JOHN HELLIWELL
INTERVIEW
by Miguel Angel Candela
MANCHESTER 3rd April 2003
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SECOND SECTION : THE
EARLY YEARS, THE PAST
MAC: How did you start your passion for
the saxophone?
JOHN: First before the sax was the clarinet and and my first influence
was Sidney Bechet-an American soprano saxist and clarinet player that
wrote a number called "Petite Fleur" . The version I heard
was by Chris Barber and his Jazzband with Monty Sunshine on clarinet,
that inspired me a lot!... and then I heard Cannonball adderley, an
alto saxophone player, I was 13 or 14, I really enjoyed this playing
so I eventually bought the saxophone, so he was my main inspiration.
I was 15. 15 the saxophone, 13 the clarinet.
MAC: At that time, the 60's, at the beginnings
of pop and rock, saxo was not really usual in that styles, wasn't ?
How did you manage to integrate saxophone in pop and rock ? Were you
one of the pioneers ? Were you one of the first guys ?
JOHN: There was a direct inspiration . At that time I was into jazz.
And I went to a jazz concert to see a jazz saxophone player called Tubby
Hayes and in the interval I heared this other music coming from downstairs
and I was intrigued and I went down to listen and playing underneath
downstairs there was the "Graham Bond Organisation" with Dick
Heckstall-SmithLL on saxophone and Ginger Baker on drums and Jack Bruce
on bass there was a complete revelation for me and that 's what made
me start playing more in rythm and blues, blues and stuff like that
and I join a group in Birmingham, in England when I was still a computer
programmer . This group was called "Jugs O'Henry" and we played
blues, and then is when I started. It wasn't until I joined the Alan
Bown wich this one was a mixture of blues, pop and rock and this was
just before "Chicago" and "blood,sweat and tears".
Just around this time this bands they would start coming out.
MAC: I had some melodicas (instrument) when I
was a child, before knowing Supertramp. Why did you started using it
in the Supertramp albums?
JOHN: I like melodicas. It's just the sound of it. It's just another
sound . Rick plays it very well. He plays it in "Put on your old
brown shoes".
GC: yeah, and in "it is raining again" as well. ( on stage
)
JOHN: yeah! that was Rick as well !
MAC: But did you play it before joining Supertramp
?
JOHN: No.
MAC: Another saxophone player (Bradford Marsalis)
said that he started out by playing clarinet, but he switched to the
saxophone when he was a teenager because that's what attracted the girls.
I would like to know if you agree with that.
(Laughs)
JOHN: well, It's interesting. The real answer is no. But I didn't switch.
I still keep playing the clarinet. A clarinet is more unusual in rock
music. When I was at school , in 1960, I wrote an essay called "myself
in 1970" which is a projection for the future and in this essay
... projected myself ...
MAC: I know it. I've read it on the biography.
JOHN: it was like a prophecy, I was telling on it when I would be 25
I would be married and playing in a famous bands and atraccting a lot
of fans, boys and girls from all over the world, so this was like a
prophecy!!! it was my projection of my future.... But the real answer
is no.
MAC: Do you remember your first concert with Supertramp
?
JOHN: Yes, it was in 1973, before we made Crime of the Century. It was
in August, I think. And we played in somebody's wedding, on the Island
of Jersey. And then we played two halfs and before we started playing,
Bob ...drink, drink, drink ... and so the first half it wasn't very
good because Bob was drunk ...
MAC: Can I write this ??
JOHN: (Laughs) Yes !!!, fine, it's part of the Supertramp history !!!
. So in the interval , between the sets, Bob drunk black coffee so Bob
soberd up he was fine by them, but just before the second half started
Dougie lost his plectrum, so when he bent himself for to try to find
it, and he picked the plectrum, he smashed his head!!! into a cannon!!!
his head on this cannon, Dougie was still conscious but the 2nd half
was still really very terrible becuse Bob was feeling fine but Dougie
was feeling very ill ! but since that day Bob Siebenberg never ever
drinks alcohol before a performance. Even like in the seventies when
Bob used to drink a lot but never ever before the show. He still keeps
to that ... thirty years later.
MAC: Did you play more concerts after that and
before Crime of the Century ?
JOHN: Yes, we played different places. Actually, we did a tour in England
, playing small theaters and clubs.
MAC: What did you play then?
