WEBVTT 00:00:01.870 --> 00:00:06.309 And now here they are, Nick and Sue on Chatterbox. 00:00:06.469 --> 00:00:09.810 When the stars talk, they talk to Nick and Sue. 00:00:29.289 --> 00:00:32.609 And welcome back to the Chatterbox Redux podcast 00:00:32.609 --> 00:00:35.649 with Nick and Sue. And today our guest is Jeff 00:00:35.649 --> 00:00:47.850 Wayne of The War of the Worlds. And now on Chatterbox 00:00:47.850 --> 00:00:50.670 UK we're just lucky enough to welcome Jeff Wayne. 00:00:50.750 --> 00:00:52.890 Jeff, welcome to Chatterbox. How are you, sir? 00:00:53.009 --> 00:00:56.950 Hello, Jeff. Hi there, you guys. Thank you for 00:00:56.950 --> 00:00:59.710 your invitation. I look forward to our chat on 00:00:59.710 --> 00:01:02.390 Chatterbox. Yes, absolutely. It's great to meet 00:01:02.390 --> 00:01:06.510 you at last. Okay. Now, I think most of our listeners 00:01:06.510 --> 00:01:09.010 would be aware of, obviously, War of the Worlds. 00:01:09.230 --> 00:01:12.430 It's an album that sold, I think, is it 16 million 00:01:12.430 --> 00:01:15.189 copies or something? Something amazing, anyway. 00:01:15.709 --> 00:01:19.870 And as the years have gone by, you've basically, 00:01:20.390 --> 00:01:24.489 there's been a reworks version we'd like to talk 00:01:24.489 --> 00:01:31.659 about. Now, we've got a new version of War of 00:01:31.659 --> 00:01:33.700 the Worlds, a new radio edit, and we've got this 00:01:33.700 --> 00:01:35.620 thing to do with National Album Day, so are you 00:01:35.620 --> 00:01:39.459 giving that a bit of a push? And also, I hope 00:01:39.459 --> 00:01:42.280 we've got time, we've got you doing a tour and 00:01:42.280 --> 00:01:45.819 I'm pleased to say you're coming within 30 miles 00:01:45.819 --> 00:01:48.319 of us to Brighton, so we'll be catching you then. 00:01:49.299 --> 00:01:53.019 So, Jeff, anniversary, I know you did a 35th 00:01:53.019 --> 00:01:58.180 and so on, but... the reimagined play and the 00:01:58.180 --> 00:02:02.780 album that's out, I mean, basically, what's different 00:02:02.780 --> 00:02:07.640 about it? Well, every production we've ever done, 00:02:08.680 --> 00:02:11.919 right from the very beginning, beginning of our 00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:16.460 arena tours, which started in 2006, have all 00:02:16.460 --> 00:02:19.439 been different. I've never wanted to just take 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:22.039 it out of the box and do it the same way each 00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:24.710 time. That would be a bit too easy. And I don't 00:02:24.710 --> 00:02:29.990 think it would be of a great challenge for us 00:02:29.990 --> 00:02:32.530 as creative people. And we want to entertain 00:02:32.530 --> 00:02:36.750 audiences in a way that is always looking at 00:02:36.750 --> 00:02:39.909 what's technology, for example, what's new in 00:02:39.909 --> 00:02:42.909 technology, using it, incorporating it into our 00:02:42.909 --> 00:02:49.550 arena tours. We've had it's called the war of 00:02:49.550 --> 00:02:53.810 the world's experience. occupies a whole building, 00:02:54.009 --> 00:02:58.849 24 rooms, a bar and a restaurant all sort of 00:02:58.849 --> 00:03:02.490 decorated in steampunk. You're greeted by a Martian 00:03:02.490 --> 00:03:06.270 fighting machine when you enter and it fires, 00:03:06.710 --> 00:03:11.110 doesn't fire real flames like we do in our arena 00:03:11.110 --> 00:03:16.110 tours. The fighting machine at the experience 00:03:16.110 --> 00:03:20.689 is smoke and light, but it's very effective and 00:03:21.490 --> 00:03:24.610 It's an example of something that, sort of like 00:03:24.610 --> 00:03:27.729 my original double album, that we had no idea 00:03:27.729 --> 00:03:30.310 what this sort of acceptance, if there would 00:03:30.310 --> 00:03:34.270 be, by the public, the critics, the media. And 00:03:34.270 --> 00:03:39.449 this experience, we thought if it ran three to 