Club Random with Bill Maher - Julian Lennon | Club Random with Bill Maher

Episode Date: September 17, 2023

Bill Maher and Julian Lennon on: Julian being compared to his famous father, the Peter Jackson documentary and George Harrison, Julian’s complicated relationship with his father, Julian’s recent n...ame change, the awesome benefits of living in Monaco, the peril of celebrity relationships, why comedians don’t get mobbed by fans, the lone wolf nature of being a comedian, Julian’s reason for stopping drinking, and Julian’s plans for a memoir.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 It would be a tragedy if we were losing one person to drug overdose every day. Even 5, 7, or 12 people. It would be unimaginable if 15 families a day received news of a lost loved one to overdose. But in Canada, we lose 20 people to overdose every single day. That's a crisis. At CAMH, we won't back down until there's no one left behind. Donate at CAMH.ca to help us treat addiction and build hope. Hey, you're laughing already. I didn't do anything. It's going to be great. How are you?
Starting point is 00:00:39 What a great pleasure. No pleasure for me. Well, please. I see you know where you're set. I do. I do. I hope that I didn't inconvenience your travel. I know you know live here. No. So you're here doing something. I know you didn't come all the way for me,
Starting point is 00:01:00 but whatever reason I'm thrilled you're here. I'm happy to be here. Okay. But I mean, you know, LA is not like some place you find yourself too often. I do. Oh, you do? Yeah. I see already.
Starting point is 00:01:14 I don't know that. Well, I used to live here, you know, 20, something years ago, just around the corner, actually, five minutes from here. Oh my God. I always thought you lived in England. No, no, no, I left England probably coming up to just after the first album, because when the first album took off, it really took off in America. Oh, I remember. So for me, it was logical.
Starting point is 00:01:48 I remember that. Well, I first moved to New York and then, then New York almost killed me. So, and that in fact, that was the last last and first time I saw you and met you. Was where? It was in New York. In the 80s? Yeah. At some theatre. That song was a theatre that was a club. I remember it quite vividly because you were talking about me coming on the show. Whichever show. Oh, that must have been the 90s. Pretty much politically incorrect. Yeah, probably. Yeah, I had no show in the 80s. Yeah, yeah, that's...
Starting point is 00:02:28 But I remember that song was ubiquitous when it came out. Which song? Too late for goodbye. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I remember you were on the cover of Rolling Stone, and of course they had to say, here comes the song, even though it's not a John Lennon song. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:02:43 So it doesn't really work. It's not as clever as they thought it was. No, of course. And it was to be expected, I think. And it was going to be a battle, not a battle, but something I had to be conscious of and trying to make a name for yourself in my position was very difficult. You did great. With a hand that you are dealt, that is some good things, it is extraordinarily difficult to be the son of a great man, no matter how great you are. You're almost in a no-win proposition.
Starting point is 00:03:27 Correct. You've got to belt an unwinnable hand. Correct. It's like you've been dealt a 21. If I live in that world, yes. Yeah, well, yes. But. Which I kind of do.
Starting point is 00:03:39 But I'm trying to extract myself from that. But I also think it's so smart to embrace the beetle pass because first of all, you're never gonna be gonna be get away with it. Of course not. And it's a great legacy. And you're an honorable, continue of it. I mean, you've made very good records.
Starting point is 00:04:01 It was never, you know. Not a lot of people heard them, but yes, thank you. I've heard them. Yeah. This is a few songs that I feel like, I'll tell you this, I would just watch the Peter Jackson one again. And don't let me down. It was never my favorite.
Starting point is 00:04:20 It's not terrible. It's still in my iPod. But it was just not my favorite. Maybe it's too repetitive or something, but your song, which is, I noticed you're not afraid to like it, which I like, because again, it's like you can't escape it, so embrace it. Love don't let me down. Oh yeah. I like that song better than don't let me down. Really? Yes.
Starting point is 00:04:48 Okay. Well thank you. But there's a couple of Jacob Dylan songs that I like probably better than his father's, you know. Well we all have our moments, you know. What are you saying? I'm crazy because I feel that way. No, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:05:05 You know, I... Remember the wall flowers? They were good. Yeah, they were. And he's a nice guy. You know, I do. He is. And I don't think you can dismiss, you know, the sons or daughters of, you know, artists,
Starting point is 00:05:20 especially if they picked up on a few things, you know. Yes. You know, I mean, it's been a long life and I've worked hard at what I do to write, to be a good songsmith, you know. You do something, maybe not as commercial as some, perhaps. Yeah. But I've stuck to my guns on that, so to speak. You know, I really, I've tried to be faithful to.
Starting point is 00:05:49 I'm similar, I'm not the most commercial, you know, really. And that's okay. It's better to have a great niche than a real. A big bunch of shit. Yeah, no, that's not, that's not, look, I'm not saying that people who have giant following can't also be good because they certainly can't like the Beatles. Sure, sure. No, of course.
Starting point is 00:06:11 No, it's funny. I watched that documentary a couple of nights ago. Which one? The one about George in living in a material level. Yeah, I did too. And yeah, it was quite shocking to see that whole episode at the end towards the end of his life. And really, I don't think I grasped it. Yeah, I didn't either. Fully before. And it saddened me that I didn't reach out more, you know, because this is the time between when he was stabbed and when he- Yeah, yeah, yeah. So he really-
Starting point is 00:06:48 I mean, we were close, but not the close, you know. Of course, yeah, well he's not like- Not being on the door. Like an uncle. Yes. Right. Kind of. No, I mean, this-
Starting point is 00:06:58 When you watched this Peter Jackson documentary- Yeah, yeah. You watched it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I saw the- The shorter version, the 100-minute version at the theatre when it was first being introduced and he was appeared at Jackson was introducing it. And you know, I went with Sean and I was unsure of how I was going to feel about all of it. Initially, I didn't want to go.
Starting point is 00:07:30 I just thought, I really don't want to be in the middle of this. But Sean said he was going, I said, all right, all right, well brotherly love will go, will stand united and will deal with whatever comes up. But again, to my point, you're always put in a corner because if you don't go, that looks bad. So you kind of have... I wasn't... Don't worry about that stuff, I thought.
Starting point is 00:07:53 Yeah, but you kind of have to... You look like a spoil sport, if you don't have it. Well, I'm trying not to worry about that stuff anymore. Right. Anyway, so you went. So I went. And I went and there was beyond surprise actually. I loved the fact that in the 100 minute version Peter Jackson was there commenting coming in about every 20 or 40 minutes or so. I don't know if you saw that. No, I didn. So he's sitting in a nice chair like this. We've all Beatles artifacts.
Starting point is 00:08:25 That's not a nice chair. It's comfortable. Yeah, it's comfortable. And he's got guitars and Beatles artifacts around him. And he's explaining certain setups and situations. And as each time you came back to him, which was every half an hour or so, 20 minutes half an hour, you know, he'd have a different guitar in a different position and the hair was slightly,
Starting point is 00:08:49 you know, bonkers like that. So he actually took the edge off of the whole, any stress that was there and allowed Sean and I and everybody else to relax in that circumstance. Let me tell you, as someone who is outside the circle, so you can get some information, you can't possibly glean being so close to it, just as a fan, a young man in the 22nd row, sees Marilyn as something more than sexual. Not just our Marilyn Monroe to me. Okay. That guy in the 22nd row, this documentary was very affirming because how can I anyone can watch it for nine hours? I did that after the fact. Okay, but I'm talking about the nine hour one. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:09:41 No, yeah. I want to. That is the entire month of January. It's January one. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That is the entire month of January. It's January, 1969. Yeah, yeah. Now, I don't know what happened before. I don't know what happened after, but I feel like I know where your father was in that month. Because there's a lot of footage. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:09:57 And it was, first of all, he and Paul McCartney are in love. Yoko, was she there all the time? Yes, he never even looks at her. He never talks to her. It's just like a potted plant. He's in love with Paul McCartney. They're, of course, because, first of all, they're working. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:10:14 So, but the whole thing is them and your father, certainly not on drugs. Yeah. You know, and happy. Yeah, yeah. Happy to be there and like like and working with his boys and it's what the thing was it reminded me of him, you know, when I saw him as a kid and and how it was it was a fond recollection because it was him being himself and being mad at bonkers and
Starting point is 00:10:44 smart and funny, and creative, and it just reminded me of the good things about him, because I'd lost a lot of that over the years, one way or the other, you know. Yeah, I mean, and it is, you could, look, just like a love affair, and I'm not saying this, there's a gay element here, they're just two guys who love each other. But you know, when people love each other, certain men and women, it's a lot of like inside jokes that, right, and just looks,
Starting point is 00:11:15 Paul and John are doing this to each other throughout the whole thing. They don't do it to the other two. No, no, no. And they have to certainly have to. They don't do it to their girlfriend. Linda comes in a little bit, but it's like they are just so third wheels.
Starting point is 00:11:31 It's their world, it was their world completely. That really was, I'm telling you, to the fan, to think that when we were told, there's so much bullshit, guess because I'm going to believe my lie in eyes so much bullshit that they hated each other. Oh, I know. And now at that moment, it's just there must have become a time in the hate because we have the evidence where your father wrote some songs. So like very mean. But it's obviously, again, it's more like a love affair. It's not apathy. It's like, I hate you. You don't want to be with me anymore. I mean, really?
Starting point is 00:12:11 No, I agree with you. It's a great love affair. And it didn't end just like a real love affair. It just couldn't go on, I guess. And it's funny. The older I get and the more that I meet Paul in our later years, the more I can see that from him, which I didn't get that much of earlier in life. But certainly, you know, I pulled it this whole National Gallery exhibition of all of his early pictures, which was, I went to the opening with Paul, that's me to come along and hadn't seen him for a long time except a random meeting in Heathrow Airport when we both had delayed flights. Apart from that, you know-
Starting point is 00:13:00 Paul McCartney flies commercial. He was in Heathrow Airport, yeah. Billionaire Paul McCartney. He's in Heathrow Airport, yeah. Billionaire, Home of Courtney. He was in the Heathrow Airport, sitting on his own, just chatting away with his iPods in some conversation. And a friend of a friend said, your uncle Paul's outside, and I said, what?
Starting point is 00:13:18 And so I sneak out, so I come up behind him and say, Paul, are you almost there? How the tech have got? And we sat there chatting away for a little bit. he got so I'd come up behind him and say, Paul, you almost said, ah, hard attack, of course. And we sat there chatting away for a little bit. Well, but you have so much history with that guy. I mean, and again. Yeah, but we've never, you know, it's weird. And I've said this a number of times that we're close,
Starting point is 00:13:38 but I would not that close. We, I mean, he know, we know a great deal about each other, but we've never even done this, you know, really? I mean, apart from that moment in Heathrow, and we keep saying that, and he keeps telling me, and we're going to try and push for this this year, sooner than later anyway, to actually, you know, he keeps telling me, I've got so many stories about your dad that I've never told anybody that want you to hear about. And, you know, he gave me some samples and I'd never heard before. But we just got to find the time and lock
Starting point is 00:14:18 in a time to do that. Do it like yesterday. I know, I know, I know. Really? Because I think also for him, because for him, I mean, just talking to you now, I mean, I never met you before for more than a minute. We never certainly talked like this. Certainly, yes.