JOHN: It was Crime of the century music.
MAC: Only this? Did you play something from Indelibly
Stamped ?
JOHN: No, I don't think we didn't play anything from Indelibly Stamped.
We played only Crime of the Century and some other numbers they would
come in Crisis.
MAC: So, from that time, why haven't you played
any number from the earlier albums ?
JOHN: We just wanted to play new material.
MAC: How did you become the "speaker"
on the shows ?
JOHN: Because nobody else wanted to do it... (Laughs)
MAC: Funny.......I think you were the first getting
married.
JOHN: I already was married when I joined Supertramp.
MAC: Was it very difficult for you to arrange
wife and kids with recording and tours?
JOHN: Yes, it's allways difficult. It's hard. The two things that happened
were both births of my two sons: I wasn't there because I was touring
with Supertramp. It was hard ! That happened on each ocassion and it
was very hard for me !
MAC: You have collaborated with Pink Floyd, Jean
Jacques Goldman and Bob Siebenberg, Roger Hodgson... Have you done something
more?
JOHN: Yes, Thin Lizzy, whose guitarist is Scott Gorham, Bob's brother
in law. I played on the record "Dancing in the moonlight"
, around 1977-78. I played with Bob, later. Roger...and Diana Ross as
well, I just did a session. I don't remember the name of the album.
And Johny Matthis ...
MAC: During the time Supertramp was not playing,
have you received offers from any other bands ?
JOHN: No. I din't get any offer. Actually, I was fired from Milene Farmer
( laughs...), very famous french pop star. Well, it was not Milene but
the musical director. She came to me and said "I'm really sorry
but the musical director wants to fire you" And she said "
I can't go and play without the musical director because he's controlling
all the group. I'm really sorry because I want to play with you but
I have to please him" . Anyway I had two weeks of rehearlse and
holidays in Paris, I enjoyed myself. I think maybe he was jealous, I
dont know it !
MAC: As a personal curiousity and as I like motorcycles
too I would like to know the ones you have had all over the years?
JOHN: Yes, I love motorcycles. my first motorcycle was an Honda 360
CBS, my second was a Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans, which I still have. I got
it in 1978. Then I had a Yamaha XS 1100 and I also had a BMW R65 LS.
Good bike. And then in 1983 I got a Ducati 900 S Mike Hailwood replica
and I still have that one.
In England about 5 or 6 years ago I bought a BMW R 1100 RS, which I
sell. If anybody wants to buy they can.... Put it out in the Internet,
please.
MAC: You were computer programmer and also I am,
another coincidence. Do you remember the languages you did use ?
JOHN: Yes, Fortran and Cobol, long time ago...in 1963.
MAC: Interesting ...We still use Cobol at my job,
for the mainframe....What do you remember about living in Topanga ?
JOHN: I lived there 15 years at least.... moved there in 1978. I liked
very much because it's very free. I did a lot of cycling and motocycling.
The people are free. You can do what you want.
MAC: Why did you come back to England?
JOHN: To study
MAC: Did you really miss the Queen ?
JOHN: (Laughs) I missed the beer...yeah, the good beer !
MAC: You started as an english band with an american
drummer. Now, you are an american band and you are the only one living
in England.
JOHN: Yes, it's just how life goes on. We decided to live in California
because it seemed attractive at that time. Now, the majority of the
band is american. Rick Davies is american now (Laughs)
GC: Really?
JOHN : Yes. He has turned. I'm the only one who is british.
MAC: Did you meet some of the members from The
Beatles ?
JOHN: Well, only one time. In a club called "Speak easy" ,
in London, in the sixties. I was in there with some of the guys from
Alan Bown and John Lennon and Paul McCartney were sitting behind us
and they asked me if they could borrow a chair or something. "Are
you using that chair?" one of them said. And I said "No man,
take it, it's ok". And this is just the conversation I had with
them. And he said "Thank you".
MAC: is there any musical hero, in your young
days that you ended up meeting years later?
JOHN: interesting question (thinking about it .....)
MAC: it happened to me and Gonzalo !!!
JOHN: I can't remenber now , probably not because most of them they
were out of my reach or they have died ! I haven't had that experience....
MAC: you met gonzalo !!! (everybody laughing.....)
he will be famous !
JOHN: yeah!!!, Ask me the same question in ten years !
