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a cyber-conversation with Steve
Somerset
Steve Somerset is a London-based artist who has
distinguished himself in a variety of musically related pursuits. He kindly
consented to conduct this Q&A session with me via e-mail, and in it, we
discover the many facets of his interesting career.
Hello Steve, Paul here with some toe-curlers for you! I trust this finds
you well and happy. On behalf of our readers, let me thank you in advance for
giving some of your time. I'd like to divide the questions into three main
categories, if that's okay? Here we go. . .
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The videos
Paul Culnane [PC]: I gather one of your earlier career incarnations
was in music video production, mainly with Kevin Godley's & Lol Creme's
production company (called Medialab). There's a kinda Godley & Creme
"showreel" called ‘History Mix’. . .
Steve Somerset [SS]: Oh my God History Mix...That was an album and
a video put together to celebrate 25 years of Kev and Lol working together.
There are clips of every video they had done up to that point in it. If you
look very closely there's footage of an 8mm horror film that Kevin made as a
teenager. That's where he met Lol, he cast him to play The Hunchback in his
production of Dracula!
But we were editing the video for ‘This Time’ by INXS in one
studio and Kev and Lol were doing ‘History Mix’ in the
other. Suddenly Kev rushes in and says to me "Here Steve you know
‘Life Is A Minestrone’ get in here now". So I went into the
other studio and I'm in that shot that zooms out of the TV to sing the
song. The whole thing is so solarized you can't see me. My own Mother wouldn't
have known I was there. In the version of ‘Cry’ that's on there too
the woman sobbing at the end was the only model that didn't make into the
actual video for ‘Cry’. Even Gonzo and Miss Piggy make an
appearance, Jim Henson was shooting in the same studio. Bloody hell! It's all
coming back to me now!
PC: Ha ha. I looked for you in the solarized bit, and it's only a
guess mind you: is that you behind Lol's right shoulder? There's a few blokes
and a few girls — it's really hard to tell, as you say. Of course, those
transmogrifying faces in ‘Cry’ — that was an early defining
moment in video technique, wasn't it? Fantastic! Well, how would you describe
your role on these video clips — I mean, is it jack-of-all-trades
stuff?
SS: I'm in there somewhere Paul. Screen left I think — very
left! I think my elbow was very good in it. If there was an award for best
elbow in a music video it would be mine! ‘Cry’ was very
interesting. The original idea for that promo was to film a specially
choreographed routine by Tourville and Dean, Olympic Ice Dancing champions at
the time. It was to be filmed with moving cameras on the ice and would have
looked pretty spectacular but it would have cost a fortune and Kev and Lol as
musicians didn't command the kind of budget that some of their clients did.
One day someone in the office was photocopying faces from a model agency when
the photocopier jammed. When the offending paper was removed it actually had
two faces blended together. Hey presto! That's how ‘Cry’ was
born. Also there's nothing digital there, it's all old fashioned wipes and
dissolves. It was a very creative atmosphere at Medialab . We all threw ideas
into the pot. There was a creative team of four and we would work in teams of
two. Tracks would be dished out and we, working on our own and then later with
the director, would come up with a concept for the song.
PC: Were there any projects you particularly enjoyed working on, or
artists you liked working with? You mentioned that INXS clip to me earlier,
but there were heaps that Kev and Lol made clips for — The Police, that
naughty Duran one with the iced nipples and stuff, Frankie Goes To Hollywood
(‘Two Tribes’, where Reagan and Breznev are having serious
fisticuffs), 10cc, Sting, Yes, Toyah Wilcox, Go West, Quo (!), Visage, Culture
Club, er, Howard Jones. As well as Kev & Lol's own clips of course.
Chroma-key galore!
