Ben Vaughn. Aprende inglés (del bueno) con Harlem

"I can’t imagine a life without playing live music"

Ben Vaughn recorrió España la pasada semana con un repertorio “polipaladeable con aires tex mex, surf pistolero instrumental, rockabilly vía Carl Perkins con voz perezosa, pop a lo Jonathan Richman y R&R de Louisina”. OSCAR CUBILLO habló con él. De estos asuntos.

Influences.
My influences are too many to list. The first record I owned was by Duane Eddy so I liked rock instrumentals before I ever heard The Beatles or Stones. I love Chuck Berry, Link Wray, etc. but I also like folk, soul, jazz, easy listening, country, blues. All of it. I have a weekly radio show on WEVL in Memphis which is great because I get to play everything I like. From every style and every decade.
www.benvaughn.net/radio/index.html

First favourite style.
I grew up near Philadeplhia so dancing was real important. We had a lot of record hops and they always played soul and doo-wop so that stuff is in my heart. I can’t shake it. When acid rock and Dylan arrived I liked that too but I never stopped digging Elvis and those guys. I went nuts for punk rock too but was already in my twenties by then.

Interested in modern music?
I do like new stuff but I don’t buy the records. I can’t remember the names of the artists a lot of the time.

Former official album.
My last U.S. album was Rambler 65 which came out in ’97. I put out two records in Scotland after that but nothing in the U.S. until Designs in music.

Where you been.
I was in the studio a lot doing TV and film music but I did play shows in the local bar every month or so. I can’t imagine a life without playing live music.

Last album: ‘Designs in music’.
I wanted to combine everything I knew about instrumental music, film music and record production in one album. It was a dream project for me. I loved every aspect of making that record. The artwork on the cover is a painting I bought for five dollars in L.A. 13 years ago.

Lounge music & adult people.
I didn’t think about the age of the audience when I made this record. I just followed my heart and stayed true to the music I heard inside my head.

Shows
We play songs from every record I’ve made. I just taught the band a few songs from the 1988 Blows Your Mind album that I’ve never performed on stage before.

Los Angeles & latin people.
There are many Mexicans in Los Angeles so you hear Spanish being spoken all the time. It doesn’t sound like the Spanish I hear in Spain though. It’s different.
When I am here at my house in the desert there are NO people around. I like being around poeple but I also like being away from people a lot. I used to think I had to choose one life or the other but now I am happy to live both ways.