a funky musician.
Tony Joe White,
without a doubt, the singer with most sex appeal from the United States after Elvis. His movements on stage are horny, yet good-natured, and he enforces these movements with his incredible low pitched voice. Add a nice song such as 'Groupie Girl' to this and you have all the ingredients for his success. Thus it was Tony Joe White who stole the show during the recent tour of Creedence, where he was the opening act. Completely unjustifiable that he was the opening act, as everyone agreed, since he was the sensation of the concert. Just one day prior to his performance here in the country we were able to interview him on his hotel room at the Amsterdam Hilton hotel. He received us in a very friendly manner, despite the very tiresome journey he had just completed. The first thing that one notices about him is his low-pitched voice, with which he chatters with a wonderful southern accent. But he forbade us to write about that.
Journalists
"What I have always disliked is when they write the way I speak. Man that looks so stupid. For example when I say 'you', they write "yuh". Oh, I hate that so much. Especially in Canada this has happened quite often. Why can't they write it the way it should be?"
This took us immediately to the topic of interviews which he does not seem to be charmed with, as testifies a passage in "A Night in the Life of a Swamp Fox". In this song he sings: "a cat walks up from the local news and says can I get an interview?" the answer is then "No, no, no, no." When we quoted this passage he immediately started to sing it enthusiastically. Something which, by the way, occurred quite often. Whenever it went about a specific song of his, he started to sing it and clap the rhythm. He cheered up completely and on his face appeared the childish, compelling smile. As far as the antipathy for the journalists is concerned it wasn't such a big deal.
"You know, interviews are good when you can take your time and when everyone has something to say. As long as people do not ask how tall I am or what my favorite colors are. You always get the same kind of questions. I am fed up with these and in those cases I might indeed stop the interview. But when I am talking without being disturbed, I quite like it.
How it started
As it seems to be the only thing he is willing to talk about we quickly move towards his music. "Lightnin' Hopkins influenced me enormously. My brother brought his record home, when I was about twelve years old. When I heard this record I was swept off my feet, I played this record until I wore it out. As a matter of fact, many of these bluescats influenced me."
Before he became successful he worked in clubs for eight years, six evenings a week. A harsh job, but necessary, so he considers.
"I believe it is something like school. You must have sufficient training. Then I wrote 'Polk salad Annie' and that played the trick. I had saved sufficient money to take a one week leave and I went to Nashville. Just like everyone does. The first night I was there I played a little and I met someone who knew someone else, who in turn knew someone else who knew Bob Beckham. Bob Beckham is the person responsible for Combine Music, the editor of Monument. And the next morning, the first person I met was Bob Beckham, at his office. This might sound like a fairy tail as I had only been one day in Nashville. I knew nobody and the next day I was in the studio recording a tape. I have been lucky, but my time was come. It simply had to happen." After having recorded two albums for Monument he left that studio. "The people there did not understand my music, with the exception of Bob Beckham. But take for example the owner of Monument. When he heard "Polk Salad Annie" for the first time, with all the "ungh, ungh", he said "why doesn't he make sure that his throat is in order before he records an album?"
The first album he made for Monument, "Black and White", contained one side with songs he had written himself and one side with covers of hits written by other people. "That was because at Monument they did not trust me yet. It was only my first album and no-one had heard of me, that's why all the famous songs had to be recorded: but I could do an entire side myself."
The next album was "…Continued", which he considers to be his best album.
After that followed his first record for Warner Bros. In the meantime Monument quickly released a "Best of' album when they realized that he was switching record label.
"Oh, it's not that bad, as long as I get the royalties. The music is good, although I believe that I can do better now. On stage we play these songs much better than the way they were recorded. That's why my next album will be a 'live' album, recorded during this tour around Europe. Then in November I will record a new studio album with Jerry Wexler. I have the material for it ready. My new single "That on the road look" and "Delta love". I will be singing these tomorrow during the concert. The first one is about all the traveling that I am doing, the second one is about Louisiana. And then there is a third title, a good old rock-song "Back to the Country".
Much of Tony's material is about himself, either about his traveling as an artist, or about his youth in the South, where his heart still lies. He bought a ranch in Arkansas which enables him to withdraw himself now and then and to be occupied with the breeding of horses. He prefers to live in the South.
"There are many misconceptions about the South. A lot is being said about it. But it is and will remain my home. The people over there are friendlier and dead honest. They will immediately let you know what they think of you. At least they will say straight to your face whether they like you or whether they don't give a damn about you. They are simply very honest about their feelings. Even if these feelings are wrong, at least they are honest about them."
Tony's material has also been recorded by several colleagues. Brook Benton sung "Rainy day in Georgia" and Elvis "Polk Salad Annie". He is full of admiration for both interpretations. "Brook Benton is absolutely fabulous. And Elvis, he is the king of rock and roll. I was very surprised when I heard that he sung "Polk Salad Annie". It flattered me. You know, he is such a big artist, that touches me. He invited me for one of his shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, because he would be singing "Polk Salad Annie" over there. Man, he was great. The way he sung that song."
Even more enthusiastically he mimics Elvis' stage act. "His show was great. I though it was a movie, but he was really there, REAL. His eyes, his mouth, the sweat droplets on his forehead." And with this praise of the pelvis we end our conversation. A nice fellow, this Tony. Precisely the way he describes himself "a funky musician, man just trying to make it". Something he will certainly manage to do as the reactions of the public the next evening prove.
photo: Laurens van Houten
October 1971
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