SS: I arrived at Medialab around the time of ‘Cry’ and
I have to say my fondest memories are of working with INXS on ‘This
Time’. That was my first assignment there. They were not terribly well
known in the UK and their previous videos were very good but a bit arty and I
think the label wanted to promote them as a hot ticket live in the States. Just
how good a live band they actually were I discovered a couple of days after I
met them when they invited me to a rehearsal at Nomis Studios in West
London. Michael wasn't feeling too well and he sat on a sofa between me and my
girlfriend facing the band. We were treated to their entire set, a private show
just for us! I remember the first thing they played was ‘Kiss The Dirt
(Falling Down A Mountain)’ and it just blew me away. Later the band were
working on a cover version of Bob Marley's ‘Could You Be Loved’. I
don't think they did it because Michael wasn't that keen but it was pretty
funky as I recall. But back to the video... Vari lights were very new then and
the manufacturers gave us hundreds of the things to play with. It was shot
over three days in Bray Studio where they used to shoot all the Hammer Horror
Films. Recently I walked into a shop and ‘This Time’ came on and
it took me right back I had shivers down the spine and I swear I could smell
those smoke machines. Three days listening to one track over and over ingrains
itself into your brain. I also got to direct about thirty seconds of it too. I
did the second verse with the tracking shot of Michael walking across the
stage. Also there was a rumour that their road manager got jiggy with the
catering girl behind the stage as we were shooting. Sex and chips and rock 'n'
roll! But it was a great time and we would go and see the band whenever they
rolled into town. Next time I met them they were gigging at the Marquee Club
(the original one in Wardour Street) next it was Hammersmith Odeon it just got
bigger and bigger and that was exciting to see. We would often go back to the
hotel after gigs. Michael nearly got chucked out one night for playing James
Brown very loud! Then when ‘Kick’ came out they became enormous. Oh
and if Jon Farris ever reads this can I have my Peter Sellers book back
please?
Some of the INXS boys, with Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, along the time that
they and Steve made the ‘This Time’ video
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PC: I'll pass the message along to Jon if I can. Peter Sellers, eh?
A real hero for me. Let me tell you buddy, I used to be a delivery boy,
distributing cakes and pavlovas and suchlike. One day, I came along to the
Park-Royal Inn, just to deliver the cakes. Now, there they were, the INXS
guys. I said "hi, sorry I missed your concert". Jonny invited me up
into their suite, these guys were so sweet (oh, that kinda rhymes). There were
girls galore, it was amazing. And, y'know, we got talking and we shared a
spliff.
Now, moving further along to this year. You were commissioned to create a
coupla videos to accompany a forthcoming XTC box set of their ‘Apple
Venus’ stuff, to be displayed on their website. But, disappointingly
that project has since been nixed. Are you able to tell us why? And how far
did you get into it before it was pulled?
SS: Ha Ha I would love to tell you the story there but if I did
I'm afraid I'd have to kill you! But I have to say it would make an article in
itself... next time maybe?
PC: Seems you haven't had much joy making films for our Swindon
friends! You did a short film script treatment based on the ‘25
O'Clock’ EP by XTC's psychedelic alter ego, The Dukes Of Stratosphear,
but that never came to fruition either. Can you give us a precis, or must we
wait to read the script itself, which you're currently offering for sale as a
limited collector's edition? I mean, ever since I first heard about this
project, I was very excited (there are lots of Dukes freaks at large, you
know)
SS: Yes that's true XTC and videos, with or without my
involvement, seem to be tortuous for all concerned. ‘25 O'Clock’
started life as another Medialab project. We were asked to come up with idea
for a long form music video and I thought the Dukes of Stratosphear would be
ideal for a video treatment. Being a huge fan of Dick Lester's I had
always wanted to make a sixties movie and this was my chance. It was about to
go into production when Medialab began to have financial problems and the
project was cancelled. But I did walk away with the script and although Andy
Partridge's interest waned over the years I continued to try and get the
project back on the tracks. Over the years I've added to the script
considerably and we are now talking feature rather than a short. The most
recent activity came about when it almost became an animated film. A medium I
still think would suit it well. But it is so hard to get finance for a
project. I think in the old days you could turn up at the BBC with your idea
and some chap would say "jolly good old chum" and you would be
away. This was extremely tough, you keep doing the rounds of meetings and
presentations but without someone putting up some development money you just
run out of steam. But I tried, God knows I tried. Okay here's a quick
synopsis:- Uncle Alfred, an inventor, makes a 25 hour clock. This inspires his
nephew who is in a band (The Dukes Of Stratosphear) to write a song and name
their next album ‘25 O'Clock’. The group appear on television
performing the title tracks, this is picked up by The Ministry of Time where
Grand Master Time (GMT) decrees that they are anarchists trying to disrupt the
fabric of time. Still with me?