Starting point is 00:14:33 But talking about, I see, it's the best of your father. Without any artist from your, you're not the trying. So for him, I think that would be such a delightful thing. The closest thing he'll ever have to talking to his old friend. And you turned out well. It's not like you turned out a narrative well, or full of yourself or any of the bad qualities. Just a bit more than spent.
Starting point is 00:14:56 Yeah. Same with all of us, but. Yeah. Nothing, I never read anything bad. Well, yeah. Back in the day. Why, were you naughty or something? No, not really. I mean, I had my- You got out of a limo and you're pussy-wish-rowing, you know. I had my
Starting point is 00:15:12 moments, but not quite like that. No, I was a bit of a naughty boy at times, but I was always concerned. I've, from day one, I've always been concerned about my mum. You know, mum was everything to me, Cynthia. Right. I mean, partly the reason why I am the way I am is because, you know, I wanted to hurt to be proud of me. And so I never wanted to do anything that would upset her. You know. And so that was a big focus for me throughout life, you know. It's amazing the way like parental cycles.
Starting point is 00:15:55 Now I fuck that sentence up. I'm going, but I'm saying, you're making it. That's all right. Do they go in cycles? You know what I mean? They're going, but I'm saying they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going,
Starting point is 00:16:11 they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going,
Starting point is 00:16:19 they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, they're going, No question about that. I mean, your father certainly was felt abandoned. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah. But in any kind of did it to you?
Starting point is 00:16:28 Yeah, I know. That's what I'm talking about, it's it. Yeah, I've said this before, but you know, that was one reason I didn't want to have kids in an early age. And you never had them? And you never had them? There's still time as far as I'm concerned.
Starting point is 00:16:46 But you so far you haven't? No. Me neither. See? Well, we're in some kind of club, I'm not sure that's random enough. 60 is the new childless. It is, absolutely. But you know, I just knew that cycle. But you won't. And I did say, yeah, I like it.
Starting point is 00:17:04 See, that's the difference. It's the one. I think I want one. I know I don't. Right. This is the one thing in my life that is so consistent. When I was a child, I didn't like children. And it just is a complete flat line through my whole life.
Starting point is 00:17:20 It never changed. Well, the only other choice is the if Sean beats me to the punch or pep or whatever you call it, then at least I can, you know, he doesn't have a kid either. No, but he's not a kid himself anymore. No, not at all. I would shocks me every time I speak. Right. What is he? 45 if yours up there? Yeah. Yeah. I can, I can't it's hurts my head. It's amazing that I'm still 40 in these people Because that's how I feel. Yeah, you look great for your age. I mean, I'm unbelievable Yeah, you don't have to be decrepit people think I hate that I do too. I really text me off What do you think about the people who say Biden is too old to run?
Starting point is 00:18:04 me off. What do you think about the people who say Biden is too old to run? Does the look say you're all I just say? Just going to do a take? What are you? John from, I mean, what was the guy in the office? If he can perform, then I, you know, maybe it's okay, but I'm, but I tend to stay out of politics. But it's not even politics. Do you, do you, do you, if he can do the job, then I think he's doing the job. I mean, look, or his team is, do I love everything? No, but like I just kind of resent the, this, oh, he's just beyond help. No, he's a mate.
Starting point is 00:18:44 I, a whole thing that knows the crap out of me. It's not a problem that any of President would have if we weren't in the television media aid. Lincoln didn't have to worry about stuff like that. They just got on with the business. Right, it all happened behind closed doors, which is where President does his work with his fucking staff in the oval office,
Starting point is 00:19:04 making important decisions. And that may do the work They don't need somebody reading prompters and getting on bicycles. Yeah, all the bullshit kissing babies thing Well Joe with a baby he molest babies. This has to stop also. I know he's terrible But I'm just saying like all the places they catch him looking bad are things he really shouldn't have to be doing in the first place if you weren't such babies and Demanded that the president kids are fucking big. I agree. I agree 100% All right, no, but I go I'm glad you don't get too political because that's what the reason I started this podcast was like I have a show about Politics. Yeah, I'm looking not to do that. Yeah, yeah, for me, it's a bit of a bust mentality. You get nothing from me.
Starting point is 00:19:53 Good, but you are an environmentalist. That's a political. I care. Yeah. Well, we all care, but I mean, you take it a little further. I mean, you do things. I try. Yeah. I try. It's not, you know, I do it in my own little way. I mean, you take it a little further, I mean, you do things. I try. Yeah. I try. It's not, you know, I do it in my own little way. I mean, the predominantly it's, you know, it's covered by donations from the public, you know, and anybody else that cares. And I just focus it on the issues that I care about, you know. Yeah, I mean, look, I think even detractors of mine, if you'd said environmentalists, they would say yes.
Starting point is 00:20:30 He's always been out front on that issue. I remember in my youth, younger years, that I used to love, oh my God, what was it called? Cracked. No, no my God, what was it called? Crack. No, no, talking about smoke. Sensor me, sensor me. I just used to fall off the chair laughing at everything. Sensor me, I remember that word.
Starting point is 00:20:56 Sensor me, the smell was amazing. Was it a type of pot? Yeah, yeah. And it just made you, right? Piss your pants, yeah. That was something. Well, I think, I mean, when I first, just made you... Rags. Piss your pants. Yeah. That was...
Starting point is 00:21:05 Well, I think, I mean, when I first... I didn't start until I was 19, which is late for kids. Okay. I was smoking regular cigarettes by... Yes. I started about 11 years old. 11? Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 00:21:20 11 12 years old. Why? Because you wanted to... It was... That's what all the kids in Liverpool and the neighbourhood were doing, you know. But you were in Liverpool when you were alive, right? I was in, I was actually in Huylake and, uh, and Mell's, which was the Whirl, which is 20 minutes by train from Liverpool. So, I was that close, you know. It was a bit more, uh more country-fied and a bit more.
Starting point is 00:21:46 But you were probably born in 63, right? So John wasn't so living at Men Love Avenue, was he? In 63? No. That, but you were, but you don't remember Liverpool. Like you grew up in when they moved closer to London, like didn't you live in the suburbs of London in the mid-60s? So there was, I'm trying to think, where we were. Sorry was the place that I remember. Kenwood sorry, which was this beautiful little Tudor house.
Starting point is 00:22:15 So it's a suburb of London? Yeah. Like you can drive into London. It's another camp. Yeah. Yeah. It's like, it's like, like 45 minutes an hour away. It's like exactly right. We're up with New York City. Yeah, right. Yeah, the rich people live out Of course, so that's the house you remember Well, that's the house I mostly remember spending time with him and doing things with him. Oh But that was just before Yoko came along, but that's where I remember lots of people coming over, lots of celebs coming over. That's where I remember going on the back of Dad's
Starting point is 00:22:56 little monkey bike to Ringo's who used to live around the corner. That's where I remember being on the roof of the house making balsa wood planes with the rubber bands and flying them into sunsets and things like that. So, yeah, father and son stuff, you know, it was kind of it was kind of good and cute back in the day. And this is where like Paul would drive up which so they could write songs together. Yeah, I believe so, yeah, yeah. Were you ever, did you ever catch any of that going on? No, that was, that was a little studio in the attic. Right. So I never kind of went up there. That was out of bounds for me. It.
Starting point is 00:23:30 Although I was locked in one of those rooms when there was a party once. That's another story. What's that story? Well, I just, you know, there was a big party going on on the, I've mum decided it was best. I think was kept out of the way of whatever was going on downstairs. Why did they were doing drugs? I have no idea. There's a lot of noise that's a low-remember. And you don't do any drugs now? No. Nothing. You don't even drink? I do. I do.
Starting point is 00:24:00 But you know I came around here in fact to get some paint colors, as I've got a major headache. You're specifically the club, Brandon, or Dick Eleford, you know? I'm a solid Jack Daniels Jack and Coke drinker. Did we get you what you want? Yeah, but I, with the head, but you don't drink a lot. I'm one of those kind of binge drinkers that I got. Yeah, I don't really drink at all. I can't drink in the day, don't drink a lot. I'm one of those kind of binge drinkers that I got. Really? Yeah, I don't really drink at all.
Starting point is 00:24:26 I can't drink in the day. You don't want to drink. I like being clear and focused. Right. And you're too old to binge drink. You can binge drink when you're 30. Oh no. You know, if I've done a lot of good work
Starting point is 00:24:38 and I've got a Friday now, often I know that I'm not working for a few days after. I'll take it out to, you know, the sons up with that shit with any kidding. Oh, no. You fucking English. Yeah. Your ability to fucking the English and the Irish that I to put away. Look, I've been in my drove through England twice. It's fun. Once like in the 90s. Yeah. I just remember that we would go into the pubs wherever it was.
Starting point is 00:25:07 And I first of all loved the idea of the pub because unlike America, it did not segregate by generation. Yeah. We completely segregate by generation. You would never see someone who wasn't the appropriate age. Right. Yeah. You know, they gather only with people their age.
Starting point is 00:25:24 And here it's neighborhood. It's by geography. It's old and young. But there were so many people passed out on the barstools. Yeah. Famous. And it was not considered socially unacceptable. Yeah, I didn't quite get that far, but yeah.
Starting point is 00:25:42 I think you call it pissed, getting pissed. Oh yeah, getting pissed, which of course, here I mean, is angry. Yes, exactly. But. What are you on today, T'Kehler? I think that's a favorite. I'm having a little T'Kehler, yeah.
Starting point is 00:25:59 But I drink it. I, you know, if it was a Friday night, it'd be all in. There, it, why, could you got to do something tomorrow? I was going to do something. Really? Yeah, yeah. You don't take vacations? Hardly.
Starting point is 00:26:13 Really? Yeah. Why, you're just a workaholic? Yeah. Really? I guess I know. I've been trying to take some time out to breathe, but there's always something going on somewhere, you know. and I can't seem to
Starting point is 00:26:27 to switch off properly. It's a problem. It's a real problem because it'll kill me in the end if I don't. But I mean, at the end of last year when I finished, I got to a point, I have to tune a half months of being out here doing promotion for Jude and especially lots of radio stuff and it got to the point where I just said I gotta stop I can't I'm gonna I'm gonna lose the plot here and I told my manager Rebecca I've gotta get why why was it so bad well? Well, they've asked stupid questions. Yeah, a lot of them. A lot of it was live, you know, and you'd, I can't exactly remember the stations or locations, but you'd send them a bio with everything you've been doing for five years. You know?
