Greg Prato for Ultimate Guitar spoke with rock icon, Glenn Hughes, read the interview below.
Ultimate Guitar: Let’s discuss the new album, Chosen.
Glenn Hughes: I had the last one out in 2016, I thought it was a fantastic album. I wasn’t too happy the way it was promoted, as you do these days. So, it’s a different time now. And I really owed them another album.
But I’ve been working in the Black Country Communion and a band called the Dead Daisies for a couple of years, so I was really busy doing that. It came to my knowledge that they needed another album, so I did the right thing by making… I didn’t make this album just to fulfill a promise, but if I was going to make an album, I wanted to make a cohesive record. That I thought was ‘Glenn’ at that time.
And each album I make is a bit slightly different from the one before it. I never make the same album twice. So, I started writing for the album in February, March, and April of last year, went into the studio in Copenhagen in June and recorded it.
Ultimate Guitar: The title track has been issued as a video (see below). What’s the story behind that song?
Glenn Hughes: That’s the first song I wrote. And as I was writing that song, I had a feeling, when I was coming up with a melody, I kept singing ‘chosen,’ and it sort of worked itself into the song. For me, that song is about freedom, about finding oneself in this day and age, in this crazy world we live in. Again, ‘chosen’ means ‘free.’
Ultimate Guitar: How do you manage to keep your voice in such top shape? Because you’re still able to hit all the high notes.
Glenn Hughes: A lot of sleep. A lot of singing before the show, some stuff in the dressing room.
But more importantly, it’s something that I’ve been speaking about, people ask me this question, ‘How can you still do it at this age?’ I think I don’t go into it with any fear of the next indicated note I’m going to sing.
Maybe years ago, you could see me thinking about that note. I don’t do that anymore. When I’m up there at the microphone, I just sing very naturally in the moment. Being in the moment is everything to me. It’s everything.
5 Responses
The song has a Richie Kozten vibe to me, especially the chorus.
Yeah, Dana
I’m kinda getting that too. And I love the Smith/Kotzen albums.
I’ve really been diggin’ all of Glenn’s work & collaborations. He makes a good contrast to Bonamassa in BCC.
Just ordered this CD from Japan for the bonus track.
Mikey,
Smith/Kozten turned out to be a GREAT combo. Who knew Smith had such a good voice? As for BCC, also a very good band. I think Bonamassa is a serious talent.
Glad you ordered this Hughes CD, I hope you end up loving it.
Yes get the same vibe…Dana…also it’s a little sad I’m 63…and all the bands, artists I grew up on and were influenced by are getting older and fewer. I like a few new bands…but it just doesn’t seem like any are going to take the legendary banner like bands of my generation. Zep,sabbath,purple etc..I feel so fortunate to have been alive in this music era. But than who knows 60 70 yrs from now…maybe??
I agree, Mike,
We are blessed. I am embarrassed to say, that other than Airbourne and Rival Sons, I cannot think of any other current band I like. Also notice, one of those bands is practically an AC/DC clone and the other has a retro sound. So, I really have made no progress-LOL!!