Marek Niedzwiecki interview with Basia, July 17, 2008

Translated by Krysia Szurek and Andrzej Kulak

This piece first aired on Radio Zlote Przeboje on July 19, 2008 with additional material broadcast on Smooth Jazz Cafe July 22, 2008

Basia Trzetrzelewska: Good morning!

BT: Yes, I've been just thinking of it - that the last time we saw each other was during our visit with Matt Bianco in Warsaw.

BT: Indeed! But the time is not so important to us, right? [Marek laughs] It's as if it were yesterday!

BT:You are professional, a real professional! You will use any information for your work. Well, that's how it should look like, I guess!

BT:Well, you know, sometimes the information gets to the Internet in many surprising ways. But this time it was Danny's fault - he keeps in touch with the girl that runs that site - it's called BasiaWeb, right?

BT: That sounds funny in Polish [expln: Leb - pronounced as "web"- means head in Polish slang, or a smart parson "On to ma leb" - "He's got the head," meaning he is so brilliant.] Anyway, she is really a dedicated fan and she has been running that site for years, as well as the forum on which the fans exchange their opinions and we met her on the last Matt Bianco tour in the US. She is from San Francisco - or rather than she was from San Francisco, cause right now she's moved somewhere - to Chicago I guess? And it came out that she is a very intelligent girl, who understands our job so well, I mean her opinion on our songs was exactly the same as ours. We were so surprised, that since then, especially Danny kept in touch with her and is sending her some information every now and then, some curious stuff or old recording that can not be found on the market.

BT: Yes, exactly! It appeared that there is some interest from Polonia [Polish community living abroad] that is quite big population in the States and the fact that we are talking Polish right now doesn't matter at all, people can understand that.
It appeared that - what is her name - Leslie? Leslie is always eager to get any information about us, so I think it was interesting enough. You see? You are famous in the States!

BT: [in Polish] Yes...

BT: Aha! OK.! So we will speak English now. Well yes, the record is supposed to be released in February 2009, which is of course still quite ahead but maybe it's good cause we have time to do our website and artwork and do everything properly, we can set these kind of work, like I am doing right now with you, just to announce things before they actually happen. And also in February we might be going straight away on a tour, so yeah...

BT: OK [laughing loudly]

BT: Well, some time ago there was a web page about us run by Sony, when we were still working with them and they simply had the rights to that page. When our contract ended we lost the rights to that page, unfortunately. That complicated things a little bit. And then it appeared that there are so many Basias all over the world, some of them work in fashion, the others in music industry and it was hard to find a proper address. That was not the main reason of course and obviously until not so long ago I was working with Matt Bianco and we had that site. But finally our new web will be called Basiasongs. Basiasongs.com I believe but it will start in about a week or two.

BT: Yes! There will be even short pieces of our new songs and they will be changed, so the fans will get the chance to find out what is coming up.

[plays "If Not Now Then When?"]

BT: Well yes, actually that's true, In the meantime there was only the live album, the compilation and then Matt Bianco but I'm simply not the kind of a musician - a singer who must work all the time, to record all the time and to sing all the time. I can simply do that only when I have something to say, when I have something to sing about. And there were a few years when I had really lost the will to do that. I simply couldn't have forced myself to do something what would be totally insincere.

BT: Actually Mark is working on his own album and it will also be called Matt Bianco. He has even recorded his own album under his name Mark Reilly but he hasn't succeeded in releasing it until now. I have heard it and it seemed to me really interesting but maybe the reason was that it doesn't seem an obvious commercial product, that is searched by everybody in our times, so it appeared that he has quite a problem with it. It is done in a flamenco mood. He recorded it with a guy who lives in Spain and I think is a Spanish guitarist. And I must tell you I really like it but he hasn't found an editor yet. But a Japanese record studio - JVC I believe - has proposed to Mark to release an album, which would be another Matt Bianco dance album used in clubs. Mark has quite a lot of fans in Japan and he decided to record such an album for them once again. And I suppose he's about to finish the album.

Of course, when I had such a long break nobody was happy, the record studios, my partner - Danny also - he is such a workaholic, so it was quite a hard time for him. He didn't know what to do with himself and that's why he reunited with Mark and they convinced me to do the new album simply to get me out of that inactivity. And that was a good idea, because maybe I didn't put 100% of my heart into it but at least I started to sing and work and write again. And it appeared to be really contagious and I couldn't wait to record our new solo album! That album was really a huge pleasure. Also because I had a lot of life experience that I could draw from, so there was something to write songs about. Music inspiration changed a bit - at least for me - and I think that this new album is totally different from the previous ones, although - I don't know - maybe you could still find there 2 or 3 sambas. But it shows a bit different music style, that also interests me besides the stuff that we were known for before.

