mosquitos
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Tony Joe White
We don't hear much about swamp music over here in Britain - It's not that we've gor anything against it. It's just that swamp music is categorised as being the music of white singers in the Southern states of America - and the word swamp seems to cojure up images of bogs, heat, slime, alligators and musquitos - in fact anything but music.
Tony Joe White, who was over in Britain last week to appear at the Crystal Palace garden party is probably one of the most well-known examples of swamp music in this country. He comes from a tiny town called Oak Grove near the borders of Arkansas and Mississippi and first became interested in music at the age of 16, naming Elvis Presley, Lightnin' Hopkins as his two strongest musical influences. He formed a number of rock and roll bands and with one called Tony and The Twilights he headed for Texas. When eventually it broke up he started writing songs, went to Nashville and landed a recording contract.
Now, of course, he has made many albums and has become established in his own right as a singersongwriter. Many other artistes have recorded his songs, including Dusty Springfield, Brook Benton and Elvis who had a big hit in his country with Tony's "Polk Salad Annie".
"That song was my biggest hit in America four years ago", Tony told me in his slow Southern drawl when I spoke to him at The Hyde Park Hotel during his very brief visit to Britain.
During the early days Elvis' songs were all they used to sing; so how did it feel to have someone who played a big part in his interest in music record one of his songs? "It feels really good. I'd never have thought it when I was doing Elvis songs in those days. I'm glad it has happened". Tony also said that Elvis's new song in the States called "For Old Times Sake" was a song taken from his "Homemade Ice Cream" album.
The songs that really got Tony established in America were "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie". Brook Benton got to number two with "Rainy Night in Georgia" and Tony named this as one of the highlights of his musical career.
You may also remember a song called "Groupy Girl" which was a hit for Tony in Britain a couple of years ago.
Does he prefer songwriting or singing? "About 50/50. Sometimes it feels good when you can a crowd around you, stomping around, and sometimes it feels good when you can write down something you want to say".
Ballads
Tony told me that he also writes a lot of ballads and that on his "Homemade Ice Cream" album there was a bluesy number called "Did Somebody Make A Fool Out Of You". He said, "People always have to label music. I just write about what I see. The new album is swamp music but I play a lot of rock and roll, but they call it swamp music the way I play it 'cos I'm from the swamps".
He went on to talk about a song he's writing at the moment. "I guess you'd call it 'loud swamp' or 'swamp rock', anyway it's a rocker. It's called "Jakeley Kind" and is about someone getting stiffness of the leg due to drinking bad whiskey".
How long has Tony been writing songs now? I've been writing for about eight years. I played in clubs for about 6-7 years, but when I came out with albums lots of people did cuts. It's funny I became known in France before the U.S.A. with a song called "Soul Francisco"". The song was a smash hit in Europe and at that time he made his first trip out of Southwestern America to tour Europe, and he's been back to Europe six times since then, most recently on a tour with Creedence Clearwater Revival.
While Tony was over in London he was doing some promotion for the film "Catch Ny Soul", which he appears in.
"I do some of the background music and sing two of the songs. I play the deacon Michael Cassio. The film is previewed her in October so I'll be coming back to Britain in October when I'll be doing an In Concert programme with Stanley Dorfman and maybe I'll do a few gigs as well".
What plans did he have when he got back to AMerica? "I'll be doing a new album and I think I'm gonna do some Westerns".
Tony Joe White would really fit the part of a tough Texan cowboy. Sitting in the plush hotel room dressed in blue denims and boots he looked as if he'd be far more at home on a horse. He said, "I much prefer the country. It's a shame that my business has to deal with towns but that's where all the people are".
In actual fact Tony said that he did own a ranch in the Ozmark Mountains in Arkansas. "We've got a home in Memphis, eight acres in the woods and the ranch is about four hours drive away. I write a lot of my songs on the road to the ranch and on the road to Nashville".
With what Tony was saying about his family background it's hardly surprising that he look up music as a career.
"I come from a musical family. Laa of us were taught by my father. They all sing gospel, country nad blues. In the country ther's not much to do after supper so you just sit and play music like a ritual. My father used to play two or three songs on the guitar or piano after every meal".
I wondered if Tony's two children, a girl of eight and a boy of fourteen would follow in their father's footsteps?
"My girl playes piano and writes songs. If she gets much better. I'll put her on the road", he joked. "My son loves to listen to music and has records everywhere but he don't play nothin'".
What sort of nusic does Tony himself prfer listening to? "I like two or three of Carly Simon's songs and I really like some of James Taylor's songs. I really think he writes good music. I also like Billy Preston, and Stevie Wonder, and Robert William Scott, one of the best piano players and singers I've ever heard. For groups I like Procul Harum. I don't give a shit about loud, hard screaming music. It gives me a headache. I like Jeff Beck though. It's not piercing but loud and funky. He was really good at the Crystal Palace. I did a concert with him on the Johnny Cash T.V. show".
Does Tony prfer working with live audiences rather than in a studio?
"Most of the time I prefer live audiences to a studio, tjough I don't go in the studio that much. I stay in there about six hours at a time, that's all I can take".
Has he any major ambitions left in the music field?
"I just like to play rock music, to really get it on. I want to try and write good songs and get by".
Tony Joe certainly seems to be getting by alright.
(Record Et radio Mirror),
September 1973.
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