And now here they are, Nick and Sue on Chatterbox.
When the stars talk, they talk to Nick and Sue.
Hello there and welcome back to the Chatterbox
Redux podcast with Nick and Sue and today our
special guest is Marty Wild. Nick and Sue are
chatterbox giving you all you need to know about
musical entertainment. Oh yeah! Chatterbox! And
now in Chatterbox UK, we're just lucky enough
to welcome back Marty Wilde. Marty, how are you?
Welcome again. Hello, Marty. Thank you. Hello
to you too. Lovely to see you. Marty, last time
we spoke, it was lockdown. And you were saying
what you were planning, you know, for when it
actually got back to normal and you could turn
and do things again. Quite a lot's happened since.
And now you've got a new release you've also
undertaking or just about to undertake a massive
tour and that's to celebrate your 85th birthday.
Yes, yeah it's still a busy time for me which
is unusual for a man of my years to be doing
all that work but I love it you know I just love
this industry and I love I love making music
and I love my tours, I love working, I really
enjoy that. Stage work in particular, obviously.
And recording, I mean, writing and, you know,
the whole thing, the whole package, I'm very
lucky. Even down to driving to the shows, I adore
driving, and I love travelling. I get it always,
you know, the only time it gets tough is sometimes...
If you're getting home around about three in
the morning and you're driving, then you start
feeling a bit sorry for yourself. You get tired.
But other than that, I feel great. Well, it's
not like it's anything new to you, is it? You've
been doing it a very long time. Just great, is
it? I started to work out when your first hit
was, was it 1957? So we are. I started in 57.
I think 58 was my first hit, but I started in
57. It's been a lot of years. It's over 60, I
know that much. It's fantastic. I see, I was
just going through the hits that you've had and
towards the end, you brought out, I was looking
in the USA, of course, Bad Boy, which you paint
yourself, got in the top 50 there. And then I
just looked down and Abba Goveni, which didn't
do much, that became a hit in the USA as well,
67 time, I think it was. You are known there,
so that's pretty cool. And of course, not only
in your name as an artist, of course, you've
also known in America, of course, for penning
or co -penning songs for Kim. Yeah, we had a...
And particularly in Europe as well. Europe was
our big stronghold, really. The UK and Europe.
For Kim's records, it was great. It was terrific.
Kim had a top 20, I think her number 12 was turn
off or something like that for kids in America.
But then she had number one with you keep hanging
on. So but the thing is, you know, if you're
going to do all that, you've got to go over to
America, you've got to work really hard. At that
point, there were other things going on and Kim
didn't have the time to get out there. You really
got to. If you're going to be a hit in America,
you've got to really dedicate yourself out there
for a while. And we couldn't do that, which was
a shame in a way. But I think Kim's happier,
to be honest with you, having just the European
market and the UK market is big enough, I tell
you. It's hard work because she's just been...
She's been working all over the place. She works
every European country you can think of. They
love her there. So it's lovely that she's got
those markets. But it is hard work. And I think
America is particularly hard work. I'm not sure
I could handle it myself personally. I don't
know. I just think it was great with you as a
songwriter. You've written some great songs over
the years and it's brilliant to see that when
you weren't recording yourself, and I don't know
if you do much touring the early 80s, but it
was great that you could be writing the songs
for Kim. That was great. Keep it in the family.
Very good. But I have got a fax here. that the
I'm just one of those sort of guys who just keeps
working and keeps his head down and trying to
do his best. I mean, it's a nice thing, but I
don't think about it too much. But nevertheless,
it's an honor. It's very sweet, very nice. Nice
for the people to remember as well. It's just
brilliant. Now, we've got this single. We have
already played it once on our Sunday show. week
back. But yes, Two Eyes Streaming has released
officially released on the 19th of April, and
this is a release to celebrate your 85th birthday
the same week. So tell us about that song. Why
did you choose that? What's the meaning of the
song to you? What is the idea was really the
basis of the story of the song was somebody leaving
you know a child and a woman or maybe you know.
Yeah the child woman at the key side and the
guys on a boat or submarine always going away
on a plane. saying goodbye and saying that i
will be back don't worry you know don't don't
stand there crying all the time you know i will
be back and things will come back to normal and
they'll be peace again you know it's a. it's
um yeah it's kind of it's like virulins will
meet again but in a more modern idiom because
he's going to come back and he's going to write
letters and i might have got that wrong i'm not
sure if anyone's abroad these days like in in
the services that they do write letters i'm not
sure whether they email or they do it that way
anymore probably messenger or something i don't
know yeah they should write nothing more special
than a letter though of course but yeah um okay
now do you have an interest uh with this tour
you've got coming up is that the song that two
eyes streaming is that the song that you finished
with like a little bit of tongue in cheek that
you'll be back again perhaps no no we no we we
we funny enough we do it after um we do it after
bad boy which was the very first hit um that
i ever had uh as a writer with that was way back
in 1959 I think and so we use that as like to
balance on someone here's what I'm writing now
it's one of the latest songs you know and because
I've been non -stop writing really for quite
some time now since well since really since the
80s. I never paid a lot of attention to writing.
