Peter Noone Interview

INTERVIEW WITH PETER NOONE FROM TheCelebrityCafe.com ARCHIVES

DM) Was there ever a real "Mrs. Brown's Daughter"?

PN) Sorry! There never was a daughter. The song was written by Trevor Peacock the playwright. His one and only song. He apparently got the idea from a play, in which the parson said "Mrs. brown, you've got a lovely daughter" I was attracted to the song because it has no rhyming sequence, which is totally unique in popular music, and when I first starting performing it at the Cavern Club, etc in Liverpool, all the other bands were copying American accents, so in my attempt to be different, I always sang with an English accent.

DM) Does it ever shock you when you read a "rock history" book and see your name in print?

PN) Yes of course. However, many times the truth is not used in the piece. Rolling Stone never liked HH , because I refused to get pompous or stoned with the journalists, preferring the company of musicians, so we are always given short shrift by them. Even though many of the musicians on my records are their faves e.g. Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. I have always had the last laugh however, as my revenge is to have a wonderful and happy life, and along w my friends like John and Jim, I am able to laugh at the fact that any of this is taken seriously, and that the audience chooses it all by themselves, and all three of us didn't have to cut off an ear to get noticed.

DM) The nature of publicity and hype has changed in the music industry drastically from when you started until now. As one person put it, "There will never be another Beatles". Do you think we'll ever go back to that time?

PN) There will never be another you either. We don't need a new Beatles. We need someone with the wherewithal to make the whole business pay attention like the Beatles were able to do, and open up that door for all the musicians with fresh ideas. The Beatles were not attempting to impress you. They were trying to impress each other. Therein lies the perfect motivation for any artist. If your motive is to impress 12 year old girls, the scope is slightly limited.

DM) What type of music do you listen to now?

PN) I listen to my 12 year old daughters CD collection. Unlike my father I constantly ask her to turn the player up, and am constantly enchanted when she spots the unpleasant and the derivative like Oasis , and the winking Spice Girls, and the clever and charming like Blur, Suede etc

DM) When you perform live, do you ever cover other people's songs (I.e. The Beatles, etc...)

PN) I do all peoples music. Tonight I shall do a Johnny Cash song, a Stones song, a Bob Dylan song, a Beatles song, and a Tim Hardin song

DM) On some of your earlier songs I read that Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin did session work. Is this true and where there any interesting stories that happened?

PN) At the time of these recordings(64-72) there was an incredible amount of camaraderie between musicians, and I am sure that if I had asked John Lennon to whistle on one of my records, he would have readily agreed to do so, without asking for a piece of the publishing, or a note from my lawyer, giving him permission to be an artist. He never asked me to whistle on one of his records, but I would have for nothing too. I missed a couple of Beatles events, because Herman Hermit were incredibly huge and busy touring, which is a source of some regret on my part. I always put my band first, and excluded myself from a lot of the excitement by enjoying being alone more than was usual for teenagers in rock bands.

DM) Most of your songs have been classified as "happy" and "pop", have you ever sang or thought about covering something very far out of that genre?

PN) I am happy and pop, and when I am not I record songs like "Here comes the
star"

DM) You've guested on a number of TV-shows like, "Married with Children", "Quantum Leap" and "Dave's World". Is this a part of your career that you're looking to expand.

PM) Well, I actually started out as an actor, and over the last 45 years have appeared in movies, Broadway and multiple TV shows, but my true love is music, and I will do music for nothing if you ask me. Nicely.

DM) I've read a lot of articles that Allen Klein was causing some difficulties in releasing your songs. Specifically for a movie like, "Naked Gun". How did you get involved with him and when did you finally end the relationship?

PN) Allen Klein... My mother told me that if I can't say anything nice about someone, then say nothing. he must wish she had spoken to anyone else who has had the misfortune to even meet him, never mind anyone unlucky enough to have done any kind of business with him. I have never been involved with him, and he has somehow become the owner of my work? I just bet he won't own it for long.

DM) Do you still keep contact with any of the bands you worked with in the 60's?

PN) I am blessed with a horde of friends from the 60's.as a matter of fact, I am friends with almost everyone I worked with in the 60's. I am friends with everyone I like to be friends with, and fortunately, there are still a lot of my friends who are alive, and kicking in various stages.