GAVIN MARTIN
MUSIC
For Jack Savoretti, mainstream success took time to arrive. But after going Top 10 with his last two albums, the London-born Swiss-raised son of Italian and German-Polish parents knew that his new – sixth album – Singing For Strangers, had to be special.
Jack, 35, says: “I was like, ‘OK, we’ve got people listening. We’re being taken seriously finally’.
“I really wanted to deliver something that had some serious muscle to it and serious thought.”
Recorded in movie soundtrack maestro Ennio Morricone’s Italian studio, Singing For Strangers must be the first album by anyone to feature collaborations with Bob Dylan AND Kylie Minogue.
“I did a cover of a Dylan song on
my previous album,” says Jack.
“They heard about that and thought they would see if I wanted to work with him on these lyrics, which I did.
“It’s just an absolute honour and pleasure. It still blows my mind to see my name written next to his on the album.”
Jack’s actress wife and mother of his two children, Jemma Powell, was on hand to give advice. “She was like, ‘Don’t cock it up’,” he says. “She knew the responsibility of it before I did.
“But she was the one who sort of said to me, ‘Step away from the guitar and go to the piano. Make it your own’.
“I just decided to really try and make it my own and not get caught up in the idea that it was Bob Dylan’s. I played the piano and allowed the melody to take me elsewhere.”
Jack never worked directly with Dylan himself but for his collaboration with Kylie, she came into the studio. “She was absolutely divine – everything one imagines,” he says. “Sheer humility and professionalism in person. I was overwhelmed by how amazingly she MAKING MUSIC Bob and Kylie works in the studio. She’s incredible… she really knows how to move in the studio and that really surprised me. “Everybody gets to see her on stage. You know, in the studio it’s a pretty rare, special thing to see.” Singing For Strangers went to No 1 and Jack will finish his UK tour playing at Wembley.
Quite a year so far. So what’s next? “I’m very happy with what we’ve got so far and I’m really happy to figure things out for now. “But I also very much want to enjoy what we’ve got right now.
“It’s taken a long time for us to get this stuff, so I really want to enjoy it.”
■ Tour starts Glasgow May 23 and ends at Wembley on May 31 Jack values wife Jemma’s advice Gilmore’s a bold and incisive songwriter who includes Bruce Springsteen among her fans. Although she’s never got deserved mainstream attention, the Oxford lass’s 40th year finds her making the most soulful and confrontational music of her career. Local landmark Cutteslowe Walls Cutteslowe Walls provides a title and backdrop to songs where she blends the personal and political in perfect unison. Producer husband Nigel Stonier gives thrust and clarity.
I really wanted to deliver something with serious muscle to it