00:03:39.449 --> 00:03:42.689 six months, we would have done very well. And 00:03:42.689 --> 00:03:46.530 it's now in its sixth year, and it's going at 00:03:46.530 --> 00:03:49.650 least to the end of the seventh year. And that's 00:03:49.650 --> 00:03:52.669 really been my whole history sort of with the 00:03:52.669 --> 00:03:56.229 War of the Worlds. Every new production, the 00:03:56.229 --> 00:04:02.930 West End, the tours, our audio book with Michael 00:04:02.930 --> 00:04:07.669 Sheen and Taron Egerton. Every interpretation 00:04:07.669 --> 00:04:11.129 is different. The score has always been the heart 00:04:11.129 --> 00:04:13.810 of every one of these productions, but I add 00:04:13.810 --> 00:04:19.160 new things. I look at and listen to the way the 00:04:19.160 --> 00:04:21.899 grooves are sounding and the technology in our 00:04:21.899 --> 00:04:25.199 arena tours is quite something because if you 00:04:25.199 --> 00:04:29.439 compare our first tour in 2006 when it was considered 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:33.779 a pretty groundbreaking multimedia extravaganza, 00:04:34.040 --> 00:04:38.139 it bears no real similarity to the show we're 00:04:38.139 --> 00:04:42.040 doing now. Just the pushing and challenging of 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:44.819 of new ways of interpreting without losing the 00:04:44.819 --> 00:04:48.560 essence of my original score. Perfect. Well, 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:52.060 you can imagine me when it came out, I was something 00:04:52.060 --> 00:04:55.339 like I was eight years old when it came out and 00:04:55.339 --> 00:04:59.800 I did soon after my birthday. And I got one of 00:04:59.800 --> 00:05:01.879 those little vouchers for some records. It might 00:05:01.879 --> 00:05:04.620 be W. H. Smith or someone. But I went and bought 00:05:04.620 --> 00:05:07.879 the album with it. Absolutely true. And I've 00:05:07.879 --> 00:05:10.420 got to tell you now, Jeff, when I put the stylus 00:05:10.420 --> 00:05:15.740 on and those first few bars of the Eve of War, 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:17.500 imagine a kid listening to that playing it too 00:05:17.500 --> 00:05:21.180 loud. You imagine what. So absolutely amazing. 00:05:21.379 --> 00:05:23.980 And it was sort of like, wow, this thing's great. 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:26.759 It's futuristic, but classical at the same time. 00:05:27.639 --> 00:05:31.019 And those few bars, just amazing. And of course, 00:05:31.339 --> 00:05:34.240 I'm pleased to say that's, of course, the new 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:37.689 radio edits of Eve of War. I've just had it blasting 00:05:37.689 --> 00:05:39.670 in my headphones. Totally and utterly amazing. 00:05:39.709 --> 00:05:42.029 That's why we're sticking it straight on our 00:05:42.029 --> 00:05:45.910 playlist. But can I ask you, Geoff, obviously 00:05:45.910 --> 00:05:49.689 the inspiration is, of course, the War of the 00:05:49.689 --> 00:05:55.810 Worlds from HG Wells. As a kid, as you were growing 00:05:55.810 --> 00:05:58.870 up, were you into classical music or were you 00:05:58.870 --> 00:06:00.910 into rock and what was your inspiration as a 00:06:00.910 --> 00:06:04.670 kid, just out of interest? Well, it comes from 00:06:04.670 --> 00:06:08.019 the fact that From about the age of five, I started 00:06:08.019 --> 00:06:11.660 taking piano lessons. My dad was a very popular 00:06:11.660 --> 00:06:14.259 singer and actor in the United States for many 00:06:14.259 --> 00:06:17.500 years. And so I always was growing up around 00:06:17.500 --> 00:06:21.139 musicians and writers and directors, creative 00:06:21.139 --> 00:06:26.459 talent. And I started with classical piano. And 00:06:26.459 --> 00:06:31.100 then many years later, I switched to jazz, living 00:06:31.100 --> 00:06:37.000 in New York at the time. I went to a teacher 