Interview with David Cross in Muzikalnaya Gazeta
Date Submitted: 7-Nov-1999
Submitted By: George Khouroshvili (nightwatcher98 at hotmail dot com)
David Cross interview for Muzikalnaya Gazeta #42 (Belarussian Music Newspaper) by Dmitry M. Epstein
MG. Did you ever consider violin as a rock instrument? It's interesting
because if one thinks about it, he thinks off hand of you, Eddie Jobson and
Jean-Luc Ponty.
DC. I always thought of the violin as a potential rock instrument. It seemed
possible to me because of the blues violin playing of Sugar Kane Harris
and Pap John Creech. Its a question of sound and feel, and over the years I
have gradually got closer to working with the violin as a rock instrument.
The technology now makes it easier and I am beginning to get a feel for it
now.
MG. What are memories of work with P.J.Proby? His "trousers extravaganza"?
What of his hits you played on? Had you a chance to meet THE BEATLES through
him?
DC. I only played live with PJ Proby; I didn't do any recording. He was a
great performer and a good singer. I have never met any of the Beatles or
anyone who has. I am a very shy person and if I get near any one famous I
usually run away as fast as possible.
MG. You play music for thirty odd years of which only 16 months you spent
with KING CRIMSON. Don't you feel resentful to some extent that most people
know you only by this work?
DC. I'm very lucky that some people know something of my playing. Most
performers never have the opportunities that I have had.
MG. In your childhood days you wanted to be a spy, a psychiatrist or a
detective. Can you say you were three of them playing in CRIMSON?
DC. A very interesting question. I'm not sure what you are implying here but
I guess there are aspects of those activities in being a musician. I suspect
I was the one who needed a psychiatrist!
MG. Let alone Jamie Muir but in classic four-piece CRIMSON you were the one
quite unknown to progressive rock fans. How did you feel about it and how
you were treated by your famous colleagues, Robert Fripp, John Wetton and
Bill Bruford?
DC. My famous colleagues treated me just fine.
MG. Do you feel proud that CRIMSON of 1973-1974 was always considered the
best and "The Great Deceiver" boxed set is entirely dedicated to this era?
DC. Immensely proud.
MG. Playing a sort of jazz before joining KING CRIMSON you should have felt
closer to Bruford rather than to others. So who was your real mate in the
band? What can you say of all of them as persons?
DC. I had quite different perspectives on music than Bill or John and felt
very much in tune with Robert's rhythmic and tonal ideas. Bill particularly
went to great lengths to help me understand what he was doing. Socially,
Robert didn't drink and kept himself to himself so I probably spent more
down time with Bill and John, particularly John, who enjoyed a party.
MG. Your violin was as important to the band's sound as were Bob's guitar,
John's bass or Bill's drums but you shared mellotron with Fripp as well. Who
played it more often?
DC. I think mellotron duties/safaris were pretty equally split.
MG. Wetton also played violin. Did you ever played together live as a violin
duo?
DC. Yes we used to do a violin/viola duet on our first live gigs but someone
in Family criticised what we were doing at a concert and John never wanted
to do it again.
MG. As Fripp wrote, in 1973-1974 he always had a kind of battle with rhythm
section and Wetton and Bruford won in the end. What was your position in
this battle?
DC. I think the evolution of the band can be seen in that way. There was
less and less room for musical doubt, ambiguity, vulnerability; the more
sensitive expressions that had been sustainable at the beginning of the band
were not there at the end. There was also less humour. On the other hand
Bill and John achieved an incredibly powerful and imaginative coalition;
they couldn't understand why their front line didn't want to constantly wail
over the top it.
MG. There always was a question: who played flute on original version of
"Exiles"? Can you shed a light on this one?
DC. I played flute on Exiles.
MG. Either John Wetton or Robert Fripp explained once the reason of KING
CRIMSON's break-up in 1974 - the band discovered they played together only
because they couldn't find other musicians of their kind. You left CRIMSON
before the end but can you comment it?
DC. I think the answer lies in (10) above.
MG. How did it come that during the "Red" recordings there were members of
various KING CRIMSON line-ups - you, Ian McDonald, Mel Collins? Did Robert
feel that "Red" would be the definite last album?
DC. Ask Robert.
MG. You decided to go as there were tour dates planned after the "Red"
recording. They never happened and the band came to its end. Was it
partially because of your departure?
DC. I don't know.
MG. What of your parts on the "USA" live album were re-recorded by Eddie
Jobson and why?
DC. Presumably my parts were bad and needed replacing. Ask Robert.
MG. What kind of person is Richard Palmer-James, the CRIMSON lyricist?
DC. Richard is obviously very talented and an interesting mixture of down to
earth and mystical.
MG. What did you do between KING CRIMSON and your nineties' activity?
DC. Please see my biography on www.noisy.co.uk. My life is a source of
great pleasure to me. Some frustrations balanced by a lot of good luck!
MG. What do you think of the "double trio" CRIMSON?
DC. Brilliant and NOISY!
MG. In nineties you seem to prefer electric violin to acoustic one. Why?
DC. I understand rock better. I have less respect for classical music, good
tone. I prefer a good NOISE made by a human being, I can't be bothered with
microphones. I don't enjoy recording violin. I don't really know....
MG. Was your brilliant album "Exiles" some kind of tribute to nostalgia for
old times?
DC. The working title was Unfinished Business, and I suppose that reflected
the feelings I had about the end of my time with Crimson. As the album
progressed the ghosts of the past were buried. Working again with John and
Robert was a pleasure and somewhere along the way the whole experience put
1972/4 into a new perspective. I'm not sure who the exiles are; perhaps all
of us.
MG. How did "Exiles" come about? I mean, were you in touch with Wetton and
Fripp for all these years or was the album just a result of your meeting at
"The Night Watch" presentation?
DC. It all started with the Great Deceiver..............Robert got in touch
out of the blue.
MG. The new version of song "Exiles" is so majestic in contrary to the old,
gentle, version. Why did you decide to make it this way? Was Wetton the
obvious choice to sing it?
DC. John was the obvious choice and the right choice. The version that we
recorded was based on the way it had evolved with the band in live
performances.
MG. For how long do you know Peter Hammill, who sang "Tonk" on your
"Exiles"?
DC. I met him in the studio on the day he recorded the songs. He did a
wonderful job in very little time. A brilliant performer.
MG. "This Is Your Life" of "Exiles" seems to be your first collaboration
with Peter Sinfield, yes? Did Peter and Fripp meet during your sessions and,
if so, how do they get along now?
DC. This was the first time to work with Peter and I learnt a great deal
from working with him. Robert was not involved in this and did not meet with
him during recording.
MG. How can you describe the kind of music you played with RADIUS?
DC. This is a real problem. Can you help me with this? I need to find some
way of marketing it. Urgently........
© Dmitry Epstain