Starting point is 00:27:22 Don't read it. They don't even, yeah. I know what you're talking about. Of course, I do radio interviews. Of course. And it's like, they'll read something off. It's like, a book I put out in 1993, like they didn't even look what year. So you've got this book. Does anybody have a problem with that? Yeah, it came out in 93. Read the whole... My favorite was that really just, I just lost the plot, but I didn't actually, I kept stung, but I think you're aware
Starting point is 00:27:54 that I changed my name by Deed Paul. You know, I heard that... Twenty. I never knew your name really was John Julian, let it. Yeah, John Charles Julian. I do absorb that first. Yeah. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:28:07 And now you're switching the plot again. Yeah. Julian Charles John. And why? Because it was like travel was a. It was a not just a nightmare all the time. I mean, travel was a nightmare. More increasingly so with security.
Starting point is 00:28:22 And I mean, you know, even going to appointments here in L.A. with labels or this, that and the other, you go to security, they give you stickers saying, John Lennon I've got really, and L.I. You look like it. Yes, no. Yes, you look like him yourself. I look more like my mum, I think, all my uncle Tady to be honest. I mean, but I, you know, I can really slide under the radar.
Starting point is 00:28:52 I'm very good at just, yeah, I like daily life. I like shopping, you know, I like going and picking the fruit that I want to eat, et cetera, it said, you know, I do all that, but I just was a bit tired of being the second John is what I've I so where are you living now? I live in Monaco. Monaco. As a base. As a base. Yeah. Ringo lived there for a long time. He did in a building that looked like a prison. He lived in a building? He lived in a high rise that looked like a garage. Oh a high rise. Yeah, building? He lived in a high-rise that looked like a garage. Oh a high-rise. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's still there. It's quite an interesting place. And where kind of place do you have? I have a little apartment that I literally had to move around a few times, but I finally bought
Starting point is 00:29:37 a one-bed apartment in the port in between the pole position in first corner of the Grand Prix. I'm not a big Grand Prix guy, but it's fun sometimes to be there. But other than that, what is the attraction of Monaco tax? Saving your money, saving. Why? There's no taxes there. Is that why people? Yeah, but it must be gorgeous also, right? There's elements. I mean, it's right on the water. Yeah, it's definitely right on the water. I mean, the main old center, the town center with the classic casino and the hotel, the parry and the cafe de parry, those kind of things
Starting point is 00:30:20 and yeah, being right on the water. Also, it's, you know, France is just there, and yeah, being right on the water. Also, France is just there, which is beautiful. And I love France and the French countryside. But also Italy is literally 30 minutes away. It's not even 30 minutes away. And I love Italy. My first stepfather was Italian, Roberto Bassanini.
Starting point is 00:30:42 And he was literally like an older brother, rather than a father to... Was he? Who was he to you? He was my stepfather, my first stepfather. I see. So Cynthia married. Yes, mum remarried Roberto in the 70s.
Starting point is 00:31:00 And it was... And he was straight up Italian. Oh, full on. Right. You know, full on... How did she meet him? It came about from several introductions and groups of people. I don't know the actual finder details, but his family were involved in restaurants and
Starting point is 00:31:18 hotels and stuff like that. He was like the black sheep and the family, though. Well, she got... Because he was very naughty. She got the tough hand, too. Oh, yeah. Oh, no. too. Oh yeah. Oh no. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I. I know. I. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I. know. I. I know. I know. I. know. I know. I. know. I. know. I know. I could. So I must say there's this thing that men do. Yeah. Like, and I don't want to start a fight with them.
Starting point is 00:31:48 We finally repaired our relationship, well, before the pandemic, and we're getting along great Howard Stern. Oh, okay. But like, you know, and when he was, he did my real-time show, like right before the pandemic, and you know, he's kind of razzin' me in a good nature way.
Starting point is 00:32:04 I'm sorry I didn't see that because I watch a show. know, like right before the pandemic, and you know, he's kind of razzin' me in a good nature way. I'm sorry I didn't see that because I watched you so often. Oh, you can YouTube, but it's how he was only on one server, so that's that. And he's saying to me, like, you know, but Bill, you know, you're successful, but you don't have a, you don't you want to settle down, you know, like, and he goes on about how much he loves his wife, Beth, which he has been doing on the air for like 10 years. Yeah. But we know how hard had this other wife before Beth.
Starting point is 00:32:31 So he's trying to make me seem like I'm the, you know, slightly immoral one because I would settle down. And all I could think of is, how does this gushing about the second wife? How does that make the first wife feel? Yeah. the second wife, how does that make the first wife feel? Yeah, yeah. Could we just not gush about the person while the other person still can hear it? Yeah. Well, it depends how it all ended, really, I think. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:32:55 I think it depends how she feels about the hell, so you know, she was she the first wife. She might have been happy to get out the whole thing. Yeah, but it's still, I don't care. It's still gross, it's still, it's still mean in a way to like be like, oh, I, and celebrities, there's a lot of that going on. Stupid celebrities do it all the time. All the time. I think like this is, I was not alive before her, everything I was doing must have been
Starting point is 00:33:22 like taking a shit compared to being with this woman I'm with now and the first check is like what? I just think well especially in Hollywood of course this is such an incestuous town in that relationship Yes, it's you know it's The jumping beds every other friggin week, you know, it know? And they're undying love every six months to a year, going I found true love, and then the next minute, you know, the shackling up with someone else. It's like... I feel like a lot of what celebrity parings are about
Starting point is 00:33:56 is this human thing that we all have to like not be with someone who you feel like is like not your peer. As far as attractiveness and good catch. And so it doesn't shock me when two celebrities of similar seismic force meet together. It's correct that I, Batman, with you, yes, it is correct that I, you know, Batman, I'm with you, you know, giant star. And I feel like they, I don't know, maybe I'm reading this, but there is a sort of a...
Starting point is 00:34:37 I have to be with someone worthy of me, or else I look bad. And I don't know if that's the thing you want to use to drive your love life. No, no. But it seems very important relative here to have some, some one that's in the in the public eye as well, that all fit nicely. Me? No. They don't care about me, which is good. Unless I do something bad. Then they'll write it.
Starting point is 00:35:15 Well, let's not go there. There's a few things that people got upset about. But water under the bridge and you're moving on. But sliding out the door. Yeah, no, no, no. I mean, I try to do a good clean show for a good clean country. But yeah, once in a while, you can't count yourself honest unless sometimes you go over the line, because if you're saying, I'm really,
Starting point is 00:35:47 I mean, every show pretends they're edgy, they're not. Mine is. And that's why people hate it also. I get that. Yeah, yeah. By the way, the first guy to get canceled was your father when he said, geez, we're more powerful.
Starting point is 00:36:01 That really was, I was thinking about that. That is like, almost the first time where that happened, we're like, okay, that was a, attempt to do what they do all the time now. We're gonna burn their records. It was organizing, you know what I mean? It's like, they're coming to our... They're waiting for something to happen.
Starting point is 00:36:23 Right, saying something. It's like, oh, it's just perfect. We got them on Jesus and you know, you can't do worse than that in the Bible belt in America. So if you're booked to play Kansas City, after you just said, your band was better than Jesus, it's, it's not going to be a good one. And they, and the, just the just the hounding of the, like trying to get the apology,
Starting point is 00:36:48 and then that's not enough of an apology. We want the Stoviet apology. You know what the Stoviet apology is, Julian? That's when you start with, thank you. Thank you for making me aware of what a despicable piece of shit I have in what I do. Yes, yes indeed. And your father wouldn't do it. I mean, he said it kind of a,icable piece of shit I am. Yes, yes indeed. And your father wouldn't do it.
Starting point is 00:37:06 I mean, he said it kind of a, you know, that's great. He did say sorry a few times, but they wouldn't accept that. Maybe it was not good enough, you know. No, he didn't really say sorry, which is good. He said, I think he said something like, we never, I never said that Jesus was greater than us. Correct. I just said what I said and it was wrong or it was taken wrong.
Starting point is 00:37:29 Yes, correct. And now it's all this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's not really, I'm sorry. No, I agree with you on that point. And it was said with disdain, which is why we loved him, as people in the 20s, that can roll. Yes, I know. Because it was, you know, that kind of cheekiness. I also remember that great moment he had when they were making Apple. You were five years old.
Starting point is 00:37:53 Yeah. And came to America after the India trip. Yeah. And so they were doing a press conference. The obviously didn't want to be there. And like, what is your new company doing? You know, we're just going to make stuff so that if someone wants to make a film or a record, then you don't have to go on their knees begging in somebody's office, probably yours. But nobody talks to the press like that.
Starting point is 00:38:20 Do you have the balls to get away with like fuck you and you'll still like me. Yeah, I know. That was, was that was he certainly had his way Yeah No, I'm telling you it's the right thing to do to embrace your heritage because who else can can do it? Well, I guess you're your half brother Yeah Sean's a good kid. I mean, I love him immensely, you know, but he's incredibly talented, incredibly gifted. He works his ass off, you know.
Starting point is 00:38:52 As a musician, you say? As a musician. He's an intellectual without question. Right. But, you know, he doesn't stop. I mean, he's like, he's in like three or five bands. He's in between playing live or recording. He's producing other acts. So he's always out there. He's always on it. I'm very proud of him.
Starting point is 00:39:15 But I've kept my eye on him since he was a baby. I was, you know, took that mantle of, you know, even when dad passed that I, you know, whatever you need, I'm here. You know, I've got you back. And I've- For what is- what did he need? Well, I mean, his life isn't so straightforward, it's not, you know, you know, he's- there's been many ups and downs for him too. I'd snot my place to go into detail of those things. But, you know, he's had his moments, but he seems like an incredibly well-adjusted man. And I'm proud of him.
Starting point is 00:40:01 We always seem like a cool guy. We try to, you know, FaceTime or Zoom every couple of weeks and we're just like this and chatting away about. And what about working with? Shit. You ever think about working with him? Yeah, we've talked about it. We've talked about it. We have a plan at some point that when we both have the time to do it, but yeah, there's
Starting point is 00:40:23 something we want to do together. We want to play around with an idea. And I think it's a nice idea. So you have to wait and see. I'm not winding you up, but it's just that it'll have, it'll have its time and place, you know. No, I mean, who else in the whole world do you have who, you know, it's like, well, let the only person
Starting point is 00:40:46 of the group go. But it's the whole sibling thing and how our voices, how our voices should sound together and do sound together. So, you know, I'm not, I can't conjure up the sound of his voice the way I can yours right now. Is it like yours? There's certain tonal qualities for that question. Here's a slightly thinner and lighter voice,
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Starting point is 00:43:01 October 8th, I will be at Omaha, Nebraska at the Orphrium Theater. It's great to just a little more modestly named. Come on out and see me. I have two old dogs here, so I know that I'm going to have to, at some point, you know, face it, invite two new young dogs in my life when these dogs pass away. Yes. My assistant tells me they're going to live on a farm. I think it's bullshit, but I'm just going to go along with it because that's what celebrities do. You just go along with the bullshit.