I was writing hits without paying attention to
being a writer. I was always doing other things.
And I think, oh, I need a song. OK, I'll write
this or whatever. But I thought with Kim's career,
I started to concentrate a lot more on writing.
I concentrated on writing lyrics and stories.
I wanted to write stories. that's been something
i've really enjoyed doing as well over the years
bad boy was an amazing song though that was a
great uh great one to have a first hit with and
uh i remember asking you some years ago you probably
thought i was being silly for asking it but i
was like of course you've been happy about it
all the way through which is amazing uh i have
to ask you what the secret is sometime but uh
sorry love that um it's uh very much a case of
I remember asking you was that a from a personal
experience said no no I just felt like writing
it and then what a great song it was. It still
sounds good to this day, it really does, I love
it. Well, you have to, when you're writing lyrics,
you know, sometimes I was listening to one of
Tim Rice's lyrics, I Don't Know How To Love Him
Today, which is from Jesus Christ Superstar.
And of course, you see, you're a man putting
yourself in the place of a woman, really, in
that sort of idiom there. And I was always...
trying to put myself in a place of what Kim would
be, you know, what a woman would be thinking
for when Kim sang the lyrics. And sometimes I
never found it difficult, but it is a rather
strange thing. You know, I write lyrics for men,
but I'm happier writing lyrics for women, I think.
Must be myself to touch. And of course, just
a reminder, of course, you have written hits
for other people other than Kim, of course. And
of course, one that comes to mind that may be
overlooked is, of course, Jessamine by The Casuals.
Yeah, Jessamine was a sweet song. I didn't think
when we first demoed it, you know, all those
years ago, I didn't think, I thought, well, it's
a bit off the wall. It was a bit different to
some of the other songs that were out at the
time, and I thought, well, it won't make it,
but never mind, let's just do it anyway because
it's good fun. The bystanders recorded it, a
Welsh group, a very fine Welsh group, and they
did a brilliant version of it. It didn't hit.
It didn't have that commercial sound that the
casuals had. The casuals took it to another level,
really. It's certainly in commerciality. Well,
yeah, it stalled at number two, after all. So
that's pretty good. You know, it was. Are you
still I see you have had number ones in other
countries, but are you still after that elusive
number one in the UK? I think anyone, any writer
would love to have a number one. I mean, but
I'd be, you know, I'm happy, right? If I could
get a top 10 or something like that, you know,
I'm happy as a writer. It's very difficult. And
I mean, now there are so many markets, you know,
there are different charts, different things.
And I see one chart and it will say that a certain
artist is number one. And then I look at another
one. I don't know what to believe in the end.
I know there's vinyl, there's charts taking everything,
there's downloads only, there's this chart, that
chart, I know you're quite right, heritage charts
and fab charts, yeah you're quite right. I'm
in heritage charts, that I do know. Brilliant,
fantastic. Let's hope we can get you in the CBUK
Airplay Chart as well, that'd be good. I'm sure
you will make it there as well. Sue, before we,
we are going to just talk about your tour in
a second, Marty, but have you got anything to
ask Marty? Not at the moment. He's not going
to be around for long. Question I have, can we
go and see? Go to East Grinstead. We can go to
East Grinstead and see Marty. We can't. You heard
that, didn't you? We're going to see you in East
Grinstead, apparently, Marty. So there you go.
Right. Marty, it's great, sir. It has already
started. But by the time this goes out. We are
going to be looking at 24th of March, Browrie
Hill Civic Hall, 31st of March, New Theatre Peterborough.
Yes, so we come along to the show in East Grinstead.
What can we expect? Have we got a warm -up group
or is it you doing a concert with a break in
the middle? It's just me and my band, the Wildcats,
been with me a long time, over 40 years some
of them, and so it's just us. We do both halves,
the first half and second half, and it's just
a lovely show. It's a very warm show. It's a
fun show we don't take ourselves too seriously.
I'm not trying to be a big idol anymore I'm not
trying to have to live up to things I just get
out there and I talk to them like I'm talking
to you in it I say whatever comes into my mind
now that's dangerous sometimes but I do say my
mind and sometimes the audience are like, I think
they, I remember one comment, I won't say the
line, but I said a line and the audience actually
gasped. I thought, Marty, you've come too far,
mate, you've come too far, stop that, stop that.