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:40.180 who was a brilliant musician in his own right, 00:06:40.620 --> 00:06:43.639 named John Mahigan, but he also wrote books and 00:06:43.639 --> 00:06:47.579 took on certain people for pupils. And I was 00:06:47.579 --> 00:06:51.399 fortunate that he took me on. He taught at the 00:06:51.399 --> 00:06:55.759 Juilliard School of Music in New York, and then 00:06:55.759 --> 00:06:59.860 came back to England. Pop music was starting 00:06:59.860 --> 00:07:05.160 to come out. Bill Haley in the Comets was my 00:07:05.160 --> 00:07:11.160 first awareness of an act that was making incredible 00:07:11.160 --> 00:07:14.279 energy unique in the way they performed. They 00:07:14.279 --> 00:07:17.399 came to England. I was living here as a young 00:07:17.399 --> 00:07:21.019 boy. Whereas Elvis, who never came here, I was 00:07:21.019 --> 00:07:23.459 becoming familiar with his records when he became 00:07:23.459 --> 00:07:29.139 the legend that he did. But I've been in... involved 00:07:29.139 --> 00:07:32.899 as a writer and a producer in probably most genres 00:07:32.899 --> 00:07:39.180 of music. So I feel sort of at home in most genres, 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:44.439 but I love writing classical string orchestrations. 00:07:46.420 --> 00:07:49.839 And The War of the Worlds contains, I think, 00:07:49.939 --> 00:07:54.120 a mixture of styles because the HGOL story motivated 00:07:54.120 --> 00:07:59.040 me to, I sort of in my mind was creating a musical 00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:02.899 ping pong match in that when the story is being 00:08:02.899 --> 00:08:05.920 told through the eyes of humanity, it's much 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:08.720 more acoustic and string orientated. And when 00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:12.519 it switches and we're being told about the Martians, 00:08:12.699 --> 00:08:16.019 their machines, their weaponry, it becomes much 00:08:16.019 --> 00:08:20.819 more electronic and aggressive. And it's all 00:08:20.819 --> 00:08:24.500 linked together. It's a continuous work. The 00:08:24.500 --> 00:08:28.290 truth is You know, if you'd asked me, as I was, 00:08:28.649 --> 00:08:31.930 who did I think was going to like this sort of 00:08:31.930 --> 00:08:36.009 double album? I remember answering, I have no 00:08:36.009 --> 00:08:38.809 idea. I really don't know who it will appeal 00:08:38.809 --> 00:08:42.649 to. But I had so many wonderful artists, musicians 00:08:42.649 --> 00:08:46.750 and technicians involved with me that I always 00:08:46.750 --> 00:08:49.669 felt if I could just see the album for one week 00:08:49.669 --> 00:08:54.629 in the UK album charts, I would feel that I hadn't 00:08:54.629 --> 00:08:58.070 let everybody down, not knowing it would last 00:08:58.070 --> 00:09:01.429 in the charts in its first, however many years, 00:09:01.809 --> 00:09:06.009 330 weeks. And it keeps popping up now and then 00:09:06.009 --> 00:09:09.669 and like reissues on vinyl. And they always seem 00:09:09.669 --> 00:09:12.730 to do well. And here I am talking to you. Now, 00:09:13.169 --> 00:09:16.210 if I had been asked, would I be talking to you 00:09:16.210 --> 00:09:21.929 guys today, 48 years on? Of course not. That's 00:09:21.929 --> 00:09:24.830 great. Great answer. But then you go, it goes 00:09:24.830 --> 00:09:27.129 back to me hearing those bars for the first time. 00:09:27.309 --> 00:09:30.590 Never tired of it. Listening to the radio edit, 00:09:30.769 --> 00:09:32.490 which all the stations are going to be playing, 00:09:33.129 --> 00:09:36.809 it still sounds exciting. It is really exciting. 