in almost two years on the road -

Nils: Well I mean, you know, listen. I don't think, since even before I joined the band, especially now, I mean - I don't know any adult, especially with three teenagers, that can tell you what he's gonna be doing in 13 months.

Rich: Absolutely.

Nils: Or probably what they're doing in 13 days, so. You know, as always, way before I was in the band, the focus is finishing this tour - I mean, health permitting - of course! I'm a fan too, I mean, who wouldn't hope there's another chapter? But honestly, there, this just would be impossible to, at this point, have any future plans or even hope or count on them or count them out. I mean, it's just not an appropriate, to me, question - it's just a "what if" thing right now.

Rich: Right. I hear that. But you know that the, uh, you can understand the fans' concern when they start to connect the dots -

Nils: Oh, listen, I'm a fan too, I'm right with 'em! But my point is, you know, I've long ago realized that - I mean, when Bruce and Jon Landau make an announcement, then that's something I get excited about. Until then I just ignore the rumors.

Rich: Very good. Will you be going on the road to support The Loner at anytime in the future?

Nils: Well, what I'm hoping is, you know, early next year I'll get out and do shows of my own. I've been doing a lot of acoustic duo shows and certainly all these Neil Young acoustic versions would lend themselves to my solo shows, and I'll fit some of those in. Just not exactly sure when I'll get back out there, but I'll keep everyone posted through nilslofgren.com.

Rich: Hey Nils, is it true that you sent correspondence to the Rolling Stones around the time of Mick Taylor's departure, to let 'em know about your availability? I thought I had come across that a couple of times.

Nils: Well, the truth is I knew Ronnie Wood was the guy, and after a month went by with no announcement I got Ronnie on the phone - 'cause I used to open for the Faces and was kind of a teenage guitar groupie of Ronnie when he was in the Jeff Beck Group, so I had a history with him - and he was very open and kind to let me know he'd turned the job down. He actually got me in touch with Keith at his cottage, and Keith was incredibly - I mean, he didn't know me, and he was very kind and said yeah, we want Ronnie, he won't do it. We're gonna have open auditions with the whole band, you can be one of many many guitar players, come on down. He was very sweet about it. I knew Ronnie was the guy, but at the time he'd turned the job down, I wanted to just - for my own love of the Stones - go on record as saying look, if you need a guitarist, I want an audition. Just because I love their music. What happened was what should have happened, Ronnie changed his mind and took the job, which really, he belonged in. But that was the truth to that story - thanks to Ronnie and Keith being so frank and honest, I was able to at least say look, I love you guys, you're not gonna find a bigger fan that plays guitar. If you need somebody, let me come to the auditions and Keith said fine. Those auditions never happened, because Ronnie changed his mind and took the job that belonged to him anyway.

Rich: Hey, if the Stones ever, for whatever reason needed a guitar player to join 'em on another world tour, is that something you'd even consider?

Nils: (laughs) Well, look. If you'd get Mick and Keith and Bruce to promise never to work at the same time, and feel good about it, yeah, I'm there. (laughs)

Rich: OK, Nils. Thank you very much. (Nils laughs.) Get some rest too, ok?

Nils: Hey, thanks for letting people know what I'm up to, Rich. Greatly appreciate it.

Rich: OK. Love you man. Nilslofgren.com, everybody.

Nils: Hey, thanks so much, Rich.

Rich: OK. Have a great one, Nils.

Nils: All right. All the best. Thanks.

Your reading enjoyment made possible by Anne Haines
who did the quick and accurate transcription!

Related Links: For more information on NILS LOFGREN and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- NilsLofgren.com | Buy The Loner CD | Kweevak Radio Show

Nils Lofgren: The Loner CD!

(Originally Published on September 02, 2008)

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