But I do say what comes into my head, but I've
wanted to... feel that kind of freedom and I
wanted it to be genuine I didn't want to come
out on stage in a big I mean I come out in a
flash jacket but that's what you do this part
of my and I love all that it's rock and roll
it's not you know it's not church meeting so
I thought okay we're rock and roll jacket but
I'd have to talk to people naturally and and
say things that are natural not you know not
hide things you know you know people i like to
be open on stage very open and um and i hope
that comes across to people i want honesty i
want an honesty in my show and that's fun honesty
don't get me wrong i laugh at myself and my age
and all the silly things that happens to people
when they get to my age but it's fun you know
it's it is there's a great humoring in getting
older and if you but not many people can look
at it and laugh but i do Some of the things that
happen to me, you know, if your legs are getting
stiff or whatever, you know, and you can't do
the things you used to do, sometimes I just have
to smile. And so I don't take it too seriously
because I've been lucky to come this far. That's
the way I view it. Well, fantastic. And I want
to be talking to you when you've had your ninth
decade of hits. So don't you go anywhere. I know
you'll go as long as you can. And let's just
wish that to happen. That'd be wonderful, I tell
you. Let's ask you about your new song now. Going
back, I think, am I right in saying that your
son Rick was producing? Kim's songs, is that
right? Yes, he still does. He's producing your
songs now when you bring something out, is he?
No, we split apart. Kim and Rick went one way
and I went the other. And it was a good thing
in a way because I didn't want to... sort of,
you know, like, keep appearing on one of Kim's
shows or appearing, you know, in her shows on
stage. It wouldn't be fair. You know, she's got
her career. And I like her to keep this separate.
She comes on a few of my shows sometimes. The
odd one once in a while, maybe twice a year,
once a year, she'll come out on one of my shows
and we sing together. We enjoy that. But by and
large, I wanted her to have a separate career.
So Rick still produces and works with Kim. I
envy them a lot because they... Recently they've
been touring all over Europe and I've been to
Holland, Sweden, Germany, France. They were in
Paris. Well, I love Paris as a city. I'd love
to work there as well, but I'm not known in Paris,
of course, but Kim is and she had a great, great
night there. So, you know, it's it's it. We keep
our careers two ways, two very separate and it's
good, I think. That's brilliant. And I do know
that, you know, you said sometimes she comes
on the show with you. I have spoken to you in
recent years, I know where. Kim did some backing
for you. Was it a Christmas song or something
a while back? Yeah, it was. I remember having
Roxanne on the show and chatting to her. It was
really great fun, that was, to meet her as well.
So just looking also, the songwriting, we have
mentioned that before, but just for the sake
of the listeners here, you've written things
for Status Quo, Lulu, No Patrol, Tom Jones, Hot
Chocolate, so brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
I and hopefully there's there's many more artists
will take and there's no reason why they won't
take your songs and but yeah I didn't know about
status choir or snow patrol. So fantastic stuff.
Well they they what happens there is artists
pick up sometimes they pick up your song they'll
hear a song and and I used to I go under a pseudo
name on some of my sometimes I do in the old
days in particular I never went under Marty Wilde
because it was too otherwise people would never
have cut jesamine they would have said oh you
know he's he's he's a rock and roll singer what's
this you know he can't write he doesn't write
the stuff like this you know and i and i so i
like to keep that side That kind of shy it's
a shy way of approaching music as those but it
also is the best because otherwise people people
are inclined to put you into a box you know box
and that's what you are and i'm not i'm not in
that box i don't i never have been i never have
been with music my choice in music is eclectic
i. I love, you know, spend a lot of time listening
to classical music. And so it's not just, you
know, there again, I can listen to Elvis or Carl
Perkins singing rock and roll and totally love
it. But I do like to mix my music up. You know,
I still watch the American charts, the top 50,
and I watch the UK top. uh 50 as well so um but
yeah so i'm still i'm still interested in music
in all forms fantastic what did you think going
way back when you were given the name the stage
name Marty Wilde. Did you think what's this or
did you like it straight away? It was great.
A manager gave that to you. I think he was in
charge of a whole load of you and Mark Winter
was there so he called him Mark Winter and you
Marty Wilde. What did you think when you first
given that name? Did you like the sound of it?