00:09:37.009 --> 00:09:42.169 Just like, you know, it is just amazing. Excites 00:09:42.169 --> 00:09:44.610 you every time. So if it does that to me still, 00:09:45.409 --> 00:09:47.429 someone hearing it for the first time in a younger 00:09:48.169 --> 00:09:50.250 audience, you know, the people that are just 00:09:50.250 --> 00:09:52.090 learning about it, like the record buyers of 00:09:52.090 --> 00:09:55.850 today, as I call them. Yeah. I heard it for the 00:09:55.850 --> 00:09:57.629 first time on the podcast, didn't I? You did. 00:09:57.690 --> 00:10:01.669 And it was amazing. Absolutely. And also, we've 00:10:01.669 --> 00:10:04.970 got the opening bars playing on the current EE 00:10:04.970 --> 00:10:10.120 mobile TV adverts. television here. Okay. That's 00:10:10.120 --> 00:10:13.299 also, I think, the 10th anniversary of that version 00:10:13.299 --> 00:10:18.320 coming out, which is the Ben Librand remix. So 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:20.700 look for that coming up the charts as well as 00:10:20.700 --> 00:10:25.360 the single by Jeff. That's all rather good. So, 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:30.100 Jeff, National Album Day, 19th of October. You're 00:10:30.100 --> 00:10:33.740 championing it with, obviously, the War of the 00:10:33.740 --> 00:10:36.500 Worlds remix double album by the looks of it. 00:10:36.789 --> 00:10:42.830 in yellow and orange vinyl. We give you a free 00:10:42.830 --> 00:10:46.509 pair of sunglasses because they're so bright, 00:10:46.669 --> 00:10:49.389 the two vinyl discs, that you need sunglasses 00:10:49.389 --> 00:10:54.549 to save time. Sue's just seen it, seen them. 00:10:55.029 --> 00:10:57.629 I like that. I like the cover as well. So that's 00:10:57.629 --> 00:11:01.370 a nice, and also on the 19th of October, because 00:11:01.370 --> 00:11:03.590 this will be going, yeah, it will be being played 00:11:03.590 --> 00:11:07.370 then, the show will. You're doing a one -off 00:11:07.370 --> 00:11:11.269 signing on National Album Day, 19th of October, 00:11:11.669 --> 00:11:15.389 at the Massive HMV in Oxford Street in London. 00:11:16.190 --> 00:11:20.250 I am, and I've done a couple over the years. 00:11:20.509 --> 00:11:24.190 And they're always good fun because you get to 00:11:24.190 --> 00:11:28.809 meet people that you wouldn't have in normal 00:11:28.809 --> 00:11:31.450 circumstances. So I'm looking forward to it. 00:11:31.649 --> 00:11:36.009 Yeah, National Album Day, I learned very recently. 00:11:36.409 --> 00:11:40.350 It's been going for some years. And this year, 00:11:40.350 --> 00:11:43.590 I'm one of their champions, as they call them, 00:11:43.590 --> 00:11:47.190 representing the war of the worlds. And there's 00:11:47.190 --> 00:11:51.929 others that are participating. in their own way 00:11:51.929 --> 00:11:56.230 on albums that they've been sort of praised for. 00:11:57.370 --> 00:11:59.110 That's great, absolutely great, and it's a great 00:11:59.110 --> 00:12:02.029 store as well, absolutely massive. And I love 00:12:02.029 --> 00:12:05.950 the yellow and orange double vinyl, but yeah, 00:12:06.029 --> 00:12:08.809 it's great, especially for such a fantastic album 00:12:08.809 --> 00:12:12.350 as well, you know, amazing. So the experience 00:12:12.350 --> 00:12:15.169 you mentioned, that is going to certainly run 00:12:15.169 --> 00:12:18.440 to the end of its seventh year. We've got War 00:12:18.440 --> 00:12:20.639 of the Worlds at the Dominion Theatre, Tottenham 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:24.259 Court Road. I mean, that's already been on for 00:12:24.259 --> 00:12:28.279 some time again. How long is it the ticket's 00:12:28.279 --> 00:12:29.980 been sold for now? I think it's going to go on 00:12:29.980 --> 00:12:32.980 and on, but I mean, are they booking to the end 00:12:32.980 --> 00:12:34.860 of next year or where's that one going at the 00:12:34.860 --> 00:12:38.259 moment? Actually, we played there but are not 00:12:38.259 --> 00:12:41.039 playing any longer because what happened was 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:46.480 that I was invited by now the late Bill Kenwright. 