Q&A

Captain Kirk flies again – but this time it’s to a soundtrack of his most-loved Christmas songs, on a cosmic, partly prog-fuelled sleigh. Here comes Shatner Claus…

William Shatner’s got a Christmas album out with some of his prog pals. Prog boldly goes off to interview him…

After 50 years as a recording artist and revealing his prog chops in 2013 with the Billy Sherwood-helmed Ponder The Mystery, Star Trek icon and actor-singer-animal rights activist William Shatner is back. This time he’s donning the red suit of another great captain of the sky, Santa Claus, for his very first Christmas record, Shatner Claus. An anarchic mix that features guest appearances from Iggy Pop, Billy Gibbons and his old mucker Henry Rollins, it notches up a healthy prog quota with Ian Anderson, Rick Wakeman and Mel Collins also contributing to the 13-song collection. But amid a spruce-up of classic Christmas songs is one original composition, the poignant One For You, One For Me, written for the project by veteran soldier Blade Anthony.

Shatner Claus might just be one of the greatest album titles ever conceived.

Why, thank you! It was an idea that was thrown in the air and I caught it.

You must really love Christmas if you’ve recorded a Christmas record…

Christmas is a joyful holiday. Where I come from in Canada it’s usually white, so my memories are of crackling snow, carolling, bright stars, pine trees. As a young man, I would spend Christmas in the mountains, skiing. And that’s what I’d do with my family until the children got older and the snow was limiting in the enjoyment of it, then we began to go to the tropics.

What’s your favourite Christmas music?

I love the sound of horses with jingle bells on. That’s what would be pulling Shatner’s sleigh.

You’ve got some old friends on the album and a mix of rock, prog and punk guests. Who could refuse this opportunity with you?

We had a wish list and the record company sent out invites to the individual artists. In many cases they got back very enthusiastically. That’s the magical part; they all wanted to contribute. A yearly staple of the Prog office is the Jethro Tull Christmas album. It’s lovely to hear Ian Anderson contribute flute to Silver Bells.

I’m a fan and his playing on the track is what we heard in our minds’ eye imagination. He blew me away – he literally blew me away.

And Mel Collins from King Crimson is on Twas The Night Before Christmas…

He was suggested and we talked. The people I’m working with here are elegant people and when I’m making an album, I’m trying to make it unique enough so these wonderful musicians take a break out of making their own glorious music and come downtown [laughs] and see me to have a little fun.

Then there’s Rick Wakeman on a grandiose O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Why is prog so suited to Christmas music?

I’ve worked with Rick a few times. His arrangements are beautiful. Prog has an energy about it that attracts your eye and ear.

What’s the high point of the record for you?

With every one of those numbers, I pondered the mystery [small laugh]. But I had a wonderful veteran – a former soldier, Blade Anthony, who was a poet – write a Christmas song for me and it’s one of the major elements in the album, a song called One For You, One For Me. He was unable to write something with delight in it. Suffering battle fatigue, he wrote of asking what it’s like back home because ‘Over here there’s nothing but fear’. We set that to music, and it’s epic. I told the poet that I would do my best with it, then I told all the musicians what I thought it should sound like – the pain and the anguish and the longing that soldiers must feel away from home for a holiday that was part of their childhood. I think the arrangement, delivery and music reflects that. I wanted to honour our soldiers with that poem.

Thinking about the Star Wars Holiday Special, was a Star Trek Christmas Special ever mooted?

Not as far as I recall… but it would have been fun to meet Santa Claus arcing over the galaxy, wouldn’t it? Sadly, I don’t think Star Trek’s producer was that playful.

What Christmas gift would Kirk have got for Spock? [Laughs loudly, and not unlike Santa] That’s a great question! I think he would have given him a Tribble. He would have done that just because it would have annoyed him.

And Spock for Kirk?

A new telescope. Something practical, thoughtful. Either that or a dog [laughs].

There’s a missed commercial opportunity: Spocking fillers. I think you’re right! This idea is very cute.

You’re now the very young age of 87, can that be correct? I can hardly imagine that!

You seem to be the very essence of live long and prosper. What’s your secret?

Well, I’ve certainly fulfilled part of that, haven’t I? What’s the secret, hmmm… the secret is, first of all, genetic. [Thinks hard] It’s something about the endings of your DNA… the telomeres! They keep reproducing cells and when they stop doing that, you age. So I had a good talk with my telomeres.

That’s so scientific. We didn’t expect an answer so… real. The other part is to do a Christmas album [laughs].

Do you believe in Father Christmas?

I believe in the wonder and magic of Christmas, I certainly do. It reminds us idyllically what a man can, and should, be.

Shatner Claus is out now via Cleopatra Records. See www.williamshatner.com for more information.

“RICK WAKEMAN’S ARRANGEMENTS ARE BEAUTIFUL.”