Behind the Songs: Maybe Someday

Photo: Jimmy Bruch

Richard Butler: "It's a very depressing song, isn't it?" (Phoenix New Times 2006)

My Psychedelic Furs CDs #16

Richard Butler – Richard Butler (2006) (Koch Records KOC-CD-9987)

The very first solo album by Richard Butler. The musician on this album was Jon Carin, who handled all the instruments. The songs were written by Richard and Jon, but Tim Butler got two writing credits on the songs "Broken Aeroplanes" and "Last Monkey".

It's such a shame that this album is mostly unknown. It deserves to be heard because it is a beautiful album and I'm really disappointed it's not on Spotify. I want it to get a reissue, and maybe hopefully The Furs' current label Cooking Vinyl will acquire the rights to this album and rerelease it. I hope something like that will happen in the future.

One more thing I want to mention, today is Richard Butler's birthday. Happy birthday Richard!

Track Listing:

1. Good Days, Bad Days

2. California

3. Breathe

4. Satellites

5. Broken Aeroplanes

6. Milk

7. Nothing's Wrong

8. Second To Second

9. Last Monkey

10. Sentimental Airlines

11. Maybe Someday

Boston Rock

Richard Butler appeared on the front cover of a 1982 (or 1983?) issue of the magazine Boston Rock.

Via noeasystreet.blogspot.com.

Page Updated

I would like to share an update about my blog page The Furs Talk About Their Music. I have now added quotes for Love Spit Love's and Richard Butler's solo albums and songs! Unfortunately the quotes are not a lot but I hope I will find more to add in the future.

Behind the Songs: Broken Aeroplanes

Richard Butler: "The one song on [Richard Butler] that does sound like something I've done before is 'Broken Aeroplanes,' which sounds like it could've been either the Furs or Love Spit Love. And Koch Records, that was their first choice for the single.

"And I said, 'No, no, it should be something that's more representative of the record.' And that's how we settled on 'Good Days, Bad Days.'" (Bullz-Eye 2006)

Behind the Songs: Breathe

Richard Butler (on being asked if he had thought of a second single for his solo album or that Koch Records would insist on "Broken Aeroplanes" to be the second single): "No. I haven't even thought about it. But if there is one, I'd like to hope that they'd go with 'Breathe.'" (Bullz-Eye 2006)

Behind the Songs: Good Days, Bad Days

Photo: Jimmy Bruch

Richard Butler: "The one song on [Richard Butler] that does sound like something I've done before is 'Broken Aeroplanes,' which sounds like it could've been either the Furs or Love Spit Love. And Koch Records, that was their first choice for the single.

"And I said, 'No, no, it should be something that's more representative of the record.' And that's how we settled on 'Good Days, Bad Days.'" (Bullz-Eye 2006)

Behind the Albums: Richard Butler

Richard Butler: "I think it was around the time of Forever Now when I first came up with the idea of wanting to do a solo album, and it just never sort of happened. And, this time, it sort of fell together quite…haphazardly, in a strange way. I'd written some songs, I didn't know what they were going to be for – whether they were going to be Psychedelic Furs songs or what they were going to be for – and I wanted to record different versions of them. So I started working with Jon Carin, who'd been a friend for years, and we started recording these songs, and he said, 'This should be a solo record.' And, then, we wrote a couple of songs ourselves, and they took off in a completely different direction, so we just sort of followed that direction and...there you have it." (Bullz-Eye 2006)

Richard Butler: "Basically, all the songs were written…well, pretty much exclusively…on acoustic guitar, believe it or not. And then we'd put an acoustic guitar version down, and then Jon would put a lot of ambient keyboards around it. As often as not, we'd pull out the acoustic guitar, but it's still in a lot of them, and we'd build a musical landscape around it." (Bullz-Eye 2006)

Richard Butler: "It sounds like a grown up record. My own thoughts, my own fears, they all surface." (Campus Circle 2006)

Richard Butler: "It reflects my life and how I feel at this point in it." (Campus Circle 2006)

Richard Butler: "The shock of somebody like a parent dying is not an incredible shock, you know what I mean? People get old and die all the time, you know it's going to happen. But the way it affects you is odd because they're kind of in-between you and your own death. It's like they're standing in the way. Whenever you think about death, you look at them and you think 'Well, they're still there, so I'm going to be around for awhile,' but once they're not there anymore, you think 'It’s my turn next.' I've always felt kind of bulletproof and that kind of put an end to that.