Starting point is 00:43:39 No, so like I have to, I have been thinking of names for the new dogs. And I'm also like reading the training book. I was telling somebody like these two dogs that I'm gonna get my next two dogs. It's gonna happen, you know, these dogs are. Yeah, the person I'm saying with dear friend of mine for over 30 years, five minutes away from here
Starting point is 00:44:01 is going through exactly the same thing. I've been through it before with dogs. They break your heart. Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. But it's going to happen. So like I'm, but I was telling somebody that these next two, I'm reading this training book. I'm going to do it right. I never trained my other dogs. I let them run all over the place. They don't listen to me. I said, I'm going to do it right with the crate and the whole thing. And I read the book. and she said, you're like that guy who's 50 and gets married for the second time and it's like,
Starting point is 00:44:30 I'm gonna do this one right. I'm gonna be there for the kid. I wasn't, I was on tour the whole time for the first kid and that's me with my dogs. I'm gonna do this one right and I'm gonna raise them right and I'm gonna be there for them. Well, I wish it. I'm gonna watch where they poop and make sure. I'm gonna to raise them right and I'm going to be there for them. Well, I wish it. I'm going to watch where they poop and make sure.
Starting point is 00:44:46 I watch where they poop. But, well, I hope you do something with Sean. That would be... Yeah, we will. It's a certain sound. It's timing. You know, there's a beetle sound that... Well, you got to think where the beetles their sounds from as well, and their harmonies. Yeah, but, yeah, of course. Yeah, there's a lot of that to look into as well.
Starting point is 00:45:10 Yeah, there is, but there's also just a Beatles sound. And when people, lots of people, they will do songs, Billy Joel has done songs, we go, oh, that's very Beatles-esque. Yeah, yeah, too. Remember Oasis, Ringo still puts out albums that are, that's their sound, beat-al-out. So for some of my generation, you know, who that was, you know, not just, I thought it was, and still think it's great music, but it also has an emotional quotient, you know, what that age and first into music and finding with my sister up with the record player, with our little 45, you know. So to hear that kind
Starting point is 00:45:47 of beat-aless sound, which you still make, and I mean that it's a compliment, I like that sound. You know, it's like, it gets rarer, rarer to find people who do it. And when a modern artist like gets that sound, and some of them do, Yeah, yeah. Maroon five I think have done it a little bit. A couple of tears for fears. Tears for fears? Yes. Crouted house maybe. Yeah, credit house. I mean, I mean, we like the Beatles. We like that. Kind of polished. Yeah, there's not a great deal of, excuse me, there's not a great deal of younger newer artists that tend to lean that way, at least not that I've heard in recent years, I don't think. What do you think about today's music?
Starting point is 00:46:35 Boy, can you believe this Taylor Swift tour? That's astonishing. Beatle Lash. Well, the power style wasn't far behind on that. Really? Well, the size of the tour, the energy, the amount. Yeah, but there wasn't this kind of, like, the reason why I say Be the last is because it's like a insanity.
Starting point is 00:46:58 Well, also, it transcends just music and it's sort of a cultural moment. That's what the Beatles own. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right. I mean, it's sometimes things go beyond just their genre. For sure. And I guess I should, I really, I guess I have to listen to more Taylor Swift. I don't know well enough to pass judgment. No. Stuff I've just heard on the radio. Makes me go, really, what is this about? It's young pop.
Starting point is 00:47:26 Every day I turn on the TV and they've got pictures of all these celebrities that are concerts. Yeah, I saw a lot of them. I mean, it's just, so, you know. I gave, I gave, I was the first on at the European video awards, video music awards. And I was giving her the first award. And I'd met her before very briefly. Who?
Starting point is 00:47:56 Taylor Swift. Oh, yeah. Sorry. Come in. Number nine. Sorry, bro. Taylor Swift. And she's lovely. And she's lovely. You know, she. Taylor Swift. So. And she's lovely.
Starting point is 00:48:07 And she's lovely. You know, she's on it. Oh, yes. Very much. I mean, she's really on it, you know. Yes, it reminds me a little of Madonna in the early 80s. But Taylor Swift, you know, has in common like a kind of fierce ambition. Yeah. I mean, that's a bad way. No, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, a kind of fierce ambition. I mean, that's a bad way.
Starting point is 00:48:25 No, I got it. No, I'm going to take care of my business first. You're not going to be out partying and mental. Absolutely. I'm going to do my business. Yeah. And she's smart. Like, Madonna's smart.
Starting point is 00:48:37 But Madonna, I felt, has an icy quality tour that Taylor, I think, you know, her, there's a, you could see a bond with the fans with, she does not have that ice queen thing, which is, I think, good. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Madonna, I got to give her credit because it's like, yeah, you're just such a, first of a great record. Many, so many great records. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. And had lots of cultural impact too. So, you know, I got to give it up to that. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, for sure. And had lots of cultural impact too. So, I got to give it up to that. In spite of your personality, we like you so much. Yeah, she's an interesting character, that's the shot.
Starting point is 00:49:14 She never looks like someone you want to just have a drink with. No, I had an interesting run-in with her. A run-in? Well, not run-in, but that was back in the days with Sean Penn. And he was... I know Sean Penn. Yeah, I love it. Yeah, it's a great guy.
Starting point is 00:49:33 We bump into each other every once in a while. The best. We have some good conversations. Three of us should go out. The three hours in the morning. Three of us should go out one night. I think I'd be up for that. And absolutely.
Starting point is 00:49:47 I'd like to be there when you, are you, what did you say you got in drinks and drawn? I'll be having mylocks. Oh, no. I'm sure you'll be fine. No, not drinking. I don't drink. No, no, no.
Starting point is 00:49:59 No, I, I, I'm Macredose some mushrooms last weekend. I thought I'd give you that. I was on course of that for a while because of the, I had some severe anxiety and depression over the years and someone I know was talking to me about microdosing and so I went to see a pro about this and was put on a kind of course, so to speak. And for a couple of months it really made a bit of a difference. It just got me out of the fog and the slight darkness I was feeling. But it got to a point where it didn't do anything anymore, and I just felt like I'd cleared some of the crap out
Starting point is 00:50:41 of the way. But every once in a while, if I do get a little foggy again, I'll just take a little bit and sometimes it helps. It's a good question about depression. Yes. So you have depression. I've been through the meal on depression, yeah. Really? Yeah, yeah. And I certainly have known a lot of people who say the same thing.
Starting point is 00:51:05 And I don't doubt that it's a real thing. I'm just trying to understand where it comes from because like in my life, I know many times when I was depressed. Yes. But I always knew why. It was because something in reality was so shitty that I was depressed about it. It wasn't just like I'm depressed for no reason. The person, the reason people are the ones I'm trying to understand.
Starting point is 00:51:31 No, that was a reason. It's just that you can't always figure it out what that is. No, I could always figure it out. So don't take it a little time. Girls don't like me. And I'm probably going to be a failure in comedy. I'm right behind you. That's what I'm depressed about.
Starting point is 00:51:44 I'm right behind you on that one. When I first moved to New York and lived in, like I was staying in the horrible place, it was slummy place, and hanging out at the clubs, not even getting on, you know, not looking like the future was gonna be bright in comedy. Yes.
Starting point is 00:52:02 Poor, no girls, New York, rough town, especially if you're poor and stupid. Yeah, yeah. And that's, I was depressed a lot. But it was like, that's why I'm depressed. Yeah. If I like suddenly, my career picked up and checks like me, I would have been not depressed.
Starting point is 00:52:21 Yeah. But I feel like that's definitely something different from what people who have depression and it's more like a mechanical thing. It's not really what's happening in reality that will affect it, right? Yeah, I agree that there's almost two parts to it in that regard. And you had that other part? Yeah, I feel I've definitely been through the mill on several occasions where I couldn't
Starting point is 00:52:44 see a way out of certain darknesses. And the abibment got to the bottom of why it is? Could it be not enough to heal? It's certainly something to do with where we are in life and how we think and you know. Yeah. I think it's you know a lot of it is overthinking as well Well, I mean there's times I'll wake up in the morning and I'll feel fine jumping out of bed And then I'll just feel overwhelmed by I Also have that thing is the agoraphobia agoraph. Fear of open spaces. Well, going outside sometimes. That's a Gora phobia. Yeah, I...
Starting point is 00:53:27 From the Agora. But I push myself through that crap. From the Agora. From the Agora. The marketplace, the Greek word for marketplace. Is that so? Absolutely. A Gora.
Starting point is 00:53:40 I like the marketplace. Look it up on your magic light box. AG ORA, the Agora, the marketplace in ancient Greece. You learn something new every day. But why do I be afraid of going to the marketplace? Because it's in the open. It is an open-air marketplace. Yes, and what's in the Nanywed Mall, this is ancient Greece.
Starting point is 00:54:02 But I guess part of it is that because of all the felt that I've been stared at, a lot, looked at a lot. You have. That's not paranoia. I have. Every move has been there. Yes, that happened. Yeah, I know.
Starting point is 00:54:19 So on occasion, I don't want to deal with that and I can't deal with that. Ro, I see. Yeah. Hey I see. Yeah. Hey bro, you got, you know, if I'm feeling a little fragile, a little shaky inside and I just don't feel, you know, things in life may be going as well as a good, you know. You were born with a lot on your shoulders, just born with it on. Yeah, that's true. It's funny how...
Starting point is 00:54:52 I don't say this in an odd way, but it's funny that if I say that you've been out and I went to the supermarket this on that and the social media, I'm quite open with, you know, I'm quite honest and straightforward. And people go, and it's mostly Americans, it's like, how do you walk down the street without being recognized? How do you not, how come you're not bothered? And I'm saying, people are so stupid about that. But the funny thing is, for the most part, especially in Europe, I can pretty much go wherever. And 99.9%. No one mobs people are age, no matter who you are. Well, I mean, Bruce Springsteen maybe would get mobbed,
Starting point is 00:55:37 especially if he walked through the parking lot at a Bruce Springsteen concert. Well, that's, you know, that's... But, you know, trust me, the TikTokers are not mobbing Bruce Springsteen, Conrad, but trust me, the TikTokers are not mobbing Bruce Springsteen. But, you can't imagine, I can't, what it must be like for those kind of people and we have them in the world today, again, Taylor Swift, or people, Jay Z, people who just, you cannot go anywhere.
Starting point is 00:56:03 Yeah, I can't. Without a feeling. I couldn't imagine that. I mean, I had that with the first album and tour and things like that first. Yeah, wow. And I remember being in New York at one of the main parka meridian back in the day.