00:12:47.539 --> 00:12:49.879 to present the War of the Worlds in the West 00:12:49.879 --> 00:12:53.899 End for a limited season of seven weeks. It did 00:12:53.899 --> 00:12:57.740 so well, it was extended for another month. But 00:12:57.740 --> 00:13:02.639 by that point, we were confirmed to go back into 00:13:02.639 --> 00:13:05.919 the arenas because it was the 30th anniversary 00:13:05.919 --> 00:13:08.600 at that point of the release of the original 00:13:08.600 --> 00:13:11.200 double album of the War of the Worlds. So we 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:16.000 were there in 2016. uh for however many months 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:20.679 the it was 88 shows the season wound up but we 00:13:20.679 --> 00:13:23.500 have been talking and hope that we'll wind up 00:13:23.500 --> 00:13:25.919 back in the theaters because it's another it's 00:13:25.919 --> 00:13:29.779 another environment it's so different from uh 00:13:29.779 --> 00:13:33.379 arenas which of course are are giant and uh you 00:13:33.379 --> 00:13:36.600 have to redesign and rethink the show for uh 00:13:36.600 --> 00:13:39.340 even though the dominion is one of the biggest 00:13:39.340 --> 00:13:43.720 theaters in the west end uh about 2100 people 00:13:43.769 --> 00:13:48.210 the smallest arenas in the UK are about 4 ,000 00:13:48.210 --> 00:13:54.350 people and go up to 21 ,000 or so. So one is 00:13:54.350 --> 00:13:57.090 designing and communicating in a different sort 00:13:57.090 --> 00:14:00.429 of way when you're in a theatre that has different 00:14:00.429 --> 00:14:05.169 intimacy. It offers really some very exciting 00:14:05.169 --> 00:14:08.070 challenges. Oh, I can imagine. As I say, we're 00:14:08.070 --> 00:14:10.350 definitely going to be coming along to Brighton 00:14:10.350 --> 00:14:12.970 to see you because That's a bit of a modern square 00:14:12.970 --> 00:14:15.850 venue. And as you say, the smaller venues you're 00:14:15.850 --> 00:14:19.210 playing at are 4 ,000, which is about what Brighton 00:14:19.210 --> 00:14:22.289 has. It is about 4 ,000. Yeah, spot on, actually. 00:14:23.610 --> 00:14:26.169 Anyway, this World of Worlds Tour, while we've 00:14:26.169 --> 00:14:31.970 got you, is the Alive on Stage Tour, Spirit of 00:14:31.970 --> 00:14:39.960 Manta 2023, 2025 even. OK, now. We've got Liam 00:14:39.960 --> 00:14:43.120 Neeson a hologram of Liam Neeson, which is great 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:46.200 You're conducting it. So you're there at the 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:48.980 front conducting at every one of these Concerts 00:14:48.980 --> 00:14:50.639 as it plays around the country. You're actually 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:54.799 there since 2006 I've never missed a show in 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:57.639 the arenas and I didn't miss one show when we 00:14:57.639 --> 00:15:01.279 played 88 shows at the Dominion And long may 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:05.419 that continue? Absolutely At the end of the interview, 00:15:05.500 --> 00:15:07.759 I should go through all the theatres that exist. 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:11.100 It's like a dozen or more. So we do that at the 00:15:11.100 --> 00:15:15.960 end. So it doesn't take up your time. OK, what 00:15:15.960 --> 00:15:21.419 I'd like to ask is what's next for Jeff Wayne? 00:15:21.980 --> 00:15:23.940 Are we going for the 50th anniversary or we got 00:15:23.940 --> 00:15:27.100 something in between? Well, we may have something 00:15:27.100 --> 00:15:31.059 in between. But yes, we're going for a 50th anniversary. 00:15:31.179 --> 00:15:35.409 It's already being planned. And it's good that 00:15:35.409 --> 00:15:37.889 I was a three -year -old child prodigy when I 00:15:37.889 --> 00:15:39.769 wrote The War of the Worlds because I may not 00:15:39.769 --> 00:15:44.309 have made it to the 50th anniversary. Wow. That's 00:15:44.309 --> 00:15:47.990 a joke. Oh, I thought you were a real child. 