"A lot of the record is coming to terms with those kinds of ideas. What is love? Is it just an idea we're sold by somebody? I tend to think it is. But I don't think it's a miserable record. It's quite life affirming, life is a wonderful thing." (Campus Circle 2006)

Richard Butler: "I was going to do a solo record. I left the Furs, put the Furs on hiatus or whatever for awhile, and started making a record. But it was much more band sounding, and I was working with a guitarist. During the process of making it, it became a band rather than [a] solo record. It never came out, the solo record. And it shouldn't have, because it didn't sound like a solo record. That evolved into Love Spit Love. [Richard Butler] actually sounds like a solo record in that there's much more emphasis on the voice, I suppose." (Chronogram 2006)

Richard Butler: "We managed to record it over in Putnam Valley, 'cause [Jon Carin's] got a pretty high tech studio over there at his house, and because it was only a 25-minute drive for me. I could get over there daily, and it was a pretty relaxed way of making a record. We decided to make the record, then get a record company, which meant that we weren't under any kind of pressure. So, we took our time about it, which was a great luxury in music, to be able to just put something out when you're ready to, not have anybody looking over your shoulder, breathing down your neck." (Chronogram 2006)

Richard Butler: "The lyrics are fairly dark. During the course of making [the album], my marriage broke up, Jon's relationship broke up, and both of our fathers died. So that informed the lyrics and the music to some degree." (Chronogram 2006)

Richard Butler: "For this one, I didn't know I was going to do a solo album when I started. At one point during the recording of it Jon said we should make this record so that the music (showcases) your voice. It was very personal, a lot of it. It seemed right that it was a solo record.

"It wasn't a conscious thing, really. It just sort of happened because of the way we structured and wrote the songs, so they were automatically more intimate. It gave rise to what I was going through at the time. It became more clear. If I was singing the lyrics against the rock band and singing a lot harder maybe it wouldn't be so intimate." (NewBeats 2006)

Richard Butler: "The way we wrote the songs were mainly with acoustic guitars. They weren't a lot of music to compete against and find a place for your vocals. So I was able to sing very quietly. And I enjoyed it." (NewBeats 2006)

Richard Butler: "A lot of [the songs] refer to loneliness, whether it's somebody mapping the stars up in space, somebody being the last person alive, or somebody sitting in a bar and not being able to sleep. It's just a series of pictures of loneliness asking whether it's all worth it." (NewBeats 2006)

Richard Butler: "I wanted to make a grown-up record." (Phoenix New Times 2006)

Richard Butler: "Probably one of the more daring things about the album is that I sang it in a way that could be described as 'wimpy', I suppose. But there are plenty of people ranting and shouting about nothing. And I felt if I sang it this way, it would give the lyrics more weight." (Phoenix New Times 2006)

Richard Butler: "There are a lot of acoustic guitars and a lot of electronics. Jon and I have written together over the years and started making a record a year and a half ago. Jon plays everything on it and we're both producing it.... It plays to both our strengths—he's very different as a composer from The Furs. We adjust what we do to accommodate each other's individual strengths." (Unknown source, 2006?)

Richard Butler: "I've experienced quite a bit the last few years, both good and bad. It's changed me tremendously, these songs reflect all of it. And because of that, they're some of the most personal and important songs I've ever done." (Unknown source, 2006?)

Interviewer: "You did a solo album inspired by your father, Richard Butler, in 2006."

Richard Butler: "It was more thinking about what I was going through at the time: a parent dying, divorce, a family breaking up. When a parent dies, you feel a bit like those mechanical ducks in a shooting gallery. The one in front of you goes down and now you're next. It's scary." (Bomb Magazine 2013)

Interviewer: "The new album, Made Of Rain, has been a long time coming. Why so long?"