Starting point is 00:56:18 And. Parka meridian. Yeah. I remember. Yes, indeed. Is that? Nothing happened, but. Yeah, there are few things happening. Oh, okay. For you. It happened, but... Yeah, there are a few things happening.
Starting point is 00:56:26 Okay, for you. It happened for you, of course, because you're a musician. Apparently. It's like... You know, anyway, there was quite the occasion where, you know, you'd see all the front, and it was chocolate with the fans, and you'd try and go out, some side-door or back door, which they did have. And of course, there'd be hundreds of fans there too.
Starting point is 00:56:49 And I just remember back in the days, just walking out, and I was, it freaked me out, being surrounded by so many people who just literally were trying to rip your clothes off, pull your hair out. And I've always been polite, so I said, you know, I would sign autographs, but my legs and hands were shaking so much. I had to kneel on the ground just to get through this. And then, you know, after I did everyone's, I'd kind of walk off and they'd kind of let me be.
Starting point is 00:57:23 But that happened a few times and I didn't like it. I really, really didn't like it. And so, you know, I fell out of love with that kind of concept of fame, so to speak. I must be frank with you. I cannot relate to this. Yeah, okay. We need to use a side door. part of show business I have skipped. And that's fine. I'm not complaining about it. But I'm not going to lie. I think it might be fun to
Starting point is 00:57:54 have experienced that for a long time. No, for a minute. It was okay. And I have been robbed of that experience. Well, I'm sorry about that. But it's never too late. No, it's never too late. That's what I think. But just that kind of excitement that usually only is with music. Yeah, yeah. Eddie Murphy certainly had that, you know, there are, you know, exceptions. But it's mostly this kind of like frenzied, almost atavistic, almost scary sometimes. Yeah, yeah, totally.
Starting point is 00:58:24 Like energy, totally. Like, energy, but... Totally, totally. Because, you know, also the other thing was, I'm also... I also get jealous of bands, because, you know, you have your... It's your team around you, it's your, you know. And as a solo artist, for me, I've never been comfortable with it. Never been comfortable with what. Never been comfortable. With what? With being a solo artist, because even when performing live on stage,
Starting point is 00:58:51 they would always put you out the front of the stage and the rest of the band to be shadowed behind you. But you still have a band, right? Yeah, but I would always want to be take the microphone and pull it back into the band. Oh, really? So I can see my friend on the guitar, my friend on the bass. All right.
Starting point is 00:59:10 I never liked that just being right out there in front. So, yeah, so it was a lot of, especially TV shows, didn't quite understand that. Yeah, but I'm, they're the band. I want to be part of the band, I don't want to be. I mean, that definitely is something that a comic misses. Being out front. No, that feeling, we are such lone wolves. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:59:32 You know, and we don't want someone opening for us. Because comedy's very delicate, you know. I mean, you come to see me. You're going to see me for 90 minutes. Yeah, yeah. And somebody else with a different point of view. Yeah. But that feeling that you can see like on the, You're gonna see me for 90 minutes, somebody else with a different point of view. But that feeling that you can see
Starting point is 00:59:47 like in the Let It Be film, or a little any film with a band, you just see this kind of communication that we do through their music, through their instrument, that comics kind of know when we sit around and riff with each other. It's kind of our version of jamming,
Starting point is 01:00:03 but it's more primal in music. Yes. And again, I would love to know what that feels like. I bet you it's a little like heroin. So don't start. It's great having that connection with people around you and that support. And feeling the music. Because you just know that they've got your back and vice versa. So I think that's an important, at least that's always been important for me as a performing artist. I haven't done it for a long time now, but I'm thinking about it again, but it would take a lot of work for me to actually get back in that role of running around like a head of the front man or not. That was a big call.
Starting point is 01:00:46 The front man. The front man. I mean, I've always enjoyed performing live. But that was back in the day when I was, you know, we were young and we were, you know, we'd go straight from the gig to the hotel bar and then out on the town, you know. Really? I don't know if I could... Why don't you go to the hotel bar first then out on the town, you know. Really? I don't know if I could... Why don't you go to the hotel bar first?
Starting point is 01:01:08 What? Why did you go to the hotel bar first? No, it was a meeting point. Oh, I see. And then you'll bugger off out to all the late night places and strip joints and whatever. Yeah. Back in the day.
Starting point is 01:01:20 How dare you accuse me? No, you didn't accuse me of. In our youth. Well, you know what, friend of mine told me, don't let the old man in. I agree with you. And you know what? I refuse. That is. I'm totally into now. I still go out after the show. You do. Yeah. So fuck you. Good man. Good man. Okay. Yeah. Don't let the old man in. Yeah. Okay. You know, you can be circumspect.
Starting point is 01:01:45 Yeah, that's what I mean. You're not married, right? Yeah. So why don't have fun or just be out? I mean, because it hurts the next day and then you got up. It turns if you drink to excess, why do you have to drink to excess? Oh, it's easy. The funny thing is that's what I've been learning over the past five years is what?
Starting point is 01:02:03 Having a good time without anything, not drinking that. Oh, really? Yeah, yeah. Being happy with me in the open spaces without. Talk about burying the lead. Luckily for you. You know, it's been important.
Starting point is 01:02:20 It's been really important. And that's five years? That's five years? That's three years. Well, since my mum passed, I wanted to find a way where I could just be content in some capacity, find some balance, blah, blah, blah, blah. Well, you're a better man than I gonged in.
Starting point is 01:02:39 I cannot imagine a life without marijuana. Right. Yeah, yeah. I've never understood that. I mean, one of my best friends, she just smokes from morning to noon. But see, I don't do that. Oh, she doesn't.
Starting point is 01:02:53 I don't even smoke every day. Oh, you don't? No, I'm a situational smoker. Really? Right. And this is a situation. That's why I have people over. But it is.
Starting point is 01:03:04 Really? So then how do you deal with the in between days? I'm fine, it's better this way because I live two lives. You know, mostly sober and then this is a treat. Right. And when I do this, I'm gonna be doing something else that I really like. Right, okay. I wouldn't go into detail about the other thing is,
Starting point is 01:03:24 but it rhymes with Rex. Yeah, right on shot and writing. Writing. Yes. I'm about to venture into the major writing. What do you mean? Well, I've decided that I figured I should get my life on paper in some ways. Oh, a memoir. Oh, yeah, I'd read that. Yeah, but I don't want to do it the normal way.
Starting point is 01:03:51 I have quite an interesting concept where it would be a book that would interest me. That's kind of what I do with everything artistically. I try and do things that would interest me. Yeah. So, I've got a unique perspective on the book and I'm about to jump in the deep end as of probably in that next week to start. Right time for that. Well, I, you know, I also, you know, this is a bit... But, you know, I realized a lot of...
Starting point is 01:04:26 I have the worst memory in the world. I can't even remember how to play my own songs, my own lyrics, not a clue, because I'm one of those people that just kind of writes, records, produces, put it out, and then I'm on to the next thing. So... So, you know, I really don't have great recollection of... So, you know, I really don't have great recollection of the probably my 20s to 30s to 40s, really. And, you know, unfortunately, you know, a lot of my good dear friends, you know, moving on in age and some have passed already. And a lot of them remember my life more than I do.
Starting point is 01:05:06 And so I wanted to try and remember those times and those places through other people, through the friends and people guitarist and other musicians that have worked with over the years. So that's been part of the process of gathering up, you know, the Atlantic total stories from them, which will help me click into gear. When we make this into a movie. Yes. Okay, here's, it's gonna be an animated movie.
Starting point is 01:05:38 We always have to start with a grapple, right? And then you put a thing on the screen two years earlier. Or something like that. I'm not going to follow a timeline. That's your show. But in the movie version, the grabber, the first thing we see is Paul McCartney driving up to your house, writing Hey Jude. Is it? That's the grabber, right? We all, and then we, that's your grabber, right? No. We all, and then we, That's your grabber, but yeah. For the audience. Yeah, no, I get it. I get it.
Starting point is 01:06:08 You want this movie to sell? Because that's what people know. This is, this is, this is, start with what they know. Hook them in on that. And it's a great story. It is, it's not about that. I mean, it's, it's, it's, it's,
Starting point is 01:06:21 it tears your heart out that he was the only beetle, you know, why am I talking like out that he was the only beetle. You know, why am I talking like Trump? He was the only beetle. Yeah, and then he got help. It was, everyone else was disgusting. And I can't do that. I can't do that voice. Yeah, but yeah, driving up and riding,
Starting point is 01:06:40 hey, jewels to cheer you up because of, you know, the kid who's going through a divorce. I mean, you cannot come up with a better scenario to hook the lifetime. I see this on a lifetime. Okay. Network. Thanks for that. No, kidding.
Starting point is 01:06:57 Geez. It's over before it's begun. No. And then we can go anywhere because now they love what they're going to see. Yeah. Okay. No. Yeah, I got it. It's a great story. It's a sentimental point. And the song is great. Yeah, well. And every... I have a love hate with it, I have to say. Really? Well, what do you hate about it? Okay, listen, I've probably heard that
Starting point is 01:07:22 and heard renditions of that song more than most people are live. You know, and even my dear friends send me, you know, babies in nappies playing guitar singing, hey, dude, which I really don't need. Oh, I see. I see. Okay, I get it. I'm thankful, listen, I'm thankful for the song without question, but it's also- You're right, I see. I get it. I'm thankful for the song without question, but it's also the other
Starting point is 01:07:48 no the other real thing is that people don't really understand that that's a stark and dark reminder of actually what happened the fact that dad walked out walked away left mum and I you know that was a point of complete change and complete disruption and complete darkness and sadness. I mean, I was only three, but I recognized something was up, you know. But for mum, again, you know, she was, you know, it was heartbreaking, heartbreaking. So it's a reminder of that time and that place.
Starting point is 01:08:27 It's, you know, it's, so I, you know, I get both sides of it, but a lot of people don't necessarily understand there's a dark, you know, the yin and the yang of that song. For you, yes. So now I totally understand. I try to explain. I feel stupid not seeing that before you had to explain it to me, but I get it. But you know, I wrote this book review for the New York Times book review about a year ago, two years ago, maybe three, I don't know, time goes
Starting point is 01:08:59 too fast. It was called 150 glimpses of the Beatles. I forget the name of the author. He apparently has written a series of 150 glimpses of... I can't remember if I had that. It's supposed to be very big in England. So anyway, they asked me to do the book review, which I did, and enjoyed it. I mean, the review and some of the book. Was it an American author? I don't think so, because the other one I think was about the queen. Okay.
Starting point is 01:09:30 Something like that. Right, so. Not that Americans aren't fucking obsessed with your queen. I never understand that. It's not even our queen. Yeah, well, anyway. So. Whole thing is weird, but yeah.
Starting point is 01:09:43 There was, I mean, I think the gist of my review was saying that like when he shed light on something that I as a beetle file had known for years, but never really had the details fleshed out, it was a great book. Right. You know, like he said, I always knew that the beetles had lost their, you know, sexual innocence in Hamburg. I didn't know the other three actually watched George Harrison lose his virginity. I didn't know that either.