00:15:48.129 --> 00:15:50.730 You know, I've seen them on TV before. Wow. This 00:15:50.730 --> 00:15:57.190 is funny. He was so serious. I can assure you. 00:15:58.230 --> 00:16:01.429 Well, very good. I like that. It's definitely 00:16:01.429 --> 00:16:04.809 staying in. What's the difference between the 00:16:04.809 --> 00:16:08.789 Spirit of Man tour and the original? Well, every 00:16:08.789 --> 00:16:11.450 tour has been different. There's always new ingredients 00:16:11.450 --> 00:16:18.110 that challenges the audience in new ways and 00:16:18.110 --> 00:16:22.629 emotionally and visually. The Spirit of Man is 00:16:22.629 --> 00:16:27.090 a duet that's in my original... uh, double album 00:16:27.090 --> 00:16:31.529 and it stays throughout. It's a duet between 00:16:31.529 --> 00:16:34.710 Parson Nathaniel and his wife, Beth. And it's 00:16:34.710 --> 00:16:36.929 an, in a way it's an argument between the two 00:16:36.929 --> 00:16:39.909 of them because the Parson is somebody you would 00:16:39.909 --> 00:16:43.470 think in times of stress, like a Martian invasion 00:16:43.470 --> 00:16:48.149 is, uh, the local community would come to him 00:16:48.149 --> 00:16:51.590 for moral and spiritual support, but he's the 00:16:51.590 --> 00:16:55.049 first one that really loses it. Whereas his wife, 00:16:55.210 --> 00:16:59.649 Beth, is a simple, decent woman who tries to 00:16:59.649 --> 00:17:02.570 bring him back from his madness and convince 00:17:02.570 --> 00:17:06.529 him that life is worth living for. It's so important 00:17:06.529 --> 00:17:09.430 that it's almost worth fighting for and even 00:17:09.430 --> 00:17:13.490 dying for. And it's a major moment in our story 00:17:13.490 --> 00:17:19.390 and in the score. And it's a very dramatic and 00:17:19.390 --> 00:17:23.660 emotional piece. And Many of our tours I've given 00:17:23.660 --> 00:17:26.200 a name to. So this is the War of the Worlds, 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:29.660 the Spirit of Mantor, which I named not just 00:17:29.660 --> 00:17:32.200 because of the duet that appears in the show 00:17:32.200 --> 00:17:35.299 and on my albums, but because of the world we're 00:17:35.299 --> 00:17:39.619 living in at the moment. And what we need is 00:17:39.619 --> 00:17:44.160 a lot of good spirit and hope, which the song 00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:48.299 is really about. It's just a simple and small 00:17:48.299 --> 00:17:54.119 way of trying to... Pass that emotion on Jeff 00:17:54.119 --> 00:17:56.539 when you're on tour and you go to these big venues 00:17:56.539 --> 00:17:58.660 do any of the people in the audience like get 00:17:58.660 --> 00:18:05.660 dressed up or Yeah, we've had Many tours where 00:18:05.660 --> 00:18:09.180 I'm more aware of it when maybe I'm leaving the 00:18:09.180 --> 00:18:12.259 venue and there's some people waiting outside 00:18:12.259 --> 00:18:15.480 and I suddenly see them dressed as the characters 00:18:15.480 --> 00:18:20.250 in the war of the worlds It and it's amazing 00:18:20.250 --> 00:18:23.750 and it's it's wonderful because again you realize 00:18:23.750 --> 00:18:28.650 how over the years we've reached people and We're 00:18:28.650 --> 00:18:31.349 now and again. It's only because we're in performing 00:18:31.349 --> 00:18:37.250 for so many years now the the tours That we've 00:18:37.250 --> 00:18:40.309 started to realize we're into our third generation 00:18:40.309 --> 00:18:46.210 people because you know you said earlier Nick 00:18:46.210 --> 00:18:49.599 that you became aware of it when you were eight? 