Richard Butler: "It has been a long time. The [Psychedelic Furs] broke up, I was in the band Love Spit Love, then there was a solo album, then people started sending me ideas and 2 years ago I started to write again." (Lancashire Times 2020)

Interviewer: "How did you feel when the Furs called time as the 90s bedded in? And what brought about that stand-down?"

Richard Butler: "It was time to go in and make another record, and I just realized I wasn't excited about it. I felt as if I already knew what it would sound like. We didn't want to do that again. And so, we just… quit. At that point it wasn't meant to be a hiatus, it was simply 'I quit!'

"I went on to make two Love Spit Love albums and a solo one." (Record Collector 2020)

One Two Testing Cover 1986

Richard Butler appeared on the front cover of the July–August 1986 issue of the magazine One Two Testing.

Via noeasystreet.blogspot.com.

Richard Butler Westport Library Interview

Collage photo by Lily Elsayed.

Yesterday Richard Butler went to the 2023 Malloy Lecture in the Arts event at the Westport Library in Westport, Connecticut and was interviewed by Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz. Richard also answered questions from a few audience members and one thing that's cool was Steve Lillywhite, producer of The Psychedelic Furs and Talk Talk Talk, was there in the audience. The live stream was posted on the PFurs Facebook fan page and I'm glad I was able to watch the interview. It was great and I loved hearing Richard Butler speak. Here is the link to the live stream if you want to watch it: https://westportlibrary.org/the-2023-malloy-lecture-in-the-arts-richard-butler/?fbclid=IwAR2r3pnNEmglK56Pk_a5Tq1zoQ1FDidZ46Yo63_IvZVnszhzsGbQ62tKM0c&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Depeche Mode on Richard Butler

Credits to photographer.

On March 10 Depeche Mode did an interview with the NME and both Martin Gore and Dave Gahan talked about Richard Butler's contribution to their new album Memento Mori. Here's what they said about Richard.

Martin Gore: "I've never written with anyone outside of the band in our history. Richard reached out to me around April 2020, just texting to say, 'We should write some songs together'. I asked for ideas and he sent me a few lines, so I put those to music and we started sending them back and forth.

"We ended up writing seven songs. We didn't like the first one, but the other six were so great that I thought it would be a bit of a waste to put them out as a side-project. They just wouldn't get the same sort of exposure as they would if they were put out by Depeche.

"[Richard's] really great at coming up with ideas – especially during times when I wasn't feeling particularly creative because there wasn't a lot of stimulus coming in. I was just sitting at home and he was prodding me and giving me ideas. That kept the wheels moving."

Dave Gahan: "Martin sent me about six songs, and Richard Butler was singing on a few of them. I was like, 'The [__] is this?' Then Martin explained that during COVID he and Richard had written some songs together. I don't care who wrote them, but they were some great songs.

"One of them was [lead single] 'Ghosts Again', which I loved straight away. Straight away when I heard the demo, it was like when I first heard 'Enjoy The Silence'. I felt the melancholy and the joy at the same time. It was a special song and I wanted to sing it."

Singles Reviewed by Richard Butler

In a July [?] 1982 issue of UK magazine Melody Maker Richard Butler was chosen to review a selection of singles that came out at the time. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with any of these songs but here are Richard's thoughts...

The Raincoats: "No-one's Little Girl" (Rough Trade). If things were as they should be, this would be a hit record. It's absolutely great! If Laurie Anderson stands a chance with "O Superman", then The Raincoats certainly deserve it with "No-one's Little Girl". I think it's brilliant. Single of the week!

It's one of those things that hits you right in the chest. You can't really say what makes a good song. It just affects you. This has a really pretty sound, the violin break at the end... aaah! This is the only single I'm actually taking away with me. The B-side's great too...

Madness: "Driving In My Car" (Stiff). This isn't fair. I knew it was gonna be a favorite record out of this pile because I think Madness are absolutely great. They can't fail and I've already heard this one on the radio. They get better and better. I thought "Grey Day" was an amazing song and I think this one's amazing, too. I love the sounds they're using, they're so adventurous.

