That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - Michael Bublé

Episode Date: September 5, 2022

To kick off Season 3 - Gaby talks candidly with none other than Michael Bublé. He opens up about the struggles of maintaining such a successful career and the sacrifices he must make to be a good father and husband. He shares personal thoughts about his pursuit for contentment, his unwavering ambition and how he constantly strives for perfection. This honest conversation shows the superstar in a new light. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And welcome to That Gabby Roslin podcast, part of the Acast Creator Network. Thank you so much for tuning in. We're back. I hope you had a wonderful summer. We certainly did and we've been getting ready for this brand new season of the podcast. For the first one, honestly, this is really quite something. This is the most candid interview you will hear from Michael Bubli. He talks openly about his life, his innermost thoughts, and this is Michael at his most real.

I felt honored to be there when he opened up to me. Thank you, Michael. And by the way, you have to listen out for someone else very special popping by to say hello. That someone is extremely well known for his music too. Oh, and yes, he takes a few photos. Don't forget, you can keep up to date by following and subscribing, please, to the podcast, where a new episode is released every Monday. Leave us a rating on the Apple Podcast app.

And whilst you're there, why not leave us a review? We love to hear your thoughts. Now on with the show How are you guys doing? Oh, I love you, Mr. Boubley. Hi, Debbie. Hello, gorgeous. I'm good, I'm good.

I try not to creep on you too much on social media, but you're always busy, huh? You don't stop, do you? You literally do not stop. No, but I love it. Like you, we both love what we do. I think I'm not loving it as much as you are. I think I'm feeling like a little bit like it's, I'm getting a little, I'm getting close to thinking maybe I can just go and be a dad. What do you think?

Seriously? Yeah, yeah. You did say that when I last saw you. I have this picture in my head of just me in a field with my kids and Ed Shearan's kids. And we're just hugging each other and picnicking and getting drunk. Okay, can I please come too? You're so, absolutely. You're welcome.

Actually, you two remind me of each other. He's a great dude. How's it going there? What's happening? No, it's all good. It's all good. Excuse me, can we just talk about your social media? I mean, whoever is doing your TikToks and your videos, please, how good are they?

And they make me laugh every time. I think they're good with the tricks. Well, it's me doing it. No. Yeah, and I suck at it. And I have more fun because I suck at it. And you know what I really love? It's funny.

I just did a thing where TikTok hired me to go and believe it or not, talk to other artists and stuff about what it is to do the TikTok and do TikTok. Listen, I think it's ridiculous, but I love, like you do, there's always been a disconnect between the listener and the artist. And it's, you know, like in your job, you talk sort of, you speak and you're in this bubble and you speak and you bring them with you into your world and you sort of paint a picture for them. And for me, this was the first time that I could actually really communicate, communicate, like talk, like, you know, and by the way, and find, people who are too timid to ever make a career of singing, but they go in their living room and they play their grandpa's piano and they're like, they're amazing. And I get to like see all of these people expressing themselves in these fun and creative

and really many times humble ways. And I either laugh or I cry or I learn something. I really dig it. Like Instagram I had a Instagram was fine. You know, like you had a record coming out. Are you doing something? I was like, okay, you do an Instagram. You take a picture.

but I felt a little, a bit cringy when I would be, you know, taking another selfie of myself and going like, what am I doing? Like, you know, like, it's funny, Ed Sharon actually did an interview where I heard him talking about his friends that are putting out a bunch of Instagrams

and that he feels like they need a hug because they're obviously missing attention. It's so true. But with TikTok, I feel like it's just the process of being a creative person. It's funny. Like, I watch, I have friends that, listen, like, they have nothing.

There's no business. they're in, you know, they're like a real estate agent. And they have more fun doing TikToks for their kids or just for them, the little private things. It's fun. It's like, it can be fun. But actually, that's what social media can be. Because obviously there's a really negative side, but the fun side of it and the joy.