PC: Yes, I'm drooling!
SS: He then sends his Minute Men in their Mole Machine (giant
grandfather clocks with drilling screws to burrow beneath the earth) to get the
clock back what follows is a psychedelic chase movie in which a splendid time
is guaranteed for all! The reason I made the script available was because it
was twenty years since I began the project and I wanted to share the story so
that fans could go away and make the movie in their heads.
Extremely rare out-take from the animated film treatment of ‘25
O'Clock’. Here's "Red" and "John".
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PC: Oh well, yummo Steve. Do you foresee further work in the music
video field, or are you more inclined towards creating your own actual music
these days?
SS: I'm an ideas person and I still love working in video. I'm
very pleased to have worked during ‘The Golden Age’ of pop
video. It was an experience I wouldn't have swapped for the world. I have
written a movie script based upon my time during the Medialab years. John
Gaydon the managing director of Medialab read it and thanked me for filling in
a few gaps in his memory! One day I may get that made too! But the editing
system I have on my computer is better than the studios I worked in twenty
years ago so I guess I'll always be messing around with video one way or
another.
PC: All I can say there is, "more power to you matey!"
The music
PC: For the benefit of those who don't know, last year you put
together a CD ‘The Wish List’, to celebrate, and raise funds for,
the Multiple Sclerosis Society, who have been established now for 50 years.
It's a splendid collection of songs, and coheres really well. Now, how did you
muster that outstanding roster of performers (including the aforementioned
Dukes — re-forming after 15 years; Justin Hayward; Stephen Duffy &
the Lilac Time; Phil Thornalley — a favourite producer/engineer of mine
— Martin Newell; Steve Hogarth; Harold Budd and Peter Blegvad) to
participate? Must've been a logistical headache in your role as executive
producer?
SS: For me in putting the album together was a steep learning
curve. Not only was I dealing with the music and the artists but also the
sleeve design, pressing, etc. The difficulty was co-ordinating
everything. Synchronising rock 'n' roll clocks is tough. Yes I got the Dukes to
reform but were they in the studio at the same time. Oh no. I'd met Stephen
Duffy a couple of times and had beaten him at table tennis in RAK studios, so I
guess it was time to collect my prize. The song he gave me was superb, I
couldn't believe he gave up such a fab track for our album. I'd been a huge fan
of Justin Hayward's songwriting and I was delighted when he agreed to come on
board. But I just badgered every one with telephone calls and e-mails. The
magical thing was everyone's contribution just fell into place and when I had
all the tracks, sequencing them was easy.
It was a lot of work and very draining. It took about nine months in all
but once baby ‘Wish List’ was born I certainly forgot about all the
problems I'd encountered during its creation. It was very well received and we
raised a fair bit of cash for the MS Society.
PC: Yeah, and credit to you in excelsis! I also thought the two
Shadow Kabinet songs you contributed were charming, which brings us
to. . . ‘Hark!’, the new Shadow Kabinet album was
released in October 2004, after recording sessions spanning July 2003 to July
2004. Is it common for an album to have such a long gestation period between
conception and release?