Starting point is 01:10:12 That band was tight. Well, this was in this book. Okay, now I'm interested in the book. I would read my review. It's really funny. I really did a good job on it. I know I'm overly proud of this, but I was surprised. They asked me to write a book review in the New York Times.
Starting point is 01:10:34 So anyway, he also said that Yoko used to jump in the car. And I never knew this. Inundated John with letters when he was in Ricka, Ricka Shash, is that the Indian place where they went in? I don't know the correct pronunciation. I think it's Ricka Shash, something like that. Anyway, where were they in the end?
Starting point is 01:10:57 Yeah, they went in. That I didn't know. Yeah, no. It's an instrument. So, I mean, he tells the story of the dentists who got them on acid the first time. What? You know that story. I'm listening, I'm listening.
Starting point is 01:11:17 I don't know all these stories. Well, you know they took acid from the dentist. I did not know that. Oh, come on. No, seriously, listen, I'm not a beat-low file on crack. You got to hang out with me more. I know things that I mean, I'm sure Paul McCartney would be a better person. You should get that on the book. I know, no, no, I could have pushed that that agenda forward. I mean, I wrote that wrong for you. You gotta go see him. Yeah, I know.
Starting point is 01:11:45 Anyway. Oh, I forgot. What are we talking about? Acid dentists. Oh, yeah, the dentists. The book, the book. They famously, to all us beetle files, were introduced by acid by their dentist.
Starting point is 01:12:00 They met him out one night. I guess he was like the cool dentist to the stars. Anyway, it was in the UK and Yes, they were getting. Yeah, 60s. Yes, absolutely Yes, you were probably home Like you know sucking on my stomach. Exactly in your in your in your crib with crap in your bed and they were Sounds familiar and they got on I remember
Starting point is 01:12:24 Hearing the story for years they got on an elevator and it was like a ball, like one of these, but it was red. Like right above your head. And yeah, okay. And they thought that elevator was on fire. Great. And this, in the book, it really fleshed out like who that dentist was and why they were doing that was he didn't tell them He was putting it in their coffee. That's the thing. Oh, he fucking dope them. Yeah, but that was always part of the story
Starting point is 01:12:54 I had heard yeah, yeah, wow isn't that something that's Was he that dentist? I was seeing that dentist. It sounds to me like he was like, there's always like a dentist to the stars, like in cities. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, there's one here. It's like cool. Yeah. And I think he was that guy.
Starting point is 01:13:16 And so they were, there was some social event, I guess they're right, his house for dinner. It's funny. I think it was just John and John. I'm curious. I'm going to explain more. Yeah, it was just John and, I'm curious, I'm just letting more of it. Yeah, it was just John and George. Okay. And their wives, your mother and sentient.
Starting point is 01:13:31 Your mother and Patty. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, your father took a lot in 1967. I think that was the, did you know? Yeah, there's a lot of them. I need to catch up on them. That's all I can do. But you were too young., you could for you can't tell if someone's on ask.
Starting point is 01:13:47 No, no, no, no. I mean, the list in the house looked like it was insane anyway, really. Really? Relatively speaking, the kind of furniture and decoration of some of the places we were. You mean psychedelic, like 60s kind of. Yeah, I guess so. Yeah. You mean psychedelic, like 60s kind of. Yeah, I guess so. Did you see the Rolls Royce, the painted famous picture of me and dad standing in front of it?
Starting point is 01:14:13 Oh yes, I think I've seen that picture. Yeah, so you knew that car. Yeah. And you wrote in it? Presumably, yeah. I remember dad also had a white Mercedes and extended Mercedes with the first vertical record player in the car. So you sat in the back of the car and probably the back of the driver's chair was that far away. But in the middle in the front was an upright record player that you put LPs in like a toaster.
Starting point is 01:14:56 Going over a bumpy road. Yes, but it must have, it could not have worked. It did work. Oh yeah, it worked. Yeah, yeah. I was fascinated by it. So we had a record player in the- Record player.
Starting point is 01:15:08 Yeah. What a baller. I mean, imagine no possessions. I never saw one ever again, you know. You know Elvis Costello took a shot at him in the song, uh, the other side of summer. No. Do you know that song? No, I do not.
Starting point is 01:15:26 It's great. It's a great album, it's Castello's song. Another lovely man. I said, wasn't it a millionaire who said, imagine no professions? Yes. A poor little schoolboy who said, we don't need no lesson.
Starting point is 01:15:39 Yeah, very nice. He's a, Elos Castello, he's a major, yeah, major motherfucker, right? Oh yeah, and a lovely man too. Yes, I'm sure he is. I've only bumped into him once or twice, but never enough. He and Paul did a record together. Yeah, I know.
Starting point is 01:15:57 There was that time. Flowers in the dirt, and it's a great record. I've never actually listened to it. And your father, I mean, Paul said he wanted to work with Elvis Costello, because he was the closest thing. Liverpool, the same Sardonex, I'm just humorous. And he got it.
Starting point is 01:16:15 I'm always surprised they didn't want to, I guess, I guess once was enough. Once was enough, once was good. Well, by that time, you know, I mean Paul, that was 1989. So you're on your own 20 years. Yeah. Your Paul McCartney, you're kind of hard to go back to being, you know, with a partner. Yes. You like being, you like being the boss. Yeah. He deserved it. Yeah. He's rich. A trillion great songs. Yeah. It's got to call him.
Starting point is 01:16:46 I love it. You're nagging. I know. I know. I should do it before the end of the year. I really should. I really should. I mean, think of all the creativity that's going to unleash from that.
Starting point is 01:17:01 Who knows what will come out of that? Yeah. That's the joy of it. it. Right? I am certainly curious. But you know what? This does not compare, but I sometimes say to myself when something comes up about my parents, I wish I had asked them that. And I can't do it now. I know. And once it goes, they're gone. Oh, yeah, listen, I've learned that with the more so with the passing of my mother, and I'm just, you know, now going, kind of, I've got no one to talk to about this. That's the freaky as feeling, it's just kind of realizing you're alone in that world, and, you know, you mean the kind of things you would talk about with your mother, but...
Starting point is 01:17:44 Yeah, you know, I just You always think she's gonna be there So you don't ask certain questions or you don't think about them at that point in time Right, so many later when you're rediscovering your life and your family and hers and you know even even watching as I said the George's Would you eventually living in a material world? even watching, as I said, the George's, the documentary, living in a material world.
Starting point is 01:18:08 You know, there was things in there, and I'm kind of, God, I wonder what happened to Sir and Sir, or who, there's nobody I can ask, you know, especially relating to her and Dad, especially, you know. Yeah, I mean, funny, I say this all the time in this show, but people on showbiz, it's a funny because they only seem to really like to do things with people when it's work. Right.
Starting point is 01:18:39 We could have done this all these years, but it's just, and that's kind of even true of me with my mother because I did a documentary called Religilus, about in 2008, about religion. And my mother is in the beginning of it. I mean, she died the next year. We got her just in time, once again, Carl Paul McCartney, because, okay. So we, for whatever dumb reason, the church we used to go to, let us film there. So my sister and my mother and I, we filmed there one day. I think it was January of 2007.
Starting point is 01:19:15 And I asked her the questions that I just could have ensured have asked her my whole life. Like, why did we stop going to church? Yeah. my whole life. Like, why did we stop going to church? And when she said it was because my father didn't like the Pope's birth control thing, I was like, you two are fucking. This is the last issue. And I was 51 years old when I found that out. And I should, It's my mother. I know. And I should have asked that question. But I do what I, you know, it's show people. But again, you think they're going to be around, you know? Well, at that point, I knew that we were. Yeah, but you don't automatically necessarily think of,
Starting point is 01:19:59 you know, certain questions that would relate to. No. You know, it's again, you know, I've been triggered by the documentary to, you know, look back at my life and my history a lot more than I have before. You know. Yes. I mean, there's a lot that I'm not aware of. There's a lot that, you know, that dad's life and our life was very, very different. But you know what, if you really want a kid son, you better do it now. Really.
Starting point is 01:20:33 Yeah. Because first of all, you know, young sperm is probably better than I think, you know, you can still. Thanks. Thanks. You can really set me up. No, I think you can still produce a nice cup full of decent, great A, you know, English sperm.
Starting point is 01:20:54 I mean, the fact that you can, you know, drink till seven in the morning tells me a lot about your constitution. Yeah, okay. But, yeah, you know I do you have a date? I mean, a girlfriend is a how far back we have to get this process to get you It's complicated. It is You know you musician that's the problem
Starting point is 01:21:22 No, I listen. I love love. I'd love to be in a relationship. I just you know I went to be hit by a truck for some reason. I don't know, you know. I, you know, I have great and close relationships. I mean, most of my good friend, true friends of females, you know, women, I just get on with them incredibly well. And, I just get on with them incredibly well. But I just haven't found that, at least in recent years, haven't found someone I want to be with. And that's a difficult one. And maybe I'm too picky to choose you, but I don't want to be in a situation that isn't real for me.
Starting point is 01:22:10 I think a lot of it just is the way the modern world is. It's not really conducive to the monotony of a monogamous relationship, because everything else changes so quickly, there's so many stimuli. It's just the world moves at this rapid pace. I know a lot of people that are on opposite sides of that arguing that incredible relationships are just solid and have the longevity. How do you know? It's I do. Yeah, but I mean people, but I will say this married people have an amazing ability to until the very moment it explodes publicly put on a front. It's the one thing that well that's very Hollywood. That's not just I think that's everywhere. I think when people people are always surprised. Oh my god They split up. Yeah, because they put on such a great show. They don't want to look like they're having troubles. Agreed. Agreed.
Starting point is 01:23:14 Well, you know, I have to agree with you on that. Then there's a lot of, but that, you know, for the most part, many are trying to work it out, you know, trying to figure it out, but sometimes it's, that's, I think what's very saddening is being, having to walk away from love is a very, very difficult one. But there's actually a lot. I've done that in the past. A lot more people than ever, just, you know, that you could name celebrities, who have never gotten married. And I mean, you, me, Oprah, the Pope.
Starting point is 01:23:45 I came close a few times. Thanks. Of course. We fit in that cat. Oh, Wilson. Come on. There's people I'm telling you, Diane Keaton. You know, I mean, there's people, Jennifer Anderson. I just think it's like, oh, no, she got married.
Starting point is 01:24:02 A couple of times. Okay. Diane Keaton, you ever got married? No, really. And the Pope. We know. But I feel like this just says there's a certain personality type. And it's nothing to be judged in any way. It's just different.