And it, you know, in lockdown and everything, it just brought everybody together. Thank goodness that we had that. Absolutely. I mean, you're right, though. I don't want to get too deep into it, but I think we... No, no, no, no, no. Neither do I. I think we instinctually know that there's...

parts of it that are like we are there it's it is like society ending stuff so i just you know there's got to be regulations like there is for everything else yeah yeah let's just enjoy it i just don't want to know how you manage so if you're doing these yourself okay yeah yeah how do you manage to do the ones where you suddenly leaping backwards and you're oh oh those ones no no no those like those little ones there's a a guy who his name is peter quinn and he's this really really talented, sweet young guy from L.A. And so when I was there, this guy Derek Huff, who's one of America's great dancers,

great entertainers, he said, hey, I got this guy named Peter Quinn, he's amazing, and he'll come to your house, and it's quick, and he shoots all these kind of cool things, and he does these special effects. And he was amazing, like, two hours at my house. And he was like, okay, now do this. Now flick yourself here, now do this. And we just shot about, I don't know, eight or ten of these really cool, little viral, little loopy kind of thing.

and it's amazing. I have no idea how he does it. I just did whatever he said to do. It's magic. Yeah. It's magic. You see, when I was a child, I never wanted anybody to tell me how magic worked,

because I wanted to be able to say it's magic. And I get the feeling that you, did you want to know what was up their sleeve? Or did you like the magic? I am not smart enough to know what is up their sleeve. I don't, I would not understand for a second. all the technical things that go into him making that kind of magic. There was one where I was in a bubble.

He said, let's do this thing like Boubley in a bubble where you get in this bubble and it goes up and it pops and you fall down. I said, well, how are you going to do that? And he brought out this weird green like little scrim thing and he held it behind me and got me in a big bar chair and he said, no, jump off the bar chair. And I said, okay. He says, yeah, but jump off and pretend like you've fallen a far away. And I did.

And I did it and I felt like an idiot. and then about two weeks later he sent me that thing. You know who's looking at me right now? Wait, wait, wait, wait. Hey, Bri. Look who's looking at me right now? He's creeping at me looking in the studio. My favorite singer-songwriter of all time, Mr. Brian Adams,

and I'm sitting in his studio. Hi, Mikey, how you doing? I'm good. Say hi to Gabby. Say hi. Hello, how are you? Hi, Brian. How are you?

Who am I speaking to? It's Gabby Roslyn here. I just want to know, do you also jump out of bubbles? Because Michael was just talking about the fact that on it. the TikTok. Instagram and TikTok he's jumping out of bubbles. I have never

jumped out of a bubble but I mean I'm in a bubble right now. He has jumped out of a plane I know that. That's right. Nice to speak to you he'll pass you back to Mike.

See you later. Thank you very much. Thank you Brian. Take care. So yeah, sorry Gabby we're recording with this interview I'm about to say

where are you? I'm in Vancouver. I'm in a studio where I make a lot of my music and it just happens to be Brian Adams studio. It's called the warehouse.

And so he's, I think he's just, he's doing something here. So we're going to go up for dinner tonight and he just came down to say hi. Oh my, have you any idea how showbiz that just sounded? So I'm in Brian Adams studio and we're going to go out for dinner tonight. That's, that's showbiz. Yeah, but there's no, isn't it a joy? It's not very showbiz. We, my manager has managed Brian since he was 18, 17 and managed me for the last 20 years.

So it's like we're stepbrothers or some weird kind of thing. Oh, okay. You're related. Yeah, I'm, yeah, that's fine. You're related. Do you know, I love the way you still have this. And we were, so I think it was one of the very first TV shows you ever did in the UK was with me and the late great Terry Wogan. Yes.

And I remember then thinking you had this wonderful wide-eyed look, the way you looked at the world through child's eyes. And I mean that as a huge compliment. And I think I wish we could all hold on to that for years. But will you like that as a child? I know that's a really weird thing to say, but you just have this incredible way of looking. at the world. I think I was. I think I had a sense of wonderment. I think it's why I loved, I loved drama and movies and I mean, I loved music and cinema and I loved the way that I think instinctually, even as a kid, without being able to eloquently tell you or, you know,

exactly what I meant. I loved that cynical, I knew the world was cynical. I knew there were cynical people. I knew there were people that were, of course. But I think there were parts of life where I would go to the cinema and I would watch the lights come down and I would see the most cynical people lower their guard for a moment and allow for that child like wonderment to set in. And I always love cinema first. It was my first love more than music.

And it was for that reason was that just for this brief moment, the most cynical of us could, could suspend our disbelief and the good guy could win, you know? Or, you know, love would conquer all and that there were happy endings or that, you know, maybe just for a minute we really believed that Spider-Man and Batman could do the things they do. And I loved that part about it. And for music, there was this, there was a feeling in expressing myself that I could do, I could do that maybe for other people.