Of all the people that came out of that 2-Tone thing, Madness are the ones that seem to be pushing something away and yet still doing the basic loonie bit. This sounds awkward and strange – like they've got square wheels on the car or something. I can imagine Madness making a psychedelic single, easy! Let's play the B-side...

Funboy Three: "Summertime" (Chrysalis). A very calculated summer single, but unfortunately it's raining. I dunno... if Captain Sensible can cover an old song and get away with it then maybe they can do the same. I like their simplicity – "The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum" was great – but this is a bit obvious.

Bad Manners: "My Girl Lollipop" (Magnet). Another cover! It was Millie originally wasn't it? I used to like her version – I was a real little kid when that came out. Funny – Bad Manners and the Funboy Three both came out of 2-Tone and both are doing covers, though this lot have remained exactly the same, still using the reggae beat they always use. They've never developed the way Madness have, they haven't moved on. This is so easy, the only imagination used was picking out what song to cover. Not a lot more to say...

Samson: "Losing My Grip" (Polydor). I can remember kind of liking Free in my youth before I found out what was half decent and what wasn't. I don't like this because it's so predictable and I've heard it a million times before. I've been hearing it since Free brought out "All Right Now" and it's never stopped since then.

I can't even start to guess what the appeal of it is, but it's something that will carry on – it's going now and it will be going, probably, in another ten years. And, in another ten years' time, I still won't understand its appeal.

Chaotic Dischord: "[__] The World" (Riot City Records)/The Adicts: "Viva La Revolution" (Fall Out Records). Hard core punk is basically reactionary as bad, if not worse, than heavy metal. Probably worse! The Adict's cover is sub-Clockwork Orange and the riff sounds like The Ramones. Chaotic Dischord are a very amateurish four-piece punk band playing four different things at the same time. This has been going on since 1977 so we're what? Into fourth generation punk now? Awful. Terrible.

[Melody Maker]: At least The Adicts invest their dirge with a little humor to drag it out of its trough.

Richard: What, like the Anti-Nowhere League? I'm not interested in it getting out of its trough.

The Managers: "Shake It Up, Shake It Up" (Sire). Heard it before, heard it before.

Jackson Browne: "Somebody's Baby" (Asylum). Definitely part of the Bruce Springsteen heritage – "She's got to be somebody's baby/She's so fine"... If you're into these kind of lyrics and this kind of music then...

MM: You should be dead!

Richard: Maybe they play this type of stuff in modern American supermarkets. See, Jackson Browne does nothing objectionable. People can play his stuff on the radio and nobody ever complains about it.

MM: We're complaining.

Richard: Yeah, because it's so unimaginative. It's dross.

Glenn Frey: "I Found Somebody" (Asylum). Another one! You might as well walk around and review the soundtrack in your local supermarket as listen to this. There's nothing to criticize it for and there's nothing good to find in it. It just drifts in one ear and out the other. There's no point where you can say "That's awful – I disagree with that sentiment" or "Yeah! I agree with that!"

Pop music should educate people – you can either try to do something political like The Clash, which I find slightly self-defeating because anybody who buys a Clash album already thinks like that.

I mean, if you were to force Ronald Reagan to listen to The Clash, maybe it would be worthwhile, but otherwise it's preaching to the converted. Or you can try to educate people like Elvis Costello or Bob Dylan or even John Cooper Clark does; makes you a bit aware of what goes on around, making people, through your music, use their imaginations to listen to it like you did when you made it.

I think this is absolutely dry of anything approaching imagination.

Carly Simon: "Why" (Mirage). Yeah, why?

Allez Allez: "African Queen" (Kamera). Very Grace Jones. Humphrey Bogart probably wouldn't have liked it. I've spoken to the singer and I know the band are Belgian and that they're all working really hard but... I don't want to put them down that much because she's got the cutest bum I've ever seen at the Camden Palace.

Skankar & Bill Loveday: "Himalaya"/Will Sergeant: "Favourite Branches" (WEA). I don't like the A side at all – it's very Thunderclap Newman. The B-side, unfortunately, is "Listening Wind" by Talking Heads. It's worth mentioning that Will Sergeant is the guitarist from Echo & The Bunnymen, so maybe they're getting into Talking Heads... that might be a good thing.

