Rod Stewart sang some of the greatest slow songs ever written on his Great American Songbook albums, but now, he’s picking up the tempo.
In an interview with Bryan Adams for the October issue of Classic Rock magazine, Rod reveals his plans for his next album. “You know Jools Holland? We’ve nearly completed a swing album,” he says.
Holland, the former keyboard player for Squeeze, is well-known in England for hosting the influential music show Later…with Jools Holland, and being a bandleader of a large ensemble that plays swing, big band, jump blues and R&B.
“The Great American Songbook was all ballads, but this is all up-tempo stuff with [Jools’] band, which is probably one of the best I’ve ever heard,” Rod adds.
Rod tells Bryan he and Jools have been so busy, they weren’t able to release the album in September as they originally planned. He predicts, “It’ll come out next year now, probably March or April.”
Bryan, who teamed with Rod and Sting for the 1994 #1 hit “All for Love,” told Classic Rock that he wanted to interview Rod because, he says, “I love Rod’s voice. Classic. Simple as that.”
“Your voice is just so identifiable and inspiring to so many people,” he tells Rod. “It’s a classic rock voice.”
What Rod does to keep his voice in shape may surprise you.
“Some people think you shouldn’t drink when you sing, but I do,” Rod reveals. “But I do have a proper way of doing it. I don’t drink till I’m totally warmed up, which takes me about an hour. And then I have a little rum and coke and then I have a hot lemon water.”
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