Maybe when I played those little night clubs or the theaters or got to arenas or stadiums, maybe I could take people away for two hours and I could have the most cynical people drop their guard for a minute and enjoy these beautiful parts of life. You know, the magic of communicating and dancing and loving and crying and laughing together. And I just, I think I felt really kind of hopeful that there was a world in which that was possible. and then I think I started to lose it like everyone else does. And luckily for me, I married a great girl

and we had kids. And through my kids, I started to see life through their eyes. And that became, for me, it was enlightening, it was refreshing, it was, uh... Listen, there's, it's a crazy, sad, angry, scary world. And, um, And just like you or anyone else, I get down and I get frustrated and I get cynical and I get angry.

I fear for the future of my kids and their kids. But at some point, you have to, or I do anyway, just maybe to protect myself. I just, I try to make sure that I still believe in those things. That's interesting. You say that it went because, you know, over the years and I've interviewed you and seen you and I've seen you perform and I've been at charity events with all of those things,

I would still say that out of all of the people I've met and I think you're wonderful. I really do. I love your company that you still have this wonderful way of looking at the world. I love you for saying that.

I think if you talked to my wife yesterday, you would think I was just a dickhead. Because yesterday I was grumpy and I was complaining about all this stuff And she's like, what's wrong with you, Mike? Come on, man, be grateful. I say like, okay, all right. Now, we all have our things, right?

We do. It's funny, you know, as I go on, as I'm about to go on this world tour in a week from now or something, I think Friday I leave, and I'm going to go to Europe and then, of course, I do the stately home tour through the UK.

I have to put myself in a mental state where if I'm not feeling it, I have to remind myself and go, hey this is a beautiful opportunity to go and do this again to enjoy this again how lucky are you and I have to remind myself over and over and over and like we all do we all do it like I don't care what you do for living it's it's easy to get to get in that place but um man life is good I love the way that there was something I read and said that your wife doesn't get your sense of humor and I just that because you have a very you have a wicked sense of humor you have a wicked sense of humor you

like to be naughty and and I can imagine her now from you just saying stop being a dick that she might say that a few times oh and she doesn't yeah and she when I say she doesn't get I think she finds my humor sophomoreic I think she's so many times whatever if it's a tic talk or something I say on stage she's just say like you so stupid that's I get that a lot you so dope my thank God she She just is patient with me. I'm like, listen, I'm like a fifth kid for her sometimes. I think that's what I was getting at about the wide-eyed. I'd look at the way.

Yeah, no, she loves that part. She loves that part, though. That it's like she's yelling at me to get off the trampoline because it's time to come for dinner and I'm going, just one more minute. My grandfather, who's, he passed away when he was 92. And he was my best friend. Most of my whole life, he was my guy.

And I remember asking him at the dinner table. He was about 90 years old. And I said, how does it feel to be 90? And he looked at me and he said, sunshine. He said, my body's 90. And then he pointed to his head and he said, but up here, he said, I'm 17. And I said, you really, I said, you really feel that? He said, oh, sunshine.

He said, I'm a kid. I'm just a kid. I still feel. He said, I'm, he said, I am deeply frustrated by my body and how slow it is and how tired I am and, you know, the age is obviously, he's nine years old. He said, but I'm just a kid. He said, I've never changed. And you know what's interesting, too, is that sometimes now I'll watch one of my little

boys smile and I will see my grandpa in so deeply in that smile. And I'll turn to my wife and I'll actually say, look, you know, I see him. And I remember and I feel that. I feel the same way my grandpa feels because inside I feel like I'm, I'm just 16 and 17 too. Oh, we don't really grow up. I love that. So did he call you Sunshine?

Is that what he called you? That's what he called me, Sunshine. And he and my Zeal Butch, they were, you know, his younger brother, they came all over the world on every single tour I ever did. They came with me. And they hung out with me and the guys and we called them the Sunshine Boys. That was their names. The Sunshine Boys getting into trouble. And they were, talk about cute.

