Bernard Fowler stopped singing with the Stones for a while to record a tango album in Buenos Aires

“I feel the Rolling Stones will keep playing; They are returning to the stage. What also happens is that they are playing better than ever. Right now the songs have been learned! (laughs) “, says the band’s longtime support singer, Bernard Fowlerreturns to Buenos Aires to continue recording a tango album with an orchestra singing in English.

This artist, who has accompanied the Stones since the late 1980shas just concluded the Sixty Tour, for the 60th anniversary of the band and, among other things, the first tour missing its drummer, Charlie Watts, who passed away in August 2021.

Fowler, who is definitely part of the Stone family, noted that the band finished the tour with all the energy to continue.

“There were very hard times, especially in the first few concerts where Charlie’s absence became huge. But from the first rehearsals with Steve Jordan on drums there was a spark; just that spark necessary for there to be enthusiasm and that’s it. Without a doubt that Charlie himself chose Steve was a very good thing for everyone and, on the other hand, it was the best possible choice, as only Charlie could do, “he added.

“Keith was shocked”

-How were those first concerts without Watts on drums?

-In the first rehearsal with Steve I really fell into the idea that I would never see Charlie again, or listen to, or anything. It caused me a very deep pain sensation. I remember the first concert without him, in Boston, Mick talked about Charlie and 60 years together and in the middle of his speech his voice broke, which had never happened to him in the over 30 years that I knew him and with many stories.

-What were Richards and Wood like in those early shows?

Keith was shocked. From behind I saw him play and I understood everything that was happening to him; I was really shocked; Without a doubt, Keith was the closest to Charlie and this was clearly perceived by the way he moved on stage.

“It’s Bernard with the tango orchestra”

Fowler hinted that the Stones, far from falling into some sort of artistic depression due to Watts’ absence, went out of their way to organize the best concerts, including to pay homage to the band’s legendary drummer.

“They are playing like never before. Right now the songs have been learned (laughs) and the music sounds fantastic, ”added this artist who has collaborated on several Charlie Watts albums in his jazz project, such as warm and tenderin which the singer performs standards accompanied by the drummer’s quintet, plus a string orchestra and from which he would have been inspired Argentine guitarist and producer Pilo Gómez propose to Fowler the project of making a tango record in English.

“On one of the trips we went with Bernard to the La Ideal pastry shop to listen to Color Tango, where my brothers Tito and Manuel play, and he liked what he heard. This was the first step in this project, which has matured for about five years, “said Gómez, who has lived in New York for 22 years.

With a couple of published works, the most recent entitled westwhere Fowler himself sings, this Argentine has decided to carry on this project and what he found in Buenos Aires was resounding support.

“The idea was to make a repertoire of what is called the tango song, which has a very interesting harmonic structure. In the last stage of Gardel he had dedicated himself to the realization of this type of compositions. Now, we had a very delicate repertoire selection process because not all the lyrics would have been well translated into English, but we found twelve songs that turned out very well, ”added the musician and producer.

The meeting with Fowler and Gómez is at the Camarón Brujo recording studio, in the Coghlan neighborhood. An orchestra of twelve musicians, under the direction of Ramiro Boedo, has just finished with two compositions: Whatever Y Count on meby Chico Novaro.

“The album has three stages of recording. The first was in March (where they would record When you are not, the day you love me, happy and realby Charly Garcia e Return). Under the direction and instructions of Ramiro; we are doing the second phase and in January we will record the four remaining songs. There is no rock, it’s Bernard with a tango orchestra, ”Gómez emphasized.

-Bernard, how do you feel doing tango?

– Simply the challenge. It is a real challenge.

-Have you listened to tango singers or did you prefer to let yourself be carried away by the melody to interpret them?

-I have listened to various singers of this music, but none have touched me as much as Gardel. I guess I’m not very original …

-What resonates with you in emotional terms?

-Behind the tango music maybe something resonates from the blues but essentially I listen to soul balladists. Not R&B, but soul.

– Of the songs you are recording, could you include some in your repertoire?

–The day you love me it’s awful. I could turn it into a soul ballad pretty quickly.

The launch

Both Gómez and Fowler, producers of this album, prefer to save the songs to get the surprise needed at the time of its release, which would already begin in 2023. However, the instrumental parts show an orchestra playing tense and with a powerful swing tango. .

The orchestra is composed of Ramiro Boero, Sofía Calvet, Nicolás Ledesma, Bruno Luedueña, Manu Quiroga, Lucía Kohan, Tito Gómez, Leonardo Abildgaard, Noelía Capucho, Manuel Popo Gómez, Xavier Gainche, Cristian Asato and Ayelén Pais.

Fowler, born in January 1960, in New York, has an important career as a singer. With the Rolling Stones he started in 1985 as backing vocals on Mick Jagger’s album, She is the bossthen he proposed to collaborate with the voices in Steel wheels (1989) and has since been a part of not only each of the Stones releases, but also Keith Richard’s solo works with the X-Pensive Winos, as in Main offenderin those of Ron Wood and in those of Charlie Watts.

He also recorded on two albums by pianist Herbie Hancock, Shock future (1982) and sound system (1984); she has appeared on several Ryuchi Sakamoto albums; it is also inside a box (1992), by Yoko Ono and also in the latest album by Alice Cooper, in Along came a spider (2008).

Has three solo albums, Privileged friends (2006), La Bura (2015) and Inside and outside (2019).

this Monday live

This Monday evening, at the Vorterix, the singer Bernard Fowler, singer of the Rolling Stones, will perform at 9 pm, accompanied by Fabián Quintiero, Pilo Gómez and guests. He will do the themes of his he albums Inside and outside YLa Bura and of course some Stones songs.

Information: Fowler and Friends, at 9pm, at Vorterix, Alvarez Thomas 3455. Tickets. $ 4,000 for AllAccess.

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