Anthony Reynolds

He was leader of two bands (JACK, JACQUES). He is solo artist. He is writer... What else?!

Last time we spoke just after you released your last album as JACK "The End of the Way It's Always Been". After that you went solo, moved to Spain… What else?

I feel like I've lived multiple lifetimes since then. I made several albums and EPs under various names and in various formats. We're talking about 2002, right? Jesus…that was another time, another place another planet. Lots of major changes, personally and professionally. To big to go into here. I'm still floundering from some of the seismic changes. Wait for my memoirs to be entitled 'The glad Gadfly boy'. Recently published biography of The Walker Brothers was signed by you. Why did you chose Walker Brothers for your first "big" literally release?

It's the first book I wrote - not counting 'These roses taste like ashes'. But the Walker biog actually came out after the Buckley book. I chose that particular subject because I needed to cut my teeth, biography wise, on a subject I new inside out as it were. I grew up with the music of Scott, John and Gary because my mum was a fan. I finally got into the music on my own terms as a late teenager but…I knew enough about the walkers - what to do, where to go, research wise. I could have probably written that book alone in a room without doing any research whatsoever.

How many collected newspaper articles and magazine articles did you have when you start to write book? Did you read any other Walker Brothers biography during your research and writing?

About 97, I think. I was a fan, so I had lots of bumpf and kipple on the walkers hanging about anyway. Fanzines, letters, old music mags etc Of course I read every other Biog on them I could find - you don't ignore previous research and work on your subject.

The next book you're about to publish is biography of Tim & Jeff Buckley. Tell us something about it?

'Mystery white boy blues', a biography on Jeff Buckley came out earlier this year, apparently. I fell out with the publishers so don't know much about it's release. That book was a commission and I wrote it to pay the rent for a year. But during that time, I did- albeit temporarily - fall in Love with Jeff. He was a righteous dude, it seemed to me. I sometimes joke that in a parallel life I waded into the Thames just after the second Jack album, and Jeff has just released a biography of me.

Back to music. You did some interesting Syd Barret covers. Do you plan to release them or they're just for playing live?

I was a guest to this project, merely an instrument. It was conceived and executed by two Italian gentlemen, Marco and Lucca. I believe they are trying to arrange a recording date. We did one show in Livorno, Italy and I enjoyed it very much. We do another show in Cardiff, November.



When can we expect something new from Anthony or Jack or Jacques?

Jack and Jaques are long dead. I am currently working on music for a film by Cathy Boyce and also with Charlotte Greig. But solo wise, I don't feel its time for me to make music.
I need to grow another branch on my life tree first.

pedja // 28/10/2009