At that time, they were in their mid-70s. early 70s going going up into their my grandpa traveled with me till he's late 80s sadly his little brother passed away and that was devastating for all of us but they would come everywhere

I mean every country and they were just like one of the boys bad boys isn't he the one that you used to play your jazz when you were a child? Yeah my whole life he played me he told me he gave me he gave me guilt trips you know what he'd say to me

he says sunshine he said grandpa but he's an old guy, okay? This is I'm talking when he was now, and he was like, this is probably his mid-50s. I mean, so young, and to me he was ancient, but, and he would say, you know,

could you just learn these songs for me? You know, before I, you know, grandpa's heart ain't great, and just in case somehow, you learn the Mills Brothers for me? There's a couple songs for the Mills Brothers. Here I got the Four Aces,

a little bit of Dean Martin, a couple Dean Martin songs, and would you learn? And he would put, he would put cassettes together. We'd sit cross-legged on the floor and he'd take old records, albums, acetates,

and he would put them onto these cassettes and he would say, okay, kid, go and, you know. So I would learn all the words. And I would, then I'd sit at the dinner table with him and grandma. And he'd say, okay, why don't you show, what did you learn here? You got the Bobby Darren stuff?

Did you learn the, and I was sit and sing them? I mean, to this day, no kidding. I mean, you can name, if you name a standard, I know it sounds nuts, but I think I could sing every word to almost any standard you, I mean, just any standard, I think I would be able to nail it. So he was the one that gave you that joy then in your heart of that sort of. Well, I had, it's interesting, the reason that it was so sympathetic was because

even at 13 years old when I first heard Bobby Darren or I first heard Vic Dane or Al Martino or Tony Bennett. I was infatuated by it. I just didn't understand how... I didn't understand... I loved, by the way, I loved all kinds of music. I loved the Beastie Boys, and I love Michael Jackson, and I love early hip-hop and rock and everything else.

But I didn't understand why other people my age didn't hear Harry Connit Jr. and just lose their shit. I just didn't understand. To this day, I don't understand. To this day, I go like, Okay, wait a second. So it's incredibly musical. They're the greatest melodies ever written.

They're supported by, I think, some of the most timeless, wonderful, romantic, sometimes nasty, sexy lyrics ever written. The grooves are fatter than any hip-hop or DJ will ever give you. I mean, everything has come together here. The musicianship is incredible and fallible.

How could people not hear this and go, oh, my God, I've got to have this in my life? and I just to this day I'm dumbfounded by by the fact that it's somehow this music is you know not as mainstream as I think it should be but weirdly though everybody knows it

well that's the weird part right it's a soundtrack of it it becomes a soundtrack of our lives because of all the movies that you watch or commercials that you see you don't even know that you know it it's funny that you said that you don't even know that you know it but somehow you do it yeah it's a you know what it's a joy you can Can you imagine for me at 13 years old that I'm listening to this stuff and I love this stuff more than anything? And that these are my heroes and my idols.

And I mean, if I had ever known that one day I would get to be a small part of keeping their legacy alive, I would have, I mean, I would have been too thrilled. I'd never be complaining about anything. But if you went back to that 13 year old, you probably did know some part of it. You must have. You mean that I would be here? No, yeah, that you would be doing it because you want to. to sing, didn't you? I know you said that films were your first love.

Yeah, I think I wanted to act first. And, I mean, music was a massive passion, but I think I love to create. I think I loved that I think I was an entertainer ever since I was a little kid. And when we talk about goals and we talk about where we are in our lives, isn't it funny that somebody from the outside

would think that I have everything? I mean, I've got an incredible career and, man, I've done so great. And it's, but do you know how miserable I am? I'm about all of it. I mean, seriously? That, that it'll just show you that if you think that money or success or some kind of fame

will fix the things in your life and that you will find clarity and true happiness, it's bull. You never find it. You always want more. And I don't care what station you get to or how far you get. Can I ask you something? Would you be, I mean, and just be honest, because that's all I want you to be. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Go. Go, go, go. Are you just content? I mean, I'm asking you something, it's in your, when you're alone and you're in bed alone and your eyes are closed and it's nothing but you in the dark universe, are you content or do you think, shit, I can do more than this, I'm better than this, I just, I want more than this. Well, I'm one of those, and I always apologize for it.

And I, and it's a really stupid thing to apologize for, but I've, even when I was a child, I've always been incredibly happy. I love, I couldn't go to sleep at night because I couldn't, I didn't, I didn't, I want the day to end and I wake up early in the morning because I want the next day and I'm always trying to be creative and come up with ideas. So actually I am very lucky and I'm very aware how lucky I am because if you ask yourself that question, I think you might not have the same answer as me. I don't think I do. I'm serious. That's what I'm saying is like I I think I used to think that once I had these things, these levels of success or the whatever it is in that and

monetarily or that oh my gosh. Like now it's life is good. I can just enjoy. But it's funny because it's, I, I'm always, it's interesting. Even my manager will call and say, we did this, you sold this. The record's number one. And my first instinct is to go, okay, that's great. But we, what do we think about the second single?