Starting point is 01:24:17 Like, you have red hair and I have blonde hair. And it's just a personality. But I've been in a couple of incredible relationships. So, I buy, who hasn't? But we didn't, for obviously there's a reason why we're not now. And we never took it. We never went all the way to Baghdad. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:24:34 Right? Yeah, whether it's, yeah. Did you get close like almost engaged? Oh, yeah. I was engaged too. But we got out of it. Yeah. That's the thing. That's how much we don't want to be married. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, engaged. Oh, yeah, I was engaged too, but we got out of it Thank you that's how much we don't want to be married Well, even when we're engaged we get out of it. Well, I mean listen the last one
Starting point is 01:24:53 relationship I was in I wanted to go we you know all the way But certain circumstances within the relationship and family environment within the relationship and family environment, made it impossible to move forward. So I can't get any deeper than that. Maybe it'll come out one day, but it was a very sad and awkward situation that's just... Well, I hope you're happy. You're such a sensitive guy.
Starting point is 01:25:23 I'm okay, you know. Yeah, you see what I'm talking about. For the most part, I'm pretty level these days. And I think a lot has to do with being motivated for work and trying to be excited about projects. I don't know. Also the sorry to end. No.
Starting point is 01:25:40 But the idea that because I've taken on the mantle of doing so many kind of things that I'd love to do, again, whether it's music, whether it's the photography, whether it's the white feather foundation, whether it's the documentary stuff like, it's the ground, and a number of things like that. I'm hoping that at some point I'll meet someone, especially in that creative environment. But that's what keeps me going. That's what kind of keeps me alive in all of this.
Starting point is 01:26:12 It's the experiences in life that I find so much joy in, not saying it's always happy happy, but certainly that's what keeps me going. If I stop, then I'll keel over. That's what I feel the same way. I never look back. I only look forward to it. Yeah, absolutely. Pay off this gun.
Starting point is 01:26:33 But you just seem to have a good attitude about it. You know, like you're not a complainer. It's certainly not publicly. I never heard any of this about... I've bitched a few times, but it gets you nowhere in here. It doesn't do. It's... It doesn't do it. It's...
Starting point is 01:26:46 It's a point. That's one thing. Almost enough, would so. I agree. The generation that we, that gave birth to us, you know, your parents were born in World War Two. Yeah, yeah. My parents were in World War Two. Right, right. Fighting, my mother was a nurse, an army nurse.
Starting point is 01:27:07 They were both overseas. My mother was in London during the blitz. Wow, okay. Yeah, yeah. That fucking amazing. Oh, that is, yeah, yeah. And that generation, they just carry on. Yeah, I mean.
Starting point is 01:27:21 Especially the fucking British, bro. Oh, yeah. Right, I mean, I mean, basically the fucking British row. Right? I mean, you know, I remember mum talking about her mother, my grandmother, you know, putting her on a train, you know, with the whole bunch of other kids to escape, you know, the blitz and what was going on, the war and the major cities throughout England and they were separated from family in this for a long time and some never made it back, etc. So it was an extraordinary time that the British really did carry on and survive. It's astonishing that they didn't, you know, really, I mean, even till they're
Starting point is 01:28:07 dying day, a lot of their old guys that, you know, that are still just about hanging on, they never complained about anything. No. They never complained. It's astonishing. They were not pussies. No. Everybody today, all they do is complain. Yeah, that's just finding a reason that you can bitch about something. Oh, completely. Such a bunch of fucking little bitches. That's all they do is find a reason. Yeah, and they haven't, as far as I can see, been through any experience to give them that right to even complain about anything. No, can you imagine being born? I mean your father was born
Starting point is 01:28:57 1940, right? October 1940. Yeah, okay. I mean this is right in the middle of World War II. Yeah, you know, America hadn't gotten into it yet. But, I mean, John Lennon's middle name Winston, for Winston Churchill, I mean, unbelievable. I mean, that that, we're only in one generation, we're most from all that. And you think of the, from that to... And you think we would have learned a few things by then by now but we still haven't no not the lizard brain kind of thing no we learned technological things we made the iPhone yeah we have AI but I remember last time I was in London I did a touristy thing and you know took the tour of church hills like wartime fucking cave that he lived in.
Starting point is 01:29:45 It was like it's right in the middle of London, but it's underground. The bunker, yeah, yeah. Yeah, see at a bunker. Okay. And the telephones are like in the time it was. And you see all this stuff. And it's like, this could be like the fucking middle ages.
Starting point is 01:30:00 Oh, yeah. And it's my one generation before me. And And now AI, I mean, what do you think of how fast things really move? Shockingly. They seem slow when you're living it day by day. Even in the last six months or a year, it's leaps and bounds and scaring the crap out of me. What is how fast things change? Yeah, well, just again, you know, it's like We're dealing with enough misinformation around the world as it is and now to be able to look and sound like someone else completely You know is I'm a little allergic to that word misinformation Okay, because it's used by certain people like the medical establishment in America to basically
Starting point is 01:30:49 say, we on the science, which you don't, that's the opposite of what science is, which is testing things against other things. So, when they say, when I hear misinformation, what I hear is, you know, Dr. Fauci, who is, I don't think he's an evil genius, and I don't think he's a genius, what I hear is, you know, Dr. Fauci, who's, I don't think he's an evil genius, and I don't think he's a genius. What I hear is him basically saying, or people like that saying, don't even try to present an alternative view on this scientific medical matter, even though medicine has been wrong about a million things and still is, because that's misinformation. Now, sometimes things really are misinformation.
Starting point is 01:31:26 I'm just saying what I hear that word. I, it triggers me. It triggers me. That's okay. It's good to be triggered sometimes. Yes, that's a good attitude. It is. I've said it to myself all the time, like, do something to force yourself out of your
Starting point is 01:31:47 security bubble. Because it's very easy when you're doing it. Some become complacent all the way down. You have to be nudged every once in a while, poked in the side. So what do you do to nudge yourself? I fly private. No. No. Well, you know, live, that's enough, you know. Walk out the door, read a few emails that are not coming sideways sometimes.
Starting point is 01:32:17 What do you mean, like from mobile? It depends on the situation, you know. Reading email. I mean just if something is potentially going to change, you live the way you work or you know, bad scary emails. Scary stuff. Well again, because you know, I have this anxiety that I can read one thing that will ruin the whole day for me. It's so funny you say that because like there are things like that. Some of it is like pressed off or some of it is an email. That if I see it, if it comes in like later in the evening,
Starting point is 01:32:53 I won't read it because I'll be like, no, I have to read this like, first thing in the day. Right. So that I have all day to sort of let my brain forget it. So it doesn't keep me up at night when I sleep. I actually will time when I read shit because yes, scary stuff. It's really difficult to not read things,
Starting point is 01:33:13 but I mean, but I have to say that at least I allow myself these days to not look at the phone or do emails before I've actually got up and had a good hour having a little bit of breakfast and coffee and sitting outside looking at the world, taking in some fresh air and just going, you know, finding some level of strength or a good foundation to deal with whatever's going to be delivered. But there are always problems. No person has no problems. It just seems more frequent these days. It's the caliber of the problem.
Starting point is 01:34:00 It's how elegant is your problem. I bet you your problems are fairly elegant compared to problems that people can have, right? So absolutely. It's just, it's the, you have never have no problems. It's just, do you have catalact problems? Or do you have plymeth duster problems? And I know what it's like to have both. I'm so glad for that that I had years that sucked
Starting point is 01:34:26 when I was depressed like that for good reason. Because for the rest of your life, you appreciate it all a lot. Yeah, and that's my thing. That's what I try to do. So hard. These days is just appreciate and be thankful. It makes, it made me for the rest of my life always look at a problem that I was having in that way. I know. I need to slap myself around that. No, I mean, I don't know what your problems are. They could be horrendous. I mean, the worst problems of all happen at our age because the worst problem of all is health. Well, this is key. So, nothing compared. I agree, then. I think a lot of my frustration, I guess, you could say, is the pain I feel with the people that I know and love that are not well. Right. And you can only do so much. So that hurts, you know?
Starting point is 01:35:27 Well, but I mean, yes, that's noble to worry about other people, but as the years climb up, the person you're mostly worried about with that issue is you. Oh, yes, it's sure. And in that, I think it's the same George Harrison documentary. Yeah. There's a great moment where Roy Orbison dies. Yes.
Starting point is 01:35:50 That's not what a great moment is. No, no, no, no. It was great. It was a terrible moment. Yeah. In the movie. OK, so he was in the traveling Wilbur. Yes, of course, of course.
Starting point is 01:35:59 That band. Which was fantastic. Yeah, George Harrison, for you, kids out there, put together a supergroup about 20 years after the Beatles had broken up. Yeah, George Harrison for you, kids out there, put together a supergroup about 20 years after the Beatles had broken up. The early 90s. And it was Bob Dylan. Yeah, Tom Pettie.
Starting point is 01:36:12 I know, I know. Jeff Lynn. That's yeah. Roy Orbison and George Harrison, they put out two albums. They're good. They were fantastic. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:36:22 They all like took turns and they worked on some stuff together, but yeah, and Fuck why did I tell you that it's very important oh in the documentary. Yes, the documentary so when Roy Orbison dies Tom Petty tells the story on camera. Yes, he says when Roy Orbison died I Petty tells the story on camera. And he says, when Roy Orbison died, I called up George and before he even said hello, he said, aren't you glad it wasn't you? Yeah, I know. And I thought, I adore that kind of honesty.
Starting point is 01:36:57 Yeah, I'll show you. It's what I go for. And it's hard, I mean, of course he's saying this privately, so there's gonna be no repercussions, but it's still super honest. Yeah. And it's true. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:37:09 You know, if you and I are on a plane crash together and there's no food, I might have to eat you. That's okay. You know, I'm just saying. Cheers. Cheers to that. Cheers to that. Just the way of the world.
Starting point is 01:37:24 But as long as we both agree, we can eat each other. We can eat. Yeah, why can't we? We can live longer. You eat my foot and I'll eat your foot. But we're not going to like, yell, let's make a pact that if that happens, we don't kill each other. No, no. We start feeding each other
Starting point is 01:37:41 and equal body parts. I've got the visual of that unfortunately. How big is your deck? Because when we get down to that, I don't want to get jumped. Sorry. Jesus. What? Nothing.
Starting point is 01:37:57 Does this have a big world? No, not at all. I just got the visuals on this in my head that are playing. Maybe loops for a long time. A long in town for after this amazing highlight of your career. Oh my God. I'm here for a few weeks. Oh you are. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 01:38:16 You know Los Angeles has a lot of amazing beetle history. Of course, the visit with Elvis. You know about that? No. Oh my God. I'm being well-educated. Okay, so the Beatles were out here in 65. I think it was. They're second American tour and they had a few days off. They rented a place in Bel Air or no, I think that's Blue J way. The song Blue J way. Yeah, I do. Elvis had a place in Bel Air and he was in town and they went and visited Elvis. The way George Harrison describes it in the documentary, so funny,
Starting point is 01:38:51 not that one, the anthology. He says, we got stone before we went over there and he said then when we got to the house, it was just like a Beatles cartoon where we've tumble out of the legacy. Fall on the ground. That's fantastic. But Elvis was not very nice. As you might imagine. Yeah, I've heard stories. He was a little cold. Yeah, I've heard. He felt threatened and he had been superseded.
