INTERVIEW  MIKE SHANNON 2005

Last year Mike Shannon celebrated his 40 years jubilee on stage. The first solo cd of Mike will be released shortly,  therefore for us it is high  time to do another interview with Mike & Evy.

 

You state that you have been 40 years on the podium, all that time in the country scene?? or other gendres ?

 

Mike: I  started with Rock&Roll and Rockabilly and that I did for about 25 years. On the suggestion of fans and especially my mentor, Bobby bare I  changed to country. At that time I cooperated frequently with Bobby Bare and he thought that I had to a very good voice sing country music ;I thought that country was more something  for older people but I gave it a try it and I never looked back, I wisht I had discovered country 25 years earlier !.

 

 

 

You are  from  Ontario in Canada, how do you come to be in Belgium ?

 

 

Mike: in 1979, I came with my band-The Shannon Riverband. to the Netherlands for a number of gigs. There I met a girl and decided to stay.. My band remained 3 months then returned home.

 

 

Then you went solo?

 

 

Mike: yes, someone in Maaseik iinvited me to play  in cafe Kroegske.The show was a success .Unfortunatly the place doesn't exist now .But there I got some other offers to play in Belgium but they prefered me with a band.. I knew cowboy Freddy of the Black Hills and managed to get some gigs as guest of the Black Hills country Band My very first solo appearance wasin Venlo,Netherlands . It was just me and a guitar -no backing tracks in those days. It was a good show for a listening public. It was way before the line dance era. 

 

Was there a difference between the country in the USA and here in Europe for you?

 

  

Mike: In those days there was a difference in what was being played.. In the States you hear a song on the radio the day it is released therefore everyone knows that song, here people only heard and knew the big hits. Frequently I, sing numbers which  nobody here has heard yet so that gives me a unique repertoire. 

 

Evy: some numbers such as The Auctioneer, only Mike can perform well because it goes to fast for most non-english speaking singers.

 

Mike: even in the USA folks have asked how I can sing so fast.? I tell them I don't realy know, it just comes natural to me. 

 

 

Have the past 40 years changed much on the country scene?

 

Mike: enormously, in the early days a lot of country was  rockabilly style or ballads about wives leaving or dogs dying and nearly every country song was like this. It really was a rule, you had to sing about trucks, trains , getting drunk ,being in prison or dying. . Steve Goodman who wrote a"city of new orleans even wrote a song saying "I was drunk the day my mom got outta prison..

 

Nowdays its difficult to say what is a country song. Recently I heard a bluegrass version of  The Macarena., it is unbelievable..There is also a problem with some of the line dancers, they seem to play and dance to every kind of music except country..some of it is pure disco.

 

You  must draw a line somewhere .mixing the two at the same show doesnt work for me.

 

 

Do you think there will be a split into  country dancers and the "pop"linedancers?

 

 

Mike: I believe that this will happen , In America its already up to that point, in Nashville,and Fort Worth a lot of places are saying line dancing is prohibited. This is because country fans listen and  drink, linedancers just buy one cola and dance all night  It's bad for bussiness.. And another problem is that the country lovers remain at home because too much disco music is being played at the venues. It is a fact that the "real"country festivals have gone down since the arrival of the linedance

 

Real country music will return  certainly, because there are still many true country fans

In America you hear a lot of new country songs reverting back to the styles of the 70's..

 

There was a time when drums and electic guitars were not allowed in the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville,

Now there seems to be every kind of music being played there-but I dont think that will last.

 

 

 

What is a good country song to you?

 

 

Mike: a good countrysong must have a story.It must be a song that appeals to both the dancers and the listeners because the public these days is very mixed. It also helps if people can understand and identify with what you are singing.But that is not always the case..for example. In 1979, I did a tour in Moscow. The Russians didnt understand a  word of what I sang but in my set of 45 minutes we tried to put in every kind of emotion.That seemed to transfer to the audience..so I guess emotions are an essential part of country..

 

You dont have to be a really great singer to perform country but you must you emotions are abbe able to transmit your emotions to the audience.. It was not his voice so much as his emotions that made Hank williams a legend. He really transmitted the emotions of a song to the public.

 

 

 

 

Do you think there are good country singers here in Europe too?

 

 

Mike: Yes there are quite a few.., One of the best for me is  Dick van Altena, a really great  voice and a lot of emotion in every song.

 

 

What is you most beautiful memory in  country music  in the past 40 years?

 

 

Mike: Thats a very difficult question.., probably a letter which I got from Hank Snow. I sent my version of "I've been everywhere"to him. and he wrote back that he couldnt sing the song as fast as me but that he made more money from it !beautiful compliment. Another great moment was, my first big solo acts in 1999, I proved to myself and others that I could hold an audience for an evening without a band behind me. 

What I will also never forget is singing at the  Grand Ole Opry in Nashville (USA). That was in September 2000. I stood there with the same microphone that so many big stars have held..Its an awesome feeling..

 

 

What are the future plans of Mike Shannon?

 

 

Mike: well I definatly will not retire !.. The new cd is coming out in June .

 

 

What can you tell us concerning you debut solo cd ?

 

 

Mike: It has been produced by Nick Mc Alley and it is a mix of new and very old numbers, all kinds of emotions Even a version of an old pop song !.. Everyone knows the number probable, , Its a Heartache. from  Bonnie Tyler. Its a song I have been doing for a while in my show..Its not country but I think it should be-It has all the right ingredients for a country song. 

 

 

What i found difficult was getting a title for the cd ., Eventually I chose Stay Young., thats an old Don Williams song. , I found this an appropriate title as I plan to stay young forever.

 

 

 

Will there be a Cd presentation day ?

 

 

Mike: absolutely, put it in your agenda, 19 June in the Ravels Ranch ,in Ravels-Eel,I have several guest artists performing that day also.a lot of surprises. 

 

And other future plans ?

 

 

Mike: I am already planning for the next cd, something different and special,and we have also had enquiries to go to  Finland, France, and Austria and we are looking to branch further into other parts of Europe

We hope later this  year to go back and perform in the USA, I have made contacts in Arizona, and West Virginia and there is ,I am told,even a bar in Ohio and that have never seen ,but only heard me but they have there Mike Shannon supporters club...Thats an Honor. They have photos of me behind the bar and play my music in all the pauses during weekend shows.

What I certainly want to do later is record some numbers for my next cd in the SUN studio's in Memphis.

 

 

Is there something else you wish to add?

 

 

Mike:  during my 40 years on stage anniversary show someone asked me if I ever plan to stop performing..

I shall go on singing my songs for as long as people want to listen...I shall only stop when there is nobody left to sing to. 

It remains only for me to thank Mike Shannon  for this extended interview and thanks Evy and Mike for the good reception.

And we thank you,Jean-Pierre Onsia, for this interview and for your interest ..