And what about the American tour? When does that go on sale and what do you think of that? Like it's always, you know what I mean? There's always this, this ambition that sort of burns. and never, it just never goes away. And I have a hard time. I got to really remind myself to try to be in the moment and to appreciate the, you know, the life I've had.

But it's hard. So going back to the first thing that you said about maybe leaving it all and just being daddy, is that, do you think that is something that you would really, that you need? Maybe that's what you need to do for a while. I don't know a friend that doesn't have the same thought. I mean, we never did.

do it. No one ever seems to really do it. Very few of us are brave enough to say, no, I just, you know, I just want to do this. But I think it's, it's a fantasy. Do you know what I mean? It's like, it's funny. My wife, I watched my wife kind of go through it in her first couple pregnancies where she got pregnant and I remember very clearly she said to me, you know what, Mike, I think I would be good being a mom. And I don't know that I need to go and make movies anymore. And I don't think, I just don't think my ego needs it. I think I, you know, I'd love to just be a mom. And this for about, we got, so we had our first.

And I would say about six or seven months later, she, I would start to see her go, who am I? You know, what? Yeah, that I guess. Who, who am I, Mike? Like, am I, what am I just a mom? Like, what happened to this other part of me? And it happened twice, by the way, twice in a row where the same thing happened,

where her identity, her sense of fulfillment wasn't as tied up as mine, I'd say was, but it definitely was. And I don't know that that was ego as much as there was a part of her that she's just such a creative monster that she had to create. Do you know what I mean? And once that part was gone, yeah, that. it was like this fulfillment and sense of identity was like, uh-oh, uh-oh, no, no, no, no, no.

I, yes, I still need to do that. But it was funny that she had sort of tricked herself. You know what I mean? And really felt, though, Mike, I think I'm good without it. And it's the same thing when I say that to you in a joking way at the beginning. I say, hey, you know, maybe I'll just be a dad. I think it's a trick. Yeah, no, I get that.

I completely get, I think, but we do kid us. I mean, I remember when I went back to work after my first daughter. and everyone, you know, everybody's so quick to judge, oh, that's very fast. And I remember just admitting I'm, I'm mum first, but I've wanted to do what I do since the age of three. So I'm not going to stop doing that. And I want both of my girls to see that moms can go out there and work. But that's my decision. That's my choice.

And I do do get moments where, whatever you want to call it, the guilt or the mom, you know, any of those things. But also when I. I have that time with them, I really value it. And I think I can, you love, when you talk about your family, I mean, obviously last time I saw you was face to face. And I could, you just, you well up and talking about writing the song with your, with your son and coming up with the lines and just the way you talk about them, your heart is bursting with them. And you get that. But also, there's the other hat, which is you. You're the, you're the entertainer. The word. do you just use before.

Yeah. Oh, definitely. And it's a big part of... And you can't do both. It's a big part of what fulfills. You know what's funny? You can't do both successfully. I'm not kidding you.

I mean, I don't think you can. Really? Yeah. I mean, well, relative, in relativity, relatively you can, you can have success, but I don't think, I think one always suffers.

And so, um, it's funny, you know, if you talk to my manager, who's a beautiful guy, but he's managed a lot of big careers. he'll say flat out

if Boubley didn't get married and have those kids he would be a bigger star easily truthfully you know what I mean it's well because I I made you know

I made decisions that for me really weren't decisions but it was yes I'll work but I'm a father and a husband first and then so you know what I will go to England and I will go to England and I will go and I will do the big TV shows and the big interviews

and I will go and do the dates that I have to do. But remember, I've got, you know, 50 other countries. And so I'm going for three weeks or whatever it is. And then I'm, and then, you know, you get three weeks and then that's it. Then I'm coming home and I won't go more than that. And by the way, since I came to the UK to do that press, it meant that on that trip I didn't go to Holland and I didn't go to Italy. You know, I had to make the choice of,

Okay, where will I spend the time? And of course, you know, that probably isn't great for Italy. Wasn't great for the chart numbers in Italy. You know, Holland could have been better. And that's kind of what I mean is that and then, you know, it's like, and my manager always says to me, it isn't tough to make the decisions, kid. It ain't tough to make the decisions. It's tough to live with the consequences of those decisions.

