By Kellie B.
Gormly
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Don't be fooled by the cheery, upbeat melodies and tempos in
rock star Rick Springfield's music.
Songs like "Jessie's Girl" -- the 1982 smash hit that
catapulted Springfield's career into fame -- may make you
want to get up and bop 'til you drop. But Springfield, the
heartthrob who had '80s teenage girls swooning -- says most
of the songs he wrote originated with a melancholy note that
he clothed in a happy melody.
"There's no 'don't worry, be happy' in my song catalog,"
Springfield, of Los Angeles, says with a laugh. "I've always
been ... really moody ... I was just a really dark kid."
"Jesse's Girl," he says, tells the tale of sexual angst from
falling in love with someone he cannot have. "Don't Talk to
Strangers" deals with sexual paranoia. "Human Touch" --
which, ironically, Springfield wrote years before the
Internet age -- deals with the impersonalization of a
techology-driven world.
Now, Springfield is taking a break both from songwriting and
acting -- another career that led to a series, "High Tide,"
and appearances on shows including "Battlestar Galactica,"
"Wonder Woman" and "General Hospital." Springfield's current
tour stops at the Pepsi-Cola Roadhouse in Burgettstown in
September, and he's preparing to release a new album with
re-invented songs.
"Touring and recording is keeping me pretty busy," says the
55-year-old Springfield. "It's kind of a mixed blessing. I
love to tour, but also the window for acting gets small."
"The Day After Yesterday," set for release July 12, features
15 tracks, 14 of which were sung by other artists years ago.
The songs include "Broken Wings," originally performed by
Mr. Mister in the mid-'80s; "Waiting for a Girl Like You,"
originally by Foreigner; and "Human," originated by the
Human League. Adult contemporary radio stations have begun
playing Springfield's "Broken Wings."
Springfield says his new CD sounds moody and soulful, with
mostly atmospheric ballads. He chose songs that were popular
-- but not too overplayed -- and that he always wished he
could have recorded, Springfield says.
"I wanted to do something different this time; I've always
loved slower songs," says Springfield, a native Australian
who grew up in England and retains a trace of an accent.
Springfield brings a strong guitar sound into his
interpretation of the new album's songs, many of which
depended on keyboards. Yet the songs still retain their
distinctive sounds, he says.
"I wanted to stick pretty close to the same basic feel of
all the songs," Springfield says. "They definitely benefit
from the new technology. Overall, if you like the original
songs, you won't be turned off by these."
"The Day After Yesterday" follows
"shock/denial/anger/acceptance," a hard-rocking album that
came out in February 2004, and 1999's "Karma." Both of these
recent CDs contain original Springfield work, like his '80s
albums. The modern music shows Springfield's corresponding
maturation process throughout the years, the artist says.
"I definitely have a better, less frantic outlook on my
life," he says. "When I write songs, I think I write them
from a mature place. Sex is a little less important, and
soul is a little more important."
After Springfield's fast and glamorous years of '80s fame,
he says he embarked on a spiritual journey that led to
revelations and insight, and greater fulfillment and peace.
Having adopted practices and beliefs from many religions to
form his faith, Springfield adorns his home with both Buddha
statues and crosses.
"Basically, I feel very blessed with where I am," says
Springfield, who has been married to his wife, Barbara, for
20 years. They have two sons. "Before, I felt the world owed
me - now, I feel I owe the world."
Meanwhile, Springfield discovered one his life's greatest
joys: his pit bull mix, Gomer, whose picture appears on his
Web site. Asked about long-term goals, Springfield couldn't
resist mentioning Gomer in his humorous answer.
"Ultimately, world domination -- with my dog as ruling CEO
of the world," he says with a laugh. "We'll take recording
and acting and concert tours until we get there."
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