[plays "A Tear in My Eye"]

BT: Well, I've always wanted... We have already 13, 14 songs. The last one is not on the CD that I gave you. We are waiting for our genius.

BT: Dave Bascombe, who is on holidays right now and we have to wait for him with the mixing but we think to put at least 12 of them on the album and I wanted the CD to be called Two Islands - because I wanted to dedicate it to my 2 friends, who are hidden under this title but I was voted. Well, actually not voted but convinced that it would be better to title it It's That Girl Again.

BT: To znowu ta dziewczyna.

BT: That's it! And for marketing reasons - cause this is how this industry works - it was thought that it would be a better title. Even thought I am not totally convinced but there is something in it - especially that I think that it is the most beautiful song on this album, so maybe it's better.

BT: [laughing] Kevin, yes, He is almost on each song, because he is not only playing the trumpet but also singing, he really sings a lot on this album!

BT: Yes, indeed, and now on the tour with Mick Hucknall and Simply Red he is also singing. And nowadays even more, his courage is surprising me, he has really developed as a vocalist, maybe also because I was really using him. But that was because it was so easy, he was simply at hand [laughing]. He sings in every song and this has widen the sound of the album and all vocals in a very nice way.

There are no female vocalists apart from maybe one song - the one that is not mixed yet. It is called "Oh, Mama!" and I recorded it with a girl who is 15 years old and it is a sort of conversation between mother and daughter. She is the only guest female vocalist on the new album - if the song fits in the new album. But honestly - I would love to have it there cause again it is in totally different style and it is quite amusing. It is a kind of a quarrel between a mother and a daughter, who is growing up and would like to get more freedom, while the mother would like her to stay at home - under her wings - as long as possible.

BT: Very well, he drove me to the airport this morning. He is absolutely fine, he has kind of very left wing beliefs and that is why he will never be rich, he will never get the big money cause his heart is into totally different matters, where money is not so important. Integrity and honesty are very important to him, all those kinds of things - of course I am very proud of that and I am happy that he appreciates those values. Of course he works a lot, he has studied anthropology and sociology and he works in it, thought mainly he is engaged in political matters right now. He cooperates with a kind of political bookstore and he also edits their newspaper.

BT: Yes, it has, she is his wife right now [laughing]. She is Chinese but she was born in Hong Kong in the times when it belonged to Great Britain. She speaks English fluently and she studied in England and before that she had graduated from high school in the United States. So her roots are totally from the Anglo-Saxon culture.

BT: No, not yet, I hope I will be [laughing]. I can't wait, my sister is already a grandmother and I hope to experience it one day but I can't push them 'cause they have their own ideas for life.

BT: Amelka is the youngest member of our family, she is 15 months old right now but when this song came into existence she was less than a year old and she is kind of the epitome of what is important in life. Not only my friends but all the Poles have a tendency to worry about small things that are not important, for example at the airport - on the plane that I was flying - half of the passengers were Polish and the other half British...

BT: And I could tell straight away who was from Poland, because you could see stress on their faces, the hurry and scared eyes - without any reason and it is so obvious for me and so well known that we are too worried with everything, often trivial things...

BT: You see? You should have called me, but frankly - I always try to be reliable in such situations.

Anyway, this song is about that - it is in Polish and listen to it when you get the chance - that life is never so bad to feel totally depressed and what is most important is to have healthy children and to laugh and to have friends and to have something to eat - what people in Poland are not missing.

This song is the reflection of my Polish environment, I have friends that can really have fun, when they meet they are always singing, it is so different when compared to my English life, where you can notice some kind of rigidity and people are standing with drinks at the tables they barely speak to one another. Of course, they talk but there is no revelry that is so typical here. And besides that everybody can sing - everybody in my group of friends at least. This is a group from Zakopane and Jaworzno. And the other day I got them together - it required a bit of organization but it wasn't too complicated - nobody refused. And with this group of my closest friends we gathered - huge amount of alcohol was drunk at that occasion. Kevin was working as a sound engineer, putting the microphones and turning on the recorder, while I was a director - telling them when they should start. And all of them sing choir on that song "Amelki smiech". Anyway, this song reflects the reason why I come home so often - there is always a song and music and joy and simply there's home.

BT: Yes! Family is very important to me. But not only family, also friends are very important and one without the other does not exist. My arrivals are always reasons for the holidays - especially of my friends'. And we often meet then and we gather then and play cards.