So can you live with the consequences of that, Mike? You put your family first. It's going to hurt our career in these countries. What do you think? And of course, for me, it sucks because, of course, I'm telling you here that I think about it all the time. And I sit in bed and go, oh, damn, you know. But you can't really have, you know, the only, you know, talk about Ed Shearne. We're talking about Ed in the beginning.

Years ago, I sat with Ed on my balcony. And I'm not kidding you. He told me exactly what he was going to do, how he was going to do it. And I sat and smiled at this young kid, very sweet young kid. And I thought, that's sweet that he thinks he can. you know, he can control it that way. He did, it's like a movie. It's like a goddamn movie.

He did exactly what he said he was going to do and the time he was going to do it in. So I think I know the next steps. I'm not going to, that's not for me to tell you. But if he pulls off the next steps, I mean, I don't even know what to say. Ed Sheeran for Prime Minister. I think he's awesome.

I think you do remind me of one another. It's crazy, man. I can't believe he did. I mean, and up to this point, I'm telling you, even with the kids and stuff, he did exactly what he said he was going to do. From marrying his wife to everything. From the timing of this record and then that,

then we'll do this and then we'll have that. It was like, oh my God, Ed, how did you do this? Do you know, the thing about him as well and you is that there is a realness and there's an honesty. And I think that's important. I think you have to hold on to that. And there are a lot of people, you and I know a lot of people who have just disappeared

into that weird world and the honesty is gone and the integrity is gone and they probably don't like themselves very much. I think people have to be careful. It's a really strange world that you live in and Ed. Well, we're not, no human being is meant for that glory. I mean, I'm not, I don't want to get too deep and religious, but that kind of glory was not meant for one man or one woman. And so I think we protect each other as best we can. We're, we're not. protect ourselves, excuse me. I mean, I just watched an interview with Paul McCartney, Sir Paul, and he was speaking about it.

I mean, it's interesting. He, you know, even when I sat with him, he talked about loving to go right. He worked with him, didn't you? Yeah, yeah, he was. But it was amazing to hear this man who's gone through, you know, I mean, talk about, you know, I'll never understand, not close to that kind of, to that kind of heat

or that kind of success. and he loves he's inquisitive and talk about a guy who's still young he's inquisitive and he has a sense of wonderment and I think he loves riding his bike and sitting on a bench next to somebody and asking them about their life and their story and who they are

and where they're from and he really is genuinely interested in human beings and their stories but it's interesting for me when he talks about but then they pull out a camera they pull out the phone. And the moment they pull out the phone, snap, he's brought back to the reality

of who that other Sir Paul is supposed to be. And he doesn't love it, you know. He wants to have a genuine moment without it being taken to that place. And that's just, I think it's just a way of self-preservation of protecting yourself from how crazy and how sycophantic it can all get and how, you know, listen, I mean,

you're a, you're a small village. You're making money for hundreds of people, if not thousands. You know, you walk into a small city in any country in the world. And you are, you're the infrastructure. Every restaurant, hotel, there's, there's a lot happening. There's a lot of money being brought in. And so, yeah, it's a weird, it's a weird world, most definitely. And I think it's important that either you've been lucky enough to have the family that you've had to keep you grounded or you hopefully have people around you that aren't syncopatic and can be honest with you. And actually, interestingly, have you seen the eight-hour documentary? I watched it on Disney Plus with the family.

Yeah. What did you think? It blew our minds. We sat with the kids who were 15 and 20 and we said, we've got to all watch this together. And I love the fact that they, it blew their minds as well. It was incredible. the way they worked. Yeah, it's incredible.

They're geniuses. Just mind-blowing. How do you work when you're writing a song? Slowly, probably I would say independently. Most of the songs I've written are me, being inebriated, sitting at a piano that I'm terrible at playing, and feeling something pretty deeply, feeling, you know, having a reason or a person or a relationship or a moment that I've gone through

or I'm going through. And I sit down and I just start plunking and I, and whatever I play usually tells me, you know, whatever chords I play with my feeble fingers sort of tells me what the song will be about. And over and over I've done that and, you know, with success or sometimes not successful. But it's interesting. The last few years are the first time I actually sat with other writers and shared the responsibility of giving birth to something. Because before that, I was really, you know, I had co-writers, but basically I would go to them

with the song. And I'd say, okay, I've got most of this here. Help me fill up the spots. But they're always, to be honest, if I look back, my most successful songs came from, being almost autobiographical and meaning something to me. You know, there was, there was truth. There was honesty as I was writing it and singing it, and it was real. And I feel like that's harder to do when you write with other people.