Maximum Joy: "In The Air" (Y). Okay, I've heard "Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag" and I didn't like it – sounded like a fluke to me. I really don't wanna put people down – we've had enough of it, so I'd rather be positive about things, but it's a drag that the sax line and the vocal line are pretty much the same. The cover's great – like a Daz pocket... maybe worth it for the cover alone, but honestly, I don't think they've got any chance at all.

Tom Tom Club: "Under The Boardwalk" (Island). There seems to be a big thing about doing summer singles this year and really it's become cool to do a lot of things that weren't cool before. We're out of the punk thing now and right back into the business. Once it was considered uncool to be commercial, now it's considered cool, really cool to be going on "Top Of The Pops", really cool to be doing cover songs.

It's so easy... the thing is you've already got the tunes going round in your head, you know them already, so the first time you hear it you might hear a different arrangement but it takes so little time to latch on. This is like somebody tapping on your shoulder and saying: "Hey! You know this already! Buy!"

It's a cop-out. I mean, it's hardly being creative is it?

Sheena Easton: "Machinery" (EMI). Well, ha ha ha! It's a hit! I reckon it's a hit, I really do! Partly I like her because she's a big fan of the great bard John Cooper Clark, partly because it's so predictable. Don't put this in because it's so uncool, but it's got the same thing Madness have – they could really do something with this riff!

Maybe it'll drift out of my head as easily as it comes in but thinking on chart terms, I think it's obviously gonna be successful. You even get the fan club address written down here. I think I'll have to write off – "Sheena, I gave you a good review, will you write to me? Here's my address..."

Scritti Politti: "Asylums In Jerusalem/Jacques Derrida" (Rough Trade). I think this is great. The A side's very different from the AA side which is very admirable. "Asylums" is Stevie Wonder though I prefer "Jacques" which is The Monkees.

The Pencils: "Watching The Tears" (Next). It would be nice if they'd written it, the sounds are great, but it really is "Ticket To Ride" and the Hollies. It's very derivative, but it's also very good. I mean, sounds are constantly being regurgitated and sometimes it's worth it. The Jam re-doing "Taxman" as "Start" – they interpreted the sound more in a different way; they had an Eighties feel whereas this sounds more like the genuine article.

If I didn't know, I'd think this was off a Sixties album or something. It has nothing to say for now.

Tom Petty: "Refugee" (MCA). Everything that's invested in Bruce Springsteen is invested in Tom Petty. They're carrying on the flame of rock 'n' roll. It's derivative but it's still very good because he invests it with something of his own. These are two tracks off albums that have been out for ages – one of the best songs off "D*** The Torpedoes" and the B-side sounds like Bob Dylan's "Street Hassle" so the ethics are a little in doubt though the songs aren't.

Blancmange: "Feel Me" (London). I'm a sucker for this sort of thing. They ought to get Brian Eno in to produce. What else to say about it? Talking Heads meet Joy Division, somewhere between Depeche Mode and Soft Cell. I think they deserve a break.

Tjahman Levi: "Lend A Hand" (Jahmani). It's very slick reggae, very commercial and if Elvis Costello needs something to do after trying country music and psychedelia maybe he should try reggae because this is his type of melody. It's not really my kind... I'd rather listen to the dub stuff, I'm not into all the Jah business because I think that's a pile of bollocks.

Larry Elgart & His Manhattan Swing Orchestra: "Hooked On Swing" (RCA). The sort of record you ought to get with your hundredth birthday telegram from the Queen. For getting rid of old relatives that you don't like – play it and they might dance and have a heart attack.

"Pop's Outsider"

For the September 27, 1986 issue of British magazine Record Mirror Richard Butler appeared on the front cover.

East Coast Rocker 1990

This picture is sort of in low quality but Richard Butler appeared on the front cover of the January 17, 1990 issue of East Coast Rocker (now called The Aquarian Weekly).

Tim Butler's Lineup Ranking

I thought this was interesting but here's how Tim Butler ranked The Psychedelic Furs lineups from an interview with the Chicago Tribune back in 2014.