BT: I have a friend in Japan, who was our interpreter during one of our tours over there and she says that what she likes best on each album are those Polish parts, although she can't understand it but it is exotic and has something mystic. She really liked it very much. This time I talked to her and it was her who was trying to convince me that I must record something in Polish. This time I recorded not only a verse but the entire song so it is quite a progress. This song is a waltz, what was always my mother's dream. She was always trying to convince me to record a waltz. I was trying but somehow it never worked naturally. This idea of "Amelki smiech" existed for a long time and the subject came together with the atmosphere and it was simply a good moment. It's a pity that my mom can't hear it but this song is dedicated to her a bit.

BT: I think so! I hope so! Because she was such a huge fan of everything I was doing. For her I was the best in the world of course and she was always a huge inspiration for me, she was always giving me a boost, even when I had a lazy day. Maybe that is the reason why after her death I didn't feel any will to sing cause I didn't have that someone to make me to sing anymore.

BT: Partially yes!

BT: They are very emotional about the music they like and I love to work there, as everything is always so well organized - this is one thing. You can simply feel the respect, cause everybody is working hard there, and it is visible when you are arriving at the airport - 10 people are waiting for you, what is not possible elsewhere, sometimes even more and everybody has the role to play. Whatever you are doing - recording a TV show -that big group is always with you - and I have heard an opinion that they are the form of communism, one is checking the other and there is always a collective. There is no emphasis on an individual - always on a group and maybe that is also the reason why so many things are often so well organized. I really like to work there because of it, but also because the fans are so emotional and warm and they really understand and like our work. I have noticed that Japan is changing. When I came there for the first time - it was 1989 - it was a real Asian country - that was my impression, that it was so far from our culture, it was totally different, and now when you come there you can see that the youngsters are so very European, even their outlook changed a lot. They look just like young people from London, for example. They are very interested in what is going on - of course, the Internet helps a lot, everything is coming there much quicker and each hit in the UK is also a hit in Japan, so it is very simple these days.

BT: Yes! They have quite a problem with prices, cause their store prices are always higher that imported CDs and that is the reason why they always ask for some additional songs - to justify that and to make people buy it rather in shop than the imported CDs - mostly sent from the States. The album usually has a special edition - each song is translated into Japanese - that makes me a bit anxious - cause I can't judge the translation. But I hope they try to extract the sense, so that people can understand what we are singing about, although I can't understand what they are reading. But I have noticed that the Japanese speak English much better these days, so it is not such a big problem any more.

BT: Well, this is always such a big problem of releasing a new album, cause I always think that a different song should be a single than the record company does. Here, in England for example someone listened to it in London- and they thought that "Someone for Everyone" should be a single. While in the States they decided that it should be "Blame it on the Summer" - which is a very standard samba and it was the first song that we recorded for that album, it is quite nice and such a trivial story, so I don't have any sentimental feelings about it - totally invented story. This is actually the only song that doesn't have the reflection in my real life but musically it is traditionally ours as it is in our style and maybe that is the reason why they want to have it as the first single, I don't have any influence on it and this is the decision - at least for now. And what would I like? I would chose one of the ballads, the slower songs I mean, which will not be so popular on the radio - unfortunately, hard to say - although "I Must" is a song that I really like, and I think that in this song for the first time in my life I sound as if I was furious at somebody, which rarely happens to me.

BT: I have no idea. It will most probably be the next year, because this year... The reason that the album will be out so late is to omit the Christmas chaos, especially in the States everybody wants to have their album before that time, so we must wait until St. Valentine's Day. It will be out at that occasion.

BT: For sure there will be a tour - for sure in the States and in Japan cause these are our 2 strongest markets. It seems that we always have a problem with Poland, I don't know why.

BT: Well, I don't know why we couldn't repeat that, maybe the times are different - I don't know. I would love to come to Poland anyway - even for a kind of more intimate tour. At least the band would be almost... - well, actually not exactly the same. But my two girls from Mauritius would sing.

BT: Yes, they are waiting for a sign. They are just brilliant. They sing all the time. Although they live in Mauritius now.

BT: Yes, because one of them - Annick - got married to a French guy and the wedding was just fantastic - on the beach, and later it moved to a hotel close to the beach. A very exotic wedding I must say. And they had invited us, set up a place to sleep for us, there was no problem about this so we just had to buy ourselves plane tickets. And we had a great time, cause it was also around New Year's time, so we celebrated Christmas and New Year over there and it was just fabulous. And the girls [Annick and Veronique Clarisse] - they are really living on singing, singing is the most important thing in the world for them so if there is only a chance to do something together, they will come straight away. They have family in London so they have the place to stay in. Right now they work in Mauritius in a very luxurious hotel and they sing - maybe not every evening but every second evening I think - something like that.