MAC: I know you keep the contact with Roger, you
have talks on the phone sometimes. A lot of people think one of the
reasons Roger did leave the band is because he did not like the saxophone.
And you don't like the guitar. I've read that you and Roger were joking
about it sometimes.
JOHN: Yes, it's only a joke. It must be a joke because Roger loves my
playing. I thought one of the reasons for Roger spliting was the fact
him writing and playing with Supertramp was not enough, because he has
so much music in him and to write 4 songs every two years or an album
was not enough for him . He needed to get more music out.
MAC: Until which point Rick's wife and Roger's
wife did influence on the split of the band?
JOHN: Well..maybe there is an influence, just a bit, but not much I
think.
MAC: Was Roger's leaving the best option at that
time ?
JOHN: artistically ?
MAC: I mind, perhaps he could stay in the band
and working in solo albums as well....
JOHN: Well, financially the best decission would have been Rick and
Roger staying together but at the end it could be I think it would have
been great if they would have carry on doing some solo albums outside
the band, and them carry on writing toghether, I think financially it
would have been much more clever !, we could make more money, but you
cannot make artistic decisions based on money.
GC: sometimes money doesn't buy happiness !
JOHN: No !
GC: John, did you ever you, Bob or Dougie apart
from Rick and Roger,tried to write some songs for the band ?
JOHN: no, we were just happy to leave Rick and Roger in charge of all
the material.
THIRD SECTION: PRESENT AND FUTURE
MAC: Tell us something about the Gaia project,
your next plans...
JOHN: yeah I'm going to Nepal for a trekking together with Alan and
Jesse Siebenberg and Anggun, just one week and an acoustic concert there
it is gonna be filmed and a short world tour maybe in August - September,
only big cities like Paris, New York or Tokyo.
MAC: Did you meet Andrew Hodgson at the recording
?
JOHN: no, he recorded his part at the studio at Los Angeles, I recorded
my sax parts at a studio in South Wales, and I am sure Gonzalo might
know the studio !
GC: where about ?
JOHN: I can't remember when in South Wales but it is inside the credits
of the CD.
MAC: Some other special projects ?
JOHN: no, not at the moment.
MAC: Did you hear Open the door ?
JOHN: yeah ! nice album !
MAC: Is there something from the modern artists
that you like ? Some music call you when you hear the radio ?
JOHN: I like Beck a lot and I mainly listen to jazz and classical music.
MAC: Which one is your favourite album of Supertramp ?
JOHN: Crime of the century, the first album after joining the band,
it's very emotional we were recording the album at this farmhouse down
in Somerset, and we have to be living together while we were recordign
the album, Rick went through a bit of a dificult time becuse his father
died during this time. Special memories.
MAC: My favourite songs on the last album are
Over you and Slow Motion. What really likes you about the last album
?
JOHN: I think it's very bluesy, I like a lot the kind of old fashion
style it has.
GC: I think Over you is like the 2nd part of "My
kind of lady"! it reminds me a lot of it.20 years later!
JOHN: yes, it do.
MAC: I've read an interview of you in Vancouver
last September that it said that some of the sax solos on the last album
there would be ideas that would come from Rick, not like it used to
be in the past.
JOHN: not the solos ! some of the melodic lines maybe..., it is always
a combination of the whole band developing Rick's ideas. Anyone can
suggest any thing.
GC: the sax solo on "The logical song" was it written by you
?
JOHN: yeah.
GC: beautiful solo !
MAC: I dont remember on the last album any clarinet...
I really miss it !!!
JOHN: yes you are right ! I haven't even realized myself, there is a
bit of flute mind you.
GC: was it truth that on the last tour when you
were playing the flute were you imitating Ian Anderson lifting up one
of your legs !!!
JOHN: yeah (laughing a lot) you are rigth, I remenber that !
MAC: what do you know about Dougie now ?
JOHN: he is working for Moby, and he is living in Chicago he works as
music publisher, doing vey well.
MAC: The last question..... Will we have more
Supertramp ?
JOHN: I hope so !!!!! I would love to do a Supertramp reunion. I wanted
to do it in 2000, the 30th Supertramp anniversary with everybody who
ever played with us ....but it didn't work out.
MAC: Hope your wishes become true !!! Thanks a lot for your time !
GC: thank you John.
JOHN: Let's keep in touch guys, it has been a great pleasure !
PLEASE,
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