SS: Thank you. My songs on ‘The Wish List;’ were
certainly a turning point because it got my music out there. I remember getting
a lovely e-mail from a girl in Japan who loved those tracks and I thought
"right let's do an album." I was still writing and recording songs
alongside all the ‘Wish List’ activity. When you are doing
everything yourself, producing, performing, engineering and mixing you need to
take breaks because you can go a bit crazy. Plus I'm writing all the time. I
don't write twelve songs and say "that's the album.". Some of the
songs on ‘Hark!’ were written as I was recording, some were in the
stockpile. But you also need to distance yourself from time to time to get some
perspective on the work. When I record I'm actually pretty quick and I like to
keep things as spontaneous as possible. So sometimes I'll put the bass on a
track that I started weeks ago and have forgotten about. So that keeps it
fresh. Some tracks like ‘Full Moon Song’ were recorded in a couple
of hours, others took ages. But my working methods are pretty flexible. Also I
love the Brian Eno ‘Oblique Strategies’ in which he says
"Honour your mistakes as intentions". His diary ‘A Year With
Swollen Appendices’ is very inspirational - recommended reading.
PC: I take on your recommendation there mate. But can I bring it
down to basics? My dear friend, Terry Chambers, erstwhile drummer for our
beloved XTC, told me a funny little story (and it's so typical of TC): there he
was in New York, in company with various Talking Heads and suchlike. Eno was
at the table, apparently espousing his theories. Terry, in frustration, piped
up to Brian Eno and just said: "Look mate, forget yer fuckin'
‘Oblique Strategies’ and just pass me that beer, before it gets too
warm". We need more people like Tezza, to bring us back to earth, eh?
Here we go: You yourself have described the music on your album as ranging
from "Syd Barrett mayhem" to "haunting Nick Drake-ish", and
I agree. But I detect other flavours and influences, such as ELO and Robyn
Hitchcock, yet the songs retain your own distinct stamp. Would you like to
comment Steve?
SS: I think that statement describes opposite ends of the
spectrum, or should that be plectrum? But yes there is a lot of ground covered
in between. I played someone a new song the other day and they said "that
sounds a bit like the Moody Blues" which had never entered my head at
anytime during its writing or recording. In fact I thought it sounded more like
the Monkees! Comparisons are both flattering and frustrating sometimes. I think
whenever drums, guitars and bass get together and produce something with a
melody people automatically say "it sounds like The Beatles". I think
that says more about the lack of melody around these days. You know The Beatles
wrote the book as far as writing popular songs goes. You can't help but be
influenced by that body of work but the other things that informs my album is
variety. I get very bored easily and I like doing lots of different styles of
songs while keeping the melody quotient high and that's a Beatle trait too. All
to often these days you hear a track by someone buy the album and it all sounds
the same. An album is a blank canvas where you can go anywhere. I just
recorded a country song that might make it onto the next album. I get the
feeling if I had an A&R man looking over my shoulder he would be shouting
"You can't do that!" But I can, so there!
PC: Sounds like you had a lot of fun in the recording process,
embellishing the songs with classic psychedelic touches like backwards masking,
sound effects, stereo panning, mellotrons and so on. What's your recording
set-up like? Do you prefer to retain that 60s-ish feel to things? Which is
not to say that the CD lacks a contemporary pop sheen — I'd say it's
pretty timeless in its sound ("fresh and now", as Mark Hudson, who
did the liner notes, would have it). Again, care to comment?
SS: Yes I do love that adventure playground that was the mid to
late sixties. I was an art student and that whole experimentation, psychedelic
thing together with the songwriting really captured my imagination. I think a
lot of the music recorded in the sixties is pretty timeless and I hope that
people listening to ‘Hark!’ feel they are meeting an old friend who
is somehow a bit different from the last time you met them . New haircut?
Taller? Contact lenses? Face lift? No... just new songs.
PC: Where do you draw your inspiration for the songs? Quite a few of
your lyrics involve intricate and evocative wordplay but they're coupled with
classically simple melodies and arrangements. When you compose, do both words
and music fall into place together, or do you come up with music first, or vice
versa, or does the process vary from song to song?