BT: Oh yes! They are very ambitious and they always want to learn to sing in Polish exactly as it should be. I had to teach them the lyrics of "Dzien sie budzi" as they really are and they have learnt it very well. Now they will have "Amelki smiech" - so I will also have some fun to teach them this, as there is also some singing in Polish.

BT: (laughing) No, come on, it had never happened to me my whole life not to have anything to do.

BT: No, actually I have only made this album, maybe with Peter, ah ... and Spyro Gyra - I recorded a song with them - but - Oh my God! - it took me such a long time. I mean I couldn't have forced myself at all - that was such a period actually - very arid time in my singing and I couldn't have made myself record that - luckily they let me record it on my own, at home, on my equipment and that was why I agreed and after all this song appeared on their album. So I made only those songs and besides that I didn't appear elsewhere. Of course I had a lot of invitations for concerts, as I mentioned to you before, but I had some kind of blocking - I simply was not able to sing at that time - that was really hard to me! I couldn't occupy myself with music at all.

[Plays "Blame It on the Summer"]

BT: Yes, we get such messages from time to time, from the States of course. I go there sometimes for different reasons. And of course we get the listings of our royalties, which radio stations play our songs, and I know that they are being played sometimes in very strange countries. Some South American countries, I don't know where it comes from.

BT: Yes, sometimes people think I am from Portugal, probably the accent is similar and what we are doing sounds a bit European, maybe that's the reason. Well, anyways we are right now very keen on the idea of going on tour, singing and playing new music with our band. Although we will obviously have to play the old songs, we are very eager to present some of the new ones on the stage.

BT: Yes, but it will be also distributed by Universal. And right now - I don't know if you have noticed the trends. Everybody does it nowadays - publish under the independent label. But it is enough to see the list of their releases - the name of this label is Koch Records - enormous quantity of artists. Actually I have thought that they are a small, inconspicuous label 'cause I have never heard about them before but it appears that many stars worked for them, many different kinds of music. And actually the releases of albums and the promotions are totally different than they used to be. The label is not so engaged anymore, its role has simply decreased. Many things depend on our own initiative, the Internet sites, that kind of concert - internet activity - YouTube, MySpace, Facebook - these are the things you can't go without. We have come a bit late but it appears that right now it is absolutely essential.

BT: Yes it happens to me sometimes. You know how it works - accidentally you find out something on YouTube and then there are so many related videos, so you start exploring other songs and bands and other versions and finally you discover new artists and it happens to me that I put myself through listening those new things. But actually from the new things my attention was drawn by the stuff I have heard on the radio not on the Internet.

There are many nice girls, I am sure you have noticed that. Not to mention Amy Winehouse but there is such a girl who is called Gabriella Chill...?

BT: Chillme? Cilmi!

BT: Can't be! I have seen her on TV, she was singing that song of hers "Sweet about me" - live, and she seemed a bit more adult!

BT: And there is also such a great girl - she is called Duffy, I am sure you know her...

BT: She has an amazing voice - she sounds like...

BT: Yes! Not only like Billie, she is also compared to Dusty Springfield, to many different artists. And this girl is so young I am asking myself where she learned to sing like that. She has really a superb voice, with character, right? And well they are always my old favorites. Those old ones that recorded one album.

BT: Yes, looks like I am. I don't know, but I don't think we get too many opportunities in England to listen to something apart from British music. Well, maybe American music, but I am not into Hip Hop. Well, some things are quite interesting - some songs of [Ray?]. Of course Beyonce and all those girls that are really great. But I think that the best things come from Great Britain.

BT: What do you think?

BT: Really?

BT: Well, it would be great!

BT: [in Polish] I understand.

BT: [In English] I can't wait to present all this new music to you guys. To us it's really - it's been brewing for such a long time, that I can't wait to play live and go for a tour so I will see you next year.

BT: [In English] Yeah, of course. You know, I always have such an amazing time in America. They are really unbelievable. I mean - there are so many always waiting after the show and I spend hours and I'm always being told off by tour managers for spending too much time but I just love talking to people who are so emotional about our stuff ant they tell you how certain songs helped them overcome problems or made them feel good or - you know - overcome some disasters I their lives and made them feel optimistic again.

BT: Well - as I have mentioned to you before - I will be visiting Warsaw much more often, so actually we can meet over here whenever you wish - laughing.

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