SPOTLIGHT
A staggering 53 million records, countless Grammy Awards, six Ameri- can Music Awards, the title of BMI Songwriter of the Year Award, a Hit Maker Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and a coveted star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. This would certainly a superstar make. But it’s his humility, accessibility and—now—his versatility that has us intrigued once again. Recently, The Rage Monthly had the opportunity to discuss his latest branch into the music realm, One World One Love, in which he collaborated with a number of exciting talents, including award-winning icons Lady GaGa and Ne-Yo.
The Rage Monthly: It has been a while since the last straightforward pop album…why that length of time? Michael Bolton: While working on projects, I don’t really look at a timeline as that big a part of the
process as much as I look at the body of music I’m approaching. And then, I go into kind of a homework/ study/research of that body of music…You will get pressure from the labels to have it in stores by a certain time, and there’s solicitation realities, doors close by this date and you have to get to retail by that date. But, I’m usually already deep into the recording process and that seems to have a life of its own and a timeline of its own. So, I didn’t really plan on five years before a studio album. It went through a few different kind of manifestations beginning with a combination of major soul covers to half originals. And then, when the originals starting coming I started writing with a lot of these new young artists/writer/ producers, the label started getting more excited about the original material than the covers, so I started writing more. So, the process then suddenly changed and the project changed. I wanted more tempo in it. I wanted it to just kind of give you the sense of something…uplifting and hopeful.
Rage: We could certainly use some of that right about now! MB: In the last three years or so of touring, I was definitely reacting from my observation of the hardship people are all experiencing. And not just middle America where three generations of families who had businesses are having to close their doors. I just felt like the world doesn’t need more serious subject mat- ter, and part of my job and part of my gig is to make people feel good about their concert experience... the live experience... and that’s been a pleasure. It reminds me that this is my responsibility from the second I walk on stage to the second I leave.
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RAGE monthly | SEPTEMBER 2010
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