SS: There really is no set formula for writing. Sometimes a melody
will fall into my lap, or the lyrics or a title. It's a bit of a mystery and I
love that. I don't analyse it too much but it is the best feeling when you
suddenly get this thing that you can play to someone that didn't exist a few
hours before. ‘Cause For Concern’ on the album was written in
about fifteen minutes. I went out for some milk and came back with a song. I
just started singing it on the way home from the shops. Picked up my guitar and
there it was. That's exciting and on that one I recorded it the very next day
because I was on a high from writing it and I just wanted to keep the energy
flowing, get it down as soon as possible.
PC: If pressed, which couple of your songs are you most pleased with,
and why?
SS: That's a tough one. I like ‘Save Me’; It's a very
emotive song and I've played it at a couple of gigs recently just me and a
guitar and the song retains its power. But I do like they way that one went
down, especially the slide guitars going into the last verse. I was also
pleased with ‘I'd Rather Be Out In The Rain’ the vocal arrangement
on that came completely out of the blue. It's the Swingle Singers ! How did
they get in there? Actually someone wrote to me recently saying they thought it
was very clever how I made the backward high hat sound like windscreen wipers
in the rain. It does but I'd never thought of that before. Thank you very
much. I'll have that!
PC: Oh yeah, I love that kinda serendipity. The Swingle Singers,
wow! Bom-ditty-bom! How very cool, you should take that as a compliment
Steve. And, I tend to admire these clever-dicks who play all the instruments
themselves, then do their own arrangements and production. That was one aspect
that attracted me to you as an artist. Can you give us a run-down of the
instruments you use? That white Gibson you're wielding on the cover of
‘Hark!’ is pretty sexy. . .
The front cover of the ‘Hark!’ album
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SS: That guitar is actually a '56 Gold Top 40th Anniversary Model
it just looks white because the photograph is so bleached out. Now other
guitars let me see... I have a white Gibson SG which which isn't really a
Gibson but it was put together by a guitar maker around a 1969 SG body, it has
a new neck and pick ups and it plays like a dream, I have a '74 Antoria Strat
copy which was my main guitar for years, I have a 64 Burn's Nusonic which was
my first electric guitar and it's fab, a Yamaha BB 400 bass, an Aria '72
acoustic and a late sixties Harmony Sovereign acoustic, a Yamaha APX-4A
electric acoustic, a cheapo Spanish guitar and a ukulele! Various keyboards
and I record on a Tascam 788 digital eight track. My secret weapon is an old
Revox B77 reel to reel recorder which I use as a pre-amp and I put virtually
everything through that before it goes digital. It warms the sound up and just
gives it that Shadow Kabinet sound.
PC: And there certainly is a distinct Shadow Kabinet
"sound", for sure. Er, what would you say was your earliest musical
"turn-on"? What was the first record you bought? And what other
musician or group is your greatest inspiration?
SS: My dad has some 8mm footage of me aged about six jumping
around the garden and posing outrageously with a toy guitar so music has always
been there. The Beatles obviously were a huge influence and I clearly remember
my Dad bringing home ‘Sgt Pepper’. I still have that copy. Damn, I
cut out all the cut outs! But the first record I bought with my own money was
‘Autumn Almanac’ by The Kinks and my favourite album of all time
has to be ‘The Village Green Preservation Society’ by the Kinks.
Also I came quite late to Mr Dylan but I find his body of work a never ending
source of inspiration.
PC: Oh, so many things you and I have in common mate! Yeah, check
out the recent remastered box set for ‘Village Green’, it's magic,
and did you nearly die like I did, with that circular cover for ‘Ogden's
Nut Gone Flake’???
Are there any plans to commercially release the music that you and Dave
Gregory made for the ‘Planet Food’ TV series?
SS: No I don't think so, not unless someone releases ‘Now
That's What I Call Great TV Cookery Show Themes’. Never has 29 seconds
of music been sweated over as much as that piece was. I wrote it and Dave
arranged and produced it. It's quite a tortuous tale how I got that gig but
when we finally came to record it I got to the studio Dave said "I've cut
my finger and can't play guitar you'll have to do it." Now playing guitar
in front of Mr Gregory is quite intimidating but hey that's me wailing away on
electric guitar. The show is still playing around the world too.
