Michael Des Barres interview – British actor and rock singer. He is known for playing the recurring role of Murdoc on the television show MacGyver and for replacing Robert Palmer in the band Power Station, fronting the band at the 1985 Live Aid concert. He is also the ex-husband of groupie, actress and author Pamela Des Barres and is written about extensively in two of her books, I’m with the Band: Confessions of a Groupie and Take Another Little Piece of My Heart.
Michael Des Barres interview
What’s new in the world of Michael Des Barres?
I have found that if I wake up every morning with no preconceptions, and I go forward in the day and not backwards, everything is new.
How was it recording your album The Key To The Universe?
Recording The Key to the Universe is really unexplainable. I feel like I’ve made a record for the first time. an incredible experience recording at the forum studios in Rome. The city itself made the album timeless.
Your music video for Can’t Get You Off My Mind is great certainly with the vinyl in it. Where did the concept come from?
The concept of the video was created by David Rousseau, a five-time nominated VMA director. One of the reasons I love the concept it because it ties in the past with the present.
How important are music videos in the industry today? How do they compare to videos from 20 years ago?
It’s hard to tell a story in three minutes, it’s hard to write a song that makes sense in three minutes, and it’s equally difficult to put images to that story. I’ve been fortunate as an actor to work with some fantastic directors. David Rousseau, who directed my latest video, has a great knowledge of cinema and I think that’s what makes that video so good. Essentially, movies haven’t changed since the early 1900s and videos haven’t changed since the 80s. It’s a marriage — a great song a great director and a great artist still are the vital ingredients.
What would be some of your main musical influences today?
My musical influences have not changed since I was a kid — Little Richard, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Otis Redding and more recently, the power of Iggy Pop, the passion of Amy Winehouse, and the experimentation and brilliance of David Bowie.
Do you have any tours coming up in the near future?
Yes, absolutely! My favorite thing to do is to stand in front of a microphone with a powerful band and dance with the frantic, fevered crowd.
Acting in versus recording albums is it mostly the same approach to do your best?
Doing my best is tattooed on my ass, no matter what I attempt!
When writing a song, is there such a thing as investing too much time? What’s the shortest time you ever took to write one? What was your strangest inspiration?
The faster they come, the more honest they are. I find this can apply to both the song and a relationship.
What would we be surprised to find in your music collection at home?
Wagner
Where do you see music in general going in 100 years from now?
Straight to the heart.
Fans can purchase The Key to the Universe on iTunes when it becomes available via FOD Records on April 7.
Rock Interviews