00:18:49.859 --> 00:18:53.680 Yeah, absolutely. So here you are now, a man 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:59.700 of what, 32, 33? I'm afraid I'm 35 now. Thank 00:18:59.700 --> 00:19:02.299 you. Thank you very much. I try to get away with 00:19:02.299 --> 00:19:07.740 that one as well. But yeah, so you now are of 00:19:07.740 --> 00:19:12.579 an age where perhaps you have a child or children 00:19:12.579 --> 00:19:16.779 and they've grown up and they're bringing their 00:19:16.779 --> 00:19:20.259 children and we see them and I only started to 00:19:20.259 --> 00:19:23.559 see this when we started touring because how 00:19:23.559 --> 00:19:25.640 else do you know who's buying your album short 00:19:25.640 --> 00:19:31.579 of doing a signing at a record store? You mostly 00:19:31.579 --> 00:19:35.500 only know how well a record is done. Is it in 00:19:35.500 --> 00:19:37.960 the charts? Is it being played? Is it selling? 00:19:38.259 --> 00:19:43.180 But you don't always truly know who those people 00:19:43.180 --> 00:19:48.480 are. And I'm discounting mail that comes our 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:50.660 way of people who have admired the War of the 00:19:50.660 --> 00:19:54.180 Worlds. But you're not meeting them. You just 00:19:54.180 --> 00:19:58.019 know about their appreciation of the work. Sure. 00:19:58.579 --> 00:20:01.259 Jeff, comment for you. Nick's just loaded up 00:20:01.259 --> 00:20:03.700 your Wikipedia page. Cool, you're a handsome 00:20:03.700 --> 00:20:06.099 guy in that picture. He still is. Look at him. 00:20:08.099 --> 00:20:10.019 Without saying on air. Well, not on air, but 00:20:10.019 --> 00:20:12.759 have you seen how old he is? Yes. Wow. Amazing. 00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:15.039 brilliant but you look really good in that picture 00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:17.920 well thank you very much i must check wikipedia 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:20.599 out to see which one it is but thank you very 00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:24.539 much standing next to a mic stand obviously that 00:20:24.539 --> 00:20:27.000 picture was taken here in my studio which i don't 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:29.940 know whether you can see much of it but uh yeah 00:20:29.940 --> 00:20:33.839 and uh i think i'm wearing a suit yes very nice 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:37.000 nice picture okay um one little comment i'd like 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:40.960 to because before i met uh War of the Worlds, 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:42.920 when I was eight years old, with that voucher 00:20:42.920 --> 00:20:46.579 to W .H. Smiths, I had already, I was already 00:20:46.579 --> 00:20:50.220 enjoying Holst and the Planets. I just wanted 00:20:50.220 --> 00:20:55.359 to ask you, as you were growing up, was any inspiration 00:20:55.359 --> 00:20:59.140 devolved from Holst and the Planets in what we 00:20:59.140 --> 00:21:02.519 got as the final production of the first War 00:21:02.519 --> 00:21:04.500 of the Worlds album? Is there any inspiration 00:21:04.500 --> 00:21:08.559 there? Not so much inspiration, but awareness 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:13.690 of Holtz's wonderful composition, which is divided 00:21:13.690 --> 00:21:18.309 up into the planets. But ironically, or coincidentally, 00:21:19.009 --> 00:21:22.609 many years later, there was a group called Sky. 00:21:23.089 --> 00:21:27.690 Is that? Yeah. And I was they were doing a new 00:21:27.690 --> 00:21:31.349 version of the planets, an interpretation. And 00:21:31.349 --> 00:21:34.869 they asked me to compose a starting piece for 00:21:34.869 --> 00:21:38.309 it. And by the time they got into production, 00:21:38.759 --> 00:21:43.339 one of the two guitarists, Kevin Peake, emigrated 00:21:43.339 --> 00:21:47.680 to Australia. And it became his solo album. And 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:50.079 I think it was, from memory, called Return to 00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:55.359 the Planets. And I sent him my piece, and it 00:21:55.359 --> 00:21:59.299 starts off the album. And it's another interpretation 00:21:59.299 --> 00:22:03.460 of Holst's Planets. It's a magnificent piece 00:22:03.460 --> 00:22:09.039 and a real sort of feel for the universe and 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:11.660 the main planets within it. Sure, absolutely. 