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Hi Exploders, this is a great interview with the voice of rock John Lawton. After the italian gigs The Rock Explosion reached John to ask some questions about past, present and future times. John was Lucifer's Friend and Uriah Heep singer and now he's return with his own band and a new album titled "Sting In The Tale" to rock again, again and again!

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First of all, congratulations for your new CD, it's really great! How is going with your new record company? I think they really didn't make so big an effort to publicise your new release all over the world: for example here in Italy it is very difficult to find...
Thank you…The new album "Sting In The Tale", is released by Classic Rock Productions. They are not really a record company like EMI or others. They are basically a company that puts out re-mastered products etc.…As well as DVD's. The DVD "Shakin The Tale" will be released by them…

Why did you decide to produce it by yourself and gave up with the idea to call an outside producer?
I have been in the business for many years and now I find it easier to put my ideas across, rather than let someone else doing it. Plus we had a budget and name producers do not come cheap (laughs)...

Your career like a soloist has been quite discontinuous. Do you reckon 'The John Lawton Band' is the your right dimension?
At the moment, it feels good. I have some great musicians in the band and we work well together plus, the music is good. Who knows were we will go from here (laughs)...

Can you tell us something about your new band? How did you find the musicians?
Well, Steve Dunning (bass) and I have worked together fore the last couple of years…Erol (guitar) came to one of our gigs, which was cool, as we were looking for a guitar player at the time. He gave me a demo and bang he got the job J) Benjy (drums) I have known about for quite a while, I asked him to do some shows and he stayed. Leon (keys) came via Erol, Leon is also a great guitar/bass player…

What made you decide not to include any of Uriah Heep songs in your concerts bills? To say the truth, they are not playing songs like 'Free me' or 'Free n' easy' for ages, and I think your fans will appreciate them…
Well it's difficult, I have been playing Uriah Heep songs in the live set since 92' and now that we have a CD out with all new material on it, I think it's better not to include Heep songs. There are times when I might decide to throw in something J but it's nice to be able to play the new CD….

Let's make a step backwards to 35 years ago. Would you like to tell us something about your first period with Stonewall? Which kind of music did you play the most? Is there any of your unreleased material around?
Stonewall was a band put together from some of the musicians in South Shields (Newcastle) to try and get a record deal. We had some great guys in there and we played the Top Ten Club in Hamburg a couple of times. We had a record deal on the table, but I met my future wife while I was in Hamburg and decided to stay. Unfortunately, there are no recordings of Stonewall, good band though…..

How did you meet the German band Asterix (then Lucifer's Friend)? How was the market in music field at the beginning of the '70s in Germany? You were pretty heavy but there were that progressive and 'kracutrock' sounds which ruled, wasn't it?
Pretty bad J too many pop songs etc…Lucifers Friend went a little heavier and krautrock was born (laughs).

With 'I'm just a rock n' roll singer' your sound turned a little to prog-jazz. I don't mean to minimise your homonymous masterpiece in 1970, but I think is with this work and with songs like 'Banquet' and 'Mind Explosion' that Lucifer's Friend did reach the top. Do you agree with me?
I agree, Mind Explosion is a good album, but Banquet is my absolute favourite…

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What do you remember about a project called 'Butterfly Ball' with Roger Glover, David Coverdale, Glen Hughes, Ronnie James Dio, John Gustavson and all the others? An awesome 'all star' team…
Ah great night, standing on the same mike as David Coverdale and Glen Hughes, performing with some of my idols... Great memories…

But let's speak now about your entry in 'Uriah Heep'. Was it difficult to go from a 'cult band' to one so well known as Uriah Heep?
In the beginning, it was a bit difficult. Not the music, but having to fill the shoes of David Byron. He was great frontman and singer, but after a while I think the fans came to accept me. They are still a good band….

How is Ken Hensley? Someone dared to describe him like an egocentric?
Ken is a great musician and songwriter, he has his moments, the same as we all do.

Why your experience in Uriah Heep lasted just for 3 albums and not more?
I think after Fallen Angel, our musical tastes had changed. Ken was writing more songs like "Free Me" and really we should have gone back to the kind of music, which made the band great. It's a pity, but it happens a lot these days.

A naughty question! When you came back with Lucifer's Friend (1981), you recorded 'Mean Machine', a powerful album but, in my opinion, not so well done as the others. Did you mean to get closer to the newborn Heavy Metal trend?
Well we tried (laughs), it was the first time we had recorded outside of Germany. I think some of the songs on that album, were excellent. Maybe not so well produced as other albums , but never the less I like it.

Do you still hear from Hesslein, Horns and the other guys? Do you think it will be possible a re-union with 'Lucifer's Friend'?
Yeah we speak a lot and we see each other, everytime we are in Hamburg. Re-union (laughs), watch this space…

What was not working in your project 'Rebel'? Why did it end up so early? The album seemed to be good…
Hey I was only supposed to be there to produce the 1st album and only finished up singing with them because the original singer could not get it together in the studio. I had other things to do and didn't really have the time to carry on with them…

Between 1984 and 1990 you took a break. What did you really did during that period?
I took time off for my family, did lots of session work and the occasional gigs, I needed a rest.

In the past 90's you recorded some albums with the Gunhill. Can you talk about this band; they were mostly like a band just for fun, am I wrong?
It started out as just for fun. We only recorded 2 albums "One Over The Eight" and "Nighheat" After all the original guys had left, there didn't seem much point in keeping the name…Nice memories.

In 2000 you recorded a live with Ken Hensley. Why didn't you take the decision to go on and record a studio album?
Well, that was the plan, but it didn't last that long. We parted before we got that far (laughs)...

Amongst all your albums, which is the one you feel closer to? And which one do you think is the best?
Closest to is probably "Firefly"... It was the first album with Heep and meant a big change in my life. Favourite, is definitely "Banquet" just because I love the songs and it was so good to sing…

Amongst all the groups of these days, is there anyone you particularly like?
There are not many new bands I like these days, I still go for Glen Hughes, Purple, Aerosmith, ZZ Top etc..

Your opinion on Napster and all the downloading programs in the Internet…
For some musicians it's a problem, but hey its gonna happen anyway…

In 35 years being interviewed, is there something you wished to be asked but no one did really ask you!
No, you have asked them all (laughs).

Final words...
I really hope that the John Lawton Band (JLB) can come and o so more concerts in Italy. It's a great live band and should be seen…Take care see you soon.

Intervista realizzata da Andrea Zazzarini.
Traduzione di Laura Delnevo e Francesco Montalto.
Supervisione di Margherita Realmonte.
Photos 1-2 by Renate Fischer.

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