No, I didn't. I thought it was Marty sounding
like some red -faced American schoolboy. sucking
an ice lolly, you know, and I thought, no, no,
that's not me. And wild, well, you know, I thought,
well, yeah, sometimes, you know, there is a wild
side to me, no question of that, I guess. I was
doing this with everyone, but the Marty side
I didn't like. And then around about, oh, about
three months. three months into my career I saw
there was a hoarding and it had my and and I
was a very I was put onto one of the bills as
because I was beginning starting off and it said
and an early appearance of Marty well I looked
at the on the billing and I thought wow it looks
pretty good actually it was better than Reg Reg
Patterson which was what the name I was going
under oh And so, you know, it was like Elton
John and Reg, you know, he was a Reg and they
changed him to Elton. So it was a good move,
no question. And my father found it difficult
all those years ago. I think he must have wondered
what the hell was happening. But my mother took
to it immediately. And within a few days, I didn't
hear the word Reg. I just said, Marty, there's
a phone call. Oh, wow. really well it's done
you no harm has it so uh we'll let you go in
just a moment and uh give Sue a chance if she
wants to ask you something that's one another
question about the marty wild thing the all these
years on do you like when you finish with me
do you go back to being yourself and you just
become marty well to speak to me or or you go
on that stage and you become marty wild and can
you keep the two parts parts of your life separate
is that it's too easy Yeah, I do. I do. I've
managed to do that for a number of years. You
know, all my friends, it's never mentioned. I
don't talk about none of my friends, none of
my close friends, apart from my family, know
anything about my work, my songs or anything.
And sometimes they'll say, oh, we saw you in
the paper. and I just shrug you know because
it's best to and it's best that way as well I
don't want you know all my friends treat me just
you know like some ordinary boring bloke you
know which you can all be at times so you know
and I'm very happy that way the only time I change
is on the day of a show when I once I started
getting ready and I'm and I go out that starting
to go out the door I'm Marty Wild And from then
on in, right the way through till after that
show, when I get in the car and going home, gradually
I'm coming down into being a reg again, you know.
But up to that point, I'm a pure Marty Wild on
that particular moment of those days when I need
it, you know. But you've got to keep the two
separate. Otherwise, this business could drive
you around the bend. If you start taking yourself
seriously, you'll end up in a psychiatric ward.
You know, you've got to... You've got to remember
who you are, where you came from, and how good
you are and how bad you are. You've got to analyze
it. I have to constantly remember as well how
lucky I am. Near me, there's a gentleman who's
been very handicapped. I often see him, and when
I do, I'll be driving down, I'll see this man
in the shop sometimes, And it makes me think,
Marty, you'd stop moaning and don't you dare
moan anymore today and how lucky you are, you
know, so. Well, I thank you. There's not many
people we have the opportunity to ask something
like that. And I really appreciate you sharing
that with us. That's brilliant. Thank you, Marty.
Have you got a question for Marty before we let
him go? Yes, Marty, where would you like to be
in two years time? Where I'd like to be in two
years time, not in a box. We don't want you in
one. No, I don't want to be I don't want to be
dust in a little box. I would like to be in all
honesty. I don't I want to live as long as my
my good lady without her. I would think I'd be
a very lonely man so I wouldn't and I wouldn't
I know I wouldn't enjoy life to its full which
I can now because she's been such a great asset
to me so yeah I just want I'll just keep I'd
like to I'd like to stay around as long as she
is because we're staying together and maybe we'll
leave the planet together, who knows. Okay let's
do the social media bit Marty, you've got a website
which is www .martywild .com that's www .martywild
.com if we click on that we can find or the listeners
can find your dates that are booked so far. I
appreciate it's being updated all the time as
new dates are added. And then if we scroll down
to the bottom, we can find your other social
media such as Facebook, Twitter, which I still
can't get used to calling it X. That's there.
And a little click for your YouTube channel as
well. So it's all there for people like to go
and have a look. Marty Wilde, it just leaves
me to say thank you for chatting about your new
tour, your new song, and your thoughts as well.
That means a lot. It's been an honour, Marty,
and thank you. Take care, Marty. It's my honour.
Thank you to you and Sue. It's my honour, and
especially at this time of my life. So thank
you. Be lucky. Have a great, great show. Thank
you. And we'll see your links wasted. You just
keep up the great work. You're a good team. Thank
you, Marty. Thank you. Take care. Bye -bye. This
edition of the Chatterbox Redux podcast was presented
by Nick and Sue. We thank our special guest,
who was Marty Wild. Our email address is nickelbum
at myyahoo .com. Alternatively, we have a postal
address, which is PO Box 26, the old Observer
Building, Telford Road, St. Leonard's -on -Sea,
East Sussex, England, TN389LZ. We thank you very
much for your company and look forward to welcoming
you again next time for another Chatterbox Redux
podcast when our guest will be Eden Kane. Catch
you then. Bye bye. This is Nick and Sue with
Chatterbox giving you all you need to know about
musical entertainment Chatterbox the best interviews
with Nick and Sue the best news