00:22:12.839 --> 00:22:14.920 Sue, have you got anything else? The only comment 00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:18.519 is how amazing is the website? It is. Well, we 00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:24.039 always finish with social media, Geoff, so I 00:22:24.039 --> 00:22:26.980 do actually urge everyone to have a look at the 00:22:26.980 --> 00:22:29.640 website. And there's merchandise. Yep. We've 00:22:29.640 --> 00:22:35.809 got thewaroftheworlds .com. do click on the little 00:22:35.809 --> 00:22:38.970 green green the little green martian button there 00:22:38.970 --> 00:22:41.430 and um you can actually get your tour tickets 00:22:41.430 --> 00:22:45.750 um straight from there um you've got the music 00:22:45.750 --> 00:22:50.049 and playlists you can buy the war of the worlds 00:22:50.049 --> 00:22:52.990 merchandise in fact it's all there just have 00:22:52.990 --> 00:22:56.710 a look at it that is thewaroftheworlds .com and 00:22:56.710 --> 00:22:59.089 i'm certain if i hit that button there there 00:22:59.089 --> 00:23:02.950 will be links to your other social media as well 00:23:02.950 --> 00:23:06.710 jeff Leaves me to say, Jeff Wayne, it's great 00:23:06.710 --> 00:23:10.990 to meet you at last. Absolutely, mate. We'll 00:23:10.990 --> 00:23:12.829 see you in Brighton, won't we? We are going to 00:23:12.829 --> 00:23:15.630 see you in Brighton, doing your bit. And it's 00:23:15.630 --> 00:23:18.650 been great chatting to you. And hopefully we 00:23:18.650 --> 00:23:21.769 get a chat. Obviously, there's a 50th anniversary 00:23:21.769 --> 00:23:25.109 coming up. I hope we have a chat for that. But 00:23:25.109 --> 00:23:27.309 that project in the meantime, that'd be wonderful. 00:23:27.789 --> 00:23:29.609 So hopefully we can hook up for that one as well, 00:23:29.670 --> 00:23:32.930 Jeff. Thank you so much to you both, Nick and 00:23:32.930 --> 00:23:36.640 Sue. Thank you for the lovely words. Geoff, just 00:23:36.640 --> 00:23:40.400 before we go, have you thought of doing an autobiography? 00:23:40.660 --> 00:23:43.799 Yes, have you done one? Yeah. Well, that little 00:23:43.799 --> 00:23:46.680 project that I was saying was going to come before 00:23:46.680 --> 00:23:49.819 the 50th anniversary, it is that. Oh, Geoff, 00:23:49.819 --> 00:23:52.700 that's amazing. That is amazing. Thank you. Your 00:23:52.700 --> 00:23:55.319 face. Yeah. And thank you so much for your time. 00:23:55.559 --> 00:23:57.400 Take care, Geoff. It's been a real pleasure. 00:23:57.460 --> 00:23:58.740 Thank you for inviting me. Thank you very much. 00:23:58.839 --> 00:24:10.680 Take care. Bye -bye. Bye -bye. Bye. Thanks for 00:24:10.680 --> 00:24:28.250 watching! This edition of the Chatterbox Redux 00:24:28.250 --> 00:24:31.529 podcast was presented by Nick and Sue. We thank 00:24:31.529 --> 00:24:34.410 our special guest who was Jeff Wayne from the 00:24:34.410 --> 00:24:37.990 War of the Worlds. Our email address is nicklbum 00:24:37.990 --> 00:24:42.660 at myyahoo .com Alternatively, you could send 00:24:42.660 --> 00:24:47.039 press releases, CDs, vinyls, books, merch and 00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:51.019 even portraits to PO Box 26, the old Observer 00:24:51.019 --> 00:24:54.359 Building, Telford Road, St Leonard's -on -Sea, 00:24:54.519 --> 00:24:59.700 East Sussex, England, TM38, 9LZ. We thank you 00:24:59.700 --> 00:25:01.559 for your company and look forward to welcoming 00:25:01.559 --> 00:25:04.799 you again next time when our guest will be newcomer 00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:10.900 Danny Addison. Until then, bye -bye. you