The nostalgia-ridden and familiar opening riff of the song Summer of ’69 can rouse any crowd, in almost any city in India, to croon along... “I got my first real six-string, Bought it at the five-and-dime”. Bryan Adams was only 25 when the song became a global sensation. “I’m not sure when the first time was that we played it, but it was a tricky song to record,” says the rock star. Today, his body of work includes 13 studio albums, a Pretty Woman Broadway musical, alongside Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations and wins.
Born in Canada in an army family, Bryan travelled to Portugal, Vienna, Austria and Israel as a child. Always a music head, Bryan started playing for a pub band Sweeney Todd in 1976. In 1978, he was signed on to A&M records for the princely sum of one dollar. With hits like Straight from the Heart and Cuts Like a Knife, Bryan was soon touring and soaring high, when his breakthrough album Reckless was released in 1984. The album featured Run to You, Summer of ’69 and Heaven. Since then, he has topped the charts with singles such as 18 ’Til I Die, Everything I Do I Do It For You, Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman, Here I Am, and The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You.
The 58-year-old vegan Vancouverite is now set to visit India for the fifth time, for The Ultimate Tour. “We have a great show in store, our best work. We spent months preparing this tour, it’s a long way from our first tour of India,” he tells us. In an exclusive interaction, the hugely popular artiste opens up about his humanitarian work, and his other passion — photography. He also reveals which pop stars are on his playlist right now.
You grew up in an army family.
Yes. I kept leaving friends behind as we followed my father’s job around the world. But looking back, I had a privileged childhood for affording myself experiences of different cultures and languages.
How did Summer of ’69 happen?
’69 is a metaphor for a song rich in regret and the feelings of losing innocence. At some point, we all have to deal with the broken promise of youth and what that means — ’69 addresses those feelings. Originally, the song was going to be called ‘The best days of my life’, but the alliteration and double entendre of the words ‘Summer of ’69’ seemed to sum it up better. I demoed it three different times, and recorded it twice until I got it where I thought it was as close to perfect as I could make it. I drove my team mad with the requests to do it again, but I knew what I wanted.
Over the years you have collaborated and shared the stage with so many artistes.
My collaboration with Jim Vallance (Canadian songwriter) was the most memorable. He was the one that initially inspired me to write better songs.
Tell us about the humanitarian work that you are involved in.
From my perspective, I didn’t finish school because I wanted to be a musician instead. That’s not to say there aren’t a lot of people out there who would love the chance to have a better education, and I try to do things that help people — that is the motto of my foundation. Supporting the wounded, and making sure they’re not forgotten, became the most recent focus for my foundation. Lending my name raised awareness and, ultimately, a lot of money. It may not be possible to ever change the world, but you may be able to make it a little better for someone.
We know that you are also a photographer. What drew you to the art?
There was never any conscious decision, it just happened. I’d kept a kind of diary of my work on tour and recording sessions, and from there, I started taking portraits of friends. I started seriously going for it at the end of the 1990s, but there was lots of messing around before that. In the late-’80s, I bought a Rolleiflex camera, which sort of changed everything about photos for me. However, even then, it never really occurred to me that I could manage both things. I’ve worked it out now. I suppose working
on my book Wounded – The Legacy of War was the most memorable. I photographed around 30 severely wounded veterans from the British Armed Forces who had returned from Iraq and Afghanistan for my book and exhibition at Somerset House, London. It was a humbling experience.
Back to the music — which other artistes are you currently listening to?
Drake and Chris Martin.
Your last album was in 2015, Get Up. When can we expect new music?
Yes I’ve got a new album coming out in January 2019.
You’ve been to India before. How was that experience?
On my first trip to India, there were no cars to collect us, so my guitarist Keith and I got in a taxi from the airport. The suspension was broken in the car, so we leaned over the seat to watch where we were going. Along the way, we had to stop because an elephant had gone to sleep in the middle of the road. That story would not happen anywhere else in the world. Welcome to India! It’s always an adventure when I’ve been here.
In the studio
Bryan’s last studio album was Get Up, released in 2015. The album included the song You Belong to Me, which had a music video shot and directed by Bryan himself in his signature black-and-white photography style. His 2017 album, Ultimate, is a compilation of Bryan’s extensive catalogue — 13 studio albums, five live albums, five compilation albums and over 75 singles — into a 21-track offering. This Ultimate Tour will see the artiste performing these hits.
Life as a vegan
Talking about his vegan lifestyle, Bryan says, “It’s just my way of life. I know it worked for me. It’s all about having the knowledge of a healthier way to live. Eating animals is disgusting and dangerous for long-term good health. Animals are my friends, and I don’t eat my friends.” In a recent Instagram post Bryan described his typical lunch: Avocado on toast with tomatoes, fresh lemon juice and sea salt. He said he has cured himself of all kinds of ailments purely by changing his diet. “Buying fresh food is expensive, but so is the cost of dodgy health,” he adds, in the post.
Tour venues
The Ultimate Tour India 2018 will have Bryan Adams performing live in five cities: in Ahmedabad on October 9; at Hitex Exhibition Center, Hyderabad (tickets Rs.1,969 onwards) on October 11, in Mumbai on October 12; at Ozone Urbana, Bengaluru (tickets Rs. 2,969 onwards) on October 13; and at Gurugram NCR Delhi on October 14. While that’s quite a packed schedule, the rock star points out, “This will be our fifth tour of India, I’m not sure many artistes have done that from the West,” Bryan tells us humbly.
Bryan Adams’ The Ultimate Tour India 2018 will begin in Ahmedabad on October 9, before moving on to Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru, with a final concert in Delhi on October 14.
anagha@newindianexpress.com
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