Right, okay. So you watching the Let It Be documentary and watching the way they wrote, then what did you think of that? Well, my first thought was that I had seen an interview where a journalist had asked Sir Paul McCartney what it was like knowing that so many people felt he had just ridden the coattails of John Lennon and that John was the actual leader and the real kind of the mind behind all of it. And I remember watching the interview and cringing, you know, that this interviewer had had asked that question and of course posed it as many journalists do

under the guise of people say. What do you feel when people say? Well, they don't, they're not asking what people say. They should always, I wish they would just say, I feel. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So he asked, he asked Sir Paul this question. And interestingly enough, Sir Paul's, this is now, this is probably in the probably early 80s or something that the interview comes from a mid, 80s, let's say, maybe late 80s. And Sir Paul, his body language, he, it seems like he gets even more relaxed if that's possible. Instead of getting defensive or tightening up, his body language gets more relaxed and he answers and says, well, I mean, he says, John Lennon was an absolutely astounding musician,

a wonderful writer and a wonderful partner. And by the way, so was George Harrison. And so was Ringo Starr. In their own right, these gentlemen were absolutely. And it was a gift getting to work with them every day. I believe we made each other better. He said, but when you talk about that whole John thing and saying that he's the guy, he said, I don't really feel like I have to answer that because he said, I know the truth.

And he said, and I'm okay with that. I know what the truth is. And he said, and when I look in the mirror, I know what really happened within the group. And I'm, I'm, you know, I'm, I don't need to be defensive. I'm confident in all of that. And that was it. That's all he said. What an answer.

And the journalist, and the journalist didn't get the answer that he wanted. And, uh, and by the way, I don't know if the people, if possible, the people watching that interview at that time

got the answer they wanted. But here's what's crazy is more than 20 years later, we watched that documentary and we see with our own eyes and go, oh my God, it wasn't all John. Hmm. Sir Paul is the guy. Sir Paul is a mastermind and a leader and a ferocious, ferocious writer, musician, almost imposing his will when necessary.

And no shit he didn't have to tell anybody he was great. You know why he didn't have to tell anybody? He didn't have to tell him because you know what? He is great. And that's the difference between greatness and adequacy. when you're good, you don't have to tell people because you know what? At the end of the day,

they're going to find out. So that was that, that documentary for me was just a mindblower. I, you know, thank God I didn't watch it until after I'd worked with them because I think it would have really, I think it really would have intimidated me because I walked in and I was so grateful,

but so aloof in our session. You know, I walked in and said, hey, man, you know, I'm so happy. You're doing this with me. And, you know, here's your, there's your room and let's do this. You know, you're in charge, man. And, uh,

you know, I was really just so happy to be in the moment with a guy. But if I had seen that, I might have been a little more intimidated. I love that you didn't. I love that you didn't. It must be quite lonely, though. You're saying that you write on your own. I can imagine just sitting there with your thoughts and with yourself. That's why your music is so honest and touches a lot of,

everybody who listens to it touches their heart. Never lonely. Never lonely. Just, you know what it is? I think it's a mass. I think it's a matter of control. Compromise breeds mediocrity. And I felt so many times with my personality

when I sat in a room with other writers, I compromised. Oh, that's interesting. So I would, you know, a line would be written and I would go, God, that doesn't ring true for me. And the other writers would say, ah, yeah, it's good though. It rhymes and it kind of fits with what you're saying.

And I'd go, yeah, okay, okay, because I don't want to be a jerk. All right. but that compromise honestly it didn't it wasn't the best thing for the song many times

and for me even though like I said to you I was very independent I liked I liked taking a long time to choose the right words the right sentiment here's how I would say it

and here's what rings true for me to say and here's the right melody and here's the hook and by the way I wanted the hook to repeat three times not two and I know that you're going to tell me as a song that that's incorrect and that it's wrong in the wrong form.

But I didn't read. I never learned to read or write music. I never went to school to learn what the right form of a song was. I just did what felt good. And that's it. By the way, going back to Sir Paul, that was interesting for me to see that side of, of him as a musician, him going at it, I don't know. I don't read or write it.

I just, I feel it, you know. And I think for me, that was a big part of, you know, getting to sort of hold on to things. Yeah. I get that. I absolutely get that. But I just you I get that you're you, you, you like people around you, but you're, it's a sort of strange mix. But I mean, obviously I've never seen you in your home environment and on your own. But you're so good with people, you know, I mean, I've seen you, um, uh, worker room. We were a charity event, Norda Forbens and, um, everyone was trying to raise money to come and see you and to get a box. at the O2 and you were bidding against the people to come and see yourself.