1. The current version*: "The best that has ever toured."

Left to right: Paul Garisto, Rich Good, Mars Williams, Richard Butler, Tim Butler, Amanda Kramer. Photo by Reed Davis.

2. The first version: "Usually we were not sober, to be honest."

Left to right: Duncan Kilburn, Vince Ely, Richard Butler, John Ashton, Roger Morris, Tim Butler. Photo by Tom Sheehan.

3. The version that toured in support of the band's smash Midnight To Midnight album: "Very polished."

Left to right: Mars Williams, John Ashton, Paul Garisto, Tim Butler, Richard Butler. Photo by Henry Diltz.

Marty Williamson: Backup guitarist for the Midnight tour.

Roger O'Donnell: Keyboardist for the Midnight tour.

4. The rest of the '80s versions: "Very keyboard-y, a very big sort of stadium sound." (This one is pretty much a tie)

*Nowadays the lineup is still mostly the same but this time Zachary Alford is on the drums. He's very good and I would love to see him play with the band live someday.

Left to right: Tim Butler, Mars Williams, Zachary Alford, Richard Butler, Rich Good, Amanda Kramer. Photo by Matthew Reeves.

Shrink Rap: Richard Butler

Photo: Tom Sheehan

Richard Butler was featured in the Shrink Rap section on the February 10, 1990 issue of British magazine Melody Maker.

How do you feel?

Fine so far...

Where did you go last night?

Played a gig in Nottingham.

What will you do today?

If I knew that already I wouldn't get out of bed.

Who are your favorite singers/musicians?

Martin Rev, Arthur Lee, Hank Williams.

If you could be someone else (alive or dead), who would you be?

Pablo Picasso for a day.

Who would you most like to kill if you could?

I never really think that.

What annoys you the most?

Stupidity, waste, pride, arrogance, hatred, fear, shame, need...

What do you consider your greatest strength?

As a musician, that I can't sing and that I like words.

What is your favorite record?

Love, "Forever Changes".

What was the last act you saw live?

Bob Mould at The Ritz.

What was the best moment in your life?

June 6, 1971.

What was the worst moment in your life?

July 18, 1987.

What is your greatest regret?

All your actions are final.

What's your favorite article of clothing?

Georgia Workboots.

Who would you most like to meet?

Jesus Christ.

What book are you reading at the moment?

"Jackson Pollock" by Steven Naifeh and G. White Smith.

What was the last film you saw?

"Roger And Me".

What do you never miss on TV?

Repeats of "The Living World" on cable.

What did you last receive in the post?

Postcard from London con Edison Bill.

What's your favorite word?

Anodyne.

What would you say to an alien?

Sorry you caught us at an awkward time, could you come back earlier?

What's your favorite tipple?

Saratoga.

What would you like your epitaph to be?

All of this and I regret not a day that I was sent.

Melody Maker 1982

In October 1982 Richard Butler appeared on the front cover of the British music magazine Melody Maker.

 

Only Music 1987

On April 1987 Richard Butler appeared on the front cover of a magazine called Only Music.

Happy 65th Birthday Richard Butler

Today is a very special day for us Psychedelic Furs fans and it is the birthday of the one and only Richard Lofthouse Butler, who turns 65 years old today. One of the most inspiring and influential vocalists of all time, there is no one quite like Richard. In my opinion he has the most greatest voice ever, and his singing is so unique, original, and gorgeous all at the same time.

I know I've said this before, but I am thankful for everything Richard Butler did for me with his music. Because of him, he has changed my life and has helped me being happy for who I am, for being myself. He inspired me to get into blogging about The Psychedelic Furs, and if it wasn't for him, this blog wouldn't exist. I'm glad I am still keeping up with this, and it's a really good place for me to talk about my favorite band. I still can't believe I saw Richard perform in person at the four PFurs concerts I went to and I hope with all my heart I will see him again someday.

Sending all my love and good wishes to Richard Butler on his birthday and I hope he has a wonderful day.

Happy Birthday Richard. <3

"Out of the Shadows"

On the August 6, 1988 issue of New Musical Express in the UK Richard Butler was featured on the cover.