Rod Stewart is as surprised as anyone that his latest CD, a collection of the kind of songs Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald made famous, has gone platinum “I was going to be happy if it got in the top 30,” the 58-year-old rock veteran said in a recent telephone interview.
‘It Had To Be You: The Great American Songbook’ peaked at No. 4 and has revived Stewart’s career. He’s even been nominated for a Grammy, for best traditional pop vocal album; his competition are stalwarts Barbra Streisand, Bernadette Peters, Tony Bennett and Michael Feinstein.
The timing of the CD’s success couldn’t be more personally reassuring for Stewart, whose 1971 chart-topper ‘Maggie May’ remains a classic rock standard. ‘It Had to Be You’ is the first music Stewart has recorded since undergoing throat surgery in 2000 to remove a benign growth on his thyroid. The surgery weakened his throat muscles, and for nine months Stewart couldn’t sing at all. “It’s like if you’re a sportsman, and you have knee surgery, you wouldn’t be able to do any sports for a while because your knees just forget what to do. So does your throat. You have to re-teach it all over again” he said. It was a scary time for Stewart. “It’s worrying to have your livelihood taken away from you. I’m never short of activities, but I was wondering how I was going to pay the bills — what I was going to do for the rest of my life.”
Fortunately for him, the question is now moot, and he’s back to making music full time. A DVD of a recent concert performance (also titled ‘It Had to Be You’) was released this week, and in June a stage musical based on his songs, ‘Tonight’s the Night,’ will open in London’s West End. He’s also planning another album of standards.
Stewart has yet to officially divorce his second wife, model Rachel Hunter, who left him in 1999. But he’s recently returned to dating, and his notorious penchant for leggy blondes remains in tact: His current girlfriend is Penny Lancaster, 31, an underwear model and photographer.
How did you choose the songs on ‘It Had To Be You’?
Stewart: “We didn’t want anything too up-tempo. Also, we recorded a few extremely sad ones, like ‘Angel Eyes,’ which would have been downers, I think. We wanted it to have a consistent, romantic feel — it’s a nice album to put on when you’re having your first drink of the day.”
Why did you decide to record these songs at this point in your career?
Stewart: “They’ve always been a part of my life, because my mother and father used to play them when I was a kid. They got in my subconscious somewhere along the way and stayed there. … I wanted to sing these songs before I went to my grave. Also, after the surgery, my voice lowered a halftone, which has given me a lot more warmth in the upper register. So this album came up at the right time.”
How does it feel to be up against Streisand, Peters, Feinstein and Bennett for the Grammy? That’s some pretty big competition.
Stewart: (laughing) “Some pretty big noses, as well — I don’t know how they’re going to get us all on stage. No, it feels weird to me. I’ve done a huge body of work as a rock ‘n’ roll star. Then to get nominated for this album — I’m grateful, but it does feel a bit weird.”
You’ve talked about reuniting with Ron Wood, one of your longest-running collaborators, for an album of originals. Is that still in the works?
Stewart: “I’ll probably do more standards first, but yes. … We’ve already started, and we’ve got some really good tracks. It’s a chore – songwriting is like being in school for me. I like the process of sitting down with someone and coming up with ideas, but to finish the song you have to really concentrate on your lyrics. Some guys can sit down and write lyrics all day, and I’m not one of those — it’s a struggle.”
You’ve changed styles often over the course of your career, from folk-rock to disco to Top 40 and now standards. Do you think artists need to reinvent themselves to stay vital?
Stewart: “No. I don’t consciously go around looking for new styles or jumping on bandwagons. I want to sing everything, and I’m committed to whatever I sing. I could do a country album quite easily — ‘You’re in My Heart’ is a country song. To be able to do all those styles — I’m just lucky, or talented. Probably a little of both.”
COURTESY JUSTIN GLANVILLE / ASSOCIATED PRESS