It was hysterically funny. And I was hosting the event and everyone was loving it. But my goodness, and I'm going to go back to that word that you used, entertainer. You really, you're great with people. You know how to work it? I don't, you know what? I think if I thought about it that way and I was trying to work them, I just don't think, I think people would see through it so quick.

No, but I use that for a reason. I don't mean that you're what, no. I know, I know exactly. I know, no, no, no. I know exactly what you mean. I think that I think I'm a sensitive guy. I think my mom and dad

filled me and my sisters with I think probably a great sense of empathy. And I think that made me good at what I do. I think that I was very Canadian or British, if you want to call it that. I'd say courteous.

Still strong in getting what I want and what I need. But having the, the ability to articulate those things somehow, even though I don't have the musical knowledge to be corrected in how I articulate that. But getting what I need and hopefully in a kind way, motivating the people around me to want to do their best,

to bring those thoughts to fruition and to bring those obtuse or sometimes weird kind of ideas and to really make them real. And I've been very lucky, though. I'm surrounded by people that are like-minded. You know, I think when you have that kind of joy, I think it's infectious. And I think I always love what I did. I had so much reverence for the music and for the people that had come before me.

And I think I just always, I just, I would go into a room and I was, it's funny you know when I really think about it if I really am honest with myself my favorite part of what I do for living is creating and whether that's the process of sitting and writing the music or going to the studio and watching a concept come together or walking on stage in front of thousands of people and having a genuine moment where something you know there's life given to some thing or moment or something that I say or, you know, a moment that really is connective and connects the audience and me together. I think that's my favorite part of my whole, you know, that part of my life. The Michael Bublae part. I know that sounds weird too when I say that.

No, no, no, it doesn't. I get it. I feel like there's two of me. There's like, there's a guy who puts on a bat suit and comes to work and does this thing. And then there's the, and weirdly, that started to as I've gotten older and I've gone through the things that my family's gone through that has changed too because more and more those two separate personalities and people became one and for years and years Gabby I would go on I would go on stage and and it was me but it was also me trying to find the coolest parts of you know the characters that I loved and I would I would build this this really cool character on stage that, you know, was Taflon. And more and more, I started to become myself. And there was this great joy and comfort in just me being me and getting

to be surrounded by all these beautiful people. It's funny, I've said every show, every single night, whatever I, wherever I am, whatever I do, I hold my hand up in the air. And I say to them, when you see me put my hand up in the air, it's me signifying that this, this is, you, this This glory was made for no man or woman. I come here to spread the good word. And that's it. I work through whatever you want to call it, the universe, God. I'm not here to tell you what you should or shouldn't believe or what book you should read or not read.

I'm just telling you that I feel that, you know, I'm a conduit to whatever that thing is. How wonderful. That's why you get such a connection with your audience. with your audience and with your fans. Michael, listen, I thank you for this. I could spend far too long. I literally could talk to you forever because you're just a genuinely good person

and a joy to always. I keep, I forgot, it's funny. When we started, I forgot that this was, that we were even on tape. So thank God I didn't say any other stupid things. No, you said nothing stupid. Nothing stupid. Tell your wife.

It was actually, when we started talking, it was like, hi, how are you? It's like I have to have people remind me, idiot, idiot. This is being taped. No, this will be forever. Yeah, but also everything you said was wonderful. Like I said, I think you're great company. Likewise, same as you, you are too.

But you say you're in touch with the, you're getting closer and closer to you when you go out on that stage. And the Michael that I've interviewed many times and the guy that I've seen out on stage, I, you're a showman, of course you are, but it's very real. That's you. Thank you, my darling. Thank you so much.

God bless. Take care. How amazing was that? The wonderful Michael Bouble, who I adore. Thank you, Michael, for being so open and honest. And thank you so much for tuning in. On the next episode of the podcast, the lovely Josette Simon OBE. Oh, what a delight she is to chat to.

And she shares so many stories about her life, career, and her fabulous dog, Milo. That Gabby Roslyn podcast is proudly presented to you. by Cameo Productions with music by Beth McCari. If you wouldn't mind, could you give us a like, a follow, a subscribe, and please leave a review? We read them all and love to see what you've got to say. See you next week.