GLENN HUGHES: 'I Don't Bow Down To The God Of Money'

Music Street Journal recently conducted an interview with legendary vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH, TRAPEZE). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Music Street Journal: Why now are you getting back to your funk roots?

Glenn Hughes: People remember me from DEEP PURPLE and people remember from the harder stuff, but before DEEP PURPLE there was TRAPEZE and that was a really funky. It's a cross between British hard rock and classic American funk. And that's what Glenn Hughes has really been all about. And you know, I'm making a new record for myself hoping that my audience will go with that. And you know people around the world are understanding the Glenn Hughes funk thing. I mean they really…there aren't too many white guys that understand funk music. And I'm one of the guys that really understands that musical format. I can't help myself. I was born to play that kind of music. Traditional classic hard rock is kind of straight and boring. I like to sort of throw some funk in there.

Music Street Journal: You've been in this industry for quite some time now. You've gone through different genres. What's more satisfying for you as a musician? Being the big marquee name or doing it for yourself and other players?

Glenn Hughes: I don't bow down to the god of money. For me, the song is all important. The song is how I bring it and how I create it in the studio and take it to the stage. My fans demand new songs, they don't want to see me singing DEEP PURPLE songs all night. I love the process of writing a song. I love what it does to me as a human being. So the marquee thing is great. I'm ex-DEEP PURPLE. Can't get away from it. Kind of happy. And you got to come from somewhere and DEEP PURPLE is a great start. It's like…a two sided coin. I'm a solo artist and I was once part of a really massive band. I really like the fact that I'm forging my new style back onto people.

Music Street Journal: There have been rumors you might get involved in the remastering of DEEP PURPLE's "Stormbringer".

Glenn Hughes: I've done that. I was in the studio at Abbey Road three months ago to do "Holy Man" and I did it really quick. I put the board tape up from the 24 track from '74 and it sounded so great that I mixed it. I mixed a few more songs. I mixed "Holy Man", "You Can't Do It Right", "Love Don't Mean a Thing". I mixed them in the afternoon. I did a slightly different mix than what you've heard already with a little raw vocal, probably more funk on those tracks, more than you probably remember. I've added a couple of things on guitar that we didn't have on the original. And I've added a new vocal on "Hold On" so it's kind of an interesting mix.

Read the entire interview at Music Street Journal.