PC: I ain't got cable, but my sister gets the show on her TV. She
loves it, but possibly doesn't realise the significance of who's making the
music. Well, can I ask you, what does the future hold, musically speaking, for
Steve Somerset and The Shadow Kabinet?
SS: The feedback from ‘Hark!’ has been tremendous and
I obviously want to broaden the audience. Last week I got an e-mail to say a
track had been played on a Radio Vidra in Serbia and Montenegro. Quite how they
got hold of it I don't know but that's great. There's some label interest from
the States too so that's exciting. So I'm working the album baby! Also I'm
recording new material for the next one which is sounding pretty good but I'm
taking my time. I don't have a deadline. But rest assured The Shadow Kabinet
will return soon.
PC: All I can say is "best of luck". It all sounds very
exciting. . .
The person
PC: From the evidence before me, you're a "causes" person.
After your wife Hilary was diagnosed with MS, you devised the ‘Wish
List’ CD, and even accompanied her to a charity function at 10 Downing
Street. But your name keeps popping up in connection with other benefits and
causes. What motivates you?
Steve performing at a fund-raiser in Matlock, Derbyshire, 23/10/04, in
memory of Alistair Taylor (Brian Epstein's assistant in the swinging
sixties)
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SS: Yes the Shadow Kabinet made it to 10 Downing Street. Cherie
Blair has a school friend who has MS so that's how that came about. But I like
to think Tony gets the Strat out and jams along with the album now and
again.
But it's great if you can do something that you do naturally and help
raise money or awareness. I'm never going to do a sponsored bike ride across
the Andes but if someone says will you write a song or come and play and
support their cause I'll try and be there. ‘The Wish List’ was
close to home and I made it primarily for my wife.
The other thing I did recently was a concert for a UK Cancer Charity
called the McMillan Trust. I got a call from someone organising a concert to
commemorate the life of Alistair Taylor who was Brian Epstein's assistant
during the sixties. So I travelled up to the green hills of Derbyshire and
played some of my songs and did ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’
which I dedicated to Alistair and George Harrison. That was a great moment,
there was a lot of Beatles aficionados there and I started playing and the
whole room just fell totally silent. I did the version with the extra verse and
as I was playing it I was thinking "Don't balls this up. They're going to
kill me if I get this wrong."
PC: Apart from music, what other hobbies/pursuits occupy your time
Steve?
SS: Usual stuff: collecting used batteries, egg juggling, knitting
with glass... no seriously - reading especially biographies (I'm currently
reading Bob Dylan's ‘Chronicles Vol One’) movies, exhibitions, I
recently went to see the Lee Miller exhibition at the National Gallery here in
London. I love modern art and last year I went to the Guggenheim in Venice and
that was just amazing. My guilty pleasure? Sixties spy movies, James Bond,
Harry Plamer, ‘Our Man Flint’, U.N.C.L.E., Matt
Helm. . .
PC: Before we close, do you have any other pearls of wisdom to offer
us?
SS: Yeah buy my album! And as a wise man once said "Keep a
good head and always carry a light bulb."
PC: Well, I'd just like to thank you, Steve Somerset, for giving me
your time (and patience), and providing a most entertaining and informative
insight into your life. Best of luck in future!
SS: Thanks Paul it's been great. 
Here's "Tick and Tock", the mad "Minute Men" from
Steve's animated film treatment for ‘25 O'Clock’
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- Questions devised and posed by Paul Culnane.
- illustrations and photographs © Steve Somerset
- References and research:
www.shadowkabinet.com (you can buy Steve's albums from
there, and find out more about him)
The Shadow Kabinet — ‘Hark!’ (CD Sound Mind Records
SMR01)
Various artists — ‘The Wish List’ (charity CD for the
Multiple Sclerosis Society)
10cc and Godley & Creme — ‘Changing Faces’ —
video collection (Polygram 0416752)
with much thanks for assistance & ideas to Jamie
Lowe and Mark Kirk
Thanks too, to Dom, Ben, Ian and John.
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