Starting point is 01:39:15 And so he kind of, yeah. But yeah, I've heard a few things. But he was someone who disappointed them. Because they loved him when he was the main inspiration. How could you not be? I mean, he was so overwhelming in those first couple of years. But I remember Paul saying, after he went in the army, and he came out of the army, he said,
Starting point is 01:39:41 there was never the same. The little twinkle in his eye was gone. You know, they kind of took the... I saw the Elvis movie. Did you see that one? I did. What were your thoughts? Great performance, not great movie.
Starting point is 01:39:58 Yeah. Well, I was shocked. You know, I didn't know the whole background to Elvis and his whole story, like the whole story of them. You don't even know the Beatles. Correct. You're in your memory. I told you my memory is conscious. It's not your memory. It's so interesting that you...
Starting point is 01:40:20 Yeah, I just don't absorb things in certain ways. What about, okay, here's another LA moment that you, someone's gonna tell you this. So your father was at the troubadour one night. Yeah, I know, but. And wound up with the coach ex on his head. I don't know about that, but I'm not sure. Google coach ex on John Bennett said that. I can't remember exactly what that even means.
Starting point is 01:40:45 I think that's something, some sort of woman's, or personal item. That was that with Harry Nielson, that was that night? Yeah, and I believe Ringo, it was during the, Last weekend?
Starting point is 01:40:58 Last weekend, which for your kids again out there was really 18 months, okay? So I know John and Yoko had the perfect fairy tale. Yeah, because I came out here to visit him. Oh, out here to LA? Yeah. What year? No idea, but.
Starting point is 01:41:12 Well, how old were you? Young. Okay. Honestly. And five? No, he wasn't out here. He moved him. It was in between sort of seven and ten maybe maybe eleven. Yeah, because he moved to
Starting point is 01:41:26 America in 1970 and never set foot in England again. Yeah, I know which he wanted to do. He wanted to come back. Oh, he did. He was because of immigration. He wanted to re-equaint with his family and friends. You know, he had half-sisters back in the 80s. So in the 80s, he would have gone to England. Yeah. Oh, yeah. For sure. Oh, was planning, as far as I know he was planning a trip to come back over. But when you saw him you always had to come out here to America. So mostly it was in New York. Well, except in the early days when he was living at Ascot, which is Titt and Hurst Park, which is where he did imagine.
Starting point is 01:42:00 Sure, I know. I remember the video. Because I used to go out there on weekends, on quite a few occasions. Okay, so this is not the house you remember growing up in when he was with your mother. No, no, no. This is the Yoko House. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 01:42:16 That's the one right there. Right, yeah. Right. Yeah, which is an amazing, amazing space. I mean, I was a wonderland for me as a kid. I think it was about seven at that time. That's got to be tough with you and Sean, because it's not. Listen, when I was young, you must have feelings about her that he doesn't get his mother.
Starting point is 01:42:39 Oh, that's right. Well, you know, I mean, she plays such a different role in each of your lives. Yes, very much so, but that's, you know, there was a different time in a different place. But I certainly, when I first came to New York, they're going to visit him as a kid at the Dakota, and so that he had a room dedicated to every toy, known to mankind, and I sure I was jealous.
Starting point is 01:43:05 That was Elvis Costello's point. Oh yeah. Well, I was, you know, I was that guy to be heaven for a kid. I was just annoyed that I didn't have those things. Oh right, you only visited it. But I got over that, you know, I figured I didn't need that. That wasn't going to get it anyway. Again, I've always felt like a quiet survivor, kind of like mommy in that regard. You got dealt with shit hand. It's a weird one. I mean, I always acknowledge that I had a huge advantage in life. Parents. Right. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 01:43:53 And of course, in the time when I was born in 1956, also, yes, race. There was advantages of, I'm sure there was comedy clubs that were like, no, we're going to hire the white comic instead of the black one. In 1980, that absolutely absolutely I'm sure I so I acknowledge that but I also acknowledge parents. It's like it's to have two stable loving parents who would the right amount of discipline. Yeah, but and you know, we weren't like I love you I love you kind of family people didn't do that back. I was I was very jealous of that. You should be, because it's great, and it allows you. And it allows you. The funny thing was, I sought after that.
Starting point is 01:44:34 I mean, it wasn't a thing I initially weren't looking for, but it was certainly with my ex, my last ex. Her family were everything to me, because I felt like I had the family that I never had. And they were a close-knit family. And I loved that. I would do anything to be part of that, be cared for and loved. And, you know, because I'd pretty much been a loner, you know. I think you're more normal than I am. I think I should have that desire too. But it was something that I had. I don't feel that bad about it.
Starting point is 01:45:20 No, but it's something I certainly missed over the years. And I thought, you know, having that family element would certainly make me feel happier, I guess, at that time anyway. You know, I'm thinking now of that song, awesome one. I mean, if father has a million awesome songs, but I mean, certainly he showed when his last record that he still had it. Oh, sure. Because starting over, it's a great, just a great, fucking record. That was the first. Phil Spector, Crazy Maddie is. It was the first song that dad played me when we were starting to get closer.
Starting point is 01:46:03 Just literally just before he was killed. Late so really. He played, I remember hearing that, I was in my attic, which was my bedroom in North Wales, when I was about 15 or 16, I can't remember exactly. He played starting over the phone to me. Wow. And I said, I loved it, you know, I did love it. And then he starts sending me a bunch of copies of the actual album.
Starting point is 01:46:32 See, this is my thing. It's so tragic because that's exactly his story with his mother. I was just starting to get to the point. Yeah, yeah, that was exactly that. And then she's taken away from it. Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's spooky. Yeah, yeah, that's exactly that. And then she's taken away from it. Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's spooky. Yeah, yeah. Again, something I didn't want to repeat if I could. What? Just that, how the sequence of things that happened in life. Right, right. Yeah, because I believe it wasn't a 17 when his mother passed. Yeah, I'm saying it's eerily similar. Exactly.
Starting point is 01:47:07 Especially the part about just getting to know again, and music, I mean it's all, yeah. I know, I know. It's a real shit. It's very house of atreus, kind of Greek, you know, those Greek cycles where it's always recurring. And, you know, the... But I was well aware of that. You know, I was fully, fully aware of that weird cycle. Right.
Starting point is 01:47:35 I had to break it. I just couldn't, you know, whatever it took, I had to change that. And I hope I believe I have. So, you know, especially with the timeline, whatever happy. I mean, your father has a lot of songs about like wanting to bust out of a prison, you know, watching the wheels, you know, or just like, there's a bunch about sleeping. I'm only sleeping. I'm so tired. It does. I'm so tired. Like, and a lot of it is sad that he's just,
Starting point is 01:48:08 that's the only thing he has to say. Songs that are about, leave me the fuck alone. I just want to hang out and do nothing today. I hope for it in a very similar song. You and I heard of it. Yeah. No, I don't think. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:48:24 Yeah, I think what some of the early Beatles stuff, obviously, I'm only sleeping, you know, wearing a wake-up early in the morning. Great. Yeah, all that stuff, you know, I loved all of that stuff, the melodies, the rhythm, the visuals, the dark. And yeah, so, you know. I mean, he obviously was distracted way more in the 70s, first by the fact that he'd already conquered the world
Starting point is 01:48:49 in the 60s. So there's less motivation. But then he's got a little kid in Yoko and the Vemememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememem weekend, did you see Just Redone? No, it did. He did it for his HBO show The Idol. I did Redone. And he did Jealous Guy. Very good. No, I tried to watch that show. I know, but the song. OK, well, that's a great song. Yeah, no, it's a classic song.
Starting point is 01:49:15 Oh, beyond the classic song. I think it's something everybody feels, certainly. But the melody, you know, that it started out as a completely different song. Oh, certainly. But the melody, you know that it started out as a completely different song. Oh yeah. Called Nature, Child of Nature. Yes, yeah, yeah. It just shows artists. More things.
Starting point is 01:49:35 Well, I think we're all this way. If you have a little nugget of something that's good, you square it away. You save it. Like he had this. Like this, the lyrics of this song are not working, but there is this, I love this melody, I'm going to just completely write something there when they're out. Yeah, well, I can relate to that because I think you're aware that with this last album, Jude, that half of the songs on it are from over 30 years ago. Nuggets, so to speak, that had no place anywhere else and I just thought, I don't want to lose them, but there's
Starting point is 01:50:12 got to be somewhere. And this last album, which I thought I was not going to do, became the Nuggets. I'm the same way. I mean, it would be nice to think that it's all inspiration, but a lot of it is just saving. Saving. And, you know, something to that. Yeah. I mean, comics or with jokes.
Starting point is 01:50:32 Yeah, I'm sure. I'm sure. You know, I have books of, you know, lyrics and one-liners and comments. And I have a Manila envelope that is stuffed to the gill with like cocktail napkin. In the 80s, when I was like, when there was no phone to record. Yeah, I just feel so. And I was, when I was high and out, which was a lot, and a young comic and everything is a bit.
Starting point is 01:51:01 And so you just write down, and I save them. I can, I probably couldn't even tell what half of the meme, but it's just funny that you think I'm a squirrel, and the more nuts I save. And it's kind of true. It's true. It's very true. I have notebooks and notebooks, and like, you know, for every... I just wonder if I'm ever going to get used to, you know, to go through them all.
Starting point is 01:51:22 Or wonder if I'm ever going to make it through that stuff. I think you remember. I think you know where the good stuff is. I think you know where to find it. But it's also not dissimilar to photography because something that you thought was, I know a lot of photographers throw away a lot of their images and a lot of their things because they just go, oh, it's not a good one. We're just going to know. But
Starting point is 01:51:52 I'm one of those that keeps everything a bit of a hoarder in that regard. But ten years later, I'll look back at a bunch of photos and it'll be exactly what I'm thinking or want to do today. You know, and I know that syndrome where I say to myself, thank you, young me for sorting away this little nugget that I going to old me is very grateful that you put this aside. Oh, yeah, because I am that way. I'm a pack ran. Any more nuggets to go. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:52:26 I'm still working through about another 10 tracks. I'm glad you're still making nuggets. Oh, thank you. And I'm extraordinarily flattered. You made time to come here. I know you don't do a lot of things like this. No. It's been a credible pleasure.
Starting point is 01:52:41 And who's that third person we said we were going to hang out with? Some Sean. It's love. Brand love. Alright, man. Thank you. My absolute pleasure.
Starting point is 01:52:55 It's a hard-to-go. Yeah. you

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